Bakery – Page 13

Paris – Marché Monge, Rue Montorgueil Market Steet, and More Croissants

October 20, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Markets & Grocers, Paris, France, Travel

During our last full day in Paris, we made no plans, "réservations pour le dîner, oui", but really had no real plans other than that.

So, during our breakfast at the Hotel Monge, we came up with our plans for the morning.

Well, at least a place to start. We headed down Rue Monge, one block later we headed west on Rue Lacépède, then turning down Rue Mouffetard. Several blocks down starts the really well known part of Rue Mouffetard, known as Marché Mouffetard, the street that Hemingway dubbed as "A Moveable Feast".

Things were quiet on this morning.

It was still too early in the morning it seems. So when we got to the Paroisse Saint Medard, we decided to head back up to Place Monge. We'd return to Rue Mouffetard the next morning.

At Place Monge; we noticed that it was market day.

The entire square was taken over with booths selling prepared food, produce, meat, and of course fromage.

We always enjoy these markets, as we get to watch everyday life.

And having been to a couple of places in France, we had to smile at places that jogged our memory.

Remember the "Route du foie gras"?

And having just returned from Strasbourg, I just had to crack up when I saw this…..

I recalled how the Missus could not pass up that choucroute garnie?

I did ask the Missus if She wanted some; but She wistfully told me; "I'm still full and it's too early in the morning". so perhaps we'll have to head back to Alsace one of these days.

From here we headed up Rue Monge.

Crossed over the Seine on Boulevard du Palais.

This was the busy 1st Arrondissement. There's a lot going on here; the Louvre, the Jardine de Tuileries, Jardin du Palais Royal, it's all here.

That's the Fontaine du Palmier on Place du Châtelet, like may things in Paris, it has quite a story.

The Tour Saint-Jacques (Saint-Jacques Tower), once part of Church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie ("Saint James of the butchers"), which was demolished in 1793. All that remains is the tower.

The tower indicated that we were getting close to our next destination.

Once we came across Les Halles, which used to be the central market and has a great long history. It was demolished in 1971 and replaced with the Les Halles Forum a shopping mall.

A short turn right and you're on Rue Montorgueil; one of the most well known Market Street….as like we were often told; is "très différent du marché de rue"….the difference between a "street market" and a "market street".

There are businesses, like La Maison Stohrer to the right; established in 1730, that claims to have invented Rum Baba.

There's an interesting mix of tourists…..

And locals……

It's a wonderful miasma of sights, sounds, and smells.

I'd been told by some folks that people in Paris were quite rude. And while we had run into a few folks who basically didn't want anything to do with tourists……there were so many wonderful folks like the nice woman who saw us staring at the Rue Montorgueil sign and came up to us and asked, "Monsieur, Madame, are you lost, do you need some help?" We never forget these moments as it makes us better human beings. We are all more alike then we are different. It is much harder to be cruel and cold than it is to be kind.

We had done our exploring for the day and decided to head back to the hotel. We knew that lunch really wasn't in the cards. The Missus decided that perhaps we should continue our "croissant quest" on Rue Monge.

Maison Gregoire was a block away from our hotel. Of course we got the croissant "au buerre" (croissants made with butter, not margarine).

This one was a little light in the butter side of things and on the dry side. In terms of flakiness and lightness it hit the mark.

Maison Grégoire
69 rue Monge
75005 Paris, France

Catty corner from Maison Grégoire is another Artisan Boulangerie.

Same drill…except when I removed the croissant from the package….good lord!

Burnt, bitter,….incinerated. Dry as all heck. The lady in the bakery seemed detached and it seems that she just didn't care. This was horrible.

Boulangerie Teillet Philippe
66 rue Monge
75005 Paris, France

Our quest for a favorite croissant continues…….

Marie Callender’s (revisits)

September 3, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog since 2005. Sort of an old fashioned way of communicating about meals enjoyed with people nowadays posting photos instantly on other forms of social media. Usually there's a story involved with meals, sometimes, there isn't. Cathy is writing while Kirk is enjoying another day off.

