Uncle Fishbits Aeneas X.
Yelp
Having arrived later in the evening at our stunning B&B, Philippe the proprietor of Domaine Pins-Paul, suggested La Turbie as a simple, closer than Eze and less of a headache, alternative to getting a late meal. His suggestion of Cafe de la Fontaine was so offhanded, there is no way we could have been in store for this ultimately Provencal, charming, and simple restaurant producing unparalleled food at the price point. The menu is written nowhere else besides a few chalk boards, and the rotating selections are fantastic. Do not miss your opportunity to dine here while exploring the Cote D'azur. Whether in Eze, Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes.... it's worth the drive to the unassuming and decidedly simpler lifestyle of La Turbie.
My wife wasn't incredibly hungry, so she got a simple salad for her meal, and moved on to the shortbread with strawberries for dessert. I had one of the most simple and delicious starter salads I have had in my entire life: Une Salade avec du monde! =) Salade avec snowpeas, proscuitto, onion/tomate basil remoulade, riccota, teeny melted brie, & champagne vinaigrette. There may have been a bit of spinach, but I think it was just so simple i am adding to it in my head, and it surely needed nothing else. It was superb. This salad was precisely why we were in France, and why we often dodged the Michelin stars for a simpler, more accessible meal.
We shared an "entrecôte" steak (a really good cut of beef) - it was grilled to perfection. Perfect salting, and precisely at the correct time prior to cooking it. It was en pointe, cooked MR, and just perfect... the salt became the perfect crust glaze, while all the juices and flavor was perfectly trapped inside. This is not some perfect cut in a perfect restaurant... it's just like if the local master griller was using cow from his backyard. I often don't order steak or salmon out, as I am sure I could do it better.... this is one of those times you learn lessons to trust and live a little. The meat was slaughtered perfectly, it was prepped and stored perfectly, it was cooked perfectly, etc. Fantastic. The fries were obviously homemade, seasoned and cooked perfectly.
*This* restaurant *is* Provence. If you are tied up at 1 and 2 stars your whole trip, and haven't had the chance to experience what a real, salt of the earth, Provencal meal is all about, I suggest you do it here. If you are in Lourmarin, La Recreation is a good choice too.... but I suggest the drive out of Luberon and head to the Cote D'azur!
We followed through with coffee and digestif. It wasn't only fabulous, it was a delightful enough experience that we rolled onward towards the evening... energy renewed, and minds alert and curious.
Now the more lyrical, unrelated part of the review......
We ended with a quick jaunt to Monte Carlo, rolling down the hill and speeding around the Grand Prix course that had just been laid out. We sauntered among billions of dollars of mega-super-luxury-ohwow yachts.
After a surreal journey, and an evening looking at dashing dresses split up to the labia & high heeled shoes twisting violently on cobblestone, I realized it can be difficult telling when the the digestif ends and aperitif begins... the night turns to morning, romance flowing. We're still not part of the 1%, and happily nowhere near the 50% - but wherever we are, we will play along for the time being.