A delicious lunch at Sous Les Micocouliers in Eygalières

By the time we finished strolling around the market and walking up and down the small streets and through the pretty squares scattered about the historic part of Saint-Remy-de-Provence as I told you here, it was time to get on the road for lunch. Thankfully, lunch was going to be close by.

Eygalières is a small village located a few miles southeast of Saint-Remy-de-Provence about 1 hour south of Sablet. The village is in the heart of the Alpilles, an extension of the larger Luberon mountain range surrounded by olive groves, green valleys with grazing sheep and vineyards dotted here and there by restored residences.

As you get close, you can see Eygalières perched on a hill with an ancient castle tower at the highest point. As you approach, you can see the small houses which make up the village. I had been to Eygalières before and walked the streets ducking in and out of shops and up to the castle ruins to see the view from the top of the hill.

Eygalières

Sous Les Micocouliers restaurant is in a restored house built in the 17th century with a large fenced courtyard for dining when the weather is nice, just a few steps from the center of the village. The restaurant gets its name from the majestic Micocoulier trees that adorn the courtyard.

The restaurant is owned by the chef Pierre-Louis Poize and his wife. His interest in cooking began at L'Auberge du Mas de Nierne, where his mother and grandmother ran the kitchen. From there, he apprenticed with Alain Assaud, Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, and Alain Senderens, all renown names in the French restaurant world.

Wife Shirley and Kari in Front of Sous Les Micocouliers

Although the sun was shining, the Mistral was blowing and it was cool so we chose to sit in the dining room. After considering the various menu options, we all chose the three-course Menu Matisse for 31 Euros. You can see the dishes we selected off of the menu in the pictures which follow.

Amuse bouche of sardines and crackers

Starter of pumpkin puree, mesclun salad greens, puff pastry with gratinéed Swiss chard, foie gras with fig marmalade and rolled smoked salmon with avocado cream

Kari contemplates the coming lunch

Pan roasted venison over braised leeks and roasted potatoes and cippolini onions

Macaroni topped with braised leeks and cheese, butternut squash puree, and cauliflower flan

Dessert of fruit salad, chocolate and roasted apple

Orange, vanilla and caramel ice creams with fruit

Palette of desserts including brownie, almond, sable and nut cake

The food was excellent, every bit as good as it looks in these pictures. We had eaten at Sous Les Micocouliers Restaurant a couple years back because Michelin Guide had named it a Bib Gourmand every year going back to 2008 as a place where you can eat well for a good price.

But the current edition of the Michelin Guide had excluded it from its list of Bib Gourmand restaurants so I was a little worried as we walked in, wondering what might have changed. But no worries! The food was as good or better and the prices were still very reasonable. Don't hesitate to go as long as chef Poize is in the kitchen. You will be glad you did.

Sous Les Micocouliers
Traverse Montfort
13810 Eygalières
Tel: 04 90 95 94 53
www.souslesmicocouliers.com/

Domaine de Valdition, Historic Winery in the Alpilles

I remembered reading a blogger's post about Domaine de Valdition's rosé wine as we came across a sign along the road announcing the entrance to the winery just ahead. That day we were headed to lunch down the road at Sous les Micocouliers in nearby Eygalières.

As you travel down the road, you can see the village of Eygalières ahead, perched on a small hill with chateau ruins at the top. As you get closer, you can see the small houses which line the winding streets of the village.

Domaine de Valdition is located down the road from Eygalières and not far from Saint-Rémy de Provence in the heart of the Alpilles. As we drive around, we see vast olive groves, vineyards, pine and oak forests and flocks of sheep grazing in fields.

Between Eygalières and Domaine de Valdition sits the Romanesque Saint-Sixte chapel, which has been listed as an historic monument by the French government since 1971. The chapel dates back to the 12th century and stands, isolated, on top of a rocky mount. The chapel is supported by massive buttresses and topped by a bell-tower wall.

