If you ever find yourself in the Languedoc-Rousillon region of southern France, make sure to visit…read moreL'Artemise (in Uzes) for dinner. Actually, I think it's worth the trip to France just to have dinner at L'Artemise.
On the evening (in August) that we visited L'Artemise, it was comfortably warm--mid 70s, or so. Earlier in the week, we made a reservation for our group of four. Our reservation was for 7:15, but we were running late after a full day of visiting various spots in the region. L'Artemise was very accomodating and changed our reservation to 8 (does that happen anywhere else in the world? I have not witnessed such acts of kindness in Chicago.).
From the outside, the restaurant is an impressive site. It's housed in a castle-like structure, at the top of a long and winding road, with amazing views of the countryside. Upon arrival, we were quickly seated at a table in a fabulous garden-like area on the inside of the castle walls. The waiter spoke both French and English very well. When I told him that I was a vegetarian but that I could eat seafood, he looked at me with a nervous grin and said "but....do you eat cheese, I hope?" Of course I do.
The next 4 hours were unforgettable. Yes, our meal lasted 4 hours, but that's very normal for a restaurant with a menu of this caliber and extent, especially in this region (and it certainly didn't seem like 4 hours. I wish I was still there...).
We ordered the prixe fixe menu, which began with mint and pea gazpacho. We also selected a bottle of 2007 "L'Heritage" red wine by D'Aqueria (2007 was a very good year). The gazpacho's unusual mint and pea combination left me wondering if, upon my return to Chicago, I could cross-breed a mint plant with a pea plant. So far, no luck. I am also trying to find a mint and pea gazpacho recipe that compares to the one we had at L'Artemise, but I haven't yet been successful.
The next course was fantastic as well. For me, the seafood-eating vegetarian, this 2nd course consisted of marinated tuna with melon roses and cucumber grapefruit salad. I think the non-vegetarians at the table had some type of meat. Since returning home to the US, I have asked my husband several times for a bouquet of melon roses, to no avail.
The 3rd course was comprised of tomato gazpacho with salmon and a lemon 'cracker.' Also unique and wonderful. We ordered another bottle of wine--2010 "Gigondas" by domaine Santa Duo--which was very enjoyable (since there aren't any sulfites in real French wine, drinking it is actually like eating vitamins, right?).
I should note that while there have been 3 courses so far, and more to come, the portion sizes are very appropriate. Not too much, not too little.
The 4th course was a salad with lobster and mango. I'm glad to finally realize what lobster has always been missing--it's mango. In addition, the creamy dressing on the salad had an interesting citrusy tang to it, which served as a fabulous complement to the lobster and mango.
Yes, of course, there's a 5th course: vegetables with mint sauce and whipped potatoes. The potatoes seemed a bit "loose" (soupy), but the flavor was so wonderful that it didn't even matter, very tasty.
Next, our server brought out a pamplemousse-basil palette cleanser, along with an amazing cheese selection. The cheese plate was a sure signal that the unforgettable meal was coming to an end.
Of course, the night could not really end without dessert. The final 'piece de resistance' dessert was a tangy pepper-nectarine sorbet with peaches and verveine. Yes, there was pepper in the dessert. And it belonged there.
In conclusion, while our meal was not inexpensive, it was worth every penny. There were multiple courses to our meal, as is typical in this region, yet the portion sizes were just right. The food and service at L'Artemise were absolutely perfect and I hope to return in the near future.
