lvbookworm
SBH Insider
We have very fond memories from our last trip in 2010 of spending the day on loungers at the beach with lunch at La Case de L'Isle. Since then we promised ourselves that we would go back if we ever returned to the island. Needless to say, it was one of the first reservations we made prior to our trip. After what has now become our daily stop at Petite Columbe for croissants, we arrived at 10:30 and were setup with beach loungers and an umbrella. We were one of four couples enjoying the beach, so we had a very relaxing morning reading and listening to the waves.
When it was time for lunch we wandered up to check in with the hostess. She profusely apologized that the outdoor tables were set aside for hotel guests and politely offered us our choice of two tables inside. We assured her we understood, and felt like she must get a lot of grief from customers since she made such a big deal out of apologizing up front. We sat down at a table next to a large potted palm, and quickly realized that we were in the middle of a swarm of gnats. (We requested to move to the other option.) After we were seated, I looked around at the other tables and noticed that they all had small footstools for the ladies' purses and totes. Perhaps it was the confusion of us changing tables, or perhaps someone determined that my hot-pink canvas Lands' End beach bag wasn't worthy (haha!). Regardless, on the floor it remained.
We ordered a bottle of Pouilly-Fuissé and proceeded to peruse the lunch menu. When the sommelier presented the bottle, I realized it wasn't the wine we ordered. Out of all the years ordering wine in restaurants, it was the first time this has ever happened. She proceeded to insist that it was the same, until I pointed it out in the menu. Back she went and five minutes later returned to say they didn't have the wine we ordered, but assured us the wine she presented was quite similar. It was similarly priced, so we agreed. After tasting it we realized that it was much heavier than the one we wanted, but by this time we just decided to go with the flow and drink it anyway.
For an appetizer we shared the vegetable platter. (Sorry - I can't find my picture of the menu, and I can't remember the official name of the dishes we had.) The presentation was beautiful, but it was too large and more appropriate for four people vs. two. Also, some vegetables such as the asparagus would have been more palatable had it been blanched and chilled prior to serving. It was accompanied with four dipping sauces: an avocado sauce that resembled guacamole; a mayo-based sauce that was a bit bland; a tomato-based sauce that, while flavorful, was too oily to stick to the vegetables; and a fourth we can't recall.
For the main course I ordered Thai noodles with shrimp and vegetables. The sauce was a bit spicy, but other than that it was not well seasoned. I usually look forward to Thai-inspired dishes for the complex flavors, but sadly this didn't fit the bill. Once again, neither my husband nor I can remember what he had to eat. All in all this lunch was disappointing. Perhaps our expectations were too high, but the lackluster food combined with a very high price tag left us wishing we had gone elsewhere. On a separate note, the service (other than the sommelier) was outstanding.
We declined dessert, paid the bill and returned to our loungers on the beach. By that time the umbrella wasn't in a position to provide any more shade, so we decided to call it a day and go back to our villa for a swim.
The swim turned into a nap on the deck, and when we awoke decided we were hungry for pizza. I remembered reading Phil and Amy's reviews for Les Bananiers and, since it was so close to our villa, we decided to give it a try. When we arrived the restaurant was about half full, and I apologized (in what was now my self-conscious version of french) for not having a reservation. The hostess was very gracious and seated us at a table where we could enjoy the cool evening breeze.
As we looked over the menu we each enjoyed wine by the glass (our usual - white for me, red for my husband). I appreciated the fact that the prices were very reasonable, and that there were so many options without having to purchase an entire bottle. After ordering, we noticed that the restaurant was starting to fill up, and I realized that I recognized a face at one of the tables. The patrons were mostly what appeared to be french-speaking locals, so I hesitated but eventually went over to say hello (hoping that it was indeed who I thought it was and, if not, they'd understand my french and forgive the intrusion). Thank you again, Phil and Amy, for allowing me to interrupt your meal with friends.
We enjoyed:
Mixed green salad - the height of simplicity with tangy dressing. It hit the spot.
Pizza Campagnarde (with crème fraîche, lardon, fresh mushrooms, onions and mozzarella) - I can say without hesitation that this was my favorite meal the entire week! My husband was stationed in southern Belgium for three years, and this pizza reminded me of the wonderful tarte flambée we often had during our travels in Alsace. I couldn't finish the whole thing, and am proud to say I enjoyed it the next day...cold...for breakfast. It was just as good!
As usual, my husband couldn't remember what he had. (Hmm...me thinks this is becoming a trend. Perhaps I need to start taking pictures of his meals or confiscating the line-item receipts.)
