Croissants – Page 4

Mexico City (2022) – It’s Tout Chocolate and Pasillo de Humo Yet Again, Fonda Garufa, and a Private Tour of Museo Nacional de Antropologia

October 8, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Chocolate, Croissants, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

**** I though I'd give you all a break from those really long Islay posts and do a couple on our recent trip to CDMX. I've posted on two of the places several times; so perhaps skipping down to our tour of the Museo Nacional de Antropologia might be worthwhile?

Yes, I know we'd already been to Mexico and CDMX earlier in the year. But the Missus had enjoyed that trip so much, San Miguel de Allende and especially Guanajuato was so much fun, that the Missus wanted to do another trip. This time to Oaxaca. However while Volaris, has 2 direct flights from TIJ, well, we really don't like flying Volaris. So, we decided that a layover would be fine one way and we'd go ahead and spend two nights in Mexico City. As a plus, I knew the Missus loved our visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, though it was quite overwhelming, so I booked us a private tour. She was excited about that!

Getting in was the same 'ol routine. We stayed at the same place as on the last three trips. It was quite simple and easy. Like I said, we now had kind of a routine if you will. After checking in, we headed to Tout Chocolate so the Missus could get Her chocolates and some gifts.

Choosing Her chocolates was one of Her most difficult decisions of the trip.

Tout Chocolat
Amsterdam 154
6100 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

In keeping with the routine, we had dinner at a place I've posted on three times already, Pasillo de Humo. So, I'll spare you all the gory details. I will say, that unlike our last visit we weren't misted by vinegar to prevent Covid this time around.

We have an approach that works for us at Pasillo de Humo. We've learned to stay away from the entrees and go for smaller plates.

And we enjoy the cocktails as well.

Two of our favorite dishes, the Memelitas de Cerdo and the Hoya Santa Relleno, were good as always.

But this time we found something we enjoyed even more; the Tripas Tacos!

The pork intestines were fried perfectly; crisp and light……the texture was amazing!

One other reason that I purposely chose to revisit Pasillo de Humo was that we were headed to Oaxaca and I was interested in seeing how the food at our favorite restaurant in CDMX lined up.

Pasillo de Humo
Av Nuevo León 107
06100 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

It was a nice and relaxing start to things. Though I did notice many more "tourists/ex-pats" here then I recalled. And then I started reading articles like this one.

The next morning, before heading to the Museum, we decided to get a croissant from our favorite bakery in the area, but changed our mind when we noticed this place sold croissants and thought we'd try it out.

We then headed on over to Cafe Toscano, our usual morning coffee stop.

Unfortunately, the croissant was overly doughy and lacked the butteriness we like in our croissants.

Fonda Garufa
Avenida Michoacán 93
06140 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

Creatures of habit that we are; we had our typical morning coffee at Cafe Toscano.

Nothing amazing mind you, but a nice way to start the day.

Cafe Toscano
Calle Michoacan sn Mercado Condesa
Hipódromo Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

After our caffeine fix we headed out to the Museum. As always, it was a fine walk.

We had really enjoyed our previous visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, so I went ahead and booked a private tour with Mexico a Pie Walking Tours.

Our guide was Andres and he was amazing. The tour was so full of info!

We met Andres at the Tlaloc Statue that sits outside the museum on the corner of Reforma.

IMG_0582 (2) Andres met us and after introductions and an overview of what was going to be covered in the tour today, he went over Tlaloc, the Aztec god of water and rain. He noted the key features, the round eyes, the fangs and said that we'd be seeing several different status of Tlaloc during our visit and that many folks think it's of a different go, but keep in mind the key features and it's easy to identify.

Andres covered exactly what we were interested in; the Archaic to the Contact Period. It was so much info; I'm just going to go over a couple of things that really stuck with us.

Andres quizzed us as we moved along the museum.

IMG_0615 (2) And yep, if you're thinking that's Tlaloc above, you'd be right. Check out the eyes and the fangs!

Another interesting story was that of King Pakal of Palenque (K'inich Janaab' Pakal). It is claimed that Pakal ruled for nearly 70 years and in 1952 a tomb was opened in the Temple of Inscriptions in Palenque. In it was found a skeleton with an intricate jade mask and clothed as you see to the right. The actual jade mask can be found close by in a replica of the tomb.

We got to another interesting topic was when I asked Andres if Jade was actually found in Mexico and he told us that items like Jade, Turquoise, and Cacao which are not endemic to Mexico. We were then brought to this map which detailed how trade occurred between different peoples!

Turquoise actually came from what is now the American Southwest! Cacao and Jade from what is now Guatemala.

Andres went over the amazing Aztec Codex with us.

And even dispelled a couple of things we thought were true; like this famous object; the Aztec Sun Stone, which many people believe is a just a calendar.

It is now believed that the stone is actually a sacrificial altar! Here's something I read after returning from our trip.

It was an amazing nearly four hour experience, with so much information that I've forgotten more than I remember; but those few items stick with me. And we just covered half the museum! I guess we'll have to get the other half done the next time we're in CDMX!

Museo Nacional de Antropologia
Avenida Paseo de la Reforma y Calzada Gandhi s/n
Chapultepec, Mexico City 11560, Mexico

After the tour we took a short break and then we were off. It was time for a taco crawl!

Stay Tuned!

Roadtrip (2022) – Bob’s Well Bread and Lunch at Bells (Los Alamos)

August 12, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

After an excellent dinner at Bell's, the Missus and I were looking forward to our return for lunch. But what to do in Los Alamos before lunch? We had pretty much seen the entire town the day before.

I thought that the Missus and I should ponder that over some caffeine and perhaps a croissant? And I had a place in mind.

At the Eastern edge of the (4 block) downtown area in a structure that was formerly a gas station resides Bob's Well Bread.

The business has quite a story. You can read it here. Bob's Well Bread has quite a following, mainly for the artisan, small batch bread made from all natural ingredients. I've heard the phrase "like European" artisan breads in several posts I saw. We wouldn't be grabbing a loaf on this trip; but since it said "Croissants" clearly in the window sign, how could I not try that?

