Granville's estate

"This... this also, maybe this would be a good idea."

Louis racked his brains, and didn't know how to get rid of Callister's sudden idea—to swear to the Virgin Mary, when he said he wanted to see the banquet on the river created by the British, He was really just talking casually!However, seeing Callister's tone and demeanor, the Viscount was seriously considering the possibility of taking him to a villa outside Paris for vacation.

Just when Louis was at a loss, I don't know if it was a coincidence, Cabo's voice cut in in time, breaking the strange stagnation in the small restaurant.

"Sir, Monsieur Farentin," said Carbo, pretending not to see the displeased glance of his master looking at him, but frankly received Louis' grateful gaze: "Today's soup is also from Chevet's restaurant." Specialty, young stag tender broth made of the freshest venison."

Served in octagonal ceramic soup bowls painted with honeysuckle and wisteria, steaming hot venison soup appeared after the lid topped with a gilt statuette of shepherds In front of Louis.This ceramic soup bowl seems to have just been brought down from the charcoal fire. In the clear and transparent venison soup, the green and light celery thin strips are still rolling up and down, as if they are still being stewed.

"What are those golden ones?" Louis asked, he saw that in the beautiful octagonal ceramic soup bowl, besides the green celery, he could also see finely broken pieces of gold floating.

"It's gold leaf, Monsieur Farentin." Carbo said, and he directed the servants to scoop the soup from the soup bowl into the small soup bowls in front of the two gentlemen, lest they have to do it themselves: "Recently, the restaurants in Paris are quite They like to do this kind of gimmick, and they think it can increase the value of the food."

The small soup bowl with the pattern of swimming fish was delivered to him, and Louis subconsciously stared at the tiny golden dots in the soup for a while, before he suddenly realized—it turned out that they had been beaten to become bigger than the wings of cicadas. Thin, edible gold leaf!He couldn't help but glanced up at Callister, who was sitting opposite him, but the other party didn't show any surprise to the precious metal that was put into the food.

"What's the matter?" Callister asked, gracefully stirring the venison soup in the soup bowl with his spoon, and drinking it with a spoonful.

"It's nothing," Louis said, stirring the bowl of soup with a spoon like Callister did, and then took a sip.

The broth in the mouth is unusually delicious, and the thinly sliced ​​celery not only does not overwhelm the guests, but adds another flavor to the soup; as for those tiny golden leaves, it seems to be melted in the soup. Louie didn't feel their presence at all.

"This is truly amazing craftsmanship!"

Louis told Calliste that he had to marvel at the wonderful craftsmanship of Chevet's chef: "I have also had venison stew before, and I have never seen anyone who can make such a wonderful taste." !"

"Naturally, Chevet's is one of the top restaurants in Paris." Callister said, putting down his spoon and looking at Louis with interest.

His gaze almost made Louis think that he accidentally touched the gold leaf on his face while drinking soup, so he touched his cheek subconsciously, but there was nothing.

"First... Mr. Callister, what are you looking at?"

"Nothing," Callister replied, but his demeanor was clearly teasing the person in front of him: "It's just that this stag soup reminds me of a verse in the Bible about gods and deer, since you are pious Believers, naturally you should know which sentence it is."

"A poem about gods and deer?"

Louis just thought about it, and immediately understood that what he said must be the sentence in the "Old Testament", "O God, my heart longs for you, as a deer longs for a brook", which should be full of pious hymns At this time, it seemed to have another meaning, and he blushed suddenly: "I don't seem to have heard of it, sir, I'm only a little learner, and I only learn according to the priest's teachings."

"It doesn't matter, I can teach you in person someday." Callister said without changing his face. This gentleman has fully demonstrated what a good quality a banker should have: "I believe that with your talent, you must can be mastered quickly.”

"you……"

"Ah, sir, Mr. Farentin, the stewed deer marrow bone meat is served now, which is also one of the famous dishes that need to be ordered at Chevet Restaurant."

Just like breaking the subtle embarrassment between Calliste and Louis last time, this time Cabo also brought in the waiter from the Chevet restaurant at a very appropriate time. I wonder if this attendant is monitoring their movements all the time.

This time, Yi learned to be obedient. He lowered his head slightly, watching the servants cut the fragrant stewed marrow and bone meat for them, without saying a word, so as not to attract Callister's teasing again-he didn't think With waiters and attendants around, this gentleman will restrain himself a bit!

