Travel – Page 40

Mexico City – Pujol

February 19, 2020 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

Yes, we were back in Mexico City. We had enjoyed our last trip so much; that we decided to head on back during the President's Day weekend. And while this trip was not without some hiccups….more on that later; the linchpin of this trip was reservations at Pujol; considered by many to be the best restaurant in Mexico City; if not Latin America. so, we headed back on the Thursday before the long weekend. The drill was the same as before; though leaving before the long weekend was a blessing as CBX was a breeze. what wasn't a breeze was having had AeroMexico mess up our flight reservations. We made it across the bridge; only to be told that we had to go to the AeroMexico ticket counter because we had multiple reservations for the same flight. How that happened; I'll never know, but we'd lost our Business Class seats on flights going to, and returning from Mexico City. So, we ended up having to spend an extra hour at the AeroMexico ticket counter at the airport. I will say that dealing with the counter staff was amazing as they worked hard to straighten things out. and in the end, all was well, we had our seats going, and a flight change on the return flight.

Like on our previous trip; we got out of the plane, through all the gates, to our hotel transfer….and then had the six mile; forty minute drive to our hotel. We decided to stay at the same hotel as on our previous visit. We really enjoyed staying in the La Condesa neighborhood….and much like Paris, returning here felt much like coming "home".

The Missus decided that we'd walk from La Condesa to Pujol, which is located in upscale Polanco, which was about three miles and change, so about an hour-and-a-half before our dinner reservation we headed out. We'd never really been into Polanco before, so it was an interesting walk; many bars and restaurants; but the area seemed to lack the character of the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods.

We headed down one of the main streets that goes thru Polanco; Avenida Presidente Masaryk, which had me wondering why such a main thoroughfare in the area known as "Mexico City's Beverly Hills", would be named after the first President of Czechoslovakia. Here's a statue of him in one of the roundabouts on the avenue.

This statue was given to CDMX as a gift from Prague in 1999. As for the background on the naming of the street, you can find an interesting article here.

About five block further down the street, you take a turn on Tennyson and end up at the rather discreet entrance to Pujol. We had arrived about 30 minutes early for our reservation, which was no problem since our table was ready. We had a wonderful, discreet corner table, which we loved.

Service during our meal was excellent, very attentive, but not over-bearing. The pacing was a bit off, with some rather long waits between dishes near the end of the meal. But great service overall.

I started with a Mezcal Negroni which I really enjoyed; the Mezcal really tempered the sometimes overwhelming flavor of the Campari. The Missus who really doesn't care for Negroni, even in Florence, actually enjoyed this.

The Missus ordered something interesting from the drinks menu; a Junmai Gingo from Nami, the first Sake producer in Mexico. The sake had a light fruity nose, very clean finish, definitely not a Daigingo Junmai, but I thought this would go really well with our dinner. The only problem was it as served at almost room temperature. We both ended up ordering a second round and asked that the sake be put on ice, which fixed things up nicely.

So here's the part in the post where I need to apologize for the quality of photos. We loved our cozy corner table, but the lighting gave me fits….and sorry, but I'm not one of those folks who fiddles around waaaay to much before taking a photo with a gigantic DSLR. I prefer not to draw attention to myself. My point-and-shoot usually has excellent low light capabilities, but this was not one of those days.

There were two tasting menus available and we decided to get one of each, after all we share tastes. The Missus got the "Maiz" (corn) and I chose the "Mar" (sea).

Things started off with two lovely "Street Snacks". First, a wonderful, mini-sope topped with a lovely, mildly sweet butternut squash….great corn flavors shone thru.

Next, a smoking gourd arrived at the table.

This contained one of Pujol's signature dishes; a baby corn version of the ubiquitous street corn dish Elote. I can see why folks rave about this item. The baby corn has the wonderful, slightly sweet, maiz flavor, the slightly fruity, rich, costeno chile aioli, with nutty crunch provided by Chicatanas (flying ants). A wonderful, complex combination of flavors. Definitely delici-yoso!

The Missus's first item; a Tlayuda, topped with black beans, tomato, wonderfully mildly peppery-citrusy-bitter baby papalo leaf, and crunchy chapulines (grasshopper).

A wonderfully bold, but balanced dish….maiz-good acidity-slightly sweet, nutty……amazing.

Which over shadowed my well made Chayote and Scallop Pico, making it seem ordinary.

There was a bit too much acidity for me from the pico de piñata. The pickled chayote was amazing, but the scallops were sorely overshadowed by all the assertive flavors.

The Missus's favorite dish of the night included two of Her favorite items; Huitlacoche with Black Truffle.

