261914 Thu Oct 17 11:21:57 -0700 2002 13 26 International 0 1384001 I have no doubt that this is going over already well-trodden ground -- but I was so pleased with actually getting a table at Astrance, and really so happy with the meal, that I'm going to subject y'all to yet another drawn-out description. You have been warned ... I'd read the reviews of Astrance here and elsewhere, and I was READY TO EAT. At the same time, I was coming off a disappointing chow weekend in Bologna, so I was also leery of having high expectations come plummeting down two weekends in a row (whereupon I would probably have committed chowa-kiri and thrown myself upon a sharp bottle of ketchup). Loic, my husband, likes food, but isn't as obsessed as I am, so he was eager without being desperate ... We sat upstairs (there was only one other table on the mezzanine), ensconced in a butter-yellow banquette. The look is soothing without being dowdy -- very clean lines and great lighting. Service was exquisite: always two servers per table, in order to make sure that plates are delivered “symmetrically” and to deliver not-in-the-slightest-bit-condescending instructions as to the composition of a dish and the proper way to eat it. Plus, they're happy to discuss the food, the restaurant and the people; and the Christophe Rohat roams the dining room like an exceedingly cordial shark, making sure all the little fishies are happy. Might as well state the obvious: this place serves excellent, creative food. But the menu surprise (84 €) apparently hasn’t changed much – we ate some things that featured prominently in reviews that came out just after the opening in fall 2000. One disappointment was that both the “wines included” and the “unlimited pour” policies seem to have fallen by the wayside. This said, the unexpected highlight of our visit was the amazingly good, amazingly versatile white mystery wine chosen for us to accompany the seafood-oriented menu: after guessing Bourgogne, dry riesling, Australian chardonnay, we were stunned to find out it was a Languedoc (Domaine de l’Egarran 2000) that went for 30 € at Astrance and retails for something like 6 €. To find -- soon! But on to the chow: 1. Amuse-bouche: shatteringly crisp friture. Love them little sardine-y things. 2. The infamous crab ravioli: perfect crabmeat, seasoned only with chives, sea salt and a touch of lime, sandwiched between thin, ripe avocado slices, drizzled with almond oil. Lived up to its billing! Accompanied by a salt cod milkshake in a shot glass. I know, I know, but it’s the only way to describe it – and it worked! This began a theme that continued through the dinner – chef’s impeccable use of sweet elements in savory dishes – never enough to overwhelm, always exquisitely calibrated. 3. Tarte fine of pears and cèpes, seasoned with marjoram and dusted with cinnamon. Like a walk in autumn woods, all nutty, sweet and earthy. 4. Perfectly cooked langoustine on a bed of green-walnut purée, showered with julienned granny smith apple. Accompanied by a tiny spoonful (on mother-of-pearl spoons, no less) of vin de Jura sorbet. The sorbet didn’t work particularly well, but the idea was nice. [I may be missing a course in here, but I can’t remember what it is …] 5. Highlight #1: tiny, sweet mussels served on a pool of brilliant green curry sauce dotted with coconut oil and tiny thai basil leaves, with a dollop of ripe- and green-mango granita (but room-temp). And the whole was frothed in “curry suds” – looked like the mussels were taking a bubble bath. The aroma was … the only word I can think of is “époustouflant.” Staggeringly delicious. We both had idiotic grins on our faces at this point. 6. Sandre (the tiniest bit overcooked) served with a sauté of girolles (an even deeper-flavored mushroom purée hid underneath the sauté) and what I thought was a very clever play on words/traditions: hazelnut butter (au lieu de beurre noisette). 7. Highlight #2: soupe au pain grillé – an improbable wager upon first consideration, but toast crumbs were often used to add body to soups in the "cuisine grand mère" of generations past. A little nod to forgotten tradition, I guess. 