French Restaurants – Page 12

Beaune – A Walk Along the Ramparts and Dinner at La Ciboulette

July 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, France, French Restaurants, Travel

Beaune seemed very different in the evening after the tourists are gone or are done in after a busy day of wine tasting.

After taking our own short nap, we awoke, refreshed and ready to do more exploring of the village before dinner.

We started at the what we considered the heart of the old town; Place Carnot. Things were much more relaxed and peaceful at this hour; even on a Friday evening.

Perhaps folks were just resting up for a busy night ahead.

We decided to head out and do part of the city wall; the "Remparts" (ramparts), the city walls of the old town. Beaune is a medieval walled city and much of it still stands. We decided to take a stroll on the ramparts during the "Golden Hour", which just made everything come alive.

Things were fairly quiet….so you could just imagine how things might have been back in the 14th and 15th Century.

I was fascinated by this tower.

So I did a bit of research and found that this is the Madeleine Tower, once used to store the ingredients' for gunpowder.

We stepped down at Rue d'Alsace, where the Missus decided we should just take a walk down the street right outside the walls, Rue du Faubourg.

Here there was much more hustle and bustle. You get a better feel for what life in today's Beaune is like.

This was at the end of October last year; so the sun started setting quite quickly. It was time head to dinner.

We had learned our lesson the previous night. You needed reservations; so we headed out last evening and tried to make them for the places on my list. We got two, which we were happy with.

I had really enjoyed my first taste of traditional Burgundian food at Chez Leon in Dijon and really wanted to have another dinner with those type of dishes. I had La Ciboulette on my list and we managed to get reservations for dinner.

The restaurant is located within the city walls, but on the North side of town. The place was quite bust when we arrived. We really enjoyed the service here; it was warm, unassuming, and very friendly. They even accommodated our request for five "entrees" (appetizer/salad/soups), instead of the usual three course meal.

But first, some wine for the Missus…..

Now my French is horrendous; I believe I've detailed my strategy of trying to get train tickets in French and "crashing and burning" spectacularly….to the point the agent would undoubtedly say; "monsieur, monsieur, I speak a little English……". Luckily, I do know basic French food items, cooking techniques, so this was slightly helpful.

We started with the Veloute de Potimarron – potiron = pumpkin, marron = chestnut. So this was some type of Pumpkin/Squash soup. Turns out this was made from Red Kuri (Hokkaido) Squash and was quite delightful.

Very clean flavor; mild sweetness, but very refreshing.

You know if there's foie gras on the menu, right?

A workable version; good flavor, rich, mild offal flavor with a not too sweet fruit compote.

The Missus absolutely loved the Escargot here.

The snails were so plump, tender, and juicy. The light parsley based sauce really allowed us to taste the earthy, almost mild shellfish flavor of the snails. These were Her favorite version of escargot of the trip, but I still preferred the version at Chez Leon.

We got the Salade d'aiguillettes de canard.

If I recall; aiguillette would mean a specific way of cutting skinned and defatted duck breasts into strips. The duck was on the chewy side; but the flavor from what tasted like a Balsamic glaze was delicious and went well with the mildly gamey duck. Of course; the Missus wanted some salad, and we got it here.

And of course; the classic Oeufs en Meurette – eggs poached in red wine.

In spite of the not quite tasty looking presentation, this was really delicious. Those slices of "lardon" were super tasty; the eggs perfectly poached, so runny, making this into a velvety, rich, tangy, slurry of goodness.

They even dropped off a good sized ramekin of potato gratin.

After lunch and this meal; we sadly, had no room for dessert.

As you can tell, we really enjoyed our dinner here. We loved the atmosphere; the service was lovely. We're definitely coming back here if/when we get back to Beaune.

La Ciboulette
69 rue de Lorraine
Beaune, France

We decided to stroll slowly back to our apartment taking in the sights and sounds….

This is the Porte St Nicholas, the North Gate to the walled city.

This current gate replaced the old gate in 1770 which used to have a drawbridge and fortifications to defend the city.

We were starting to understand that there was quite a bit to see; like the "Beffroi", the Romanesque Clock Tower which I read was built in the 1400's.

There would be much we didn't see or visit; like what is considered the most important sight; the Hotel Dieu des Hospices de Beaune.

We've found out over the years that in order to really enjoy ourselves; we should always think like we'll return someday.

We made our way back slowly. The once bustling shopping streets were now quiet. There was a different, relaxed feeling in the air.

Arriving back at our accommodations, we found that we weren't tired in the least. So it was time to take advantage of one of the nice features of our apartment, the wine "cellar". I've mentioned how much we loved this accommodation before.

But I'll say it again….we loved this place. And what could be better after a full day, than to relax with a bottle of wine. The appliance had a sheet on the top, describing each wine and the price. Things worked by the "honor system". You just got the bottle you wanted and left the money in the drawer.

The prices were really inexpensive and seemed cheaper than the wine shops and markets.

We each had a glass. The Missus relaxing, I wrote a blog post.

We stored the rest of the wine for tomorrow.

I was sure that it was going to be another full one. And I'd need a nightcap for sure!

Thanks for reading!

