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Into the heart of Provence without the
hype
Avignon --- There are times that the grand and
fine gastronomy of France seems mired in quicksand.
Too much show and not enough to show for it. A lot of
flowery promises on the menu that are simply not delivered
to the palate.
Well, a recent dinner at one of Provence’s shining
stars of gastronomy proved that those comments don’t
hold water here. La Mirande – an inviting yet august
structure originally built as a cardinals palace in
the 13th century and transformed into a private home
in the 17th century and now a luxury hotel and restaurant
– appears to be in quite fine form, despite losing
its star chef. Daniel Hebet, who brought fame and a
Michelin star to the restaurant has departed, leaving
all in the hands of his assistant, Jerome Verriere.
The menu is modern and varied, without being self-consciously
Provencal. That does not mean the dishes don’t
sing of the region’s fruits, vegetables, herbs,
poultry, meat and traditions. It just doesn’t insist
on tugging at one’s heart strings.
A fine seasonal starter of chilled crab lasagne DID
make one feel like dancing a Provencal folk dance, as
it was embellished with a thick tomato sauce, a paper
thin layer of pasta, and a thick and delicious layer
of fresh crabmeat holding it all in place. As delicious
as the tomato sauce was, though, there was a bit much
of it and if you didn’t take care to go after the
crab meat on its own, the sauce would have overwhelmed
it all.
Chef Verriere surely wooed me with his pigeon preparation
– the plumpest and most moist breasts of squab,
seared and roasted with attention and respect, are placed
atop an ingenious puree of Jerusalem artichokes studded
with all manner of crunchy goodies: pistachios, raisins
and nuts. A brilliant ruby sauce of griottes, or preserved
morello cherries , served to sweeten, brighten, and
round out the dish.
Equally pleasing and original was the moist and perfectly
roasted lamb chops, paired with Asian-inspired “cannelloni”
filled with a moist and well seasoned ratatouille. The
Moroccan pastry “feuille de brique” encased
the ratatouille, and sautéed to a crisp, they
reminded one of the best ever spring rolls. A sauce
heightened with the slightly piquant red pepper from
the Basque village of Espelette helped pull the dish
together.
The dining room itself is elegant without overwhelming
one, and tables are spaced far enough apart to make
for private, intimate dining. Even what seem like mile-high
ceilings don’t intimidate or make you feel as though
you are in a church, not a restaurant. The staff is
youthful, they move with elegance and grace, and most
are quite well informed as to what is on the menu, the
plate, the wine list and the cheese tray.
The wine list is filled with temptations. Our table
opted for what turned out to be two treasures: Northern
Rhone superstar Yves Cuilleron wowed us with his 2001
white Saint Joseph (100% Marsanne), a wine with nose
of lemon and citrus, and memories of honey. Equally
fine was the 2001 Mas Amiel Cotes du Roussillon Village
Carerade, a blend of 70% Grenache, with the rest divided
between Syrah and Carignan. Full of the promise of cherries
and plums, the wine had a fine, long finish, good structure,
and a depth that felt right at home with the pigeon
and lamb.
The breads here are excellent, with a mini baguette
filled with seeds and grains, of which one could make
a meal. The cheese tray is abundant, with a truly outstanding,
well-aged Fougerus – a cow’s milk cheese from
the Champagne region – plump, moist, fragrant,
and served at the right chilled temperature.
Our dessert choice --- a tiny caramel and peanut tarte
with a praline ice cream – was a perfect share
for two contented diners.
La Mirande
4, Place de la Mirande
84000 Avignon
Tel: 04 90 85 93 93
Fax: 04 90 86 26 85
All major credit cards. Closed in January. Tasting
menu at 75 €; Menu La Mirande at 47 €; Three-course
Vegetarian menu at 47 €; Daily lunch menus at 28
€ and 38 €.
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