Served with blue corn tortillas; this was fungi heaven; the earthy, but almost sweet flavor of huitlacoche, combined with fragrant black truffle….not much I can say about this other than….wow….

Our sake, nicely placed on ice arrived at this time. A really nice gentleman, I believe one of the dining room managers arrived and asked us about our serving preference and we explained that for us, this type of sake is best served between 6 to 8 degrees Celsius to really bring out the flavors and clean finish….really nice guy…he even took out a book and wrote down some notes.

My dish was the Kanpachi Ceviche.

The texture of the Kanpachi was perfect, just a slight toothsomeness. The cacahuazintle (nixtamalized corn) juice, celery, and yuzu made up the ceviche sauce. The hoja santa leaves added a bit of a herbaceous; slight anise-minty-peppery touch to the dish. The only downside was that this was a bit too salty.

The Missus Earthy-Smokey Eggplant "Tamal" with Swiss Chard was a simple, yet perfect combination of flavors. It was quite wonderful.

I loved the texture of the pulpo in the Octopus Chintextle with Pickled Carrot.

The pulpo was beyond fork tender…..just perfect. The various Oaxacan Herbs added a different touch to each bite. The Chintextle; a Oaxacan chili paste was kind of strange to my palate as it had an almost bitter, turmeric flavor….the paste almost came across as a pseudo-curry. The Missus loved the octopus, but hated the sauce.

The Missus loved Her Wild Herb Open Papadzul.

So many amazing flavors; the chiltomate salsa had a wonderful tangy-mild sweetness, with a hint of heat from habaneros. The quail eggs were amazing; the texture, they must be sous vide…it was like eating butter. This was simply amazing.

The skin on my Striped Bass was so wonderfully crisp. It was a tad overcooked and a tad too salty though.

The fried fava beans were absolutely delicious, as was the mole verde.

The last main was the signature "Mole Madre" and "Mole Nuevo", an amazing dish with regards to contrasts in textures and flavor.

Chef Enrique Olvera's Mole Madre is aged like a mother sauce and fed when the quantity falls below 10 liters. At the time of our meal it had been aged 2,779 days….yes, that's over 7 1/2 years! Needless to say, there's a lot going on here; it's not spicy, but quite thick, slightly sweet, with a pleasant bitterness…..I've mentioned the Chinese suan-tian-ku-la-xian (sour-sweet-bitter-spicy-salty) metaphor for a flavorful, yet balanced dish the Chinese use. This was it. The Mole Nuevo, was more in your face, in terms of sweetness, spice, like a typical mole. what a wonderful, interesting dish.

Then we were provided with something to refresh our palates.

Before dessert……

Which is usually the Missus's department. Though I have to say; I loved the churros, light crunch, then melting away in your mouth. Not overly sweet, slight salt tones…..

In the end, this was an absolutely fabulous meal, perhaps one of our all time favorites. We loved the flavors, how the dishes were composed; it just suited us. In our Uber on the way back to our room, the Missus and I discussed our dinner. I think we've dined at some fairly notable places over the years. And in looking at one of those rankings things; I quickly noticed that we indeed preferred Pujol over that dinner at a place that has been ostensibly the best restaurant in the world and the place named the best restaurant in Latin America. Pujol, like our favorite restaurant just suits us.

And I'm sure we'll be returning……

Pujol
Calle Tennyson 133 Polanco
Mexico City 11560 Mexico

Thanks for dropping by and putting up with my lousy photos!

Mexico City – Our Last Morning; Panadería Almuerzos and Cafe Toscano (Mercado Condesa)

February 8, 2020 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

As we were walking back after dinner at Temporal, it started pouring again. We decided to quickly duck under the awning of one of the taco shops that lined the streets.

There was a group of musicians also using the little shop as shelter from the rain. One of the guys saw us; waved us in…..and they started playing! Just for the other seated customer and us. It was a blast!

Sorry to say I didn't get the name of the taco shop…I tried to give the band a couple of pesos, but they declined.

So, the least I could do was to buy a couple of tacos….to go.

You gotta love CDMX……..

The next morning was our last in Mexico City. Our flight didn't leave until 1245. So we decided to check out the bakery that was right across the street from where we were staying. It was quite discreet, but we always saw a line and decided to check it out.

This was Panaderia Almuerzos and the breads and pastries looked so fresh.

So, of course we got……

Croissant, which was surprisingly decent; flakey, good butter, light sweetness….light and fluffy inside….and still warm!

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

We took our croissant to the next block over; the Mercado Condesa.

And we got our caffeine fix.

All while taking in the neighborhood, like all those amazing dog walkers.

