French Restaurants – Page 13

Dordogne – Hitting the Road, Cadouin, and Dinner at Criquettamu’s

July 8, 2016 mmm-yoso Dordogne, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

While researching our trip it became obvious that we’d need a car to make the most of our trips in and around the Dordogne River Valley. Since this wasn’t some crazy big city I decided to rent a car for a couple of days.

I’d made arrangements for a rental to be picked at the local Europcar office in Sarlat. The process was painless, the folks there quite friendly. As I mentioned when I drove around Crete, almost every car I’ve seen is a “stick”. So I’m glad to have learned to drive in my friend’s 70 ‘Cuda, which had probably the hardest clutch I’ve ever had to use. When on these trips, I think it best to get the smallest, easiest to hande, gas efficient, car you can get. We had a small Peugeot. I also requested a GPS, which was provided. There was one little glitch…..it was in French! So what better way to learn a few words in French, than with your GPS commanding you, “Le Gauche…..La Droite….Sortie….” It was almost like a song….”le gauche, la droite, sortie….le gauche, la droite, sortie”. Basically, to the left, to the right, exit. But of course it sounds much better in French….repeat after me; “le gauche, la droite, sortie…..”

One other thing that threw me off a bit were all the roundabouts….where you gotta know when it’s your turn and then make that quick decision of which exit (Sortie) is yours. There were a few times where we took a lap or two in a roundabout.

As a whole folks were pretty relaxed out here; there’s no freeway, so no one is blasting it down the road. Once I saw an ambulance approach from the back, lights flashing. I just crept over the right. The guys actually smiled and waved at us as they passed!

The payoff was being able to see some of the beautiful countryside. It was like being part of an ever moving painting at times.

I was just trying to get used to driving in the area, so we had no particular place in mind and ended up at this impressive, yet haunting looking church.

Looking at our map we had arrived at Cadouin Abbey, founded in 1115, the church was consecrated in 1154.

Cadouin was once an important pilgrimage destination; to quote “The Abbey became a major pilgrim destination in the Middle Ages because of a piece of cloth thought to be part of the shroud of Jesus Christ. Pilgrims visiting the shroud included Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine. In the 1930s the cloth was shown to date from the 12th century and the abbey immediately lost its role as a pilgrimage destination”

The Missus, while reading the Michelin Green Guide found that in 1934 two scholars found that the embroidered bands mentioned an emir and caliph who rules Egypt in the 11th and 12th century. Man, you can’t make this kind of stuff up, can you? It kind of looks like the figure to the right has his finger in the air saying, “but wait a minute!!!!”

There was just so much to see, like this quaint little church. This town wasn’t even on our map. The GPS said it was Saint-Avit-Rivière. The Wikipedia page says the “Commune” has a population of 80.

The façade of this church was quite charming.

A few minutes later we passed through a fairy tale like forest; the trees swaying gently above us.

And ended up outside the walls of a town named Monpazier, a well known “Bastide” (fortified) town. The town was founded in 1284 by Edward I of England, basically to command and control the roads and commerce in the area. The Porte Saint Jacques was our entrance to this historic town.

We took a different route back to Sarlat; but it was no less beautiful.

The biggest challenge with the car for me wasn’t the driving, it was finding some parking once we got back to Sarlat. I finally found a spot 5 blocks away from where we were staying.

We walked on over to the restaurant the fellow in the TI recommended to us, by the name of Criquettamu’s. It was a nice place, with small out door seating along the alleyway and a decent sized dining room.

It was a good thing we had made reservations; the place filled up quickly. The menu was “interesting” as it featured some truly French styled dishes, but also some rather strange “International” dishes. The couples on the tables on both sides of us; who spoke French, both ordered “sushi”…..which looked quite bad. It really made me worried about what we had ordered. I needed some wine to calm me down.

This was quite a full bodied wine, with some tannic tones, a nice stone fruit flavor.

When our starter arrived, my doubts about this place increased a bit more. The trilogy of foie gras mi cuit was a bit of a disappointment.

All three were quite dry, almost crumbly. The version poached in red wine tasted a bit off; the best of the lot was the standard foie gras, which was still much too dry for my taste and lacking in flavor. The version stuffed with figs had a strong livery flavor. By far the most disappointing foie gras we had the entire trip.

Just as I ready to write this place off, my Duck Breast with Seared Foie Gras and Morel Mushroom Sauce arrived.

I don’t even remember the potatoes, nor the salad; but that nice, rare duck breast, and melt in your mouth, rich foie gras, topped with a sauce with the earth nutty morels, brought together with a touch of sweetness, this was very nice. The portion size was on the large size and at 24€ (about $28 at the time), this was a bargain.

The Missus’s dish was good, though not spectacular. Instead of the usual Duck Confit; She went with the Goose Confit (18€).

While I thought the skin of the goose could have been a bit more crisp; man was this rich and fatty. The texture of the meat was so velvety and rich, it basically melted in your mouth. I actually thought the flavor was milder than duck.

Overall, we thought the service, while on the slow side was quite nice. We chuckled at the presentation of the food as it looked a bit dated. We enjoyed our entrees, but that foie gras was probably the least favorite version(s) we had on our trip.