We went in and ordered a Cortado for the Missus, a cold brew for me, and a croissant. The Missus also got several cookies as well.

We then went and had a seat sat one of the picnic tables outside.

I was expecting to have my name called, but the very nice young woman working actually brought us our coffee and croissant. How nice!

So, how did this croissant lineup? In terms of the looks department, it was beautiful; perfectly baked. It was crisp and flakey; the interior so moist and almost creamy in texture. Unfortunately it was really lacking in butteriness and since I love my croissants au buerre, this failed at the "third point". Bummer…..

The Missus did love the cookies we bought however, and I think if we're in the area we'll stop for those and perhaps a baguette.

Bob's Well Bread Bakery
550 Bell St.
Los Alamos, CA 93440

As for our plan? We decided to head on over to Solvang which is just 20 minutes away and get some cookies for the Missus's coworkers. We then took a stroll around Danish Disneyland and just chilled.

We then returned to Los Alamos, relaxed a bit, then checked out. I parked the car and we crossed the street to Bell's right at 11am.

We had requested to sit on the patio again. Same relaxed and friendly service. A lot of the Servers were wearing "Franch" t-shorts…..Bell's say they serve Fr(ench R)anch cuisine.

We looked over the tempting menu and placed an order for four dishes and then went one step father. There was a sandwich we wanted to order, but knew we wouldn't be able to finish, so we got a takeout order as well!

My two favorite dishes came out first.

The Steak Tartare ($25) was amazing. It is now my favorite version in the U.S. it was just so perfect.

Just the perfect cut, the beef was super tender, like the night before, all items were perfectly seasoned. Perfect amount of capers, and that egg yolk, oh my! This was just so clean tasting and refreshing.

I also loved the Country Pate ($18), it was tender and had just right amount of wine in it.

Nice amount of offal-ish flavor for me; the cherries didn't overwhelm anything, and the fried shallots in the pate was perfect. Was not a big fan of the baguette as it was typical hard and chewy American style. The frisee was a lovely addition to the dish.

I was shocked that the Missus ordered the Escargot ($16). While the Missus loved the Escargot in Burgundy, She had never found a version here in the States that She enjoyed.

Well, mark this as the first Escargot She liked outside of France….leave it to "Franch" to deliver. Good amount of garlic, nice balanced flavors. The menu noted that these were "wild snails" and they were much more tender than I expected. Still, that baguette……

I was also surprised that the Missus ordered the La Brujula Tinned Mussels in Escabeche ($20)!

These Spanish tinned mussels were quite good, nice and tender. We didn't care for butter and the ketchup like sauces, but the homemade saltines were wonderful.

This was wonderful meal, we actually enjoyed it more than our dinner. And we really want to do it again soon.

Bell's
406 Bell St.
Los Alamos, CA 93440
Current Hours:
Thurs – Mon 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 830pm
Closed on Tuesday – Wednesday

And as the postcript. On the lunch menu there was Braised Beef Cheek Sandwich that sounded so good. So, after consulting with our Server, we got it to go with the bearnaise aioli on the side.

It was still in fine shape after the five hour drive home. The bread, in this case a ficelle held up fine; the meat was so intensely beefy; I loved the pickled Basque peppers…..

I guess we'll need to return again soon!

Mexico City (2022) – Entremar, Revisits to Temporal and Panaderia Almuerzos

July 28, 2022 mmm-yoso Croissants, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Seafood, Travel

We took a nice nap after a pretty busy morning, after which it was time to head off to an early (430pm) dinner. I had tried getting reservations at the very popular Contramar, but was unable to. I then switched to Contramar's sister restaurant Entremar and could only get an early dinner reservation. Even though I thought we'd done enough walking for the day, the Missus disagreed, so we decided to walk the 2 1/2 miles to the restaurant. To be honest, the weather was very pleasant making this a nice walk.

We arrived at the restaurant, located in the ritzy Polanco district and couldn't believe how busy it was!

There was a bit of a queue to get in. As I stood in line, aggressive "Abuela's" pushed their way past me! This was such a change from the usual polite and well mannered folks I was used to in CDMX. I guess the potential of seafood will drive some folks to this!

Anyway, it wasn't a big deal and we had reservations. We were escorted upstairs and I gotta say the clientele upstairs were pretty tony…….

The staff worked so hard and were very gracious. We placed our order and just chilled out.

The first item to arrive was the Ceviche Contramar.

The fish was very tender, the marinating liquid had a perfect balance of sour with just enough salt to make it enjoyable. Very nice!

We didn't enjoy the Aguachile Verde Contramar as much.

The shrimp was quite tough and fishy and the "sauce" didn't have enough citrus tones for our taste.

The one dish we were looking forward to was the Pescado a la Talla, red snapper that is butterflied, sauced, and grilled. We chose the "Contramr" version, which had half of the fish rubbed with a red adobo sauce and the other half with parsley (De la Barrita) based rub.

This came with some really tasty black beans. Surprisingly, at least for us, we really enjoyed the parsley rub more! It had nice garlic tones; some cumin, and you could really taste the mild, almost sweet flavor of the snapper, which was grilled perfectly! Don't get me wrong; that adobo rub had some nice smokiness and spice; but you really couldn't enjoy the great quality of the fish as much.

Overall; the Pescado a la Talla made the meal a memorable one and we'll gladly return.

Entremar
Hegel 307
Polanco V Secc, 11560 Ciudad de México, Mexico

I enjoyed that fish so much that when the Missus suggested walking back to our room I readily agreed!

Not having to be anywhere allows you to enjoy and notice things more.

Like this restaurant with a familiar name.

And this bar where I guess you might be able to "Break on through to the other side"?

It was still quite early, so we decided to stop for a cocktail and a snack…..we chose another place we'd been to a couple of times; Temporal. Where we sat downstairs at the bar area.

I got my favorite cocktail here; the Suerte de Dragon ("Lucky Dragon").