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

Soon enough we had to head on over to the airport. We even had an ok sandwich on our flight.

We had really enjoyed Mexico City. Our experiences, the people, the food had exceeded our expectations.

I'm sure we'll return soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mexico City – Dinner at Temporal

February 6, 2020 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

After a fun, but quite busy day enjoying Mexico City; I thought we'd have a nice dinner fairly close to where we were staying. I'd heard good things about Temporal and the modern, seasonal cuisine that was being served and thought it would be a nice dinner for our last night in CDMX. I made dinner reservations for the fairly early (in Mexico City) time of 7pm. The bar was doing some good business but we were seated in the restaurant upstairs which was quiet.

As we found the norm in CDMX; service was excellent, gracious, efficient, warm……

And of course we started with a Cocktail. I had what is named Suerte de Dragon….the "Lucky Dragon"!

Man, this combo of Mezcal, Celery Salt, Lime, Beer, and some really sneaky chili was so good! Not overly sweet, refreshing, smoky-savory, all the things I like in a cocktail. I had two! The Missus really enjoyed Her Old Fashion with Cardamom.

The bread served was wonderful; especially with the salsa verde which had perfect acidity.

The Marinated Octopus Tacos (160 $MX about $8.50/US) were solid.

We didn't care much for the tortillas which were strangely brittle; the rub used on the adequately tender octopus was excellent, nice smoky-lightly spiced-good acidity. What's up with the avocados in Mexico? They always seem to be perfectly creamy, mildly sweet….. The scallion-onion relish really went well adding a bit of mildly sweet pungency and along with the avocado added some really great textural contrast.

The Gulf Crab Sopes (140 $MX – about $7.50/US) were the highlight of the meal.

The crab cakes were moist, tender, full of sweet-savory-briney crab. The sopes added a nice nutty-maiz to the dish. The "raw green salsa" was a perfect foil as was the creamy-milky goat cheese. Just a wonderful dish from start to finish.

The Roasted Cauliflower (130 $ MX – about $7/US) was interesting.

It had a definite salty-savoriness to it. I later found out it was from the Anchovy Cream.

The Cilantro Soup (140 $MX – about $7.50/US) was very smooth and creamy.

Mildly pungent, sweet garlic tones, and perhaps a bit too much citrus in this for our taste.

The Missus and I shared one main; the Braised Shoulder of Lamb (290 $MX – approx. $15.50/US).

Super tender, deliciously gamey; that "flavor of the pasture" coming thru; nicely seasoned, the jus had a bit of a "kick" to it. The cauliflower puree was nice and creamy.

We had fun watching the street below us during our meal. The weather here in CDMX during our stay (early July) was sunny and warm during the day; with folks going about their business.

Then just like on our first night, the skies would open up, we'd be treated with thunder, lightning, with rain coming down in buckets.

Which lasted about 20 minutes….then all was clear.

We really enjoyed our meal at Temporal; like I mentioned earlier, the service was excellent, the prices reasonable, and the food quite good.

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

Mexico City – Centro Histórico and Cafe de Tacuba

February 2, 2020 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

After taking in the wonderful view from Don Porfirio Caffe from the 8th Floor of Sears, we headed to where Avenida Juárez becomes pedestrian only Avenida Francisco I. Madero. There's quite a bit to see here; along with crowds to match. We stopped by the Convent of San Francisco to take a peek…..

This church with a very ornate façade, resides down a sunken courtyard and is all that remains of what was once a large complex that covered 8 acres in the area. This was part of what was the headquarters of the "12 Apostles of Mexico" who were tasked with converting the residents of New Spain to Christianity. The complex was built on the site of Moctezuma II’s Zoo. Yes, he had zoo!

The altars are quite ornate and quite stunning.

On the way to the Zócalo, the Missus wanted to stop at Dulcería de Celaya a famous sweet shop which was established in 1874. Man, this place was quite popular. The Missus bought a box of various confections to bring back to the US. In what was a fairly humorous moment, the box was opened at the airport in Mexico City by one of the security personnel and each piece was brought out and the guy actually sniffed it! He kept saying "no bueno….no bueno!!" Until one of the senior officers came by and told him to put it all back in the box!

After we arrived home, the Missus tasted the sweets and really didn't care for them…..so I kidded Her by saying "no bueno….no bueno!"

Dulcería de Celaya
Avenida Cinco de Mayo 39
06000 Ciudad de México
Mexico City

A few blocks down was the Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución), the city's main square. In fact, this area has been the heart of the city since the time of the Aztecs.

The impressive Cathedral lines the north side of the square.

