Bonjour mes amies! To celebrate my friend, Liz’s birthday, we dined in a tiny restaurant with a downstairs cave or wine cellar. So intimate, and uplit to create a warm glow, Le Sixieme Sens was about to become one of my most memorable meals ever. The combination of rustic stone, bright green place settings, and buddas somehow all work together to create an ambiance that I had never experienced before.
Our server, Sebastian, a quiet gentleman with a wry smile, answered our questions and guided us through the menu. We began with a Kir Royale, champagne, and cassis, served with salted peanuts and pistachios. Sebastian suggested we try a local red wine, from Carcassonne, a 2008 Chateau Sesguieres Cabardes, soft with tones of dark berries.
I chose the Le Menu, meaning a meal at a fixed price (prix fixe) which includes three courses. The first course was a salade of duck breast with a slice of foie gras ( I know, it is so politically incorrect to eat this stuff) but we are in France and the French are proud of their traditions. I had not eaten foie gras for 33 years and enjoyed every bite of this creamy pate.
The main course consisted of a trio of seafood, prawns, salmon, and a local seabass-type fish, lightly grilled with a parsley butter sauce and served with angel hair pasta.
My companions all had the beef tenderloin with red wine or mushroom sauce. Enough for three hungry people!
Dessert was a slice of one of my French favorites, Tarte Tatin, a rustic caramelized apple tart with a flaky puff pastry crust. This was so charmingly served with a small glass jar of creamy, cold, intensely flavored vanilla ice cream.
We profusely thanked our host, Lionel, who is the chef and owner of Le Sixieme Sens. He gave us all kisses and seemed pleased we had such a fabulous experience. Because the food was so spectacular, he offered to make us a special dinner of our request later on this week. We promised we would do some research and come up with something delicious and challenging for him to make. What will he create? Stay tuned!
Au Revoir!
Mary