Daily Archives: August 28, 2013
Eze ~ Gastronomy on the Top of a Cliff!
View of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap Ferrat
Eze, one of the most spectacular of France’s imposing “Villages Perchés” has a principal attraction other than its breath-taking 360 degree views … the Michelin- starred restaurant, Chateau Eza, named for the charming hotel in which it resides. Naturally, this restaurant’s reputation for excellent cuisine combined with the views was irresistible. So on our third full day we found ourselves on the bus … mesmerized by the views … as we winded our way up to the base of Eze. The rest of the climb up the steep, narrow streets to the top of this Medieval village was by foot, but so absorbed were we in enjoying the views that we hardly minded the steep climb.
So what is “gastronomy”? I like to think of it as the art and science of cuisine, preparing food with the best quality ingredients – regional produce is often the preference — using time-honored techniques, tasting as you go (a chef must have refined taste buds), and producing with significant expertise a nutritious work of art, as beautiful to look at as it is to taste and savor.
Watermelon & Strawberry Gazpacho with a touch of Coriander
Along with their à la carte menu, the Chateau Eza offers two different menus du jour. We selected the more extensive one which they very aptly call the “Menu du Prince”. Voilà the menu which we enjoyed with a very satisfying Côtes de Provence Rosé …
Amuse-Bouche of Salsify cooked in Truffled Veal Jus with Spinach
Watermelon & Strawberry Gazpacho with a touch of Coriander
accompanied by a lightly peppered Artichoke Muffin
Small casserole of White Beans from Paimpol, local Heirloom Tomatoes & Herbs, flavored with Bacon Confit
Filet of local Veal under Crust with Nicoise Olives & Tomatoes
Mille-feuilles with crusty Pastry & Lemon Custard, Lavender Ice Cream
Garnish of Raspberries & Raspberry Coulis
Sweet Indulgences of the Chef
Filet of local Veal under Crust with Nicoise Olives & Tomatoes
A truly memorable meal which enchanted our taste buds, was highlighted with extraordinary views of the Mediterranean sea, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Cap d’Antibes, Cap Ferrat and Nice … in a magical hilltop setting perched at the edge of the cliff.
Eze le Village ~ Lunch with a view of paradise
Events of the day
*Cafe au Lait on beautiful Place Garibaldi in Nice
*Scenic bus drive along the Nice harbor and up the mountains to the perched village of Eze
*Unforgettable lunch at Chateau Eza at the top of Eze
*Walk thru the narrow steep ancient stone streets of Eze Le Village
*Wild bus ride down to Eze-bord-de-Mer and Beaulieu-sur-Mer
*Visit of the stunningly fascinating Villa Kerylos, a Greek style mansion built in Beaulieu-sur-Mer by Theodore Reinach, a wealthy parisian banker whose wife was a cousin of Maurice Ephrussi (villa Ephrussi de Rothschild). Gustave Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame, lived next door.
*Wonderful at-home French dinner of salads, cheeses and pate, and of course French baguette.
*Nice celebration commemorating the Liberation of Nice by American troops on August 28th, 1944
Highlights of the day
*Memorable lunch on the terrasse at the Michelin-starred Chateau Eza, a five star hotel which used to be the summer residence of the Swedish royal family in Eze. Amazing panoramic views of the riviera and the mega yachts in the harbor of Beaulieu-sur-Mer combined with an exceptionally creative five course lunch menu to make for an out of this world experience.
*Totally wild bus ride down the very curvy roads of the mountain at breakneck speed with a nonchalant only-one-hand-on-the-wheel driver seemingly accelerating at every hairpin turn. The highlight is the fact that we survived.
*Visit of Beaulieu-sur-Mer. The town’s beauty, classy understated wealth and sophisticated charm so reminded me of the fictional village of Beaumont sur Mer in the 1988 movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels that, at every turn, I expected Michael Caine to appear, wearing a blue sports jacket and white pants, and a twinkle in the eye.
Discovery of the day
Did you know that ravioli were invented in Nice, and remain a big specialty of the Nice cuisine?
BonVoyageurs Tips
*Feel perfectly comfortable at the bus stops to go to the front of the line or anywhere else along the line where you see a space wide enough to fit a thin bamboo pole. In fact, be suspicious if the line does look like a line; it must be made up entirely of foreigners. The French have no qualm about filling all the gaps since they know that there are only a few available seats on the incoming bus; they will go to the front of the line (or create a new line in front of the existing line) if there is any space that will allow it.
*It is not necessary to buy bus tickets in advance, or to have exact change. The bus driver has a till and will make change if you wish to buy your ticket on board.
*If you are using a bus ticket pass, such as the 10-ticket card we were using today, be aware that you need to validate the card as many times as the number of people you are paying for on the first bus, but you should validate the card only once on the connections. Validating the card more than once then may mean that you trip will cost you more than one euro per person.
*On the French Riviera, feel free to ask for help on the bus or on the train. We have found the locals to be amazingly helpful and friendly. At the main bus stop in Nice, where we took the bus to Eze, the local municipality has a man standing by the bus stop all morning every day simply to assist tourists with the transit system. He answered all of my questions in a very helpful manner. And so did the “chef de gare” (station chief) at the train station in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, after we unexpectedly decided to get back to Nice by train rather than by bus.
