Motorbikes and the Dordogne

A typical French lunch in Rouffignac

Yesterday was Judes birthday so we invited a couple of French friends out for a meal. The venue was the Cafe de France in Rouffignac, a place where we often eat. The friends were Elsa, a Dutch lady who works in the local estate agents and has been very helpful to us over the last couple of years. Thank you Elsa. The other was Eugene, a French farmer in his 70's who speaks no English but has turned out to be a very good friend. He is Rouffignac born and bred and knows everybody in the town.
The menu of the day is posted on the small blackboard outside the cafe and is around 11 euros for the complete meal. Everything is home cooked by Sylvie and her husband Tierie runs the bar.
This view shows the dining area, the bar is at the front. It is quite normal here to go to the bar and just drink coffee rather than the vast range of alcoholic drinks that are available.
First course arrived and was the local garlic and egg soup with bread in it. Jude has made this a number of times at home and it is very tasty. Note that the wine is included in the price of the meal and so is as much water as you can drink. After this soup, Eugene did the Perigordian thing and washed his bowl out with red wine and drunk it, I had to do the same.
The next course was tomatoes in a vinigarette dressing with some sort of preserved meat. Again it was a very good flavour.
The next course was this boeuf bourguignonne with pasta. This was home made and very tender. It had a fantastic flavour and was the only course I have ever had where nearly all of it was eaten. Sylvie told us that there was plenty more if required.
Bread comes with the meal and is refilled if empty, as is wine and water.
The next course is the cheese course, which is something that I do not eat and I forgot to photograph it. There can be anything between four and ten types of cheese on a platter in the middle of the table and you are expected to eat whatever you want.
After that there was desert, three of us had a rich chocolate cake and Jude had some cream type stuff with fruit around it.
Last but not least was the coffee. Elsa had to get back to work so she had no time for this.
In rural France, never expect to stop for for a quick lunch, they take about two hours here and enjoy it.
If you are passing through Rouffignac then at least stop for a coffee here and breath in the local atmosphere while the world passes by. There is no need to book a table for lunch most of the year, providing there are four or less of you, but should you want to eat in the evening then it is best to book.

posted by madman @ 2:40 pm