Le Detour reopens

Was very sorry to learn that Philippe, one of the proprietors of Le Detour, had fallen off a ladder from four metres a few days ago. He broke a number of bones around his shoulder and arm and will have to be virtually immobile for several months while he recovers. The only consolation is that it could been much worst.

Following the accident Laurance closed Le Detour for several days but reopened this Monday. We hope that Philippe will soon be fit again so that he can take up his duties behind the bar and serving in the restaurant.

Philippe and Laurance

Le Détour‎, 1 Rue Bléré, 37150 Civray de Touraine, France‎ - 02.47.30.99.30‎

Le Detour: first anniversary

 Le Detour

 Laurence and Philippe, who run Le Detour – the bar/restaurant in the commune of Civray-en-Touraine on the D976 just to the east of the Bléré bypass, celebrated its first anniversary on 13th March.

They have a busy programme of forthcoming events including:

26th, 27th and 28th March: Cuisine réunionnaise

 Laurance et Philippe

Avril
Samedi 3: Soirée vins et fromages animation par Lucas Amor et son violon
9th, 10th, 11th April: moules frites à volonté
Samedi 17th: Apéro Chapo, concert rock
23rd, 24th and 25th: menus réunionnais

Further dates in May and June to following in a later posting nearer to the time.

The lounge

** 

Laurance's daughter, Clémence Bordet who used to run Le Lézard Vert in Epeigné-les-Bois, has now set up an estate agency franchise working from home. Her website is www.bordet.optimhome.com 

Detouring for a budget lunch

Yesterday we went to Le Detour for lunch. The address is Civray-en-Touraine but Le Detour is on the D976 road just to the east of the start of the Bléré bypass. The lunchtime menu is 11.50€ for four courses – well cooked and good value – certainly recommended for a lunch stop if you are in the area or driving through the area. Most of wines sourced from Aupetitgendre about 100 metres away. Le Detour is about five kilometres from the Bléré-Sublaines exit from the A85 autoroute.

Menu@11.50€

2005 Cuvée des Lys (Gamay, Cabernet and Côt), Touraine, Aupetitgendre

There are also menus at 13.90€ and 19.90€ plus snacks at the bar, dépôt de pain, journal.

1 rue de Bléré, 37150 Civray-en-Touraine
02.47.30.99.30
Open 6am-22h except Sunday night, Tuesday night and all day Wednesday.

Le Detour est arrivé – Le Detour open for business

Le Detour@Thoré (D976)
(all photos by Mark and Suzie Robertson)

Details from our ace reporter, Mark Robertson 'gentleman rocker':
The bar, on the D976 at Thoré (37150 Bléré) opened yesterday (Monday 2nd March) and will be open from early morning (for breakfast) until late. It is one of the few places along this stretch of the D976 (formerly the N76) where you can stop for a drink.

The bar: Mark (ace reporter) quizzes Laurence (extreme left)

The draught beers include Licorne ‘Black’ and ‘Blonde’ (the black is very tasty!). Wines are currently being selected but they will offer a selection of local wines by the glass as well as a Muscadet.

Licorne brune et blonde

Soirées à theme are planned.

Mine hosts: Philippe and Laurence

Laurence and Philippe, the young couple running Le Detour, took over Le Maréchal, the old restaurant on the site, which was in a poor state of repair. The place has now been transformed.

The comfortable lounge

Before

The old bar – partly rotten

The restaurant will open sometime in April (Laurence says not before the 15th) and will be open for breakfast also. A full English breakfast will be offered (I gave Laurence some hints on sourcing suitable sausages locally!). The rest of the food is being considered but will likely feature good home cooking of the Pot au Feu variety plus plates of charcuterie. The restaurant will offer a wider selection of wines by the bottle. Currently the bar offers a limited choice of sandwiches and some salads.

Une deviation obligatoire!

Le Detour, 1 Rue de Bléré, 37150 Thoré
Tel: 02.47.30.99.30
About 200/300 metres east of the roundabout at the eastern end of the Bléré by-pass.

Autoroute A10 – bis

Construction underway of Autoroute A85 (now open) between Epeigné-les-Bois and Saint-Georges-sur-Cher

Brief report in La Nouvelle Republique today about L'association Bien Vivre à Nazelles-Négron, a suburb of of Amboise, whose members are seeking more information about the projected new autoroute that would by-pass Tours and be designed to relieve the heavy traffic on the existing A10 as it passes through Tours. At busy times, especially during the heavy summer weekends, the autoroute around Tours can turn into one large traffic jam. Apparently three possible routes close to Amboise, north and south, are being considered.

Further information here about a possible A110 autoroute running roughly parallel to the A10 starting around Chartres and heading past Vendôme. For some reason I can't make this link to the French version of Wikipedia work properly. The url is fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoroute_française_A110

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Other news
Le Detour, Bléré opens Monday – deviation obligatoire!
The eagerly awaited opening of the bar/restaurant Le Detour on the D976 in the hamlet of Thoré close to Bléré is due on Monday evening. Formerly called Le Marechal, the new proprietors, Laurence and Philippe, have completely renovated the establishment which is about 300 metres east of the roundabout at the eastern end of the Bléré by-pass. See earlier report on the renovations. Jim's Loire will have an ace reporter at Monday night's opening, so expect a full report early next week.

Loire Sauvignon Blanc project
The names of the 29 Sauvignon Blanc Ambassadors 2009 chosen at the tasting led by Sam Harrap MW in Tours (19th-20th February) will be published on Jim's Loire on Tuesday 3rd March. See reports here and here.

Christophe Daviau, Domaine de Bablut
Report on vist on 31st January 2009 now complete.

Il faut faire Le Detour dans l’avenir

Work is steadily advancing on the renovation of the old Le Maréchal restaurant on the eastern outskirts of Bléré in the little hameau of Thoré on the D976 some 400 metres east of the roundabout at the end of the Bléré bypass. The new café/restaurant will be called Le Detour. New floors are being laid and the upstairs transformed into an apartment. The new proprietors, Philippe and Laurence, are hoping to open the bar perhaps around 10th January 2009 with the restaurant opening a couple of months later in mid-March. Philippe is having intensive English lessons and hopes to greet his future British clients in their own language.

The old menu for Le Maréchal

The bar


The future restaurant

Work on insulating the apartment

Installing velux windows and sorting out the roof