One for all, and all for meat!

Lyon is such a meat market. Literally.

Like the musketeer, D’Artagnan Meats make a dashing addition to your dinner plans. The founder, Ariane Daguin, started the company to meet the demand for quality duck in the U.S.A. Moulard duck is the backbone of Gascony cuisine, Ariane’s (and d’Artagnan’s) homeland, where the locals have a special region of their brain reserved for duck recipes, traditions, and folklore (or so Ariane claims). Today, their lineup still includes duck confit, luscious slices of fresh foie gras, rillettes, and smoked duck breast. But they’ve expanded to carry amazing sausages, salamis, and terrines from duck, goose, rabbit, wild boar, beef and lamb. Now that the days linger deep into the evening, there’s nothing better than popping open a bottle of wine, tearing up a baguette, tossing crunchy greens and serving it a savory platter of meats while the sunlight slips away.

Wine @ PG
Get 10% off any six bottles

Gascony is not just a land of duck fat dripped cuisine; Côtes-de-Gascogne consistently produces some of our favorite whites and red at our favorite price point: $9.99!

2007 Sichel Rouge Côtes-de-Gascogne ($9.99)
We were all impressed at just how well-made this Vin de Pays showed to be. The Sichel family has properties in several regions of France, and they brought the expertise they’ve garnered to Gascony. Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with some Tannat and Syrah, the Cotes de Gascogne is quite well-balanced, with medium tannins and a lovely persistence. The unusual blend is perfectly melded, its inky color hinting at the aromas of full red fruit, herbs and a hint of pepper. Great for merguez, smoked duck breast, and duck salami!

2008 Domaine de Mirail Colombard Côtes-de-Gascogne ($8.99)
An unbelievable value! This zippy white comes from a family farm in the heart of Armagnac. Cold-pressed to preserve the French Colombard grape’s fresh, fruity aromatics, the wine is then aged sur-lie for four months for added complexity. With loads of verve, this wine is great for salads; try it with a frisée salad with crispy ventrèche.

2009 Domaine de Cassagnoles Côtes-de-Gascogne ($9.99)
From a 76ha estate in Gascony come this blend of the local white trifecta: French Colombard, Ugni Blanc, and Gros Manseng. The first two grapes bring a crisp acidity, limestone, and citrus notes, while the Gros Manseng rounds out the wine with flavors of ripe stone fruit. A versatile, pleasurable wine that complements patés and cheeses.

2007 Seigneurs de Monbazillac ($11.99) 375mL
North of Gascony and east of Sauternes you can find the small appellation of Monbazillac. Like Sauternes, the wines produced here sweet, noble rot wines that are incredibly balanced. The fungus that covers the grapes after they begin to ripen not only imparts lovely aromas, it preserves the natural acid of the grapes even while the sugar content rises. Like clean honey, this blend of Sauvignon Blanc (30%), Semillon (60%), and Muscadelle (10%) has a vivid nose, with delicate floral notes, ripe apricot and honeysuckle. Surprisingly fresh, it is phenomenal with foie gras and bleu cheese.

Cheese @ PG

Look at these kids!

Fromagerie Picandine sits in the heart of the Périgord Blanc, a lush region of limestone plateaux, wide valleys, and rolling meadows. They produce some exquisite and adorable goat cheese specialties. While you can’t always judge a cheese by its packaging, or even its appearance or smell, with the Picandine cheeses, you definitely can. Their fantastic logo, a sinuous line drawing of a buck and doe nuzzling, lets you know that their cheeses come from the milk of happy goats in love. Le Picandou ($2.99 each) has that perfectly sweet-yet-sour flavor you look for in a fresh chèvre. It’s incredibly fresh-tasting and divinely creamy. We wrap the 1.4 ounce disks up individually, and they’ve become a customer favorite for a quick, convenient, and delicious snack. And I’m probably a little too thrilled about Picandou à Tartiner ($7.99 each), the same cheese in a 4.4 ounce resealable package. Now you can save a little for later. Finally, we have Bûchettes Picandine ($6.79 each), individually-wrapped packages of three “little logs” of aged goat cheese that would be perfect for a picnic. They have just enough age to offer some nice acidity and nuttiness, but still possess the subtle tang of a fresh chèvre.

The Picandine goat cheeses make great on-the-go snacks, but you can also ooh-and-ah over them at home. Broil it on rustic bread, mix it with pasta, or dollop a bit on top of a salad. Oh, and did I mention that they’re really cute?

Charcuterie @ PG
It rhymes!

Duck: D’Artagnan’s slices of Raw Duck Foie Gras ($98/lb) are so plump and creamy looking, they’re like silk-sheathed down pillows in your mouth! We also have a ready-to-eat Foie Gras Terrine ($24.79). Don’t forget about Duck Leg Confit ($11.99ea) and the peppery Smoked Duck Breast ($30.99/lb), both are delicious on salad.

Sausage: Both the dry Pork Saucisson Sec ($8.99/8oz) and the gamey Wild Boar Saucisson ($6.49/4oz) are luscious. In fresh sausage, we have too many awesome flavors to list… you’ll have to come see for yourself! And don’t forget about Ventrèche — once you start using salted pork belly, it is mighty hard to stop.

Terrines: We have three kinds of terrine in convenient 8oz molds: Mousse Truffée, with chicken and turkey livers and truffles; Mousse Basquaise, from duck liver, Port, and red bell peppers; and the chicken and turkey liver Peppercorn Mousse. They are all only $10.99!

Pantry Items: It’s always good to have Duck Fat ($7.99/7oz), Veal Demi Glace ($8.99/7.5oz), and Black or White Truffle Butter ($9.99/3oz and $12.99/3oz) on hand! They add an easy elegance to the simplest dishes.

Confits & Chutneys

A little bit of relish is a great way to balance a cheese and charcuterie platter. Try L’Epicurien’s Grape Must Mustard ($12.99/7oz) on the Rabbit, Pork and Ginger Sausage, or the Shallot Confit (S10.49/7oz) with Saucisson Sec. Boat Street’s Pickled French Plums ($9.99) are delicious on Foie Gras and all kinds of Pate. We have mile-high shelving with all kinds of preserves: come mix and match at your pleasure!