Auberge de l’Abbaye

We drove through the hilltop town of Beaumont-en-Auge in the afternoon, after losing a few francs at the horse races in Deauville.

Covered with autumn-reddened ivy and marked with the sigil of Sir Robert Bertrand, 14th-century Marshal of France, the restaurant sits right in the center of town.

We began with some small amuse bouches from the chef, followed by country pâté and a delicious rack of oysters in Normandy cream.

The steak arrived tender, almost swollen with juices, easily cut with a butterknife. The au poivre sauce was perfectly balanced: creamy, rich but not heavy, with perhaps the best pepper flavor tasted to date.

Sliced potatoes, cut thin and lightly fried, finished the plate, along with a garnish of leek, perfectly-cooked split haricots vert, and an unknown seaweed-like mushroom.

We finished up our last bottle of Château les Ormes de Pez ’95 Saint Estèphe over the cheese course: Pont-l’Évêque, Pavé d’Auge (“it tastes like how a cow smells”), and a delicious Neufchatel.

By the time the Grand Marnier soufflé arrived, we knew we had a new winner.

Avoid the smoking room.