In the 1930's, Marie Callender began a pie business, delivering to restaurants in Orange County. In 1964, she opened her own pie and coffee shop and in 1969, a full service restaurant. Today there are over 50 restaurants in the USA and Mexico and some products are sold in grocery stores. We are fortunate to have a nearby restaurant.

I posted about a birthday meal here two years ago. Comfort foods with a slice of pie for dessert.

Every meal begins with a large piece of fresh baked, still warm cornbread and butter brought to the table.
This golden bread is sweet and tender and unique. I've tried various 'copycat' recipes, but in the end, purchase the mix sold in grocery stores.
There is a "Pair and Share" special for $25 or $30. It includes an appetizer; we chose the cheesy artichoke dip-decadent and wonderful. Good thing they included a spoon, so there would be no leftovers or dirty fingers…
Two entrees are part of the P&S meal. This is the 'Traditional Frisco'- a 1/3 lb burger served on sourdough grilled with Parmesan.
This is the "Traditional French Dip" (the bread wasn't as soft as I'd like; needed to be dipped). Both came with fries and were part of a nice meal.
The meal includes two slices of pie. This is the French Apple, with a cinnamon crumble topping.
This is the German chocolate: chocolate cream, coconut, chopped pecans over a layer of chocolate on the crust.

We returned recently with a vacationing visitor. The cornbread was brought to the table.

Vegetable soup was chosen instead of an appetizer for both of our "Pair and Share" $30 meal. It was a great soup, filled with non-mushy vegetables.
A Hot Turkey Sandwich was one choice-Thanksgiving in the summer! Just right.
The other choice was a Meatloaf Dinner; again, great comfort food done well.
The mini pot pie ($11.99) was a perfect serving size and included a salad and dessert.
We had to get the slices of pie 'to go'. Double cream blueberry (vanilla custard and sour cream), coconut cream and double cream lemon (lemon custard and sour cream).

Marie Callender's 6950 Alvarado Road San Diego, CA 92120 (619)465-1910 Mon-Sat 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Website

2019 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade Float Road Test #3 (meals at Kolache Factory (Tustin) and Douglas Burgers #23 (Lake Elsinore))

August 29, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Ontario/Riverside/San Bernadino, CA, Orange County, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, this is a food blog. The first part of today's post will be about the events centered around food. Cathy is writing; Kirk is on a break.

For your convenience: here are links to Road Tests #1/2 Road Tests #4/5 and Road Test #6

Another road test of mechanics and maneuverability for floats participating in the 130th Tournament of Roses Rose Parade, which will roll down the streets of Pasadena (and on your television) on January 1, 2019 occurred last Saturday at Phoenix Decorating Company in Irwindale. (There are three other float builders as well as six 'self built' floats participating in the Parade).

There's a surreal quality to each float, and the Lions Clubs International entry for this parade is just so cute. "Rocking' The Vest" is a fun "rap" video title from 2011-the inspiration for this float (Lions wear a distinctive yellow vest when volunteering). A Boom Box is on the back seat of the Cadillac, part of having a 'musical instrument' on each float- in accordance with the theme-
The Melody of Life.

"Home Tweet Home is the entry from the City of Alhambra. The large bird outside of the birdhouse moves her head.

Shriners Clubs International features their mascot, Fezzy, on their float, "Fezzy's Garden of Hope and Healing". The butterfly on top of Fezzy's hat (a Fez), flutters.
United Sikh Mission has a float in the Rose Parade for a fifth year. It features a Rabab, a stringed instrument played by the founder (in 1500) of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak. The float title is "A Divine Melody Resonates In All". The message of peace, compassion and one loving God, the foundation of Sikh belief, will be featured in a unique song, "Eternal Cosmic Symphony" by Ghat Ghat Vaaje Naad.

Other floats were tested, in the shell stage; I'll be showing progress next month.

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Here's the food portion of this post.

We leave at 5 a.m., get to Tustin by 6:15 and stop somewhere within the vicinity of Red Hill Avenue. The Kolache Factory is a good choice for a quick snack.
Three kolaches were more than filling for the two of us. The most 'traditional' is the cherry topped sweet dough ($1.75), our 'breakfast dessert'.
The smaller kolache is a bacon-cheese filled delight ($2.45) which is a wonderful, savory, slightly sweet white dough.
The sausage, egg & cheese kolache in wheat dough (there's a choice) ($3.45) is larger, heavier and a filling meal for one; ideal if shared.

