Alsace in eastern France is a wonderful region for food and wine, being a happy combination of geography, climate and the fact that Alsatians seem to love nothing better than sitting round a table eating and drinking. But there is another less obvious factor behind this hedonistic approach to life. Just as the region’s white wines cover every taste from dry to lusciously sweet, its restaurants cover every conceivable price point.
At the least expensive level, each village along La Route des vins d’Alsace that winds round the vineyards along the Vosges mountains boasts an atmospheric winstub, or wine cellar serving local wine and hearty food. Then there are the brasseries at the corner intersections of the larger towns. Finally, there are the grander and more expensive restaurants: Buerehiesel and Crocodile in Strasbourg, the region’s capital, and Auberge de l’Ill in Illhaeusern, still run by the Haeberlin family.
Family, history and regional pride seemed to permeate the three restaurants we enjoyed during a recent stay.
The first was Aux Armes de France in Ammerschwihr, run by Simone and Philippe Gaertner who took over the kitchens from his father and aims to safeguard the best of French culinary traditions. Our lunch was well executed and full of flavour, particularly the main course of pike with a spicy sauce colombo and the dessert of a gratin of red fruits. There is a lovely outdoor area and an excellent wine list with some seriously underpriced red wines from Bordeaux.
Jean-Yves Schillinger is the son of another well-known Alsace chef. But although his restaurant, JY’s, is in the heart of the 17th-century old town of Colmar, Schillinger and his wife, Kathia, take an ultra-modern approach, having spent several years in New York. This is most obvious in the layout of the ground floor and the menu. Opposite the front door is an open kitchen with Schillinger on guard at the stoves and quick to come out and greet those he knows.
The menu thoughtfully picks out the main ingredient in bold, with a description of how it is cooked. The roasted cod was served with a confit of tomatoes and black olives, a monkfish tail came with wild asparagus, mushrooms and a wasabi sauce, the duck was served with a lemon sauce as Schillinger’s father used to serve it, while the fillet of lamb comes with a masala sauce. This juxtaposition of the old and new is pulled off to great effect.
Our final port of call was Restaurant de la Gare in the small village of Guewenheim, recommended by leading wine maker Jean Trimbach, who correctly described the wine list as one of the very best around. No sooner had we sat down on the outdoor terrace than this family restaurant’s other charms became obvious.
It opened in 1874 and today Annick Schaegelen, the founder’s great granddaughter, is firmly in charge. She had the good sense to marry Michel Seidel who is not only a talented chef but also an avid wine collector. Our lunch included two local specialities, foie gras and fried carp, another freshwater fish, with chips and a half bottle of red Burgundy.
Aux Armes de France, Ammerschwihr, +33 3 89 471 012, aux-armes-de-France.com
JY’s, Colmar +33 3 89 215 360, jean-yves-schillinger.com
Restaurant de La Gare, Guewenheim, +33 3 89 825 129
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