Bordeaux's Bo-tannique will tingle your tastebuds! (5-5-26)

 Will had been to way more restaurants than me as he spent almost 2 months here alone back in the fall and he really wanted me to try Bo-tannique where our friend Hugo had taken him. This was going to me my last dinner out before returning to DC tomorrow. Bo-tannique ("un jeu de mots" or play on words because "tannique" refers to the tannins in wine) is right in the center of the revitalized old town facing a small square with outdoor seating on the square as well. Some folks were outside last night, but "pas moi" as the temps were hovering around 60Fahrenheit and it was quite wet and damp as well.

We were joined by Brad, our now local Bethesda, MD, US-expat real estate agent, without whom we would never have found a place to live here. He really is great at his work and was so patient and helpful in our home search almost 3 years ago (seems like a lifetime)!

We settled in to a cozy table indoors facing the glass wall to the kitchen so we could sneak a peek at what was going on. It was a Tuesday, so things were quiet. The menu is, like so many places, very simple with four starters (entrees) and four mains (plats) as well as some tasting options.  We had enjoyed some cheese at the apartment, so just ordered entrees and plats.  

The host/sommelier/manager came over to ask about wine and I asked her about a red Bordeaux which she said was gone but suggested a red Rhone blend Crozes Hermitages instead. A couple of minutes later she returned to apologize that this wine, too, was sold out. Maybe they need to print a new list! She suggested a similarly priced Loire red "Les Ardelles" 2022 from Herve Villemade in Chevery which interestingly enough was a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. The Gamay was strong and fruity, and the wine was quite satisfying and full-bodied but not "tannique!"

An amuse arrived (photos on FB) which was a large piece of seared tuna atop a small "salad: of various greens including cabbage and a hefty amount of cilantro. The white sauce had horseradish or wasabi and there were chopped peanuts, too. It was quite yummy and had a bite as well. Bread came which was okay, but not as good as it usually is here in Bordeaux. 

Will and I ordered both the same dishes and Brad joined us for the main but started with the Anguille fumee or smoked eel atop buckwheat souffle, cream, petit pois, onion (royale d'oignon is apparently a duxelles with cream, butter, egg and chicken stock) and teriyaki. Will and I chose the Asperges because here they were the huge local white ones (and I knew I was leaving town soon) with a fabulous smoked haddock, kalamansi vinaigrette and mousseline (whipped cream of asparagus if you will). It was heavenly indeed.

We all three chose the Canette or small duckling, which was simply a breast grilled with honey and spices "a la rose" which could be pink or also with rosewater in a duck sauce or gravy as Brad said it would be called locally ("jus court")! Either way it was cooked perfectly, and the seasoning was just right and paired so well with the Loire red, we had to have a second bottle. The duck came with beautifully grilled broccoli that was in no way overcooked with a light herbed tahini.

Will took home half his plate for later, so needless to say the thought of dessert did not even enter our minds. Bo-tannique was yet another great find for me in this town that just keeps revealing new places, flavors and fun every day! I am sad to be leaving tomorrow but know we are back in just over 2 months yet again and have booked an even longer stay in the fall and winter.

Bordeaux's MODJO makes you want more! (5/2/26)

 We have quickly learned that there is always a new and exciting place to dine here in Bordeaux on almost every corner, but we had heard about MODJO first from a taxi driver on the day we first arrived here to move in two years ago! We tried to get in once or twice, but the place is small and reservations are essential.

We were joined by Charlene, as Alex had a last minute job. I had looked and the menu quickly, but had no idea it was quite an "elegant" spot with some of the best fine dining in town at excellent prices. One can eat a la carte (starers are 22, mains 34, desserts 17 --all Euros, of course) or the best deal is the 3 course option for 59 Euros($69US--remember there is no tax added and tipping is not essential!). We pondered the two tasting menu options of 79 (4 courses) and 95 (6 courses), and know we will return for these after a full day of not eating!

The space is simple and small with an adorable bar up the stairs to the right rear (I think there are also more tables in the rear). The kitchen is down a narrow flight of stairs (as is the toilet) so the staff have to negotiate this carrying all the plates. We were welcomed with warm lemon-scented towels and taste of rose water. While we perused the menu we all ordered LE MODJO POURORE, their Signature drink or Purple Modjo which was made with lemon, creme de Cassis and Kaffir Lime-infused Cachaca; it was dry, tart and truly yummy; I almost wanted a second one, but declined and we moved on to a superb bottle of local Bordeaux red Chateau Luchey-Halde 2017 from Pessac-Leognan (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Petit Verdot) which was smooth and aged to perfection. Despite it being a traditional Bordeaux red it was ideal with our starters (even the seafood, as the sauces were so rich!). 

A triple amuse arrived with a tasty deep-fried fritter of asparagus cream, a spoon of slightly spicy tzatziki with a hint of mint and a delicious mini-souffle container full of thick asparagus cream.

