Croque Monsieur in Rouen

I can't believe it's been 3 years since my last Croque Monsieur entry! I've been a lazy blogger in this time. But then I have been studying on top of full time working (i.e. teacher work load working) for 2 years. Nevertheless, here we are again, with another entry into The Croque Monsieur Challenge. This entry comes from a cafe where the same culinary delights were tasted last year, but alas, I failed to blog the event. The hotel bar/brasserie 'Les Initiés' in Rouen, was the choice location, having tasted their delights last year. It's a small, friendly and casually French 'eaterie' which serve a range of 'Kir' flavour options. Despite revelling in its  onto the serious business of Croque Monsieur rating:

Location: Rouen 3 April 2014

Rating: 7/10

Comments: Great solid 'Croque' in taste, texture and presentation. Egg on top (strictly this is a Croque Madame challenge...) was garnished well. Salad: good range of colour and leaf type. Alas, the chips let down the main as they were slightly over cooked. The accompanying Kir was unfortunately disappointing. However, this was my error. I was intrigued by the range of flavours on offer, and in a moment of spontaneity, (I am reminded why I spontaneity isn't always a good thing), I chose the most exotic option: 'coquelicot' which, after an initial enquiry, was revealed as poppy flavour. I plumped for this feeling mature enough to embark on such a gastronomic journey, only to be disappointed. It leaves an aniseed after taste in the mouth, leaving one to feel that you are drinking a cough medicine. This unfortunate, and personally inflicted error, spoiled the overall round off of the experience. Note to self: stick to Cassis next time i.e. don't mess with a classic. Nevertheless, despite being undermined by my alcoholic choice error, I still retain that the chips and accompanying beverage do form an important part of the Croque experience. I thus award this entry as 7/10. 

Croque Monsieur - New Discoveries

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OK I'll finger type from now on (why did I never learn to touch type on French keyboards?? My life takes twice as long now...).

Anyhow - I have great news to empart on my continuous search for the perfect Croque Monsieur to emulate the near paradise experience found in Calais almost 10 years ago now... : They make cheese & ham ("lardons") stuffed baguettes here!!! Oh my it is delicious:



Let's waste no time with the all important Rating:

Location: Elbeuf, Normandy, France, June 2011

Rating: 8/10

Comments: Yes, this new found version of the well known cheese, ham and bread combo started with a sensual delight as the unknown prowess of this baguette was given away by the wonderful waft of warmly cooked ham & cheese from the depths of the surrounding paper bag. Then the next sense was satisfied with the visual delight of a soft bouncy interior, visible as a cut in the "baguette" top side, was complimented by the crusty sides of the "baguette" and the scattered "lardons". Oh my, add to that "salade verte" dripping with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing and a glass of Rosé to accompany in a glass encased with cold refreshing water droplets, and there you have it - the closest thing I have found so far to my near paradise experience in Calais. The only reason why it doesn't get a 9 or 10/10 in the ratings is that it isn't truely a Croque Monsieur. However it is truely worthy of note. Until the next time a gorgeous gastronomic experience comes my way...

The Croque Monsieur Challenge

The Croque Monsieur Challenge continues...

Having had the opportunity to travel to Bruges recently the Croque Monsieur (/Madame) Challenge has had a rebirth. Let's get down to business:

Location: Bruges 7 April 2011
Rating: 5/10

Comments: Hmmm, no bechamel sauce, no wonderful after taste of good French cheese. The salad was 80's -esque and uninspiring. Its redeeming feature was the presentation of the chips. However, being famous for "frites" I was disappointed after the build up. Conclusion: this was a dressed up toasted sandwich at best. The search for the perfect Croque Monsieur experience to match that of Calais back in 2000/1 continues...

Foreign Exchange Culinary Delights

Are there no end to the benefits of exchange trips? Having hosted one of the French exchange teachers for a week I embarked upon a fresh recipie for the week: Spinach and Goats Cheese Tart! (Does this pass as French cuisine??) Here are my efforts:


OK so a bit overloaded on the goats cheese front, but who wouldn't ;o)

Combining two loves...Food and French!

After a near paradise experience whilst eating a Croque Madame (a Croque Monsieur with an egg on top) in Calais back in 2000/1, I set my sights on a World Tour...the aim? To experience as many Croque Monsieur/Madames as possible and to rate them out of 10 with my Calais experience as the bench mark.

The Big Question: would I find one as good as this again?

So what made the "Calais Croque" so good? To experience such a cullinary pleasure set against the back drop of the industrialised port of Calais begged the phrase: a jewel amongst rocks, a rose amonst thorns...

