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L’Astrée – one of the best restaurants in Roanne, Roannais.
A second visit to this quietly understated restaurant in the centre of Roanne, in the Roannais, did not disappoint.
The restaurant interior and presentation somewhat belies its roadside exterior, but the menu from chef, Simon Falcoz, is exquisite. Beautiful surroundings, attentive, unassuming service, and high quality food – second only to the famous Maison Troisgros, only a few paces further down the street! And at much more accessible prices. Just, simply excellent value.
As we have previously expounded many times, the Roannais region is a gastronomic haven for ‘foodies’. There are many restaurant establishments which are worth a visit. Of course, part of the Rhône-Alpes region around Lyon which is regarded as the French capital of good food.
Restaurant l’Astrée, 52 Cours de la République – 42300, Telephone: 04 77 72 74 22
See also: Restaurant l’Astrée in Roanne
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The Art and Magic of famous chocolatier François Pralus in the Roannais.
It was August Pralus who invented and created the delicious ‘Praluline’, a tasty soft brioche that stimulates the taste-buds, steeping us in the enchantment of childhood memories at the first mouthful.
August Pralus, who was born in the Loire in March 1920, opened his first pastry-shop in Roanne in 1948.
He was a pastry cook of great talent and in 1955 he obtained the envied title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France, an award he won because of his skills and his demanding quality standards. He subsequently became Chairman of the Pastry Cook’s Union, then member of the Culinary Academy of France, Chevalier of Arts, Sciences and Letters and finally the great honour of the French Order of National Merit was bestowed upon him.
It is the exceptional Praluline, one of his own personal creations which has been a great success for many years, celebrating its fiftieth anniversary of good taste in 2005 and has now become a local and regional tradition of taste, luxury, and quality.
Today his son, François Pralus has taken over the family business and is carrying on the tradition of excellence of the house, now offering an extensive high quality range of chocolate products for all occasions.
François Pralus is an exceptional Master Chocolate Maker because he is one of the few in France to manufacture his own chocolate. Today almost 100 tons of Pralus Chocolate are manufactured and sold each year.
François Pralus works with dried cocoa beans that he receives from the very best cocoa plantations all over the world, especially from South American and Indonesia.
From these exceptional beans he produces around fifteen pure varieties and 4 blends.
“I do everything myself says François Pralus, rather than buying from specialised suppliers.”
And he has gone even further since he now has his own cocoa bean plantation in Madagascar.
François Pralus has always passionately loved Madagascar and has owned a cocoa bean plantation and a packaging plant there since the year 2000. Madagascar.
With a concern for protecting the environment and the quality of its cocoa beans the plantation has made a commitment to sustainable development and since 2007 it has held an Bio Ecocert certification. Created in 1991, Ecocert is an independent body specialised in certifying organic farming products.
François Pralus is one of the very few chocolate makers who roast their own cocoa beans, thus manufacturing his chocolate from beginning to end. In his factory in Roanne, he receives the very best varieties of cocoa beans from around twenty tropical regions of the world.
Converting cocoa beans into chocolate is a long process and requires a lot of know-how to keep the flavour of the beans intact and produce a chocolate of incomparable taste.
Praluline
One lovely morning Auguste Pralus places a brioche with pralines in his showcase. Since that special day in 1955, the Praluline has never lost its premier position in each of the showcases in the Pralus pastry shops.
Often imitated, but never matched! On certain Saturdays the shop will sell more than 800 Pralulines! A rich brioche flavored with pieces of pralines made in-house: Valencia almonds and Piedmont hazelnuts coated in rose sugar and then cracked. The addition of these rosy nut bits adding a unique flavor and texture to make the creation so special! The Praluline is regularly sent to enthusiasts over the world (USA, Japan, Sweden…)
This star of the Maison Pralus has also become a culinary ambassador for the region of Roanne.
“Marvellous buttery brioche filled with rose pralines” The Praluline has traversed its local borders to become the uncontested star in all of the Pralus shops, including Paris!