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April, 2003. We were initially attracted to the place by the price. But with the good food, the owner's charm, and the unique ambience we wound up having a special regional meal, one of those rare meals that happens only in France, and only,
it seems, in spring.
First, the price. Montpellier's Le Puits restaurant charges 7.50 euros (about U.S. eight dollars) for a three-course lunch including tax and tip. At eight dollars this might be the best restaurant deal in France.
The second thing that attracted us is that Chef Alain Rigal uses fresh ingredients from Aveyron. Aveyron stands for peasant, farmer food, with liver and duck, lamb and
sausages, stews and sauces. Aveyron means heavy, close to the soil, and I love it.
I saw frog legs on the dinner menu. I said to Alain (in French), "You must use frozen frog legs."
"Nope. Fresh." He leaned forward, a twinkle in his eye. "You know my secret? My frog purveyor drives over from Aveyron twice a week and brings me live frogs. I feed them myself and kill them when I get an order." He paused a minute, then said, "They're small frogs."
The three-course lunch started with fresh garden greens, covered with a light dressing, with three kinds of pate on the side. I was almost full already. Heavy. Next came the daily special, hunter rabbit cooked in a
mushroom sauce, garnished with cheese potatoes. The daily specials might be coq au vin, boudin, sausages, pork chops, quail (served on our second visit), fish (on Fridays), whatever Chef Alain finds at market and feels like cooking. Heavy. Dessert was a choice of apple tart, lemon tart, orange tart, pear tart... you get the idea. Each slice of tart was surrounded by fresh chantilly cream.
When Vicki and I arrived at Le Puits Chef Alain was eating with daughter Marilyn (the waitress) at one of the two upstairs tables. We took the other upstairs table, but the main dining room was downstairs.
A "puits" is a "water well," and the dining room is the well's
13th century underground water storage tank encased in brick. To get there you wind down a spiral staircase inside the well itself. The dining room was about what you'd expect, if you've ever thought about eating in a well, which I
frankly admit I hadn't: a little humid maybe, but cozy.
Before opening Le Puits last August Alain and family ran a bed and breakfast in Aveyron, 1 1/2 hours away. Alain grew up there, where his father was a sheep herder who made Roquefort cheese from sheep milk. Alain inherited the farm, learned to cook, and opened the bed and breakfast. But he had to work too hard during high season. "I didn't even have time to eat with my guests. How much fun is that? Rushing around the kitchen while guests are eating. I wanted to be out there with people who enjoy food."
Now Chef Alain watches over his guests the way a mother might watch her kids eat their favorite spaghetti, trying to avert the eyes but enjoying it too much to do so. On most days Alain and Marilyn eat what you eat. You want more, Alain brings you more. You like something, Alain wants to know about it. You want to return for dinner, tell Alain what you want to eat. You have a question, just ask. If this were a movie Alain would be producer, director, actor, and spectator.
Instead of dessert I opted for the cheese plate. Marilyn served the cheese platter, and Alain brought out a bowl
of some soft white mixture. "You like very, very strong cheese?" I nodded, and he scooped some onto my plate. "I learned to make this cheese watching my father. Here in Montpellier I can't buy unpasteurized sheep milk, so my dairy man brings it in every few days from Aveyron."
Alain's wine list includes four or five local red wines. "I never serve pitchers because customers assume it's just table wine. I serve good local wine, in bottles. If someone drinks only part of a bottle, we charge only for what he drinks."
Le Puits is at 9, rue de l'Amandier in Montpellier's old town near Sainte Anne church, open every day except Sunday for lunch and dinner. But Alain told Marilyn to write on our check that he'll open on Sunday, too, just give him a call at 04-67-63-32-93. This man really wants to cook for you.
Montpellier is France's 8th largest city. Most visitors to the area bypass Montpellier on their way to the spectacular tourist sites at Nimes (northeast) and
Carcassonne (southwest). But Montpellier's old town dates mostly from France's golden era, just over 100 years ago. The beautiful buildings contrast with the Roman ruins around the region. And most important you can have a special lunch, in the bottom of a well, with the irrepressible Alain
Rigal, for only eight dollars.
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The street entrance
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