There’s something frustrating about relentless rain on your days off from work – particularly if you’re on a weekend away. Thank heavens, then, for restaurants where you can forget about the weather and simply savour the food and ambiance.
Restaurants such as La Cantine de Deauville, for instance.
I was there three weeks ago today. I hadn’t been overly impressed with Deauville itself – it’s a bit too manicured for my tastes. However, I had read good reviews of the restaurant and was delighted that they could fit us in for Sunday lunch – and even gave us a window table.
On such a grim day, my main course, the joue de porc confite en croûte de camembert – a dish of tender pieces of pork cheek and potato in a camembert sauce – really hit the spot.
Camembert proved to be a speciality of the house. It is one of three renowned Normandy cheeses, alongside pont l’évêque and livarot. My partner enjoyed a grilled entrecôte steak with a camembert sauce.
Dessert was a pain perdu, a pudding made from leftover bread. The perdu part of its name, I have since learnt, refers to the fact that it uses the crust, which might be lost in other bread-based dishes.
It may not have been the lowest-carb lunch I have ever had, but I certainly enjoyed it. For me, it made going to Deauville worthwhile.