Dining Out in France....

OK, so I confess I am still figuring a LOT of this OUT! And Believe me, there is rather a LOT to figure out.. One never actually considers the various different sorts of restaurants that there are in the States.... We think generally in terms of ethnicity... Like, "gee, I want Mexican tonight" or... " I would prefer some Italian.."
then there is "Hey, would you like some Chinese tonight" to which your pal might respond, "No, how about some Thai food?"
Or we in the US think of convenience... Fast food or sit down, take out/to go, or dine in.

Or we might even consider our pocket book, lets face it, there are times, when a burger will do, and other occasions when we scrimp and we save to go to a really nice place...

And that about covers it. Yes some places offer banquets, but unless there is a wedding, a baptism, mitzvah, first communion, business event or funeral, we just don't think of THAT.

Frankly unless we're in the industry, the Hospitality Industry, we really don't think much about any of it at all.

But here, in France, being a stranger in a STRANGE land, a sojourner if you will, I think about it all right. I have to think about it.. Learn about it, STUDY it if you PLEASE... I thought, I might share some of my findings with YOU... my dear reader...

There are it would seem various types of places to eat; Eateries if you will. The following is a little compilation I gathered from Lonely Planet, their little "definitions" but my.... expansions on them if you will :)

First they list the Auberge... this is an Inn. It can appear as auberge de campagne or auberge du terrior meaning country Inn; or as ferme-arberge or farm Inn. These are often a part of a B&B or small hotel, serving your more local traditional "country" meals. The food is often served as if you the guest were invited to the home, meaning YOU don't get to choose what YOU eat for dinner, you eat what you're offered like your Mama taught you. This is called table d'hote and means... YOU guessed it, the "host's table".

Next listed is Bar or Bar Americain. This my friends does NOT mean American fare, no, it does NOT mean friendly, comfort foods for YOU if you are from the good ol' US of A... NO! What it does mean... (as we learned the hard way) is COCKTAIL BAR, it is dedicated to that all together ancient art of working out the arm muscle by lifting the drink TO the mouth again and again, and THIS establishment rarely offers food. Bar a vins or 'wine bar' will serve full meals at le midi (lunch time) and at le soir (dinner time). Bar a huitres is an 'oyster bar', and we are not so into the whole ... eating of raw things from the seas.... sorry just not... not YET

Now there is the Bistro or Bristot and these can be confusing... some just sell snacks, some light meals some full meals... really a wishy washy name, can go any way, mean anything... Ya just can't tell with this word in front of it....

Brasserie is a term I see a whole lot in Vieux Lyon. It would seem the term originated from the Alsace area near Germany, and so the influence there is strong! These little gems will serve full meals, drinks till late in the night, and most often Sauerkraut or what the French call choucroute and sausages! UMMPAH!!!!!!!

Buffet Not the OLD COUNTRY you want to think of, these are kiosks, found at trains stations, airports, selling beverages, baguettes, chips and stuff to snack on... TOTALLY different than a Buffet in America!!! also spelled Buvette

Cafe think Coffee, and I mean it! Perhaps a baguette, perhaps toasted ham and cheese with a fried egg... these are fun little places that serve fun little coffee's but ... cafe is cafe...

Cafeteria Yes you read it right! Self serve restaurants are here in France. Great for families with kids, and in MANY major department stores.. weird I KNOW.. One floor is clothing, one floor is baggage, one floor is underwear, one floor is pharmacy stuff, one floor a grocery store (more on that another day) and then, you go up the escalator and Walla, a Cafeteria...

Crepere aka galetteries YES these places are KNOWN for their crepes and other wonderful yummies, and often they have glace, known to YOU and to ME as Ice Cream...

Relais Routier this is your basic truck stop cafe, yes along your major roads outside of owns, catering to truckers and long distance drivers. Rob has had to eat at these already... the food is pretty OK... not great, but not bad either.

