Anecdotal evidence in Montreuil-sur-Mer....

 Hotel Hermitage @Montreuil-sur-Mer

Anecdote

Yesterday needing to drop off a friend at Tours airport for an early afternoon flight before heading north and back to the lunatic asylum (UK), we decided that instead of doing the whole trip in one as we normal do we would stay overnight @the Hotel Hermitage in Montreuil-sur-Mer.

Our comfortable room cost 80€  – not expensive for the comfort. We chose to dine in Anecdote, the restaurant attached to the hotel. This restaurant is run by Alexandre Gauthier of La Grenouillère at la Madelaine-sous-Montreuil. Gauthier fils took over from his father-Roland, who had run the restaurant La Grenouillère since 1979, at 2003. In 2014 he bought the premises that now houses Anecdote, which then opened in early 2015. 

Gauthier sees Anecdote featuring 'la cuisine de mémoire', which it does with dishes like Tarte Tatin, Crèpes Suzette and other traditional dishes. There is, however, a very creative side to the cooking as we discovered and enjoyed last evening.   

We started with a glass each of white both from the Midi – I took the 2016 IGT Saint Guilhem le Désert, Dame Jeanne Blanc from Bergerie & Capucin. This is a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier. Carole went for the 2013 IGT Cuvée Finesse from Cazal Viel in Saint-Chinian. This is a blnd of 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier and 5% Muscat Petits Grains and in the past has been criticised for being a little sweet. This was not the case with the 2013 vintage, which was crisp and remarkably fresh for a white wine from the Midi.

After our glass of white we chose the 2015 arbouriou, Côtes du Marmandais from Elian da Ros. This is a wine made from a grape variety that is local to South West France. It's a wine to enjoy now with all its exuberant, youthful black fruits.

 2016 IGT Saint Guilhem le Désert, 

Dame Jeanne Blanc from Bergerie & Capucin

 2013 IGT Cuvée Finesse, Cazal Viel in Saint-Chinian

 Cheese sticks with our apéro white

 Very inventive cauliflower and smoked haddock first course 

 Fantastic oysters with cucumber jelly 

Veal 

Perfectly cooked Angus beef steak with a pepper sauce

2015 abouriou, Côtes du Marmandais, Elian da Ros

 Crèpes Suzette

Avoidance tactics leads to a stay in Montreuil-sur-Mer

Needing to be back in London for appointments on Tuesday 21st June we decided break our journey back from the Loire with an overnight stay in Montreuil-sur-Mer. Normally we drive from the Loire back to London in a day but as Monday was the day after this year's Le Mans 24 we were keen to avoid any heavy traffic as petrolheads made their supercharged way back to the UK.

On the recommendations of several friends, we chose to stay in the Hotel Hermitage in the centre of the town. Booking on-line secured us a double room for 79€ a night plus 10€ for secure parking – certainly a serious consideration carrying a couple of decent mountain bikes. Curiously had we booked direct over the phone the room would have been substantially more. 

For 79€ we could have no complaints – our room was spacious, the bed comfortable and the bathroom – large. 

We had a very enjoyable meal at Le Bistronome – a short walk from the Hermitage.  The choice of dishes is quite limited as is the wine list but this wasn't a problem. I failed to take photos of most of our meal but did manage the soft, juicy and powerful 2014 Plaisir d'Eulalie, AC Minervois – 30% Syrah, 40 Carignan and 30% Grenache Noir. I also managed to capture CRM's well made quenelle de chocolate – rich without being over sweet. 

Quenelle de chocolate

 

On A16 early Tuesday morning – pas terrible!

Unfortunately the drive from Montreuil towards Calais was just as foul as the drive up from the Loire the previous day had been – the summer solstice! It did, however, improve as we approached Calais.