Category Archives: Restaurant news

A new Michelin star

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The Atelier du Peintre in Colmar received an étoile (also known as a “macaron“) in the 2011 France Guide, published earlier this week. We have dined there several times in the past few months and it has become a favourite.

A few years ago the chef Loïc Lefebvre and his partner Caroline Cordier were hired, from a restaurant in the south of France, by a Scottish business millionaire to start a new restaurant in Inverness, with the aim of getting a Michelin star. Somewhat unsurprisingly the locals didn’t visit it in any numbers and it lost money. The restaurant got the attention of Gordon Ramsay in his Kitchen Nightmares television series (La Riviera, Inverness 14 June 2005 – after our first visit we found the programme on YouTube). There were several makeovers and a change of style with a more bistro-style lunchtime restaurant and a continuing separate evening restaurant – not really those suggested by Ramsay. With the changes, the bistro style became more successful and another restaurant in the same style, managed by the couple, was opened in Edinburgh. In 2007 there seems to have been a row between the French couple and the businessman and they walked out. They started their own restaurant, the Atelier du Peintre, in Colmar in summer 2009.

Slightly more surprising was the lack of any recognition (or even a mention!) in the new Michelin guide for the Auberge de la Ferme Hueb in Marckolsheim run by the former chef of the Blanche Neige (it has a similar ranking to the Atelier in the Gault Millau guide). But that is probably the ambience not being up to Michelin standards; the quality of the food certainly has been on all our visits. The chef, Mike Gemershausen, has picked up several awards in the last year. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming year and whether he spreads his talents too quickly and thinly. He has now bought a hotel-restaurant just across the Rhine from Selestat in Germany and also become a partner in another hotel-restaurant across the Rhine from Strasbourg. The Ferme Hueb is rented but there has been no indication it is closing so presumably he will put in another chef.

Photographs of some of our meals at the Atelier du Peintre and the Auberge de la Ferme Hueb

Restaurants comments and photographs update

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There haven’t been any restaurant comments added here for some time even though we’ve been eating out! We have been going back to old favourites quite often and it didn’t seem worth adding them….and then, even when we visited new restaurants, we got out of the habit of commenting.

However, there have been significant changes at our favourite restaurant of several years, the Blanche Neige. All the serving staff we knew well, from our frequent visits, left during 2008. Thomas the manager was the last to go and by lucky accident we were there during his last week in December. Then I discovered last weekend the chef had also moved on in July 2009. We’d been at the Blanche Neige in August and noted some changes – mainly reduced menu options, increased prices, and the saltiness but there was no visible indication of any change in the kitchen!

The original chef, Mike Germershausen, and his wife have now opened their own restaurant in Marckolsheim and we visited a couple of days ago. He seems to be building up a regular trade already which is not surprising as the prices are more reasonable and the restaurant is more accessible from Colmar and Selestat. The food and presentation are much the same, but slightly simpler. He said he found it a bit odd at first as the restaurant mainly served pizzas under the previous owner. When it re-opened the pizza eaters came expecting their usual food, were surprised by the menu and left again. Auberge de la Ferme Hueb, Marckolsheim

 
All our restaurant photographs https://www.blackmores-online.info/Restaurants/

Les Ducs de Lorraine – Epinal – 5 June 2007

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ducslorraineepinal5june2007.jpgClick on the photo
Our first visit to this restaurant and certainly not our last! Although the restaurant has a Michelin star and 16/20 in GaultMillau it has not been a must go to. The web site was unavailable for a long time and we wondered whether the restaurant still existed; passing by, the menu outside was in a rather sad state. But we certainly enjoyed our visit. It is in a hotel in an early 1900s building; the entrance lobby is dark with wood panelling and floors but the restaurant, with high ceilings is light and airy. As it was a warm day we sat on the terrace and the awning was put to use when a storm passed over.
We chose the 32€ menu which has four choices for each of the starter and main courses and a dessert trolley.
Amuse bouche – cream cheese mousse with a tomato and basil couli
Starters
Snail ravioli in a garlic and cream sauce or
Homard rillette on potato wrapped in smoked salmon
Main course
Gallette of lamb on a bed of ratatouille or
Brochette of lapereau or
calf kidney
Desserts from the trolley – as many as you could decently choose (!!) from
chocolate and raspberry cake, white chocolate and nut gateau, peach tart, rhubarb tart, crème anglais, skewer of grilled fresh fruit, warm tarte tatin, raspberry sorbet, cherries, melon, peaches, strawberries….

