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Want to Enjoy Ice Cream in Provence? – We have it licked…

Posted in Food on September 19, 2020| Leave a Comment »

‘Ice cream is exquisite. What a pity it isn’t illegal.’ -Voltaire*   I still scream for ice cream! There’s something about childhood memories of eating ice cream that makes people smile!   Susan Gish writes: Sam and I had a really tough assignment over the summer doing the research for this article (she said sarcastically). But someone has to do it, so instead of worrying about getting rid of those post confinement calories, we only ate salad the days we indulged in double scoops of ice cream. (Ha – don’t you believe that!)   Sam is more of a purist than me, as you can well imagine. His test is to always try the vanilla first. If that is good, he’ll go back for other classics like pistachio or rum raisin.  He eats his ice cream in a cup with a spoon. Classy, that. I always eat mine in a cone. Nice and messy. Generally, I think, kids eat ice cream in cones and adults eat from cups. (or ‘pots’ as they say here in France). I guess I’m still a kid then!   I’m far from a purist myself – I tend to like more interesting flavors and creative combinations of tastes together.  For example, my childhood memories are of eating watermelon and chocolate ice cream. Together. Double scoop on a sugar cone. At Michael’s Dairy in New London, Connecticut where I grew up. If they were out of watermelon it would be strawberry with big chunks of real strawberries in it. Or sometimes banana. Or black raspberry! My grandmother liked coffee best which was really good too. Then there was the chocolate threaded with peanut butter. Gulp. Oh, wait! I just remembered the malted milkshakes with chocolate ice cream and a whole banana!  So thick, you couldn’t drink it with the straw. The straw would act as a spoon to scoop it into your mouth. Waiting in line outside for a half hour and watching each milkshake being made through the glass windows, step by step. It wasn’t torture at all to wait. It was anticipation. To the 10 year old me, this was the bee’s knees.   Now I know what you are thinking. Eww, watermelon and chocolate? Together? Well that’s why there are different strokes for different folks. To each their own, as they say. I imagine this was the reason it was called Baskin Robbins 31 flavors. Everyone has their favorite flavor. It’s all about your own favorite taste combination.   When you see our list below of places that we went to, you’ll probably say: ‘She doesn’t talk about Amorino. She never went to Emki Pop. I can’t believe she never went to that place on Espariat/rue d’Italie/fill in place here! Oh, my gosh, how could she possibly miss that place, it’s the absolute BEST!’  …And that’s where I say, it’s all about taste and what you like! For example, we brought friends to our favorite ice cream shop in Aix and her response was: ‘I didn’t love it but I wouldn’t throw it off the plate. By the way, have you been to that ice cream place in Nice? It’s the best!’  I more than welcome your recommendations of the best ice cream you’ve ever had: feel free to write away in the comments so we can all agree to disagree and put a smile on our own faces thinking about it! For the record, besides Michael’s Dairy, I love any of the Gelato places we’ve been to in Italy. Or maybe my favorite is Bassett’s Butterscotch vanilla in Philadelphia. Berthillon in Paris? Hmm…   Since there’s nothing like a child’s love of ice cream, I asked 10 year old Elisa Le Borgne who lives in Aix, to give me her opinion of a few places: Her verdict: Amorino – nice but a bit too sugary i’Pinguini – delicious – mango tastes like real fruit Giovanni- lots of ice cream flavour choices and I like how you can also order a crepe or gaufre that they make fresh in front of you. Weibel- you can only choose one flavour in a pot.   