In France my food expectations were slightly lowered. I didn’t really know what to expect. My experience with French food has been the a couple visits to Comme Ca and the occasional steak frittes in the states. Did I expect to find good French food? Not really, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any. I just didn’t happen to find any. As opposed to Spain where you could throw a stick and hit a good place to eat, I have a feeling that they are few and far between in France.
Beyond Mulles Frites, Steak Frittes and Salad Nicoise, I didn’t find much in the way of French dining. A lot of the nicer looking restaurants were still closed in the afternoon with just café’s and brasseries lining the streets. People enjoying a espresso, a glass of rose or maybe a snack from a small shop in the form of a baguette with cheese, tomatoes, and ham.
We had sub par steak frittes at a small restaurant off the harbor in Marsilles and a lifeless, thin slab of chewy beef at La Claire Fontaine in Nice, whose only flavor came from the Dijon mustard served with the steak. My plate of “fromage” was 3 slices of Swiss cheese. Their attempt at Italian food, an oily Taglietteli al Pesto with not much basil flavor, and then a funky pizza, with a boring tomato sauce.
We salvaged the day with some tasty gelato off a quant square near the courthouse in Nice. I got shunned when I tried to take a picture inside. I guess the gelato business is as aggressive as the fro-yo wars in LA. We also stopped in at a wonderful chocolate shop called La Chocolatiere Du Panier and picked up some wonderful artisan chocolates. France is beautiful, but the food not so much. Next stop, Florence and wine tasting in Tuscany, plus Rome and its amazing history.
4. October 2008 at 2:04 pm
Did you travel to anywhere else in France but Nice? Did you explore areas of Nice that weren’t touristy? How many meals did you base your opinion of an entire country’s food on?
Did you eat duck? Foie gras? Bouillabaisse? Filet mignon de porc? Roast chicken? Profiteroles? Tarte tatin?
French food isn’t perfect but it is damn good most of the time.
For instance, if one traveled to America and ate only a few meals at places like Denny’s, Perkins and Outback Steak House, one’s opinion wouldn’t be a fair consensus of the myriad of cuisine in America.
And it is spelled moules frites. Not mulles frites.
4. October 2008 at 4:42 pm
you need a better guide book. There are more amazing restaurants in France then anywhere else in the world. If you truly love food, go to Lyon immediately, get out the Michelin guide and go nuts.
4. October 2008 at 7:20 pm
Make sure to stock up on red wine!!!
5. October 2008 at 3:26 am
No I prefaced the story with I am sure there is good food in France, I didn’t find any. And I only had a day each in Nice, Provence and Ajaccio. And I just couldn’t find any of the nice restaurants.