**** Criquettamu’s has closed

Criquettamu’s
5 rue Armes
Sarlat-la-Caneda, France

After dinner, we took a final lap around Sarlat-la-Caneda. Come morning we’d be moving on.

The town just seemed to have so much charm and character; we were sorry to be leaving the next morning. But we had a tight schedule to keep.

Thanks for reading!

Dordogne – Our Arrival in Sarlat-la-Caneda and Dinner at Bistrot l’Adresse

June 27, 2016 mmm-yoso Dordogne, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

At one point in time, I had thought of ending our vacation France in Bordeaux. But one item on the Missus's Bucket list was a visit to the Lascaux Cave, so I went ahead and did a bit of research, and found that the Dordogne region was full of medieval cities, beautiful vistas, and villages cut into the cliffs and crags. When I read that most important food products of the region are walnuts, truffle, duck (!), goose (!!), and foie gras….stop right there, that's enough….we were going for sure. Plus, I'd read that the Saturday Market Day was something not to be missed. And to make things even sweeter, the Missus didn't seem to keen on Lascaux II, a replica of the original cave which has been closed to the public, so I found the only site in France with polychrome cave paintings that is still open to the public!

Getting to Sarlat from Bordeaux was a snap. It was a half mile walk downhill from the train station to our accommodation, a wonderful little B&B named Chambres d'Hôtes L'Unique. The place is run by a very charming and warm couple; the wife speaks only French and Spanish, and the husband some English. I believe there are only two spacious and charming rooms. We enjoy our privacy so staying at B&B's sometimes cramps our style, but this place was wonderful. We were given a key to the front entrance and could come and go as we please.

We got a nice recommendation for dinner and the breakfast (in a future post) was amazing!

Chambres d'hôtes l'Unique
20 Avenue Thiers
Sarlat-la-Canéda, France

Another plus was that the place was a few blocks from the center of Sarlat, but still far enough from the hustle and bustle (all relative of course), which we'd appreciate the next day.

To say that Sarlat charming is an understatement; with lovely cobblestone streets, meandering alleys, the Gothic and Renaissance stylings of the buildings, there's the feeling that you're breathing in the rarefied air of a medieval market town.

One that's filled with and endless assortment of Foie Gras Shops……

Which are everywhere. Find a picturesque square; this one is Place de la Liberte, and you'll know why Sarlat has been used as the backdrop for so many movies; like Ever After; The Musketeer, Timeline, Chocolat, and the Duellists.

And without a doubt you will run into another Foie Gras shop.

Or two……

Folks, this sign is no joke.

I Googled "how many foie gras shops in Sarlat" and I guess even the Internet didn't want to hazard a guess.

Look close enough and you'll start to notice interesting pieces of public art; like this bronze statue of a boy sitting above Place de la Liberte, named "Le Badaud", the Onlooker. We'd find out just what he was looking at the next day; during the Saturday Market.

We just kind of wandered around with no objective in sight; other than to make dinner reservations at a place recommended by the owner of the B&B. That was done quickly; which left us to our own devices; roaming the quiet alleyways of Sarlat.

It was a tranquil Friday afternoon. It seems that most of the day-trippers had headed back to their accommodations, resting up for the Saturday swarm. Every so often you'll come something like this medieval courtyard; Cour des Fontaines, with, of course a fountain, a remnant of an Abbey that was located on this site in the 14th century.

Or the Lanternes des morts (Lantern of the Dead). In 1147 St Bernard blessed the bread in Sarlat, an event called the "the miracle of the healing loaves" when the ill and infirm ate the bread and were healed. Though I've heard a couple of other stories about this distinct and very interesting structure which is one of the oldest in Sarlat.

They say "water is life" and this fountain, which flowed out of a tiny grotto was built in the 12th century, and for centuries the La fontaine Sainte-Marie was the main water source for Sarlat.

You can see that the Virgin Mary is still standing guard, protecting the water.

And then there's this square.

Named "Place de Oies", yep you guessed it, "Square of the Geese". Geese are actually traded here on market days between November thru March.

We'd worked up an appetite walking around, so it was time to head to dinner. We had walked over to Bistrot l’Adresse earlier and made reservations for dinner. Lucky thing too as the place filled up quite quickly.

Our Server was very nice, even though she was slammed, always had a smile for us. We had the middle table on the porch, which we really enjoyed as it was quite a lovely day. There were two combinations of a three course prix fixe dinner menu to choose from; so we selected one of each.

As for wine, we couldn't decide on a white or a red; so we got both. The white to start out with the first course and a red to follow. Since the place was super busy and popular, even with locals it seemed, we'd just relax and have a nice leisurely dinner, something that seems to be lost here in the States.

We are of course Asian, so we basically shared everything; passing plates back and forth, and had a great time.

After seeing all those foie gras signs, you know what we had to start with right? The foie gras mi cuit of course!

Along with the date chutney, this was totally delici-yoso! I mean really good; fairly light yet rich, amazing texture. Yes, I do call it Basque Butter as it seemed like the folks in Basque country treat it as a birthright. But perhaps I need to find some other name for this…..like "Dordogne Delight"?

