Give us this day our daily bread.  These are words that most of us have mumbled in passing, with or without conviction.  I wrote yesterday of the quality of the bakery around the corner and my arrogance about it having to be better than "super-marche" bread.  As I went in search of today's loaves and croissants, I discovered that the bakery was closed for a few minutes.  I remembered the bakery department of the super market and went there.  We were standing in line, about eight deep, waiting for the bread.  It costs me about half of what I had paid at the bakers, and was just as good.  It seems that they have bakers that are as passionate as the small guys.  Now I have to decide whether to save money or save small business. 

We had wandered towards Old Nice on Tuesday, and went to the train station today to prepare for our trip to Avignon. At Lunch we got a chance to try a Salad Nicoise.  It has tuna and anchovies and hard boiled eggs.  I enjoyed it immensely, Marsha avoided the "hairy fish"  I then started planning our dinner expedition.

I had read about a good place to eat on the "net".  It is called le Tire Bouchon (the cork screw).  We made reservations, and hopped a cab to the place.  It is tucked back in a series of small alleys.  The cook started us with a pate made from celery. Major-finger-licking good!  And then the 'starters'.  Marsha got a pumpkin soup that we tried licking the decals off the bowl when it was gone.  Real good stuff.  I had a quail breast with another puree of something, also PERFECT.  Marsha got duck and I got a beef dish that featured foi gras - duck liver.  This was not liver paste.  It was a slice of liver from a duck that was force-fed 3 times a day after it was eight weeks old.  About three weeks of this "life-style" was enough to get his liver about the size of a clenched fist.  This slice was about three quarters of an inch thick and sautéed.  It had the texture of fat, but so much softer.  This was my first slice and it was really damn good.  It was like a "Five Dollar Milk Shake".  Desserts and starters are pictured above.  we would have shown the main courses, but we were so damn gob-smacked by the food, Marsha forgot to shoot that course.  It was beautifully presented, slowly and deliberately served, tastier than hell.  It had to be one of the Top Ten meals we have ever shared with each other.  Perfect wine, atmosphere, service and flavors.  These folks were nice and had a great passion for food made real well.

"Man does not live by bread alone."  No, he does not!  Although, he could.  There is no reason to not taste all the tasty bits that come my way.