Michael U.
Yelp
Items Selected:
Apricot Nectar
Baguette, Croissant, Wheat, Cereal Bread with Grand Beurre de Bresse
Canapes - Mackerel in Spicy Cream, Candy of Foie Gras with Basil Gel, Snail in Garlic Foam with Crisp
Fantasie D'omble Chevalier en Mode Estivale - Tomato Cream, Green Pea Puree, Red Pepper Gel, Carrots
Gnocchi de Crabe Epice "Selon L'Ami Satish" et une Royal de Brochet de Nos Etangs dans une Composition Mystere Legerement Fumee
Belle Langoustine Vivante en Chaude-Froid a L'Ail Noir, Fenouil, Confit au Cumin
Pomme de Ris de Veau aux Queues D'Ecrevisses, Une "Pasta" Maison au Poivre de Timut
Tourte Bougeoise a L'Agneau Fermier
Emulsion de Bleu de Bresse, a L'huile de Noix Vanillee, et Chutney "Poire-Mendiants"
Eventail de Petites Douceurs - Peach Melba, Coconut with Strawberries, Violet with Cherries and Cassis
Merveille d'un Jour a la Verveine Odorante et Frauses aux Senteurs de Sous-Bois
Chocolats Maison
Mille Feuille
St. Honore
Vanilla Éclair
To the city of Vonnas the name Georges Blanc is almost synonymous, the Michelin 3* Chef's eponymous hotel and restaurant now a landmark on the map of Central France, and yet with satellite brasseries, bistros, and epicurean shops found throughout not just city but much of the region some have called the original a 'relic' - a restaurant that retains rank through repetition rather than reinvention, the cuisine living on old accolades in a world where the average 300€ check would be put to far better use in any number of ways.
No doubt a Grande dame of the Relais & Chateaux sect, the dining room clad in white linen and red leather with stone floors juxtaposing wooded walls as Blancs' collection of chickens gaze on, it was just as the restaurant opened at 12h00 that I arrived and led straight to a plush table with a full view of the main room it would not be long before the "Saveurs du Moment Autour de Grands Produits" menu was selected, the seven course meal capped by canapes and mignardises showing strongly in terms of technique and sourcing, though stingy portions and a lack of innovation frequently lent credence to claims outlined above.
Forced three times to decline wine, the only time I actually felt 'pressured' to imbibe throughout the whole trip, the meal began with bread service alongside canapes including nicely spiced mackerel as well as creamy foie gras plus escargot and with the first of several croissants paired to butter so fresh that it was still 'wet' these opening bites proved some of the most interesting of the meal, the opening plate of Char mostly benign with the red pepper a bit too poignant while the followup of pike and crab was a beautiful dish that melded the mousse to snappy asparagus with just a hint of smoke.
Next presented a tiny prawn that, on its own, was sweet and snappy despite accoutrements that did little to highlight the crustacean's natural beauty, the menu finally found footing in a fourth course of sweetbreads in a peppery sauce punctuated with crayfish plus morels, and moving on to the final savory a half-meat pie in puff pastry proved undoubtedly the best of the journey - the richness of lamb, foie, and veal lent texture by crushed pistachios and levity by an sauce rife with cherries.
Denied a cheese cart, instead offered a plated emulsion of mild bleu infused with vanilla, mignardises were soon brought forth and with Chef Blanc making the rounds, signing menus, and posing for photos the meal would end with a fluffy white chocolate and citrus mushroom whose eye-popping design was matched by bold yet balanced flavors, a similar degree of craftsmanship and subtlety found in three traditional pastries picked up at Georges' across the street epicerie as the meal itself fell quite short of filling.