How did we choose which places to go to? I can answer that by saying that if we saw colors that are not found in nature we would pass by that particular ice cream store. So. Here is our list of where we went to in the Aix area: (in no particular order except starting with our favorite) Ice cream at i’ Pinguini   —i’Pinguini – Hands down, our favorite in Aix. Their pistache and café are creamy & unbelievable. Love their chocolat noir, fraise, melon, cookies and cream with lovely cream, vanilla speculoos, caramel au beurre salé. Actually we have loved everything we’ve tasted! They have nice sized scoops as well as good cones. The ice cream is made with local fruits from the region. They use as many local ingredients as possible and have Ecocert certification for the sorbets. The caramel au beurre salé is made with the PDO of Issigny cream (Protected Denomination of Origin). The flagship product is the 70% cocoa dark chocolate sorbet. La Provence wrote an article about them on 16 September describing how the two friends from Eguilles, Enzo and Alex, trained with a master ice cream maker in Italy. They have been making ice cream in Eguilles for 7 years now, but just opened their first store in the center of Aix. We’ve probably been a half dozen times in the past month. Also last week they opened a larger laboratory in Eguilles where you can sit outside on a terrace and relax and eat your ice cream. You might have seen their cute 3-wheeled ice cream truck at the Journées des Plantes d’Albertas. Shoot. We have yet to try the soft serve ice cream they make. We’ll probably get that tomorrow after this article is posted.   —Leonard Parli – Although known for their calissons, they have a little cart outside of their shop on rue Gaston Saporta. They win for their unique flavors of ice cream used with ingredients from their confectioner:  calisson d’Aix, chocolate with clementine confit, kirsch with fruit confit, biscotin d’Aix, nougat blanc, nougat noir, ispahan which is framboise sorbet with litchi. Scoops are small, cone was big and tasty, prices high.   —Philippe Faur – Stracchiatella and chocolate noir were very good. He is a Maître Artisan Glacière.   —Segond – They offer pre filled cups only – We had vanilla, chocolate and miel pignon. The vanilla with vanilla beans was very good, the milk chocolate was kind of old fashioned and I liked it. Perhaps they were not as fresh tasting from being pre-filled.   —Wiebel -From the cart outside the shop, they also offer cups only, but not pre-filled. Last year we liked their flavors but didn’t try them this year. I am dying to try their ice cream cakes, but not sure how to get one home! I suppose they offer dry ice or similar.   —Bechard – Didn’t get to them this year either, usually a line at the cart outside when we went by.   —Giovanni – A lot of tourists but decent ice cream. It’s nice to sit there on the Cours and watch the world go by.   Outside Aix: —Le Quillé Glacier -We have been to both of them, the one at the top of the hill in Miramas with the lovely view, Temptation at Le Quillé and in La Roque d’Anthéron. La Roque is the one we went to with a friend recently. Sam and I split 6 boules: banane, rhum raisin, grand marnier, caramel beurre sale, pistache, chocolate noir, ouganda carmelized almonds. Guess who chose the flavors, ha! No vanilla for me! Our friend had 3 boules: vanilla, caramel au beurre sale and mint chocolate chip. They also have a huge menu of themed sundaes with chantilly and all sorts of things to go on top, or with alcohol in them. Nice outdoor seating with lots of space at both locations. —L’art Glacier– Ansouis – Didn’t get to them this summer, but really liked it a few other times. Gorgeous view, outdoor seating, large menu with sundaes and chantilly, etc. like at Le Quillé.   Note: L’art Glacier and Le Quillé Glacier are both places where a family can go to celebrate birthdays, sit outside and can easily pay 100 euros for the ‘experience’.    —Maison Casalini – We love the one in Cassis and go every time we are there. Try the pistache from Sicily (which might be even better than iPinguini’s) or amarena. Their chocolate noir rocks. Sam had a different pistachiosso, which was vanilla with pistachio candy-ish crust on top. He also had stracchiatella and a cremino: a hazelnuty/chocolaty combination. There’s another Casalini in Fuveau (thanks, Dana from Tita for that tip!).   -Susan & Chef Sam   *Wikiquote says: “I have seen this quote attributed to Voltaire on several websites: the sentence does not exist in French (no reported written sources). It seems to be a English pseudo-quote, spreading from a fake/joke into the internet”   Addresses can be found on Facebook for all these shops. If you aren’t on Facebook, they’re all in the center of Aix, except for Casalini, Quillé and Art d’Glacier.   i’Pinguini -Place St. Honoré & Eguilles Leonard Parli -rue Gaston Saporta Philippe Faur -Cours Mirabeau -Note: they close at the end of October for the season. Segond -top of Cours Mirabeau Wiebel -Place Richelme Bechard -Cours Mirabeau Amorino -a few locations in Aix Giovanni -Cours Mirabeau   Art d’ Glacier -Ansouis Casalini -Cassis & Fuveau Quillé – Miramas top of the hill & La Roque d’Antheron