Kolache Factory #070 14091 Newport Avenue Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 730-2253 website

Those kolaches were filling! We weren't hungry after float viewing and drove over to the 15 freeway when hunger pangs started to set in. The Mister looked for 'breakfast' on his phone and the next exit (Central Avenue) in Lake Elsinore showed two places of interest. We stopped at the first one.

Douglas Burgers, #23. A few mentions (on Yelp) go back to 2009, saying it has been here 'forever', before the housing build up.

The long kitchen (under the menu board) has six flat top grills and an employee at each one. The drive through seems to move fast.

The Pancake Combo ($6.75) includes two (large) pancakes, three eggs (any style) and two sausage (or bacon). The pancakes are excellent; sweet and light with a thin crisp exterior. The sausage was good (skin on). Eggs perfectly cooked over easy.

There was a lot of bacon inside this breakfast sandwich ($6.25), even a piece on the exterior. Egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise: each bite perfect.

Douglas Burgers #23 18461 Dexter Avenue Lake Elsinore, CA 92532 (951)245-5441 Open Mon-Sat 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

The French Oven (Scripps Ranch)

August 18, 2018 Cathy Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

Here we are, back reading mmm-yoso!!! to see what food and/or adventure Kirk or Cathy has recently had. It's Cathy's turn to write.

Earlier this year, I was in a residential neighborhood (Avenida Magnifica, a two lane street with houses on either side) and saw a Recreation Center on the left and on my right, a small mall with a dog groomer, four pump gas station, liquor store, taco shop, a hair and nails place, dental office, pizza place and a small doctors office. In the corner, between the dental office and hair salon is The French Oven.

This is the menu of what's available in the counter. There's also another menu board listing prices of pre-order whole items (tarts and quiches).  It's not large inside; two glass refrigerated cases and a glass window at eye level. The breads available are to the right. There are some salads, fruit cups and fresh juice in the open refrigerated section just below along with bottled/canned beverages. Of course there is coffee available, in many forms. A (proper) nice baguette is $3.
Sweets behind the glass window.
Ham and cheese croissant ($4.75)
Black forest ham, Gruyere and Béchamel. Wonderful flavors on a buttery croissant.  There are 'egg bites' and quiches.

The Lorraine ($6.75) includes bacon, ham, onion and Swiss. It is quite a large serving. The pastry is light and crumbly. So very fresh. There is a selection of sandwiches on baguettes, around $8.
Or, if you aren't as hungry, there is a smaller sandwich on a ficelle (Similar to a baguette but thinner; 'ficelle' means 'string' in French) ($4.95).
Prosciutto, Brie, arugula and fig spread. The combination of salty, sweet, tart/bitter with the yeasty bread is just so right.

So many sweets to choose from. The pear tart ($4.75) was excellent. There's a layer of pastry cream on the crumbly crust, then the glaze and pear and nuts and a blackberry and it's all so very, very decadent.
Pretty much every time I feel overwhelmed with choices, reverting back to an old favorite, the almond croissant ($4.25) will always be a choice.

There are more items available, especially on weekends. Tables are out in front. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

The French Oven 10299 Scripps Trail San Diego 92131 (858) 536-8706 Open Wed-Sun 7-a.m.-3 p.m. Website

Flightseeing and a Glacier Landing (Talkeetna Air Taxi), Talkeetna Roadhouse, and Concsious Coffee

August 17, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, Bakery, Travel

***** Not very much food in this one – some lovely photos though. I'll be back tomorrow with another post.

We headed off from our lodge at around 830 in the morning. We had scheduled a "Flightseeing Tour" with a Glacier Landing, another of the Missus's "bucket list" items. We decided to "hoof it" and first find out where the offices of Talkeetna Air Taxi was….it was an interesting walk past the train tracks. The nice folks in the office confirmed that we should report back by at least 10 or so.

What else to do but head into Talkeetna and grab something small (remember, we'd be flying) to eat and perhaps some coffee.