Will and Charlene started with the (all photos on FB) Langoustine rotie, citron yuzu et caviar d'Atlantique which pretty much says it all in French. These yummy local langoustines are grilled and served in a rich citrus sauce with some caviar.

Will tried to explain to the staff in French that he wanted to lick the plate, which came across a tad off in French!

 I adored my Morilles fraiches, asperges vertes de Blaye, crumble au charbon vegetal et parmesan, sabayon vin Jaune (morels, local Blaye asparagus, parmesan/vegetable crumble, wine sauce). While we are just entering the white asparagus season here, this dish was an amazing revelation. The fresh morels and the to die for crunchy crumble on top and the rich sauce were indeed decadent and divine.  My comment to the staff was simply "je suis en ciel avec ca plat!" (I am in heaven from this dish)...

In addition, there we small loaves of olive/rye bread with the most delicious black garlic butter. They kept bringing more and I kept eating more...OOPS!

The menu has a choice of three starters, mains and desserts and for the mains and desserts we all opted for three different choices and the superb quality of each dish, each bite and each ingredient proved the Modjo really knows what they are doing and explains the fact that you do require a reservation! 

Charlene chose the L'oeuf BIO mollet frit, jardin de petits legumes, sauce citron noir, a soft egg crusted with fried crumble, vegetables and black lemon sauce which I am still not sure about. Will went for La criee de ligne du moment (le pegre), petits pois a la francaise et lardo di Colonnata, "the fresh caught line-fish of the day" which was Red Porgy, with peas and lardo with a "surprise" side salad of roasted baby gem lettuce. The peas here are al dente and I love them that way, so perhaps when I make ours from the market I can duplicate it; I think Will still prefers his mushy peas! My Selle d'agneau du Bearn, croute de Nori, artichauts d'Acardie, salicornes, palourdes, bonbon croustillant d'agneau  was a perfectly cooked to just past rare Saddle of lamb with nori seaweed crust, artichoke cream, samphire and clam which I honestly could not find but loved it all. The accompanying "spring roll" like side must have been the items I could not really find.

Desserts were all different as well and excelled. Will chose the Souffle glace avocat, ananas roti, glace poivre de Sichuan, pain de Genes (avocado mousse--think semifreddo, roasted pineapple, Szechuan pepper ice cream, a sweet almond cake-like bread or broiche)' Charlene the Chocolat fondant, coeur cacahuetes, glace vanille, croustillant cacao (and I am still at a loss as to what a peanut heart is?) and I had the amazing Rhubarbe, sorbet fraises, sirop d'hibiscus, Arlette vanille fumee(braised rhubarb, strawberry sorbet, hibiscus syrup, smoked vanilla). Two types or mignardises arrived to send us on our way: Coconut/Chocolate/Caramel and Chocolate/Matcha/White Chocolate. As if this was not enough, we each received a small bag with a financier "to-go" which I adored with my coffee this morning! A little reminder that I was still full but absolutely loved everything that Modjo could offer and more.

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L'ESTACADE in Bordeaux: excellent views, excellent service and excellent food (just 20 minutes away!) (5-1-2026)

 We quickly discovered that the first of May in France is not only Fete du Travail (what we call Labor Day) but virtually everything is shut down, even public transportation! We were planning to dine out with our neighbors Alex and Charlene, as she had come from Dijon (where she now studies) for the long weekend to visit, but quickly realized that many places would be shut. After some quick reconnaissance, Will discovered that L'Estacade, just a short walk up the river of 20 minutes, was open and that the restaurant situated on a pier extending into the Garonne River would be the perfect place for this gorgeous warm evening dinner. It was indeed ideal. The food was even better than our first time there almost 2 years ago and Charlene and Alex had never been and loved it. We were all like little kids taking tons of photos of the sunset, the city, the beautifully lit buildings on the river, then moon and even later on the walk home a satellite that lit up the sky to the wonders of all the pedestrians out and about.

We had some cheese and wine at home so went right into our bottle of Sancerre 2023 from Dezat in the Loire which went with everything. Starters here vary from some of the best local n°4 "Parc de l’Impératrice" to the foie gras with "exotic" marmalade. Two of us devoured the amazing Noix de Saint-Jacques grillées à la plancha, fèves aux oignons et guanciale which were perfectly grilled local scallops with the foot on(!!!) on a bed of superb fava beans sautéed with onion and pork jowl (much of which was a tad to fatty for me). Will decided on a starter bowl of Cassolette d'encornets au chorizo, sauce tomate, a superb casserole of squid in tomato sauce. Alex, also, stuck with a starter of the tuna tartare.

Before we even asked for dessert, Alex declared he had made a flan that afternoon and we must come over to enjoy it. We grabbed a bottle of dessert wine from our cave and had a wonderful taste of his excellent dish (they are both super chefs) and then headed to bed.

