Travel – Page 50

Tokyo – Breakfast and We’re Off to Nikko

July 27, 2018 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japan, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

After another wonderful dinner at our favorite restaurant, we slept well, but got up quite early on this Saturday morning. You see, the Missus had always wanted to visit Nikko, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; known for it's ornate shrines lying within green, woody, hillsides. A combination of nature and a celebration of the glory of the Edo period. It is about this place that Ieyasu Tokugawa is quoted as saying "Build a small shrine in Nikko and enshrine me as the God. I will be the guardian of peace keeping in Japan." In fact; his mausoleum is located in the lavish, opulent, Tōshōgū Shrine.

But first, we needed sustenance. We were given breakfast vouchers for the coffee shop located next to the hotel at street level. It was obviously a 24 hour coffee shop as we noticed quite a few young men who had missed the last train the night before.

We'd been told stories by friends in Japan about missing the last train and having to stay in either a Karaoke room, the local Mickey D's, or coffee shops. Many of which will let you sleep so long you purchase something.

Breakfast was simple, but enough for us.

Having JR Passes, we caught the train from Yotsuya to Tokyo Station, then the Shinkansen to Utsunomiya, where we changed to the JR Nikko line. It took about 2 hours overall, but as is typical for train travel in Japan, the trip was seamless.

Of course, part of the fun was people watching, as folks have their own unique way of expressing themselves in Japan.

And, one must not forget the entertaining signs….the messages are pretty loud and clear, regardless of the language.

We had a 30 minute layover in Utsunomiya, where we did some shopping and bought a few gifts.

Then it was the 49 minute train ride to Nikko.

It would be drizzly and overcast during our entire time in Nikko, and yet, it just seemed to add a certain "air" to things.

We'd been sitting on various trains getting to Nikko, so of course the Missus decided that instead of taking the bus ride up to the temple area; we should walk. I was in total agreement since there was much to see along the way.

As you approach the temple area there are more and more shops. I thought this phone booth was quite interesting.

Just a block away is the iconic Shinkyo Bridge.

Which you see in thousand of photographs. It is indeed beautiful.

It is said that this is the spot where the monk Shodo Shonin, who was one of the founders of Nikko was carried across the river on the backs of two serpents.

Right across the street is the entrance to Nikko's shrines and temples.

Up the stairs bordered by moss covered stones you'll run into a statue of Shodo Shonin himself.

Along the way you'll pass walls that are covered with moss…….that may have been here for hundreds of years. It sure does add "atmosphere"……

I think I'll stop for now…..more to come in the next post……

Here's one last look at the Shinkyo Bridge.

Thanks for dropping by!

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

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

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

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

At the beautiful Boulangerie Laurent B.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And the people watching is quite interesting.

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

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

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

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

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

It was bit strange.

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

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

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

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

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

I ordered the Chanterelles with Jamon Iberico.

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

The one dish that was excellent was the pork belly.

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

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

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

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

Talkeetna – Twister Creek Restaurant & Denali Brewpub

July 17, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Gastropub, Travel

It had been a pretty long day by the time we were able to check-in at lodge we were staying at. We decided to take a short nap. Upon waking; we realized it was like 7pm! That's the thing about Alaska at this time of the year. The sun didn't set until 11pm…..and, like folks told us; the weather can change by the minute here. Like the "polar winter" we experienced in Tromsø it was a bit disorienting at times….it was 730 pm when we left the lodge for dinner and this is what things looked like.

It could have been 2pm anywhere.

We walked into Talkeetna. Things had quieted down a bit from earlier in the day….folks gone for the day. Plus, this was still early in the season and Talkeetna was still kinda "sleepy" once many of the tourists were gone.

All the restaurants seemed empty; except for one; Twister Creek Restaurant, which is run by Denali Brewing Company.

After our previous experience at Seward Brewing Company we thought; "why not?"

The place was three-fourths full when we arrived; but soon filled to the brim.

I started with….well a beer of course. I liked the fact that Denali Brewing offered many Belgian style brews; I went with the Belgian Golden Strong dubbed "Abaddon".

Served at a perfect temperature; slight banana tones; somewhat boozy in the Belgian way….no joke at 9.1ABV.

Our Server whose name I believe is Nastasia was a joy. So nice, so friendly, awesomely efficient, and she also made one fantastic recommendation.

This being heavy pub-grub; we shared an order of Sweet Potato Wedges….the Missus loves this stuff.

This was strange as it was fairly crisp; nice flavor, the Missus loved it; but it was still slightly cold in the center. Still; while the Missus would soon tire of pub-grub; we weren't at that point yet.