We had fully intended on exploring the area around the square and Centro Historical.

But came across an very popular and colorful exhibition….which seemed more like a festival dedicated to Frida Kahlo.

This celebration was called The Colors of Frida and it was indeed quite colorful. It was held to celebrate the famous artist's 112th birthday. And we lucked out to have been able to see this.

The most powerful scene is that of Frida dressed in colorful attire lying in bed. Having contracted polio at the age of six, she spent 9 months in bed. In 1925 she was in a terrible accident; she was "impailed by a steel handrail through the hip" and also fracture three vertebrae. It was during this time that Frida stared painting. she would have health problems for the rest of her life. In 1953 Frida had her first solo exhibition in Mexico City, but was in bad health. She famously attended the ceremony lying in a bed set-up for her in the gallery.

There were of course, the Conchero Dancers performing.

And those having Limpias (spiritual cleansing) performed on them.

It's also a great place to people, and pooch watch as well.

Nearby is the Museo de Templo Mayor, which was the temple of the people who inhabited Tenochtitlan. The ruins were quite stunning; though we were in need of a break by this time….we'll visit the next time we're in the area.

Plus, it was starting to get even more crowded.

We did decide to duck into the Cathedral Metropolitana for a quick look.

The Missus and I found the Pendulum inside the Cathedral quite fascinating.

Apparently it is in place to check on seismic movement.

The Missus and I needed a break and something light and small to eat. I'd read about a restaurant that had quite a history named Café de Tacuba.

Opened in 1912; this wonderful slice of history not only feeds the body; but the charming layout and décor feeds the soul as well.

Not feeling especially hungry; the Missus and I got our caffeine fix and ordered the Nopales….something which the Missus could not get enough of it seems….

The chips were crisp, the nopales decent, but nothing special, the avocado….like all we had in CDMX was creamy and wonderful. The staff was professional and accommodating. And the décor was wonderful. This was a nice little break for us.

Café de Tacuba
Calle de Tacuba 28
06010 Ciudad de México
Mexico City

We walked up Calle de Tacuba past the Museo Nacional de Arte (the National Art Museum).

That statue in front of the structure is of Charles IV of Spain by Manuel Tolsá; a Spanish born Sculptor and Architect.

Who is much revered for the prodigious amount of work he contributed to New Spain. In fact, the square the statue is on is named after him.

This eye catching garden is named the Garden of the Triple Alliance.

So, we could have kept on going….there is so much to see here if you desire.

For us; well, we'd done quite a bit of walking already on this day. We decided to Uber it back to our B&B and rest up for dinner……

Which turned out to be pretty good….that's coming up!

Thanks for stopping by!

San Francisco – China Live Revisited and the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair

January 25, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Festivals & Events, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Travel

The Missus and I decided to take a short trip during the long weekend. The Missus had really enjoyed our last trip to San Francisco; so we decided to head back for two nights.

Our flight over was quite pleasant; except for the arrogant and condescending young man who marched back and forth at the TSA security check-point telling people, "you can get it right…any idiot can do it…..it's not hard!" I understand that perhaps working for the TSA is not a pleasant job; but there's no need to be insulting….it's always the one that brings down the other ninety-nine. As my experience with the TSA has been that folks are at least somewhat professional. Or perhaps by "any idiot can do it" he meant himself? I heard the guy behind me mumble to his companion, "he's definitely a candidate for a colonoscopy without anesthesia".

We arrived fairly early; our room at the Marriott wasn't ready yet which wasn't a problem. We needed a place for a rather "early-ish" lunch….the Missus had really enjoyed the duck from China Live….yes, it was pricey, but we were on vacation, right?

Since Chinatown was basically right up the street, and China Live opens at 1030 we headed up Stockton. We quickly found that there were booths lining the usually busy sidewalks making things even more crowded with folks shopping and browsing.

We eventually got up to Broadway and China Live had just opened.

And in spite of the crowds and lines outside (the line at Good Mongkok went down and around the block!!!!), the place was empty.

We were tempted, and should have just had tea and the duck and called it a nice snack and head off….but we felt kinda guilty for just ordering the duck (albiet it being $27 – it had gone up a buck since September). We also didn't really enjoy anything else on our last visit. We just went ahead and ordered the Suckling Pig.

The Suckling Pig looked pretty nice…..

And it was decent; not the best I've had, but the meat was moist, the skin was a bit too thick and hard instead of crisp. It also lacked a good porkiness. So, not too bad, until you factor in the price….$34! That's over four bucks a wafer thin slice! I wouldn't complain if this was excellent; but it was not.