Sadly, this Mezcal and beer based cocktail tasted watered down and the usual spiciness of it was really muted.

As a snack we got our favorite menu item at Temporal; the Gulf Crab Sopes.

Which were smaller then on previous visits; the sopes were really gummy, and there was too much filler and not as much crab as on our previous visits.

Bummer…….

Restaurante Temporal
Saltillo 1, Hipódromo, Cuauhtémoc
06140 CDMX, Mexico

We slept well and got up early the next morning.

Our next stop was going to be San Miguel de Allende and we had hired the amazing Aaron Cruz to drive us there.

Since it was going to be quite the drive; we headed to another familiar stop close by; Panadería Almuerzos for a Croissant and then got some coffee from Mercado Condesa.

I've often said that the croissants at Panadería Almuerzos are our favorite outside of France….and this delivered.

And the coffee wasn't bad either.

Panadería Almuerzos
Av. Vicente Suárez 64A
Colonia Condesa, CDMX, Mexico

Cafe Toscano
Calle Michoacan sn Mercado Condesa
Hipódromo Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

Breakfast completed, we headed back to our room to finish packing and check out. Aaron would be arriving soon to take us to our next stop; San Miguel de Allende.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris (2022) – It’s Labour Day (La Fête du Muguet), Café du Centre, La Maison d’Isabelle Revisited, Dinner at Les Enfants Rouges, and Motors Coffee

May 22, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Paris, France, Travel

**** This is a pretty long post; though it does feature our favorite meal of our recent trip.

We slept well after having done a good amount of walking the previous day. While we had reservations for dinner on this evening; which I was lucky to get since our initial dinner reservations we had made were canceled just a week before our trip….I think the restaurant had forgotten that it was going to be Labour Day. And even more interesting, it was both a Sunday, when many businesses are closed anyway. But I was told that museums were going to be closed as well as most shops and restaurants; much as indicated in this blog post. On May 1st, France celebrates worker's rights and also "La Fête du Muguet" (Lilly of the Valley Day)….we saw many folks carrying little bouquets of Lily of the Valley. I read that on Labour Day, it would be fun to just go to a park and see families enjoying the day.

And so we just headed out, walking the few steps to Rue Montorgueil to find that both Café Montorgueil and Café du Centre were open. As I've mentioned before, one of our favorite things is to sit outside at a café on a street like Rue Montorgueil and watch the world go by during the day; before or after the lunch crowd and before apéro time. Over our visits I've kind of gotten the signal down as to if it would be ok to occupy an outdoor table for just coffee and sit. To me it's a simple rule – if the table has place settings, that would be forks, knives, etc; it means that folks sitting would be expected to eat some food. If the table is bare….with perhaps an ashtray (yes, folks still smoke when dining/drinking on the sidewalk) or a menu, it's okay to just grab a seat at an empty table and have some coffee or tea….or perhaps a glass of wine. Our favorite at Café du Centre is right on the corner, where we can watch life passing by…..

And of course there are the many pooches….

Many of which believe they are "in charge"……

We saw this couple walking down the street with the cutest, obviously loved, and pampered pooch being carried and I had to take a photo…..

The gentleman saw me and waved, I waved back and smiled and they decided to come on over for a more "formal" photo.

Remember all those folks who told you that people in Paris were uptight and not friendly?

Café du Centre
57 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

From here, I thought it might be nice to head on over to Jardin du Luxembourg to see how folks were enjoying the holiday.

So we set off, past Les Halles and then down Rue des Déchargeurs. Crossing Rue Rivoli we saw this distinctive building.

According to Atlas Obscura, 59 Rivoli was:

"An artist squat for years before being renovated by the city and returned to a collective of artists."

We crossed over the Seine and decided to take a detour to see if our favorite Croissant Bakery, La Maison d’Isabelle was actually opened on this holiday. We were in luck, the place was open, but the line was rather long.

It seems like Parisians are fine with waiting in line….so, why not?

Sadly, they were out of Croissant au Beurre; so we settled for the Croissant Ordinaire (the version made with margarine).

La Maison d’Isabelle
47T Boulevard Saint-Germain
75005 Paris, France

From here it was a straight shot down Rue Valette to the Pantheon, which I posted on before. Of course it was closed on this day.

Though as you can tell; folks were out and about….enjoying the sunny day.

And then right down Rue Soufflot to Luxembourg Garden; where everyone seemed to be having a great time.

The folks renting out the little boats were during some bang up business on this day.

We strolled around a bit; then found a nice bench and tried out the croissant.

While the texture was every bit as good as the "butter" version; we definitely missed the balance of butter to salt and this seemed a bit "bland". Not bad though.

We sat and enjoyed our time sitting on the bench in the shade; though there were quite a few people just enjoying the sun.

After a period of people watching, we decided to head on back to the apartment for our afternoon nap.

We really love all the green spaces in Paris.

Wew passed Hotel de Ville where there seemed to be some kind of fair going on.

And heading down Rue Aubry le Boucher at Place Edmond Michelet (in case you're wondering who Edmond Michelet was) we saw this mural.

We had enjoyed the morning and enjoyed our nap even more.

Before our trip I'd tried to make dinner reservations for the first of May……but because it was either a Sunday OR a Holiday I was having a difficult time. Then, I did manage to get reservations to a place I'd been wanting to try, Automne, only to have them cancel on me. After going down my list a bit; I found that another place from said "list" actually had early (at 7pm) reservations. The restaurant, located in a part of the Marais I'd always wanted to check out, right around the corner from Marché des Enfants Rouges, named Les Enfants Rouges. It was, as many of the places we'd tried in the past like ERH, Pertinence, and Alliance helmed by a Japanese Chef along with Michelin Stars. There's something about French cuisine with Japanese touches and sensibility that we really enjoy.

We headed back up the now bustling Rue Montorgueil to Rue Reamur. By the time we got the point where Rue Reamur became Rue de Bretagne we were running ahead of schedule. So we decided to take a break and people watch at Square du Temple. It was such a nice stop; it's hard to imagine that this space was where the Knight Templar once had their castle in the 17th Century!

