Restaurant Review: Lameloise

Restaurant Review of Lameloise
Chagny, July 26, 2007
By Alex Miles

Dinning in Burgundy is improving all the time. Lameloise, in Chagny, lost his third star two years ago. In astronomy, a shooting star never rises again but in gastronomy, Jacques Lameloise proved the nay Sayers wrong. In 2007 he got back his third and well deserved star much to the delight of his staff and the whole town of Chagny which depends so much on the reputation of this grand restaurant.
The meal we had was a sensorial passage from one taste to another keeping in mind local ingredients and the current culinary evolution in textures, temperatures and colors. The service was respectful and relaxed and the wait staff was attentive without being omnipresent. The décor was intimate, spacious and comfortable. The muted rust red leather chairs, the smooth white walls with stone jutting out here and there, the ample lighting and the large old beams which spanned the ceiling made the atmosphere welcoming as well as distinguished. After all, this is a three star establishment where you wouldn’t expect less.
Jacques Lameloise came out to greet every customer at least once during the dinner. He has a warm smile, an inviting handshake and speaks simply and in a straightforward, jovial manner about his food, his restaurant and his life in Burgundy. He is not the kind of chef who throws temper tantrums and must have his way. He regained his star rating by listening to his staff, making recommendations and encouraging what everyone had been doing right. A third star happens after hard conscientious work, depending on others talents and most of all being passionate about the job at hand.
Our tasting menu allowed us to sample the breadth of Lameloise’s great kitchen acumen. Foie gras came on mango toast with a frothy potato which disappeared as soon as it entered our mouths. Then there was a brochette of snails sitting on a thin slice of daikon radish accompanied by a fresh herb and garlic cream. A slow cooked filet of wild sea bass appeared with a sabayon of wild mushrooms and lightly sautéed chanterelles. The langoustine with risotto and Burgundy truffles was more than a surprise, it was an artistic event. One of the langoustines was sitting on a round toast which was on top of a circle of squid ink. I had great fun swishing the toast around the ink attempting to imitate the fine French artist Soulage. This was all whetted down with a Rully 1ere Cru, 2005, Les Pucelles of Jacques Son.
The meaty part of the meal was a rosy pigeon with large slabs of porcini, (cep) mushrooms, a tomato confit with fried basil and stuffed cabbage. We changed to a red wine at this point, a Santenay, 2004, from René Clair.
Our dessert was a variation on a Victoria pineapple: roasted, sorbet, and chopped with lemon with a fine sablé. An elegant variety of petit fours and chocolates made the coffee service a nibblers’ delight.
The restaurant Lameloise is worth more than a detour; it merits an extended stay to ponder the treasures of this great chef who, with dedication, passion and the love of sharing, has maintained excellence in an arena where few can maintain their status for as long as Jacques Lameloise has.
The lunch menu starts at 95 Euros. The dinner menu begins at 120 Euros. One can order à la carte. One can stay at this fine hotel where rooms start at 150€.
Chagny is just south of Beaune and north of Chalon sur Soâne at the southern end of Burgundy.