A very enjoyable and tasty meal.

All restaurant photographs https://www.blackmores-online.info/Restaurants/

Blanche Neige – 1 June 2007

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blancheneige1june2007.jpgClick on the photo

Another visit to our still favourite restaurant.

Aperitifs (with beetroot and tomato-olive butters in the background)
…
Menu Découverte (39€)
Amuse bouche: watermelon soup and crevette
…
Le Cappuccino de Crustacés, Cannellonis de Langoustines et Viande de Grison or
L’œuf Poché à la Mayonnaise de Truffe Noir et ses Asperges Poêlées
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Le Filet de Truite du Val d’Orbey, Ragoût de Fenouil à la Crème et ses Pralins croustillants de Riz
…
predessert: peach couli and tonka bean cream
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La Soupe de Rhubarbe à la Vanille, Chips de Poivre Vert et Parfait glacé Yaourt Cardamome
…
coffee with petits fours of apple tarts, chocolate ice creams, and pear eau de vie truffles

La Table du Gourmet – Riquewihr – 25 May 2007

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tablegourmet25may2007.jpgClick on the photo
Another trip to la Table du Gourmet which only confirmed my original impressions and I was not really impressed with the quality of the food, especially given a cost comparison with other restaurants (unlike my companions). Not a restaurant I will be hurrying back to visit.

MENU ” ALSACE ” son Terroir renouvelé (39€)
Tartelette Flambée en Mise en Bouche
……….
Dégustation de
– Bâton de Foie gras de Canard sur Asperge du Pauvre, Aigre-doux au Gewurztraminer
– Presskopf comme la Grand-Mère, Bouton de Fleur de Pissenlit
– Omble chevalier du Val d’Orbey, un peu Fumé, Feuilles et Fleurs, Crème Battue à la Livèche
……….
Volaille fermière d’Alsace aux Feuilles Aromatiques, Bouillon Moussé au Gewurztraminer
……….
Vacherin glacé au lait Citron et sorbet Fruits rouges Confits à l’eau de Vie

Menu of the Day (28€)
Vegetable tempura
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Cod with vegetables in an oriental soup
……….
Caramelised banana, chocolate in filo, cassis sorbet

All restaurant photographs https://www.blackmores-online.info/Restaurants/

Auberge Frankenbourg – 12 May 2007

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Auberge Frankenbourg - 12 May 2007Click on the photo
A quiet, enjoyable meal with Leila to celebrate Helen’s birthday
Amuse bouche – tomato soup jelly with herb cream/fois gras/guacamole/gamba
starter – Fois de canard poché à la vanille et vin de Maury, confit de poire ivre de vin
fish course – Tartare de thon à la coriandre, salade d’herbes et pousses en vinaigrette acidulée
main course -Coeur de filet de boeuf, béarnaise, pommes pont neuf, pointes d’asperges au parmesan
cheese course – Comté, confiture de tomate verte
predessert – mousse de fraises
dessert – Pana cotta à la rhubarbe, madeleine tiède

All restaurant photographs https://www.blackmores-online.info/Restaurants/

Blanche Neige – 6 April 2007

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Blanche Neige - 10 Mar 2006Click on the photo
Amuse bouche
soupe de choucroute et Saint Jacques
Menu Découverte
la déclinaison du baeckeofe revisité par notre chef
ou
la crème de safran, émulsion de petit pois et poitrine de caille au hoi-sin
—
l’involtini de volaille vapeur, duo de lentilles au garam massala et ses chips de crevettes
—
mousse au chocolat blanc et coulis de mangue
—
la mousse yaourt orange sanguine, mille-feuilles croquant au miel Turc et sa glace à l’huile de citron

le cannelloni de châtaignes, glace à « l’Eierlikor » en nid de nouilles, kaitaifi chips de caramel salé

All restaurant photographs https://www.blackmores-online.info/Restaurants/

Auberge Frankenbourg – 24 Mar 2007

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Frankenbourg 24 Mar 2007Click on the photo
Amuse bouche – parsnip soup/cucumber sushi /emince de Saint Jaques
starter – foie gras de canard poêlé, haricots cocos en vinaigrette acidulée, jus perlé à la graisse d’oie
main course – sandre à la pomme de terre or suprême de pintard et ravioli foie gras et truffes
desserts – chocolate mousse or quince in various forms

