Domaine des Etangs, Auberge Collection

I Drove Through France Looking for the Best Local Cuisine — Here's What I Found

"Set on a sprawling estate with ponds, pastures and a 13th-century château at its center, this resort pairs countryside opulence with hands-on agriculture: a hand-tended, spiral permaculture potager planted by jardinier Michael Villesange provides vegetables that are often on the table within an hour of being harvested. Guests can stay in light-filled turret suites or in cottages scattered across 2,500 acres that also host rust-red Limousin cattle, a spa in an old mill and a large attic game room for kids. Meals drawn directly from the garden — from grilled baby zucchini with basil mayonnaise to soupe au pistou and tiny fruit-and-cream cakes — emphasize simple, terroir-driven flavors that feel both immediate and profound." - Rosecrans Baldwin Rosecrans Baldwin Rosecrans Baldwin is a Los Angeles Times best-selling author and essayist. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Nation, Slate, Salon, GQ, and The Morning News, among other publications. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines