|
From Reporter Issue 93
WHERE SHALL WE EAT?
The best regional restaurant guides are put together by writers with
real local knowledge rather than by visiting culinary firemen. Exactly
10 years ago we reviewed here Edward Roch’s Eating Out in Provence and
the Côte d’Azur. Roch, as old hands will recollect, was a
“succulent-voiced”—Mandy Segrave’s expression—bon vivant who used to do
a food show with Daevid Fortune on Riviera Radio and also occasionally
wrote about restaurants in these pages. In his book he brought together
his reports on some 120 eateries between Menton and Orange; these were
laced with much incidental wisdom. Always look out, Roch advised, for
places where there are lots of cars with local number-plates. They’re
unlikely to be tourist rip-off joints. In town, look out for
restaurants near large office-blocks which thrive on serving decent
lunches to a regular clientele.
Roch is now out of date. “The best value on the Côte d’Azur,”
he wrote a decade ago, “is to be found at the Auberge St. Donat in
Plascassier.” Is this still true? Anyway, what can replace Roch in
English? This year has seen for the first time an English version of
the Guide Gantié (Guide Gantié, Nice). Jacques Gantié writes about
food—and books—in Nice-Matin and brings to his task vast knowledge of
the region seasoned with a passionate zeal to promote its attractions
and products. The guide covers some 800 restaurants in the
Alpes-Maritimes and the Var as well as in the Bouches-du-Rhône and the
Vaucluse. Gantié is a trim-looking fellow and explains that he usually
only takes small portions and leaves his glass half-full.
The book is above all useful to someone seeking out a reputable
restaurant anywhere from Aups to Apt, from Menton to Manosque. Gantié
gives a clear indication of what’s served, but his tone is consistently
bland. If he’s ever eaten badly he doesn’t tell us and he seems to get
good service everywhere. Smiling, charming, welcoming and suchlike are
favourite words. His tone only becomes sharper when he writes about
what some places charge and this is useful. For example, of the Rive
Droite in Nice, he warns that “the prices are aggressive.” In
Gantié-speak that means an arm and a leg. The major criticism of the
book is its bulk. With both English and French versions between the
same covers, it runs to 856 pages and weighs in at 1.2 kilos. Gantié
tells us that next year the English guide will appear separately.
There’s also an on-line version at www.guidegantie.com.
© Damian Elwes
 |
Table Talk 
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form