Loved the simple, yet refreshing Salade de Gesiers de Canard Magret Fume.

Basically, a wonderful green salad topped with amazingly tender duck gizzards (Gesiers de Canard ) and tasty cured duck breast (Magret Fume). I could eat this everyday.

Loved the Magret de Canard which was served wrapped in a crepe/filo dough. Really moist, great flavors from all the herbs.

The potatoes; Pommes Sarladaises; "Sarlat Potatoes", were quite rich and delicious. From what I've read; this classic rendition of potatoes is made with only Goose Fat, Garlic, salt, and Pepper. What more do you really need?

The Tarte de Confit de Canard; which is actually in the back of this photo was good, but it really didn't grab us like the other entrée.

As for desserts….well, I'm not much of a dessert guy…unless one of them is cheese!

A nice, local Cabécou, mild, milky, with a nice finish.

The Missus just loved the Pistachio Ice Cream as it wasn't too sweet.

The prices weren't too bad at 22 Euros per person, the Chateau de la Jaubertie was 19 Euros, while the Clos Montalbanie was 20. Overall, this might have been our favorite meal while in Dordogne.

Bistrot l’Adresse
8 Rue du 8 Mai 1945
Sarlat-la-Caneda, France

We left fat and happy and took our time walking back to our room.

As darkness fell, the city, the only one lit by gas lamps in France; seems quite romantic under the warm glow.

This is what I'd always thought France would be like.

Thanks for reading!

Bordeaux: Porte de la Grosse-Cloche and La Brasserie Bordelaise

April 15, 2016 mmm-yoso Bordeaux, European Restaurants, France, French Restaurants, Travel

Bordeaux just seemed to much more than what we expected, with wonderful churches, towers, gates, cheese, and of course wine. After a nice "indoor picnic" lunch and the requisite nap, we headed back out. The Missus decided She wanted to walk along the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe, the 1.2 kilometer long Rue Sainte-Catherine. As whole, we weren't too impressed with the shops and such and some parts were rather seedy. The street ends at Place de la Victoire and the "gate into the city", the triumphial arch; Porte d’Aquitaine which was built in 1753.

The folks who managed our apartment had a dinner recommendation for us; so we turned around and headed back.

Along the way we crossed over to cours Victor-Hugo and came across the Missus's favorite gate in Bordeaux, the Porte de la Grosse Cloche, the "Great Bell Gate". Built in the 15th century, this beloved gateway is on the city's coat of arms. The clocks date back to 1592 and the bell was cast in 1775.

Along the way we took a short break on a lovely square; Place Saint-Projet…apparently, there was once a church at this location. The fountain is quite lovely and it's a nice spot to take a break and relax.

Rue Saint Remi is full of cafes, brasseries, and other eating establishments, so it's really hard choosing where to eat. La Brasserie Bordelaise was highly recommended, so we decided to have dinner there.

Though the exterior looks rather decent in size, this place is pretty large, there's even a downstairs dining area. As we sat at our table, we noticed all the customers were tourists, though it could be the early dinner time. We also saw that the portions were very large and that most people were getting meat….with a capital "M". After seeing the rather generous portion sizes, we spoke to our waiter, who was very nice and very accommodating, and placed our order. We also got a very nice red from St Emillon; which was probably the best item of the night. Also, we noticed a lot of folks getting the Jamon…..we had just arrived from Spain, there was no way we'd be getting jamon here.

We started with the Foie Gras with toast, 12 Euros, which was decent, not outstanding, but you have to remember, we ate a ton of foie gras on this trip.

We also ordered the Farmhouse Terrine (12€), which we didn't enjoy. First off, it was ice cold in the center, second it had a very gritty texture, I know, this is "rustic", right? It was also a bit too earthy for my palate…..which enjoys a whole host of earthy flavors. It just wasn't our thing I guess.

The Missus was in the mood for lamb. We asked the Server about the portion size of the Braised Lamb Shoulder with Beans (26€). He was a pretty funny guy….he told us, "I think it is enough for two, but you would not believe how any people finish this themselves!" So we asked if sharing would be appropriate. To which he replied, "of course…..it would be enough for two."

When it arrived, the Missus looked at me and I said, "of course…..it would be enough for two" and then some. The Flageolet beans, while a bit under-seasoned had a wonderful texture and beany flavor. The lamb was quite deliciously gamey, but was pretty tough and seemed like it could stand for a bit more time in the oven. It also didn't seem much different from anything I'd make at home. The price at 70 Euros wasn't bad, but seemed a bit high, the service was good, but I think there must be much better in Bordeaux at this price point.

La Brasserie Bordelaise
50 Rue St Remi
Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux: Basilique Saint-Seurin, Baud et Millet, Porte Cailhau, Miroir d’eau, and a Return to Bar a Vin

April 1, 2016 mmm-yoso Bordeaux, Cheese, France, French Restaurants, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

It was a strange thing. We never got a great restaurant meal during our time in Bordeaux. But what we did get was, fabulous cheese, great wine, and a city with a wonderfully relaxed vibe….in some ways it was what I'd always thought France would be….folks polite and to the point, very honest, the wonderfully perfect posture of women, young and old riding bicycles, almost taken out of some movie set somewhere….. All wrapped up with the shopping and such.