And while we weren't too impressed with our lunch the previous day at Talkeetna Roadhouse, we really enjoyed the bread. So we just bought some scones……the best one was the Jalapeno and Cheese scone which was savory-yeasty-slightly spicy-mildly cheesy goodness.

Talkeetna Roadhouse
13550 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676

Just a few yards away stood Conscious Coffee, and rather busy coffee and crepe shack. We got a couple of Americanos; things take a while here, but you get used to that.

We had our pastries and coffee on the bench out front.

Conscious Coffee
13521 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676

We then headed on over to Talkeetna Air Taxi where things didn't look very good; at least for the Glacier Landing. We decided to just take whatever the Alaskan weather would give us….they say it changes by the minute here. We were also quickly refunded part of our payment. We loved the staff here, they were friendly, and professional. Because of the cloud cover, we were asked to "wait and see". and we just kinda hung out until past noon. Until finally, we were given clearance.

We got on the plane….we'd most likely be doing just flightseeing….which would be fine, Alaska is so lovely.

Then there was a problem with the steering mechanism on the plane. We were picked up on the tarmac and taken to another plane. As much as we loved our previous pilot; she told us she was a mother of two and chatted with each of us before trying to taxi, she had to stick with her aircraft.

Our new pilot was quite friendly and chatty. One of the other folks on the flight is an amateur pilot and was welcomed to take a seat upfront.

And soon we were in the air.

Once you get in the air, you see Alaska, as beautiful as it is, in an even more spectacular way.

I really don't recall the names off all the places; I was just in awe of the majesty and pure beauty of the Alaskan Range.

I do remember a few things….this is the Kalhitna Glacier.

We actually saw folks hiking down from the Denali on the glacier. It was so amazing and humbling.

As you can see; we were lucky; the weather had cleared up, and we were cleared to land on the Pika Glacier. Here's an awesome post on hiking the glacier. The pilot was so skilled; we touched down so gently……and then, we were on the Pika Glacier.

We were told to not wander too far from the place. There were areas where the snow was soft and we'd easily sink up to our knees. My goodness, here we were……another moment for the books. And then it started snowing!

There such an amazing feeling of awe and yet peacefulness…..things are very quiet except for the wind blowing past you.

And here's the photo I want on my tombstone.

One of the guys at work saw this photo and did this…..it cracked me up…..

You gotta love it……

The Missus; who first rode on one of these smaller aircraft for the first time just a few years ago, had a blast….I guess after the Nazca Lines; this was a piece of cake.

Our take-off was just as smooth as landing. When we got back to the Talkeetna Air Taxi Office, we offered to pay back what we were refunded; but they basically told us, "no worries, we hope you enjoyed yourself".

Enjoyed ourselves? Are you kidding?

I often go back and look at these and many other photos from our trip to Alaska. The size and scale of things is amazing, the stark beauty took my breath away. It's an humbling experience.

It may have been another item off the bucket list for the Missus, but it's something I treasure and will never forget.

Thanks for reading!

2019 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road tests #1 and 2 and Cream Pan (Tustin), The Donut Man and Peppertree Cafe (Glendora)

August 6, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Orange County, What Cathy Eats!

Usually there are reasons as to why we stop and eat somewhere. Cathy is showing you some meals and snacks consumed while on the way to and from a regular event, as well as the event. Kirk is busy.

Other float road tests for the 2019 Parade: Road test #3, Road Tests #4/5 and Road Test #6.

I'll write about food in the first part of this post.

Wake at 4 a.m., leave the house at 5 a.m., drive North, exit at Red Hill Avenue. There's a Starbucks. Two lights North, take a left and there is Cream Pan.We hadn't been here since January Everything is fresh (Cream Pan opens at 6 a.m.) and wonderful here. Ham and cheese baked in a croissant ($2.60) (a common order wherever I go) and, of course, a strawberry croissant ($1.50). We also purchased some raisin rolls ($3) for later snacks.

Cream Pan 602 El Camino Real Tustin, CA 92780 (714)655-8239 Website 6 am-7pm daily

Glendora, East of Irwindale and 'on the way home'/Route 66. I've written a short combination-post then a specific post about The Donut Man, a Glendora treasure. It is indeed 'Peach Donut Season'. This was the line before 9 a.m.. This walk up donut shop is almost always open. It's easy; the line starts to the left in the photo.
Check out the donuts in the window,
order and pay. Done.
The fresh peach donut ($4.50) and a Tiger Tail ($1.95) were all we wanted…this time. Fresh peach has been out Since July 21 and usually are only available for three or so weeks a year. So good. So fresh.