We did enjoy the duck ($27)

Which, like the last time didn't look particularly inspiring, but had a nice, thin, crisp skin….the subcutaneous fat perfectly rendered. Nice mild gaminess…moist meat. Like the last time; the "sesame buns" were dry and were just used for scallion-cucumber-hoisin sandwiches for us.

Looking at dishes on other tables….well, the rice and noodle dishes looked pretty mediocre. The total damage with tea was over seventy bucks……as we left the Missus told me, "I think we're done here…." I concurred….we'll try to find the best roast duck next time and just eat it in Portsmouth Square or something.

China Live
644 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133

We headed down Broadway and took a turn at Grant and oh my……the horde….the mass….the huge crowd.

But the Missus, who is usually not fond of crowds (neither am I), just smiled and headed off.

Grant was closed off….there were booths lining the street. I came to find out this was the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair, which happens on the weekend before the Lunar New Year and everyone and their brother seemed to be checking it out.

To be perfectly honest; even I enjoyed myself.

The Missus found herself checking out many of the booths. "You know there's a problem with this, right?" She said. Not quite following Her logic I asked "Why?" She cracked up and said "No samples!"

Regardless, the Missus really had a fun time, She told me a few times, "this really reminds me of growing up in China!"

People watching was fun….checking out the folks in costume. I sent the photo to the right to my coworker "YZ" who is from Shanghai and she quickly pointed out to me that the fella' wasn't totally in character; "if he was really dedicated….he wouldn't be wearing Nike's!" You gotta love it!

Did I mention the crowds?

It was fun watching the kids having a good time with all the various characters. Call me out of touch but I wonder what the character "Fragrance" represents? And fragrance of what? Remember, this is Chinatown! The fragrance of roast duck…pork….fish, herbs, steamed buns, and other more "earthy" smells permeate the air. And that character looks like an egg?

I'd go crazy facing crowds like this everyday. But for one fine sunny morning in San Francisco, it was just perfect!

Happy Lunar New Year!

Mexico City – Morning Coffee at Delirio Mónica Patiño, Breakfast at Los Tamales de la Roma, Walking Paseo de la Reforma, and Caffeine with a View at Don Porfirio Caffe

January 24, 2020 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

Our second full day in CDMX was another; surprise, fairly walking intense day. The morning in Condesa was quite lovely.

On this day, the Missus wanted to check out Centro Histórico….getting there by foot of course. So I devised a plan…we'd start in Roma, have a breakfast of sorts, then head down Paseo de la Reforma, Alameda Central, before arriving in the Historical Center of Mexico City.

So we headed out, past Parque España, taking a right onto Álvaro Obregón, crossing Insurgentes Sur we came upon a place I had to have a bit of caffeine; a gourmet shop owned by Chef and Television Personality Monica Patiño, named Delirio. I had kept the option open to grab something from this shop, but the Missus just wasn't inspired, so we just sat outside had a nice cup of coffee.

Delirio Mónica Patiño
Monterrey 116
Roma Norte, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

So, for a bite to eat, I went with plan B. The Missus really wanted to have some tamales during this trip, so two blocks away we took a left and arrived at one of the many places I had on my "list". A little shop named Los Tamales de la Roma.

We were greeted by the nicest, sweetest, young man, and we had a seat outside….it was such a nice morning!

When the young man brought over the menus, he explained that they did "two style of tamales…..the typical maiz, and those that use plantanos", he told us to please ask any questions we have; "I want you to have the best time possible"! My goodness…… So we had him recommend something…..after chatting with the Missus a bit, he recommended the "Ratatouille", which he said was done in Plantain leaves and had good vegetables and is so healthy. I ordered the Chicharron en Salsa Verde.

The tamal de chicharron was delicious, porky, great corn flavor, a hint of smokiness, nice tangy acidity from the salsa verde.

The Ratatouille was less so for us; fairly bland, in need of more flavor….but very moist.

You know, based on the service, it's very hard to complain about 2 tamales and bottled water that came out to less than $3/US!

This was more than enough for a light breakfast.

Los Tamales de la Roma
Jalapa 99
Roma Norte, 06700 Ciudad de Mexico, CDMX, Mexico

The Missus really wants to check out Tamales Doña Emi next we visit.

From Jalapa, it was pretty much a straight shot to Glorieta Insurgentes, right before the roundabout, we saw a nice church and decided to duck in for a quick look. This was Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia (Parish of Sagrada Familia).

A few blocks later we were standing on the wide and bright Paseo de la Reforma, staring at the Angel of Independence.

