Maison Pic, Valence France

Maison Pic

Apricot Nectar

Escargot Comesquis, Fresh Ewes Cheese and Vanilla, Saffron Marshmallow with Curry

Foie Gras Brulee with Green Apple

 

Kelp Bread, Baguette, Epi, Beer Bread with Brittany Butter

Multiple Tomatoes – Black Currant Leaf and Elderflower Glaze, Smoked Vanilla Burrata Ice Cream

Carrot with Jasmine Blossom – Fine Carrot Jelly, Light Carrot Puree, Jasmine Blossom Yogurt, Voatsiperifery Pepper (Jaune du Doubs, Purple Haze, White Satin, Deep Purple)

Berlingots – Filled with Soft, lightly smoked Banon, Watercress Consomme infused with Ginger and Bergamot

Tarbouriech Oysters – like an Irish Coffee, Crunchy Rhubarb Compote, Bourbon Pointu Coffee served in a Chemex

Blue Lobster – Roasted in Lobster Butter, lightly smoked clear berry consommé, Strawberry-Barberry Chutney, Burpee’s Golden Beets

Turbot – Green Zebra Tomato, Sweet Woodruff, Tomato Consomee, Peas, Broad Beans, Verbena

Milk Fed Veal Sweetbreads – Roasted in Liberica Coffee and Caramelized Gruyere, White Asparagus with Wild Garlic and Menton Lemon

Brie de Meaux with Bourbon Vanilla Foam

Cheese with Wine Raisin and Black Pepper Bread

Black Cherry and Bergamot Meringue

White Mille-Feuille – Light Tahitian Vanilla Cream, Fine Jasmine Jelly, Voatsiperifery Pepper Emulsion

Strawberry Tart, Dark Chocolate and Japanese Whisky, Pear and Vanilla Bean Macaroon

Currently one of only a handful of Michelin 3* Female Chefs in the world, the second in her bloodline to achieve the red guide’s highest award at the restaurant and hotel bearing her name within the town of Valence, Anne-Sophie Pic needs little introduction to those in tune to world class cuisine, and yet with all of her accolades and restaurants soon to be opened in New York the flagship Maison still seems somewhat underrated when compared to her male contemporaries, an oversight from every angle when taking into account the creativity and quality delivered during a three and a half hour meal that left me smiling and contemplative after each and every plate.

Cited by some as being a bit ‘too’ stuffy, and in fact one of the most serious dining rooms ever visited whether in Europe or back home in the States, the experience at Maison Pic begins the moment one opens the doors, and from the colorful unicorn in the foyer to Lalique crystals and mirrors everywhere the feeling is undoubtedly feminine, though touches such as rich wood bar stocked with several vintages of Scotch and chest of cigars seen en route through the lobby show signs of refinement for all who enter to enjoy.

Seated at a plush two-top that could easily have handled four in less elegant environs it was but moments after settling in that a young man arrived offering aperitifs, a selection of Alain Milliat’s Apricot nectar proving a pleasant palate refresher throughout a meal during which flavors traversed a wide range, at times simple and pure while others were so complex that index-carded menu sharing the chef’s process proved ‘required reading’ just to grasp what was occurring on the plate.

Opting for the Essentials menu, a 320€ journey that would prove by far the most expensive tasting of the trip, it was with a trio of exotically spiced canapés that the scope of influences was introduced and progressing to Sophie’s signature foie gras custard beneath a dollop of fragrant green apples the oft-riffed dish spoke volumes in both texture and nuance, the crackling top a light kiss of sweetness amidst the unctuous liver while sours from the cream lingered on the lips long after the small dish was scraped clean.

Treated to several types of bread from a basket that arrived warm alongside the sort of butter that makes one want to give up their citizenship and move to a dairy farm in rural France, it was perhaps thirty minutes after seating that the tasting officially kicked off and with each course sauced tableside for both effect and the maximization of taste, texture, and temperature the opening volley of tomatoes surrounding smoky cheese with floral topnotes was delicious prologue to all that was to come.

Truly a ‘journey,’ in that the menu unfolds as a story rather than just presenting a number of synchronous plates to showboat the skills of the staff, suffice it to say that with Chef Pic’s words presented alongside each plate one would be foolish to attempt to reinterpret the meaning behind each, and as such unfair to attempt to dissect each dish one is instead coaxed to simply embrace the beauty and execution, a situation only marred by the sort of formal yet entirely impersonal service that makes it seem as though the diner’s awe has gone unnoticed – a mere “Merci” quietly uttered to admiration induced by the beautiful carrots with the same response given as I sat stunned by the kitchen’s use of coffee to accent oysters as well as the most voluptuous sweetbreads I’ve tasted to this day.

Showcasing a list of vegetables, spices, and proteins sourced from locations spanning just down the road to the far reaches of the world it was perhaps a bit of a surprise that when it finally came time for cheese the options were mostly limited to those hailing from France, and although a nearly thirty-minute delay in service before the Brie de Meaux was unapologetically brushed aside as an ‘error in the kitchen’ one would be hard pressed to find any flaw in the age or novelty of the several varieties presented, not to mention the complementary bread dotted with golden raisins that spoke of Sauternes despite being tinged with a mixture of Cotes du Rhone and something described as being ‘like Port.’

Nearing 22:30, and admittedly a bit ‘long’ for a solo diner considering the sterility of the experience, it was with a wide smile that Chef Pic emerged from the kitchen to greet her guests before dessert was served and with surprisingly good English paired with perfect manners and a smile the time spent at each table easily spanned five minutes, her jovial spirit breathing a bit of life into the end of the evening that culminated with a small bergamot meringue over chilled cherry soup followed by mignardises and a pure white cube that shattered in layers to the fork, the flavors beneath unraveling first as sweet and floral before dissipating as vanilla with the slightest hints of pine.

Anne-Sophie Pic