Our fall trip to France offered many exciting experiences including fun restaurants in Beaune (Benaton, L’Hotel Bistro, Ma Cuisine), several Bouchons in Lyon to experience the unique local dishes (sausages, lentils, tripe and pig’s feet salads, quenelles), and Cambuse in Strasburg for creative seafood.  Our four favorites were all 3-star Michelin restaurants which were old friends:

Michel Bras (Laguiole)
This superb menu featured an amazing wild duck breast cooked rare with Bras’ signature mashed potatoes (half Laguoile cheese), five baby scallops with an orange sugar vinegar glaze which tasted like a crème brulee crust, and the always spectacular gargouillou of 25 vegetables and herbs at their peak of freshness served in an almond milk jus.  The rustic setting in the heart of the Aubrac region in Central France made the meal even more dramatic.

Troisgros (Roanne)
With winemaker Alex Gambal and his wife Diana as our guests, we enjoyed some great white and red Burgundy wines, a special chestnut soup from Chef Michel Troisgros and an interesting selection of a la carte choices including frog legs with cauliflower, rouget with pimento sauce, lobster salad with a sherry vinaigrette, rabbit and langoustine with sorrel sauce, and veal kidneys in an olive and verjus sauce. This was a special night in a warm and welcoming spot with good friends.

Auberge de L’ill (Alsace)
This Alsatian restaurant features such classical dishes as cold goose foie gras served from a crock with aspic, a veloute of crayfish, poached crayfish and a cray fish quenelle served dim sum style, and a whole wild mallard duck served tableside with red cabbage and a fried corn soufflé.  This country restaurant is in a pastoral setting on the River L’ill. Rue de Collonges, tel. 03-89-71-89-00, www.auberge-de-l-ill.com

Arnsbourg (north of Strasbourg)
Chef Jean Georges Klein dazzles diners with his truffle emulsion with whipped potatoes, carpaccio of langoustines, baby frog legs with tomato and coriander sauce, garlic and parsley, and rack of lamb cooked in a salt crust with parmesean risotto.  The elegant restaurant and new modern hotel are in a country setting with no towns nearby. 18, Impasse de la Forêt, 57230 Baerenthal, tel. 03-87-06-50-85, www.arnsbourg.com