Louis did not speak, but at this time the valet Cabo spoke, and he introduced this main dish to Louis very attentively: "Mr. A freshly slaughtered shin of a stag about a year old, grilled to medium-rare, doused with wine, and simmered for two hours with mashed potatoes, spinach, and lettuce until the gravy, vegetables, and Only when the flavors of marrow, bone and meat are integrated together can it be considered a success, I think you will like it very much."

"Generally speaking, other restaurants use calf's shin bone for bone marrow stew, because using venison requires more skill from the chef. This dish is also a very popular dish at Chevet Restaurant. We When Mister ordered to make a reservation this afternoon, he almost couldn’t make the reservation because it was too late!”

"Carbo," said the Viscount, who seemed a little displeased with his personal servant's overly attentiveness to Louis: "You talk too much, too."

"Ah, sir, it's not that I want to talk too much." Carbo said, looking rather aggrieved: "I just think, in order to keep my salary this year, this is a better way."

"What better way?"

At this moment, even Louis' curiosity was aroused. He looked at the viscount's personal valet and wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Sir, this is obvious. Rather than asking for your mercy and not deducting my wages, it is easier for me to pray for the mercy of Mr. Farentin and get his satisfactory evaluation of tonight's dinner." Carbo Said to his master, his cunning and clever appearance made Louis endure and endure, but he still couldn't help being amused.

"I can't influence your master's decision, Mr. Carbo." Louis said, with a smile in his voice: "This is not a very good idea."

"It will make me very depressed if you say that, Mr. Farentin." Carbo said, but he did not look depressed at all: "But I will not change my mind. Would you like a glass of wine? ?There is a small wine cellar in the basement of the bank, which stores wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux and Roussillon, as well as the finest wines made by Madame d'Anve in [-], as you know , the grape harvest in that year was very bad, but the quality of the wine produced in that year was also the best."

"Is there any wine from Madam Anvell?" Louis asked in surprise, but then he thought about it, for a powerful nobleman like the viscount, it might not be a big deal to have the works of the most famous winemaker in his collection. It's a strange thing; and as a person who grew up in the wine-producing area, he wanted to see Madam Anfu's wine, but he was too embarrassed to speak, so he couldn't help but hesitate for a while.

"Send for two bottles," Callister said to Carbo, who must have seen what Louis was thinking.

"Yes, sir." Karbo replied, he turned his head and gestured to another attendant, and that attendant immediately took the order and left.

The attendant who was sent returned soon, and the works of the famous winemaker were poured into a transparent glass and brought up. The red wine liquid was fragrant. Louis just tasted it, and he had to admit that the lady's reputation was indeed true. It lives up to its reputation.

"I remember that in [-], several people in Saint-Etienne left school early because of the bad grape harvest." He said to Callister with some nostalgia, "but after so many years, I have not Remember the names of those who left."

Callister glanced at him.

"I remember, it was indeed an unhappy year." The viscount replied pointedly, but whether the unhappiness he said was the same as the unhappiness that Louis said, only God knows.

When the attendant went to fetch the wine of Madame Angaud, Cabot had already ordered the waiter of the Chevet Restaurant to cut the soft stewed venison bone into a size suitable for the mouth and send it to Louis. It must be said that the stew was delicious and juicy. Venison is truly a treat with the most excellent wines!

This must be the grandest banquet Louis has ever tasted. The delicacy of each dish is unimaginable in restaurants in other provinces. After the stewed deer marrow and bone meat, Kabo sent other dishes one after another: a dish of oil Fried sole with creamy mashed potatoes, a signature dish that, according to Kabo, is ordered by everyone who comes to Chevet's for their education (regardless of their country of origin); a Subiz Steak, sauce made with onion, butter and cream is simply the pinnacle of French cooking; an egg cream made with whipped cream, the snow-white cream stacked in a small cut glass bowl looks like The perennial ice and snow on the top of the Alps is smoother than the softest pudding.

And after all the main courses were eaten, the last dessert served was Chevet's famous foie gras matsutake tart and a plate of crispy egg rolls, and there was actually a marzipan A small basket made of fondant.

"what is this?"

Louis looked suspiciously at the delicate little basket that was half a foot long and was brought in by the attendant—yes, it was brought in, just like a shepherdess carrying the basket she used to collect flowers—he kept At first, I thought that Cabo had someone bring a flower basket in, and I was still wondering why I didn't think of such a decorative thing until after the meal.

"Ah, Monsieur Farentin." Carbo replied, and he asked the waiter to put the marzipan basket full of colorful candies in front of Louis: "This is a candy basket from Chevre, I think you should know like."