They were out of a couple of appetizers and mains. We ended up going with the Reindeer Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.

The meatloaf was fairly lean. The flavor was mild. The gravy had quite a bit of black pepper and was nicely seasoned, rich, and smooth. But it was barely past lukewarm. Ditto the slightly water-logged mashed potatoes.

But, there were two reasons we really enjoyed this meal. The first was the amazing service by Nastasia. The second was; when I wanted an digestif; she recommended they newly released single malt whiskey. We were told that the first run of the whiskey sold out in hours; but the restaurant still had a stock.

This was fantastic….we loved the vanilla tones of this rather smooth spirit. We really wanted a bottle….but of course; there was none to be had.

So, we'd just have to return again.

Twister Creek Restaurant/Denali Brewpub
13605 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676

Our Server chatted with us a bit about working in Alaska. She told us that you either loved it here….or you left. She was lucky as, unlike many of the folks who work two-three jobs during the high season, the brewpub was open year round and she enjoyed Talkeetna.

Many of the places were closed; but we visited those places that were still open.

As we left one of the shops; it seemed like the weather was turning a bit……

So we headed back to the lodge. By the time we walked the half mile back, the weather had cleared up a bit, so we walked along the Susitna River and enjoyed the view.

After wandering around for a bit we returned to the lodge and while the Missus showered and got ready for bed, I had a nightcap.

The Denali Flag Stop Mile Post 2 is a Flanders Red; mild stone fruit, slightly tart, no, it wasn't Duchess, or as we learned in Ghent, "Doo-Chezz", but this was perfectly fine.

As was the view out our window.

You could do a lot worse than this…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Talkeetna – Lunch at Talkeetna Roadhouse

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

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

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

Half the fun is people watching.

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

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

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

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

Let's just enjoy the view, shall we?

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

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

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

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

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

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

The reindeer chili was quite bland.

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

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

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

Talkeetna Roadhouse
13550 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676

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

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

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

Seward – Resurrection Bay and Dinner at Seward Brewing Company

June 28, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, Beer, Gastropub, Travel

The first task of the day….well, the second after a simple breakfast was to head up to the boat harbor and the offices of Major Marine Tours to see if any cruises were going out on this day. The Fjords cruises were all cancelled because of storms at sea, but the regular bay cruises were still going out. Folks were really nice and we ended up getting a discount because we were actually staying in town. Our cruise didn't leave until around noon; so there was some time to kill.

I had heard that there was something interesting to see in the boat harbor; so we walked around the building……

And sure enough; there they were……

Two adorable otters….totally oblivious to us.

There's something so amazing about watching creatures who are so graceful in the sea. Every so often they'd dive….apparently the otters enjoy the mussels attached to the docks.

For some reason; it just brought out the inner child in the both of us. We were mesmerized.

We drove back to downtown and spent some time shopping.

Instead of driving back up to the boat harbor; we decided to walk. It was only a mile-and-a-half or so. Plus you could walk along the bay. And even on an overcast day like this one, you sometimes felt like you were viewing a painting.

We passed various campgrounds…..if you parked your RV here; you really couldn't complain much about the view.

You notice a lot more when walking……do you notice something that looks a bit out of place in this photo?

It was a nice walk back to the boat harbor.

This is the Seward Mariner's Memorial, to memorialize all those lost at sea.

We eventually got back to the boat harbor.

We just went and grabbed some coffee and killed the hour or so before the line-up for our cruise.

We really enjoyed the four hour cruise; the captain was wonderful as she and her crew went looking for wildlife. We also got some history as well, learning about the effect the 9.2 magnitude Good Friday Earthquake in 1964 had on Seward. It totally changed the town's shoreline.

We saw the B&B we were staying at as we headed out into the bay.

We travel light these days; without even the DSLR. So no crazy wildlife photos. But we did see Bald Eagles, goats, one amazing sea otter just hanging out in the bay, seals…..

We got "blessed" by one of the many beautiful waterfalls created by water from melting ice from glaciers.

And then it happened. The highlight of the cruise.

A young Humpback Whale! The captain stopped the boat. There are specific rules for approaching marine mammals here, which I really appreciate. The whale seemed a bit curious and really got close to the boat before figuring out we were just boring humans and heading on his or her way.

I've seen whales several times while taking folks around back home in Hawaii….but let me tell you; it never gets old.

We got back to the harbor after about four hours. We were kind of pooped. In fact, there were folks sleeping on the benches as we returned. As much as I would have loved that entire eight hour tour….possibly seeing glaciers calving; I'm not sure how tired we would have been.