The chapel is dedicated to the martyred Pope Saint Sixte who was believed to have died in the 3rd century. A procession is organised each year on the Tuesday following Easter, during which Guardians from Camargue, riding white horses, and men and women dressed in Arles-style costumes carry an effigy of the Pope to the Saint Sixte chapel.

If you have been following Our House in Provence blog for a while and especially the posts about food and wine, you have probably figured out that we love rosé wines. The aforementioned blogger, and for the life of me, I can't recall who, wrote that Domaine de Valdition makes her favorite rosé wine. Since we were early for lunch, we decided to turn in and taste the Domaine's wines for ourselves.

During the Renaissance, François 1st, King of France gave the Domaine as a gift to his daughter Caroline du Prévot who married Sieur Dacla de Chateaubert and their family and heirs keep the estate going for the next five centuries.

The Domaine is planted with vineyards and olive groves are surrounded by pastures and pine and oak forests. The Domaine de Valdition vineyards are planted with a lot of different cépages - grape varieties.

The varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Marselan, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot and Syrah for red wines, and Bourboulenc, Chasan, Grenache Blanc, Macabeu, Muscat Petit Grain, Roussane and Viognier for white wines.

There are 74 acres of olives groves planted with different varieties of trees for AOC Les Baux de Provence olive oil including Aglandau, Salonenque, Grossane and Verdale from the Bouches du Rhône. An olive called Bouteillan which came originally from the Var is planted on the Domaine too.

Shirley and friend John wait to enter the tasting room with me.

We taste through the various wines produced by the Domaine. They are are classified as Vin de Pays de Alpilles or A.O.C.Coteaux d’Aix en Provence.

We leave with a box of 2011 Vallon des Anges Rosé from the Coteaux d’Aix en Provence. The wine is pale in color and made of a blend of Grenache and Cinsault grapes.

We also buy bottles of AOC Les Baux de Provence olive oil and several ceramic pintades - guinea hens to add to our collection in the kitchen.

Thanks to the unknown blogger who wrote about Domaine de Valdition. We really liked the rosé wine and the delicious olive oil. I wish I could give credit to the proper author. If any of you are the ones who wrote, please remind me so I can correct this oversight.

Bonne journée mes amis et à bientôt. Have a great day, chat soon!

Domaine de Valdition
Route d'Eygalières
13660 Orgon
Tel: 04 90 73 08 12
www.valdition.com

Sous Les Micocouliers Restaurant, Eygalières

Eygalières is a small village located a few kms southeast of Saint Rémy de Provence about 1 hour south of Sablet. The village is in the heart of the Alpilles, an extension of the larger Luberon mountain range surrounded by olive groves, green valleys with grazing sheep and vineyards punctuated here and there by restored residences including one supposedly owned by actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

As you approach, you can see Eygalières perched on a hill topped by an ancient castle tower. As you get closer, you can see the small houses which make up the village. I had been to Eygalières once before and had wandered the streets ducking in and out of shops and walked up to the castle ruins to see the view from the top of the hill before dining at nearby Maison Bru Restaurant.

After tasting wine at Domaine Valdition (more about that in a future post), we were headed with our friends to dine at Sous Les Micocouliers Restaurant in Eygalières. This restaurant has been selected by the Michelin inspectors as "Les Meilleures Adresses à Petit Prix", meaning you can eat well for a good price, something I like to do.

Sous Les Micocouliers is in a restored house built in the 17th century with a large fenced courtyard for dining when the weather is nice, just a few steps from the center of the village. The restaurant is owned by the chef Pierre-Louis Poize who apprenticed with Alain Assaud, Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, and Alain Senderens, all renown names in the French restaurant world.

Friends John and Lorelei and wife Shirley pause for a picture while waiting for menus to be brought to our courtyard table. While it was a beautiful sunny day, it was still quite cool being March and everyone was happy to have an extra layer of clothes on.

