Surprise 3 course business lunch...

Occasionally I get treated to a meal the comes out of nowhere...this was one of those meals.  I had a day trip down to Toulouse full of meetings.  Usually when I go to Toulouse for business, we end up eating in the canteen right at the customer site, which is mediocre at best.  Before this last trip, I told my colleague that I really would like to avoid the canteen if at all possible.  Once we finished the morning of meetings, we headed to lunch with two customers, and one of them decided to call a certain restaurant none of us had heard of to get reservations.

We got reservations and sat outside on a beautiful spring day in Toulouse with just a light breeze.   When I saw the menu I knew we were in for a treat because, well, this place looked amazing just from the descriptions.  The customer offhandedly remarked that this was mentioned in the latest Michelin guide.  Don't think it got any "étoiles", but a mention is usually a good sign.  To my surprise, we were to have a leisurely lunch which of course means 3 courses and wine.  A treat and a perfect way to break up the monotony of a day of meetings.
 

I started with the sablé de Rocamadour (tarte with cheese) on top of baby spinach, with hazelnut oil, piment d'espellete (AOC pepper) and a tomato confit.  The cheese was perfectly complemented by the tart, and the piment d'espellete added just a touch of heat to the dish...I'm a sucker for the piment, so I was very happy to find it especially it it's home region.

Next up was a filet of cabillaud with fresh seasonal vegetables and a wonderful pesto and a bit of chopped sundried tomatoes.  Nothing really original in this dish but the fish was cooked perfectly and the pesto was fresh and tasty.   

Last  up was the "Toulousmisu", a take on tiramisu using local violet to flavor the cream....coffee cream on the bottom, and small violet sugar crystals on top, with a couple violet marshmallows.  Sounds a bit like overload, but was incredibly light and the flavor wasn't too strong. 

I slacked this time and did not track the wine....all I remember is it was white, crisp, and perfect for a good meal in the sun.

The restaurant was La Table des Merville,  I would highly recommend it if you're around Castanet Tolosan, but not knowing how good the restaurants are in central Toulouse, not sure if it is worth a trek out of the city...

Now, time for the weekend in Paris!  Moscow next week, I'm guessing vodka pairings.