For dessert - we shared the banana crumble which was a satisfying combination of warm banana with ice cream and a sweet, crunchy topping. My husband had a hard time keeping up with me, and I'm pretty sure our dessert-splitting ratio wasn't exactly 1:1. You know what they say: "If you snooze, you lose!"
It was a perfect way to end a perfect meal...and another perfect day.
When it was time for lunch we wandered up to check in with the hostess. She profusely apologized that the outdoor tables were set aside for hotel guests and politely offered us our choice of two tables inside. We assured her we understood, and felt like she must get a lot of grief from customers since she made such a big deal out of apologizing up front. We sat down at a table next to a large potted palm, and quickly realized that we were in the middle of a swarm of gnats. (We requested to move to the other option.) After we were seated, I looked around at the other tables and noticed that they all had small footstools for the ladies' purses and totes. Perhaps it was the confusion of us changing tables, or perhaps someone determined that my hot-pink canvas Lands' End beach bag wasn't worthy (haha!). Regardless, on the floor it remained.
We ordered a bottle of Pouilly-Fuissé and proceeded to peruse the lunch menu. When the sommelier presented the bottle, I realized it wasn't the wine we ordered. Out of all the years ordering wine in restaurants, it was the first time this has ever happened. She proceeded to insist that it was the same, until I pointed it out in the menu. Back she went and five minutes later returned to say they didn't have the wine we ordered, but assured us the wine she presented was quite similar. It was similarly priced, so we agreed. After tasting it we realized that it was much heavier than the one we wanted, but by this time we just decided to go with the flow and drink it anyway.
For an appetizer we shared the vegetable platter. (Sorry - I can't find my picture of the menu, and I can't remember the official name of the dishes we had.) The presentation was beautiful, but it was too large and more appropriate for four people vs. two. Also, some vegetables such as the asparagus would have been more palatable had it been blanched and chilled prior to serving. It was accompanied with four dipping sauces: an avocado sauce that resembled guacamole; a mayo-based sauce that was a bit bland; a tomato-based sauce that, while flavorful, was too oily to stick to the vegetables; and a fourth we can't recall.
For the main course I ordered Thai noodles with shrimp and vegetables. The sauce was a bit spicy, but other than that it was not well seasoned. I usually look forward to Thai-inspired dishes for the complex flavors, but sadly this didn't fit the bill. Once again, neither my husband nor I can remember what he had to eat. All in all this lunch was disappointing. Perhaps our expectations were too high, but the lackluster food combined with a very high price tag left us wishing we had gone elsewhere. On a separate note, the service (other than the sommelier) was outstanding.
We declined dessert, paid the bill and returned to our loungers on the beach. By that time the umbrella wasn't in a position to provide any more shade, so we decided to call it a day and go back to our villa for a swim.
The swim turned into a nap on the deck, and when we awoke decided we were hungry for pizza. I remembered reading Phil and Amy's reviews for Les Bananiers and, since it was so close to our villa, we decided to give it a try. When we arrived the restaurant was about half full, and I apologized (in what was now my self-conscious version of french) for not having a reservation. The hostess was very gracious and seated us at a table where we could enjoy the cool evening breeze.
As we looked over the menu we each enjoyed wine by the glass (our usual - white for me, red for my husband). I appreciated the fact that the prices were very reasonable, and that there were so many options without having to purchase an entire bottle. After ordering, we noticed that the restaurant was starting to fill up, and I realized that I recognized a face at one of the tables. The patrons were mostly what appeared to be french-speaking locals, so I hesitated but eventually went over to say hello (hoping that it was indeed who I thought it was and, if not, they'd understand my french and forgive the intrusion). Thank you again, Phil and Amy, for allowing me to interrupt your meal with friends.
We enjoyed:
Mixed green salad - the height of simplicity with tangy dressing. It hit the spot.
Pizza Campagnarde (with crème fraîche, lardon, fresh mushrooms, onions and mozzarella) - I can say without hesitation that this was my favorite meal the entire week! My husband was stationed in southern Belgium for three years, and this pizza reminded me of the wonderful tarte flambée we often had during our travels in Alsace. I couldn't finish the whole thing, and am proud to say I enjoyed it the next day...cold...for breakfast. It was just as good!
As usual, my husband couldn't remember what he had. (Hmm...me thinks this is becoming a trend. Perhaps I need to start taking pictures of his meals or confiscating the line-item receipts.)
For dessert - we shared the banana crumble which was a satisfying combination of warm banana with ice cream and a sweet, crunchy topping. My husband had a hard time keeping up with me, and I'm pretty sure our dessert-splitting ratio wasn't exactly 1:1. You know what they say: "If you snooze, you lose!"
It was a perfect way to end a perfect meal...and another perfect day.