8. Highlight #3: The Apotheosis of Root Vegetables. A pool of immaculately white purée surrounded by a brilliant green sauce, with tiny white vegetables scattered over. Vegetables: turnips, parsnips, and caraway root (!), all very nutty and toothsome. Sauce: parsley sauce – a perfect, slightly bitter counterpart to the nuttiness of the veg and the incomparable sweet unctuousness of the purée – celery root, as it turns out. But celery root that has achieved a greatness unimagined by its humble brethren. I make celery root purée often. I KNOW celery root purée. I have NEVER imagined it could taste like this. Had we not been under the polite surveillance of the waiters, I would have licked both plates clean. 9. Half roasted guinea fowl with a “stuffing” of brioche crumbs and fruits confits. Loic liked it; I was unimpressed. The stuffing was disturbingly reminiscent of a mouthful of sand. But the pintade skin was brittly crisp and and the flesh succulently juicy. 10. Now began the parade o’ desserts, led by Highlight #4, a lemongrass and hot pepper granité. 11. Fresh groseilles, ground cherries, oranges, tomatoes (!) and grapes. 12. Fresh corn madeleines. This is what Proust was thinking of, I know. Gently crispy on the outside – and then you bite into an ethereal pillow of warm air. 13. Highlight #5: “le lait dans tous ses états.“ A quenelle of milk sorbet floating in crème anglaise, with a dollop of dulce de leche nestling next to the Platonic ideal of pain perdu. If I could have this every day, I would die fat and happy. 14. For Loic, a chocolate thing (of no interest to me), and for me, since they’d asked at the beginning whether there was anything I didn’t eat, a compote of fresh figs in a caramel-balsamic sauce with a tiny scoop of groseille-tomato sorbet. Mmmmmm … 15. Jasmine-flavoured egg-nog served in egg shell, in egg carton. Not so impressed by this (maybe my nose was a having an off-jasmine night) and the presentation was a little precious (stood in stark contrast to the parage of lovely, elegant, often Asian-influenced plates and serving dishes that had graced the table all night). Bottom-line: three hours we’d love to relive (we went at 9, among the first to arrive, and stumbled out in a haze of well-being at midnight, the last to leave) -- IF we knew the menu had changed. Ironically, the waiter assured us that the menu is in constant evolution – and I didn’t have the heart to tangle with him on the issue. But for any Chowhounds looking for a great special place, time to add two more thumbs up to the already long list of positive experiences. Thu Oct 17 11:21:57 -0700 2002 0 Kelly 1 1384002 There are some good things you just can't get enough of. First hand reviews of L'Astrance being one of them. Thanks for a good one. I'm so excited. We have reservations in a week and a half. I asked for a table at 8 p.m. Apparently that would be unchicly early. On the other hand my husband likes to video every meal (and if possible aspects of the restaurant) so our early time might make it possible for him to do that without being so obtrusive. What's your advice on that matter? There will be four of us. Do they require that the entire table order the evening menu in order to have that or do they permit a combination of menu and ala carte at the same table? Thu Oct 17 11:42:42 -0700 2002 1384001 0 Julie 2 1384014 Videotape the meal? I guarantee you that they will know that you are American. In all honesty if I were seated next to you I would feel a bit uncomfortable. Taking a photo, which is common, is one thing. Videotape is another matter. I don't mean to be confrontational but I personally think this is really inappropriate and inconsiderate for the others seated nearby. For most people the focus of the meal is the overall experience, not being distracted by a camera. If your husband was to use the camera once, well, that is fine. Many people do this especially at the end of a meal. In fact often they will ask the chef to participate in the photo. But videotape? Somehow, for me (perhaps only for me) the connotation is more than just a quick photo. I interpret this as something that will really distract from MY experience in the restaurant. Thu Oct 17 22:05:11 -0700 2002 1384002 0 Joe H. 3 1384022 I didn't mean to imply that we post a camera someplace and have it running throughout the meal. In effect my husband uses the video camera sort of like a still camera with shots of the restaurant interior, the table, and then each separate course (just the plate with the food). I used to be concerned that restaurants and other diners might be unhappy with this but my husband is careful not to wave the camera about so that someone having dinner with their "niece" might think we're private detectives or such. We also had a waiter rush to our table once when my husband took out his