If you're planning an excursion to Epernay to taste the champagne, I can certainly reccommend Hostellerie La Briqueterie as a charming hotel. You're right amongst the vines, and the hotelier is a real gentleman. If however, you happen to be a vegetarian and wish to eat in their acclaimed hotel, you'll be well-advised to brace yourself.
When we booked the restaurant a few weeks ahead, I said: "I'm a vegetarian. Will the chef be able to make something for me?" to which I received a resounding 'yes'. When we checked in, again I mentioned at reception: "I'm a vegetarian. Can you please remind the chef we're coming this evening? I'm happy to try anything in season that they wish to make", to which I received reassurance that it was no big deal. I'd had some apprehension about being veggie in France (I'd gone vegan for lent, but luckily that 5-6 week period was finished just before we arrived in Paris. Not eating cheese OR meat in France might have made the whole trip simply impossible! :-)). I really felt like I was going to offend someone by not eating meat here... I wonder why? Nevertheless, I felt I'd given enough notice that I was coming, so surely they'd be able to rustle up a couple of French veggie dishes for me...
Anyway, my concerns of being an alien in a foreign land had been soothed and we set out for a beautiful day of champagne tasting. It wasn't too busy in Epernay and the sun was shining - we had our pick of the champagne houses, and got a good education on 'real' bubbles from the locals! If I wasn't already a convert, I certainly returned back to the hotel that night as a true believer in the medicinal powers of champagne.
We sat in the traditional restaurant, which is a large round room with beautiful bay windows and heavy drapery. The style is older and has more gold gilt and tassels than the usual place I would find myself... but, when in France, right? The waitress introduced herself, and we easily agreed to have another glass of champagne to start off.
All was going well, until... well, as I'm sure you can guess, since I've been leading up to it through this whole post... I 'reminded' her that I was vegetarian, and that I'd messaged ahead to the kitchen. She looked equally panicked and revolted at the same time, and then quickly regained her cool before leaving us to consult with the kitchen. A few moments later she returned, and it was immediately apparent that they didn't have anything up their sleeve. "Do you eat fish?" she asked. I replied that I don't (I found that my definition of 'meat' and the French definition are different... where I mean "all colours" they mean "red and white"...). She was muddled and was thinking what could be done for me in this impossible situation when the Matre'd came over and offered to assist. He was a very large, but young man, who had been chatting with us about our champagne. The waitress explained in French: "She doesn't eat meat" to which he replied, also in French: "Then tell her to go outside and eat the Tulips"....
Here's a picture of the Tulips outside, which I'd been enjoying earlier that day....
I scoffed with embarrassment. To which he said in English: "Oh, you understand me?" I guess English and French aren't so different after all.... yes, I understood.
They re-consulted with the kitchen, and I was served an entrée and a main which were both lovely, but essentially remodelled from the same ingredients, key of which was buttery mashed potato. The meal was nice, but clearly they were scratching together a few side dishes and essentially gave me the same thing twice.
My friend had a foie gras mouse, and said it wasn't as good as she'd expected. Knowing what foie gras is, I was trying to think of a way to gently encourage her not to order it in the moment, but I was so flabbergasted by my own experience that I let it slide for another day. How do you say that to a friend without making them embarrassed and wrecking the conversation anyway? Hopefully since she didn't like it in the end, perhaps a duck somewhere in this world will benefit without me having to be high and mighty at the dinner table.
Overall, what can I say? I tried to warn them I was coming.... since then I've eaten plenty of nice French-style vegetarian meals, so I don't know what the big fuss is about. Perhaps if you're a meat-eater places like this can fly through on pomp and circumstance. Ask them to be inventive, and you have little chance of dinner being a contributing factor to your nice evening. Luckily I was still blissed out on champers and the conversation with my best friend carried us through....
Add: 4 Rte de Sezanne, 51530 Vinay, France
PH: + 33 3 26 59 99 99
Web: http://www.labriqueterie.fr/en/table.html
When we booked the restaurant a few weeks ahead, I said: "I'm a vegetarian. Will the chef be able to make something for me?" to which I received a resounding 'yes'. When we checked in, again I mentioned at reception: "I'm a vegetarian. Can you please remind the chef we're coming this evening? I'm happy to try anything in season that they wish to make", to which I received reassurance that it was no big deal. I'd had some apprehension about being veggie in France (I'd gone vegan for lent, but luckily that 5-6 week period was finished just before we arrived in Paris. Not eating cheese OR meat in France might have made the whole trip simply impossible! :-)). I really felt like I was going to offend someone by not eating meat here... I wonder why? Nevertheless, I felt I'd given enough notice that I was coming, so surely they'd be able to rustle up a couple of French veggie dishes for me...
Anyway, my concerns of being an alien in a foreign land had been soothed and we set out for a beautiful day of champagne tasting. It wasn't too busy in Epernay and the sun was shining - we had our pick of the champagne houses, and got a good education on 'real' bubbles from the locals! If I wasn't already a convert, I certainly returned back to the hotel that night as a true believer in the medicinal powers of champagne.
We sat in the traditional restaurant, which is a large round room with beautiful bay windows and heavy drapery. The style is older and has more gold gilt and tassels than the usual place I would find myself... but, when in France, right? The waitress introduced herself, and we easily agreed to have another glass of champagne to start off.
All was going well, until... well, as I'm sure you can guess, since I've been leading up to it through this whole post... I 'reminded' her that I was vegetarian, and that I'd messaged ahead to the kitchen. She looked equally panicked and revolted at the same time, and then quickly regained her cool before leaving us to consult with the kitchen. A few moments later she returned, and it was immediately apparent that they didn't have anything up their sleeve. "Do you eat fish?" she asked. I replied that I don't (I found that my definition of 'meat' and the French definition are different... where I mean "all colours" they mean "red and white"...). She was muddled and was thinking what could be done for me in this impossible situation when the Matre'd came over and offered to assist. He was a very large, but young man, who had been chatting with us about our champagne. The waitress explained in French: "She doesn't eat meat" to which he replied, also in French: "Then tell her to go outside and eat the Tulips"....
Here's a picture of the Tulips outside, which I'd been enjoying earlier that day....
I scoffed with embarrassment. To which he said in English: "Oh, you understand me?" I guess English and French aren't so different after all.... yes, I understood.
They re-consulted with the kitchen, and I was served an entrée and a main which were both lovely, but essentially remodelled from the same ingredients, key of which was buttery mashed potato. The meal was nice, but clearly they were scratching together a few side dishes and essentially gave me the same thing twice.
My friend had a foie gras mouse, and said it wasn't as good as she'd expected. Knowing what foie gras is, I was trying to think of a way to gently encourage her not to order it in the moment, but I was so flabbergasted by my own experience that I let it slide for another day. How do you say that to a friend without making them embarrassed and wrecking the conversation anyway? Hopefully since she didn't like it in the end, perhaps a duck somewhere in this world will benefit without me having to be high and mighty at the dinner table.
Overall, what can I say? I tried to warn them I was coming.... since then I've eaten plenty of nice French-style vegetarian meals, so I don't know what the big fuss is about. Perhaps if you're a meat-eater places like this can fly through on pomp and circumstance. Ask them to be inventive, and you have little chance of dinner being a contributing factor to your nice evening. Luckily I was still blissed out on champers and the conversation with my best friend carried us through....
Add: 4 Rte de Sezanne, 51530 Vinay, France
PH: + 33 3 26 59 99 99
Web: http://www.labriqueterie.fr/en/table.html
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