Today was an overcast and windy day, so we spent the day running errands and picking a few groceries. Came across this "SpeedLav" which is the first time I see washing machines and dryers outside in the open. I guess you do your laundry while shopping for groceries! An interesting concept.
We met with Lin and Jeff in the evening at the "La Selette" restaurant in Cabezac, on the Bize-Minervois road. (I'm adding all this info because I love the sound of those names!) Lin and Jeff manage Villa Mimarmel while the owners are in England, so we've had the opportunity to meet with them for tea and chats. We decided to get together for dinner, and since they know the area so well, they picked this place which was halfway for both of us - perfect!
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| Lin and Jeff |
We were offered the ubiquitous bowl of olives, but this time with an added yogurt and dill dip and croutons. Yum!
Shot glasses of creamy leek soup with lots of parsley constituted our amuse-bouche. We drank these instead of scooping with a spoon.
Both Karl and I ordered the baked Camembert wedges on a green salad with loads of red onions and cherry tomatoes.
Lin had "All that is pork" which included cold meats, black pudding (blood sausage), pork roast wedge with a soya sauce topping, pâté, and a croquette with pork sausage meat. All on a bed of greens with cherry tomatoes and cornichons (pickles).
Jeff went for the charcuterie plate (assortment of deli meats) served with dill pickles, grapes and radishes.
Our main courses were delicious as well. I had the pork tenderloin with a pepper mushroom sauce. The sides were mashed potatoes, broccoli, puréed squash, carrot, and sautéed mushrooms.
Karl had the half roasted chicken with the same sides.
Lin had fish and chips, tartar sauce and lemon wedges, along with a mayonnaise dip for her fries. That is very typical for France rather than serving fries with ketchup. You can get ketchup in some restaurants, but more often than not, they don't have it.
Jeff also had fish, but a baked fish in a béchamel sauce. It was accompanied by the fries and mayo as well. Isn't that an interesting holder for the fries and mayo?
Ah, the desserts! I had the chocolat fondant in a crème anglaise, with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and Chantilly that carried a sprinkling of cocoa.
Jeff had the profiteroles, which was a tower of "cream puff" filled with ice-cream and topped with chocolate sauce and toasted sliced almonds. It, too, was in a bed of crème anglaise and stood between generous mounds of Chantilly.
Karl had the Tiramisu and confided that it may actually be a rival to the Tiramisu in Capestang! I should have tasted it...
Lin had the Île Flottante, but with a mango flavoured base and a generous sprinkling of coconut.
All of this was washed down with a bottle of red wine. We ate slowly, laughed, talked about everything under the sun, lingered over each dish, and were the last patrons to leave. We had an absolutely delightful evening!
As our departure date fast approaches, we realize that there won't be too many more opportunities to be with folks we've met. These times are precious. We can only express our sincere "Au Revoir", with the hope that one day our paths will cross again.
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