Yann's is just the job when French takes your fancy

May 26 2008 By Lady Who Lunches

EMERGENCY drive to the vet in Crieff after Granny's West Highland Terrier - Brumbie - swallowed a brillo-pad!

The wretched little animal was foisted on me after Granny announced she was off to the Italian Lakes with her equally spry neighbour, Connie. "Maybe we'll meet a couple of toyboys," they cackled when I dropped them off at the airport. "Heaven help the Italians," I thought as I made a quick exit!

Don't get me wrong, normally I love dogs. But Brumbie is the bane of everyone's life and members of my family have been known to fake illness, last minute work commitments, ANYTHING, to get out of looking after the incontinent, bad-tempered, badly-trained little mutt.

No sooner had I returned chez-moi, when my worst fears were realised. Making a mad dash for freedom, Brumbie dived into the kitchen, bit the cleaner and swallowed the brillo-pad.

Although it didn't seem to cause any adverse effects at the time, I thought it might be prudent to let the vet give him the once-over. Turned out to be a smart move, as he needed a small op to remove the offending item.

While Brumbie slept off the after effects of the anaesthetic, I arranged to meet friend Caroline for a spot of lunch. She suggested we meet at Yann's at Glenearn House, a newly-opened "restaurant with rooms" on the Perth Road.

As you might glean from the name, Yann's is French with a capital 'F', and the brainchild of chef Yannick Grospellier and his Crieff-born wife Shari.

Yann was born and bred in the Haute Savoie in the French Alps, and started cooking at the age of 13, making crepes at his parents' restaurant in Chamonix.

The Bistro-style restaurant features many dishes from his home region with specialities such as Fondue and Pierrade on the menu, as well as bistro classics like French onion soup, Coq au Vin, steak frites and tarte tatin. Even frogs' legs get a mention, although I'm not sure he'll get too many takers in Perthshire.

Caroline and I both went for the croque monsieur, washed down with two white wine spritzers (I felt that drinking at lunchtime was entirely justified after the performance I went through trying to lure an extremely reluctant Brumbie into the car!).

But forget the toasted cheese sandwiches that are often passed of as croques, these babies were the real thing, topped with a gorgeously gooey bechamel sauce, crisped to perfection under the grill. Served with a green salad and frites, they made a deliciously tasty lunch. Two creme brulees and a round of coffees finished off one of the best lunches I've had in ages.

Venue: Yann's at Glenearn House, Perth Road, Crieff

Food: Full-on French

Decor: Victorian villa has been fabulized into a classy restaurant with rooms

Service: Faultless

Price: £21.50