All restaurant photographs https://www.blackmores-online.info/Restaurants/

La Table du Gourmet – Riquewihr

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We had planned to go to the Blanche Neige for lunch. We left a final decision until late morning as there had been snow overnight and in the morning and weren’t sure whether even the main roads would be driveable (this flurry of eating out is because there is only a limited overlap of time with our usual eating companions, Roger and Dorinda being here and Helen going to the UK). We finally decided to go but on telephoning, discovered the BN was exceptionally shut as the chef was giving a cooking course. So, after some discussion we went over to la Table du Gourmet in Riquewihr which R&D had visited once last year.
The trip over the Vosges was snowy but it started to disappear as we dropped onto the Alsace plain and there was none to be seen down in the vineyards. The room was a dark crimson with very low beams – even the waitresses were ducking. There is a panorama of the interior (http://www.jlbrendel.com/table/riquewihr-restaurant-virtuel-m6.html) – and it will then be obvious why the photographs have a pinkish-red hue) After some dithering we all opted for the 38€ meal with a bottle of Pinot Gris from Sipp Mack.

Table du GourmetClick on the photo
Tartelette Flambée en Mise en Bouche
————
Dégustation de
Bâton de Foie gras de Canard sur Asperge du Pauvre, Aigre-doux au Gewurztraminer
et
Presskopf comme la Grand-Mère, Bouton de Fleur de Pissenlit
et
Omble chevalier du Val d’Orbey, un peu Fumé, Feuilles et Fleurs, Crème Battue à la Livèche
————
Sandre masqué de Feuilles aromatiques, cuit à la Vapeur,
Pommes Charlottes « Comme un Baekeoffa »
Huile essentielle de Persil Simple au Lard
ou
Volaille fermière d’Alsace aux Feuilles Aromatiques,
Bouillon Moussé au Gewurztraminer
————
Vacherin glacé au lait Citron et sorbet Fruits rouges Confits à l’eau de Vie

A meal we all found enjoyable and well presented (but not really with the variety of different tastes we enjoy at the BN). My sandre was slightly bland and really needed some well-flavoured vegetables other than the potatoes. A restaurant we will probably re-visit although I have my concerns that the much of the content probably having been preprepared rather than cooked to order.

And afterwards we went to Sipp Mack in Hunawihr and each bought a case of the Pinot Blanc Reserve 2004.

Aux Armes de France, Ammerschwihr

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Until March 2005 Aux Armes used to have a Michelin star (the father of the current chef got the first star for the restaurant in 1938). We booked to eat there on my birthday a few years ago. However, all did not go well. It was a Sunday lunchtime. The only menu they had was 80€ with no choices (apart from the à la carte menu). We couldn’t find anything we liked so walked out. Unfortunately by then it was too late to find another interesting restaurant and we ended up having pizza.

Now Aux Armes only has a Bib Gourmand and we thought it time to check it out as the chef might be working really hard to regain customers. The midweek lunchtime menu is now 27€ (or 32€ with a glass of Alsace wine and coffee). There are several choices for each course and of wines (we could select from reisling, muscat, gewurztraminer, and pinot noir). The cooking and presentation were passable but nothing exciting – it would certainly not indicate the chef once had a Michelin star. We won’t be rushing back.auxarmes.jpg
Click on the photo
Ravioles d’Escargots a la Crème d’Ail Persillée et ses Chips
Terrine aux 3 Viandes – Sauce Cumberland
Filet de Canard – Jus aux Épices – Garniture du Moment
Parfait Praline, Glace au Bailey’s et Poêlée de Pommes et Griottes

On leaving we saw a display of newspaper and magazine cuttings. It seems the chef Philippe Gaertner decided that keeping up the high standards necessary to retain the Michelin star was costing him too much money so he gave back his star and indicated he was turning to a more rustic cuisine. “Winning or keeping one’s star status requires not only professional vigilance at all times but a big investment in money and personnel, and you need a big clientèle to support it.” “The pressure to maintain the star rating had led to a slow erosion in the numbers coming to eat at the restaurant and to higher charges for customers.”

A cartoon by Jean-Pierre Desclozeaux in Le Monde du 23/02/06 accompanying an article by Jean-Claude Ribaut on «le monde turbulent des casseroles» entitled «Le Michelin 2006, avare en étoiles»

desclozmonde.jpgClick on the image