We rather enjoyed the walk back to downtown. We decided just to head back. Looking at what was served at the touristy seafood restaurant in the harbor just didn't inspire us.

While we'd obviously be happy with another meal at the Cookery; it was Monday and the place was closed. So we decided to hunt around a bit for a dinner spot….this one was definitely not it.

After looking at a few places…..we decided just to head back to the Seward Brewing Company.

The Missus just wanted some fries. And the "Hangover Homie"; thick cut fries, crisp, topped with that sunny side up egg…….on this evening, there were no complaints.

Bacon….cheese sauce….crema…..gorgonzola……I can handle that for one meal.

Needing something to finish up the evening….and my second beer. I went with the Fried Cauliflower.

Which was way too sweet……

But heck; we could deal with this for one night.

Seward Brewing Company
139 4th Ave
Seward, AK 99664

And then it was off to sleep….sort of.

Seward – Seward Brewing Company and Dinner at The Cookery

June 26, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Gastropub, Seafood, Travel

We loved the town of Seward. Tucked in the Kenai Peninsula; this town of about 3,000 had character and charm. Instead of staying at one of the hotels near the boat harbor; we decided to stay at a B&B in the historic downtown area. And driving down Ballaine Boulevard to the B&B indicated I'd made the right decision.

This was the view across the street from our unit.

When we checked-in we found that there were some severe storms at sea and our whole day wildlife tour was cancelled. After travelling for a while you understand that no one controls Mother Nature and you have to go with the flow. We were given some Resurrection Bay alternatives. Major Marine was given as the company to use. We decided to wait until the next morning to book our tour. And headed off to explore Seward.

We were steps from the Alaska Sealife Center, but our schedule didn't allow us time to visit. Though there were some musicians and this really interesting vendor there as we walked past.

Now there must be a story here…….

Downtown Seward had the feel of a touristy-kitschy-artsy-"wild frontier" kind of vibe. It is also "framed" by some wonderful views.

Things were quite mellow when we arrived. We were told that the first cruise ship of the season had just left, so things were quiet until the next one came in.

It was still too early to head to the spot I wanted for dinner, so we wandered around a bit.

It was a bit too early for our dinner destination; so we decided to grab a drink at the Seward Brewing Company.

We enjoyed the vibe of the bar area. The Missus had a white while I had a red ale. Folks here just start talking to you…….

Our bartender was from…….San Diego! Encinitas if I recall. She was here for the summer, working, like many folks we ran into, several jobs during the busy season. Her other job? Well, working at Major Marine. Go figure……

We really enjoyed the Seward Brewing Company and returned the following evening.

Seward Brewing Company
139 4th Ave
Seward, AK 99664

Our dinner reservations was at a place called The Cookery. I'd looked over their menu online, and the small plates seemed like just the thing we'd enjoy.

First off, this place gets really busy, really fast. The crew is quite nice, though they seemed a bit harried. We enjoyed the menu….perhaps a bit hipster, but quite interesting and perfect for folks who don't want to stuff their face.

The Amuse was a ceviche of sorts.

This was quite nice. A good acidity; meaty fish……

I love my oysters so we started with a half dozen.

The Halibut Cove were really briny reminding me of Atlantic/French oysters. The Jakalof Bay oysters were still a bit too briny for my taste, but had an interesting, almost sweet finish. It had been too long since I'd had good oysters, so I really enjoyed these.

The fish of the day was Halibut Cheeks…….how could we not order this?

I actually enjoyed what the light curry sauce and the mango added to the dish. The Halibut Cheeks would have been amazing, except it was over-cooked, therefore losing that rich fattiness that would take this to the "delici-yoso" level.

The Roasted Brussel Sprouts had been cooked well, as in not mushy, still crunchy.

The Missus, who loves Brussel Sprouts simply said; "not savory enough and not enough flavor" in Her assessment.

The "Wild & Tame Mushroom Toast" was a nice dish; nice earthiness, but a bit too sweet for our palate.

I told the Missus to order dessert……but knowing how much I missed oysters…….

We enjoyed our meal at the Cookery. In fact, if hey had not been closed on the following evening, we'd have eaten there.

As is; this was the second best meal we had during our trip to Alaska.

The Cookery
209 5th Ave
Seward, AK 99664

Hours
Tues – Sun 5pm – 10pm

Alaska – Breakfast, Hope, and the Exit Glacier

June 23, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, Breakfast/Brunch, Travel

We slept quite well after a fun first day and dinner. There was nearly nineteen hours of sunlight during our stay and it was bright as noon when we finally got around to waking.

