There aren't many gastronomic capitals in France. Paris, of course, is one. Lyons is perhaps the greatest. And it is pleasant to record that Bordeaux, the subject of this month's gustatory travelogue, is, by universal acclaim, a third. Its culinary glory may not quite reach the rarified heights achieved in Lyons; still, the cookery of Bordeaux will probably appear on the same lofty plane to all but those palates exquisitely attuned to subtleties and nuances. The combination of superb materials, scholarly and gifted cooks, and sensitive gourmets occurs in all three “capitals,” but Bordeaux has the added blessing of its incomparable wines. Beyond a doubt, Le Bordelais is a gastronomic province of proved top priority.
While the system of dividing France into provinces is generally sound, it sometimes is awkward, archaic, and arbitrary. These are not sacred boundaries, and writers on gastronomy have long since hurdled them when they ceased to apply to regional cookery. Thus Bordelais and Périgord have each been awarded epicurean entity, though they are both technically part of the wide-flung province of Guyenne. The Bordelais is now a province within a province and far better known than its parent. As it now stands, it is a narrow, wedge-shaped area bordering the Gironde River and its two winding tributaries, the Garonne and the Dordogne. So much for geography.
Too many travelers miss Bordeaux, the proud metropolis of southwestern France. It is a noble city, built along the banks of the wide Gironde. From its ancient stone quais, the world's finest and most versatile wines have been shipped for centuries. Most of the venerable buildings facing the river are intact, except those on the famed place de la Bourse, whose graceful eighteenth-century treasures were gutted during World War II and are only now being carefully restored. You sense the elegance of the Louis' as you stroll along these cobbled streets and large open squares dominated by the classic components of any French town— the Opera House, Town Hall Bourse, and inevitable squirming monument to Gambetta. Fine old stone houses with iron balconies recall the traditional wealth and aristocracy of Bordeaux.
You sense a prosperous, intelligent citizenry, and when you meet its individuals, you are fascinated with their successful mélange of the Latin and Anglo-Saxon races. English names abound in Bordeaux. They have been common for two centuries here. The secret, of course, is the wine, which the British have always held in highest esteem.
The Bordeaux native is an instinctive gourmet. He loves good food and insists upon it in his home and his restaurants. As in Lyons, a mediocre restaurant simply docs not survive in Bordeaux. Just about everybody cooks well. The Bordeaux hostess does her own marketing and coaches her own cook. She is a planner, and on Tuesday knows what her dinner is going to be the following Sunday. She knows that it has to be delectable to keep pace with the superb wines that her husband serves with it.
Things have been this way for a long, long time, to judge by the rapturous praises heaped on Bordeaux wine and food by the poet Ausone, born in the year 309! They should name a château after such a discerning bard, and they did!
Bordelais cookery is not purely provincial. It embraces The whole gamut of French cooking and is urban rather than countrified. It is pleasantly seasoned, recognizing garlic, shallots, olive oil, and spices, but with restraint. The regional aspect stems largely from the use of Bordeaux wines in many dishes and in that aromatic mainstay, la sauce bordelaise. This simple formula has become one of the world's great sauces, one which has helped to make the name of Bordeaux famous, and it is never better than with grilled meat. Some local dishes are heavy, cèpes à la bordelaise, for example, but the majority have that light balance which makes French cooking such a joy.
At this point I find it difficult to stay with my casseroles and to refrain from flying off on a tangent about the splendors and subtleties of Bordeaux wines. The Bordeaux wine experts find this a theme of endless fascination and surmise. You can glimpse the perspicacity of these sensitive fellows sometimes when, for example, they sip a wine, immediately place its vineyard and year, and then begin to speculate, from its bouquet, whether its grapes were picked by a widow, a married woman, or a virgin! I'm not certain that the subject has been explored so fully in GOURMET, although it has received much more than adequate treatment in years past [particularly September, 1947].
Following this explanatory word about wines, we come to the agreeable subject of the great restaurants of Bordeaux. There are about half a dozen to contend with, and all are concentrated, together with the best hotels, in the classic heart of the city. You are thus presented with the pleasant dilemma of choosing one of several Lucullan landmarks within what is known as “easy walking distance.” Bordeaux is not a tourist city and is not equipped with palaces for potentates and playboys. But it has several fine hotels for travelers without princely retinues. Among them is the:
Hôtel Splendide
This admirable hostelry, facing the broad Esplanade des Quinconces and possessing Parisian distinction, is considered one of the very best provincial hotels in France. Furthermore, its food is beyond reproach. You will find such classics as tournedos bordelaise, gratin de volaille, and canard à l'orange on the menu. in addition to many regional dishes. The wine cellar is wonderful, as you might well expect of a place located in the very heart of the Bordeaux wine trade, and Monsieur Pujo is a most gracious and thoughtful host.
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