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Five Favourite Places to Eat This Summer in Aix

Posted in Food on June 29, 2020| 1 Comment »

Here are 5 amazing places for food to carry you through the summer until Aixcentric returns, Susan Gish says:  Fanny’s  Aux Pates Fraiches  Au Pave du Roy  and a reminder about Tita & Meow Cat’s Café – both of which have been written about before. Fanny’s ‘Come on-A My House’ comfort food home cooking. (Come on-A My House:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mriXncI96lw  )  Bienvenue! Welcome to my house/my bistrot- Fanny seems to be saying with her smiling eyes! I know Fanny’s family. I’ve never met them, but I know them. She shares her family with us at her bistrot, and oh, this is a good family! Her grand-mother was also named Fanny: ‘I spent a lot of time watching her cooking and helping her when I was growing up. The memory of the smell of her chocolate fondant coming out of her oven. It was the best! That’s why I chose it for my signature dessert. Soon I will use the chocolate Jika from my brother’s factory in Jakarta.’  There’s an excellent playlist of music, not too loud, just perfect. Pink Martini, Ella Fitzgerald…’Music has always orchestrated my life…my Mum owned a piano bar where I worked. My sister Aurélie who also owned a restaurant in Bretagne, shares with me her favourite pieces of Jazz.’ Her sister made the tablecloths for the bistro. Her brother the furniture. A true coming together of family.  Sam and I ate there often before confinement. We love the home cooked meals and warm atmosphere. Fanny’s smile lights up the room when we arrive. In fact, she knows almost everyone that comes in and we all get equal, warm smiles and welcomes. If she knows you love a specific dish she makes, she might text you to let you know she is making it that day.  L’assiette du marché (15.90) has a meat, a fish and a vegetarian option that change according to the season. In early March before confinement I had a tasty chicken curry (from Fanny’s Indonesian sister-in-law) with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, turmeric, birds eye pepper, coconut milk, and curry spice. It came with a side of green beans with radish, red onion, beets and a really good dressing. A second side dish of her luscious lentils were served slightly warm with carrots and onions. Sam had beef with carrots – similar to a beef bourgignon. Underneath were little teeny tiny elbow macaroni with the same green bean salad and lentils. We always have the warm chocolate fondant for dessert and the fruit crumble, which her son Charles used to make every week.  Or there is a delicious café gourmand which sometimes might come with a coulis de fruits rouge avec fromage blanc or a little piece of lemon cake which her husband Philippe makes…all in the family!  I often see Fanny on her bike shopping at the marché for fresh seasonal ingredients for her menu that day. There’s that great warm smile: ‘Bonjour, Susan!’ ‘Bonjour, Fanny! What are you making today?’ ‘Hachis parmentier.’ ‘Oh, wow, can I reserve for 2?’ ‘Bien sur! A bientot!’ Fanny spent a year in the US when she was 13 with her sister who had married an American. So she speaks English if you like. But she’s happy to speak in French to me to help me learn…(will I ever learn?!). Besides cooking and family, she loves sports and is in great shape. ‘I grew up with sports and tennis was my favourite, so when I moved from Paris to Lourmarin in 1999 with my husband and two children, I decided to involve myself in the tennis club of Lourmarin.’ I love this article about Fanny’s in The Huffington Post from March 2014: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/when-you-order-at-fannys_b_5039869 All of it is true to this day. Nothing has changed. We are all still part of her family! Fanny’s 11, rue Chastel – a small street just behind the Place des Precheurs. There is outdoor seating as well as indoor. 