Dining in Normandy a treat for the senses

Dining in France is legendary, and although it is possible to get a meal that’s less than extraordinary, dining even in modest places is likely to please and surprise.

If you’ll be in Normandy along the west coast of France, be sure to order sole, freshly caught along the Atlantic Coast and called Dover sole across the English Channel. Simply prepared with butter (a la meuniere) or with shrimps and mussels, it’s delicious. You’ll also find Normandy’s apples and pears in many dishes, especially in Poulet Vallé d’Auge, a chicken-andmushroom dish sautéed in butter and then braised in a sauce of cider and cream.

Wine is served at both lunch and dinner, and the midday meal is likely to last two hours or more. Dinner is most often eaten at 8, almost like in Spain, where 9 p.m. or later dinners are common.

In summer, when the weather is fair, lunches often are taken outdoors in the garden beneath the shade of a tree or two. Some of the most delightful meals on my September visit to

Normandy were outdoors.

At least one of them, on a patio just steps from Claude Monet’s home in Giverny, was at La Musardiere, where Michelinstarred chef David Gallienne presides over the kitchen. Another delightful outdoor meal was enjoyed in the garden of Les Enfants Sages in LeHavre, where both wine and food was delightful.

At both restaurants, our small group of American journalists, unaccustomed to imbing wine in the middle of the day, got the giggles. Although the French have great decorum, especially at mealtime, they’re also polite and no frowns were directed our way.

The French adore their dogs and often bring them along for meals. Some restaurants even offer dogsized versions of the day’s plat du jour. One never asks for a doggie bag for leftovers, and butter is never served with bread in France. Ask if your raw oysters can be cooked and expect a polite refusal.

Outside Paris, you’ll rarely encounter an English-language menu, but servers are adept in translations for diners. Many guidebooks have an English-language

glossary for travelers, along with a pronunciation guide.

Normandy is famous for its cheeses, ciders and Calvados, a delicious but pungent eau de vie. It’s not unusual to see French diners throwing back a shot of chilled Calvados between courses to aid in digestion.

You’ll often see cheese platters offered in lieu of dessert. Be sure to try Camembert, Pont l’Eveque, Neufchatel and the triple cream cheese called Brillat-Savarin. Some date back to the 10th century and are hard to find outside of

France.

The Calvados Experience in Pont l’Eveque will show you how and why this apple liqueur developed here. It ends with a tasting and a chance to buy calvados, some not available in this country. Get info at calvados-experience.com.

JANET PODOLAK — THE NEWS-HERALD Lunch in the garden at Les Enfants Sages in LeHavre was a delight off a side street in the city.

JANET PODOLAK — THE NEWS-HERALD Attention to detail, such as that shown in the creation of this sandwich served on antique china, is found at restaurants throughout France.