Category Archives: Restaurant news

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

Restaurant Elisabeth – la Vancelle

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Restaurant Elisabeth - la VancelleClick on the photo
We finally visited the Elisabeth yesterday. It is only a hundred metres from one of our favourites, the Auberge Frankenbourg. As the AF is shut on Wednesdays, we wondered how many of its customers had gone up the road to the Elisabeth, where the prices are similar. Interestingly, the chef only took up the profession when he was fifty, after many years as a manager. He has been there for three years, and has now acquired a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The 10€ menu of the day was reasonable – celeriac and jambon, pork chop and frites and rice pudding – though judging from the number of half-eaten portions cleared away, the dessert did not gain much approval. The 28€ menu was adventurous – although the chef obviously likes his liquidizer. The appetiser contained liquidized chestnut and bacon; the amuse bouche was liquidized carrots and cumin with a beetroot and melon juice; the foie gras starter was decorated with blobs of liquidized peppers as was the salmon with chopped ham and haddock; and the dessert had layers of creamy chocolate mousse and crushed fruits.

  • Foie gras de canard en mi-cuisson, feuille et garniture façon pizza
  • Pavé de saumon cuit en basse température, ventrèche (french pancetta), fèves au haddock à l’huile de noix
  • Minestrone de fruits exotiques et gelée d’orange, mousse au chocolat blanc, crème d’avocats, sorbet maracudja

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

Blanche Neige – Michelin France Guide 2007 – update

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28 Feb 2007: The new red Michelin Guide to France came out earlier. There was no mention of the Blanche Neige in the press release of stars awarded which was extremely surprising and puzzling to us.

Late last year the restaurant had indicated they thought they’d had a visit from a Michelin inspector and, based on our experience of starred restaurants in the region, we were expecting the Blanche Neige to be awarded a star. Not even a “Bib Gourmand”. The restaurant was also missing from another guide, the Bottin Gourmand, which came out at last November. Puzzling since it has had a 15/20 rating in GaultMillau for the past two years.

Our other favourite restaurant, the Auberge Frankenbourg in la Vancelle, retained the * it acquired a couple of years ago; it has also had 15/20 from GaultMillau for the past few years.

Hopefully we’ll find out more on our next visit but I wonder whether they were inspected or whether the rumours of guides and back-handers have some truth?

Update 8 Mar 2007: Having now seen a printed copy of the guide I have found the Blanche Neige was awarded two red knives and forks.

Michelin Guide FAQs http://www.michelin.co.uk/travel/downloads/Guide%20FAQs.DOC

Blanche Neige – GaultMillau restaurant guide 2007

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The 2007 GaultMillau restaurant guide, which has just come out, includes the following: Depuis 2006 GaultMillau a créé une nouvelle distinction: les Jeunes talents. Découvreur de talents depuis toujours, GaultMillau distingue aujourd’hui 22 Jeunes talents, un par région. Ils ont moins de 32 ans, et un vrai potentiel. Installés depuis peu, ils se sont lancés dans l’aventure avec beaucoup de courage, de passion et de talent. Leur travail devrait les conduire dans les années qui viennent à des niveaux de reconnaissance élevés. GaultMillau a choisi de les accompagner dans leur projet en donnant un coup de projecteur sur leur talent.

The 22 Jeunes talents include:
Mike Germershausen Blanche Neige à Labaroche (68). Mike Germershausen n’a pas manqué de courage en s’installant il y a deux ans à proximité de la petite station des Trois Epis. Complexe et maîtrisée, sa cuisine se révèle surtout brillante.

GaultMillau 2007 rankings
15/20 Auberge Frankenbourg 67730 La Vancelle
15/20 Blanche Neige 68910 Labaroche
http://www.guides-gaultmillau.fr/telechargement/presseGF2007.pdf

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

Cheval Blanc, Westhalten – 23 Nov 2006

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Cheval Blanc, Westhalten 23 Nov 2006Click on the photo
Gastronomic menu
1. soupe de potiron ,une huître a la crème échalotée et une fricassée de moules
2. le filet de rouget et moelle de boeuf cuisine a la Beaujolaise
3. la pluma Ibérique et ses joues ivres de vin rouge
4. le gruyère en trois états
5. l’entremet au cherry marnier façon tiramisu glace pistache et sorbet fromage blanc

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