French Eats: Brasserie Européens

Sundays in Annecy are somewhat unpredicable in terms of dinner. Several of the most popular restaurants are not open. The way our trip was planned out (planned out my me actually) had us spending our time in Annecy on a Sunday. What's a girl to do? Food is super important to me so I wanted to make sure we had a yummy place to eat dinner!

I emailed our hotel who directed me to a handful of restaurants that might be open. Brasserie des Européens was on the list so I contacted them and they told us to come on by whenever.

We spent the morning at the old town market and walking around the lake. For lunch, we feasted on amazingly fresh bread, jambon de pays, and 18-month aged gruyere from the market. It was awesome. After a quick nap, we did a little more sightseeing and then wandered over to the restaurant. Brasserie Européens is located right across the street from Hôtel de Ville.

I think they're known for their seafood because they have some crazy smorgasbord type seafood platters on the menu and a pile of lobsters sitting in the window.

Our funky waiter gave us a plate of crostini and olive and seafood tapenade to start. The tapenade was interesting; it tasted v. seaweedy to me but in a savory and delicious way.

Two of us ordered off of the prix-fixe menu and two of us ordered a la carte. We figured that this way, we could share two starters and two sides and not feel overwhelmed with food.

The first starter was a warm goat cheese salad. The goat cheese logs were wrapped up in a thin wonton-style skin and deep fried. It was deliciously salty and the skin was awesomely crispy. There was a little cup of honey to dip the cheese into; it was so good. The salad was simply dressed with balsamic vinegar and it was packed with plenty of delicious sun-dried tomatoes.

The second starter was a fish fritter. It came with a dish of guacamole and a dish of salsa. The fritters were not bad, not bad at all. The exterior was nice and crunchy and the interior was tender and it was extremely flavorful. Plus, anything that's meant to be dipper in guacamole is a keeper.

For the main courses, we each got something different. Baby sister got this yummy looking risotto with truffles and scallops. The scallops were perfectly golden, super fresh, and cooked just until tender. The risotto was creamy, not overly truffly (something that the judges on Chopped complain about all the time), and even though it was nice and cheesy, it wasn't heavy.

I had spaghetti zita with prosciutto. Turns out spaghetti zita is super long-ass ziti noodles and it's awesome. The noodles get filled up with the sauce and it's delicious. The sauce was faintly truffled and the ham was nice and salty.

E had the trout with mashed potatoes and creme fraiche. The skin was crispy, which is something I look for in well-prepared fish, and the brown sauce drizzled around the plate was so deliciously savory. The sprig of cilantro sitting on top was probably the best touch, at least for me, a cilantro lover.

S got mussels and fries. The bowl of mussels was humongous. I mean humongous. They were cooked in a wine-based broth filled with herbs. And she wasn't shellfish; she shared some with all of us. And they were delicious. The mussels were cooked just until they were tender and the seasoning was on point. The fries were just all right, but I did love the faux newspaper they used to line the cup. New York Post, eh?

For dessert, we shared an apple tiramisu and crème brûlée. The apple tiramisu was really different. I didn't sense much coffee but the mascarpone cream was incredibly fresh and delicious. The bits of caramel crunchies on top added a delicious texture. At the bottom of the container was a yummy fresh apple compote.

The crème brûlée was creamy and delicious, as they tend to be everywhere you go in La France.

By the time we finished dinner, it was dark and buildings were lit up and looking gorgeous. This is my only Annecy-related post because it's the only meal we sat down to here. Come back for Nice and then Paris!

xoxo.