Since Paris and Toulouse are not in my travel plans this winter, I have had to satisfy my annual winter urge for cassoulet with local DC restaurants and my own cooking. So far the results are very mixed. Over the last month I have had cassoulet at Bistrot du Coin, Bistrot Lepic, Les Halles, and La Miche (Bethesda). By far the most satisfying was found at Bistrot Lepic. As with all the restaurants, the issue is not the size of the dish but what is inside and how it is done. Bistrot Lepic offered the full complement of expected meats and sausages, including a very fine leg of duck confit. As important, the beans were not mushy, but the dish was still sufficiently moist. Overall, this was a very good effort particularly since I enjoyed it by happenstance as an item on their DC restaurant week lunch menu. Bistrot du Coin provided an okay cassoulet with all the essential elements. Certainly the fact that is readily available on a daily basis is a plus as is the fact that they offer a very good selection of wines (a plus for Bistrot Lepic as well). Less satisfying was the cassoulet at Les Halles (despite it being readily available), and their less than outstanding wine list. The least desirable was found at Le Miche. Their idea of cassoulet is found in a so called Peruvian white bean that reminded me of a giant lima bean. The name and appearance might have been okay if the beans had not dissolved into mush. Even more odd was the fact that there was no sausage at all, let alone a garlic sausage. Finally, forget the wine (as I did perhaps for the first time ever eating cassoulet); even Montgomery County rules does not deserve the blame for this list. Altogether a very unsatisfying experience. Given it is freezing outside my desire for cassoulet continues much to my family's disappointment. The folks at Lavandou promised they would let me know when they have it on the menu, which they do several times each winter. I anxiously await as I do any other suggestions of restaurants with cassoulet to die for.