La Marine — Restaurant in Les Sables-d'Olonne

32nd in my 3 stars challenge in France (follow me for all the reviews and update on every Michelin Stars in Paris and 3 stars in France, and more…). This review created a traffic jam. There’s so much to say that I literally could write a novel. So, contrary to my first review, which I did right away after the dinner, this one took several months. Why? The first one was about the encounter and the deep roots/strong logic concept (I’ll repost it on my account). This one is about Artist vs Artisan, the integration and most of all the revenge of the cursed.

Artist vs Artisan. My reviews are about the artist behind a great craftsman. You first need to be a craftsman to have the tools to express yourself. Like any art. But then you have the choice when you receive and select a product, to transform it in a way or another, to express yourself through it. It’s a art because there’s an expression, willingly or not. Does the chef do it consciously or is it unconsciously ? I’ll answer like my 3rd grade French teacher did to me when I ask if the poet realized all the intricacies: it doesn’t really matter. What matters is the result, the emotions, the memories and the long lasting impact or even your willingness that others experience the same. So I could write pages about an onion with a lactic fermentation that I got that day. Really. I’m still not over it. But I would be speaking of the Artisan, the craftsman. And I would bore you to death. So the question is about what the artist is saying ?

Humble and humbled by nature and tragedy. He’s saying a lot. Or, at least, my French professor would say that you can hear a lot. Amongst it, the first that resonated in me is the integration of his environment. The land, the ocean are speaking through his veins. As long as Vendéens will live, gastronomy will have men for its causes, I first thought. But then, I realize that its not about the blood. It’s about the integration of the nature, of this region. What makes a vendéen ? A man that respects this nature, lives by and with it. Not necessarily just someone who lives there, and not someone who has his DNA saying so. My DNA is a 100% Vendéen. As many generations one can remember. Still, after living most of my life away, I may be less of Vendéen than most of Alexandre’s team. They breath it, they feel it, they live it. It’s the integration that counts. Integration not just with the population, but with the nature that gives the tempo to the population. His cuisine tastes like Vendee. Soft yet desperately stubborn. Humble, humbled by the nature and by a tragic irony and finally humbling. Especially with a “simple” onion.

I should have said ironies. There’s the obvious historical one. The population has been decimated hundreds of years ago. And still mentioning it, to this day, is strongly frown upon, even when you’re just the great great grand children of a victim of atrocities trying to express how deep are the scars that are left. It’s the double jeopardy. Used and abused. It’s a bit of the same for the gastronomy. The local products are viewed as “authentic”, sought after (a lot of Michelin I went had Vendéen products), but the credit don’t go (enough) to the locals. To be fair, it’s a bit the same for many regions with great products but where others transform it and benefits from it. So, I felt like it was a revenge of the cursed. A revenge of the Michelin that are not the right touristic highway. A revenge of the regions that produce but don’t get the credit. A revenge of the chefs that are far away but so close to their land, to their identity. So sweet must be the taste of that recognition. So this onion, tastes like Vendée, humble, yet humbled by the stubbornness of its people of making great things out of the modane, thanks to their care, time and, in that case, lacto fermentation. It was humbling. May be i m just hearing voices, but so sweet was the taste.

A top tiers 3 stars. Well fitted in the 1968-78 born 3 stars chefs. A very emotional generation. I hope to see others from “remote”...

This has been a delight from beginning to end. We booked a room for one night with dinner included, and highly recommend this as the stay was as much a part of the experience as the food itself.

The hotel:

The hotel is a petit, wonderful place at the port of Noirmoutier. The hotel has its own private parking, that you can ask for when you arrive.

We felt very welcomed by the staff and they helped us with bikes and other amenities for exploring the island. Upon arrival we also got to decide when we wanted dinner to be served that evening. As our French is un peu limité, it was a pleasant surprise that the staff was quite versed in English.

Breakfast was exquisite, with more wonderful dishes and different condiments than we could hope. Attentive staff fixed coffee and explained the different foods.

The Restaurant:

What an experience! This competes for the best food experience I have had. Wonderful dishes highlighting the history and local ingredients of the island in a wonderfully composed dinner. The restaurant also features a wine pairing menu that accentuated the dishes perfectly. Attentive and super friendly staff that made the experience easygoing and welcoming.

All in all a very pleasant journey, and something I would very much want to try again. Highly...

Après avoir cherché une place de parking (forcément difficile le 15 août), nous avons été accueilli des plus chaleureusement dans cettebelle maison traditionnellede l'île. Une première expérience culinaire sur la terrasse pour l'apéritif nous donne le ton de la soirée : "bienveillance, gourmandise et spectacle ". Bienveillance par les attentions qui nous seront portées tout au long de la soirée par l'ensemble du personnel et de la maîtresse des lieux. Gourmandise par la qualité des plats qui nous sont proposés dès l'entrée. Spectacle par la disposition de la salle, la qualité du service, l'originalité de la vaisselle dont la plus grande partie vient de l'île ou de la zone géographique proche. Le chef et sa brigade, tout au long des 9 plats, nous ont servi ce qui se fait de mieux en terme de produits, d'assemblages des saveurs et textures. Et que dire de la cuisson dont la maîtrise semble irréelle. Choisir un plat qui se démarque des autres est impossible. Certains assemblages nous ont tout d'abord étonnés avant de nous ravir comme seuls les magiciens savent le faire. Que dire du homard au caviar vert, ou du beurre réduit de sirop de tomates qui accompagne une multitude de légumes des plus savoureux. Jusqu'aux desserts dont la figue enveloppée dans une fleur de courgette nous a subjugué. L'équipe de sommeliers nous a concocté un accord mets/vins des plus parfait. La seule ombre au tableau serait de devoir attendre plus de 6 mois pour s'offrir ce moment de pur bonheur tant la dizaine de table de l'établissement est convoitée. Venir à La Marine est une expérience que je ne peux que souhaiter de vivre à ceux qui aiment connaître le summum de la gastronomie Française. Une soirée que nous...