The Donut Man 915 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA 91740 (626) 335-9111 Open 24 hours, closed some holiday weekends. Website

Just across the street and East (into the sun) from Donut Man, Is the Peppertree Cafe.

Located in Glendora more than 20 years, this Family Style restaurant can get very crowded on weekends. Fortunately we were here before 9 a.m..

My order from the whiteboard at the front- Grilled Club Sausage links with two eggs and two sides ($9.99). The "sides" to select from were plenty: not only toast, hash browns and O'Brien potatoes, but french fries, biscuits and gravy, refried beans, tortillas, cottage cheese, fresh fruit, cup of oatmeal, one pancake, peach halves, pineapple, sliced banana, sliced tomatoes or a baked muffin. As you can see, I chose a single pancake and the sliced tomatoes. This was wonderful. The Club Sausage links were *so good*- skin on, coarse grind, a good spice blend.

The Mister ordered the Chicken Fried Steak ($9.99) and chose cottage cheese and fresh fruit as his sides. This huge serving (there are three large eggs included along with two sides) really hit the spot. The 'crust' on the fried steak was right on the edge of being burned by about ten seconds, but managed to turn out quite perfect and amazing. If we lived closer, Peppertree Cafe would be a regular stop.

Peppertree Cafe 1020 E. Route 66 Glendora, CA 91740 Website Sun-Thurs 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 6a.m.-10 p.m.

Now, the reason we were 'up north'…

In mid-January, the Theme (with banner design) and President of the 2019 Tournament of Roses were announced. Float designs were submitted, reviewed, accepted and float building began. In June and July, The Mister and I drove to Phoenix Decorating Company in Irwindale to view some of the floats undergoing testing of safety and maneuverability.
The theme for 2019 is "The Melody of Life". Each float will have a reference to music in some shape or form on each float. "Service Rocks" the 2019 Rotary International float, looks to be a reference to the song 'Crocodile Rock', with the crocodile playing a keyboard and wearing heart shaped (Elton John-style) glasses.
Kiwanis International float is a Jukebox and will have an Elvis impersonator onboard. The 2019 float title is "Helping Kids Rock Their Future"; a great way of combining the theme of the parade with the goal of this Service Organization.

The International Order of Oddfellows and Rebekahs 2019 float, "200 years of Harmony" is commemorating the longevity of this Service Organization in North America. The calliope as the music source on this float should be fun!
"Joy To The World, The Lord Is Come" is the 2019 entry by the Lutheran Hour Ministries. This will be the 69th year for the only Christian themed float in the parade, decorated by about 5000 "Petal Pushers" volunteers who also assist with decorating other Service floats. The 'music' portion of this float will be performed by a choir. Of course.
A month ago, the Lions Clubs International float, "Rockin The Vest", was rebar, plywood and screening.
The other day, it was in a 'cocoon' and will be colored in for the testing next month. The title "Rockin' The Vest" is in reference to the yellow vests which Lions Clubs International members wear when volunteering (Lions Club is the world's largest Community Service Organization) AND it is also in reference to a 2011 'Rap' video, 'Rockin' The Vest', a fun music video designed to appeal to younger potential members. So fitting in this 2019 theme of 'The Melody of Life'. That's a boom box on the back of the car.

There were more floats tested, you'll see progress next month.

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery (revisits)

July 25, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, looking at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is relaxing after a long day at work and Cathy is writing today's post.

I've only written about La Mesa Bistro and Bakery two other times and it's been a while. I apologize. This restaurant, hidden in a far corner of a busy group of storefronts (including Chopsticks Inn) on La Mesa Boulevard (just behind Dieter Fischers, the Mercedes repair shop) has been here since at least 2009. Almost everything is made from scratch, is quality. The menu is amazingly similar to that of Swami's, which has one location just down the street.