The Croque Tour so far:

Location: Calais 2000/1
Rating: 10/10
Comments: What a memory, what a dream! Alas the image remains in my head. Yet the comination of an unexpectedly large (size in food terms matters) Croque Madame with a large (again good) pile of French Fries as accompaniement, with the remaining space on the large (good) plate filled with a large (g...) pile of lucious lettuce dripped delicately with a subtle French salad dressing, created a meal made in heaven...oh but the "pièce de la résistance" was the small glass of red wine to accompany such a feast. "Does a humble Croque Monsieur meal live up to the class of a good glass of red wine?" I hear you ask. "Who cares!" I cry. It worked! Especially the cafe style glass that it was held in. Oh I could go on... Now for the rest...

Location: Geneva 2005/6
Rating: 0/10
Comments: Disappointment on first sight. Bad "pain de mie" bread and dry. The Swiss should stick to what they do best: chocolate and Swiss watches.

Location: Rouen 2006
Rating: 2/10
Comments: No notes made so can't remember the rating...Can't have been amazing. Satisfactory at best.

Location: Paris 2008
Rating: 8/10
Comments: What a great find! In the fashionable area of St Michel we sourced a bar that would serve our World Tour delight. Good portions, fries, salad and wine (with good company!) made this an enviable contender.

Location: My flat 2008
Rating: 6/10
Comments: Wonderful! Had a great time sourcing a good recipie (no it's not just a cheese and ham sandwich...) and making it for my good friend Anabela. Insecurities on using too little cheese resulted in too much cheese and big fat bellies afterwards. Indeed we were unable to finish - a shocker and source of much pride breaking on my part. Nevertheless, lesson learned and more shall be attempted in the future. (I cheated with frozen chips but when one is busy...)


Location: Versailles 2009
Rating: 4/10
Comments: This rating is generous. The cheese was nice but the sauce lacking. The bread was toasted - possibly as using up the previous day's bread.

The bottom line - is it right to rate it against a classic? In fact is it right to mess with a classic at all? In the light of this we placed it in a category of its own: "Tartine facon Croque Madame" / Bruchette (I was assured by our French colleague on the exchange that the latter exist "au resto à Nice qui semble des Croques Madames ouvertes").


We move on...

Location: Eurodisney 2009
Rating: 5/10
Comments: Classed as a "Euro Croque" we gave the following critiques: Miss Hinge - Bechamel sauce good and not too heavy but more ham needed. Grilled bread not good. Miss Hardman - good top bread layer, soft and springy, with a layer of soft grilled cheese. The runny sauce was nicely warm.

Overall, however, is it right to compare a Croque Monsieur with a Croque Madame (the latter being my true love of the two and source of this World Tour)? However, I think it fought it's corner well - despite the lack of fries and salad as accompaniement.


A last attempt on this leg of the tour...

Location: Service station, France 2009
Rating: 3/10
Comments: Satisfactory - surprisingly good for a service station or does my memories of English services stations marre my open mindedness on this matter?











This post shall be continually updated as I yearn to seek the eternal pleasures that are held within the humble meal of a Croque Monsieur/Madame...but for now some advice for anyone inspired to embark on similar such tours: do your research, know what to expect, and aim high!

One might say that I have too much time on my hands, yet the promise of school reports as my next task forever pushes me to further creative ventures.


The next generation...

Location: Starbucks, Kent, June 2009
Rating: 0/10
Comments: The "Starbucks Croque Monsieur Panini"....panini??. Ghastly idea. Didn't even go there. I refuse to mess with a classic (see comments - Versailles 2009). No photo, no rating, no nothing. The tumble weed moves on...

Languages lead to...

One evening in to hosting our French exchange lead teacher and I'm reminded why I love learning languages. If it wasn't for learning French I wouldn't have travelled to France, if it wasn't for travelling to France I wouldn't have eaten in nice restaurants or stayed with welcoming families, and if it wasn't for these experiences I may never have discovered CHEESE & WINE! The combination of creamy, tangy, salty, savoury cheese, washed down with a fruity, medium bodied wine of the red variety is pure gourmet heaven...

My cheese favourites: (This is a work in progress - I'll add as I discover!)

Camembert (French)
Brie (French)
Wensledale and cranberry (English)
Emmental (Swiss)

My wine favourites:

I never remember names, but I do remember grapes. However my latest trick is taking a photo of a well enjoyed bottle on my mobile phone to add to my current library, ready for referring to when in the aisle of the local supermarché. Highly effective for the visual learner you know (the obligatory education link!).

Café Life

I love this photo. It was taken out of a coach window (hence the reflections!) during a school French exchange trip to Versailles palace May 2008. It epitomises French café life for me with the trees, table layout, sun umbrellas, window shutters of the background building and people enjoying lazy afternoon refreshments.

Here is another one taken that same week. It's in the streets of Paris in the St Germain area. Spurred on by our hunger we eventually headed to La Taverne de Cluny, 51 rue de la Harpe, 75005 Paris where I did my usual Croque Monsieur rating commentary...