When two bikers lilting from the heat rolled into Obernai, this is the place the man at the front desk recommended as a "restaurant gastronomique". Sounds great. As we walked to our room to wash up he sort of added "c'est deux etoilles Michelin..." I guess he needed to set our expectations.
When the amuse-bouche arrived it set a high level. The snails-in-fois-gras seems like a can't miss type of thing, but the solid disc of choucroute with some sort of pork sausage pate was regional and quite amazing.
We ordered the lobster (hey... we're from Boston) and venison (hey... we're in the verdant hills of the Vosges). The sommelier was very helpful and knowledgeable of the thick tome of local wines. We ignored the thin book of wines from other regions because when in Rome. After a thoughtful 10 minute conversation on what might work we settled on an unusually aged Sylvaner. We also learned the Somm is a Celtics fan.
Being a regarded restaurant in France, every course involved at least four folks moving with the precision of a Marine drill team as they descended on the table, bussed the plates, swiped away the crumbs, and left whatever new treasure they'd created.
The lobster was an interesting take. A deshelled lobster presented on a salad of potatoes and apples with bits of herb mousse circling it. Kind of amazing to look at. The venison was a few medallions surrounded by little dallops of things. (If anyone from the restaurant reads this... the raspberry sauce just distracted from the intense forest of the meat.)
Too bad we're so far because otherwise we'd be back! read more