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Fresh catch of the day
The one that didn't get away. :-) Our tentative plan for today was to visit the famous Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, and its magnificent gardens, located about a mile from our apartment. But we soon realized that the weather was not going to cooperate today, as overcast skies and the threat of rain were in the offing when we stepped outside. Since the villa's outside gardens are the main attraction for us, we decided to postpone our visit until better weather conditions prevail.
After we had made a brief stop at the local market, and returned the groceries to the apartment, we decided to have lunch at Le Capitaine Cook, a family owned-and-operated restaurant not far up the street from us. It had been recommended to us by...of all people...the friendly waiter at Le Bar du Port where we've eaten a couple times.
After entering the establishment, we immediately had a sense that we had stumbled upon the quintessential French restaurant. However, little did we realize that we would soon experience one of the most memorable dining experiences of our entire trip!
We received a cordial welcome by the matron of the house, probably our age, who turned out to be the wife of the
chef in the kitchen. She later revealed that she and her husband have owned and operated this restaurant, at the same location in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, for more than 35 years. The authentic atmosphere of this place, which can probably accommodate two-dozen patrons, is palpable. The table settings, linens, glassware, silverware and china all evoke nostalgic images of a by-gone era.
When presented with the menus, the matron (who speaks excellent English) recommended the fresh fish of the day, gilt-head bream, a fish found in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern coastal regions of the North Atlantic Ocean. Although Dee had been considering a beef dish, we were persuaded (or perhaps cajoled?) into trying the fish, and opted to have it grilled as opposed to baked. Shortly thereafter, the waiter displayed the fish to us at our table after it had been grilled, but before it had been de-boned.
The final product was perfectly prepared and filleted, served with some delicious potatoes and green vegetables; the flavor and texture of the fish itself was simply superb. We washed it down with another recommendation of the matron, a half bottle of chilled rosé (to the tune of 32 euros!). As always,
the meal was served with a small basket of the incomparable French baguettes.
We were both quite stuffed after finishing the fish, but were tempted into sharing a dessert item listed on the menu as "Strawberry and raspberry soup". This delectable delight was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and even Dee (who is not overly fond of sweets) devoured her share with gusto! After being served a shot glass with some kind of fruit-based liqueur, and an espresso for me, we concluded our memorable feast.
By this time it was 2:30PM or so, and Le Capitaine Cook closes for lunch at about this time every day. While still at our table, waiting for the bill, Dee noticed three young ladies enter the restaurant seeking a table. She then overhead the matron gently explain to them that "I am too old to serve now, please come back for dinner at 7 o'clock", and handed them the restaurant's business card. How cute is that!
After we had paid the bill, she graciously agreed to pose with Dee for a photograph, and then walked us to the door while uttering a cheerful
Au revoir. As we strolled
back toward the port and our apartment, we both agreed that our experience at Le Capitaine Cook today was one of the most memorable ones of our trip!
Dee's Comments: When we awakened this morning, the weather looked fine, until we left the apartment building, when gray skies and winds did not look promising for a trip to the Villa Ephrussi's gardens today. So we picked-up a few essentials at the grocery store, and afterwards ventured out to have lunch at a quaint, old-fashioned French restaurant that has been operated by a husband-and-wife team for 37 years. What a marvelous experience we had! The food and ambience were truly fantastic (never had a whole fish..grilled and filleted.. served to us before).
After lunch we walked around the port for awhile, then back to the apartment. As I've already mentioned in this blog, we have discovered a little piece of paradise here in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat!
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Danielle
non-member comment
Amazing
Wow what a find..everything looked delicious and the presentation absolutely breathtaking..So nice to find those type of restaurants always the best. Hope you continue to have sunny skies.