Jeremy,
Indeed! Europcar seemed to assign you a VW Polo and me a '74 Pontiac Grand Ville.
the only reason I posted on the subject was because the reviews are very positive, and I thought my experience so out of the ordinary that readers should know about it, too. This was my first time and I was surprised at how disappointed I was. I am actually fairly easy going when it comes to being satisfied with restaurants. First time at le Terroir in Santenay was so good I went back a fews day later. I rarely revisit a restaurant on a trip but did this time. Had a great lunch at le Chambolle, etc etc. In fact, judging by your posts, you and I were on similar paths for a while, but with you a week or two ahead of me.
I also owe it to the bistro to be specific, so here goes:
I made a reservation for the earliest dinner table, as I do when eating alone, as perhaps the restaurant can turn the table. It also allows be to sort out the question of English / French.
I order a coupe de champagne, the Bollinger is not pettilant a minute after the pour. Either poorly stored from lunch, or from the night before. I should have sent it back. In any case it should have never made it to the table.
I order a pot lyonnais of Rully. I am informed that Rully is in Burgundy and that means it is Pinot Noir (I wanted to reply. “well, probably” but couldn’t get a word in) and that means the wine is lighter. Is that OK? Here we have the problem of language in a nutshell. I had 5 members of the waitstaff service the table, had any of them bothered to understand my ability to speak the language or understand my level of interest / knowledge, it wouldn’t have mattered as I would have had to explain it again. and again. I understand bistros do use this “team” approach, sometimes. It doesn’t help le Bon Georges, if you ask me. The restaurant was about 1/3 full at this time, so that isn’t an excuse to ignore what customers might want.
I ask about the “plat d’exception” and I am informed that a “plat” is a plate, I get a visual aid of two hands forming a circle. I give up the the veal.
I order an entree of croustillant de pieds et oreilles de cochon. The runner (a new member of the something better to do crowd) dumps the plate without a single word. The croustillant is lacking flavor and a bit too thin to accomplish a good “croustillant”. the salad is dressed perfectly and the best thing about the dish is the generous scoop of creme fraiche (sorry too lazy to do the accent marks right now).
as for the Rully – it is poured off a freshly opened magnum. One point about drinking from pots or pichets is it usually means the wine has had a chance to take some oxygen. There are only 4 reds by the glass at le Bon Georges so there isn’t much excuse not to have them open. The Rully finally becomes expressive with the cheese course.
the main is a magret de canard–average, nothing more, the reduction is good, but its hard to know just what the duck is like underneath. the leeks as a side are something of a disaster. overly oily, lacking flavor, goopy and lukewarm. Again the runner dumps the plate without a word, as if I wasn’t sitting there. I am half tempted at this point to push the table away from the banquette and walk.
The cheese course is very good. Excellent Brillat Savarin and the Comte is too. The latter has crystals which indicate an age of 24 months or so, but it is hard to know for sure as the waiters dump and run. The cheese is of the quality of Barthelemy – and that is high praise from me.
Dessert is an excellent strawberry millefeuille. I remember that there is a glass of coteaux du Layon by the glass and order one – it is darker than I expected and a tad alcoholic, so I ask quelle annee? quel millesime? The waiter looks at the waitress, no answer. I would happily trade this crew for AA Gill’s experience with the staff of l’Ami Louis; that had a quality of entertainment.
I ask for tea with the dessert, it comes after.
I fork over 150E and am happy to be done with the place.