06 08 60 33 95  Open Tuesday-Saturday – 9am -3pm for lunch-or stop in for a coffee and a piece of cake in the morning *New info…….Open for dinner in July & August – 7pm to 9pm fannys_bistrot on Instagram  Aux Pâtes Fraîches –  Young and dynamic, Pierre-Antoine and Charles were looking for a place to open a food shop here in Aix-en-Provence. They saw Aux Pâtes Fraîches, which some of you might have been to as the shop goes back to 1878. It’s on the street behind the Fontaine au Sanglier off of Place Richelme and the fish market. Charles and Pierre-Antoine thought it immediately felt like home and bought the shop. This all happened just before confinement… They both speak English fluently after living awhile in London. Pierre-Antoine is an architect. He worked on museums projects in London. He is passionate about his work but wanted to fulfill his dream: to open a business related to food. Charles was working in marketing for a French cheese company. ‘We miss speaking English so if you want to come by just to have a chat, please do!’ They make their own pasta in the back, fresh every day. Spaghetti, tagliatelle, ravioli with petit-pois/menthe, spinach/ricotta, gorgonzola/nuts, lemon. Fresh products depending on the season.  I bought their tagliatelle which my husband, ‘Chef’ Sam made for dinner. He minced garlic and sautéed it with those local little green slightly spicy Marseille peppers, and then added chopped cherry tomatoes, some cream and white vermouth. Garnished it with parsley leaves, and topped with some grated grana padano. The next night we had friends over for apéro a la Aux Pâtes Fraîches: truffle cashews (my tongue had a party in my mouth!), tapenade with figs (delightful), creamy brandade (YUM), small round saucisson piment (available with parmesan or herbes de Provence too). The Epicerie (the guys call it a Deli) has Italian and French products such as Maison Marc for cornichons (pickles in Deli talk!).  I can’t wait to try the Maison Marc velouté d’asperges. ‘We are working with Nadia Sammut (Auberge La Feniere outside of Lourmarin). She is very well known for gluten free products. There’s a full range of Maison Dubernet products who make amazing patés. The products we select don’t use any additives. We prepare charcuterie cold cuts for your aperos and we make our own tapenades, sometimes with figs but always without anchovy.’ As you can hear, the guys are very energetic and passionate about what they do. I watched them with customers and really appreciate their kindness to everyone. The shop is very clean and they wear masks. Oh, they sell beautiful flowers as well! Go by and say hello. They’re hard working and I wish them success.  Aux Pâtes Fraîches  12 rue Laurent Fauchier 04 42 26 23 74 Tuesday-Saturday 9am-7pm. Instagram and FB: auxpatesfraiches.aix Au Pavé du Roy’s card says it all: Artisan Patissier Chocolatier Boulanger Glacier Traiteur.  Since discovering this outrageous place, I’ve been twice a week. Have. Got. To. Stop. J’adore everything from this place! It’s our new favorite PCBGT (see above). Everything is made right there in the back atelier: Chocolat. Pain. Viennoiseries. Salés. Glaces. Pistachio croissant with pistachio creme inside, topped with slivered almonds. Need I say more? Have you ever had a pistachio almond croissant? I hadn’t. I get one every time I go in; they’re just amazing. I don’t like most almond croissants as there is too much sweet frangipane inside. Not with Au Pavé du Roy’s pistachio frangipane. It’s just perfect. Pain au chocolat with Valrhona chocolate. Uh-huh. (swoon). We’ve fallen in love with the nicely crusty (but not too hard) baguette with the little knob on the end to eat on the way home. It’s called ‘La Parisse’.  A sourdough baguette made from very high-quality flour whose recipe was developed by Gaëtan, Paris, Meilleur Ouvrier de France 1997. If you’re craving dark chocolate chip cookies they have the best I’ve had in France. Some with almonds, some with pecans, there’s even a milk chocolate with noisettes. Sablés Framboises to die for. Gorgeous pastries and citron or pistachio cakes. Whole cakes too that look outrageous. Chocolate cats. Chocolate sheep. This one: ‘Chocolat pâte pistache et pâte fruits griottes, enrobé chocolat noir Valrhona’. Watching some of the chocolate videos on their Instagram is downright decadent…look at their cakes & pastries there as well. Incroyable! @aupaveduroy Lunch They take the time to produce an old style quiche. This is difficult to find. Their tarte is twice as high with that creamy, almost but not quite undercooked custard.  