Although our anniversary was not for another month, we decided that since we were already in the world’s culinary capital of fine dining, we would have our special dinner early. This would become a tradition on all our future trips; to splurge on one lavish (and hopefully memorable) meal while on vacation.
We had asked Alain, our AirBnb host, about any restaurants in the area that were popular with the locals and that would give us a taste of authentic Provencal cuisine. He recommended Mas de l’echanson, a quick four minute drive away. And like the hungry and impatient Americans that we were, off we dashed.
The restaurant gate was already open when we arrived at 7:00 PM. The parking lot however, was completely empty, save for our vehicle and the BMW that soon parked a few stalls away from us. A stern looking woman emerged from the SUV and approached our window. She asked what we were doing there. We mentioned timidly that Alain had recommended the restaurant for dinner. A warm smile appeared on her face (apparently she knew him) and she told us to come back in 30 minutes, the restaurant was still not open. Partly relieved but more embarrassed than anything, we drove around the neighborhood, contemplating whether to scrap the whole idea and find someplace else for food.
We finally returned 45 minutes later (didn’t want to come across too eager!). The woman who we had met in the parking lot, Stephanie Roch, happened to be the owner of the restaurant and quickly recognized as we came in. The restaurateur herself seated us and offered two different special four-course meals. We were star-struck. Talk about serendipity!
Nevertheless, the meal was, as the French say, tres magnifique.
