We ordered take out from a Belgian restaurant in Madison, (Brasserie V...I’m probably the only one who thinks of it as Brasserie Cinq). I got cassoulet, one of my favorite French dishes. It’s a great restaurant but the dish fell far short of expectations. But that isn’t really its fault. It’s hard to compare to 2 of the best travel memories EVER.
The last time I had it in France was 2014 in Paris with my French parents. It was the end of May or early June and totally out of season but worth it. It was close to our hotels and had classic dark, southern decor to go with the menu.
The best cassoulet I ever had was more or less the home of the dish in Carcassonne. I hope to take students to France at least one more time to take them there. I’m earmarking a recent windfall for plane tickets to Europe for our family and this is my top place to take the girls in France (no offense, French parents in Nantes). I traveled there by myself the fall of 1998 when doing Semester Abroad through UWRF (best undergrad study abroad program EVER). I stayed at the hostel IN THE WALLED CITY and ate dinner at one of the tourist trap restaurants inside. Their cassoulet was rich and the beans had a creamy quality that made the sauce thick and savory. I was squeezed next to another table (as is typical in France) and a French couple next to me joked with me about what I ordered for dessert-asking if they could have a bite. I called the man’s bluff and handed over my plate. Navigating the train there, then the city bus, then navigating the cité, then securing shelter and an epic dinner made me feel wildly competent and independent.
After numerous small challenges that cumulatively made for a hard week, I needed a dinner that symbolized competence and independence I guess.
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