Tartelette fleur. I can’t even begin to describe this. It’s sort of like an everything bagel but stuffed with saucisse or jambon and grilled sésame, a mousse of sundried tomatoes, some with feta, cucumber, basil or mushrooms and fromage blanc.  Sam loves their Croque Monsieur, and we had a Salmon Croque Monsieur just yesterday. They also have gorgeous creative salads with lots of different ingredients rather than just a boring salad. Even their sandwiches and wraps are good. Au Pavé du Roy is 3rd generation owned by Laurence Campanella. After WWII, Laurence’s grandfather left Italy and opened a bakery in Marseille, then her father took over. In 1974 they moved to Aix and in 1998 Laurence & her husband Eric took over. Guess what? Laurence invited me to take a tour of l’atelier de fabrication: Can’t wait! Au Pavé du Roy  04 42 26 22 81 – 9 Cours d’Orbitelle -just next to Hotel Roi René Open Tues-Sun 7:00am-8:00pm – aupaveduroy on Instagram   = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ============= Another shout-out to two places that have been talked about previously on Aixcentric: Tita  This Méditerranean street food café started off as a food truck at the market.  We had friends visiting from the US that ate there 3 times in the one week they were visiting. It’s that good. Trip Advisor has it listed as one of the best restaurants in Aix. They moved to their new location which is down the street from Place des Augustins, a few months before confinement. We would get take-out and go to O’Sullivan’s to eat lunch there with a glass of rosé. (How many bars could you bring your own food to in the US?)  It’s now more amazingly fresh tasting than ever before. I don’t know how that can be but it is. I can’t get enough of their falafel. It comes with the absolute BEST grilled aubergine and coleslaw and green sauce and creamy hummus and tomato/red onion salad and rice I’ve ever had. Anywhere. Sam loves their kefta. We both crave their chicken shawarma. The pita bread is shipped in from Israel. Sometimes I want a nice juicy, messy sandwich with falafel spread evenly throughout the sandwich at the bottom too, so every bite has a bit of it in your mouthful. They don’t skimp on the number of falafels they give you, it’s a big sandwich. Then there’s times I’d rather have l’assiette. Sweet Dana and Gael and their other wonderful team members welcome you with open arms! 6 rue des bernardines 04 42 38 93 54 Tuesday-Saturday 11h30-15h & Friday and Saturday also for dinner 18h-21h . Tita on Facebook & tita_aixenprovence on Instagram.  *(Whew! Beware, long run on sentences above!) Meow Cats Café just celebrated their 1 year anniversary before confinement. Morgane’s cat café is a perfect place to relax and hang-out with the 4 house cats and have lunch or a drink. I have to admit that Dexter, the ginger cat with his big expressive eyes, is my favorite to play with. Opium and Olympe are brother and sister and there’s long haired Fripouille who rolls onto his back to show off his belly. Morgane is connected with shelters in the region to try to find families and give love for abandoned cats. They have a really great success rate in getting adoptions for the cats they bring in. Thank you for all you do to get the cats fur-ever homes!  Morgane is also a really good cook. Everything is homemade with love.  At the moment, there is a re-invention of the virgin mojito as well as milkshakes and chai latte frappés on the drinks menu. The salads are uniquely layered in ball jars and the wraps are good too. Desserts, though, are really where her passion is. Speculos muffins, cake a l’orange, chocolate pecan cake, cookies…Vegan friendly items as well. This is a purr-fect place to chill when you are stressed out. Just sit for awhile, have something to eat and/or drink and talk to the cats. You’ll feel better in just a short time! Meow Cat’s Café is always extremely clean and takes all health precautions. 10 rue de la Fonderie – on a back side street close to the Peripherique and Arts & Metiers  09 83 81 18 24 Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-6pm – meowcatscafe on Facebook & Instagram    Have a great summer! Susan & Chef Sam