This iconic landmark was built to commemorate Mexico's independence from Spain and was completed in time to celebrate Mexico's 100th anniversary of it's independence in 1910. One interesting fact about the structure is that it contains a mausoleum at its base where heroes of the fight for independence are interred, including Leona Vicario.

The avenue is wide and there's much to see in terms of art pieces; like the kind of whimsical, slightly strange Cocodrilo by artist Leonora Carrington.

More of Vienna and a Caffeine Break at Cafe Central

January 11, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Travel

**** Not much food in this one……lots of churches and monuments though.

On our second day in Vienna, we set out to explore what we had missed on the previous day. We just walked through Stadtpark onto the Ringstrasse, the road the circles Innere Stadt, Vienna's "Old Town" where many of the city's sights are located.

Like the Opera House, which we passed the previous day.

Right past the Opera House is a Statue of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous German writer.

We had to crack up when we walked past the statue….there was an empty wine bottle on the statue's lap……..I guess Goethe might have had a pretty tough night?

Right past the statue is a nice little green space; this is the Burggarten; which is famous for the statue of Mozart that resides there, as well as the Butterfly House.

Just a few steps further up the Ring, you'll pass the Museum Quarter. The impressive Maria Theresa Monument sits between the Natural History and Art museum.

Maria Theresa was the only female ruler of the House of Habsburg, the Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. Though she was married to Francis I, the holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa reigned over the House of Habsburg due to the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which her father, Charles VI put into place during his reign.

On the monument, Maria Theresa sits on a throne; the four horsemen represent her four top military commanders. Her four top advisors stand a the ready between the horsemen. Behind and above the left shoulder of the statue of Gerard van Swieten, Maria Theresa's person physician, you'll see a young boy, on the boy's right shoulder rests a hand. The boy is none other than Mozart. The gentleman whose hand is resting on Mozart's shoulder is that of Joseph Haydn. Haydn and Mozart were close friends; it is thought that Haydn, thoguh a quarter century older than Mozart, taught him quite a bit and was a mentor to the child prodigy.

Even though the museums weren't open and it was a windy and damp day; it was fun wandering around the area.

We especially enjoyed the cute elephant statue in front of the Natural History Museum.

From here we crossed the street and took a look around Hofburg Palace, where we had ended things the previous day, before having lunch then heading to Belvedere Palace.

There are actually some Roman Ruins on display on Michaelerplatz right in front of the Palace. And right across the street is Saint Michael's Church. Since it started to drizzle a bit, we decided to head on into the church to take a look around.

The Altar is quite impressive.

St Michael's is also well known for the Pipe Organ that Joseph Hadyn once played. This is also the church where Mozart's Requiem, unfinished at the time of his death on December 5, 1791 was first played. You can see the date along with a death mask of Mozart on the wall as you enter the church.

At this point we needed a break. The drizzle had ceased and the Missus wanted to visit another Viennese Café. Café Central was just a few blocks up Herrengasse, so we headed on up the street for something light to eat and a caffeine fix. According to what I read, the café was opened in 1876. Among the noted regulars at the café were some pretty (in)famous names. As a matter of fact; during early 1913 it is said Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, and Freud were said to have visited the café. Crazy….

And so we had our coffees and a fairly mediocre "homemade" croissant with paintings of royalty gazing at us.

The coffee was good, the service professional, though not quite a elegant as Cafe Imperial according to the Missus….at least it was less than half the $30 that I doled out at Café Imperial.

And then there was that rather lifelike Peter Altenberg statue……

Cafe Central
Herrengasse 14
Vienna 1010, Austria

We headed out, and decided to take a peek at the Schottenkirche ("Our Lady of the Scots") at the top of the block. The interior was quite impressive.

We headed back down Herrengasse, then across Michaelerplatz and down a passageway to our next destination…….and to our surprise saw some horses walking across the way.

I'd forgotten about the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

Apparently, these are the rather posh stables.

Where I saw an interesting sign…..

We headed to our last destination; but decided to make one more stop along the way. To visit the Augustinian Church, where many of the Habsburgs were wed and where the hearts of 54 Habsburgs are interred in urns in one of the Chapels, and their bodies are in the Crypt below.

The Missus was kind of "Churched out" by this time……

So, we mainly spent time checking out the very interesting Monument to Maria Christina.

And then we were off…..to our next destination…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris – Doing the Flâneur Thing, Aperitif at Juveniles, Dinner at Zebulon

December 30, 2019 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

On our last day in Paris, we got up a bit early, and had breakfast at the hotel.

What we had would be enough to hold us until dinner.

For our last full day; we decided to do what brings us such pleasure in the city; something I mentioned before, you know, the Flâneur thing…."to wander with no purpose".

