Hopefully my posts about my week in Paris won’t be too numerous/boring…but I just had to do a foodie Friday about a memorable meal I had on a day trip to the beautiful town of Chartres…an hour and a half train ride from Paris.
Okay, so you know there are soooo many great places to have a meal in Paris itself, but I tend to want to just wander the streets when I’m there and happen upon a bistro or cafe that will satiate my hunger. I know, not very adventuresome for someone who likes “pretentious food” and trying new restaurants…but that’s just the way it’s been the few times I’ve vacationed in Paris. …and let’s face it, the bistros and cafes have pretty decent food…and ambiance.
So, I thought I’d try to have a memorable meal while in Chartres for the day. I went to trusty Trip Advisor, asked around, and found Le Tripot. Their website is, as expected, entirely in French and google translate couldn’t help me with that. So, I emailed the restaurant, asked for a lunch reservation and voilà, reservation made! The place was adorable and the food was so good.
They offered me two amuse bouche…one was an amazingly tasty tomato, cucumber little cup that had so much flavor I could have had an entire bowl. It was very much like gazpacho. The second tiny plate was a trio of marinated olives, parmesan crisp and a date wrapped in bacon…all very good! Sidenote….there were a few other tables of diners and they did not receive these little delicacies…hmmmm, single woman dining alone, maybe they thought I was a food critic…haha? Whatever the reason, I appreciated and enjoyed them so much!
I know it sounds lame, but I had a hankering for steak and knew this would be my big meal for the day, so what the hell. This was no ordinary steak. Everything sounds better in French…”Entrecôte de bœuf à la plancha, sauce de réduction de Porto rouge et éclats de foie gras de canard”…but thankfully they also included the English equivalent…”Rib steak of beef a la plancha, sauce of reduction of red Porto and cracks of duck foie gras” I love foie gras…don’t judge!
It’s ridiculous how much flavor these small “cracks” of foie gras lend to the steak that was perfectly cooked, and the red wine reduction was fab….as was the potato stack. (yes, I ate the whole thing…did I mention I hadn’t had breakfast and been walking for a couple of hours?)
The French have their cheese at the end of the meal, so ‘when in Rome…or Chartres’…I had “Crottin de chèvre chaud au miel de foret du Perche sur toast et sa salade’…aka “Hot goat milk cheese on slice of bread with honey and salad” …melt in your mouth good.
This shows the charm of the painted stone walls before the restaurant became packed with people by the time I left. It’s not too fancy and I’d recommend a meal here if you’re ever in Chartres. My only “critique” would be that the lighting is a bit modern for this adorable space. Sure, it was a “normal” meal…not so French, but I loved it and would go back.
Sorry, I had no room for dessert to share here with you….but I did take some pics as I wandered through charming Chartres. If you have the time, take a day trip to Chartres.
A trip to Chartres wouldn’t be complete without a quiet, peaceful walk to La Maison Picassiette via the town cemetery. I know, may sound odd, but this is the recommended route if you’re walking from the Cathedral up to the eclectic, funky house. Is it weird to call a cemetery beautiful? It was expertly manicured and it was interesting to see the generations of families that were laid to rest here.
