La Ribaudière, Bourg Charente, Cognac, France.

Our late spring trip to France featured a number of restaurants that have a Michelin star and this was one of them--it was my husband's favorite meal of the trip. The , chefs Thierry and Julien Verrat (father and son) create fine cuisine where invention goes hand in hand with La Ribaudière’s natural surroundings. The owner of a vineyard and a truffle field, Verrat is passionate about the Charentais region, which is a real land of plenty. Here, he creates dishes that bring out the best of his excellent ingredients with delicacy and conviction, using the full panoply of local produce, ranging from Cognac and Pineau des Charentes to wild snails and fish from the nearby Atlantic.

Practically by default it has become the go-to place for VIPs that are in the area visiting the Cognac houses. La Ribaudière encompasses a main dining room, terrace, private salon and a bar that offers its own menu of reasonably priced bistro dishes at lunch. The outdoor seating, and the tables near the floor-to-ceiling windows, present views of the pastoral countryside and the Charente River, which was a bathing spot of the beloved King Francois I. Inside, touches of whimsy are added to the mostly white décor via colorful glassware and a chime decoration made from kitchen utensils.

Then there was the food. It was explosively flavorful and also thematic. My spouse's favorite course was the duck course, which featured a smoked duck egg custard, a duck neck stuffed with fois gras, cured duck, dried duck and so on. As we neared the end we got one of our favorites, the cheese selection, and of course we had cognac. When we return we will have to do some additional tasting of that and then bring some home to share.