Chocolate extravagance!

When we visit Grenoble, one of our pleasures, which is almost becoming a habit, is to have

lunch with our hosts in a local Hotel School.

It's an amazing place, with all the young boys and girls working somewhat nervously at being good food and wine waiters, and back-stage, at preparing extraordinarily complex and delicious food. Quite apart from a four- or five- course lunch, there are preludes and entr'actes of a variety of interesting "Amuses Bouches". There's an excellent wine list too, and not stupidly marked up. The performance ends with a choice of coffees, the choice being of the origin and variety of bean. Because it's a school, VAT is not added to the bill, which is a pleasant touch.

Here you can find out more about the school and restaurant.

In this photograph, you see my pudding.

It is described as a "Vacherin au Chocolat", and on the bedrock tray of outstanding chocolate are

¶ Fine coque de Meringue
¶ Glace Maison ou Chocolat et Pépites
¶ Vrai Crème Chantilly et Framboises farcies

The "coque de Meringue" was in itself astounding: a sphere (two welded hemispheres) of meringue containing an unctious orange cream.

... and that after a major series of indulgences in the preceding courses. My mouth is watering again just writing this.

Still, we were very modest with the wine, and just had two bottles between all four of us (a Vacqueras and a Cru Bourgeois Ht-Médoc).