Weekend in Nancy

Nancy: a charming city in Alsace and its best restaurants

I had a spectacular weekend in Nancy the weekend of Assomption when everyone is travelling--not to Nancy, however. The smartest move was to stay at the Grand Hotel de la Reine which is on the beautiful Place Stanislas. This is a stunning square that is quiet and clean because no cars are allowed. The buildings surrounding the square are all the same style and at every corner are beautiful baroque gates with iron gates, gold leaf decoration and ornate statues. Beyond the square is a lovely park, another beautiful square, an arch of triumph and streets to the main sections of town. The city is known for its art nouveau architecture and its works of art nouveau in the various museums. In addition there are some very good restaurants.

I had a huge meal at the one star restaurant, Le Grenier à Sel.I chose the menu dégustation and here are some of the delicious items I was served. Tomato-Grenouille Rillettes, a cone of a Bavarois d'avocat with fresh crab meat, a transparent large ravioli with oysters, ham and cucumber. The next course was a medley of foie gras with superb Cavaillon melon, a gingerbread tuile served with a wonderful sweet Côteaux de Layon that married so well with the richness of the foie gras and the sweetness of the melon. There were spring rolls of green asparagus, and of roast langoustine garnished with baby vegetables on a cucumber jelly. To refresh my palate, a delicious sorbet flavored with olive oil was served. I had had enough at this point, but the meal had only just begun. The pièce de résistance was a delectable filet mignon coated with a tiny bit of wasabi and served with kale layered with ham alongside a mountain of fresh chanterelles. This was a truly wonderful dish.

For my pre-dessert, I had an Irish Coffee--revisited. This consisted of a lady finger, coffee mousse, a touch of chocolate, and whipped cream. Just wonderful!! And frankly, sufficient. However, the real dessert was raspberry profiteroles with a lovely thin layer of chocolate coating the plate to flavor the profiteroles. I had tea which is a very effective digestive and this was served with mignardises. Although the dinner was exquisite from start to finish, it was hard to eat that much. One feels like one needs to train for such a long gastronomic experience and I felt out of practice!!

My favorite meal was much less elaborated and at the small V-Four. This tiny restaurant has the coveted I--a Michelin rating which means a restaurant that serves an excellent meal at a great price. I always seek out the Bib Gourmands and suggest that you do too. Thusfar, I have been pleased with the results. V-Four rose to the occasion. My I was a lovely green asparagus cappuccino--which just means a foamy and delicious warm green asparagus drink. I started with a carpaccio de Coquilles St Jacques served with thin slices of parmesan and salad. This was simply delicious with the cheese adding a surprising note of flavor. My main course was dorade on a thin polenta tart served with an herb oil and balsamic vinegar. This was a very unusual and interesting savory dish. I chose a local wine to go with it (Côtes de Toul, Domaine Regina 2007) and that was a very good.

The desserts looked terrific but after the meal of the night before, I decided to go with the Soupe de Fruits Rouges infused with Szechuan Pepper. This delectable concoction was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal. With a choice of excellent coffees, the meal came to just under 60 euros and was worth every cent.