Vegetarian Tour De France

2012-04-16T02:29:00.002-07:00

Indien restaurants can be found in france !!! well of course and to be fair they dont count in my search for vegetarian tour de france.

These shots were taken at a seaside Brasserie and not in a truckers diner
starting to feel that this really is no country for vegetarians so far there has been very little hot food available this shot below is standard fare ...fresh -yes..well thought out - no

A few welcome surprises in Boulogn-sur-mer

http://nocrowds.blogspot.fr/2008/10/la-matelote-and-bearded-lady.html?m=1
http://www.quasi-modo.net/Lestienne.html

I have been reminded of a lovely quote from the Dalai Lama and so I have made my own quote from his inspiration.
"By being vegetarian we can reduce suffering - suffering of animals, suffering of health but it is important that your hosts don't suffer as well - so it is best to be quiet about being a vegetarian in some circumstances and eat what has been prepared for you with grace"

swiss gastro and off to Metz

2012-04-09T02:40:00.001-07:00

chef dinner

veg selection egg

that wine stars

chef heaven

http://www.flometz.com/en/

Metz French for Meatz

2012-04-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

A Google search for vegetarian in Metz shows the nearest place to eat is in another country which is probably a good thing because if there was such a place in Metz and you happened to go there you would be very much alone.

Metz

near Metz

Now this is a real secret that most touristicos and shy english speakers will probably never learn about unless they happened to travel the country with a french chef who knows about this stuff.
The countryside is literally dotted with fabulously good and cheap lunch time restaurants mostly run by a small staff of 2 or 3.
Not one item over 8euro and a vegetarian request if the omelette aux choix doesn't suit the vegan will be met with a smile and a gulp but I saw fresh salads being served that you will never find in an English or Aussie pub.
Other similar places will have high quality buffets for low prices and they will be packed out between 1230-1330 with local workers and families.
Last year in Brittany we stopped in a two horse town at lunchtime their wasn't a soul on the street.
But when we stepped inside the family run and modest looking restaurant we were confronted with a sea of happy diners, my guestimate was at least 150 or so adults and kids tucking into everything from steak and frite to seafood accompanied with a carafe of good local wine. Not a burger insight.

view of river from diner is kept a secret from the diners

Taste Le Tour 2012 location shoot begins Besançon

2012-03-29T08:12:00.003-07:00

Our mission is to record segments for this years broadcast on SBS

So to do this we fly from Melbourne to Paris MH148

menu flight MH148

chef's lunch

vegetarian entree

MH148 vegetarian main

Jumped in the Renault set the GPS and off we go to Besançon,

So that seems easy doesn't it? What could go wrong?

Maître d'hôtel

Well not much did go wrong, only a little mis-setting of the GPS with jet-lagged fingers could set us off on our true path- that is - the search for vegetarian France.
Oops we are on the N44 no probs lets stop for lunch here then get back on the auto-route.

zen chat does tail follow head

chef's lunch

ravioles 4 fromages

So with the help of the GPS we are well on our way to discovering whether or not this is

NO COUNTRY FOR VEGETARIANS.

L' Imprévu chef (ex pro soccer player) and Mme waitress

2012-03-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

NO COUNTRY FOR VEGETARIANS

the chefs lunch 12 April 2011

Each year in April - May, I travel to France with renowned chef, TV presenter and meat eater Gabriel Gaté.
For a non stop 2 month epic we travel the route of the upcoming Tour de France to record for SBSTV Australia a series of segments on the culinary delights of the countryside that the tour travels through.
With 7000 kilometers and 180 restaurant meals under our belts each trip it is now time to find out if France is really NO COUNTRY for VEGETARIANS.
This blog I hope will be an entertaining recap of past tours but will also be an ambitious behind the scenes diary of the 2012 Taste Le Tour recording sessions.

Here is a link to last years web page for our show
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/show/taste-le-tour

The vegos lunch 12 April 2011

A quick recap of the Tour De France 2011
Stage one got underway from Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, famous for lots of seafood and POTATOES.

So we drove up there on 13 April 11 to set the scene.

After a good morning of location shots on a clear April day we had lunch at
La Marine
5 Rue Marie Lemonnier, 85330 Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, France +33 2 51 39 23 09 ‎ blogspot.com

I am not sure that vegetarian cuisine is usually on their menu but they handled my requests very professionally.

lets go to Italy via Calvados to see if they eat vegies

2012-03-12T05:34:00.001-07:00

Calvados http://www.leperejules.com/

Here is a link to last years web page for our show

http://www.sbs.com.au/food/show/taste-le-tour

Working Breakfast

3-9 Rue du Renaudot

21140 Semur-en-Auxois, France

Le Lautaret Écrins National Park, 05480 Villar-d'Arène, France

Pinerolo TO, Italy

Long Macciatto at last http://www.hotelpinerolo.com/

Parrocchia S. Maurizio E Madonna Delle Grazie

Hairdresser

Pinerolo TO, Italy

Ah Vegetarian (but it is Italian food so doesn't count)

No Country for Vegetarians 2011...... continued

2012-03-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

NO COUNTRY FOR VEGETARIANS

So when we get to St Flour why not start with a vegetarian beer (is beer vegetarian?)

The object of this idyll is to do a job and work it is - we drive, we drive,we drive, we dine, we dine, we dine.
Every day come hail or sunshine we are either doing kilometres on the autoroute, or recording segments in markets, dairy's, fromageries, restaurants and charcuteries. In between times we edit the segments and maybe wash some clothes.
I try to hide the fact that I have been a vegetarian since 1981, but hey I just cant hide it - that's me.
And trust me a lot of people notice especially in France.
Why?
The markets are absolutely full of the freshest produce.
Organic (biologique) is maybe more common than it used to be but the french have never strayed far from organic ideals for very long.
Beside the freshest of poultry and meats are the most grandest displays of fabulous vegetables equal to if not better than what you will find anywhere.

Here is a link to last years web page for our show
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/show/taste-le-tour

destinations 2011

A quick pictorial recap of the Tour de France / Taste Le Tour 2011 circumnavigation of France

Viaduc de Dinan

Cantal

Vannes

Dinan

Promenade Mal Foch

35800 Dinard, France

Easter treats

Dinard-St Malo