bon appétit, all the fries you can eat

Tonight I had dinner at L'Entrecôte, the most famous restaurant in Bordeaux, with Joëlle, Jacqueline Rose, Valeria, Esther, and Mathilde (a new friend).

We waited in line outside even though we showed up promptly at 19h15, when it opens. We made it into the first seating but were still waiting on Mathilde. As we were directed to the fourth, fifth, five-hundredth floor (I think the restaurant actually has five levels, one of which is subterranean), a hostess asked us how many of us there were.

"Six," we told her, "But we're waiting for a friend."

The hostess then asked us quite seriously how soon we expected her. We explained that she was already late and would probably be arriving momentarily. She squinted her eyes suspiciously and told us that we could go ahead and be seated on the top floor, but that if Mathilde didn't arrive in a few, or maybe five minutes, we would have to come down and stand in line all over again. I've seen table-turning techniques in the States, oh yes, but I've never seen the equivalent!

There's only one menu at 17 euros per person, so you don't even have to bother ordering.

Green salad with vinaigrette and walnuts: Nothing special, but it whets the appetite.
French fries: À volonté (means free refills) and quite delicious.
Steak: Perfectly rosy, sliced thin, with a delicious herb sauce that makes up for the lack of ketchup or mayonnaise for the fries. (We were, however, offered mustard.)



Desserts costs extra but was well worth it for their size and chocolate content. I had profiteroles, but all of our desserts were pretty much indistinguishable due to the liberal application of whipped cream.

We also shared a bottle of the house wine.



Afterward, the other Americans headed home to sleep and study for tomorrow afternoon's grammar exam. Joëlle and Mathilde and I walked to the Houses of Parliament, my favorite bar, to have a beer before splitting ways for the night.