Using the word 'menu' is incorrect. Sure, there's a large paper menu you can grab before ordering, but so many other choices are at the doorway, along the walls behind the cash register, on chalkboards around…nothing is repeated.
So, order, pay, find a seat and you can grab some water or some coffee (pick a country of origin; only two of those pump pots has flavored coffee). The paper menu touts "Old Fashioned Baking"- the breads, bagels and muffins here are fresh made and wonderfully perfect.
Reuben "The Chef" salad ($10.95). Reuben is the chef's name. This is a wonderful salad of mixed (organic) greens, cucumbers, sprouts, swiss and cheddar cheeses and the three meats…
ham, turkey and roast beef. Served with (house made) sourdough garlic cheese toast.
The Blue cheese dressing is made here. It's filled with chunks of blue cheese…almost too much (!)
The Lunch Sampler ($8.50) is 1/2 of any of the gourmet sandwiches served with a salad or cup of soup.
One of the daily soups is clam chowder. It is wonderful, filled with clams, clam juice, some potatoes and celery. Creamy (see that skin that formed on the top?) and just good.
I chose the 1/2 "Bistro Delight" sandwich. Turkey, Swiss, avocado, lettuce and tomato. A simple (turkey packed) and wonderful sandwich; the turkey is a great quality, the sourdough is just sour enough and the flavors are quite perfect. We returned because The Mister had a craving. Soup and salad. He got the Caesar salad (which was very nice)
and a bowl of the clam chowder…oh yes, he wanted this. It was, again, excellent.
I was wanting to order breakfast…and there was a chalkboard 'chicken omelette' listed ($8.95). Mild green chiles, tomato, eggs and plenty of meaty chicken pieces, avocado..house made salsa (not too hot; good) and rye toast (seedy and good) served with house made jam: cranberries, blackberries and apples. Oh, a side of fresh fruit (they make smoothies here you know; fresh fruit is always available).

A great local place.

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery 8697 La Mesa Boulevard La Mesa 91941 (619)589-0806 Open seven days 5:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Website

Paris – Boulangerie Laurent B, Les Deux Magots, and L’Avant Comptoir

July 21, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

The Missus was starting settle in a bit…..and She needed a "mission"; something to obsess about. So why not croissants? I had always thought that an excellent croissant au beurre is harder to come by than most folks think. I believe our lunch the previous day at Gontran Cherrier had stirred something. The Missus had croissant fever. During our wonderful meal the previous evening at Arnaud Nicolas we had a nice chat with one of the Servers. He said croissants are a very "personal preference" and we should explore…..but we should definitely stick with artisan boulangerie, where strict codes are adhered and the products are made on premises.

So the very next morning we stopped almost right across the street from Le Fontaine de Mars (La Fontaine du Gros-Caillou).

At the beautiful Boulangerie Laurent B.

We loved the vibe and the very "French" design of the shop.

The croissant, not so much. It was doughy, not buttery nor flakey enough.

Boulangerie Laurent B
112 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

We spent the day on the left bank; exploring shops and taking in some of the sights. Nothing major; just kinda having a nice time in the Saint Germain and Latin Quarter. There's tons of shopping to be done here.

And sometimes and occasional sight like the Église Protestante Saint-Jean.

After spending a good amount of time shopping; we needed to refuel a bit.

On our previous trip to Paris; we passed Les Deux Magots ("le do mago") once the meeting place of Paris's literati and the artistic set. Names like James Joyce, Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, and Albert Camus are mentioned.

It is, of course, now a major tourist stop. We sat outside and had our caffeine fix.

Sitting outside; paying a ton for over priced coffee, watching dozens of tourists taking selfies in front of the place.

I went in to take a look at "Deux Magots"….the café opened in 1884 and kept the name of the silk shop that once stood here.

You do have a nice view of the Église de Saint Germain des Prés.

And the people watching is quite interesting.

Les Deux Magots
6 place Saint-Germain des Prés
75006 Paris, France

A bit more shopping…well, then it was time for lunch. We just wanted something small to eat and a tapas bar named L'Avant Comptoir came highly recommended.

We found the tiny shop to be quite charming. It did indeed remind us a bit of those stand-up pintxos places we enjoyed in San Sebastian and Bilbao.

