Familiar Territory

Le Lavoir just doesn't want me to eat there. Tonight was my final attempt since tomorrow I have already made a reservation at another place. After a brisk and cold walk I have again found myself facing a closed door, with no indication of whether this was 'exceptional' or normal. Time to admit defeat and move on.

Bondi Beach in Pau, France - familiar territory, sort of

I'd made a small detour on the way to Le Lavoir to check whether another restaurant I knew from a previous visit was open. Perhaps I had secretly known that Le Lavoir would be closed. Whether or not I had had some sort of premonition, I now head back the way I have come, up a narrow flight of stairs to Gusto. I remember the stairway to be rather dark and foreboding but now it's brightly lit and the steps are painted with vibrant colours. I had discovered Gusto by chance on my first visit to Pau and this will now be my third visit. The first time, I had been exploring the lower part of the old town one evening and happened to glance into a small passageway off a dark stairway to see an unexpected flood of light and colour, with people sitting at tables having dinner. I had no plans for that night so I decided to go in. It turned out to be a great place, serving an Italian inspired cuisine, and doing it very well.

It's nice to have a few places in towns around the world that you know and can come back to. Of course inevitably some of them disappear or change (usually not for the better) but you discover new ones too.

The Tiramisu (not your average Tiramisu!)

Gusto is exactly the same as it was almost year ago. Even the menu is the same, so I already know what I'll have for the entrée and dessert. The bizarre - sounding foie gras crème brûlée and the tiramisu are both specialities and are very good. That leaves just the main course and the wine. I choose a vegetable Lasagne and a glass of red wine, which is an acceptable if unremarkable local variety. On my first visit here I made the mistake of ordering a half bottle. When it arrive I discovered that all the 'half' bottles

in this restaurant are actually half a litre and not the more usual half of a normal bottle. I like my wine, but half a litre is pushing the friendship a little far. This time I know the rules so go for wine by the glass.

Restaurant Gusto (picture from their website)
(you can imagine me sitting at the table next to the pillar)

I have a table in the middle of the restaurant; not ideal, but one of the drawbacks of solitary dining: you generally end up in one of the less desirable positions. Still, I have a pretty good view of things and there's enough to keep me occupied. The place is almost empty when I arrive around 20:15 but it quickly fills and a half hour later it is full and bustling. Again I can't fail but to be impressed by the ability of the two wait staff to handle the whole place, while still providing attentive service.

They are even not flustered by the arrival of a party of five (they have obviously booked as they head straight for the one remaining unoccupied table, which is set for five) who come with two enormous prams each containing what looks like newborn babies. The prams are the type you see young mothers jogging behind, clearing a swathe in front of them. They're more like convertible sports utility vehicles than baby transporters. They barely fit on a footpath - certainly they don't leave room for anyone else to get by - and they only just squeeze through the door into the restaurant. After a complicated series of multipoint turns followed by partial disassembly, the prams are finally parked. Luckily, the babies take all this in their stride and remain remarkably quiet throughout the process.

Colourful Contradictions

Later in the evening I notice that the two women in the party are chatting together over wines. The three men are at the other side of the table, cooing over the babies, which are being nursed by two of the men. The role reversal is complete. I wonder who will be driving the prams home.

On the wall I am facing there are several quotations relating to food and dining, written by hand on a large blackboard. In the restaurant last night there was something similar. One of the quotes is even the same; perhaps there are only a few people who've said memorable things about food, or this is a particularly good one. It's certainly by a well-known Frenchman, even if he's not particularly known for his food. 

Cuisiner suppose une tête légère, un esprit généreux et un coeur large: Paul Gauguin.