I spent my last week in Bordeaux dashing around, trying to visit every possible church, museum, or chocolatine shop that I had somehow over looked during my four months as a bourdalaise, and revisiting places that I was particularly fond of. For the very first time, I walked around the cathedral at Hotel de Ville that stands right next to tram stop I've been to at least twice a day this semester. I had a second meal at L'Entrecôte, arguably the best restaurant in Bordeaux, that serves but one item: a delicious cut of entrecôte served bleu, à point, or bien cuit with limitless fries and the best secret sauce ever made. I danced the night away at the legendary nightclub, La Plage. I spent my last mornings at my favorite markets. And finally, I took the baker's wife up on her offer, and made dinner in Bordeaux's 300-and-some-year-old wood fired oven.
My friend Sarah, who is one of the few people I've ever met who can keep up with poetic waxings about everything Portland, spent the day par-baking pizza crusts, and preparing the best pizza sauce ever (she's still holding out on my with the recipe!!). To the amusement of the bakers wife, who I don't think sees many people, leastwise a gaggle of Californians, invade her kitchen often, we spent the evening sitting around Le Boulange's large dining table, dressing our personal sized pizzas with mountains of cheese and fancy deli-meats, fresh cut vegetables and arugula leaves.
With a well practiced grace, the bakers wife helped us shuffle our pizza pies into the vast oven on a large wooden paddle, and waited with us until the kitchen began to fill with the smell of warm tomato sauce and the crusts were perfectly crisp.
I have to disclaim now that I am not the biggest connoisseur of pizzas. I've never eaten at The Cheeseboard (gasp!), and my dad usually orders Pacifica when he's feeling lazy. So you don't have to believe me necessarily, when I say that these were the most amazing pizza I have ever eaten.
But, you should.
Each little pizza pie was cracked and bubbling , and the sauce and olive oil topping made puddles of charred goodness in cheese-heavy areas. It was...merveilleuse. And the absolute best way to spend my last night in Bordeaux.
My camera is still on the fritz, but lucky for me, I have photo snapping friends! These pictures are from Sarah. (Thank you, Sarah! And send me the pizza sauce recipe!!)
Au Revoir, mes amis bourdalais!!
On to the next adventure!
