On French Food

Most of us Francophiles return regularly because of the food! For instance, a recent lunch at the Hotel du Commerce in Pont D’Ouilly, Normandy: shrimp in avocado on lettuce with cream dressing, bread and house wine, roast veal with poached apples and mushrooms in a butter sauce with a garnish of chives, creme caramel and coffee. Delightful . . . and less than $20 for two. Or, if you’re in a rush, eat at a cafeteria in any shopping mall. Better yet, on any highway, eat with the truckers (and knowledgeable locals) at a Les Relais Routiers. Many of these roadside restaurants serve family-style at long tables.

JIM and BECKIE WHEELER

Carpinteria