We had headed down Cours de l’Intendance, the major upscale shopping street, taking time out to stop at the Church of Notre Dame (Eglise Notre-Dame). We ended up at the Basilique Saint-Seurin, which dates back to the Sixth Century. The current structure dates back to the Eleventh Century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This is Bordeaux's oldest church.

There's a necropolis below the church which dates back to the Eleventh Century. The place is quite haunting…..

From here we decided to head back to Place des Quinconces. Along the way, there was a place I had marked for a lunch stop; Baud et Millet.

This little restaurant did basically one…make that two things; cheese and wine.

The décor is quite simple; a few tables on one side; crates of wine on the other. The menu is also simple various pairings, from the simple cheese and appetizer combinations; all the way up to all the cheese you want from the cellar for 32 Euros.

We took a simple combination of three cheese each paired with a glass of wine. The highlight of this was being able to go down into "la cave", the cheese room.

Where we got to see our cheese cut…..it did smell like they cut the cheese here…..

And yes, it smelt like we were lying at "the feet of angels……"

After this, lunch was sort of anti-climatic……..though we did have some memorable cheeses…..

The Selles sur Cher; the cheese coated with ash on the left; was so distinctively nutty and creamy…..

The Pithiviers au Foin, a very creamy raw cow's milk cheese (which I believe is not legal in the US) coated with hay was so earthy with strong mushroom tones. Also, you'll never taste brie in the US (because it's made from unpasteurized milk is also illegal to import) like the real deal in France. Bummer for us. This was served with a huge basket of bread and a bowl of simply dressed greens.

The young lady who served us was very sweet.

It was a nice introduction to French cheeses and was a good, light lunch. I'm not sure I'd do it again; especially if I'm staying in Bordeaux for more than a day or two and have a fridge. We did enjoy it though….

Baud et Millet
19 rue Huguerie
Bordeaux, France

Instead of continuing back to our apartment after lunch; the Missus decided to do some (thankfully only) window shopping on Cours de l’Intendance.

Right down the street, where the tram turns is the Cathedral of Saint Andre – Bordeaux Cathedral, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Right next to the Cathedral was something we found even more impressive – Pey-Berland Tower. There's an interesting story about this bell tower. It was built separate from the church (in the 15th century) so that the vibrations from the bells ringing would not harm or disturb the church. Unfortunately, after building such a grand tower, the church ran out of money….so no bells were installed in the tower….until 1851!

There are always mysterious statues in our travels. I often take statues photos without even knowing who the subject of the statue is….until I get home.

Jacques Chaban-Delmas was a former Prime Minister of France and served 8 terms as the Mayor of Bordeaux.

We walked onward toward the Garonne River, ending up at the Porte Cailhau, also known as the Palace Gate. From what I read, this used to be the main entrance to the city of Bordeaux.

As you can tell by the dates I've been throwing out; Bordeaux has been around since Roman times, when it was known as Burdigala….so there's more than a little history to go around. There are two other medieval gates in the city….which the Missus just had to see. Those will be in upcoming posts.

Right up the street is Place de la Bourse, commissioned by Louis XIV as the Royal Square, it might be the most well known landmark in Bordeaux. For us however, it's what is right across from the square that got our attention.

Miroir d'eau is the largest reflecting pool in the world and a wonderful place to people watch….the folks running across the shallow pool seem to running on the water instead of in it. People seem drawn to this place.

On this day, we watched a young man take his dog into the pool….the dog looked a bit terrified at first. But obediently followed his master. Soon enough, the young man was first pouring water on the pooch's legs, then splashing the dog….he was teaching the dog about water! It was a lovely sight.

In some ways, this was much more fun than checking out cathedrals……just hanging out on the river's edge……

Watching the joggers on the bridge……

Checking out all the historical sights, it's easy to forget that yes, real people live here and their daily life goes on….much like ours does back home.

By now the sun was slowly sinking in the West. We decided it was time to head back and just relax for the evening. But first, we decided to make one more stop. Back to Bar a Vins, for a glass of wine (or two). This time around, it was much more busy, with what looked like more of a local crowd. Folks relaxing and unwinding…socializing over a glass of wine.

We really loved this place….it was perhaps our favorite in Bordeaux.

In the end, I decided to go for the gusto and got a glass of the Saint Emillion Gran Cru, which was the most expensive wine on the list (6 Euros), it was lovely. If you'd like to read about the craziness of just classifications of Saint Emillion wine, read this.

Bar a Vin
3 Cours du 30 Juillet
Bordeaux, France

It was a lovely day….with visits to Bar a Vin as bookends.

A Night in Saint Jean de Luz and Chez Maya Petit Grill Basque

March 10, 2016 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, France, French Restaurants, Seafood, Travel

You've heard of Saint Jean de Luz, right? I wouldn't blame you if you haven't…..when I mentioned this charming seaside town; once a major Basque port town, now a major resort and beach town, folks often respond with "huh? Where?"

