Nov 13: We had a splendid evening at Maison Pic.
This is the hotel and 3-star restaurant in Valence that I first heard about in an over-warm restaurant in Versailles on a cold January night, nearly three years ago: world-class chef, five star accommodations, best meal ever. And so, after spending the day exploring Vienne, we jumped in the car and drove an hour south to Valence. The Rhône was on our right; we watched storm clouds gathering over the Ardeche mountains to the southwest, and rain had started by the time we pulled into the parking lot at Maison Pic.
This amused us: Another couple was arriving at the same time as us, who, though they appeared to be around our age, were otherwise different from us. He had gone to fetch a porter with a luggage trolley, and as the porter unloaded about six Louis Vuitton cases from the trunk of their Mercedes, she stood to the side with two tiny dogs. Carefully coifed, her face was a mask sculpted by a plastic surgeon, stylishly dressed, very proper.
We unloaded our suitcases from the back of the car--my husband's thirty years old case is held together with a purple strap--and hauled them behind us to hotel registration, sturdily, cheerfully gauche.
When we travel, I never forget that I am an American abroad, and I try to represent at all times the best kind of American: generous, kindly, open, good-natured, modest, self-reliant, respectful, straightforward....nevertheless, the purple strap on that shabby case and the porter with the luggage trolley gave me a twinge of self-doubt.
Our room, at the end of a long hall, had an entry foyer, and everything was padded, muffled, clean, orderly. Because it was cold and rainy outside, we kept the window shut; we felt as if we were inside a silk cocoon. Dinner was at 7:30 PM.
Anyhow, dinner was fabulous. We were in a quiet corner at a round table with a white linen tablecloth. The glasses were like spun glass, each plate was a piece of art, and the service was exquisite. The portions were small; our tastebuds never accommodated to the flavors and textures. Every mouthful was a surprise.
Each course had a different server. The sommelier presented the wines (a different wine for each course.) A second individual brought us bread. A third person took our order, and a fourth checked in to make sure everything was going well, and so on. The food came covered with a silver cloche, a dome. Two people would served each course, removing the cloche with a flourish. The presentation was a kind of performance, and it was..well, just fun. When the last treat had been served, we had our coffee and staggered to bed, happy as can be.
What makes a three-star meal? According to Michelin, to earn three stars, a restaurant must serve up "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey." One star is awarded for top quality ingredients and distinct flavors. Two stars are awarded for the personality and talent of the chef. Three stars are earned when the "cooking is elevated to an art form."
Here is a food journalist's take on the differences between a one, two and three star restaurants. According to his respondents, three star restaurants have a kind of magic about them, and, with each star, the ingredients get more and more rare, the technical kitchen skill more impressive, the flavors more precise, the textures more critical, the balance more refined, the consistency better.
We don't have the vocabulary for three-star food. Our daily food vocabulary--stew, fried, baked--doesn't work with food as art. The flavors are never simple--was that cucumber or watercress?--and, in each bite, the textures and flavors are studies in contrast: crunchy vs smooth, sour vs sweet, salty vs plain. Even our normal evaluation standards--yum, tasty, mmmm--are inadequate. Everything was delicious, unique, surprising, the textures in our mouths were delightful and the flavors lingered, but it is hard to describe exactly what we ate because we don't have the words. It was, notwithstanding, a marvelous evening.
image 1: our bedroom, so stylish, so chic, and so cut off from the natural world
image 2: wine and table
image 3: Highlights from dinner. This dish is one of the chef's specialties: the stunning green "Les berlingots au chèvre de Banon, cresson bergamote, matcha and gingembre." The dark green triangle shape is a pasta filled with a delicious goat cheese. The green sauce is made from watercress. It was as delicious as it was green.
image 4: Another specialty of the house, Chef Sophie Pic's delicious chocolate dessert is filled with white chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate.
Image 5: To finish the meal, candy walnuts in a bowl of real walnuts.