007 Food: A small tournedos with sauce Bearnaice and a coeur d’artichaut

Food: Carafe of vodka, caviar with plenty of toast, small tournedos with sauce Bearnaice and a coeur d’artichaut, avokado pear and coffee + champagne
Bond book appearance: Casino Royale (1953). Bond eats this kind of dinner with Vesper Lynd at a hotel Splendide in Royale-les-Eaux, France
Experience of 007 Travelers: Self-made

“As they deciphered the maze of purple ink which covered the double folio menu, Bond beckoned to the sommelier. He turned to his companion.
‘Have you decided?’
‘I would love a glass of vodka,’ she said simply, and went back to her study of the menu.
‘A small carafe of vodka, very cold,’ ordered Bond. He said to her abruptly: ‘I can’t drink the health of your new frock without knowing your Christian name.’
‘Vesper,’ she said. ‘Vesper Lynd.’
Bond gave her a look of inquiry.
‘It’s rather a bore always having to explain, but I was born in the evening, on a very stormy evening according to my parents. Apparently they wanted to remember it.’ She smiled. ‘Some people like it, others don’t. I’m just used to it.’
‘I think it’s a fine name,’ said Bond. An idea struck him. ‘Can I borrow it?’ He explained about the special martini he had invented and his search for a name for it. ‘The Vesper,’ he said. ‘It sounds perfect and it’s very appropriate to the violet hour when my cocktail will now be drunk all over the world. Can I have it?’
‘So long as I can try one first,’ she promised. ‘It sounds a drink to be proud of.’
‘We’ll have one together when all this is finished,’ said Bond.
‘Win or lose. And now have you decided what you would like to have for dinner? Please be expensive,’ he added as he sensed her hesitation, ‘or you’ll let down that beautiful frock.’

—

‘It’s a virtue, and anyway it’s only a good plain wholesome meal.’ He turned to the Maítre d’hôtel, ‘and bring plenty of toast.’
‘The trouble always is,’ he explained to Vesper, ‘not how to get enough caviar, but how to get enough toast with it.’
‘Now,’ he turned back to the menu, ‘I myself will accompany Mademoiselle with the caviar, but then I would like a very small tournedos, underdone, with sauce Bearnaise and a coeur d’artichaut. While Mademoiselle is enjoying the strawberries, I will have half an avocado pear with a little French dressing. Do you approve?’
The Maítre d’hôtel bowed.
‘My compliments, mademoiselle and monsieur. Monsieur George,’ he turned to the sommelier and repeated the two dinners for his benefit.
‘Parfait,’ said the sommelier, proffering the leather-bound wine list.
‘If you agree,’ said Bond, ‘I would prefer to drink champagne with you tonight. It is a cheerful wine and it suits the occasion – I hope’ he added.
‘Yes I would like champagne,’ she said.
With his finger on the page, Bond turned to the sommelier:
‘The Taittinger 45?’
‘A fine wine, monsieur,’ said the sommelier. But if Monsieur will permit,’ he pointed with his pencil, ‘the Blanc de Blanc Brut 1943 of the same marque is without equal.’
Bond smiled. ‘So be it,’ he said.
‘That is not a well-known brand,’ Bond explained to his companion, ‘but it is probably the finest champagne in the world.

—

The little carafe of vodka had arrived in its bowl of crushed ice and Bond filled their glasses.
‘Well, I agree with you anyway,’ he said, ‘and now, here’s luck for tonight, Vesper.’
‘Yes,’ said the girl quietly, as she held up her small glass and looked at him with a curious directness straight in the eyes. ‘I hope all will go well tonight.’

She finished her story just as the waiters arrived with the caviar, a mound of hot toast, and small dishes containing finely chopped onion and grated hard-boiled egg, the white in one dish and the yoke in another. The caviar was heaped on to their plates and they ate for a time in silence.

The Maítre d’hôtel supervised the serving of the second course and then as they ate the delicious food, Bond continued.

Bond drank some champagne and continued.

He paused while the strawberries came and the avocado pear. For a while they ate in silence, then they talked of other things while the coffee was served. They smoked. Neither of them drank brandy or a liqueur. Finally, Bond felt it was time to explain the actual mechanics of the game.”

Ian Fleming: “Casino Royale” (1953)

See more 007 FOODS here