Corlette Family

Category: Food

  • Carrefours Contact Vignon-en-Quercy

    Carrefours Contact Vignon-en-Quercy

    The quality of food you can get in France is amazing, but sometimes finding a place that is actually open can be difficult. To the rescue comes our “local” Carrefours Contact, which is about 8km downhill from La Redole, just before you get to Vignon-en-Quercy. The quality of the food is pretty good—not like you’ll find at the farmer’s markets, but still good. And you can get all the sundries you can’t find elsewhere: cereal, jams, wine, housewares, etc. We typically go here to stock up when we first arrive.

    Our kids love the fresh-squeezed orange juice; make sure you bring the screw-top jars from the house and refill them. Also pick up some of the mosquito repellant (the smoke coils work pretty well) and some Bonne Maman jellies (a local producer that you can also find in the US).

    This Carrefours also has a gas station, a laundromat, and even a carwash.

  • Boucherie Manevy Eric

    Boucherie Manevy Eric

    It’s not hard to get good-quality meat in this region, but finding a single place that carries everything you might want is harder. This boucherie has a good selection of meats including poultry, and is of excellent quality. Try the saucisson sec (a specialty of the region) and the pintade (a bird similar to a chicken but more flavorful).

    This place is just off the main square of Meyssac (where they hold the farmer’s market), up the street to the left. Most days you can find street parking close by, but on market days we’d recommend parking up the road a bit – see the Farmer’s Market entry for details.

  • Boulangerie/Pâtisserie La Fontaine aux Gourmandises

    Boulangerie/Pâtisserie La Fontaine aux Gourmandises

    Finding the best bread in the region can be tricky, as sometimes the good places close or fall off in quality. Of course, nearly any place that sells bread will still be better than anything you can get in the U.S.!

    Our favorite place at the moment is La Fontaine aux Gourmandises in Meyssac, which has excellent country baguettes as well as croissant and pain au chocolat. In fact, we often make a run over there in the morning to purchase our breakfast pastries! Also try the pain rustique—which will last a few days before going stale—and the excellent patisseries.

    This place is just off the main square of Meyssac (where they hold the farmer’s market), just above the central fountain. Most days you can find street parking close by, but on market days we’d recommend parking up the road a bit – see the Farmer’s Market entry for details.

  • Meyssac Farmer’s Market

    Meyssac Farmer’s Market

    The Meyssac Farmer’s Market, held every Tuesday and Friday (and Sundays in July/August), is our preferred market for regular grocery shopping. Here you’ll find excellent fruits and veggies, as well as cheese, meat, and poultry vendors and even some prepared foods. Although smaller than Brive’s market, the produce is sometimes even better quality, plus the proximity of our favorite bread store and a full-service butcher is handy. More info on Meyssac’s website.

    Unless you get there very early, park in the lot at left off of the D38 after you pass through Collonge-la-Rouge (red box on map). Then walk further along D38 until you reach the center of town (yellow oval. Bring your shopping bags!

  • Brive Farmer’s Market

    Brive Farmer’s Market

    The Farmer’s Market in Brive is the largest in the area, and reliably has amazing produce, prepared foods, and even crafts and clothing. Hosted in the Halle George Brassens plus the adjoining covered market and parking lot, you’ll find over a hundred individual stalls selling fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, cheese, household items, clothing, and crafts.

    The market is held every Tuesday and Saturday morning during the summer, and parking is available underneath in Parking Guierle (enter by going north on Ave. du 14 juillet).

    Within the hall itself you will find the prepared meat vendors: poultry, saucisson, foie gras. Under the covered market you’ll find vegetables and fruits, with cheese, meat, and fish trucks parked at the edges. Out on the open parking lot you’ll find more veggies and fruits, breads, cheese, meat, fish, and other prepared foods. And further out in the parking lot you’ll find the housewares, clothing, and crafts.

    Make sure you find the olive lady who has wonderful mixed varieties and tapenades; sample the local saucisson sec of several types; try the apricots, pêche plat, plums, and other fruit when they are in season, especially the small melons; and grab some paella for a lunch on the go.