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Once again I had a sumptuous meal at my favorite restaurant when I'm in the mood to eat the finest simple food in the world. I have never had better snails than the huge Burgundy snails that L'Ami Louis purchases live and then marries them with the finest garlic butter and parsley I have ever tasted. They are spectacular to both smell and devour. The Coquilles St.-Jacques Provençal provides another over-dose of garlic and butter. In January they are especially sweet, although this year they did not appear to be as big as last year. Next we enjoyed this bistro's famous roasted chicken, the finest rendering of this dish I have ever had. That was followed by a tiny baby leg of lamb, again the finest lamb I have ever had. The french fries can range from marvelously sublime to greasy, and the famed potato cake is my favorite way of eating potatoes ... in the world. Par-boiled French potatoes are sautéed in goose fat, put in a cheesecake-sized mold, baked in the wood burning ovens, and when finished, copious quantities of fresh garlic and parsley are dumped on the top. Very simple - but what an amazing dish!

The wines were also spectacular, beginning with a ravishing bottle of delicate yet substantially flavored, intense 1996 Deutz Cuvée William Deutz Rosé Champagne. We then opened a magnum of 2003 Chapoutier Ermitage Cuvée de l'Orée, a white wine that seemingly has no acid, but unreal, honeyed, concentrated flavors. It worked amazingly well with the heavy, garlic-laden, buttery snails and scallops. Next we moved to two stunning Châteauneuf du Papes from two producers that are quickly emerging as up-and-coming stars of the appellation. The 2003 Saint-Préfert Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Charles Giraud offers gorgeous black cherry/kirsch notes interwoven with pepper and resiny characteristics, followed by ample, full-bodied, voluminous flavors. Neither heavy nor hot, I suspect the alcohol is in the 15% range. This wine should drink well for 10-12 years. Darker, more primordial, denser, and fuller, the 2003 Clos Saint-Jean Châteauneuf du Pape Deus-Ex Machina. This stunning offering boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as gorgeous aromas of blackberries, plums, licorice, pepper, and kirsch. Full-bodied and more tightly-knit than the Saint-Préfert, it has the potential to age well for 12-15 years. This is a brilliant effort from an up-and-coming estate in Châteauneuf du Pape. The renowned oenologist Philippe Cambie has brought his considerable talents to this estate. We concluded with another brilliant single vintage Hermitage from Chapoutier, the 2003 Ermitage Le Méal, which comes from a relatively warm site on Hermitage Hill. Its dense purple color was accompanied by a sumptuous bouquet of raspberries, crème de cassis, flowers, and spice. Full-bodied and unctuously-textured with low acidity and over 15% alcohol (which was not noticeable), this is a potential legend in the making from Chapoutier.