La Bastide Saint-Antoine Awards

La Bastide Saint-Antoine Restaurant Review:

Jacques Chibois, chef of much acclaim, is a quiet, cool-minded man, but don't think he's lacking in spirit. He's simply not the kind to rush into hazardous improvisations. Chibois is a virtuoso who orchestrates the region's vivacious tastes and aromas to create endlessly fascinating flavor harmonies. He knows how to exalt the true savors of the sea, land and forest through a democratic union of produce, spices and herbs, rather than drowning them in problematic alliance. Consider these compositions: chanterelle and trumpet squash, fresh-water crayfish salad in a tomato crust; honest-to-goodness ravioli... la Nissarte in a baby fava bean broth; fat Fario trout sprinkled with fresh herbs and served on a bed of mashed potatoes and peas. The show goes on: pistachio macaroon filled with wild strawberries and napped with licorice sauce, a testimonial of the same finesse of execution and of taste. The cellar bravely speaks out (and well) of all the regions of France, starting, of course, with Provence. The set luncheon menu is practically a philanthropic effort in this magnificent bastide girdled by olive trees.