Bordeaux just seemed to much more than what we expected, with wonderful churches, towers, gates, cheese, and of course wine. After a nice "indoor picnic" lunch and the requisite nap, we headed back out. The Missus decided She wanted to walk along the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe, the 1.2 kilometer long Rue Sainte-Catherine. As whole, we weren't too impressed with the shops and such and some parts were rather seedy. The street ends at Place de la Victoire and the "gate into the city", the triumphial arch; Porte d’Aquitaine which was built in 1753.
The folks who managed our apartment had a dinner recommendation for us; so we turned around and headed back.
Along the way we crossed over to cours Victor-Hugo and came across the Missus's favorite gate in Bordeaux, the Porte de la Grosse Cloche, the "Great Bell Gate". Built in the 15th century, this beloved gateway is on the city's coat of arms. The clocks date back to 1592 and the bell was cast in 1775.
Along the way we took a short break on a lovely square; Place Saint-Projet...apparently, there was once a church at this location. The fountain is quite lovely and it's a nice spot to take a break and relax.
Rue Saint Remi is full of cafes, brasseries, and other eating establishments, so it's really hard choosing where to eat. La Brasserie Bordelaise was highly recommended, so we decided to have dinner there.
Though the exterior looks rather decent in size, this place is pretty large, there's even a downstairs dining area. As we sat at our table, we noticed all the customers were tourists, though it could be the early dinner time. We also saw that the portions were very large and that most people were getting meat....with a capital "M". After seeing the rather generous portion sizes, we spoke to our waiter, who was very nice and very accommodating, and placed our order. We also got a very nice red from St Emillon; which was probably the best item of the night. Also, we noticed a lot of folks getting the Jamon.....we had just arrived from Spain, there was no way we'd be getting jamon here.
We started with the Foie Gras with toast, 12 Euros, which was decent, not outstanding, but you have to remember, we ate a ton of foie gras on this trip.
We also ordered the Farmhouse Terrine (12€), which we didn't enjoy. First off, it was ice cold in the center, second it had a very gritty texture, I know, this is "rustic", right? It was also a bit too earthy for my palate.....which enjoys a whole host of earthy flavors. It just wasn't our thing I guess.
The Missus was in the mood for lamb. We asked the Server about the portion size of the Braised Lamb Shoulder with Beans (26€). He was a pretty funny guy....he told us, "I think it is enough for two, but you would not believe how any people finish this themselves!" So we asked if sharing would be appropriate. To which he replied, "of course.....it would be enough for two."
When it arrived, the Missus looked at me and I said, "of course.....it would be enough for two" and then some. The Flageolet beans, while a bit under-seasoned had a wonderful texture and beany flavor. The lamb was quite deliciously gamey, but was pretty tough and seemed like it could stand for a bit more time in the oven. It also didn't seem much different from anything I'd make at home. The price at 70 Euros wasn't bad, but seemed a bit high, the service was good, but I think there must be much better in Bordeaux at this price point.
La Brasserie Bordelaise
50 Rue St Remi
Bordeaux, France
very nice day!
Posted by: kat | Sunday, 17 April 2016 at 04:25 PM
Yes it was Kat!
Posted by: Kirk | Sunday, 17 April 2016 at 08:00 PM