Rural Life

Restaurant review - Restaurant de la Gare, Linieres-Bouton

There is a wonderful tradition in rural France - the menu ouvrier.  In general it is somewhere between 10 and 12 Euros (more in chi-chi towns) and will include four courses, wine or cider, coffee but have limited choice.  These menus are designed for those workers who cannot get home in a reasonable time for lunch (reasonable being 10 kilometers at most it appears).  As we test out the facilities at regional restaurants, we will let you know about them in case you are in the area.

Sneeze and you will miss Linieres-Bouton - it has 96 inhabitants, not all of them in the village itself but is not the smallest commune in Maine et Loire - that prize goes to Chartrene.  It is just off the main road between Vernantes and Noyant, so is not far off your route if you are heading to or from Saumur.  It has hardly changed in the past century apart from the closure of the railway and the opening of a foundry, which has managed to survive the economic downturn.

The Restaurant de la Gare has a large restaurant and a small bar at the back, and is open weekdays between 12 and 2pm for the Menu Ouvrier (the bar is open longer).  We went there on Monday 21st December.  There are very few small tables, you basically take your place at long tables and may be joined by others, though they do tend to leave an empty space between you and them.  There is wine (red) on the table and cider and mineral water (still) is produced when you sit down along with a big basket of good bread.

The buffet starter is excellent - yesterday there were about 12 different salads, a meat mousse, ham, garlic sausage, rillettes and pate to heap onto your plate.  There was a choice of steak (cooked bloody or medium, but the medium would be most English people's description of bloody) which was very good, or beef stew which was also delicious, both served with cooked green beans.  The cheese board had a selection of 8 cheeses, including a blue, and there was a good range of plain puddings. The pear tart was delicious and the iles flottant a true vanilla hit.  The coffee was good but was extra to the meal.  As we were on our regular no drinking days, we didn't try the wine or cider - not even in the interests of research.

It was 10,50 Euros a head with the coffee extra at 1 Euro each, but was excellent and with a good friendly atmosphere - highly recommended.

A guest contributor dictates....

It seems to me that all blogs need a little refreshment from time to time - and this one is no exception.  I have also been accused of not playing my part in the household and just flopping around rather uselessly of an evening rather than helping with the Christmas cards or similar (my portrait at the end of this piece is not typical I assure you). So to set the record straight, I had better describe how I help out in these cold times.

Well firstly it is important to note that without me and my two chums, "they" would never get out of bed in the morning, but the need to tend to our needs means they do actually see the morning!  Secondly, the house would not be properly aired at this time of year, without me constantly reminding them to open a door or window so that I can get into the garden, or come back into the house.

I have also been doing a certain amount of digging so that all those nasty pests in the raised beds are killed off by the frost, plus I have been inspecting the bark of the cherry and pear trees pretty closely for other nasty things - I was reminded I needed to have a go at the apricot today too.

Then there are my jobs in the community, keeping various elderly neighbours on their toes.  I have to say that if I wasn't there to knock pots over, scare chickens, bat nuts about and look round open doors and windows, these poor old things would just stay rooted to their kitchen chairs, dealing with vegetables.  I am honestly doing a public service.

Perhaps the most onerous of my current duties is sorting out that young brat next door - you, know boy kittens think they can get away with anything by looking small, but that doesn't wash with me and he is going to get a jolly good thrashing when I next get my paws on him.  Of course, the poncy white oaf that sits on my wall needs to be sorted out frequently as well - I know his Mum is on the village council but I still say he is a waste of space with the memory of a goldfish.

So as you can see, my days are full, when "they" just sit around in front of these computer thingies with an odd unfocussed look on their faces (until reminded to move by me demanding food), and I am therefore entitled to my 18 hour snooze.  So there!