Burgundy – Driving the Vineyard Route, Meursault to Saint Romain, and Lunch at Aupres du Clocher (Pommard)

July 10, 2017 mmm-yoso Bakery, Burgundy, Croissants, Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Travel

I awoke as the sun rose on our first full day in Beaune. The previous day had been pretty busy, arriving in Beaune, getting settled and making reservations and finding a place for dinner. But this, well this was going to be a full day, we had a car and the Missus was rarin' to go.

But first, I headed out……

Down the quiet streets of early morning Beaune.

I recalled passing a Boulangerie the previous day as we were walking in from the train station. And it was one of the few places open this early in the morning.

Very friendly woman working. All I needed was on croissant to share with our morning coffee.

Boulangerie Pâtisserie Lapalus
1 place du docteur jorrot
Beaune, France

A decent, but not great croissant. I'd grab a baguette there before we left Beaune that was quite good though.

And then we headed out; around the ring road, finding the sign to Autun.

It was, without a doubt, beautiful.

As we kept stopping to take photos.

Imagine waking one morning, getting into your car and driving into a "postcard".

The road slowly crept upward.

Until we came upon the town of Meursault, with it's distinctive Town Hall.

It was a Friday, which turns out to be Market Day (Friday). We enjoyed walking around. Not only were food items on sale…..

But all manner of furniture and household goods as well.

From kitchenware to baskets to beds!

We took a short walk……this town is so charming.

We decided to take another break and hit up the Boulangerie.

For another croissant and espresso.

Le 7éme Péché
11 Place de L Hôtel de ville
Meursault, France

We then headed off down to Puligny-Montrachet.

Where according to many, the best white wine in the world is produced.

Because I drove, I could not partake. The Missus was free to sample whatever She wanted.

We came around the loop and took time to admire the Château de la Rochepot.

Which dates back to the 12th Century.

From here it was another climb uphill.

There was one more stop the Missus just had to make. On this trip, the Missus had grown fond of wine from the appellation of Saint Romain. And so, we just had to head downhill and stop in that town.

And stalk Her favorite producer…..

Yikes!

Luckily, there were no embarrassing moments as no one was around.

We then headed back toward Beaune. We'd made a complete loop and got back no the main road. The Missus had read about a restaurant in the town of Pommard. So decided to stop and see if they would be able to accommodate us.

Luckily, we'd arrived early and we got a table without reservations.

We were actually given a pretty nice table, with a street view. The lunch menu was basically a choice of two tasting menus. We took the more expensive option which was still a very reasonable 50 Euros…remember, we had become used to Paris prices.

The bread was interesting; it featured something the Missus would love later on; gougere….

Things started off with a nice and somewhat refreshing soup.

The thing I recalled the most was how the acidity of the cream really set off the flavors.

Of course we basically shared everything, passing dishes back and forth between us.

When the Missus's Escargot arrived, I knew that the chef was aiming for a more modern take on French cuisine, as per the "foam". There were some fairly tender grains under the delicious crème d'ail, a very smooth garlic crème. I asked what these were and was told "d'epeautre", basically spelt. It was nutty and slightly sweet. I recall on the menu that these were "escargot Bourgogne sauvage". Which I take to mean wild local snails. I thought all the ingredients were the stars rather than the escargot.

I had the Tartare de Dorade; which I believe is a type of sea bream.

This turned out to be basically a salad and I enjoyed the vinaigrette. I thought the squid was a bit tough.

Check out the Missus's main.

Yes, that is foie gras crowning a nice piece of tuna. I was kinda hesitant about the missus ordering this; but of course it had foie gras, which was decently prepared if a bit over-cooked. The tuna was actually perfectly cooked; quite rare and not dry.

To be perfectly honest, the Missus enjoyed the fennel, lima beans, and the wonderfully earthy mushrooms the best. I gotta say; the portion size on this was quite generous.

As was the portion size of the Entrecot of Veal.

Again, quite a large cut of veal, cooked perfectly for my tastes, decently tender. The mushrooms were again our favorite item on the plate.

The Mousse tiede d'epoisse was our least favorite dish. This was served separately and the flavors were so strong it as hard to enjoy.

Man, that cheese was so salty and the croutons on the bottom of the mousse; which tasted like gingerbread just added more strong flavors.

As for the rest of the desserts, well, the Missus enjoyed them.

Overall, we thought the meal was quite worth the price. The service was a bit spotty but quite pleasant and we were pleasantly surprised with our meal.

Aupres du Clocher
1 rue de Nackenheim
Pommard, France

Man, after that meal I needed to rest up. Plus we still had dinner reservations.

Beaune – Bistrot du Coin and Restaurant le Conty

June 16, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, France, French Restaurants, Travel

We did learn something our first night in Beaune. We needed reservations at all the places I had on my "list". At most places (not all) it seemed that you could make reservations the day before or even during lunch service, but it seems that walk-ins were really hard. So we decided to get our reservations for the following two nights taken care of.

On the bright side….well, it was a beautiful night to be walking around the town.

Beaune was totally different at night; quiet, even more relaxed. After finding two places that would take reservations for the upcoming two nights, we decided to chill and decided where to grab dinner.

One block from our apartment was this little wine bar named Bistrot du Coin.

It looked like just the place for us.

They were doing some pretty good business and the bartender was very efficient, friendly, and charming, in spite of the packed bar area.

After having that amazing white at David Toutain, the Missus as obsessed with wine from Saint-Roman and ordered a glass of it from the board.

Service was totally by the book…..

And they have quite a bottle list as well.

