Le Gourmand de Saint Jean



Le Gourmand de Saint Jean


Lyon, France

Visited 21-12-2010

Night number 2 in Lyon, the last night in town, and Margaux and I wanted to find something easy and wholesome, no frills just fills. We had spent the day in Beaune, drinking our way through the old part of the town center, and by the time we returned to Lyon and were ready to grab some food it was getting late and the rain had began to fall. And so we wandered down the hill and into the little area at the base before the bridge and found a great little square, Place Neuve Saint Jean. Margaux was analyzing the menus of the places, I was wandering over to the wine shop window that I saw on the opposite end. We decided on this place because it was fairly full of people, always a good sign, and the 3 course had many choices and was price was right, around 15 Euro if I remember correctly. And so we entered and began….

There were great signs apparent as we went to the table, many signs in fact. I only heard French being spoken, I saw either empty plates or plates heaping with food, and again the place was mostly full so we had a little journey to a small back table in a room that was filled with other small little tables filled with people. Something inside me was telling me this was going to b a good meal, maybe it was my stomach, but maybe my intuition as well.

I have a great belief that I think most everyone can agree with, and I call it the ‘Tuesday Night Wine’ theory. Its goes q bit like this: Wine is meant as a part of the meal, and a little should be enjoyed every day (even the doctors say so). But unless you are extremely wealthy, especially in the United States, it can at times be difficult to find a good wine that is inexpensive. Furthermore, even if you can afford to drink a Brunello di Montalcino or a Grand Cru wine from France, it loses its specialty as a fine wine after time. And so we all need that ‘Tuesday Night Wine’ as something easy drinking and still enjoyable without breaking the bank. This year I plan on beginning a series where once a week, let’s say Tuesday perhaps?!, I will find a good bottle that is inexpensive so that we can all drink well through the week. More details to follow soon enough, but to return to the point here, we ordered the house wine for dinner. We had such good wine all day long, a simple wine for our tired palates would be just fine, and the house Beaujolais was just that, nothing special, just fine.

Course 1: French Onion Soup

Here I wonder if they simply call it Onion soup or not, but whatever they call it I called it amazing. Isn’t it funny how simple things can be so good when they are done well, and this may have been the best French Onion Soup I had ever had. It was very cheesy and golden brown on top, loaded with bread and the beef broth was just right. I told Margaux not to let me eat it all otherwise I’d be too full for the rest of dinner, but I couldn’t stop. Before I knew it the bowl was empty and I couldn’t stop smiling. Margaux had a green salad with some tomato and she said it was just what she wanted, something light and fresh. The French really do love to eat salads, usually after the main course, and I have partaken- but I’m still in the belief that lettuce is for rabbits. Sorry people, but some old habits die hard.

Course 2: Braised Lamb

Gastronomic Heaven, that is what Lyon is called for France. After the previous night in Leon de Lyon I was a bit skeptical, when this plate landed on the table I was convinced. Beef is good, Chicken is easy, Pork is versatile, and for me Lamb (and Duck too) are where it is at. And let me tell you the French they love their Lamb and their Duck. I do have to admit I was drawn to the dish more at the promise of potato gratin, but when I saw one of the choices was Lamb it was an easy sell. All the flavors were spot in, great meat that was soft and tender falling of the bone, a sauce that worked perfectly without being too complex, and potato gratin that breaks every dietary rule in the book. Margaux had a House made Tripe Sausage in a Cheesy Mustard sauce, which was good, but I definitely think my dish won this round! After my empty plate I had no idea where I was going to fit dessert….

Course 3: Dessert-Profiteroles

The table next to us was a mother and daughter who were much farther along in their meal than we were. Somewhere around our main course they had dessert delivered, a Crème Brulee and a plate of Profiteroles. Both looked good, but when we had seen that the daughter had cleaned her plate and the mother still had left half her Crème Brulee, we knew where we were going. To me the most amazing thing about the dish was the size. As you can tell from the picture, they did not skimp on the portion, especially the fresh whipped cream. They were rich and delicious, and very filling. One plate would have been plenty for both of us, and then some. I am sad to report neither of us had as much gastronomic power as that young woman next to us, both our plates still had some food leftover.

The meal was amazing and the price was just right, about 45 Euro for 2 people with drink. I was definitely mort impressed here than the night before and recommend taking a short stroll over to Place Neuve Saint Jean and finding this Bouchon, and hopefully a table inside. It was a perfect way to cap off the dining experience in Lyon and get us ready to move on to Bordeaux. I was also very happy to find the little wine store next door, which made for a bit more than simple window shopping the next morning…….