THE POTATO BABE

Avignon: Raise Your Hand If You've Ever Seen
Elizabeth Taylor Naked

Today we returned to Avignon and took the guests on a tour of the Palais du Popes. Afterward, we had a special treat for them – a chef’s table at the restaurant in the Hotel La Mirande. It’s a beautiful old hotel – a white tablecloth and teacups kind of place, and the chef has been one of the region’s best for the tenure of his 30-year career. He was also a fabulous entertainer with a completely infectious sense of humor. He even told us a story about early in his career, when he was working in a hotel kitchen and was asked to deliver room service to the honeymoon suite. I won’t bore you with details, but let’s just say he’s the only person I’ve ever met who saw Elizabeth Taylor naked.

We gathered in the kitchen in our La Mirande hand-embroidered aprons (I REALLY wanted to steal it) as Chef Jean Claude walked us through his dinner preparations. The geeky culinary student in me asked a lot of questions, and he was happy to let us help filet fish, prepare appetizers and cut the heads off chickens. Everyone except Frank (he was too busy taking copious notes) was recruited to help with at least one of the courses. And I’m not kidding about the chickens.

Right beneath the kitchen was the hotel’s wine cellar. Evan and I found a bottle of wine worth 18,000€, which we’re still mad at Steve for refusing to buy for us. Dinner was served at a grand table which easily accommodated our group of 12, and the best treat of all was when Jean Claude decided to join us. My notes on the meal didn’t make it home with me (stolen apron took up too much space), but I do remember that every morsel was delicious.

After dinner, we drove outside of the city walls and crossed the river so we could have a glass of champagne and admire the view of the walled city from afar. Three teenage hoodlums tried to pick me up and then offered Evan some hash – both of which we politely declined.

Cost of wine we didn’t get: 18,000€
Waiters who Evan and I both thought were hitting on us: 1