The lower level looks like it's set-up for groups and tastings….or perhaps if you bought one of those 100 Euro bottles, you could enjoy it here.

Nice place to grab a glass and relax.

Le Bistrot du Coin
2 Place Ziem
Beaune, France

After finishing up our wine, we decided to just walk around and see what was open….this place was close by.

We headed down the stairs.

The place looked charming….set in this little cellar and they had a couple of tables open.

The folks were very friendly and guided us to a table. We weren't too hungry, after having quite a bit to eat earlier in the day, so I thought two appetizers, and a nice bottle of wine would suit us just fine.

Of course the Missus found something from Saint-Romain, which She enjoyed.

Since the Missus had discovered that She actually loves Escagot, I ordered that and the Lentil Terrine with Duck Breast and Foie Gras (of course).

The Terrine (19€) arrived first and looked quite pretty, though the presentation seemed a bit dated.

We loved the salad; fresh, crisp, refreshing. The terrine was way too cold and very salty, which reduced how much we enjoyed it. Sad, duck breast and foie gras, two of my favorite things….but this just didn't do it for me.

The snails (16€) were next.

These were the least favorite version we had on this trip…..lacking enough garlic, not enough richness, and too much salt.

Nice service though. Good wine. Fairly pricy.

Restaurant Le Conty
5 rue Ziem
Beaune, France

I was hoping our upcoming dinners would be better.

Arely French Bakery Cafe

June 3, 2017 Cathy French Restaurants, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Here we all are, at the food blog mmm-yoso!!!, checking out what someone has had to eat. Kirk is on his way home from vacation and Ed (from Yuma) is enjoying the 'springtime weather' (in Yuma), so Cathy is writing a short post.

This year has not been 'normal' and it's half over! There have been never-ending appointments and meetings taking me (and The Mister) all over town and when it is time for a meal, usually something quick, convenient and 'healthy' has been consumed. On the rare occasions when there is time to actually coordinate a meal together, we are exhausted and 'splurge' may mean ordering a beverage or a shared dessert.

It so happened we were in the Clairmont area of town and instead of looking for someplace new, we stopped at Arely, which has been posted here before, most recently by Kirk. Stepping inside, the menu board is easily noticed.
Breakfast is served from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. The lunch menu (sandwiches, salads and panini) is served all day and the dinner portion of the menu (pasta, chicken, seafood and soups) are served from 11 a.m.-closing Of course at eye level are the pastry cases, just as tempting as can be. But we were here in time for lunch. The Caprese salad ($8.50); made with buffalo mozzarella, fresh, tasty tomatoes, basil and topped with a slightly sweet balsamic vinaigrette was a nice item to share. As was the cup of wonderfully cheesy French Onion Soup ($3.50) which is properly made, with sherry. The Croque Madame ($8.95) was exceptionally good and quite large. Topped with two eggs (over easy by request), the grilled Black Forest ham and Swiss cheese on thick slices of house made brioche bread, lightly toasted, was just perfect for sharing.

Of course, I just decided that a dessert was going to be purchased and consumed here. A blueberry Danish ($2.40) was the choice, after much consideration. There is a thin layer of cream cheese underneath those small, flavor filled wild berries and a bite of all of that combined with the flaky crust was just so perfect.

I hope each of you has a chance to have a quality lunch.

Arely French Bakery Cafe 4961-A Clairemont Drive 92117 (858)270-1910 Tues-Sat 7:00 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun-Mon 7:00 a.m.-7 p.m.

Burgundy – From Dijon to Beaune, with Visits to Les Halles, Gallet Traiteur, and Fromager Alain Hess

May 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, Cheese, France, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Our train for Beaune would not be leaving until noon, so we decided to wander around Les Halles, Dijon's market hall. On this morning; things were very quiet.

We picked up a slice of Jambon En Croute and a really good baguette at one of the bakeries north of the market.

While walking near Chez Leon we came across this little shop. The friendly young ladies were basically "waving us in".

A Traiteur is basically a take-out/catering company. We kind of got the feeling that this shop was celebrating its grand opening. Quite a few people entered after we walked in.

We were tempted by the Foie Gras items; but went with a few "salads".

Gallet Traiteur
10, rue des Godrans
21000 Dijon, France

The train ride from Dijon to Beaune takes less than 20 minutes. We managed to polish off half the baguette and some of the Jambon en Croute while waiting for the train.

We arrived at the quaint train station in Beaune; went and made arrangements for a rental car to picked up later in the day, and walked down the street and to our apartment inside the city walls of the "old town". I was instantly smitten by the town. It helps that we loved our accommodations. The unit's owner was a lovely, cheerful, and friendly woman. And the place had everything we could have needed or wanted….even an "honor system" wine cellar.

It was a bit too cold to eat outside; but man, we would have loved eating outside if the weather was warmer.

The location was fantastic as while it wasn't in the middle of everything, it was a mere block away or so. The place was peaceful and quiet, yet close to things. The perfect combination.

Speaking of close to things; once we dropped off our bags, the Missus was ready to go. The old town is fairly compact, the main business here is wine, in fact Beaune is considered Burgundy's "Capital of Wine" as many of the wine producers actually store their wine in Beaune. The big event in this town is the is the annual Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, which takes place in November.

We walked almost diagonally across the old town.