Initially, I had originally planned to go straight from San Sebastian to Bordeaux. But then I started to wonder about French Basque country and thought a short stop over might be good. The obvious destinations would be Biarritz and Bayonne, but for some reason, Saint-Jean-de-Luz caught my attention. It would be offseason and a Tuesday, so we'd avoid weekend crowds. Whether it's Poperinge, Miyajima, or Evora, we like taking these interesting side trips during our journeys.

Which is how we found ourselves catching the train from San Sebastian to the border town of Hendaye, via Euskotren, then walking over to the SNCF station in Hendaye. One interesting woman spoke perfect English on the train to the border, then as soon as we entered France would only speak in French to everyone. We walked across the street from Hendaye Station to grab a cup of coffee and there she was chatting to folks in French! Train tickets and such was easy as the ticket machines all had English translation buttons and we simply typed in our reservation number, etc….. The ride from Hendaye to Saint Jean de Luz was a mere 10 minutes or so. I had booked a little hotel named Hôtel Txoko which was a few seconds away from the main shopping streets and less than five minutes away from the beach. The owner was a wonderful, warm and friendly woman, and while the room was rather small, it was comfortable.

We soon headed off down the main shopping street Rue Gambetta.

Past all the shops; many of which tempted tourists with local delicacies…..

And gave folks; both the four legged and two legged kind the opportunity to socialize.

There was one place I wanted to visit in the town; the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Church of St. John the Baptist), which is one of the most important churches in Basque Country.

It was in this church on June 9th, 1660, that Louis the XIV of France and Maria Theresa of Spain were wed in what was an arranged political union, one which ended hostilities between the two countries. I read that little Saint Jean de Luz was chosen because it was just about halfway between Madrid and Paris.

At the time the church was constructed, the village was famous for its shipbuilders. Thus the ceiling looks like the bottom of a boat. There's also the replica of a ship hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the church. This was a gift from Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, a model of a ship that sunk offshore with her on board.

Right outside the church is a bricked up doorway. According to legend, this was the doorway was closed up after the wedding of Louis the XIV and Maria Theresa to symbolize the closing of hostilities between France and Spain. I've been told that the story isn't true though…..

We walked North than headed to the shore. This area is dominated by resorts and Casino La Pergola.

And headed down along the beach…..

And eventually ended up on Rue de la République, the street the hotel was on and the close by Place Louis XIV and the famous Maison Adam which was founded in 1660.

Well in 1660, Maison Adam made the favorite macaroons of Louis the XIV. There's a nice story here. These are definitely not macaroons as you probably know them. According to what we were told; these are still made with the original recipe in mind.

Maison Adam
6 Rue de la Republique
Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France

The Missus enjoyed Her macaroon…..

After a short respite, it was dinner time. We had chosen a shop on one of the side streets that served up what we were told more traditional French Basque dishes of the region named Chez Maya. When I mentioned the place to the woman at the hotel she smiled and said "très bon"…which I believe means very good.

This quaint, rustic little shop was staffed by what I can only term women who will totally remind you of your aunts!

We both ordered a glass of wine and a nice amuse was delivered, a tiny bowl of small shrimp. It's perfect for the Asian palate; very shrimpy and straight forward. If you like dried shrimp; you'll love these.

The Missus went with the Chipirons Sauce a la Encre ( 17,5 €) – a very nice mild briny flavor, the squid very tender.

I went for what I read was the house specialty; a Basque Seafood Stew called Ttoro ( 18,5 €).

This was quite delici-yoso! The seafood was cooked perfectly; especially the shrimp. The broth was like a peppery caldo de siete mares; Mexican seafood soup. It really had that "aaaah" effect. As the Missus and I were halfway through the stew, one of the women brought a bowl with more broth to the table……so we wiped out all the bread sopping up the soup.

They have an interesting fan system in the place that really grabs your attention. Even though it wasn't hot, they turned it on for a minute….just so everyone could see…..

Very warm and friendly folks, with a nice, rustic, comforting meal.

Très bon indeed!

Chez Maya – Le Petit Grill Basque
2 Rue Saint Jacques
Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France

As we rolled out of the place, the Missus decided that we (I) needed to walk off a few calories so we headed back to the beach. Along with some folks with the same thing in mind.

And was rewarded with a beautiful sunset.

The evening here was much different than the day had been; the day-trippers were gone and I think folks retreated to their resorts….plus it was a Tuesday night.

Portland: Le Pigeon

September 15, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Fine Dining, French Restaurants, Portland, Oregon, Travel

Call it unfinished business. You know how that goes….we really need to close that circle; like returning to Istanbul twice to get things right. After our meal at Little Bird Bistro, the Missus really wanted to return to Portland. Which is how we ended up on the Red Line to Downtown PDX watching this couple and their ferret. He, smelling like he'd been knocking back a few….as if to confirm this, taking a "48" out of his bag and having a couple of swigs. She meanwhile, was going goo-goo and gaa-gaa over the little guy. As soon as they told the person sitting across the way from them how sweet the little fellow was, he dropped a huge load on her bag. Life is funny that way.

Anyway, we had caught the late afternoon flight to Portland, took the Red Line…a bargain at $2.50 a person downtown and to our hotel; the Paramount. I'd made late reservations at Le Pigeon….late enough that the Missus decided that we should walk the mile and a half or so to the restaurant.

