Lunch With the Ladies

I’ve had a list of “Things to do in Angers” all semester. And precisely because I’ve had it all semester, I put nearly every item off until the last week. Alas, some of these things will go undone. Lunch at Le Favre d’Anne is not one of them.

Perhaps you recall me making a big deal about restaurants in France. Perhaps you recall that even before coming to France, I had my eye on a Michelin one star restaurant conveniently located in right in Angers with not so terribly outrageous prices and a view of the city that is priceless. Perhaps you recall that.

After going on about restaurants and French food all semester, you might be surprised that no less than three of my friends wanted to go with me. We made a reservation for lunch on Friday afternoon.

That’s Laure, Laura…

me, and Kiany.

The restaurant is an old house, and the inside is nothing spectacular: white tablecloths, pretty table settings, etc. The standard fine dining fare. It is the terrace that makes this restaurant so special.

We sat at a table for four in the shade of a nice tree (complete with birds and bird poop – which was professionally cleaned off the table before we received our menus). The weather could not have been any better. Here was my view.

That is the Cathedral and Chateau.

When presented with the menu, I encountered a problem: the prices. Me being the only male present, mine was the only menu with prices (this theme persisted throughout the meal). Unfortunately, the lunch menu (and prices) only comes with a special reservation. No matter. We are here, it’s sunny; let’s celebrate!

We each ordered the three-course fare. After that, there was only one decision to make: fish or meat. For the rest, we put our trust in the chef, who is known for his inventive twists on French cuisine. This is exciting.

The amuse bouche. Radish ice cream with butter and something mousse.

As strange as radish ice cream sounds, it was brilliant. On a warm, sunny day, the cool, icy texture and subtle radish flavor made for a perfect starter. The mousse was a little bit of a mystery. The butter taste was dominant, but no one could make out the other flavor. We all preferred the ice cream.

Next up, I got the fish.

I forget the name of this white fish, but it was cooked perfectly. There was no hint of fishy flavor. Its delicate texture and flavor paired well with the almond foam, that white, bubbly liquid on the plate. It was an incredibly flavorful and light froth of almond-y goodness. The green asparagus was steamed al dente and the white asparagus was shaved into thin strips. Both were very good. There was also a sauté (for lack of a better word) of shallots and almonds. I don’t know how well it went with the rest of the dish, but it was pretty darn tasty.

Course two: cheese.

Our server brought us a tray of 16 or so different cheeses of which we could choose up to 6 or so. She was a pro at cutting cheese (very much an art and not a joke at which your inner fifth grade boy is laughing). They were all good cheeses (from our somewhat inexperienced pallets). The beaufort, a hard cheese made from cow’s milk, was a hit. I really liked my two goat cheeses, one of which was a buchette cendrée, a log (buchette) of goat cheese aged in a cave with cinders (cendrée) that give it a grayish hue. The ladies liked the Roquefort, but I stayed away from that one.

Soon after the cheese course came the pre-dessert.

Upside-down île flottante.

First reaction: Any restaurant that serves a dessert before the real dessert is a great restaurant.

Second reaction: I like my desserts upside-down.

On top was a nice little meringue. Most meringues I’ve had have been too sugary. This one was not. Under the meringue was a layer of chilled crème anglaise with a pronounced and satisfying vanilla flavor. Then there was a layer of buttery caramel. At the bottom was a layer of fluffy meringue (almost a marshmallow fluff consistency). A bite of all three together made a combination of textures and flavors that would make any righside-up île flottantes blush.

And finally, the true dessert. We all got different desserts, and I got pictures of them all.

Laura got a chocolate sculpture.

Laure a strawberry shortcake.

Kinay got thyme-infused chocolate ganache. It was served under a glass dome from which a wisp of thyme wafted when it was removed at the table.

And I got green olive ice cream and lemon custard. The olive ice cream was a revelation. The brininess of olives doesn’t seem like it would go well in a creamed and frozen form. It does. And paired with the lemon custard, it was perfect. The saltiness of the olives and chilled ice cream played nicely with the sour lemon and creamy custard. Also, there was a sugar disk separating the ice cream and the custard. It was fun to crack and added a nice crunch to the party.

After the plates were cleared and check settled, we made our way out, snapping pictures of the restaurant and the unmatched view of Angers. I think the smiles on our faces might have offended some of the French people lingering over coffee.

Our lunch is just a memory now, albeit a well documented one because we all had our cameras to take pictures of the food. Thanks to my friends Kiany, Laura, and Laure for making it a great one.