Eygalières is a small village located a few miles southeast of Saint-Remy-de-Provence about 1 hour south of Sablet. The village is in the heart of the Alpilles, an extension of the larger Luberon mountain range surrounded by olive groves, green valleys with grazing sheep and vineyards dotted here and there by restored residences.
As you get close, you can see Eygalières perched on a hill with an ancient castle tower at the highest point. As you approach, you can see the small houses which make up the village. I had been to Eygalières before and walked the streets ducking in and out of shops and up to the castle ruins to see the view from the top of the hill.
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| Eygalières |
Sous Les Micocouliers restaurant is in a restored house built in the 17th century with a large fenced courtyard for dining when the weather is nice, just a few steps from the center of the village. The restaurant gets its name from the majestic Micocoulier trees that adorn the courtyard.
The restaurant is owned by the chef Pierre-Louis Poize and his wife. His interest in cooking began at L'Auberge du Mas de Nierne, where his mother and grandmother ran the kitchen. From there, he apprenticed with Alain Assaud, Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, and Alain Senderens, all renown names in the French restaurant world.
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| Wife Shirley and Kari in Front of Sous Les Micocouliers |
Although the sun was shining, the Mistral was blowing and it was cool so we chose to sit in the dining room. After considering the various menu options, we all chose the three-course Menu Matisse for 31 Euros. You can see the dishes we selected off of the menu in the pictures which follow.
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| Amuse bouche of sardines and crackers |
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| Starter of pumpkin puree, mesclun salad greens, puff pastry with gratinéed Swiss chard, foie gras with fig marmalade and rolled smoked salmon with avocado cream |
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| Kari contemplates the coming lunch |
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| Pan roasted venison over braised leeks and roasted potatoes and cippolini onions |
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| Macaroni topped with braised leeks and cheese, butternut squash puree, and cauliflower flan |
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| Dessert of fruit salad, chocolate and roasted apple |
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| Orange, vanilla and caramel ice creams with fruit |
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| Palette of desserts including brownie, almond, sable and nut cake |
The food was excellent, every bit as good as it looks in these pictures. We had eaten at Sous Les Micocouliers Restaurant a couple years back because Michelin Guide had named it a Bib Gourmand every year going back to 2008 as a place where you can eat well for a good price.
But the current edition of the Michelin Guide had excluded it from its list of Bib Gourmand restaurants so I was a little worried as we walked in, wondering what might have changed. But no worries! The food was as good or better and the prices were still very reasonable. Don't hesitate to go as long as chef Poize is in the kitchen. You will be glad you did.
Sous Les Micocouliers
Traverse Montfort
13810 Eygalières
Tel: 04 90 95 94 53
www.souslesmicocouliers.com/
