After a long absence imposed by Covid-19, we are visiting friends in Pouilley-les-Vignes. Sadly, we lost one dear friend last winter, a true bon vivant who introduced us to many of the delights of Jura and Arbois, not to mention introducing us to Ridge Zinfandels! We’ve been savoring Comté and Cancoillotte,and last night enjoyed a delightful meal at Restaurant St. Pierre in Besançon [https://www.restaurant-saintpierre.com]. A delighful room, exposed old stone walls but modern decor, from the table settings to the artwork. We settled on the four-course “Neptune” menu, very reasonably priced at 65 EUR. They are offer a market menu that includes wine, and a six-course menu. We started with Kir Royales to accompany the amuse, a one-bite tartine of smoked salmon and a bite-sized falafel. The first course was raw tuna with an avocado mousse and sautéed onion. Main was a filet of St. Pierre (John Dory) in a lovely sauce topped with crispy shallots. From the extensive cheese cart I selected a Cancoillotte with garlic, a fresh local goat cheese, and Morbier. (I remain baffled by the US Department of Agriculture’s stance against importing Morbier to the US.) For desert we chose macaron with fresh raspberries and raspberry sorbet. Mignardises included a rum cake that apparently is traditional in Bordeaux, and poached cherries coated in white chocolate. To accompany the fish courses the owner recommended a chardonnay from Arbois, un- or very-lightly soaked, but with enough character to distingush it from chablis. Sevice was attentive but not obtrusive, and with the food being so delicious and reasobaly priced I can see why our friends are regulars.
7 Likes
