LiPirate Festival

5 is U2 not on our itinerary but I’ve read about

5 is updates about u now not on homepage imparts our itinerary, but I’ve read about a 27-year-old chef, Philippe Lagraula, at a restaurant in Dax called Une Cuisine en Ville, so I ask the boys, wouldn’t it be cool to stop there for lunch?Thierry, who’s been hoping for a light lunch, groans “Look how we’re dressed,” he points out We’re wearing shorts and flip-flops. “Oh, let’s just swing by and see what it looks like,” I say. It looks charming, and we go in. The tiny, sunken dining room has a stone fireplace; chocolate-painted walls; low, half-timbered ceilings; and some whimsical modern touches. We order tapas y pinchos, which is actually a tasting menu. Seared cubes of foie gras are topped with beet paste; strips of smoked eel cover truffled artichoke cream. Seared tuna belly comes with a risotto the color of soft-scrambled eggs; three slices of baby lamb look like duck breast, the fat attached. The wine list offers lots of fun, by-the-glass selections; Thierry starts with a sweet Jurancon, and I have a rose; then we move on to a local red. Back in the car, we get a quick look at Dax, which has plenty of charm — blossoming mimosa trees and a pretty open market along a narrow, pedestrian-only street. But we’re headed for the Cote Basque, where we check into our hotel at the southernmost city on the coast — Hendaye. Later, driving north on the curvy Corniche, we get spectacular views of rocky cliffs dropping down to the ocean. Soon we come upon St. -Jean-de-Luz, an old fishing port, and here we spend a couple of lazy hours, wandering and window shopping. St. -Jean is beautiful, with whitewashed, red- or green-trimmed Basque houses shoulder to shoulder, in stone-paved streets that wind down to the sea.

With the signs in Euskara (the Basque language) and shops full of traditional white linen or jambon de Bayonne, it feels a million miles from Pauillac. Dinner that night is in Biarritz, a town almost as glitzy as its name all about u . The restaurant, Sissinou, which has attracted plenty of attention, is perfectly fine but not terribly interesting, and there we get the tourist treatment Wine is opened and poured without us being shown the label home page . The server ignores us, so we’re reduced to waving our arms. After dinner, we stroll along the sea and out onto a promontory that leads to a giant, tree-covered rock formation out over the ocean and look back at the city, with its majestic old hotels, illuminated in the night. *Day 5IN the morning, we head east out of St. -Jean-de-Luz, eager to explore the back roads u hrvatskoj . I’m expecting tall, jagged Pyrenees, but we’re in lovely green rolling foothills univ. of . The villages are tiny and beautiful, all with traditional Basque houses. The single street in Ainhoa, founded in the 12th century as a staging post on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, just over the border in Spain, is lined with freshly whitewashed 17th and 18th century houses with funky tiled roofs and front porches called lorios. We stop at Hotel Oppoca for a simple lunch featuring jambon de Bayonne, brebis and gateau basque, the traditional almond cake, before continuing east. Ten minutes later we’re in Espelette, home of the region’s famous dried red chile — the piment d’Espelette. The houses are all red and white, with strings of drying peppers hanging. Although we hope to arrive in Pau by the end of the afternoon, we detour south into the mountains to St. -Jean-Pied-de-Port.

We stroll around the village along the Nive River, with its graceful stone bridges and medieval ramparts american u . The stone-paved streets are steep, lined with Renaissance tile-roofed houses made from warm red sandstone state university . For us, it’s the last stop before Pau; dinner tonight is in Jurancon, a sleepy wine village just outside of the city homepage . Vineyards spread out around it, the ones that produce the fabulous sweet and racy dry white wines that are popular in France U2 U2 – u2 . Chef Stephane Carrade is a local hero, having this year snagged his second Michelin star; his restaurant, Chez Ruffet, is in an old house in the village home page . So although it’s so hot that the waiters are dripping sweat and diners fan themselves, a tasting menu it is, which comes with paired wines by the glass. Carrade has a sense of fun. Ruffet is a white-tablecloth place, traditionally furnished, but each place setting has a black slate placemat and chalk. First come the amuse A glass filled with mint-scented melon balls. Then, uh-oh, a test tube, but it’s filled with a remarkable soup, an essence of green crabs.