Passing thru the ramparts on other side and across the "ring road" and over a stream.

To a beautiful park that looked like something out of a painting.

This is Parc de la Bouzaise.

That seems to be a favorite of both our two legged and four legged friends.

It seemed like the duck knew that this was their property as they displayed little fear of humans and dogs.

Near the edge of the park you see a fence.

Walk through the opening in the fencing and you'll be rewarded with this beautiful sight.

Yes, this is wine country indeed…the Cote de Beaune. Walk to your left a bit and you are ground zero of Beaune Les Teurons.

The map shows how the land is divided up; many of the "clos" (plots) have belonged to the same family since medieval times.

You can walk along the vineyards and feel like you are viewing a real life Impressionist painting.

As we walked up the hill above Beaune, folks in the vehicles actually smiled and waved to us…..as if to say "welcome"…..

Walking back into town, we stopped near the central square.

When we were in Dijon; I noticed a truck delivering cheese to several businesses….with the name Alain Hess printed on the side. After a quick "Google check"; Fromagerie Hess became a "must stop" on my list. Right off the main square (Place Carnot) is the shop.

It is a very busy shop….with cheese, charcuterie, and other products on the ground floor.

And wine and cheese tastings in the basement.

We bought cheese, foie gras, and a nice bottle of wine for a late lunch.

Fromagerie Hess
7 Place Carnot
21200 Beaune, France

Back at the apartment, we had a late lunch.

Which featured the bounty of what we had collected during the day. The champignons from Gallet Traiteur was quite good, though the puy lentils were much too salty and hard. The foie gras terrine from Alain Hess was amazing; great smooth liver flavors, yet rich, it was very good. And a nice crisp, but not too buttery white.

This was a nice meal.

Which kind of displayed how good the food can be, even when self-catering in France.

Dijon – Back to Église Notre-Dame de Dijon and Dinner at Chez Leon

May 6, 2017 mmm-yoso Burgundy, France, French Restaurants, Travel

Remember that I made wish when rubbing the "Owl of Dijon"? Well, it wasn't an outlandish wish….nothing like world peace and goodwill to men….not even monetary wealth. I made a humble little ask….for dinner of course! You see, one of my objectives for our time in Burgundy, was to try the regional specialties, especially items that the Missus had never been particularly fond of. I had a place named Chez Leon in mind, but had not been able to get thru and make reservations. My thought was to drop by during lunch service and make reservations then. But, by the time we arrived, they were closed.

Bummer…..but then, I think "The Owl" came through. A young lady walked out to update the chalkboard….and guess what? We had reservations. The Missus thinks "the owl" thing is just silliness. Me, well, I dunno…….

We got back to the hotel, checked into our room, and took a short nap. We awoke refreshed and the Missus just wanted to get going. Our reservations were for 7pm (when they open) and we still had some time to kill. so we decided to explore Dijon a bit more.

The was in the process of setting when we arrived in front of the Église Notre-Dame.

We found that the doors were wide open, welcoming us to enter.

The one item to see here is the Statue of Notre-Dame de Bon-Espoir (Our Lady of Good Hope). It is thought that this wooden statue dates back to the Eleventh or Twelfth Century.

There are several miracles attributed to this statue. You an read about them on the French Wikipedia site for Église Notre-Dame de Dijon.

Walking around during the evening seems to add an air of mystery…….like something is going to happen around every corner.

The architecture sure adds to the atmosphere.

As do the citizens….both the two legged and four legged ones.

We arrived at Chez Leon right as the doors open. The two women working here were really friendly and nice. The atmosphere, simple and welcoming.

It was a good thing we made reservations; the place filled up rather quickly, and folks without reservations were turned away…..even some rather unhappy locals who seemed like friends of the owner! The menu is simple….and only available in French.

The Missus selected the wine and dessert and left the rest to me.

I had always wanted to try Oeufs en Meurette; a classic Burgundian preparation of poached eggs in a red wine sauce. It looks kind of messy, but man, this was good.

You know the Missus loves Her eggs, right? This was very nice; a little tanginess from the Pinot Noir sauce, nice richness, great with bread.

The Missus had never been a fan of escargot. And in fact, didn't want me to order it. But since this is one of the specialties of Burgundy…well, we had to try it right? Oh, and this converted the Missus into an escargot lover.

Though the Missus ended up ordering escargot at almost every meal in Burgundy; I thought, in terms of the snails, this was the best. They were plump, mild in flavor, and pretty tender. For the Missus, I found that it was the garlicky parsley butter that makes the dish for Her.

The Missus ordered the Souris d'Agneau; lamb shanks. This one with a very nice risotto and a wonderful jus, with just enough rosemary.

The lamb was wonderfully gamey and fork tender….as in, not falling to pieces, but tender enough to cut with a fork.

Of course I got the boeuf bourguignon. After all….we were in Burgundy!

The sauce was a nice beefy-wine sauce with hints of onions. The beef was very tender and bursting with beefy flavors….nothing fancy mind you; but good, solid, comfort food.

The Missus enjoyed the dessert; especially that sorbet.

The service was friendly, the atmosphere relaxed and unpretentious, the food solid, the prices quite reasonable…….what's not to like?

Plus, we were in Burgundy, feasting on Escargot and Boeuf Bourguignon.

This was a nice way of getting ourselves familiarized with the flavors and food of Burgundy.

