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Intelligent Modern in Burgundy
Chassagne-Montrachet, France --- The idea seems so
obvious, it’s amazing that more people don’t
pick up on it. Take a group of winemakers without a
showcase for their wines or a fine place to entertain
clients. Add a young, talented and ambitious chef without
deep pockets. Put them together and you have an instant
success in the name of Le Chassagne, a lively, up and
coming restaurant in the center of a brand name Burgundian
village.
This is not the last time you will hear the name Stephane
Leger, the extremely smooth, sure-footed chef at Le
Chassagne.  The
34-year-old native of the Jura grew up in a family
that revered food and wine. But thankfully, Leger takes
Burgundian cuisine beyond the strangling tradition
of snails, coq au vin, and rich red wine sauces. He
loves fish and shellfish and honors them beautifully.
He considers his good classic French but I’d
call it Intelligent Modern. With a menu that is sprinkled
with sweet and meaty Brittany langoustines teamed up
with crunchy touches of citrus, wild turbot cooked
on the bone, a wide array of game specialties, and
the irresistible plump Bresse poultry paired with fragrant
morel mushrooms, this is food you want to embrace,
wrap your arms around, rejoice.
I can still taste his delicious risotto, bathed in
a blend of basil oil and a touch of golden, flowery
saffron, and fine, fresh Saint Pierre from Brittany’s
waters. Equally adept was his pairing plump and rare
Belon oysters with my favored langoustines, a dish
that shows up his talents: Leger ekes out brilliant,
fresh, intense flavors that make us sit up and take
notice. Like many other dishes on his menu, this dish
makes you aware of flavors that are clean, clear, concise
and close to the earth.
The food is copious and varied without being cumbersome,
and our lunch included a rich pumpkin soup (just a
few sips, to entice you and put you in the mood) as
well as a tomato gaspacho laced with rich shellfish
essence.
And the wines are, well, about as classy as they come.
Chassagne-Montrachet, especially the whites, are among
my favorite wines. Burgundy unquestionably produces
the world’s best chardonnays, and here the expression
of soil, sun, a delicate balance of fruit, acid and
gentle tannins make the wines exceptionally food friendly.
You almost want to curl up by the fire with their wine
list, sipping as you peruse the treasures: There are
more than a dozen white Chassagne-Montrachet priced
from 49 to 63 euros, representing the best winemakers
of the region. We feasted on Bernard Morey’s
1997 Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets (55 €),
an exquisite, refined, intensely pleasurable wine,
one that was beautifully balanced and more than at
home with Leger’s carefully constructed cuisine.
We are in cheese land and Le Chassagne does not let
cheese lover’s down: Try the ripe, earthy full-flavored
Soumaintrain, the rare Aisy Cendre (the only cheese
that is coated with true cinders from local vine clippings)
and an abundance of light local goat’s cheese.
Just as appealing is the warm Epoisses served with
a salad of lamb’s lettuce tossed with fragrant
walnut oil.
For dessert, don’t pass up the seared, grilled
fresh pineapple escorted by a fragrant vanilla sorbet
and a tiny glass of coconut milk.
A young, energetic staff that is well-informed and
clearly dedicated to their work, and a lively clientele
that clearly are having a good time makes the meal
that much more pleasurable.
Energy and commitment can also be found not far away
in the charming city of Beaune, in the name of the
highly successful wine bar and restaurant Ma Cuisine,
run by Fabienne and Pierre Escoffier and their son,  Romain.
You feel instantly at home in the crowded little spot
off the beautiful passage in the center of town.
The food here is simple and family-like, with abundant
portions of mussels in cream; a delicious version of
parsleyed ham (jambon persillé) served with
a green salad; meaty skate (raie) teamed up with an
abundance of capers; and a fine rendition of ratatouille,
served warm and topped with grilled sardines. Burgundian
wines, of course, are the foundation of the wine list
here, and I can still taste the smooth and elegant,
long-lived red Pommard from the hands of Hubert de
Montille (Les Pezerolles 1997) as well as the owner’s
finely recommended, blackberry-scented Morey Saint
Denis 1999 from the trusted Domaine Henri Perrot Minot.
While wandering the streets of Beaune, make sure to
stop in at Jean-Luc Girard’s lovely shop offering
fine kitchen antiques (everything from canning jars
to baskets, old kitchen cutting boards to old work
tables) as well as Michel Graglia’s poster shop,
Graglia, offering an abundance of vintage posters,
many focusing on food and wine.
Le Chassagne
4, impasse de Chenevottes
21190 Chassagne-Montrachet
Telephone: 03 80 21 94 94
Fax: 03 80 21 97 77
All major credit cards. Menus at 28, 39, and 59 €.
A la carte, 65 to 135 €, including service but
not wine.
Restaurant Cave Ma Cuisine
Cave Sainte Helene
Passage Sainte-Helene
21200 Beaune
Telephone: 03 80 22 30 22
Fax: 03 80 24 99 79
Closed Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, August, and
school holidays. A la carte, 35 to 40 euros, including
service but not wine.
Quatre Faubourg
Jean-Luc Girard
4 rue du Faubourg Bretonniere
21200 Beaune
Telephone: 03 80 22 96 18.
Michel Graglia
21 rue Maufoux
21200 Beaune
Telephone/Fax: 03 80 22 23 50.
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