Along with the menus came two platters of amuse bouche with olives, hummus and anchovy crackers to nibble while we looked over the menu.

Having just come from tasting wine at Domaine de Valdition, I was happy to find a bottle of their 2011 Vallon Des Anges Rosé, from AOC Coteaux d'Aix en Provence on the wine list. The wine is quite pale in color, but a really tasty blend of Grenache and Cinsault grapes.

Our starters included Petits Farçis aux Herbes, Ricotta et Épeautre servis en vinaigrette tiède (little vegetables stuffed with herbs, ricotta cheese and spelt, served with a warm vinaigrette). This is one of the tastiest and prettiest plates of food I have had in a long time.

Others chose Mesclun et Salades du Moment à l huile de sésame (Mesclun greens and other lettuces with sesame oil).

Several chose Conchiglionis stuffed with cheese and greens for their main courses, Shirley for one is always happy to find pasta on a menu.

One of our group ordered the Pintade (roast Guinea Fowl).

I chose l'Agneau (lamb) roasted with vegetables figuring that with lots of sheep in the surrounding area, the lamb would probably be very good; I was not disappointed.

We often see dogs sitting by tables waiting patiently for scraps to come their way; here there was a very cute cat waiting table side.

For dessert, we tried Entremet (a multi-layered mousse-based cake comprised of different flavors) served with fruit sorbet; delicious!

We also had filled Macarons.

Sous Les Micocouliers is one of several very good restaurants in Eygalières and the surrounding area. So if you come the area to enjoy the beauty of the Alpilles mountains, try the olive or wine produced in the area, don't hesitate to try to Sous Les Micocouliers. I am very sure that reservations are a must during tourist season.

Sous Les Micocouliers
Traverse de Montfort
Eygalieres
Tel: 04 90 95 94 53
www.souslesmicocouliers.com

Maison Bru, Eygalières

One of the reasons I stopped in Eygalières that morning was to look at the menu for Le Bistro d'Eygalières, a supposedly wonderful bistro I had read about in numerous publications. I went to the address and found a sign saying the restaurant had relocated to a spot outside of the village.

After a leisurely walk around pretty Eygalières, I headed out Route d'Orgon as I understood the new restaurant to be located in that direction. The Route d'Orgon is generally flat and takes you past pastures with grazing sheep and garrigue - scrublands with dense thickets of oak and aromatic shrubs such as lavender, sage, rosemary, and wild thyme.



After driving about 4 km towards Orgon, I spotted the sign for Maison Bru on the right hand side of the road.



I pulled in and read the menu with its mouth watering descriptions of the various dishes. It was after all, just before before midi - noon, and time for déjeuner -lunch. I was by myself and in no hurry so I decided to see if I could get a table without a reservation.



It was my lucky day and I was shown to a table in the wood-beamed dining room; it was overcast and too cold to sit on the large shaded terrace. If you couldn't see garrigue out the window, you could have easily thought you were sitting in a restaurant in Paris. There was not much to remind you that you were in Provence.



Shortly after being seated, I was brought a menu and some tasty bites to munch on while I read over the menu for the day. That day the bites consisted of fromage blanc with garlic and chives, tomato paste, a cilantro and almond paste, olives and green tapenade.

I should mention that on the menu board outside, it indicated there was a Menu Déjeuner for 55 Euros and a Menu Dégustation for 95 Euros. However, when I was seated in the dining room, the only menu offered was the latter menu. If I had been with a group out for lunch, I would have swallowed hard but since I was by myself I was happy to spoil myself.



After selecting a glass of wine from the Côtes du Rhône I looked around the room as it began to fill with diners. It wasn't long before I was brought an amuse bouche by one of the young staff dressed in all black attire.

The amuse bouche was a poached egg in its shell topped with chive cream accompanied by a french fry with pickle ice cream. The ice cream was the color of brine and had a distinct pickle taste. The little dish was unusual but very tasty.