Which was actually a pretty nice walk, in spite of having to pass all the street folks along the way. It was also quite warm…..and it would get much hotter, though not quite as bad as it was in San Diego at the time.

Since it was late in the evening, Le Pigeon wasn't too crowded and we got in a bit early.

The staff were very professional though I'm not a big fan of the communal seating. Call me anti-social, but we can really do without the fake cheer and really don't want to know your business, whether it's your prostate problem, or how you're getting sued by your patients and can't find a job on the West Coast anymore….and even more so all of your food allergies. The long suffering young lady put on a cheerful front when the guy sitting next to us insisted upon getting the tasting menu…then went down the list of all his allergies…tomatoes, avocados, carrots, garlic, this type of milk product, that type of milk product, gluten, blah, blah, blah…..I really, really don't want to know that the only thing in the world you can consume is breast milk. Why in the world are you getting the tasting menu when you can't eat anything except cardboard?

Meanwhile, our meal was excellent.

From the Foie Gras "Hot Brown" ($25), a wonderful piece of nicely seared foie gras that just melted in your mouth. The turkey, which tasted smoked was full of flavor as was the bacon…..

The egg was a wonderful runny joy, we loved the acid from the tomatoes, and the toast was light and quite crisp. Tell you what….I'll take a slice of foie gras over Mornay sauce on my Hot Brown any day of the week.

And while the Ricotta Gnocchi ($16) was a bit too "squeaky" for our tastes, the cheese and the sauce were wonderful.

Perfect garlic, salt, milky flavors in harmony….the wonderfully beefy beef tongue in the dish just topped things off.

The best overall dish of our trip (not necessarily the best bite…more on that later) in my opinion was the Grilled Short Rib ($29).

The short rib was amazing. Ever had medium rare, thick cut short rib that wasn't on the tough side? This was just toothful enough, nicely seared, beefy, and yes, medium rare. I'm thinking sous vide? And yet, my favorite component was the wonderful mashed potatoes….it had a mild sweetness and I swear, there was a familiar umami flavor to it. We were told that sweet corn and miso was pureed with the potatoes. The smoked corn and tomato salad with soy braised oxtail was excellent. I'd go back to Le Pigeon just for those potatoes.

Our least favorite dish of the night was the Beef Cheek Bourguinon ($28).

While the texture of the braised beef cheek was just perfect; fork tender without being mushy. The sauce was just plain overkill; much too sour and bitter for our taste. The risotto, made with that wonderful, ripe, epoisses cheese, would seem to be just up our alley, but the rice was on the tough side with a hard core and that sauce just killed any other flavors.

While I considered ordering the signature foie gras profiteroles, there was just no way I could put away anything more after all this rich food. We went with the Cucumber-Watermelon sorbet ($6) instead, which was still way too much for us to finish.

The service was friendly, professional, and the timing excellent.

I'm thinking Le Pigeon will be a regular stop on future visits to Portland.

Le Pigeon
738 E Burnside St
Portland, OR 97214

We enjoyed a nice walk back to the hotel after dinner down "colorful" Burnside. It was a warm evening. We'd had a wonderful dinner and this was just our first evening in Portland!

Tasting Twist in Las Vegas

July 12, 2015 ed fromyuma Fine Dining, French Restaurants, Las Vegas, Nevada, Road Trip, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Kirk and Cathy finally get to take things easy as Ed (from Yuma) is blogging today about a meal in Vegas about a month ago.

Usually when I am posting about a vacation or even just a couple of days in San Diego, I go in chronological order. However, this time, I want to start with Tina and my last dinner in Vegas – the splurge meal at Twist – while I still can remember most (some?) of it.

When I made the reservations, I had no idea that the Mandarin Oriental hotel containing the restaurant is allegedly one of only six five-star American hotels, and the only one in Vegas. From the moment of our arrival, when a valet parked our car and another guided us to the elevator, we were astounded by the level of service.

The stylish dining area is located on the 23rd floor; the view as one enters the restaurant is nice:

The restaurant decor is clean, angular, modern, and stylish:

We were delighted to be seated at a small table next to a giant window. Looking one way:

Looking the other way:

Even the reflections of Las Vegas scenery on other windows added a nice touch:

At first, the table held a lamp, two water glasses and two discs of butter, like little yellow hockey pucks – one sweet and one salted:

We each were given three breads: crunchy raisin toast, a rustic fruit and multigrain miniloaf, and my favorite, an outstanding old world style hard roll:

We were asked if we preferred sparkling or still water, and our water glasses were filled repeatedly throughout the meal.

After discussions with our waiter, Tina and I decided to go with the full five course grand tasting menu ($155) with the Discovery Wine pairing ($95).

