It helps that nowhere in France are you far from a tremendous pastry or cheese shop, cafe or restaurant. After our six-week sojourn this fall, we can safely confirm that food and drink is still sacred in France, despite many changes in the country. We spent roughly a week in each of Alsace, Normandy and Brittany, Bordeaux, Provence and Paris. I will be happy to give specific advice if any Bec Fin members plan to visit those areas, but here are a few general impressions. First the good.
Restaurants are as great as ever thanks to the many young people entering the cooking professions.
Quality of produce is high, especially fruit, cheese and vegetables, and French bread, wine, coffee and desserts are still the best in the world. Oriental spices are now common in many French restaurants and strong herbs are used in new ways, such as rosemary leaves with ice cream. There is a bit more concern for non-smokers and some attempts to keep prices down, but not enough of either. Good, inexpensive hotel chains, i.e. Ibis, Campanile and Climat de France, can now be found in every French city and most towns. But there are a few bad trends too.