May, 2003.  Patrick Gauthier, the chef of La Madeleine, a Michelin two star restaurant in Sens, promotes himself as a cook above all (cuisinier avant tout). The waiters told us that Patrick is a cook through and through, or as the French would say – a flesh and bones cook – and then the waiters added... more flesh than bones.

Patrick disappeared into the kitchen. Soon our "amuse bouche" (appetizers) arrived. The waiter placed in front of us, perpendicular from the edge of the table, a long, narrow wooden tray holding three small shallow bowls and two aperitif glasses. We savored each dish in the order of presentation:

*Mushroom Cream (a lightly flavored solid ‘cream’ suitable for spreading on bread or even to eat straight-up with a small fork).

*Melon Juice (reddish-orange in color, tasting like a sweet, earthy cantaloupe but with a more vibrant, intense melon flavor).

*Baby yellow squash (steamed) dribbled with thick balsamic vinegar.

*Creamy goat cheese and tapanade parfait topped with a tiny blue cornflower.

*Heart of miniature artichoke topped with wee, lightly sautéed, saltwort.

Our mouths continued to be "amused" with a pureed, bright-red, frigid gazpacho soup decorated with a dollop of crème fraiche (similar to sour cream but slightly sweeter) and tiny bits of chopped seeds (of a flavor I know but can't place...maybe from the coriander family) served with a long, very skinny, twisted fusilette (a cross between a croissant and a bread stick.)

Repeatedly during the three-hour meal the waiter offered us breads and rolls from an enormous bread basket.... savory dark olive rolls, chewy country bread, almost sweet Viennese rolls, sourdough baguettes, etc. On the table was a choice of sweet butter and super salty butter for the breads.

Entrée (first course):

Paul: Filets of rouget (ocean red mullet) broiled with the skin still on (but removed before serving) drizzled with a bright red raspberry vinaigrette and fresh raspberries.

Vicki:

*Veloute of mushroom (a frothy cream and mushroom extract concoction) with al dente green garden peas. The small soup bowl (holding about a half of a cup of soup) dramatically rested on a ceramic, foot-high tower.

*Artichoke heart, quartered, served with four miniature wild asparagus.

*Baby potato (from the Isle de Re) filled with a veloute of asparagus and one very slender sliced asparagus. The delicate bud of the asparagus decorated the top of the dish.

*One braised green onion with tangy raspberry vinaigrette and fresh raspberries.

*Sprout salad with at least 2 kinds of sprouts - one being mustard so there was a tangy tingle in every bite - sprinkled with a light olive oil dressing.

Patrick was cooking for us and three other tables: the single man by the window, another couple, and a family of four. There were two waiters, one in black tie and the other in a sports coat. They chatted with each guest to make sure everyone felt comfortable, at home.

Plat (main dish):

Paul: Young pigeon in a chanterelle mushroom sauce set on a bed of edible blue cornflowers.

Vicki:

*Zucchini squash flower tempura.

*Mashed potatoes, really more like potato flavored cream, decorated with three very thin slices of nutty truffles. I generously gave Paul a truffle.  This dish came to the table with a chimney styled lid which gave me the chance to smell the truffles before diving into the melting flavors.

*Three mounds of mushrooms, a heaping tablespoon of each served on one plate: earthy cepes, sweet chanterelles, and light-tasting morel mushrooms.

*Sautéed fresh garden vegetables (super skinny string beans, miniature zucchini, fresh peas, parsley), tossed with toasted pine nuts served in a diminutive copper sauté pan. I was given a special eating instrument for these veggies - a cross between a fork and a shovel. I soon got the hang of it...smile.

*Poached egg served with a creamy chive sauce. The eggcup hung on a white plate that sat up straight, perpendicular to the table.

*Confit of tomato sprinkled with finely chopped miniature raw yellow and green squash, chives and something oniony, all resting on a thin swirled layer of hearty-flavored green olive oil.

We sipped what remained of our wine, luxuriating in the textures, colors, and tastes of the day.

Dessert:

To start us off Patrick put three large glass canisters of almonds on the table. The almonds came from the Mazet family farm in nearby Montargie.  The family’s signature almond was aged and tucked into a crisp praline covering. The second jar had mature almonds wrapped in dark chocolate and rolled in cocoa. The third jar had tender almonds wrapped in dark chocolate and rolled in fine powdered sugar.

Paul: Fruit compote (he thinks it might have been rhubarb) with hot, tiny madeleines fresh from the oven. Madeleines are muffin-like pastries, a French specialty.

Vicki: Red fruits (blueberries, strawberries, two sour grape-like berries, and tiny red currents still on the stem) strewn over large, wild raspberry leaves (inedible). Sitting on the border of the plate was a small dish of creamy vanilla ice cream. And I, too, had a oven-hot madeleine.

Next we had a special plate with three treats. First was a fresh almond already cracked open. We ate the exposed soft white seed with a toy-like spoon. Also on the plate was an aperitif glass of “Rose” juice, and a four-inch loaf of green pistachio bread (crispy crunchy on the outside and soft and firm on the inside).

After our exquisite lunch we ordered an espresso coffee, a French custom.  Every Limoge china coffee cup in the restaurant was different. My bulbous shaped cup, hand painted with flowers was very feminine while Paul’s stouter cup, painted with green/gold circles was for a guy. The double espresso was perfectly pulled from the machine, with a thick frothy layer of foam on the rich dark coffee. Paul ate his foam with the petite silver spoon that rested on the saucer. The choice of sugar was light and dark cubes, or light and dark rock sugar. Another option was cracked cardamom seeds, for dropping into the coffee.

Once his work in the kitchen was over chef Patrick returned to talk. We lingered. We chatted with Patrick and the waiters. We wanted to stay a bit longer, but we had a train to Paris to catch.

Vicki