Menu cards hung on the wall; specials on a chalkboard.

The service….was well, brusque and borderline rude…..only to us though…..

It was bit strange.

Though I got a kick out of watching one lady walk in; order a glass of white wine, and chug the whole thing down in one gulp. She must have been thirsty.

I managed to order two glasses of wine and three items from the menu before the guy just turned around and walked away from me.

The first to arrive was the foie gras (remember "Basque Butter"?). This version was served with preserved cherries.

First off; the bread here was nice and warm, it was delish.

The foie gras was overcooked and mealy. The sauce was a bit too sweet for our taste. Very disappointing.

I ordered the Chanterelles with Jamon Iberico.

Loved the textural contrast of the crisp, crunchy croutons and the mushrooms. Wasn't a big fan of the Jamon as it was too lean for my taste…..I must be spoiled by all the Jamon Bellota Iberico Pata Negra I ate in Spain. The flavor was off for us as well; too much sour acidity.

The one dish that was excellent was the pork belly.

Crunchy skin, buttery fat, nicely seasoned; the wonderful porcine flavor shone through.

So; it was one out of three with regards to the food. Perhaps it was an off day? But the lousy service didn't help things either.

It seems we always have one not-so-great meal in Paris. So perhaps it was good that we got that out of the way.

L’Avant Comptoir
3 carrefour de l'Odéon
75006 Paris, France

Talkeetna – Lunch at Talkeetna Roadhouse

June 30, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, Bakery, Diner, Travel

We left Seward fairly early in the morning. We had a two hundred-fifty or so mile drive up to Talkeetna where the next part of our trip was taking place. An acquaintance who has been to Alaska several times advised me to be ready for a fairly time consuming drive because of roadwork. And indeed there were two stretches along the way; the first right past Girdwood; where road work created a single lane along the highway almost 7 miles long. And on the Parks Highway, right before Talkeetna Spur Road, where the entire road was….well, gone. Vehicles would escort a line of cars over the dirt and gravel while the road was being rebuilt.

Still, we arrived at Talkeetna too early for check-in. We found some parking along the rustic roadside. Talkeetna is quite quirky. Part frontier town, part an outdoor-artsy haven, part tourist destination, with a definite "hippy" vibe. One thing that was universal (except for the young lady working at our lodge) was that everyone seemed so friendly…..happy even.

Half the fun is people watching.

People were so nice; we didn't mind spending some time (and money) in the arts and gift shops that line the one main street that is Talkeetna.

I'm not sure how many times we were asked where we were from…….and how many times those same folks mentioned visiting San Diego; being last year or several decades ago. From what I gathered, many shops close down during the winter, hence the reason we found people working several jobs during the high season.

After killing a good hour-and-a-half, we headed over to our accommodations. We were still early, so we parked our car and walked up the half mile or so to the mile 13 marker turnoff. We were told the view here is amazing. And yes it was…..

While enjoying the view we heard "hi…….". It turned out to be the two young ladies who sat next to us at Seward Brewing Company the night before! They were here enjoying the view….and chatting up the nice looking young man sitting on the bench. More on these two in a later post.

Let's just enjoy the view, shall we?

We then walked back into Talkeetna….yes, I was definitely getting my exercise, even with the car!

We decided to get something to eat. We figured that we'd grab a late dinner….remember; the sun wasn't setting until 11 pm during this time. And Talkeetna Roadhouse seemed like just the right place. Part "Roadhouse", thus the shared rooms and bathrooms, with a large dining room, this place oozes charm.

It still functions as a "roadhouse" with shared rooms and bathrooms….

Though these days, it probably caters more to tourists like us.

We went simply with the Hungarian Mushroom Soup and the Reindeer Chili.

The mushroom soup was nice and hearty, with a good, earthy flavor of mushrooms….but it was barely past lukewarm.

The reindeer chili was quite bland.

And almost room temp….not very pleasant. It needed some heat and seasoning.

What we were really impressed by was the bread; which was warm, yeasty, and so comforting.

This was so good……to the point that we understood what we needed to do in terms of pastries while in Talkeetna.

Talkeetna Roadhouse
13550 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676

Talkeetna is such an interesting and "colorful" town……….