From here, it took us less than 5 minutes to reach our destination.

As we turned down the alley like Rue de Beauce….well, a certain "fragrance" permeated the air…….the Missus wasn't sure that She'd really wanted to eat here. And well; at least we know why they wouldn't have any outdoor seating!

We were kindly greeted when we arrived….the Hostess spoke to me first in Japanese, which I fumbled badly thru, switching to English! The restaurant was tiny and I was glad we'd made early reservations.

The staff here were wonderful and accommodating which was really on display when a couple came in and when it was time to order……apparently the woman was allergic to stainless steel and nickle (?!?) and made it known that she could not consume foods that had been exposed to certain metals nor anything that had been braised. The hostess came out and even brought out the cookware that was going to be used to make their dishes for inspection!

The Missus went with some wine off the carte…..

Of course we kind of shared things….starting off with the Roasted Padrons and of course I had to get the Foie Gras on Toast.

The Padrons were nicely fired and salted…..there was of course the "pepper roulette" as a couple were nice and spicy.

The Foie Gras was from Landes in the Aquitaine region portion was quite generous.

Both appetizers were good, but nothing amazing.

But after the bread and "Trou Normand" the show really started.

The White Asparagus with Smoked Haddock was a show stopper.

My goodness; the wonderful sweet and tender white asparagus, we were so glad to be here during asparagus season; along with the smoky, yet not overwhelming smoked fish…the cream sauce tasted like there was some dashi in it….this was wonderful.

I got the Lamb Terrine which was also a winnah!

The texture was terrific; just enough toothsomeness. Loved the balance of gameyness, wine, and mild sweetness. I could eat this everyday. The tarragon based pseudo Sauce Gribiche was too good to put to waste. Lovely pickled radishes and shiso helped to restore one's palate between bites.

Then came the dish of the night; the Tempura Merlu.

The batter was light and crisp; the Merlu (hake), from a place we'd visited before Saint Jean de Luz, had a mild sweetness and was so moist and tender. Though it was that sauce; made with seaweed…it did look like nori, was amazing! Deeply savory, with umami for days. This was a really Japanese cuisine leaning dish. Man, some rice with this would have been amazing!

I ordered the Pork Belly.

Of course the Missus poached that tender, crisp asparagus spear. The tempura broccolini was nicely crisp as well. The morels and the risotto was nice and earthy-sweet. The pork belly really did taste like a cross between Vietnamese Thit Kho and Buta Kakuni and it was delici-yoso!

I decided to celebrate the dinner with a nice glass of Yamazaki.

Whilst the Missus enjoyed the desserts……in line with the Japanese touches; the desserts weren't overly sweet.

That Lychee granita and grapefruit supreme was wonderfully refreshing.

Like I mentioned earlier, the service was wonderfully accommodating. We noticed that many of the customers were Japanese. Our dinner, with wine, drinks, etc was $265/US! Cheaper than some places in San Diego!

I think we'll be back to this somewhat hidden, cozy spot.

Les Enfants Rouges
9 Rue de Beauce
75003 Paris, France

We had a nice, relaxing walk back to the apartment. And slept soundly……

Our flight to Edinburgh wasn't scheduled until the afternoon, so we didn't have to check-out until 11 or so.

While scheduling and researching this trip I started noticing more craft coffee places in Paris, something I didn't come across during previous trips. There were two places within walking distance and on this morning, I walked on over to Motors Coffee on Rue des Halles.

It's quite the modern craft coffee shop and wouldn't be out of place in San Diego.

They even did cold brew and pour over….called "drip" here….they even had 3 "Geisha's" on the drip menu! I ended up getting the Missus a natural brew and we'd return later for Her to try the pour overs.

I actually had an Americano, which I thought was pretty good.

Motors Coffee
7 Rue des Halles
75001 Paris, France

I even grabbed a Croissant au Beurre from Bo & Mie since it was kind of on the way back to the apartment.

We seemed to be just getting into the groove here in Paris and were somewhat reluctant to leave. But Edinburgh beckoned and we'd be returning for a few more days on the way back!

If you've stuck around to the end of this super long post; I thank you so much! Have a great week!

Paris (2022) – Bo & Mie, Ippudo, and Getting Reacquainted

May 20, 2022 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Bakery, Croissants, France, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Paris, France, Ramen, Travel

And so it came to pass…..almost two-and-a-half years since we were last in Europe, we headed back. There were so many thoughts going thru our heads as we planned and then left for our first stop; Paris. Would it still be our favorite city? Was cafe culture going to be impacted…..what kind of precautions were in place? How would traveling during these times be?

On our flight outward it seemed that the quality of the food on our flights and in the lounges seemed to have taken a hit….generous portions; but not very good eats…

That shrimp salad was surprisingly the best item we had during transit.

As for masks? Well, almost nil on our flight from San Diego to LHR and in the airport. Required on the flight from LHR to CDG and also on the RER Blue Line though very sparse in Paris as a whole.

We arrived in Paris at around 10m and since we decided to stay at the same 'ol AirBnb off Rue Montorgueil, we were familiar the RER Blue line drill, getting off at Les Halles, then the short walk for key pick-up at the Key Cafe Kiosk on Rue Marie Stuart, before heading to the apartment. We were shocked at how busy all the businesses on Rue Montorgueil were….places seemed packed to the gills! The crowd also seemed much younger than I recalled. I guess I needn't have worried too much about all the cafes going out of business as overflow customers were actually standing on the sidewalks having their drinks and socializing. I thought that perhaps this was because it was a Friday night; but it seems that on almost every night all the cafes/bars were packed until at least 10pm.

The next morning I woke early, the Missus was still sleeping off the jet lag, so I decided to head on out and grab some croissants. Rue Montorgueil seemed totally different at this time of the day.

Place Goldoni seemed so peaceful.

I headed down the rather "gritty" Rue Saint-Denis past Passage du Grand Cerf….

