Friday, January 18, 2008

Vin Rouge: Bouillabaisse

Last night a friend and I went to the French bistro Vin Rouge for dinner again. My friend had trout amandine which he enjoyed very much the last time we went. I branched out and ordered the bouillabaisse. A very generous use of saffron enriched the delicious broth. The soup included skate, shrimp, mussels, and clams. It was topped with a rouille, a Provençal garnish of pureed peppers, olive oil, garlic and breadcrumbs. The bouillabaisse was so good that I forgot my manners and dipped bread into the broth once I had eaten most of the fish and shellfish.

The sommelier recommended a light red from the Loire.

The service was good. We had a lovely time. I'm so glad that Vin Rouge has improved in the past couple of years. The atmosphere is lovely too.

2 comments:

Barry said...

since when is mopping up the soup with the bread bad manners?

K said...

Pretty much always in American etiquette, as far as I can tell. I think, along with using the soup spoon away from oneself, these guidelines are to prevent an embarrassing situation where one might end up splashing or dripping soup all over herself, someone else, or the hostess's fine table cloth! But who knows for sure.