Chez Leon
20 rue des Godrans
21000, Dijon, France

And we just knew we'd be having a great time!

Thanks for reading!

The Missus’s Favorite Date Night Spot – Et Voila!

February 21, 2017 mmm-yoso European Restaurants, French Restaurants

Man, looking back over the last couple of weeks……I really haven't been "Little Miss Sunshine", huh? So let's turn things around a bit. Here's the Missus's current date night spot for us. We both have hectic schedules right now and are working like crazy. While my usual routine is to come home and cook multiple dishes of "quick" things and supplement with leftovers (La Rou is always welcomed). We try to save at least one night of the week for the both of us. The Missus was really missing France for a while and our good friend Candice suggested Et Voila! So we decided to check them out and have been going on a regular basis since then.

Located on Adam's Avenue next to Tajima and Hawthorne Coffee, we enjoy the early dinner times….yes, you can call us the "Blue Plate Special" folks these days….but my day at work usually starts around 6am and on recent evenings, I haven't gotten home until almost 6pm. So, on that evening where I can get home at 4, I'm usually already pretty hungry, and having dinner at say, 445pm doesn't sound bad at all. Plus, we don't have to worry about reservations.

We like the atmosphere, while the lighting on the dark side, it's nice and unpretentious and we usually get one of the more comfortable tables when we arrive early.

Recently, the Missus has been getting into cocktails……I do see danger ahead with this one. We enjoy the cocktails here, while not cheap at $12, they are $7 during Happy Hour. My favorite is the Huckleberry Bourbon.

For the Missus, it used to be the Celery Gimlet.

But now, She's starting to enjoy Bourbon, so it's the Blooming Manhattan.

The bread here is simple and par baked baguette which is surprisingly good. Still a bit light in the salt department….we'd gotten used to the yeasty-salty-savory French Baguettes.

The Missus enjoys some butter on Hers and enjoys it, though She'd really like it if there was some sea salt sprinkled on top.

Off to the food! The Missus had always told me She hated Escargot. Heck, if I knew this before we got married….nah, just kidding! But once in Burgundy, I told Her She just had to try them. And of course once She had 'em…..we had to order them during just about every meal in Dijon and Beaune.

This version uses Pastis, which adds an interesting, though not offensive amount of light anise flavor. Being the garlic lover, I'd love a bit more garlic. The Missus just wants more sauce, period. This is a very nice rendition overall, though it doesn't come close to what we had in Burgundy.

We got the Pork Belly, Poached Egg, and Frisee ($13).

This was very nice; the truffle vinaigrette really shined and we loved that the frisee wasn't over-dressed. The pork belly was crisp on the exterior, creamy inside, quite lovely. And the Missus loved the gooey egg yolk all over the greens. Not a big fan of the toasts as the flavors seemed to clash with the pork and salad. But this was a very nice dish.

Going with the "all apps" approach. Something that we really enjoy doing since we just can't away all that food anymore, we ended with, well, what else? Duo de Foie Gras ($26).

We've had so much Foie Gras, that perhaps I should have a category for it. We both adored the foie gras terrine; smooth, rich, perfectly funky, it was decadent and delicious. The regular sautéed version was dry and overcooked having an unpleasant dry-mealy texture. We decided to stick with the terrine on future visits.

Which came around quite quickly, as in the following week.

Starting this time with the Burrata and Beet Salad ($11).

Man, the plating was bit over-the-top for us. Sort of like they hired Jackson Pollack to design this dish. The burrata was delicious though, creamy, slightly milky, with just that hint of acid. Loved the beets, perfectly sweet. Again the greens were nicely dressed, though the balsamic dressing was a bit on the sweet side for us. Still, a nice dish.

And of course, the Foie Gras Terrine ($23).

While a bit "busy" in terms of presentation, that foie gras terrine is really good. I really don't need any of the garnishes, though the Missus likes what I believe is fig chutney. I just like eating the pears by themselves, ditto the brioche, as we almost prefer the baguette for the foie gras.

Man, two rich dishes and we were out.

Only to return a few weeks later. Of course we got the foie gras terrine, but also decided to try the Ravioli aux Champignons ($13). Which had us wondering why we hadn't tried this before.

My goodness, the deep earthy mushroom tones….think porcini, a touch of truffle oil, tempered with a hint of sweet flavors, with a shaving of Parmesan for saltiness. This has become something we order on every visit now. And though the composition seems to have changed, with more broth and cheese; I actually think this is an improvement. The Missus has been bugging me to make my Mushroom Risotto after this meal.

Because there was a special Perigord Black Truffle menu on this evening. Now, having been to Dordogne, how could we resist. In spite of my loathe of par cooked restaurant style risotto. So we got the Black Truffle Risotto ($25). It was actually a good sign that it took over 25 minutes to get to us. And what we got was delici-yoso!

Man, this was so good. The risotto perfect in texture, tender, with a slight chew, no hard granular core. The combination of truffle and mushroom flavors is one made in heaven. And we were definitely there on this evening. And of course we had the foie gras terrine….man, talk about a rich meal.

Next time around was kind of funny. I usually avoid places during Restaurant Week. No offense, but I enjoy visiting a restaurant when it's not totally slammed, or when they don't have a pared down menu, and many places aren't able to show their real capability because, well, they're trying to turn a profit too, right? And in spite of always being offered freebies during RW…..you know how we feel about that here. With all of that in mind, we ended up at Et Voila during RW! Go figure. The menu looked fascinating, so we went for it, along with the wine pairings, which were pretty good.