And at the intersection with Rue de Turbigo was Bo et Mie, a place I had in my "Croissant Files" list.

The place was quite modern and what we found on this trip was that just about everywhere in Paris now takes plastic; albeit folks instantly knew you were American once you busted out the card since most US Credit Cards will not do chip and pin and/or need a signature.

It was very easy ordering in line, paying by card, and heading out. Bo & Mie has three locations in Paris and is obviously not a Artisan Boulanger, but I had read some pretty good things about the place.

Bo & Mie
18 Rue de Turbigo
75002 Paris, France

I took a different way back; heading past Les Halles and onto Rue Montorgueil, where things were still quite peaceful this morning.

Saint Eustache looked quite lovely in the morning sun.

Once back at the apartment; the Missus made me some coffee via the "pod machine" and we had the croissants.

This was not bad….lacking in enough salt and butter, though it had a decent flakiness and the interior was light and fluffy.

By now it was time to head on out for our "morning assignments". Mine was to pick-up our pocket wifi. The company that I'd been dealing with over the years now had a splashy new store on Opera and the Missus had Her sights on Chanel Cambon; so we headed on out in that general direction. One thing we noticed is that Paris seems to be getting smaller for us. We got to Place des Victoires so very quickly.

At this pace we'd be getting to our destination before opening time; so I decided to take a detour to what I read was the longest passage in Paris; Passage Choiseul.

According to this wonderful post, Passage Choiseul has only been reopened to the public since 2013.

There seemed to be quite a number of eateries in the passage.

We took our sweet old time…..and in doing so we noticed things we had before like Place Gaillon.

We popped out on always busy Opera and picking up our pocket wifi….or as they call it here "weefee"…..

And then it was time to hit up Chanel Cambon; which I've detailed in earlier posts. After which we explored the "high rent district" before deciding to head on back to the apartment.

On the way back; on Rue du 4 Septembre, we passed a Picard. Tomorrow would be May 1st, which is Labour Day in France. It is a major holiday here and many places would be closed. I had dinner reservations, but we decided to head into Picard to see if we could get something for that day's lunch.

Picard is a frozen food grocery store chain, with over 900 locations in France. It's fun checking out these shops….think of Trader Joe's frozen food section on steroids….

We bought some frozen morels and an eggplant dish for our Labour Day lunch.

On the way back we were getting a bit hungry. In spite of it being late April, things felt a bit on the chilly side. Before our trip, having been to Paris once or twice a year since 2016 (except for those Covid years) we had decided to treat Paris like a home away from home….sure, we'd indulge in a Michelin meal or two, but since we sincerely believe we'll be returning until we're not able to travel any longer, we'd just have fun, exploring, but not overdoing the sights, museums and such.

And since our last real meal in Paris was Ramen, we thought it would be fun to have some slurping for lunch! And, having been to Ippudo locations in Osaka and Kyoto, I was interested to see how the Louvre location would compare…..so why not, right?

We arrived a shade past the noon opening time and went with an outdoor table….yes, it was a bit chilly, but the ramen would cure that. We were surprised at how quickly the restaurant filled up….though no one chose an outdoor table until there were none left inside.

As we usually do at Ippudo and other ramen shops in Japan; we ordered a ramen, this time the Akamaru Special and also a rice bowl, which in the case here was a Teriyaki Pork Don.

First off, the broth was totally Ippudo; not overly salty, nice and rich tongue coating thickness, porky, the black garlic oil adding a nice nutty, sesame flavor with a pleasant pungent-sweetness.

The tamago was a perfect orb of egginess.

The weak link was the noodles. This was a total Hakata style noodle fail as the thin noodles were very brittle and hard; lacking any "pull".

The rice bowl was fine….

The rice was cooked decently; something that we'd find was not the norm in Paris. The pork crisp and light…..

The customers were all Parisians as far as we could tell; no other Asians in sight. This was quite interesting as we'd find Parisians had quite diverse tastes during this trip to Paris.

Ippudo
74-76 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau
75001 Paris, France

As we headed back to the apartment, the sun had come out…..and with that, all of the Parisians……

Enjoying the sun and socializing. It was as if Covid never happened. Or perhaps folks were relishing and celebrating a hopeful return to normalcy? It was just a tad too crowded for us, so we decided to head on back to the apartment and rest up. We'd be headed to a favorite of ours for dinner.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris (Before Covid) – Our Favorite Croissants from La Maison d’Isabelle (times 2) and Hakata Choten (Les Halles Location)

April 23, 2022 mmm-yoso Croissants, France, Japanese Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

Our flight from Ben Gurion International Airport arrived right on time; a touch after 1pm. I had chosen to stay in Paris overnight and then head to Provence the following day. Then according to our plan, we'd return to Paris on the TGV and spend two evenings before heading home. Little did we know that this as not to be and this evening would be our last in Paris,,,and with Covid-19…..well, let's just say we probably would have been back in our favorite city at least 3 times since.

We caught the RER to Les Halles/Chatelet and because this was for just one evening stayed close by in the 4th Arrondissement at a small hotel on a side street. Of course, as soon as we checked in, the Missus was ready to go. And because we'd had breakfast and a lunch on our flight, I had a place on my "list" for something we're always on a hunt for in Paris…..Croissants. Now, the place I had in mind was all the way in the 5th Arrondissement….but you know the Missus…this was no problemo, so we headed out.

We loved the lovely familiarity as we walked past Hotel d'Ville and crossed the Seine. And of course, there's always something new to be seen, like this church just past Shakespeare and Co; named Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre.

And for there; it's just a short stroll to La Maison d’Isabelle which is on Boulevard Saint-Germain. We were somewhat familiar with the area having stayed close by during earlier visits.

As you can see La Maison d’Isabelle, which won the award for Best Croissant Au Buerre in Paris in 2018….as you can tell by the ginourmous sign. We had walked past this bakery several times over the years, though before they won. I walked in and order a Croissant Au Buerre, which looked quite lovely.

