A Fabulous Dinner, Stocking up at the Market, and a Gingerbread Museum

Last night we had a wonderful dinner at Le Fine Heure, one of the places I'd read about and was anxious to try. They were getting ready to host a large event in the main part of the restaurant, so we were seated by ourselves in what is probably their overflow room. So it was an intimate dinner until a very nice American couple came to join us. We joked it was where they put the Americans.

But the important part... the food was very good and unique. We had a hard time interpreting the menu, and even Google Translate wasn't working out that well with the wording they used. But Greg started with escargot (that he declared was 10X better than the one we had on night one) and venison steak. I started with the poached eggs in wine sauce again (Oeuf en Meurette) that was excellent! Here's the before and after shots of Greg's escargot. He soaked up every bit of that butter and garlic sauce.

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I took a photo of his venison but it just looked like a brown glob. But it was cooked perfectly and he really enjoyed it.

I ordered what Google Translate said was Candied Trout. Intriguing, right? So on the bottom of the plate there was pureed squash with chunks of poached trout on top. This was topped with toasted hazelnuts, shaved fennel, and some kind of sauce with little crunchy things.... I'm clueless as to what they are. Such a creative dish and I loved it. Pictures don't do it justice. The hazelnuts really made it.

We shared an apple dessert that was very good but nothing special. Overall, a really wonderful meal.

This morning we tried a new coffee place and went back to the market to buy things for lunch and dinner today. They have lots of options for pre-made salads and things that are easy for us to just stick in the oven. I could spend hours walking around looking at all the booths there. Today it was not at all crowded but I've heard it gets busier as we get closer to the weekend.

I could live on the cheese here! And a big block of butter.

We rested a bit and then headed to the Mulot and Petitjean Gingerbread Museum! Crazy that there make it a museum, but it actually was interesting and certainly unique. The business started in the late 1700's and it has remained in the family all these years. They've expanded over time, and now sell their products to shops in Dijon and Beaune and beyond. We were the only ones there! As part of the tour, we moved from room to room seeing some of the old equipment that's been used in the factory. And this was a display of some of the spices that they use. The containers at the bottom were filled with spices we could smell and try to identify. We guessed anise, cinnamon, and cloves. H, we needed you there to help us with the others.

Then we got to sample some of their products. We especially loved their nonnettes, a round piece of gingerbread about the size of a hockey puck that are filled with jam or caramel or curd, and then coated with a thin glaze. Wow! Greg spent a lot of time choosing what he wanted, and then he announced that it is looking to be highly unlikely that he will be bringing one pair of shoes home. (He sometimes leaves his shoes here to make room in his suitcase.) These will be included in the sampling with E, F, and G when we get home.

Here's the funny part. As we were sampling the products there, Greg asked if they were available in the states. The sweet young woman did her best to tell us in English that they just started sending their products to ..... wait for it..... COSTCO! Seriously! I think they will be selling tins of their nonnettes there over the holidays. So start watching for them!

A quick stop at our favorite wine shop, and it's dinner at home tonight. Another day trip tomorrow.