I was lured to Lyon by the promise of it being the gastronomic capital of France, quite an impressive thing to a boast in a country where food is considered sacred wherever you go. Though about 90% of the restaurants I wanted to go to were closed for August, we ended up at a total gem: Le Bouchon des Filles. Located in a little side street, this restaurant charms you from the instant you walk in, with it's checkered tablecloths and homey vibe. The restaurant is run by two sisters, one of them helps prep the food by day (and took my reservation when I walked in earlier that afternoon), and then becomes the sole (and unbelievably efficient) waitress for the entire 30 or so person restaurant. The other sister does most of the cooking, and boy is she a great chef. From the moment we began eating we were totally blown away with the quality of this food. The pinnacle of the meal was my Quenelle Lyonnaise, a poorly described fish mousse in shellfish broth. It was so much, much more, and it is a must try if you come to this restaurant. Which you most certainly should.
Lyon itself is a pretty city, and substantial in size - actually the second largest in France. But because it is August (at least, we hope that's why), the city was completely dead. Like, almost abandoned. But we had a great time biking around, and a particularly great time biking around the totally awesome Parc de la Tete d'Or, another MUST SEE when you come here.
View the slideshow below. (Put it in full screen mode for better quality! Also, to view our captions you may have to click on 'show info'. Enjoy!)