A selection of local Burgundy cheeses( Photo by Carol Fletcher)
dining with the dukes: TRAVEL BURGUNDY
By Sylvia Jansen, Sommelier( ISG, CMS), CSW
The sculpted black matte plates and rich white linens greeted us as we were escorted to our table. The geniality of the staff made for a warm welcome.
The sleepy village of Flagey-Echezaux is surrounded by the prestigious vineyards of the Côtes de Nuits. Restaurant Simon sits opposite the church on the old town square, and was busy with the late lunch crowd on a warm October Sunday afternoon.
The menu was a showcase for the season and the region, with a stylish, contemporary twist: escargots ravioli and girolles mushrooms in pastry were just a start.
“ We really appreciate our food in Burgundy,” smiled our friend Anne, who lives in a nearby village. There was no boasting in her tone: it was just a simple statement of fact. In a country that takes its culinary traditions seriously, Burgundy is known as a land of long meals— a testament to the value they place on dining done well. In fact, long, long before François Simon left his career in various Michelin-starred restaurants to open Restaurant Simon, Burgundy began a tradition of culinary excellence.
As early as the thirteenth century, the dukes of Burgundy amassed a powerful state that reached over much of central and northern France. With beautiful produce from the land, and delectable choices from the hunters’ bounty, the dukes had wonderful starting material. Their fortune gave them the means to encourage great art, beautiful food, and fine wine. It was one of the dukes, Philip the Bold, who decreed that only the noble Pinot Noir should be grown in the vineyards of the Côte d’ Or. Ever since, the region has been a destination for lovers of food, wine, and art.
Today, once away from the speedy Autoroute that spikes from the north and Paris to southern France, Burgundy opens its treasures. The rolling terrain and scenery, the
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