The Gassion and the France, the two leading hotels, have both been renovated. The France has Hotel de France, a particularly good restaurant, and M. Place Royale Campagna, who came from the Casino Belle Vue at Biarritz, is in supreme command there. French Provincial Towns 127 This is a menu of a dinner which Comte Roman Potoki gave in the restaurant Hors d’ceuvre a la Russe. Green Turtle. Puree de Grives au Pain Noir. Pinces de Homard a la Hongroise. Selle de Veau a la Doria. Spooms au Cliquot. Tinamons de Meriel T ruffes. Salade Potoki. Peches Dame Blanche. Excellences. For confectionery, cakes, candied fruits, & c., Luc or Seghin will be found quite Ai ; whilst for five o’clock tea, Madame Bouzoum has deservedly gained a reputation as great as that of Rumpelmayer on the Riviera. The golf-links and club-house at Billiere are the oldest, with two exceptions, in the world — outside Scotland, of course. Throughout the mountain resorts of the Pyrenees, such as Luchon, Bagneres de Bigorre, Gavarnie, St. Sauveur, Cauterets, Eaux Chaudes, Oloron, &c., you can always, as was stated previously, rely upon getting an averagely well-served luncheon or dinner, and nothing more — trout and chicken, although excellent, being inevitable. For the Hotel de Hotel de France, France at Eaux Bonnes I can say Eaux Bonnes something which is warmer praise than this, for its cookery is quite beyond reproach. At Argeles- Gazoust there is a choice of two good dining and lunching places — the Hotel du Parc, Hotel du Parc, kept by M. Lassus, and the Hotel de Argeles France, where young Peyrafitte controls the kitchen which his father, “ Papa ” Peyrafitte, made famous. “ Papa ” has retired, but now and Hotel de France, again comes to the Hotel de France Argeles to see that his son does not fall away from the family 128 Hhe Gourmet's Guide to Europe traditions. “ Papa ” loved his cooking pots as a fond father loves his children ; to see him in his kitchen was to see a master of hi$ art in his studio ; he understood exactly how local colour should be intro- duced ; and he loved, over a glass of quinquina and vermouth, to chat with any enthusiast of a like kidney. In conclusion, should you find yourself anywhere near Lourdes at the time of the Pelerinage National, go and dine at one of the principal hotels there — say the Hotel de la Grotte. You will not dine either well or comfortably, the pandemonium being inde- scribable. But you will have gained an experience which you will not readily forget. Adishat ! Aix-les-Bains Most of the French cure places are for invalids and invalids only, and the gourmet who goes to them has to lay aside his critical faculties and to be content with the simplest fare, well or indifferently cooked, according to his choice of an hotel. Aix-les-Bains, the big Savoy town of baths, is the principal exception to the rule, for the baccarat in the two Casinos draws all the big gamblers in Europe to the place, and one half of Aix-les-Bains goes to bed about the time that the other half is being carried in rough sedan chairs to be parboiled and massaged.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The Gassion and the France, the two leading hotels, have both been renovated. The France has Hotel de France, a particularly good restaurant, and M. Place Royale Campagna, who came from the Casino Belle Vue at Biarritz, is in supreme command there. French Provincial Towns 127 This is a menu of a dinner which Comte Roman Potoki gave in the restaurant Hors d'oeuvre a la Russe. Green Turtle. Puree de Grives au Pain Noir. Pinces de Homard a la Hongroise. Selle de Veau a la Doria. Spooms au Cliquot. Tinamons de Meriel Truffes. Salade Potoki. Peches Dame Blanche. Excellences. For confectionery, cakes, candied fruits, & c., Luc or Seghin will be found quite all; whilst for five o’clock tea, Madame Bouzoum has deservedly gained a reputation as great as that of Rumpelmayer on the Riviera. The golf-links and club-house at Billiere are the oldest, with two exceptions, in the world — outside Scotland, of course. Throughout the mountain resorts of the Pyrenees, such as Luchon, Bagneres de Bigorre, Gavarnie, St. Sauveur, Cauterets, Eaux Chaudes, Oloron, &c., you can always, as was stated previously, rely upon getting an averagely well-served luncheon or dinner, and nothing more — trout and chicken, although excellent, being inevitable. For the Hotel de Hotel de France, France at Eaux Bonnes I can say Eaux Bonnes something which is warmer praise than this, for its cookery is quite beyond reproach. At Argeles- Gazoust there is a choice of two good dining and lunching places — the Hotel du Parc, Hotel du Parc, kept by M. Lassus, and the Hotel de Argeles France, where young Peyrafitte controls the kitchen which his father, “ Papa ” Peyrafitte, made famous. “ Papa ” has retired, but now and Hotel de France, again comes to the Hotel de France Argeles to see that his son does not fall away from the family 128 The Gourmet's Guide to Europe traditions. “ Papa ” loved his cooking pots as a fond father loves his children ; to see him in his kitchen was to see a master of his art in his studio; he understood exactly how local colour should be introduced ; and he loved, over a glass of quinquina and vermouth, to chat with any enthusiast of a like kidney. In conclusion, should you find yourself anywhere near Lourdes at the time of the Pelerinage National, go and dine at one of the principal hotels there — say the Hotel de la Grotte. You will not dine either well or comfortably, the pandemonium being indescribable. But you will have gained an experience which you will not readily forget. Au revoir! Aix-les-Bains Most of the French cure places are for invalids and invalids only, and the gourmet who goes to them has to lay aside his critical faculties and to be content with the simplest fare, well or indifferently cooked, according to his choice of an hotel. Aix-les-Bains, the big Savoy town of baths, is the principal exception to the rule, for the baccarat in the two Casinos draws all the big gamblers in Europe to the place, and one half of Aix-les-Bains goes to bed about the time that the other half is being carried in rough sedan chairs to be parboiled and massaged.

The gourmet's guide to Europe