We immediately found a bench and cracked the croissant open….and holy smokes; the light, fluffy, interior, the heavenly light and crisp exterior, just the right amount of butter and salt. Easily the best we've had so far.

La Maison d’Isabelle
47T Boulevard Saint-Germain
75005 Paris, France

Buoyed by the croissant, the Missus decided She wanted to check out Hermes and since it was the Christmas season, I wanted to check out the window displays at Le Bon Marche. It was kind of chilly and a tad drizzly, but we did have a nice stroll and the Missus did not do any damage to our credit cards!

Like I said there's always something to see in Paris.

In the middle of a park like square is that sculpture above. This is Allée Pierre-Herbart named after writer and resistance fighter Pierre Herbart.

After heading back to the hotel and taking a short break we headed back out. This time we headed on over to Galeries Lafayette to check out the Christmas Displays.

Every year there's a new theme. Though every year there's the five story Christmas Tree in the middle of the store that slowly rotates.

I just become a kid again…the wonder, the fascination, it always puts me in the Christmas frame of mind.

We love watching the little kids with their noses pressed up against the window or climbing up the wooden stools so they can watch the displays.

As for dinner; well it was somewhat chilly and damp, we'd been away from home for almost two weeks and the Missus was missing Asian Food. On the way back to the hotel, I recalled that there was a location of Hakata Choten near Les Halles. The Missus had enjoyed the ramen at that location, so I suggested checking out the Les Halles location. The Missus really didn't need to be convinced.

It was nice and warm inside the restaurant, I don't think anyone would be eating outside tonight; the folks working actually tried talking to us in first French, then Japanese……we cracked up.

We ordered the Tonkotsu with Black Garlic (again) and the Missus also got some Sparkling Sake.

While the broth was a bit thinner than what we'd had at the Opera location; that black garlic oil added a nice savory-sweetness to things. It was still quite rich in a nice tongue-coating kind of way.

The noodles were just perfect, nice al dente "pull and chew".

While the Missus might now believe that Menya here in San Diego is better; this was just what we needed on this damp and chilly evening.

Hakata Choten Les Halles
16 Rue de la Grande Truanderie
75001 Paris, France

The following day our rain to Avignon was scheduled for noon, which meant, at least to the Missus that we could have yet another shot at the croissants from La Maison d’Isabelle which opens at 6am. So, we headed off before 6am……

And got our croissants; this time we noticed the trophies quite obviously displayed.

And it was just as good!

We actually took it over to the Cafe on the corner – Le Village Ronsard.

We followed unspoken café rule…..if an outdoor table has silverware on it; you must order food….if it sits without place settings; you can just get coffee. For us; it's usually a Cafe Allonge…..sort of like an Americano.

Le Village Ronsard
47T Boulevard Saint-Germain
75005 Paris, France

Bolstered by Caffeine the Missus wanted to go on a stroll, so we headed off to places that were familiar to us…..a "sleeping" Pantheon.

The market street Rue Mouffetard….

Then over to Place Monge, where the Marché Monge was getting set-up.

Soon enough, it was time to head back to grab our bags and then we were off to Gare Lyon and Avignon.

We took a moment to take a look at Notre Dame….the fire had occurred just a bit over 7 months earlier.

I hope to live long enough to see Notre Dame rise again!

Soon enough, we were on our TGV, off to Avignon!

**** Postscript: I recently heard from "FOY" AndyS……man, it had been over 8 years! It was great hearing from you Andy! I'm glad you are well. And since you wrote:

"Ramen has been my biggest fetish for the last few years. I was scouring LA and anywhere for ramen. Every visit to Japan, I made it a point to never repeat a single type of ramen in a trip and wow.. was I amazed at how diverse ramen is there."

And since there's ramen in this post…..I want to dedicate this post to you. It made my day to receive your email! Take care!

Paris (Before Covid) – Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Terroirs d’Avenir, Fou de Pâtisserie, and Dinner at Fleur de Pavé

November 13, 2021 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, Desserts, Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

*** Yet another condensed post of our trip in November, 2019

As we strolled thru Passage du Grand Cerf, it really looked like the Missus still wanted to explore. And so, by the time we hit Rue Bachaumont, where this pooch was having a great time fetching the Frisbee, I decided to make another stop.

We pass the Church of Saint Eustache on a daily basis when we're in the area and had never visited, so I thought this might be a good time to check it out. There was also something I wanted to see.

The church took a century to build, from 1532 – 1632 and contains one of the largest organs in France; the nave is humongous!

The interior of the church is quite grand and I'd read about the stained glass and had one set specifically in mind.

The church is located right next to Les Halles, which was Paris's central market for almost 800 years. So, of course they would be benefactors of the church. In fact the professional pork butchers association, the "Corporation des Charcutiers" has their own chapel. When was the last time you saw sausages and a pig in stained glass?

This sculpture by Raymond Mason commemorates the closing of Les Halles; it's titled "Le départ des fruits et légumes du coeur de Paris, le 28 février 1969" ("The departure of fruits and vegetables from the heart of Paris, February 28, 1969").

There's beautiful stained glass and some beautiful art work at Saint-Eustache; we'll definitely visit again one day…..hopefully.

The Missus really enjoyed this stop and wanted to keep on going; so we ended up walking all the way to Sacré-Cœur!

And enjoyed the view.

We were getting a bit hungry on the walk down and decided to make a couple of stops.

On Rue du Nil, along with the very popular Frenchie empire, is a group of shops which includes a cheesemonger, a butcher, and of course a boulangerie called Terroirs d’Avenir. So we made a croissant stop at the bakery.

We then headed back down to Rue Montorgueil and to a place I'd read about named Fou de Pâtisserie.

This specialty shop is a conglomeration of curated pastries form some of Paris's most well known pastry chefs like Pierre Hermé.

The pastries looked beautiful and of course the Missus had a difficult time choosing just one.

But She finally made a decision and we had some tea which we took to one of the two small tables outside.

While the croissant fell short; nice texture, but the butter-salt ratio wasn't quite to our taste…..

