Tuesday April 18: Taking care of the essentials

We had to do a big grocery shopping today as we’ve run out of meals due to shops being closed on Sunday and Monday. So we split up today. Dave, Christie and Alex went to Chenonceau and Chambord and Janis, Clark and I stayed home.

We shopped once more at the Hyper U with Clark in charge of wine

Clark in the wine aisle - notice the shopping bag seems heavy

and Janis and I collecting fresh foods for salads and a ratatouille. Some meats for the next couple of nights and some spices. I filled out a form for a “carte de fidelité” which like our US stores gives us coupons and, we think, a bit of money back. We’re not too sure yet.

Once home and ice cream put into the freezer, we headed out to Sainte-Melaine, the town next to us, for lunch.

This is a town we drive through almost daily to get wherever we are headed for that day’s adventure.  Janis had noticed a nice looking restaurant called Le Petit Manoir.

Le Petit Manoir in Saint Maleine sur l'Aubance

This restaurant is only open for lunch (noon till 2 pm) Monday through Friday and dinner Friday and Saturday. It serves dishes that are fresh from the market and locally available. There was a “menu” (that’s usually a 2 or 3 course meal, fixed price, sometimes with choices within “entrée, plat, et dessert”.  We could also order “à la carte” or, in other words, from a menu (called “la carte” in French). “Entrée” is an appetizer, “plat” is the main course, and of course “dessert” is universally understood.

Three course meals seem like a lot to order for lunch, but often, the noon meal is the large meal of the day with just a light supper in the evening. We, however, passed on the entrée and just ordered a plat and dessert. Janis ordered salmon

Janis' meal

and Clark and I ordered chicken. Sorry for the less than beautiful photos of food. We started eating before remembering to take pictures.

Clark's meal

Lynn's meal - guess she didn't like hers... not sure this plate needs to be washed....

Our server spoke good English and Clark asked for a wine recommendation for lunch. We shared a half-bottle of a wine grown and produced right in Saint-Melaine. A cabernet franc we feel quite sure.

The first room of the restaurant had more informal seating with wooden tables and was reserved for those ordering the menu at 10,50 Euros – a 3 course meal featuring spaghetti bolognaise. We were seated in a separate room (well, not really a room, but a divider wall) with white damask tablecloths and napkins. Both areas of the restaurant were nearly full when we arrived at 1 o’clock, but we were immediately seated at a small round table near the window. Our hostess was also our server, the cashier and busboy. One other young lady helped bring the food from the kitchen for serving.

The wine and a carafe of water arrived immediately. but the chicken took some time (it was a popular plat this day). But the company was good, the setting was lovely and one does not hurry good food in France.  

Home again to do a few more chores and prepare the ratatouille. We’re all working on our photos, facebook and blog posts with beautiful views looking out to our garden. (It’s sunny, but too much of a chilly wind to sit outside, but the clothes are drying quickly out there.)

A bientôt