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Bordeaux's Le MAUVAIS GARCON is great..27 Euros for 3 quality courses (4/30/26)

Will had been to Le Mauvais Garcon and chose it for a rendezvous for me to meet new friends Maxie and David who were simply charming. They live around the corner from us so we met up and bussed across the river (7 mins) to the old town and found the Le Mauvais Garcon on a small side square that was simply adorable. Many folks were drinking and snacking on the tall tables outside and downstairs, but we headed upstairs to the quieter dining room with a very adorable bar as well.

Drinks are fun here and Will chose the Sexy Negroni, David an artisanal dark beer, Maxie the Virgin Colada and I loved my Shemale of Cahaca, Whiskey Tourbe, Sirop de Basilic, Creme de Cassis and Citron Vert which was a dark slightly acidic martini full of different flavors that really cleansed the palate. The cocktail names alon are just fun: Bad Biche, GentilHomme, etc.

Our wine was a fine Pinot Noir, La Croix d'en Haut from Belena in Burgundy.

The menu is small with 4 starters, 4 mains and 4 desserts and there is one price: 27 Euros (under $32) for all three (with a couple of supplements). It is simple, but the service was good and the food was delicious. As we have big salads at home for dinner each night, Will & I decided to start with the Beef Carpaccio which was ideal with shreds of parmesan and a tad of mache/arugula and pickled red onions. Maxie enjoyed her Endive salad with Gorgonzola, honey-mustard and roasted hazelnuts. While these were fab, I think David hit the jackpot with the Oeuf Parfait, cremaux des petits pois, a simply poached egg atop a puree and mix of whole fresh spring peas; a seasonal treat indeed.

Potato Gnocchi with arugula pesto & parmesan was our new friends' choice, but Will and I could resist the burger as we had seen it pass by. It was on a gorgeous brioche-bread-type bun emblazoned with the restaurant's name LE MAUVAIS GARCON filled with delicious moist pulled pork in Barbecue sauce and smothered with gooey melted Tomme de Savoie cheese and Echalion shallots. The skin on frites also won a big prize and both our plates were completely empty save for small remnants of the bun!

Desserts here are as I said included in the fixed price and are superb. In Bordeaux, newcomers and residents alike all love a little canale, the local pastry treat, but here it is in profiterole style with vanilla ice cream and gobs of chocolate sauce. What's not to like? I am a bread pudding fan and could not resist the Brioche perdu caramelisee, technically "lost bread" as the French would never toss old bread, but make it into bread pudding, here with a chocolate ganache, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

What a great find, great deal and great fun with great new friends.

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Back in Bordeaux we love LE LOUP (4/29/26)

Ever since my first time here alone buying the apartment back in October 2023, I fell in love with Le Loup. We returned Wednesday with our friend Hugo and had a great time sharing the many new plates. The menu says "Les plats....pour partager...ou non." The plates, to share...or NOT!" we loved sharing each delicious dish, but started off with some fun drinks first. Hugo had the Saint Germain, Will a vodka & tonic and I tried Le Feijoa, named for the sweet Brazilian tropical fruit which is mixed with vodka, thyme, Schweppes and ginger.  It was a tad sweet, but not cloying, but a fun new flavor to try for sure. Our wine was a delicious Bordeaux rouge from Chateau de Pe, called 2ieme as it is their second growth and this 2021 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot from nearby Saint Estephe was drinking beautifully and had aged nicely. The fresh bread with soft garlic and parley butter was irresistible!

Rather than have all the dishes at once, we asked Ludovic to have Chef Stephane do them one at a time, like a tasting menu. First was the Ceviche de dorade, leche de tigre, pickles d'oignons, a beautifully simple sea bream ceviche with a nice kick in the sauce and pickled onions on top. Thon snacké , croustillant de pomme de terre, sauce putanesca was a super treat of just seared tuna on top of a crunchy potato pancake with a spicy olive sauce that we all adored. I did tell Ludovic that the term snacké on the English menu should be changed to seared!

If you want rich, filling and decadent, try the Oeuf mollet, creme de parmesan, puree d'epinards which is a barely cooked egg with parmesan cheese and cream over spinach puree that is simply divine. Will had said to get two so we had enough to share, but was already faltering at this point.

Two more dishes were to come before we declined dessert! Ravioles de butternut, bouillion de volaille, shiitake was another excellent pasta from Chef Stephane, who literally makes the best pasta in town (the region, la France?) and these were filled with a mild creamy butternut squash puree and served in a bath of rich chicken broth. We always order the Demi Magret de Canard (half seared duck breast) de la ferme de Phalange and this time with orange sauce and sweet potato puree. The meat is so tender with a slightly crispy skin and the sauce is always delicate and never sweet; even the sweet potatoes were not sweet. Simply a perfect meal in town!