Please forgive this tangent shooting back to 1154 when the problem of the moment is to select an epicurean hotel in Angers. Without hesitation we suggest the HÔTEL DU CHBVAL BLANC, at 12, rue Saint-Aubin, not far from the cathedral. This White Horse Inn is installed in a fine old sixteenth-century building, but modern comfort has quietly crept in. The rooms are most agreeable, and there is a verdant courtyard, a nice little bar, and, above all, a most gifted squad of cooks in the kitchen. The treasures of the Loire—salmon, brocket an beurre blanc, and matelote d'anguille—are served in the true Anjou tradition. Monsieur Barba has his own way of presenting plump poulardes,and his crépes flambées make a dramatic dessert. The caveis stocked with current wines-Rosé d'Anjou and Champigny-Ic-Scc, for example—and a glittering array of the rare Anjou vintages in fine years. The visiting voluptuary will do well if he finds a better place in the Anjou. In addition, the White Horse pays off well. Prices are eminently fair.
Saumur (Maine-et-Loire)
Saumur is a town which stirs up a variety of enthusiasms, depending upon whether you are interested in thorough-bred horses, medieval architecture, or sparkling wines. The celebrated old town on the banks of the Loire is perhaps best known for its Cavalry School, founded in 1763, the last equine stronghold in today's mechanized French Army. Many a West Pointer has spent months in Saumur. The most immaculately clad French officers, some of them positively waspwaisted, dare briskly through the streets, whirling their riding crops and looking unbelievably handsome. They are members of the Corps d'Elitewhich appears at International Horse Shows and sets maiden hearts aflutter. Hut they possess the stern stuff of soldiers too. In June. 1940, a small contingent of them heroically held the Germans in check and for three days prevented any crossing of the Loire along a twelve-mile front. Saumur suffered heavily from artillery fire at that time and later, and it is still far from rebuilt. Most of its old, timbered houses, including some of those shown in the illustrative lithograph, managed to survive. The château of Saumur is a massive hilltop affair, built on already ancient fortifications in the fourteenth century. It has served both as a prison and as a barracks (do I hear someone ask what's the difference?) but is now transformed into the Musée du Cheval.If you have a weakness for horses, this collection will prove memorable.
But getting down to gastronomy, the wines of Saumur are a chapter in themselves and quite unlike their neighbors in the Anjou. Saumur sparkles easily, as we have said, and its fame has traveled far. In fact, it would be interesting to know just what percentage of champagne cocktails are made with sparkling Saumur. They are no worse for the substitution; perhaps they are even better. One wine establishment in Saumur is hospitality personified when it comes to inviting strangers to its wine cellars. This is the house of Ackermann on the western outskirts of the city. They really put themselves out to be agreeable to visitors and seem to enjoy it. For the wine-conscious tripper, this is one of the most pleasant and convivial experiences in the Anjou.
There is one well-appointed hotel in Saumur, right on the riverbank. This is the HÔTEL BUDAN, a conventional place (you know, the kind with a domed skylight over the lobby) but very comfortable. There are rooms with bath, several of them. It is a good place to put up for the night, especially if you like to contemplate a sunset from your bedroom window. The service is very good, the food rather “hotelly” but well prepared, and the prices only a little above normal and worth it.
For a luncheon in Saumur you should be pleased with a little place on the main street, the RESTAURANT L'ESCARGOT. This really has lots of charm, and the food is highly commendable. It's a tiny place, just wide enough to accommodate two sidewalk tables, each with a broad umbrella. But inside there is more room and much conviviality. A little bat, red-leather upholstery, and a small garden all contribute to your well-being. As the name might suggest, there are snails on the menu the year round. There is a savory choice of regional specialties too-escalopes à la crème, shad from the Loire on a bed of spinach, and, of course, the classic brocket au beurre blanc.
Fontevrault-L'Abbaye (Maine-et-Loire)
There aren't many places where a gourmet can make a pious pilgrimage, but this is one of them. For the Abbey of Fontevrault contains the only Romanesque kitchen which still exists in France, a fantastic octagonal structure resembling a gigantic beehive. It is a masterpiece of stone masonry, containing five large cooking hays and disposing of smoke and vapors through an intricate system of no less than twenty chimneys. At the height of a medieval banquet that kitchen must have been something! But it is only a part of the extraordinary eleventh-century abbey which contains a notable cloister, a Romanesque chapel preserving the tombs of the Plantagnet kings of England and a separate wing still used as a prison.
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