On the umpteenth beautiful day of this endless summer, 32 members and their guests gathered at Restaurant Sofa, beautifully situated within an estate along the River Maas in Maastricht.

We were pleased that after a long absence John and Clara Smarius – respectively Chevalier and Dame de la Chaîne - were again able to participate in a Bailliage event. We were also able to welcome Özge Ascioglu who, after his recent move from Turkey, attended the lunch - his first in the Netherlands.

Thanks to the nice weather the reception was outdoors on the terrace where we enjoyed an excellent cava and two delicious amuse-bouches.

The question was lunch inside or outside? In view of the expected cloudiness and the still fresh wind it was decided to have lunch in the conservatory. With hindsight it was a wrong decision because the sun kept shining brightly and the temperature in the greenhouse was verging on tropical levels! A broken air conditioner could not change that. Fortunately, the great lunch drove this little inconvenience to the background.

The starter, which melted on your tongue, was a fusion between French and Asian cuisine accompanied by a sparkling white Sicilian wine. The delicious langoustine soup also had an Asian accent with the coconut. The accompanying Laurenz V. Grüner Veltliner ‘Silver Bullet’ from Austria was probably the best wine of that afternoon.

The grilled brill was cooked perfectly and was accompanied by a smooth, white Italian from Calabria. Super tender veal with seasonal vegetables and a full-bodied Tomàs Cusiné LLebre 2017 from Spain, were a successful combination for the main course.

Concluding the menu, dessert was simple but tasty, especially when partnered with a Sainte-Croix-du-Mont - Château Les Arroucats.

Thanks to the continuing good weather, the coffee and the friandises were served on the terrace.

Wim Sluijter
Bailli, South of the Netherlands