Brive on a Budget

Gastronomy and low-budget vacations don’t usually go hand in hand, but there’s a little gem about four hours from Paris that is worthy of any weekend getaway.  Brive-la-Gaillarde is the northern door to the Périgord region, situated two hours east of Bordeaux and about an hour south of Limoges. The late medieval centre ville of concentric, curving little streets is relatively untouched by modern urban planners, though the outer sectors of the city suffer from the same urban sprawl as most of the smaller French cities.  What you come here for is the FOOD. The Correze/Dordogne region of the Périgord is known for its foie gras and truffles and well, folks, this is IT. There is no season that doesn’t have its specialty: chestnuts and walnuts in the fall and winter, truffles in the spring, cèpes in the fall, and foie gras year round (yum yum). Though Charlou Raynal from the world-famous La Crémaillère retired a few years ago, Christophe Forget (who just left La Truffe Noire) and his wife, Christelle, have recently taken it over and it is once again the place to go. This little auberge is the ideal place to stay for a mid-week gourmet escape (the hotel part is closed on weekends, though the restaurant is open Saturday nights). Christophe offers his own personal style of nouvelle cuisine Périgordine and it’s well worth the price for one good meal à la carte (the foie gras amandine is unbelievably delicate). Another dinner spot unknown to most tourists is the Auberge de Chanlat, which offers more traditional fare than La Crémaillère (try the fresh, sauted foie gras with fruit), but you will need a car or taxi to get there. The real reason you go to Brive; however, is for the Saturday morning marché. Literally one block from La Crémaillère, this is what regional markets are all about: mostly small producers with everything from live fowl, year-round fresh vegetables, amazing tourte (the local bread), sublime local cheeses (fresh cabecou the likes of which you will never find in Paris) and, of course, foie gras in all its glory. If you rent a car, day trips can include the red-stone village of Colonges la Rouge, the medieval city of Rocamadour, the ravishingly beautiful formal Jardins d’Erignac near Salignac, and any number of local châteaux (Los, Hautfort, etc.).  Before going home, be sure to stop by and pick up at least one bottle of walnut armagnac called Suprème from the liguorist DeNoix (be careful, this stuff is addicting), and a visit to the pottery shop in Cressensac (south of Brive on the N20) is more than worth the detour.  With representation from over 60 potters in the region, everyone will find something to bring home (including ceramic terrines to make your foie gras at home!),  Go on a diet before or after (or both), but if you are in France, don’t miss going to Brive-la-Gaillarde. La Crémaillère – 54, Avenue de Paris, 19100 Brive la Gaillarde Tel: 05.55.74.32.47 (closed Saturday lunch and all da Sunday but open Saturday dinner). L’Auberge de Chanlat – Rue de Noailles, 19100 Brive la Gaillarde Tel: 05 55 24 02 03 (open Wednesdays through Saturdays, closed Sunday through Tuesday).