Dinner at Reygrobellet

Tonight R and I dined with our friends M and C, at a restaurant they recommended in Saint-Germain-de-Joux. A quick fifteen minutes drive from our village, R and I knew the restaurant Reygrobellet by location because we've driven past it countless times. What we didn't know was that Chef Muriel has a reputation in the area for her fresh local cuisine, using ingredients such as juicy poultry from Bresse, vegetables from farms in the Savoie and l'Ain, and French specialties such as frog.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS DINING EXPERIENCE

• Even though the Reygrobellet is in a small town, the tastes are big
• The decor is understated and nice—though I would have chosen white tablecloths instead of pink
• This is a true family run restaurant where the owners not only greeted us, but also took our coats, served, and retrieved our coats at the end
• Service was great, present but not hovering. It wasn't a busy night, so I wouldn't know what it'd be like with a full house. There were eight tables with about 20 people dining last night from 20:30h to 23:30h
• Our water pitcher was filled frequently, whenever it was empty
• The Chef came out to sit with the owners of Sorgia, a restaurant that we tried to go to but the owners said they would be closed on Saturday. And when we arrived at the Reygrobellet we found out it was because they had dinner plans at the same restaurant. The Sorgia owners then sent over some apéros for the table, a very nice gesture
• There was a choice of menu du jour, ranging from 19€ (not available weekends and holidays) to 61€. Everyone at our table chose the 39€ formule which consisted of amuse-bouche, entrée, plat principal, choice of cheese plate or fromage blanc, and lastly dessert.

The Chef started with an amuse-bouche of trout tartare layered between very thin crepes in a savory tomato sauce, topped with dilled creme fraîche and endive. This light starter was refreshing and helped whet our appetite. It nicely complemented the apéro, white wine with creme de cassis.

For my entrée, noix de Saint Jacques slightly crusted with breadcrumbs and pan-fried to perfection. The scallops were cooked and seasoned perfectly.

For my plat principal, poulet de Bresse enroulée avec morilles. Bresse about an hour away from here is known for its poultry and this dish didn't disappoint. The chicken was juicy and tender that it was a little difficult to cut because it kept on falling over. The nuttiness of the morilles in a creme sauce complemented the roasted carrot and zucchini and tomatoes.

Between le plat principle (what we Americans wrongly call an entrée) there is either a choice of cheese from the cheese cart, or fromage blanc, traditionally served avec une pot de creme et de confiture, and a jar of granulated sugar. One usually spoons creme or confiture around the fromage blanc, and then adds sugar on top. I chose to add all three toppings, getting looks of approval from my table, who did the same. So good. One of the things I missed eating while in Boston over the holidays.

My friend M chose this dessert Vacherin glacé, which is basically a cake made of meringue and ice cream. Vacherin is a type of French cheese made of cow's milk, and Vacherin cake resembles the cheese. This version was made with meringue and ice cream. The presentation of this dessert was beautiful, and the taste. Also, notice the portions are quite large. I couldn't resist and tasted some of this dessert with cassis, framboise, and pistache ice cream. This is what I'm ordering the next time we go. And we will definitely try this restaurant again. On weekdays, there is a 19€ menu, but last night we all chose the 39€ menu.

For my dessert, I chose creme brûlée vanille et bourbon. This tasted really nice, but the crackly top was not as crackly as I would have liked it to be. Still it didn't take away from the taste which was deliciously light and not too sweet. I think the French do desserts quite well...sweet enough but not overly sweet.