After lunch we walked back to the lodge which was located on the Susitna River. It was a beautiful location.

And Alaska was turning out to be even more beautiful than we imagined………..

Paris – Montmartre and Gontran Cherrier

June 3, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Sandwiches, Travel

On our second full day back in Paris; the Missus decided on getting a few things done. First, She wanted to see the view from Montmartre, the highest hill in the city, and then get some shopping done. So we headed off.

The morning was grey and drizzly, which didn't make viewing potential from Montmartre very high, but if there is one thing we've learned from travelling, it is you can't control the weather.

Even on a gloomy day like this one; Pont Alexandre III is quite picturesque.

It is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the world and there are quite a few stories about it as well.

We headed past those familiar places.

Up to Rue Lazare and past Église de la Sainte-Trinité.

Up past place Pigalle. We somehow came upon a brick church.

This is Eglise Saint Jean de Montmartre. It looked a bit different than other churches we've come across in Paris and it started to drizzle. We took that as sign to stop and visit the church.

Created in the Art Nouveau style, there's a lot packed into this little church.

I really enjoyed the vivid stained glass…..

When we turned the corner we could see Sacre Coeur in the background along with the funicular tracks and stairs. This being the Missus….well, we took the stairs….all 300 of them.

I'm not sure why the Missus loves climbing those stairs so much.

Perhaps She is concerned about my cardiovascular well being?

Anyway, we did make it to the top…..

The view is still worth the climb even on a gloomy day as this.

And looking back at Sacre Coeur, it looked like there was the possibility of sun…..

The Missus decided not to go into the church, so instead we headed down the winding streets…passing tons of tourists and shop that seem to cater to them.

We did pass through a couple of squares that had little fairs going on.

And the Missus enjoyed doing some window shopping while we strolled down the hill.

And while we did enter a couple shops, the Missus refrained from buying anything….I believe She as saving Herself and my credit card for later on in the day.

One thing that did catch my eye was this windmill.

Apparently there were once a dozen or so of these windmills in Montmartre. Today there are two left. They are known as Le Moulin de la Galette and were built in the early 17th century. This one is viewable from Rue Lepic and stands above a restaurant that also bears the name Le Moulin de la Galette.

In the mid to late 1800's the area where the restaurant resides was turned into a Guinguette, basically a type of bar. The windmill and guinguette became the muse of many of the artists who spent their time here. Some familiar names like Renoir, Van Gogh (who had an apartment nearby), Toulouse-Lautrec, and Picasso among them. And, did you know that it was used on the cover of one of my favorite Rod Stewart albums?

I love stories like this.

We headed a bit further down the street and the Missus decided that we should get something light to eat. There was a Boulangerie on my list named Gontran Cherrier. There are multiple locations of this shop in Paris (including Japan, Singapore, and South Korea). This however, is Gontran Cherrier's original shop.

It was easy to pick out what we wanted….the Missus had decided to try at least half a dozen croissants in Paris, so this would be the first. We also got a sandwich; a veggie version. The miso bread would have to wait for another day.

The line moved fast; the service was efficient, and the folks quite nice.

The croissant could have used a bit more salt, but it was decently buttery, flakey, with a nice, very mild chew. This would end up being one of our favorites in Paris.

The sandwich was just what we needed….the baguette crusty, the cucumbers and tomatoes full of the flavor….the slight bitterness of the arugula helping to balance out the sweetness and mild briny flavor of the cucumber.

Gontran Cherrier
22 Rue Caulaincourt
Paris, France
(There are several other locations in Paris)

The Missus was now energized and ready to do Her "serious" shopping. We headed down the hill…….passing the (in)famous Moulin Rouge (lots on the windmills and the one on Moulin Rouge here)

We headed down Rue Blanche, taking note of the businesses along the way.

Of course the Missus wanted to stop by Galeries Lafayette to check out the Christmas Displays yet again.

A short while later we were back at Chanel Cambon. You pretty much get your own personal shopper here….while the Missus and the very nice young lady did their thing, I had a chance to watch the "interesting" customers.

Mission accomplished, the Missus could get back to the apartment fast enough……

She got what She wanted…….

And it was time for a nap.

Thanks for stopping by!