Perhaps Grace Kelly dined here, or at least nearby or at least she drove up here from time to time. Driving a sports car on the fabled corniches roads of the French Riviera, sometimes the destination would be a village, a restaurant, a terrace with a view – a platter of fine food and wine to accompany.

In the village of Mougins there are many good to great restaurants.

25 years ago in Mougins the feted Michelin star’d Moulins de Mougins offered a 12 course taster menu.

Twelve tiny plates with a visual work of art described by pate, glazing, vegetable, duck, cherries, cheese, lamb, sorbet and so on. Not mixed together of course, that was the key.

Each plate introduced itself visually and to the taste buds, so clearly as to describe a country, a region, fully and completely. The next plate another place, and so on to the twelfth.

Each plate was brought at the right moment, when words were beginning to run out or be repeated to try and describe the full-on experience of the last.

Each plate was introduced as if it were a new guest who had flown in, arrived at the restaurant and sat down to join the party with stories of the journey traveled.

Moulins de Mougins, The Mill of Mougins, in those hills now feted for food and entrepreneurship (yes it is alive in this part of France)- where new things are both tried and tasted while at the same time others are invented and delivered to a waiting world.

What a dream – a dozen woven tastes that I remember with delight and enthusiasm today.

Happy eating!

[ Originally published on TheExplorateurPortfolio.com October 2011 ]