Snails taste like scallops

On Friday night, Kristy and I went out for our Valentine’s Dinner at La Trompette – a divine French restaurant just up the road from Ben and Michelle’s place. Yes, I know Valentine’s Day was Thursday but hello, have you ever been to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day? It’s horrid! Service is non-existent, the menu is usually limited and overpriced, blah blah blah. And yes, I know I’m the last of the romantics.

Anyway – my entree was the best part of my meal, in fact I wish I could have had it as my main (but a larger serve, of course). It was a chunk of fish, served in a crab sauce, with mussels. Or, if you prefer their version, “Steamed paupiette of seabass and crab with mussels à la marinière”.

For mains, I went with the pot roast – but just to French it up a bit, they served it with a snail sauce (“Roast fillet of beef, shallot purée, oxtail ragoût, persillade of snails, red wine sauce”). So far as I know, that’s the first time I’ve eaten snails, and for all accounts, they taste like scallops – just a little more chewy. I probably wouldn’t order them again but at the same time I also wouldn’t be offended if I found one my plate in the future (unless it was a live snail; that’d be weird).

Finally – for dessert, the “Tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream” (apple pie). Overall an absolutely delicious meal; my only complaint was we only got one round of bread!