The Missus loved Her choice, called
L'Equinoxe. So, here's another place I'm sure we'll return to.

Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Terroirs d'Avenir
3 Rue du Nil
75002 Paris, France

Fou de Pâtisserie
45 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

After this we took a well earned break (nap). For dinner I had selected a restaurant that had just opened during the summer of 2019 and had created a bit of a buzz; Fleur de Pavé. Folks sang praises of this restaurant; the chef Sylvain Sendra had garnered a Michelin Star at his former restaurant, Les Itinéraires which he closed in 2017. He and his wife spent the next, almost two years travelling the globe and exploring various cuisines. The result of which is Fleur de Pavé. The restaurant is also very vegetable friendly as it gets much of it's produce from Asafumi Yamashita a farmer who only sells his produce to certain selected chefs of his choosing.

We were really looking forward to this meal. The restaurant was lovely, the staff very courteous, though service was quite slow. It actually took 30 minutes after we finished our meal and a "L'addition, s'il vous plaît" from me to get our check. Of course, the place is new; and as of 2020 they have received a Michelin Star, so I'm figuring they've straightened that out.

We decided to order form the menu and things started out with a trio of amuse:

From top to bottom; a Parmesian Tart with Tzaziki and Carrot; Blakc Rice Crisp with Labneh and Eggplant Caviar; and the thinly sliced Cauliflower with Madagascar Vanilla and Salt….which looked lovely and had a wonderful texture, but was a bit too sweet for our taste.

Up next was the "Scottish Bread", which looked like Parker House rolls…….but was a nice fluffy brioche.

We were excited to try the Salade du Jardin M Yamashita, which was topped with aged Parmesan.

The dressing could have used more acidity.

The Kabocha Carbonara with Mimolette sounded interesting.

Like other dishes; this was on the sweeter end of things and there wasn't enough textural contrasts for us….the dish just seemed to be mushy.

Our favorite dish of the night – the Scallop Carpaccio with Oyster Sorbet and Sea Urchin – so many complex flavors.

That worked together well.

Though the Roasted Monkfish with Pig Ear Tabbouleh and Red Wine Sauce was a bit much.

The Missus did enjoy the dessert and the wine pairing though.

Overall an interesting dinner; the place seems to be trying really hard and the presentations were wonderful……and I guess that paid off with a Michelin Star.

Fleur de Pavé
5 Rue Paul Lelong
75002 Paris, France

Paris (Before Covid) – Revisits to Jefrey’s and Boulangerie Régis Colin and Lunch at Artisan de la Truffe BHV

November 12, 2021 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Cocktails, Croissants, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

**** I know that "FOY" Kerri has been kind of looking forward to these posts; so here goes

Man, November of 2019 seems so long ago….. I've kind of held back on these posts; but thought I'd just better get them done. I'm going to do rather condensed posts. This was a trip the Missus was really looking forward to; Her favorite city; Paris, travel to Israel, Jordan, and Provence. And though it didn't end up quite the way we planned (more on that later) it was still quite memorable.

We arrived in Paris at around 730pm, which, since we'd been to Paris a couple of times already wasn't a big deal. We caught the RER from CDG and got off at Les Halles. We were staying at the same apartment that we'd booked for our last stay in Paris, so we knew the drill. How to pick up the keys; where the apartment was located, etc……

We'd eaten on our flight to Paris; but really wanted a nightcap; so we headed off to a cocktail bar we enjoyed on previous visits; Jefrey's.

**** Jefrey's has closed

They were having some special cocktails during this week; so we tried a few…..

And of course I enjoy Monkey Shoulder; so we enjoyed ourselves. Folks here are very welcoming and since it was a Thursday night the place wasn't overly busy.

Jefrey's
14 Rue Saint Sauveur
75002 Paris France

We enjoy Paris at the end of November……

As the Christmas season swings into gear.

The next morning I was up early as usual. The Missus wanted a croissant from a place we had enjoyed during our last trip; Boulangerie Régis Colin, so I headed on out.

**** Boulangerie Régis Colin has closed

Sadly, the croissant was disappointing this time around. Unevenly baked, lacking in butter, and too doughy…..

Boulangerie Régis Colin
53 Rue Montmartre
75002 Paris, France

After having our light "breakfast" the Missus needed Her caffiene (and people watching fix), so we headed on down the street to Café Montorgueil for our Café Allonge.

And to check out folks heading out for the day and doing their "morning stuffs"…….this pooch was focused on something in the gutter…must have smelled good.

Café Montorgueil
55 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

And then we headed out….with no plan, we just wanted to wander around and take in Paris. You know, the Flâneur/Flâneuse thing. We headed up Rue Saint-Denis to start things out. I'm sure you've heard of the Arc de Triomphe, but did you know there's one located on Boulevard St Denis. The Porte Saint-Denis was originally the site of a gate of the city walls of the city. The arch was built in 1672 by François Blondel to honor and celebrate the King Louis XIV's victories in the Rhine and in Franche-Comté.

From here we wandered over to the 4th and then the 3rd Arrondissements…….

Until we were getting a bit hungry. Since we had enjoyed eating at Maison de la Truffe during an earlier visit, I thought we'd hit up Artisan de la Truffe located in the BHV Department Store.

We got the Foie Gras with Truffle along with the Charcuterie with Truffle "Planche". For several reasons, we didn't enjoy this as much. The temperature of the foie gras, cheese, and charcurterie were too cold, the bread seemed to be getting a bit "old"….it just didn't do it for us. But hey, we did get enough calories to keep us going for the rest of the day, right?

Artisan de la Truffe (in the BHV Department Store – 3rd Floor)
52 rue de Rivoli
75004 Paris, France

From here we headed off and just enjoyed the city…..

And of course we had to see what was going on at Notre Dame……there didn't seem to be much happening on this day.

We eventually headed back up to the area where we were staying. While walking thru Passage du Grand Cerf…..

I had an idea for another stop…….

Stay Tuned!

