Eating with Bob and Suzette: September 19, 2026 Breakfast - Croissnts and Yogurt with figs and Mirabelle Plums. Lunch - L’ Ormea in Lourmarin Dinner

September 19, 2026 Breakfast - Croissnts and Yogurt with figs and Mirabelle Plums. Lunch - L’ Ormea in Lourmarin Dinner - Restaurant Estellan, near Gorges

We woke up early and heated croissants and sliced figs and mirabelle plums and added them to a bowl of yogurt and ate on the patio.

We left at 9:30 for the hill towns north of the coast just as the regatta of historic boats were leaving the harbor.

We stopped in Lourmarin first. It was about noon when we walked to the center. Billy and Elaine went walking to the chateau while Suzette and I found a table in the shade in what appeared to be the largest restaurant That had been in existence since 1884 named L’ Omrea. Suzette and I were not terribly hungry so we shared a daily special of slices of local melon with prosciutto and arugula with two mounds of port foam. It was an interesting and delightful light meal. I drank a rose’ wine and Suzette drank a limoncello spritzer flavored with two basil leaves, two slices of lime and a slice of grapefruit that she liked very much. The restaurant had an ice cream store attached to the end of it and we each ate a scoop of ice cream, Suzette ate apricot and I ate toasted pistachio.

We then drove to and around the hilltop town of Menares but did not stop and drove on to Gorges that was a plus cite beautiful hilltop town that has become immensely popular and apparently quiet pricey. The buff stone houses must be very popular because we saw both a Christie’s and a Sotheby’s real estate office.

We walked from the parking lot down to the chateau and then through a tunnel under the chateau to to plaza restaurant next the chateau and ordered drinks. I waited while Billy, Elaine, and Suzette walked to the garden at the end of Gorges.

We then drove to the country inn where we had booked rooms for the night near Gorges. It was recently purchased and refurbished by a couple. I had not slept well last night so I fell into the bed for a one hour nap.

Billy and Elaine slept in the upstairs room on the right with blue shutters

Suzette and Elaine showed their dedication to exercise and swam in the cold water of the swimming pool and then dressed for dinner.

We assembled at 6:45 at the tables in front of the Inn and were offered a bottle of rose. We had a quick drink and then drove to Restaurant L’ Estellan near Gorges, a fine dining restaurant with a three course meal for €54, which we all ordered.

We were served tapenade as a pre-appetizer with lovely toasted olive oil doused thin rounds of baguette.

We picked three different appetizers. Suzette and I chose warm foie gras served on a warm dark bread with hazelnut toast point, a slice of plum, a mirabelle plum, and a pile of fig and apple preserves that was the best dish of our meal. Elaine ordered a carbonized slice of focaccia with ancient vegetables and Billy ordered a squash and chestnut soup with bits of chorizo.

Here are the descriptions in French:

Escalope de foie gras poêlée, réduction de porto, chutney de pommes et prunes

Velouté de girolles et potimarron, poêlée de châtaignes et dés de chorizo

Focaccia au charbon végétal, légumes anciens, crème d'oignons pickle

Then for entrees we ordered these three plates in French:

Langoustines rôties, choux fleur vanillé, tuile à l'encre de seiche, émulsion de pinces

My dish was pleasant but not very filling, three small slipper lobster tails sautéed in butter and served with flowerets of pleasant vanilla flavored cauliflower, two interesting tuilles or thin wafers of cooked squid ink and two mounds of foamed turnip.

Pièce de veau rôtie au beurre, polenta parfumée à la muscade et parmesan, jus court

Billy and Elaine ordered the veal that was excellent, slices of tender veal sauced with a wonderful Demi-glacé sauce and served with creamed Polenta flavored with nutmeg and Parmesan cheese

Pavé de maigre cuit sur la peas, choux farci noix et champignons, jus légèrement fumé

A corvina steak cooked with its skin on and garnished with a vegetable foam and served with a ball of mushrooms and nuts wrapped in a cooked savoy cabbage leaf. The savoy cabbage roll was very unique and interesting.

Nothing was ordinary. In fact, many of the ingredients were rather ordinary but treated in interestingly unique ways that created unique flavors, such as the cauliflower flavored with vanilla, the savoy cabbage wrapped mushroom and nut filling, and the wafer made from squid ink.

The desserts were a bit disappointing. I had my heart set on the half poached peach with chocolate sauce but was told I should select a different dessert because the peach sauce was flavored with black pepper for which I have a strong dislike. So I selected the Brioche of French toast that was accompanied by several mounds of coffee flavored whipped cream, chunks of nut and chocolate candy (Mendiant- mendiant is a traditional French confection composed of a chocolate disk studded with nuts and dried fruits representing the four mendicant religious orders. Each of the ingredients used refers to the color of monastic robes.), chips of prailine and a scoop of yogurt flavored ice cream from Isigny. The brioche was very uninteresting but everything else was grand.

Suzette ordered three types of sorbet, and Billy and Elaine ordered an elaborate napoleon layer cake with a layer of passion fruit and passion fruit gel, white cake, garnished with powdered yogurt

Brioche perdue, mendiants de fruits secs au praliné, crème glacée d'isigny

Entremets noix de coco et fruits de la passion, et powder de yaourt

What the French do with yogurt is amazing.