All You Can Eat…Foie Gras?

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RESTAURANT REVIEW, TOULOUSE, SOUTH FRANCE

France loves its food – so much so that head of state Sarkozy has launched a campaign to have it protected by the United Nations. The hexagon’s southwest corner brandishes a particularly rich menu: foie gras, duck breast, Roquefort cheese….all dishes to be eaten in moderation, one might think.

Not necessarily.

Enter L’Aubrac, a cosy restaurant tucked into rue de la Colombette. A blend of wooden panelling, red chequered tablecloths and rugby regalia, this place stunned me with its formules or set menus. Those rumours I’d heard were true.

For €26.50, I could have:

-UNLIMITED CHARCUTERIE – delicate smoked ham and saucisson sec – a peppery dried sausage, served with bread and crunchy gherkins.

-UNLIMITED FOIE GRAS – served whole, with peaches and grains of salt.

-A MAIN COURSE – the choice included the local classics of magret de canard – duck breast, coeurs de canard – duck hearts and saucisse de toulouse – a coil of pork sausage.

-DESSERT OR UNLIMITED CHEESE – By this stage I could handle no more.

I had worried that the ‘all-you-can-eat’ factor would push down the quality of the food, but I needn’t have. The dinner was excellent and the owners have a strategy. They provide a plentiful supply of bread and charcuterie in an attempt to shrink your appetite before the expensive foie gras arrives.