 

 

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Chef Sam’s Pizza at Home

Posted in Food on June 26, 2020| 4 Comments »

Everybody loves pizza, writes Sam Gish, because as Karl Marx famously said – ‘La Pizza est L’Opium du Peuple’. Well, maybe he didn’t actually say it, but he got the sentiment right. The trouble is that there’s Pizza! and then there’s pizza. Going out for pizza is a bit like playing roulette or rolling dice. Sometimes you get lucky and find the ideal crust, with the right proportion of sauce and cheese, perfectly cooked. And sometimes you find a cardboard crust with plastic cheese and something that almost but not quite resembles tomato sauce – a slice of pizza that has less flavour and texture than the paper napkin you use to wipe the ‘sauce’ off of your chin. 

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A Good Meal – MatCha in Cucuron

Posted in Food on June 11, 2020| Leave a Comment »

This week, Susan Gish visited the historic village of Cucuron in the Luberon and had her first restaurant meal in three months.  She writes:

Finally the start of “A Good Year” with A Good Meal at MatCha in Cucuron!

We’re having a genuine spring! The mornings are cool and the afternoons warm but not too hot. Now there are less airplanes and road traffic and you can actually smell springtime: lavender, broom/gorse/genisteae, magnolia, honeysuckle, rosemary, thyme, and pine. The perfume of the flowers, the garrigue, are stronger than we’ve smelled in years. The poppies are still here and the lavender fields are just about in their prime. Gorgeous splashes of colour in the countryside. The grapevines are in full leaf, while olive and almond trees are showing the beginnings of fruit. Mirabelles! Cerises! Driving around we’re always reminded of how France still has deep agricultural roots. We visited a friend’s garden a week ago in Puy St. Reparade. There’s a gorgeous 300 year old mulberry tree that was planted when the silk merchant from Lyon built the house. Just amazing. 

So we took a lovely drive and ventured out for our first restaurant meal in 3 months in Cucuron.

Cucuron’s l’etang (or pond) is beautiful and has been featured in two movies: “A Good Year” and “The Horseman on the Roof”. The basin is surrounded by plane trees and its water was originally sourced from the Luberon massif, which helped to operate a flour mill. The present village dates from before the 11th century. The basin now is only ornamental.

The commune of Cucuron suffered a serious plague epidemic in 1720, exactly 300 years ago! 

We have dined at the restaurant MatCha quite a few times previously, and thought that a Monday lunch would be perfect as there wouldn’t be very many people wandering about. It was just what we needed as we missed dining out – to relax and have lunch for a few hours. We reserved to sit outside, not close to others. Everything was very, very clean, I felt totally comfortable. (Their toilet was really clean as well, which was a concern of mine). Matthieu, the pleasant front of the house owner and waiter, was wearing a mask. 

The little details and the creativity of the food at MatCha impress us every time. Owned by a young couple, Charlotte D’Angelis is the amazingly talented chef and Matthieu Charrier runs the front of the house. They use seasonal ingredients sourced locally. 

It’s probably the most creative and delicious restaurant we’ve been to in a few years in Provence. No kidding. Even better than a few 1stars we’ve eaten at. Beats anyplace in Aix. 

MatCha is listed in Michelin and Gaut Millau but the restaurant is not fussy at all. In fact it is very casual.

They have a 3 course weekday lunch menu for 22 euros which I had.

Sam ordered off the regular menu which was 39euros for 3 courses.

We had a delicious white Burgundy from Macon-Azé for 33 euros.

Sam started off with petit moules, fresh petit pois with a light curry bouillon poured over at service. It was served just lukewarm, perfect. I had rillettes of maquereux. Normally mackerel is too strong and greasy for me. This was melt in your mouth delicious. Crispy cucumber, radishes, spicy sprouts and scallion added to the party my mouth was having.

For our main courses, I had cabillaud with an aioli foam, accompanied by vegetable beignets, carrots, potatoes, beets, and grilled zucchini slices. Sam’s plat was loup with a lightly fried zucchini blossom, courgette mousse with pumpkin seeds and verveine oil.

Our desserts were a chocolate mixture of all sorts of textures and chocolate pieces with Sarrasin ice cream! Wow! Also a Praline Dacquoise with chocolate, citron and topped with tarragon. Very unique, and the flavors all worked together.

Funny that we both chose fish for our first meal out. They do have vegetarian options as well as meat on the menu.

Chef Sam and Susan

P.S. There’s even a gentle ‘house’ english setter dog named Litchee!

MatCha – the details

Montée du château vieux – Cucuron. It is located just off l’etang up a little street at the other end from the parking lot, but there is a little view of the plane trees if you sit outside.

Tel: 04 86 78 55 96;  you do need a reservation as they get booked up

@matcharestaurant – also on Facebook

Open Thursday thru Monday, lunch and dinner. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays

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