Bordeaux Eats

I passed through the Bordeaux region briefly last month, as I’ve been long overdue there for a visit. I spent one day visiting producers you’d probably never find written about in any wine publication and another day with some of the region’s famous châteaux. I’ll write about my impressions of these visits very soon, I promise.

Meanwhile, what immediately caught my attention the other day is this delicious report on leading edge restaurants in and around Bordeaux in the New York Times (don't miss the slide show). As much as I obsess with wine, food is even more primal to my heart, or perhaps more accurately, to my stomach.

It never even occurred to me that the Bordeaux region can be a gastronomic place, but in the few short days I was there I was enlightened about the potentials of the local cuisine. Suddenly my attention was divided. I ate a tender and juicy roasted leg of Pauillac lamb at an inn. I had a taste of Arachon oysters at a wine bar. I saw the highly prized Bazadaise cattle grazing in the fields of Sauternes.

I know I’ll be back in Bordeaux soon. But it won’t just be for the wine.