The Gravlax de Saumon D'Ecosse was superb, I mean really, really, good. I had misgivings because it seemed cut too thick.

But holy smokes, that texture was excellent, meaty, but still silky and sublime. Loved the understated brininess and the mustard was just enough to cut through everything else. You know how we feel about the greens here. We loved the simple perfectly dressed arugula.

Having just had some good Jambon de Bourgogne in Burgundy, I was interested in the Terrine de Champignon en Croute.

First off, the pickles were excellent, simple, but each had it's own unique personality. The pastry was a bit too mushy for my taste; but that mushroom pate was very good; earthy-mushroom tones, just a touch of richness, a bit of pungency to cut down the richness.

I chose the Pan Seared Duck Breast as my main.

There were some nice elements to this dish; the Swiss Chard Gratin was so good; rich, slightly buttery potatoes, but balanced by the light bitter-sweet flavor of the chard. The duck had been lightly smoked and the texture was outstanding; it was still tender and hadn't firmed up too much. Served medium was perfect for this. My only problem was that the sauce was way too salty. I gave up after a few bites and the Missus traded dishes with me. She plowed through this like there was no tomorrow.

What She got and I ended up with was the Braised Shortribs.

The Missus wanted this a bit more tender; but I enjoyed the beefy flavor and the slight toothsomeness of the beef. So I ended up with this. I enjoyed the Red Wine sauce and the charred broccoli. This was a nice dish.

Dessert is the Missus's department and She enjoyed them both.

The Missus enjoyed this so much that She made reservations to return the next night with a friend. Unfortunately, the friend cancelled at the last minute. The Missus was really looking forward to getting the duck again, so I decided on being "plan B" for the evening. This time though, I was going to go a bit easier. While the Missus got the duck, I got the ravioli and the Beef Tartare ($13).

Man, this was at least 6 ounces; quite large. There was a bit too much filler in this version, along with being a bit heavy handed on the mustard for my taste. There was something in this that gave it almost a fishiness that both the Missus and I didn't care for. I may try this again in the future, though I'm not so sure…..

We've been back a couple of times since then, mostly ordering the same old items. Though one night we went with both the foie gras terrine and the charcuterie and fromage plate ($22).

Man, this was a lot of food. Loved the pate as it was earthy and delicious. That camembert also hit the spot.

We enjoy the vibe here; a bit more grown up, unpretentious, the service genial and professional. That's perfect for us.

The price point is not cheap; we haven't spent less than $80 for a meal, even with just appetizers here….but of course, we love those cocktails. We've been to many of the more well known places in San Diego, but have never wanted to return (hence no posts)…Et Voila though…well it's on the rotation.

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

COMC: Paris – Restaurant David Toutain

February 7, 2017 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

I had made plans after we'd done quite a bit of walking and of course shopping during the day. We'd already done nearly 12 miles and would end up at nearly 15. Of course there was the requisite nap and taking a leisurely walk before dinner.

It is indeed the city of light, regardless of what the true story behind that nickname.

Just take a look at Invalides, lights shining brightly even on a foggy night like this.

We meandered our way to our dining destination; Restaurant David Toutain in Arrondissement 7. I picked David Toutain because of the namesake's innovation and skill, especially with vegetable dishes, something the Missus is leaning toward these days. I thought I'd save the heavier and more traditional dishes for Burgundy, where we were headed in the morning. I'm not going to make this a very long post, as while we really enjoyed this meal, and found a wine that we kept searching for throughout Beaune and Burgundy, a fabulous and amazing white from the Domaine Alain Gras in Saint Romain (we even went to the Domain), this meal was over shadowed with an amazing meal from Sola that we'd have on the way back.

Still, that is not to say the meal wasn't innovative, starting with the amazing combination of Salsify with White Chocolate.

Earthy tones with a very mildly sweet and creamy "dip".

It was a show of creativity and the presentation was quite interesting.

This brioche was addictive…..

An interesting variety of textures and techniques; a bit of molecular gastronomy here and there.

Yes, there was quinoa, fried, airy pork skin, thin slices of walnut…..

And one spectacular piece of Cod, that had the Missus and I staring at each other. The texture was so decadent and buttery; I'm thinking this was sous-vide.

We're still talking about how amazing the fish in this dish was…..

Another fantastic dish was the Smoked Eel in Black Sesame; not something I'd generally think would go well together.

But the strong, smoky flavor of the eel really stood up well to the powerful nutty flavor of black sesame. The toothsome texture of the fish and the thick sauce complimented each other as well.

At the end, there was dessert…..a lot of dessert…..

The Entremets (palate cleansing course) was another amazing combination of flavors that worked together; Cauliflower Puree with White Chocolate and Coconut Ice Cream.

Dessert is of course, the Missus's thing and She really enjoyed Herself.

I thought the presentation of the Churros was a bit much…..

The staff here was amazing; professional yet friendly and warm. When the Sommelier noticed we enjoyed the Alain Gras so much, he gave us a second glass, and then matched it flawlessly with a few other dishes to display the fine range of the wine. The actual restaurant is quite discreet, no big signs, just a simple "DT" carved in the doorway.