camera. I thought we'd be asked not to film. Instead the waiter took pains to position the plate just right to show the food off to advantage. Fri Oct 18 09:36:05 -0700 2002 1384014 0 Julie 4 1384060 You are joking, aren't you? What do the other couple say? I'm a pretty self-confident person, but think I would be MORTIFIED if a dining companion brought out a video camera - that is really wierd. Do the other patrons snicker at the Americans? Still cameras & flashes are enough of an intrusion onto a romantic, delicious meal. Mon Oct 21 16:38:59 -0700 2002 1384022 0 torta basilica 4 1384064 Julie, I don't mean to be disagreeable but I would really be upset if you and your husband were seated next to me and a video camera were brought out to record the arrival of each dish. This is just inappropriate and a real intrusion on my enjoyment of the restaurant. I apologize for my thoughts but I really believe this and would be offended it if happened. Again, a camera is one thing. A video camera is a whole another matter. By the way, with video how is another diner suppose to know that this might not be used for commercial purposes? Or that it could be for an even more sinister purpose? A line has to be drawn here and I think it is at the video camera. For me your initial reaction to your husband's intention was correct. If I was ever seated next to you I would ask the manager to have him put it away and not use it. I would also feel that you have spoiled MY memory of the restaurant. Mon Oct 21 20:12:11 -0700 2002 1384022 0 Joe H. 1 1384003 Did you go to either Bitone or Battebecco in Bologna? Thu Oct 17 11:57:42 -0700 2002 1384001 0 Joe H. 2 1384017 No -- because we stupidly hadn't made reservations *before* leaving Brussels, and both were full-full-full. I posted a brief account of the trip on Oct 4 if you're interested in what we did (sorry, I don't know how to link to a spot further down in the postings!) Fri Oct 18 03:04:43 -0700 2002 1384003 0 Kelly 1 1384009 And I thought wine markups were high in this country :^) Jon Thu Oct 17 15:14:10 -0700 2002 1384001 0 Jon Leventhal 2 1384016 Guess I've been in Belgium too long -- I was THRILLED to find such a fantastic wine at such a reasonable price. A x 5 markup in Brussels is par for the course -- and most of what you get for 30 EUR is absolute schlock ... Fri Oct 18 03:01:53 -0700 2002 1384009 0 Kelly 1 1384019 great post but oh dear i'm thinking of going to bologna in the next few weeks. how come it was so disappointing? Fri Oct 18 04:44:43 -0700 2002 1384001 0 ham 2 1384024 Bologna's shortcomings were almost entirely my fault: (1) I over-anticipated big time -- hard not to be disappointed when you do that. (2) I didn't act early enough and reserve a table at Battebecco and/or Bitone (or Diana or Trattoria Caminetto d'Oro, for that matter) before leaving -- so when we got there, everything was filled up. (3) I don't speak Italian. First time traveling in Italy without being with friends who do, and I just couldn't deal with it. A big part of the pleasure of "everything food" for me is the interaction with the people whose life/metier it is. I didn't have that, so I felt guilty and handicapped ... I know some people are perfectly capable of feeling at home in whatever culture, no matter whether they speak the language or not, but I feel so self-conscious and touristy that I just can't! This said, do go to the Caminetto d'Oro and report back -- the smells wafting out were divine. And do buy some prosciutto or culatello, some carciofi alla giudia, some cheese and some cold Lambrusco and have a picnic on either the Piazza Maggiore or the piazza in front of Santo Stefano. Gorgeous! Fri Oct 18 11:00:36 -0700 2002 1384019 0 Kelly 3 1384036 Over the past couple of years I have mentioned both Bitone and Battebecco on this board. For anyone reading this before you pass judgment on Bologna restaurants go to either of these. For superficial credibility they have Michelin stars. Bitone is more romantic and the chef/owner is a great of an ambassador for his restaurant (and for wine and Italy) as anyone in any restaurant I have ever been to. This should be your big meal in Bologne. Battebecco is just off the square down a narrow street. On weeknights reservations should not be necessary (but they are mandatory at Bitone for ALL nights). The risotto at Battebecco is among the best in Italy. But there is no single dish, it is just the overall meal itself. Neither of these is as good as Le Calandre (a two star