San Francisco (Before Covid) – The Croissant Files and Angler

November 3, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Bangkok, Croissants, Fine Dining, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Travel

I was cleaning out photos that I didn't think I needed or wanted anymore and came across two sets from our trip to San Francisco right before the "official" start of the pandemic. It was January of 2020….I had thought about just deleting this…..but after pondering after a couple of minutes, I thought I'd just do a quick post, especially since I'd done posts on other places during that same visit. So here goes with a minimum of "chatter" from me.

We awoke to a nice sunrise…….and on this day, I thought we'd do a bit of walking and grab some croissants at places along the way. So we headed down Sutter Street to the first location I new was open on this day; Le Marais Bakery……which brought a smile to our faces since Le Marais is a frequent stop on our trips to Paris.

We grabbed some coffee and a Croissant aux Buerre to start things off.

The croissant was a bit dry and the amount of butter to salt was quite low. Though it was nicely flaky/crusty…so decent texture, but nothing I'd return for.

Le Marais Bakery
1138 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA 94109

From here we headed up Sutter Street passing some beautiful looking houses…yes, that architectural walking tour in Pacific Grove has developed a mild fascination with all these historical houses. Like the "Payne House", which is now a hotel.

On left here is the JACL Headquarters…..

And then walked thru a very quiet Japantown to our next destination.

To the bustling Jane the Bakery.

This would be the best of the three Croissants we had during this walk.

Jane The Bakery
1881 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94115

From here we headed down Geary, taking a right on Divasidero…..

Then a quick left on California to a place that had been recommended to me named B Patisserie.

This place was quite popular…..

Though I don't think it's for their plan croissants which lacked butter, was dry, and just not to our taste.

b. patisserie
2821 California St.
San Francisco, CA 94115

The great thing is; these three places are still open….so you can check them out and make your own decision…..

From here we headed down Divasadero and took a left onto Hayes Street; taking some time to watch the pooches having fun at Alamo Square Park.

We had fun watching the dogs……and I think next time I might pay more attention to the architecture in the area.

We headed back west on Hayes Street to the area known as the Hayes Valley, which seemed quite hipster to us….and took a break at a park named Patrica's Green, which is home to Tara Mechani.

There was also this structure which grabbed our attention.

From here we headed west and then took a left on Market Street, where we encountered the San Francisco I recall from visiting in the 90's.

After taking a short break (nap), we headed out for dinner. I'd made reservations at Angler.

Which is kind of known for the seafood and such; but the Missus was interested in the vegetable dishes. It seemed like a great place (this was before the Michelin star) for a nice, light dinner. And, to be perfectly honest, in spite of the spotty service, it was the best meal of the trip.

We went with mostly vegetables; except for the Antelope Tartare.

Which I loved…..great balance of savory-gamy flavors and acidity.

The grilled cauliflower was meh…..

The Missus loved the potatoes….the cloying cheese sauce, not so much.

The texture of the potato was amazing…..which is how She "convinced" me to make Hasselback Potatoes, which was not nearly as wonderful in cut and texture as these.

The Parker House Rolls were very nice; especially with the seaweed butter.

We loved radicchio, so was really excited about the radichio with XO sauce…..

The actual radicchio was fantastic; lightly bitter, savory, prepared well. But the "XO" sauce….well, it brought nothing to the dish. Really……..the Missus still prefers what I make at home.

The last dish to arrive was the Hen of the Woods Mushroom, which was delicous!

I've heard about the $500-$600 meals here…..I guess folks were having lobster and crab; our was not even close to that……and so we'll probably eat here again.

Angler
132 The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94105

And I especially feel like I earned this meal.

And here are some signs for you……

The Croissant Files – Izola Bakery (aka “signs signs, everywhere a sign……”)

July 7, 2021 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants

So, I'm trying to remember who recommended Izola to me…..I searched thru various comments, but couldn't find the rec' was it you Derek? Or maybe Dereck?

I was in the East Village doing take-out from the Missus's latest favorite restaurant and was told it would be a bit of a wait. So, since it was going to be at forty minute wait; I decided to try and find Izola. I'd go ahead and have a croissant for lunch and then the takeout for an early dinner.

So, I headed up 13th Street and on the corner of 13th and G came across my first (of many signs) sign for Izola.

Right across the street and up the block I believed I found the place.

Not because of the door…..but by looking up. You see, Izola has kind of become quite the hit for the unique "curbside", distanced, pick-up method. Phone and online orders can be delivered via a basket and rope from the shop. It's quite fun and Izola has quite an interesting story that you can read here.

I, of course wanted to see what the "shop" looked like….so I followed the instructions on the sign and dialed "003" on the call box.

And was buzzed into the lobby…….where I met my next sign…..

Which led me up the stairs.

And then…..well, a few more signs……

Until I arrived at the sign that let me know I had arrived…..

I hadn't read that article by the UT yet, so really, other than having read about the basket delivery system, didn't know what to expect when I walked thru the doors.

And saw a "delivery" in process…….

The two gentlemen working the front of house were really friendly and explained that this was (and is again since the reopening) a commercial photography studio/business. When the pandemic started they went and changed up to be a bakery! I really admired and respected the flexibility and wherewithal….even though I only ordered two croissants (this time). I was told that everything was done small batch and were being baked constantly during the days the place is open.

I really appreciated the "croissant care" instructions on my box as well.

The croissants were still warm when I opened up the box back home.

In terms of texture this was excellent, flakey, crisp, light, and airy……everything I look for in a croissant.

Though in all honesty, I prefer a bit more butteriness in my croissant aux beurre. So, while we definitely prefer the butter-salt balance of the croissants at Wayfarer, they tend to over brown their pastry. In terms of texture Izola wins out. Of course I still need to post on our favorite croissant; from La Maison d’Isabelle in the 5th Arrondissement in Paris. I'll get to that one of these days. I'll definitely be trying a croissant from Izola again.

And if you're wondering what they have available check out yet another sign to the right.

Izola Bakery
710 13th Street Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Wed – Fri Noon – 6pm
Saturday 8am – 2pm