We’ve been craving tarbouriech oysters but alas my fishmonger says it’s not the season and if you buy them now, they’re white and poisonous looking inside. Bleah!
In any case, although there’s no “r” in July, we booked an outdoor table for lunch at L’Ambiance des Halles to eat our third favorite, les huitres de Normandie. Steve suggested we order the smaller #3 size instead of the larger #4 for the sweeter flavor. Good thing we booked, the place was packed inside and out!
Those who weren’t eating were buying. Turbot, redfish and sea bass are on sale 🙂
I brought butter from home and purchased a baguette from Boulangerie Bezout to accompany the oysters and a very nice bottle of Fourchaume Chablis.
A refreshing, hot weather meal. Now we just have to wait for the tarbouriech 🙂
Cooking in Sens 
You have to try oysters from Marennes-Oleron. Les Huitres Gillardeau – http://www.speciales-gillardeau.fr/ – are the Rolls Royce of French oysters. 🙂
I totally agree but we’ve already had them twice since coming from the States 😀
…by the way, very nice pics and delicious Chablis:)
Thank you Roger.
They look delicious – I ate a lot of oysters when I lived in Paris – they are considerably more expensive in England.
I once spent a weekend on St. George’s Island in Florida (Apalachicola Bay), where, at the time, they cost $1.99 for a dozen with a beer at the local bar. I lived on nothing but oysters for 3 days!
I’m so suspicious of seafood in the States now a days; freshness and/or provenance.
That nasty oil spill in the Gulf has damaged a lot of fishing in the area. I was luck to have been there in 1994, when the water was crystal clear and you could watch the oysters being harvested by rowing boat.
I believe that France is fighting (since 2008) a nasty oyster disease (not harmful to humans) which kills off large numbers of baby oysters 😦
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/shell-shocker-french-oysters-hit-as-mystery-killer-spreads-8744954.html
The French disease sounds scary. Are we sure it’s not harmful to humans? We are eating them raw….
Apparently it’s herpes, but not a strain we can catch. They say it’s been activated in Europe by global warming:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/08/100806-oyster-herpes-global-warming-climate-change-science/
Oysters would defnitely be a part of my “last supper” menu if I ever had to make that choice! Do you mean you took your own bread and butter to the restaurant? I do hope so….love your style!
When you pay from 14-28 euros per dozen for oysters, President butter and inferior baguettes doesn’t work for me. Steve doesn’t mind 😉
What a lovely lunch! I already miss the lunches over there. I love the pace of it all.
Come back Virginia!
I would love to!
Wow! Stunning photography. Thank you for sharing. Emma xx
Thank you Emma.
Indeed, great photography! Too bad we don’t have a lot of fish restaurants here in the area.
It is too bad. We don’t have them either, at least not trustworthy, in our Pennsylvania town.