the Meuse, the Moselle, and the Saone, from Verdun
down to Dijon, is another and a more northerly-
paradise of good cookery. In Dordogne there is not
a peasant who cannot give a traveller en panne a
truffled omelette which would make an alderman’s
mouth water, and a tumbler of the vin pierre a fusil,
which is quite one of the best of the wines of the
people ; and all the Midi from the Alps to the Pyre-
nees is a happy hunting ground for the gastronome.
In this chapter, however, I only, with the excep-
tions I have already stated, intend to write of those
seaside towns of amusement to which an Anglo-
Saxon is likely to go to enjoy himself in summer or
autumn or winter, and the towns in their neighbour-
hood to which excursions will probably be made;
of the principal acure” places to which a Briton or an
American is likely to be sent by his doctor, and of
the big ports at which a traveller going to or coming
from France may be obliged to remain for a few
hours or a few days. I roughly follow the coast-
line in writing of the various towns on the sea.
Calais
Calais, now that it possesses a bright little casino
on the beach, which, of course, possesses a restaurant,
and has had its bathing machines newly painted,
aspires to be a “ resort,” and considers itself just as
good as any of its neighbours. Its buffet at the
Gare Maritime still remains the best
Gar e Maritime restaurants. The Calais buffet
has always had the reputation of being the best, or
one of the best, railway refreshment rooms in France ;
and though the typical Englishman in a hurry gene-
rally calls for stewed chicken and mashed potatoes, and
tells the waiter to open the bottle of wine which
is nearest to him on the table, the man who is not
French Provincial Towns 65
suffering from train fever asks the cook what is in the
dozen chafing dishes and casseroles which are kept hot
on the centre table, looks at the vegetables, and gives
a glance at the buffet of cold meats and the fruit counter
before he sits down and orders his breakfast. The
minute occupied by doing this is not misspent.
AFTER DINNER
If you are detained at Calais (and every man at least
once in his lifetime is detained at Calais) you will pro-
bably find a travelling company, should the period of
the year be winter, playing in the theatre, which
stands in a square just off the Avenue Leon Gambetta.
There is a second theatre in the old portion of the
town, close to the Hotel de Guise. In the summer
the evening’s amusements are focussed at the little
Casino.
Boulogne
Before turning my attention to the existing res-
taurants in Boulogne let me drop a figurative tear
for the smallest and most distinctive of the Boulogne
restaurants, the little white cafe-restaurant on the north
pier, which has been destroyed by fire. The monies
to be obtained there were always of the freshest, and
its fish dishes — Sole Normande or Sole au vin blanc or
Sole Dieppoise — were excellent, for it has one of the
best fish markets in the world to draw upon. I
have eaten as good a Chateaubriand there as any man
could require. When the improvements to the har-
bour are completed a new north pier, giving a wider
entrance, is likely to be amongst them, and the little
white restaurant will probably be re- erected on this
pier.
An able gentleman, M. de St. Andre, has be-
66 The Gourmet's Guide to Europe
Page 38
Presented as published in 1903. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
the Meuse, the Moselle, and the Saone, from Verdun down to Dijon, is another and a more northerlyparadise of good cookery. In Dordogne there is not a peasant who cannot give a traveller en panne a truffled omelette which would make an alderman’s mouth water, and a tumbler of the vin pierre a fusil, which is quite one of the best of the wines of the people ; and all the Midi from the Alps to the Pyrenees is a happy hunting ground for the gastronome.
In this chapter, however, I only, with the exceptions I have already stated, intend to write of those seaside towns of amusement to which an Anglo- Saxon is likely to go to enjoy himself in summer or autumn or winter, and the towns in their neighbourhood to which excursions will probably be made; of the principal acure” places to which a Briton or an American is likely to be sent by his doctor, and of the big ports at which a traveller going to or coming from France may be obliged to remain for a few hours or a few days. I roughly follow the coastline in writing of the various towns on the sea.
Calais
Calais, now that it possesses a bright little casino on the beach, which, of course, possesses a restaurant, and has had its bathing machines newly painted, aspires to be a “ resort,” and considers itself just as good as any of its neighbours. Its buffet at the Gare Maritime still remains the best Gar e Maritime restaurants. The Calais buffet
has always had the reputation of being the best, or one of the best, railway refreshment rooms in France ; and though the typical Englishman in a hurry generally calls for stewed chicken and mashed potatoes, and tells the waiter to open the bottle of wine which is nearest to him on the table, the man who is not
French Provincial Towns 65
suffering from train fever asks the cook what is in the dozen chafing dishes and casseroles which are kept hot on the centre table, looks at the vegetables, and gives a glance at the buffet of cold meats and the fruit counter before he sits down and orders his breakfast. The minute occupied by doing this is not misspent.
If you are detained at Calais (and every man at least once in his lifetime is detained at Calais) you will probably find a travelling company, should the period of the year be winter, playing in the theatre, which stands in a square just off the Avenue Leon Gambetta. There is a second theatre in the old portion of the town, close to the Hotel de Guise. In the summer the evening’s amusements are focussed at the little Casino.
Boulogne
Before turning my attention to the existing restaurants in Boulogne let me drop a figurative tear for the smallest and most distinctive of the Boulogne restaurants, the little white cafe-restaurant on the north pier, which has been destroyed by fire. The monies to be obtained there were always of the freshest, and its fish dishes — Sole Normande or Sole au vin blanc or Sole Dieppoise — were excellent, for it has one of the best fish markets in the world to draw upon. I have eaten as good a Chateaubriand there as any man could require. When the improvements to the harbour are completed a new north pier, giving a wider entrance, is likely to be amongst them, and the little white restaurant will probably be re- erected on this pier.
An able gentleman, M. de St. Andre, has be-
66 The Gourmet's Guide to Europe