Restaurant Coming in every shape and size and price range, just like in the US, they have their "specialty". You may find Chinese, Spanish, North African, East African, English... They usually have a menu posted outside for you to view, some have a daily menu as well. There is often a Fixed price multi course meal called either as:

Menu

menu a pri fixe

menue du jour

when you order one of these FANCY menu's you get to choose your stuff... STUFF??

what ever does she mean....???

The French LOVE to eat,

not love "American Style"

"the more the better"

but "the more OF the BETTER"...

smaller portions but lots more courses

no crazy slop it on your plate

&

run up for more...

they simply KNOW how to enjoy the dining experience,

and NEVER to rush a meal...

They have two hour lunches, and two hour dinners...

at LEAST..

I am NOT kidding..

and NO one is annoyed when the waiter takes their time.

YOU need to have your cutlery placed correctly

for them to take away one course before you get the next...

YOU need to close your menu or they will NEVER take your order,

don't worry about having to open it again,

because you need to point, and read it;

get OVER it...

these are signals,

and you CAN make your meal take a whole lot longer

if YOU don't figure out some of this QUICK!

French Courses

French meal may include numerous courses,

it may not include ALL of these,

but these

are ALL of the courses that a French meal COULD include

and this IS the order in which they would come

Apéritif

~ cocktail, pre-dinner drink ~

my favorite was black currant liquer,

please note,

I don't think that you choose this,

I rather believe that it is determined by the Chef

based upon what you have chosen as your main course...

or

it could be like the "taste" of the day...

I could be wrong.

It is never a large glass but a wee tiny one.

It is a taste,

you simply taste the flavor to prepare your palate for what is ahead....

Amuse-bouche or amuse-gueule

~ snack~

(just one or two bites)

this is a taste.. not anything more,

though it may be delightful enough for you to wish it were,

and that, I believe is the point.

Entrée

~ appetizer/starter~

( WARNING entree means "main course" in English~ these can be especially yummy)

Plat principal

~ main course~

this is IT, your main TaDah!

usually including a meat & side;

unless you are a vegetarian...

Bon Appetite

Fromage

~ cheese ~

yes cheese...

surprising, & usually not strong in flavor,

rather there to prepare your palate for dessert...

Dessert

~ dessert ~

yes this translates PERFECTLY...

my counsel is to choose wisely and enjoy the French are hit or miss with this!

Café

~ coffee ~

very tiny, this is not the "friends mug" or even a "Denny's" cup of Joe.. think Hercule Poirot

Digestif

~after-dinner drink ~

again, this is a TASTE, this is to help you "digest" your meal.. as Paul so admonished Timothy, OK, perhaps that is a stretch...

My Oma always had a bit of something after a big meal,

it was the only time I ever saw her drink anything...

But then I was not the most observant child..

I just remember them saying it was for "medicinal purposes... for digestion..."

so this little after dinner drink.. well makes sense to me...

again think Hercule...

and the last of the different eateries.... is ....

Salon de The or the Tea room these are SNAZZY joints, really trendy and really hip! We have walked past one of these and woo hoo the price tag was enough to get us to KEEP ON WALKING. These places offer quiches, salads, cakes, tarts, and teas of all kinds...

So All that to say, eating anywhere but HOME in my little Villa can be a bit stressful! That is why I am buying

According to Lyon Eats "There's no need to feel intimidated. Eating in France, whether at a restaurant or apéritifs with friends, can be a wonderful experience. Overcoming the challenges is easy if you have the right tools."

Well, I need the tools, with two more months to go :) and I am getting them... More information as to how it works when I get it! I must say however, that Agatha Christie's wonderful and dynamic Hercule Poirot has been most helpful with so many things French!

As for now, dinner tonight, out with my husbands co-workers, with les enfants (the children) should be FUN!

Bon Appetite!

NOTE: please forgive my my typing, many French words have symbols over their letters, that I am having trouble getting blogger to make... any suggestions would be appreciated :)