Monday, 16 April 2012

 Indien restaurants can be found in france !!!   well of course and to be fair they dont count in my search for vegetarian tour de france.
 These shots were taken at a seaside Brasserie and not in a truckers diner
starting to feel that this really is no country for vegetarians so far there has been very little hot food available this shot below is standard fare ...fresh -yes..well thought out - no

A few welcome surprises in Boulogn-sur-mer

http://nocrowds.blogspot.fr/2008/10/la-matelote-and-bearded-lady.html?m=1
http://www.quasi-modo.net/Lestienne.html
I have been reminded of a lovely quote from the Dalai Lama and so I have made my own quote from his inspiration.
"By being vegetarian we can reduce suffering - suffering of animals, suffering of health but it is important that your hosts don't suffer as well - so it is best to be quiet about being a vegetarian in some circumstances and eat what has been prepared for you with grace"

Monday, 9 April 2012

swiss gastro and off to Metz

chef dinner

veg selection egg

that wine stars








chef heaven



http://www.flometz.com/en/

Monday, 2 April 2012

Metz French for Meatz

A Google search for vegetarian in Metz shows the nearest place to eat is in another country which is probably a good thing because if there was such a place in Metz and you happened to go there you would be very much alone.

Metz


near Metz

 Now this is a real secret that most touristicos and shy english speakers will probably never learn about unless they happened to travel the country with a french chef who knows about this stuff.
The countryside is literally dotted with fabulously good and cheap lunch time restaurants mostly run by a small staff of 2 or 3.
Not one item over 8euro and a vegetarian request if the omelette aux choix doesn't suit the vegan will be met with a smile and a gulp but I saw fresh salads being served that you will never find in an English or Aussie pub.
Other similar places will have high quality buffets for low prices and they will be packed out between 1230-1330 with local workers and families.
Last year in Brittany we stopped in a two horse town at lunchtime their wasn't a soul on the street.
But when we stepped inside the family run and modest looking restaurant we were confronted with a sea of happy diners, my guestimate was at least 150 or so adults and kids tucking into everything from steak and frite to seafood accompanied with a carafe of good local wine. Not a burger insight.
view of river from diner is kept a secret from the diners

Thursday, 29 March 2012

Taste Le Tour 2012 location shoot begins Besançon

Our mission is to record segments for this years broadcast on SBS
So to do this we fly from Melbourne to Paris MH148
menu flight MH148
chef's lunch
vegetarian entree

MH148 vegetarian main
Jumped in the Renault set the GPS and off we go to Besançon,
So that seems easy doesn't it? What could go wrong?

Maître d'hôtel

Well not much did go wrong, only a little mis-setting of the GPS with jet-lagged fingers could set us off on our true path- that is - the search for vegetarian France.
Oops we are on the N44 no probs lets stop for lunch here then get back on the auto-route.
zen chat does tail follow head
chef's lunch
ravioles 4 fromages


So with the help of the GPS we are well on our way to discovering whether or not this is
NO COUNTRY FOR VEGETARIANS.







L' Imprévu chef (ex pro soccer player) and Mme waitress



Tuesday, 13 March 2012


NO COUNTRY FOR VEGETARIANS

the chefs lunch 12 April 2011
Each year in April - May, I travel to France with renowned chef, TV presenter and meat eater Gabriel Gaté.
For a non stop 2 month epic we travel the route of the upcoming Tour de France to record for SBSTV Australia a series of segments on the culinary delights of the countryside that the tour travels through.
With 7000 kilometers and 180 restaurant meals under our belts each trip it is now time to find out if France is really NO COUNTRY for VEGETARIANS.
This blog I hope will be an entertaining recap of past tours but will also be an ambitious behind the scenes diary of the 2012 Taste Le Tour recording sessions.

Here is a link to last years web page for our show
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/show/taste-le-tour 

The vegos lunch 12 April 2011
A quick recap of the Tour De France 2011
Stage one got underway from Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, famous for lots of seafood and POTATOES.

So we drove up there on 13 April 11 to set the scene.

After a good morning of location shots on a clear April day we had lunch at
La Marine
5 Rue Marie Lemonnier, 85330 Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, France +33 2 51 39 23 09 blogspot.com

I am not sure that vegetarian cuisine is usually on their menu but they handled my requests very professionally.


  
Copyright -- all images remain the property of the photographer

Monday, 12 March 2012

lets go to Italy via Calvados to see if they eat vegies

Calvados http://www.leperejules.com/
Here is a link to last years web page for our show


Working Breakfast
21140 Semur-en-Auxois, France

Le Lautaret Écrins National Park, 05480 Villar-d'Arène, France

Pinerolo TO, Italy

Pinerolo TO, Italy

Long Macciatto at last http://www.hotelpinerolo.com/

Parrocchia S. Maurizio E Madonna Delle Grazie

Hairdresser
 Pinerolo TO, Italy

Ah Vegetarian (but it is Italian food so doesn't count)

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