My first course was a cold poached lobster marinated in ouzo served over asparagus spears and wasabi ice cream.



My first fish course was lightly seared tuna accompanied by anchovy mayonaise, foie gras and a frozen ginger mousse.



My second fish course was line-caught sea bass with asparagus mousse, and mushrooms. The exterior of the fish had a slightly crunchy texture from the bread crumbs that coated the fish.



My meat course was a perfectly cooked rack and saddle of lamb from the Pyrénées, the mountains of Southwest France. The lamb was accompanied by roasted garlic, eggplant caviar, roasted potatoes and vegetables.

A perfectly wonderful dish but I was surprised to see that the lamb came from the Pyrénées when there are sheep almost everywhere you look along the Route d'Orgon.



After finishing the lamb dish, I was brought a warm cloth to wash my hands, a nice touch.

Then out rolled the chariot de fromage, literally cheese chariot with a large assortment of cheese and nut bread to acccompany the cheese.



I chose four cheeses; Époisses de Bourgogne, Reblochon de Savoie, Roquefort, and Saint-Félicien.



My first dessert, unfortunately I failed to record the details of the desserts in my journal.



My second dessert.



And finally, out came an assortment of mignardise, an assortment of little cakes to finish my meal, not that I needed anything more but it was hard to not sample these wonderful treats.



I loved my meal and although pricey in my opinion for lunch, I will return. The Boxer at the neighboring table loved being there too. I am not sure if its my imagination but it seems that the breed of dog we see in restaurants most frequently is Boxer.



After I got home, I found out that Maison Bru has two Michelin stars which explains the high costs. I think the stars are deserved as the food and service was wonderful

Eygalières, Les Alpilles

One morning after dropping off friends Allison and Adam at Marseille Provence airport and then walking around Arles (more about my visit to Arles in a future post), I headed off in the rented Opel to the Alpilles, the small range of mountains which are an extension of the larger Luberon range.

I was going to Mas de Gourgonnier near Mouriès to buy a case of their 2009 rosé wine for our cave - wine cellar in Sablet, and some of the wonderful red rice which the family grows in the Camargue. I love the nutty taste of the rice and and like to serve it with lemon juice and pine nuts. At our Bistro Des Copains, we serve the rice as an accompaniment to pan roasted duck breast.

After walking through the vineyards in front of the winery and tasting the wines on offer that day, my growling stomach told me it was getting towards lunch and I thought I would drive to Eygalières and stroll around the village and find a place to eat. I figured there had to be at least one good place.

I have been to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, bought olive oil in Maussane-les-Alpilles, and hiked to the top of the fortress and seen the views from Les-Baux-de-Provence but had never been to nearby Eygalières before.

Eygalières is located about one hour south of our home in Sablet. The village is surrounded by the landscape of the Alpilles: scrub lands, pastures with sheep grazing, olive groves, and vineyards. As you approach, you can see Eygalières off in the distance perched on a small hill.

I found parking near the Hotel de Ville - the town hall with the village child care center and headed in the direction that looked like the commercial center of the village.



The Café de la Place is located near the Hotel de Ville.



The fountain near the center of the village.



A small épicerie located near the center of town. As you walk up the street, it is easy to see that the monied-set have found Eygalières.



As you know from a previous post, we own a beautiful black Newfoundland named Abbi so I was excited to see this Newfoundland tethered to a tree outside the épicerie since we don't see other Newfoundlands very often.



The village church.



Another café filled with people enjoying the sunny day after almost two weeks of rainy weather.



A pretty ivy-covered home along the road on the way up to the top of the village.



The ancient castle tower topped by a bell at the top of the village.



Ruins with statue.



A hike up the narrow winding street to the top of the village is rewarded with magnificent views out over Eygalières.



Views toward the Alpilles.



After walking back to my car, I headed off to Maison Bru for lunch. I will tell you about that wonderful lunch in a future post.