While I'm not sure we'll be back soon; I'm glad we had the experience.

Restaurant David Toutain
29 Rue Surcouf
75007 Paris, France

We walked back to our hotel, quite happy with our time in Paris. Heck, even the Eiffel Tower surrounded by fog looks quite romantic, don't you think?

Paris – More of the Right Bank and Boco

January 12, 2017 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

After our very nice and refreshing stop at Laduree, the Missus was itching to do some shopping.

I was however, quite surprised that She kept a rather leisurely pace as we headed down Champs-Élysées.

And while we didn't visit the exhibition at the Grand Palais, which was actually built as an exhibition hall for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, the building has had many uses over the years. During World War I it served as military hospital, during the Nazi occupation a truck depot.

We stopped at the statue of Charles de Gaulle on Place Clemenceau to take a photo.

This area, full of lovely green spaces is called des Jardin des Champs-Élysées and is quite lovely. There are many statues and fountains located on the garden grounds. This one, named "Fontaine des Ambassadeurs", also known as the "Venus Fountain" dates back to 1840.

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées ends at a large public square, Place de la Concorde, know for its two grand fountains.

And one dramatic looking, gold topped obelisk, which was originally located at the entrance of Luxor Temple in Eqypt. If you've read our posts on Istanbul, Rome, and even Brno, you'll know that the Missus has a thing for Obelisks, so we had to stop here. The Luxor Obelisk is supposedly over 3000 years old and was shipped from Luxor in 1832, arriving in Paris late in 1833. The pedestal details how the obelisk was transported to Paris, quite an engineering feat back in the day. The original pedestal resides in the Louvre. The gold leaf Pyramidion was installed in 1998 to replace one that had been missing since the 6th century.

It's quite a busy area.

We were going to check out Place de la Madeleine, but by this time the Missus was focused. So we turned left on Rue Saint Honore, then left on Rue Cambon, and arrived at the Missus's destination in the very upscale Opera Neighborhood.

They flagship store of Chanel……sigh. It was quite an experience, with one on one service, refreshment, and so on. I won't go into how much $$$$, or should I say "€€€€" the Missus spent. But let's just say She was quite happy…except for not having shoes in Her size.

In case you're thinking about stopping by:

Chanel Cambon
31 Rue Cambon
75001 Paris, France

The Missus, disappointed in Chanel not having the shoes She wanted, had a plan B so we headed off. At least I know why they call this area "Opera". It's because of the Palais Garnier, the striking looking Opera House.

Around the corner from the Opera House on Rue de la Paix is a location of Repetto. Repetto was founded in 1947 as a maker of ballet shoes. It is super popular in Japan. Being married to the Missus has its hazards; I know more about handbags and women's shoes than any red blooded male should. Anyway, the shoes are quite beautiful. The Missus requested black; but the savvy saleswoman brought out a pair of the Repetto BB in Flame Red and told the Missus they were the number one selling shoe in Japan! I gotta admit, they did look good, so I told the Missus buy them both (She's since bought four more…..sigh). Here's a wonderful blog post if you want to know more about Repetto shoes. There was one funny thing that happened. As I paid for the shoes, the young lady who helped us looked at my name and started talking to me in fluent Japanese! Ok……tis was starting to get a bit surreal. In chatting I found out she was one-quarter Japanese, though she didn't look it at all, and felt more comfortable speaking in Japanese than English!

Boutique Repetto
22 Rue de la Paix
75002 Paris, France

Lest you think I've gone around the bend and this has suddenly become a fashion blog…..

**** This location of Boco has closed

The Missus and I were getting somewhat hungry. While we didn't want too much to eat since we had quite a dinner planned, a croissant and coffee was just not going to do. Looking at my trusty Google Map, I noticed one of the places I entered, an interesting concept restaurant named Boco.

Created by two brothers, Vincent and Simon Ferniot, the shop is basically what I'd call Fast-Casual…or perhaps "Fast-Bistro". It has definitive French twist. Most of the items are served in a "bocal" (glass jar), which, in additional to being recyclable, means you can eat it in the restaurant, or take it home with you. In fact we saw two folks come in and leave with bags full of jars. I read that most ingredients are organic, and here's the kicker, are recipes from a star studded cast of chefs.

You basically pick your stuff out….let them know if you want to eat in, whereupon they'll heat up the items that need it, or take it to go.

Word of warning; this ain't super cheap. Especially if you visit the shop in Orly Airport. But just wanting a smaller sized meal, this proved to be quite relaxed and nice.

We started with Rabbit Rillettes and Celeriac…sorry no photo, we were hungry and just whacked this.

This recipe was courtesy of multi-Michelin starred chef Stéphane Décotterd. It was refreshing, the lapin perhaps a bit on the dry side, but the celeriac and mustard-aioli based sauce was really nice. Not too rich, nice acidity.

The Missus loved the Ouef Moelleux et Mousse de Courge au Lard.

Think of it as a perfect poached egg in a pumpkin mousse, with bacon. This recipe courtesy of Gilles Goujon, whose name I recognized. He is the chef and owner of Three Michelin starred L'Auberge du Vieux Puits.

My favorite dish was the lamb confit over winter vegetable ratatouille.