Speaking of our waiter, I need to emphasize again the quality of the service. Waitstaff was ubiquitous, but not disruptive or intrusive. While everything was "proper," everyone was friendly and helpful, particularly our main waiter, Sunday, who hails from southern Nigeria and is very knowledgeable about the cuisine:

To amuse our mouths before our first course arrived, we received some tasty and interesting tidbits, like this slice of black radish with creamy herbed goat cheese and a large walnut half:

On another plate, there were two crunchy crackerly layers separated by a creamy filling; but the most memorable item on that plate was the gelatined martini cube:

On another platter, a radish slice – looking like a mini tortilla – was folded over a shallot and sesame paste. Another radish slice was wrapped around truly excellent steak tartare lightly sprinkled with coarse salt, sortof a mini raw salami:

Accompanying these little tastes were two of the best green olives: rich, creamy, and mild. Beside them, a small silver serving bowl with coarse salt, Panko crumbs, two crunchy Parmesan mini biscuits, and four green wafers – none of which made much of an impression on me – though I inadvertently snapped a selfie, thanks to the base of the silver bowl:

The first real course, called printemps, both Tina and I agreed was tasty and impressive:

At the bottom of the bowl lay an intense asparagus coulis that underlay the rest of the ingredients – including asparagus spears – and brought them together. Contrasting with the asparagus were the chunks of smoked hamachi and Asian pear. Cubes of another smoked fish were hidden inside the spinach leaf pouch, and the very thin radish and cucumber slices around the edge added crunch to the whole dish. Perhaps most interesting was the scoop of broccoli ice cream topped with caviar and gold foil. While this sounds like a mélange of flavors, the dish as a whole exceeded the sum of its parts. Even the smoked fish somehow enhanced the springtime flavors of the other ingredients.

Before this course, Tina and I had been sharing a flute of champagne ($26), which we finished along with the amuse bouche. Just in time, then, the wine pairings began with a full flavored crisp northern Italian white wine with flavors like Sauvignon Blanc or Soave:

Note the distinctive Riedel stemware; each wine we were served came with a different type of glass. In general, we were pleased by the pairings, but I wish I’d photographed each bottle because I did not recognize the labels and my notes for the entire meal get pretty sketchy as the evening and the wine drinking progressed.

The next course, sliced fresh Maine lobster tail with baby carrots and enoki mushrooms, was excellent – the lobster tender, flavorful, moist, and succulent:

This was certainly the best lobster I have eaten west of the Appalachians; while the serving was not large, it was masterfully prepared, and it was also perfectly matched by the fragrant and richly flavored white wine from southern Italy:

Likewise, the turbot poached in Nantes butter (with avocado, leeks, baby clams, and butter foam) was fresh and well prepared. The mild whitefish matched perfectly with the more subtle flavors of the glass of Marsanne from Crozes Hermitage in the northern Rhône Valley:

The serving size, however, was not very large:

At this point, we were given a palate refresher – rhubarb foam on top of crushed pineapple. Not only was this cool and tasty, it gave us a chance to pause and reflect and finish our last white wine:

The next course was American wagyu beef, tender and flavorful, served medium rare on a bed of diced turnips and a brown violine sauce that I cannot remember:

The thing that looks like a breadstick next to the beef is actually crusted dauphine potato topped with herbs. Like an edible pun.

To accompany the wagyu, the chef chose Le Gravot, an organic and rare wine from the Loire Valley, made primarily from the indigenous pineau d’aunis grape:

The wine was certainly full-bodied and interesting, with a flavor profile that reminded me of a good Spanish garnacha, but it did not seem, to my pedestrian palate, to complement the beef as perfectly as the white wines had matched their dishes.

While not as spectacular as the view nor as interesting as the cuisine, the music playing softly in the background was various, pleasant, and intriguing. Early on, there was some Sinatra (that was expected, we were in Vegas), and then some Rolling Stones (was it "Tumbling Dice"?). And later I was pleased/amused to hear the Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset" about looking out over a mass of humanity during a beautiful sunset:

Now it's time for me to apologize for dessert. I have some pictures of the interesting and creative desserts, and some memory/notes about the various plates. However, Tina and I had been having a wonderful time, and because of medications I had been taking, I had not consumed much alcohol in months, so most of the pictures by this time are fuzzy and my notes and memory are hazy at best. I do remember, however, that the desserts were served with a glass of Malaga, a dessert wine from the South of Spain, I forgot to take a picture of the wine.

This dessert certainly looked interesting; wish I could remember more about it:

I believe this martini glass has green apple foam on top of vanilla ice cream on top of a sweet fruity (mango?) surprise at the bottom:

This three layered dessert balanced chocolate flavors with orange flavors and offered three distinctly different textures:

Tina and my favorite had chestnut ice cream on a cheesecake accompanied by a sweet crunchy almond wafer topped with cassis marmalade:

Overall, we had a wonderful experience. Virtually every dish was perfectly executed and the food was often interesting and creative, as were the wine pairings. The organization of the courses, the pacing of the meal, the friendly and professional service, and the stylish ambience elevated our splurge dinner to a level (and a price) beyond what we anticipated. As it was time to go, Tina took a final photo that blended neon Las Vegas with reflections of the interior of Twist. A good way to end this long post – thanks for reading:

More info and details about Twist can be found here:

Where in the world are we part trois

June 3, 2015 mmm-yoso Bordeaux, Dordogne, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

So, we're in the stretch run of our trip. Leaving for the city where everything started in the morning. The last week has been fun.

We've met some of the nicest, most decent, straight forward folks….honest to a fault.

And of course drank some great wine……and had some fantastic cheese.

