A Traditional French Dinner in Provence
- michaelvenckus
- Aug 9
- 2 min read
August 8
Provence. An area of France centrally located where nature's bounties are plentiful and on full display. The markets feature local herbs, olives, tempenades, and seafood fresh from Marsaille. The expectations for excellent food in Provence are high and there are many good restaurants to chose from.
We made an evening of it at Le Petit Henri located in the Grand Hotel Henri, a four star accommodation located on the canal in our choosen homebase of L'Isle sur la Sorgue. Our goal, a traditional Provence dinner that would knock our socks off. Chef Olivier Bouzon did not disappoint. We ended up choosing a five course dinner that started with the Chef's choice appetizer, mussels and celery in a saffron veloute, a perfect dish for a hot summer day.
Our second course featured local trout gravlax with a cool almond veloute and a stuffed zucchini flower with chopped canterelles and a truffle & oil emulsion. The first two courses were flavorful but light, the perfect menu options for the hot summer days in L'Isle sur la Sorgue.
The main dishes were spectacular, pan seared veal rump with the veal so lean and tender that it practically melted in your mouth, and bluefin tuna with sage, herbs and a saffron Arorio rice that had a wonderful little crunch to it.
Course number four reset our tastbuds with a small slice of goat cheese from the Isle Cheese Factory that included a a dash of honey, beggar's fruits and olive oil so virgin that a dash was all you needed to dip your cheese.
We finished up our last course with dessert directly from the Grand Henri Hotel's own premium pastry shop, Eugenie, and as chocolate lovers we were not disappointed! The Marquise au Chocolate was rich beyond belief but smooth & creamy. The crunchy chocolate graham cracker crust and caramel put our senses in overload. The sorbet bites in between gave us a break with deep, fruity flavors of strawberry and peach.
The service staff was outstanding, we didn't feel rushed and they kept our evening dinner moving at a comfortable pace. As usual, we closed the restaurant. Hats off to a wonderful group of people who made our evening a memorable one!
Le Petit Henri is located in the Grand Hotel Henri in L'Isle sur la Sorge. They are open everyday for lunch and dinner and have classical indoor dining room as well as a comfortable outdoor seating area. They also have a fun little bar if you are looking for a drink.