Our hotel, the very pleasant Hotel Malte was located on Rue de Richelieu and just one block away was the Palais-Royal and the interesting courtyard with some "interesting" art installations; like the Colonnes de Buren, basically black striped columns of various height, which as many of what folks call "modern art", is somewhat controversial due partly to the historic location it was installed on in 1986.

Same with the, ahem, "balls of steel"….the La Fontaine des Spheres.

I guess folks were looking for something a bit more grand and traditional….perhaps like this Statue of Joan of Arc on Place des Pyramides?

We crossed over to the Left Bank on Pont Neuf and onward to the 6th Arrondissment.

And eventually found ourselves at the University of Medicine, where we noticed some interesting stone reliefs…….you know medical things like reducing a fracture.

Or exorcism???? You know, standard medical stuffs…..

From here we walked over to Hermes, where the Missus did a bit of shopping. And in case Hermes didn't suck your wallet clean and you have an extra grand (or two); the historic Hotel Lutetia is ready for you….

We weren't ready for a break just yet, so we sauntered over to Le Bon Marché, where it was Black Friday.

It was interesting to see what folks were purchasing.

From here we headed back and crossed on Pont Neuf yet again.

That the Equestrian Statue of Henry IV on Pont Neuf.

We walked up Quai du Marché Neuf to take a peek at one of the symbols of Paris…..as this was November of 2018, this was Notre Dame pre-fire.

It's a reminder of how lively and lovely the Cathedral was.

We decided to wander some of the side streets around the Cathedral, which seemed to be rather peaceful and quiet compared to Rue de la Cité and other surrounding busy streets.

In Paris, you may notice iron structures like this…..

These are called "Empeche-pipi"…aka "pee preventer". The metal pieces would make urine splash back onto the offender…….

There's quite a bit of history packed into this small area. During one of our visits to Pere Lachaise we came upon the tomb of Héloïse and Abelard; it's quite love story – tragedy. Well, even though the house where they resided is gone; the structure built on the site in 1844 is highly decorated and has carved heads representing the couple at 9 Quai aux Fleurs.

From here we walked to the Marais and the Missus found a cute bracelet. We then took a short break at Place des Vosges; which looks wonderful, even in winter.

Before heading back to the hotel for a break before dinner.

As this was our last night in Paris, I wanted to have dinner and made reservations for a place that was quite popular. But first we decided to get an aperitif. Right down the street was the well regarded Wine Bar and Bistro, Juveniles. The food is well regarded, but we just decided to drop by for a glass of wine before dinner.

We enjoyed both the atmosphere; friendly and unfussy, and our wine.

I think we'll return for a meal on one of our trips.

Juveniles
47 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

As for dinner; I had made reservations at another place right down the street. This one was what I'd call a medium priced, modern French, manned by yet another Japanese Chef – Takashi Aoki, named Zebulon.

**** Zebulon has closed

The interior of the restaurant is simple, but comfortable, and stylish. Both the Missus and I went with the "Menu Zebulon", three courses.

The Amuse Bouche was a simple gravlax with quinoa, nice, clean flavors.

The Sea Bream Tartare was fresh….fairly tangy from the calamansi used in the vinaigrette.

The watercress leaves really helped to cut all the sour tones and add a nice pepperiness to things. The fish was toothsome but not tough, though there was perhaps a bit too much ginger used for the fish.

The Butternut Veloute was smooth and comforting.

Creamy but not overly sweet……the coffee added on the side was kind of a strange addition.

The Cod was perfectly cooked and seasoned; so moist and tender.

The spinach added a nice mildly bitter-chlorophyllic note to the dish; but we both thought the coconut-lemongrass foam kind of took the dish is a totally different direction….almost Thai…but not quite.

The Lamb Two Ways was a mixed bag.

The confit lamb was so silken, rich, gamey, just plain delici-yoso. The roast was a bit too chewy, tough, and salty. Loved the slices of beets which added a nice mild sweetness, which the roasted lamb needed.

I got the Cheese course….which was served at a perfect temperature.

And the Missus enjoyed Her dessert; telling me it wasn't overly sweet…..

Overall, we enjoyed the meal, and while it wasn't earth-shattering, it was priced right at around 120 Euroes for two including wine.

Service was excellent and we enjoyed the atmosphere. As of this writing Chef Aoki has moved on and Benjamin Andreux is the new chef de cuisine at Zebulon.

Zebulon
10 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

As is one of my rituals, I ended the night with a beer back at the room.

I did feel like I earned it….don't you think?

And the next morning after a quick breakfast we were headed home. Another trip to Paris in the books.

Thanks for stopping by!