We also saw some of the most beautiful countryside. Breathtaking………

And even got to experience a bit of pre-history as well.

It was good to know that I was still competent with a stick shift.

Some of the places look like sets taken straight out of some movie.

And, as alway, there was food. The foie gras and duck was still flowing, though now we had moved on to "lighter" fare.

Though on one evening, I saw something on the menu I couldn't resist trying.

So, did I like it? Well, you'll have to wait for the post to find out.

We've still got a few nights before we head home. We'll surely miss being out and about.

We'll try to make the best of things.

Thanks as always for reading!

Little Lion Cafe and Bar (Ocean Beach)

June 1, 2015 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, French Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for again stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are enjoying their own vacations right now. Cathy is writing today's post.

There used to be a wonderful restaurant in Ocean Beach- The Belgian Lion- (link is to a 1992 Los Angeles Times article) run by Belgian born, classically trained French chef (and former computer programmer) Don Coulon and his wife, Arlene.

Their daughter is the owner of Michele Coulon Dessertier, a wonderful La Jolla patisserie. [Kirby visited Dessertier almost exactly two years ago and cc also wrote a post after her visit to Dessertier.]

Three of Don and Arlene's granddaughters, Chef Anne-Marie, as well as Jacqueline and Dominique Coulon now own and run Little Lion, a small (there are 19 seats inside and two tables out front which can hold 6-8 people) charming cafe on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard at Bermuda Avenue (one block North of Point Loma Avenue). Anne-Marie's husband runs Griffin Farm, which supplies the greens for the menu.

The common denominators of these Coulon businesses: local, fresh, quality.Driving by, you will probably notice the black and white striped awning. Stepping inside, the simple decor and counter in the back will catch your eye. The simple menu for breakfast and lunch served during the week seems to have changed a bit from when Little Lion first opened; I believe the menu is seasonal. (Dinner is going to begin being offered in June; I'll add details at the end of this post once I know more).Organic drip coffee ($2.50) is served in the clear glass cups with real cream.The smoked salmon plate ($12). The house cured, house smoked salmon was topped with creme fraiche and plenty of capers. It was served with toasted slices of La Brea Bakery baguette and shaved onion.

The side salad was topped with shaved fennel and shaved radishes.The classic Croque Monsieur ($10) was made into a Croque Madame (adding a poached egg, like a Lady's hat) ($2).

This traditional breakfast sandwich, made with ham, Swiss cheese and Béchamel sauce on top of what looked like a half ciabatta. At first it looked like a very thick slice of bread, but then using the serrated knife to view a cross section revealed there is more ham than bread to this sandwich. The Bechamel sauce was to-the-letter perfect.

Accompanied by a simple salad and two types of pickles, Nicoise olives and a swirl of strong, old fashioned (Dijon?) mustard, this was a wonderful meal.

Words cannot describe how perfect everything was. We will be back to try more of the menu.

Little Lion Cafe and Bar 1424 Sunset Cliffs Blvd San Diego 92107 (619)756-6921 website open Tues-Sun 8-3

**Updated Hours** Beginning June 2, 2015, hours will be Tues-Saturday 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

This is a link to the late afternoon and dinner menus

Cocotte Cafe Bistro (University City, near UTC)

May 29, 2015 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, French Restaurants

Thank you for (again) stopping and reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is gathering photos and food memories to share. Ed(from Yuma) is preparing to take photos and write stories about his food adventures. Cathy is here today, writing about photos and a meal which has happened.

More than seven years ago, I wrote about a semi-regular part of our rotation, Wired Bistro. It closed, turned into some other French Cafe (which I did not write about) and recently has come to life again, in the form of a French Cafe Bistro named Cocotte. (Notice the first "o" in the signage. A cocotte is a covered heatproof dish or casserole, with two handles.) There is seating both inside and out in front.Fresh pastries are in the refrigerated case when you walk in. The Wine Bar area behind the counter and ceiling covered in burlap coffee bags remain as decor; same as the prior iterations.Double espresso ($2.50) using Lavazza beans was perfectly pulled.Bacon-Cheddar omelet ($9.50) comes with a fruit cup, oven roasted rosemary potatoes and slices of fresh baguette. The three egg omelet is made in a way we are now going at home. The bacon (smokey and thick pieces) seems to have been in the pan first, with the whipped eggs placed over those pieces, then cheese is placed on top of the cooked eggs and then folded, resulting with cheese in the middle and bacon on the outer edges of the fluffy omelet.Ordering the Meli-Melo crêpe ($8.50), I wasn't expecting much. The menu description of 'two crêpes filled with scrambled eggs and melted Swiss' seemed generic. Wrong! The perfectly cooked, slightly sweet extra large (instead of two) crêpe was packed solid with softly scrambled eggs smoothly mixed with a nutty tangy Swiss cheese. Those sides of a fruit cup and rosemary roasted potatoes made this quite a large meal.

I hope you'll all have a great weekend. Thanks for reading.

Cocotte Cafe Bistro 8935 Towne Center Drive 92122 (858) 450-0880 Open 7a.m.-10 p.m., 7 days

This is the breakfast menu, which will magically appear upright if you click onto it (my iPhone update combined with Typepad are having some wonky issues).