Bonny Bretagne, land of seafood

St. Malo

I really am a coastal girl. I really miss being close to the sound, the smell, the sight of the ocean. I wasn't too many days ago spending my waking hours at least within sight of the saltwater at least once a day. I know that is why I love Bretagne. The littoral nature of the area fits what I've loved about my regular home on Canada's west coast. Hey, even my name means 'of the sea'. So I guess it's in my nature to need the nearness of the water and all that comes of it. And I did love what came from it. The seafood of Brittany rarely disappoints me and I had a number of tasty fish, shellfish and crustacean dishes in the area this past visit.

The HRH Frog and FIL also had their fair share of sealife, too. Frog's been talking about nothing but Bretagne oysters for at least a couple of months. At least. And I too was looking forward to something--langoustines. Sadly there weren't as many options for it this time around and what I did have was, if fact, one of those disappointments I mentioned. Overcooked and far too few for the price. I could almost forgive it since we ate in SUCH a beautiful hotel dining room. But not quite. Here's a sampling of the more fishy dishies I ate. I was such a slacker that in some cases I've totally forgotten names of the fish and what the name of the restaurant was but I think the food speaks of itself in the beauty at least.

Coquilles St. Jacques cooked in Pommeau (apple alcohol)

Trout with Normandy Sauce (cream, mussels)
Yeah... I know it is Normandy border food but I was really close to Brittany. I promise!

The unfortunate langoustines I mentioned (St. Malo)

Tuna Tartare--not what I expected but still quite good. I was thinking something sashimi-like since the salmon is served like that. (Oceanopolis aquarium's restaurant--near Brest)

What I think mi-i-i-ght be loup-de-mer with a cream sauce (the apple was SO not acceptable)
(Oceanopolis aquarium restaurant --near Brest)

Le Duguesclin restaurant/hotel: friggin' outstanding food! (this pic and the next)
This is a carpaccio of salmon and scallops so delicately laced with flavour I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! And perfect on the hot, hot day we had

This fish, I cannot for the life of me remember the name, was lovely and refined in taste with a seaweed-flavoured cream sauce

Lieu Jaune with Naintes (sp?) butter sauce: quite nice, from the L'Atlantique restaurant in Vannes (I adore that quaint city--a visit to Bretagne wouldn't seem the same without a visit)