outside of Padua that I regard as the best restaurant in Italy). But neither is 100 Euros prix fixe either. I don't speak Italian. In fact I don't speak a language other than English. But I travel 35 to 50 days a year throughout all of Europe on business and have never had a problem in communicating. Each year I do a 4,000 mile six country driving trip through large cities and small towns. There are many places where I won't find a person who has ever even heard a word of English. But I've never had a problem anywhere. Nor have I ever had a problem in ordering in a restaurant. I've just learned to take risks and that one way or another and with patience and a sense of humor I will be able to get my point across-to someone. In most better Italian restaurants there is someone who will speak some English. But really what you want to do is just place yourself at the mercy of the waiter and trust his judgment if he or she shows enthusiasm for what they serve. If they don't look at other tables. Ask what is most popular. If they don't understand ask if anyone speaks some English. Or, as a last resort, look around the dining room for someone who seems to be eating his food as if it were his last meal on earth. If he is overweight (which is a real plus with the implication that he frequently indulges)(do you trust a slender chef?) then you need to find out what he is eating because that is what you should have! The market in Bologna is the best in Italy. I posted on here several months ago about walking into a cheese shop where no one spoke a word of English. But I was able to communicate well enough that the man behind the counter held up one finger for my patience and walked out the door. He came back two minutes later with a man in a butcher's apron from a nearby store. This man spoke broken English. Through him I was able to tell the proprietor that I wanted a taste of every cheese he had. And I would give him twenty Euros for this. When he heard this (in Italian) he picked up the twenty euro bill I had laid on the counter and started pulling cheeses off of shelves and out of refrigerated compartments. For 45 minutes I sated myself eating cheeses many of which I have no idea what they were. If I could have had some wine it might have been one of the best meals of my life! (Do you know that reggiano, proscuitto, balsamic-all are produced nearby and are at their absolute best here?) But my point is you, like me, really can survive in restaurants and shops in another country where you don't speak the language. My wife when we first went to Venice would not even walk up to the cash register in a store without me. She was afraid that she would be asked a question-any question-and wouldn't know what to say. Or even if it she was being asked a question!! After a few days of learning that she wasn't going to embarass herself and that, yes, she really could get her point across without speaking a language she decided she could survive on her own without me along to help her. She went shopping. This, dear people, was a huge mistake on my part! Over the next several days she somehow managed to develop relationships in several stores! Incredible. Seriously, you have to try. You'll survive just as they will survive in talking to you. If you fail don't worry, just try again. But go back to Bologna. You have no idea what you missed!!! By the way the prices in Bologna stores are among the lowest in Italy. And next time go to Bitone. Fri Oct 18 22:52:59 -0700 2002 1384024 0 Joe H. 4 1384049 Hang on -- while I totally commend you for your "esprit d'ouverture" and your willingness to try communicating at all costs, I just want to clarify something. I was *not* passing judgment on Bologna -- in fact, I said very clearly that any disappointments I experienced were my own fault. I *know* one can eat very well in Bologna, and I would recommend the city to anyone (not just for food -- their medieval museum is pretty spectacular!). Trust me, if we do get back there, I'll make a point of reserving a couple of weeks before our departure at either Battebecco or Bitone. As for the communication thing -- it's just my personal quirk, but I am profoundly, profoundly ill-at-ease speaking English or playing charades in other countries; honestly, I just don't like being a "tourist," with all of its potentially negative connotations! It's something I'd like to change -- or I guess I'll just have to sign up for Italian lessons! Mon Oct 21 03:40:57 -0700 2002 1384036 0 Kelly