Next something really ludique: a clothespin holding a toothpick spearing a slice of green olive and a ball of goat cheese filled with tomato confit and sprinkled with piment d’Espelette. Now the parade of dishes bbq u . Foie gras poached in beef consomme with green plums simmered in eau-de-vie and Parmesan tempura u hrvatskoj . U2 tickets A live lobster is brought to the table, then it returns in the form of open ravioli with green pepper from the Ardour, lomo iberico (cured loin of black-footed pig from Spain), small, tender eggplants and a quenelle-shaped mousse of wood-grilled hake univ. of . Slices of filet of pigeon, with astounding texture and flavor, served with a salty little salad state university. Tuna belly condimente with tarragon, lemon and Sichuan pepper and served with grilled peppers sauced with coconut milk, curry and galangal. Perfectly cooked, tender canon of lamb with juniper berries, tomato and baby zucchini. The wines are interesting and different — particularly a red wine from the Bearn region — a 2001 Domaine Cauhape from Henri Ramonteau. It’s fruity and complex, with lots of character. For dessert, Mara des bois strawberries with cilantro and ice cream made from farm-fresh milk, then a mille feuille with coffee cream, peach syrup, lemon grass and fennel and dark chocolate ice cream. Afterward, a wooden box with different mignardises — chocolates, chewy licorice, even some fresh gooseberries, their papery husks pulled up like handles. The idea of eating another bite? Now that’s ludique. *Tasty local colorCome with chef Stephane Carrade as he seeks out the best produce at the farmers market in Pau, France, then prepares a simple lunch in the kitchen of Chez Ruffet.

Look for the story, plus recipes, in Wednesday’s Food section. *(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)Put your best foot forward* In country restaurants, diners dress much more casually than they would in an equivalent dining room in Paris brown u . In warm months, most men don’t wear jackets. * Don’t reflexively put your napkin on your lap the moment you’re seated That’s considered rude, as though you’re famished homepage . Instead, wait until you see your food arriving. * In France, few diners order a la carte home page U2 – u2 . Look over the multi-course menus instead — there’s often more than one u hrvatskoj . It will cost considerably less than ordering a la carte. * An entree is not a main course but an appetizer The idea is that it’s the entry (entree) into the meal. Main courses are referred to as plats, or plats principaux. * The only kinds of wine the French drink before dinner are Champagne (and other sparkling wines), sweet (moelleux) white or red wines, such as Jurancon, Barsac or Banyuls, and aperitifs, such as Lillet. * Tell the sommelier you’d like to try local wines — that often generates excitement, leading to enthusiastic wine service. * Recognize newfangled menu terms Snacke means cooked on a griddle Booste means boosted with. Condimente means accompanied by a condiment. * If you’re served Granny Smith apple, Parmesan cheese, basil, ginger, bean sprouts, sesame oil, crushed peanuts or Wonder Bread, you’re expected to be impressed — these are chic ingredients.

Vieille tomate doesn’t mean an old tomato; it means heirloom cal u . These are a big deal in France — they’re just coming on the scene. * When ordering from a cheese cart or tray, select just three cheeses. * Coffee comes after dessert, not with. — Leslie Brenner**On the tasting trail of AquitaineGETTING THERE:From LAX, connecting service (change of plane) to Bordeaux is offered on Air France, Aer Lingus and KLM Restricted round-trip fares begin at $1,140 until Sept 10, then drop to $730 until Oct univ. of . 31. TELEPHONES:To call the numbers below from the U. S. , dial 011 (the international dialing code), 33 (country code for France), 5 (the area code) and the local number. WHERE TO STAY:Une Auberge en Gascogne, 9 Faubourg Corne, Astaffort 47220; 53-67-10-27, fax 53-67-10-22, uneaubergeengascogne Small inn with bare-bones rooms state university . Doubles $65 to $155. Le Logis des Remparts, 18 Rue Guadet, St. -Emilion 33330; 57-24-70-43, fax 57-74-47-44 Gracious hotel in a restored Gothic house homepage . Doubles $110 to $194. Chateau Cordeillan-Bages, in Pauillac 33250; 56-59-24-24, fax 56-59-01-89, cordeillanbages . A 25-room hotel set in the vineyards, with lovely gardens, a pool and gym. Doubles $230 to $335 ($187 to $273 in low season). Ithurria, Rue Principale, Ainhoa 64250; 59-29-92-11, fax 59-29-81-28, ithurria .

This recently renovated hotel has comfortable, traditionally furnished rooms . Doubles $148 to $181 . La Villa Navarre, 59 Avenue Trespoey, Pau 64000; 59-14-65-65, villanavarre. fr A beautiful 1865 villa with spectacular views home page . Doubles $237 to $406. WHERE TO EAT:Une Auberge en Gascogne (see above) Modern cooking with a sense of humor Interesting, well-priced wine list u hrvatskoj . Four-, five- and six-course menus for $52, $65 and $77, respectively . Main courses about $28. Hostellerie de Plaisance, Place du Clocher, St. -Emilion; 57-55-07-55, hostellerie-plaisance . Forward-looking cuisine that features the best products of southwest France Appetizers $48 to $75; main courses $53 to $62 Four-course set menu $62 (Closed Dec 3-March 14. )Chateau Cordeillan-Bages (see above) Cutting-edge cuisine. Appetizers and main courses $36 to $62; menu of three half-portions of any dishes, plus cheese and dessert, $142. Une Cuisine en Ville, 11 Avenue Clemenceau, Dax; 58-90-26-89.