Versailles and a Late Lunch at Canard Street (Paris)

December 28, 2019 mmm-yoso Chains, Cocktails, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

By November of 2018, we were on our third trip to Paris (can you believe it's now up to five?). And even though one could fill a lifetime exploring, and enjoying the city, the Missus thought we should start exploring places around the city. Starting with the Palace of Versailles. So, I got purchased advance tickets online and we headed out on the RER "C" line making it to Versailles-Rive Gauche in 40 minutes or so. From there it was a short walk to the Palace.

It was a misty – foggy day in Versailles.

But there's no denying the grandness of the Chateau.

It is indeed quite impressive and opulent. Hard to believe that this was once a "small country hunting lodge and residence" built by Louis XIII. Eventually, under Louis XIV, the property underwent four "campaigns", huge renovations. The King actually made Versailles his permanent residence and the center of political power, until the French Revolution. It has quite a history and a lot of rooms (over 2,000) and even had zoo (the "Menagerie"). Marie Antoinette had a "farm" ("Hameau de la Reine") created on the property, where she could escape….and where she could have a "faux country life"…..milking cows and sheep; which were carefully cleaned and groomed. The book Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman; has this quote:

"Sheep were led to pasture by ribbons of blue silk tied round their necks"

All this decadence, all that taxpayer money, all the social inequality…….just a few of a the many factors that lead to the French Revolution.

It's all on display in the various rooms in the Chateau.

Don't forget to look up at the ceilings!

The most well known room in the Chateau is probably the Hall of Mirrors.

Which is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, which ended World War I.

We walked out onto the gardens……still quite grand; even on a misty day like this was.

And of course; all the fountains.

From here we decided to check out the Grand Trianon.

Which Louis XIV built as his escape from the Chateau.

We also explored the Petit Trianon as well.

By this time; the Missus and I were "palaced-out" and we decided to head back to Paris.

The lines were growing ever longer as we left. We caught the train back to Paris and the Missus decided to do (even more) shopping. We made a return trip to Repetto (which I've posted on before).

Sadly….at least for the Missus; She discovered that She had all the styles and colors that She wanted.

We decided to head back to the hotel for a break, but decided to grab lunch. We wanted something quick and decided to head back to Canard Street. We got the Demi Magret and the Sandwich de Foie Gras.

The duck breast was surprisingly good….especially for what I consider "fast-casual" food. It was just a tad over-cooked, but still juicy, tender, and full of flavor.

We didn't care for the baguette used for the sandwich; it was dry and much too hard and chewy. Hardly any foie gras torchon as well.

Still, this came out to around 20 Euroes which ain't bad for duck breast and foie gras, right?

Canard Street Paris
16 rue des Petits Champs
75002 Paris, France

We had a well deserved nap; then took an early evening stroll. We then headed off in the direction of dinner. This was to be our first visit to Le Pont de Sichuan, you can read that post here. We were still a bit too early for dinner and noticed this spot right around the corner of our destination.

And stopped for an aperitif.

It seemed like a popular after work destination…..lot's of folks having whatever the version of happy hour is in Paris.

And we had a seat at the bar and had a couple of Kir before dinner.

Le Trader's
3 Rue de la Bourse
75002 Paris, France

A nice little aperitif!

Thanks for stopping by!

Where in world were we?

December 14, 2019 mmm-yoso Travel

Well, this as an interesting finale to our trip……due to some "transit issues" that kept us on our toes; a flight cancellation that was quickly remedied, we managed to get in this past week at around 1am….of course I was back in the office at 6am that morning. So, thanks to Cathy's help, I managed a few nights of sleep before doing this post.

Just to catch you up…….from my previous post. We flew back and ended in a city full of history….

Much of the western world's history is tied to this ancient city.

Especially in terms of religion.

We took three private tours during our stay. The one we enjoyed the most, was visiting a town where one of the central religious figures was born.

And things were quite festive. On the day we visited, a very important relic was returned to the city. It was lead by marching bands……

It was quite amazing to actually visit places that I'd been taught about since a very young age….places ingrained in religious traditions.

It was also surprisingly expensive here. But we did eat well…..

Vegetable dishes were quite delicious.

And even though some of the folks here were very rude; like when we went to a recommended shop to try a dish I had on my "list" and were treated rudely, and then when ready to order were ignored….they took all the other customer's orders and ignored us. There was still a silver lining as I got to try a dish I often make at home…..

And on our last evening in the city we had a really good meal…….

We flew back to the Missus's favorite city……

Spending just one evening…..we had intended on returning at the end of our trip; but due to some crazy circumstances; basically stayed in our next location for the duration.