Sauce spoons are a brilliant French invention. These spoons are expertly designed to allow diners to gracefully scoop up the flavorful sauce and bits which often cover the plate in french {and many more} cuisines.
perfection!
Here is the definition from Wikipedia: “A French sauce spoon is a spoon that is typically the size and shape of a dessert spoon, but with a flattened bowl that has a thinner edge and a small notch on one side. As the name suggests, a French sauce spoon is used to eat the sauce accompanying a dish. The spoon’s flattened bowl and thin edge aids scooping a thin layer of sauce from a plate without resorting to tipping the plate; the notch in the bowl allows oil or fat to drain away from the sauce.”
We love these spoons because they are beautiful and also practical and efficient.
Our first introduction to sauce spoons was on a “fine dining” excursion we took through France and Germany many years ago. The tour was focused on restaurants that had earned the honor of displaying a few stars and touques beside {or beneath} their name.
During that trip I began collecting these spoons at “brocantes” and flea markets throughout France.
I was reminded of this cherished collection when reading a blog full of beautiful photos called French Kissed. The creator is a photo stylist/ stager. Her photos are wonderful and she shares tips on the steps she takes to make the pictures or scenes look better. It’s so interesting to see what a few little changes can do for a photo, or a room. If you click on the name above, you’ll see a post he did on LA designer and antique dealer Lynn Russell, including a sauce spoon she included at a recent antique fair.
One of our favorite restaurants on that tour was L’Auberge de L’ill.
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| Menu from L’Auberge de I’lle, I’llhaeusern, France from Splendid Market |
L’Auberge de I’lle is undoubtedly one of the finest restaurants in France. It has been operated by the same family for generations and they have been serving up gastronomic delights in the border town, between Germany and France, of Illhaeusern since 1878. The restaurant is in the Alsace region of France on the medieval island of I’lle, located in the middle of the beautiful, sleepy, River Saone.
The Saone also runs through the Burgundy wine region. There are great river boat cruises one can take on the Saone, a perfectly relaxed way to learn about Burgundy wines, cuisine and french history.
We so enjoyed our meal at L’Auberge de I’lle, both for the cuisine and the ambiance, we brought home a menu and had it framed (photo above).
On the back side of the framed cover of the menu, is the menu of the day.
I remember calling to make reservations at this restaurant, and enjoying listening to a dixieland band playing “Down By the Riverside” while on hold. It’s a bit of a splurge, but if you find yourself in the area, I would recommend trying it.
Dining at this level of restaurants in Europe can be Trop Cher (very expensive). Here are a couple of tips for keeping the cost down just a bit. First of all, find a guidebook you like.
We prefer the guidebooks by Gault Millau for both restaurants and hotels. We’ve found their descriptions to be very accurate and their recommendations have been fitting to our expectations. Gault Millau uses “Touques” (chef’s hats) to rate businesses {4 touques is the the highest mark}. Whichever guidebooks you use, to get a little more for your Euro (oh, how I wish I could still say Franc), look for reviews that say the restaurant is on the verge of/ or hoping to get their next touque (or star).
To improve their ranking is very important to a chef’s career, and critical for a restaurant’s livelihood. Since the chef doesn’t know when a reviewer may be “in the house”, they need to always stay on top of their game if they are in the hunt for another mark. They are working hard to create the very best food and experiences for all of their guests, oftentimes operating above the level they are hoping to acheive. This often includes extra special “amuse bouches” (def: 1. a small bite before the meal begins. 2. greeting of the Chef de Cuisine), between course palette cleansers and desserts. Also, the service will always be very nice at these restaurants.
Another idea is to go for lunch rather that dinner. Usually, the menu is the same, but the prices for lunch are considerably less than dinner.
Time to start those summer travel plans! Bon Voyage!
Emily, I inherited a collection of serving spoons from my grandmother, who inherited them from her grandmothers, one French-Basque and the other Spanish. I've always been intrigued by the form… AND NOW I know their purpose! Thank You!
Ana
Hi Emily,
Beautiful and informative post. Your tour in France sounds wonderful. Thanks for the link to my blog French Kissed…I do have one correction though…I am a girl…oh well lots of guys have the name too especially spelled with the "J". This makes me want to start a collection of my own.
~jermaine~
My apologies Jermaine! Wow, I will be looking at your blog with a different perspective tomorrow. Thank you for the correction and the reminder of the beauty of sauce spoons!
Ana — I'm guessing you mean sauce spoons instead of serving spoons? I'd love to see them, can you see who the maker is?