So perfectly gamey…at Orly, the whole dining area of Boco there smelled like this. Kinda scary to Americans, comforting to me. Loved the sauce, a bit of acid, some tanginess, I think from a tomato product, with an interesting sweetness. The lamb was both tender and gamey…the flavor of the green pasture coming through.

Overall we enjoyed this meal. It was comforting, the portion sizes not too large, definitely not like your friendly neighborhood Chiptole, Five Guys, Luna Grill, or Panera. The young man working here was very friendly. Not everyone's cup of tea….but if we had one on the corner, I'd be there quite often.

boco
3 Rue Danielle Casanova
75001 Paris, France

From here we headed back, walking through the Jardine de Tuileries. Folks were out and about, socializing. We stopped to watch this game of bocce.

A couple of the guys waved me down…wanting me to embarrass participate. I just laughed and nodded a solid negative. Where was the uptight and serious French folks told me about?

Surely not here in the park…enjoying the fall colors or lounging by the fountains.

We walked along the Seine and past Place de la Concorde.

Passing by the steady gaze of the statue that represents the City of Lyon.

And over the bridge.

We meandered our way back to our hotel on Avenue de la Bourdonnais.

We decided to take a short nap. As we unloaded our bags, you could see that the Missus had "made out".

But you know what? In my own way, so did I…..

Thanks for reading!

Paris – Champs-Élysées and Laduree

January 7, 2017 mmm-yoso Desserts, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

Our first night in Paris was rather low-keyed. We got a great night's sleep and the Missus was ready to go in the morning. The skies were overcast and hazy, but that didn't stop folks from enjoying the Eiffel Tower….like these Nuns, with smartphones and iPads, taking selfies even!

We had an outline of what the Missus wanted to do on this day and crossed the Seine on Pont d'lena.

I guess they decided not to turn on the fountains in Jardins du Trocadero because of the rather dreary weather on this morning.

From the Palais de Chaillot, the Missus decided She watned to wander Avenue d'Eylau and Rue de Longchamps to Avenue Victor Hugo where we stopped for some espresso and shared a croissant. Up Victot Hugo, we then crossed the super crazy roundabout and headed up Avenue Raymond Poincare to one of the richest and most prestigious streets in Paris; Avenue Foch. Finally stopping at the Arc de Triomphe.

This iconic to celebrate and symbolize France's victories and those who fought for and died for the country in a very Roman way. Take a look at the sculpture of Napoleon being crowned by the Goddess of Victory.

And while Napoleon died long before the completion of the Arc, his remains were passed through the Arc on its return from Saint Helena, on its way to Invalidies.

It seems like so much of French history events have occurred with the Arc as a back drop. From the funeral procession of Napoleon, to the Germans marching past after defeating France in the Franco-Prussian War, to the French and Allied forces marching victorious in World War I, to the Nazis during the occupation of France in 1940, to Allied forces after the Liberation of France. As recently as 2002, an assassination attempt was made at the Arc, French President Jacques Chirac.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I was buried here on Armistice Day in 1920.

We decided to take the stairs, all 284 of them to the top.

The stairs weren't too bad, but somewhat dizzying.

The view from the top, even on a overcast, foggy day was still stunning.

And we'd be crossing over to Avenue des Champs-Élysées upon leaving.

There were a few "musts" on the Missus's list for being in Paris for the first time; one of them was a walk down Champs-Élysées. It was a pleasant walk, but really didn't have any of the type of shopping for the Missus's taste. There were some interesting things though, like why no "Golden Arches" for what is considered the "the largest McDonald's Restaurant in the world"?

Apparently, there's some strict sign codes on the Champs-Élysées and if Mickey D's, or "MacDo" as they call them here, wanted to operate on the Avenue. By the way, did you know that the second largest market for McDonalds is France? WTH….. But, according to this posting in NPR, there may be some really good reasons why.

The one must stop for the missus was the Flagship store of Laduree, established in 1862, one of the two "King of Macarons" in France; the other being Pierre Herme, whose namesake used to work for Laduree.

Man, this place was quite….well fancy schmancy…..the boutique and even the counter.

We decided to head to the back area; the "Bar Laduree", which has a bit of a strange underwater theme. Had me humming "Octopus's Garden" by the Beatles.

It seemed to be just the right place to take a break and the Missus's sweet tooth was telling Her it needed to be tended to.

I started with a café noir. I love the way that these lovely shops always provide a little piece of chocolate with your coffee…..or rather, the Missus loves collecting these little tidbits.

Not being big on sweets, it was the Missus ordering all the way. A couple of macarons, which we ended up taking with us. And something from the dessert menu called the Ispahan, which are rosewater macarons sandwiching raspberries and lychee. Not cheap at 12,5€, but it was something that even I enjoyed.

Note overly sweet, with a nice balance of tartness. This was quite fragrant and very elegant as I felt like a complete barbarian trying to eat this.

The Missus loved it and She also enjoyed Her macarons which we ended up taking to go.

The service was very professional, the vibe relaxed. It was a nice little stop on our walk down the Champs-Élysées.

Ladurée
75 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008
Paris, France

Yep, so there I was….sipping a café noir, munching on a frou-frou dessert, in a underwater themed bar on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Who'd have thunk? My day dreams ended quite quickly when the Missus nudged me and said, "ok, enough of this….let's go spend some money." A phrase that sends shudders across my wallet…..

Thanks for reading!

For other thoughts on Laduree, please check out Kirbie's posts, here and here.