Breakfast was included in the price of our room at the Alyeska Resort

It was a pretty nice spread.

So the Missus and I got a plate……the cured salmon was quite good.

And the Missus and I decided to share an omelet. I made sure to put some reindeer sausage in it. Since I had to wait a few minutes for my eggs to cook, I had a nice chat with the guy at the omelet station. Who was from…….California of course!

Nice folks all around as they even gave us cups of coffee to go in take-out cups.

We checked out and made one more stop before heading toward Seward….at this place. We'd find that folks in Alaska have a great sense of humor as the name of this shop indicates.

The woman working here was very friendly; I watched her help a German couple with directions and recommendations for wildlife tours. We got a small gift for one of the Missus's coworkers. After looking at my credit card; she started talking to me in Japanese…..you gotta love it.

I've had more than one person tell me that the Seward Highway was the most beautiful highway they've driven on. Even on a slightly drizzly, overcast day, I can see why he said that.

We decided on a couple of detours on our way to Seward. The first was taking the Hope cut-off and driving to the little down of Hope. Gold was discovered in nearby Resurrection Creek in 1889 and then in Six Mile Creek. At first a collection of miner's tents, Hope became Alaska's first Gold rush town. By 1899, many of the folks had headed off to the Klondike. Today Hope is a collection of ourdoorsy types, campers, hikers, and rafters.

Our next stop was just outside Seward. At mile 3 of the Seward Highway, you make a turn and head up about eight and a half miles to the Exit Glacier at the end of the road.

From here we took two of the trails to explore. There are many signs along the way like this one.

These signs indicate where the exit glacier used to be in years past.

In fact; back in 1987, you'd be able to view the glacier from this pavilion.

It was quite a sobering experience.

The glacier itself is quite beautiful.

On the way back down we went to the outwash plain.

You could hike right to the edge of the glacier from here. But we decided just to enjoy the view from here.

Kyoto – Gion Yuki

June 17, 2018 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Memorable Meals, Travel

While it seems that the Missus used this trip to chase Sakura, I had noticed something quite interesting. She had developed a fondness for Izakayas. As such, She really wanted to check out an Izakaya on our last evening in Kyoto. Looking through various sources; She decided that we should go to Yuki for dinner. Staying in Higashiyama meant a nice little walk to the Gion, We were shocked to that there was a line twenty minutes before opening. I sent the Missus away to explore while I stood in line and checked my email and such.

The Missus returned right before opening and we were slowly ushered in. The place is rather tiny, rustic, and the folks quite friendly. The crowd was all Japanese and we kind of had them fooled until they started talking to us!

We were immediately handed an English menu; though the Missus could read much of the items in Kanji.

Gion Yuki is owned by Okamura Honke Brewery, located in neighboring Shiga Prefecture. So what to drink? Well, sake of course! We started with a nice, dry Junmai Daiginjyo, moving to sweeter lighter Junmai, even trying the Shin Syu.

Food was an interesting matter. Looking at the English menu; I knew it was incomplete. Looking at the Pinterest/Instagram photos on the Missus's phone, I quickly picked out something the Missus and I love. Shirako!

We ordered both versions of Shirako.

The Shirako Ponzu might have been our favorite dish of the trip. Creamy, with a slight oceany- sweetness, the milt (a nice way of saying cod sperm sack), was fantastic. It went so well with the tangy, sour, and slightly salty ponzu sauce. The green onions were surprisingly pungent; but it was the intense flowery-anise tones of the shiso blossoms that really got our attention. Wonderful textures – fantastic taste.

The grilled version, just couldn't keep up in terms of flavor as it was slightly fishy and fairly bland. It really needed that salt and lime.

The Kamo – duck breast was nicely done. The skin was slightly crisp; the rubbery subcutaneous fat had been rendered off, leaving a nice layer of fat, and the meat had a nice, slightly chewy texture.

The flavor of the duck was fairly intense in terms of gaminess, which is how we enjoy it anyway.

We had noticed that most of the folks eating here were having fried stuffs. So we ordered the Onion Kakiage.

Crisp, light, the frying had brought out the sweetness of the onions. I can see why folks love the fried food here.

The eggplant dengaku; we tried two versions. The darker, richer version was our favorite.

The flavors were quite complex and the scallions gave the dish an overall "zip".

We finished (well almost as we ordered more shirako) was razor clams in broth.

The dashi based broth was light but tasty; the razor clams were surprisingly tender and sweet.

And here's where the fun begins. A group of 4 men and 1 woman gets seated. Seems like several of the group and the woman are German, as we overheard the woman telling one of the gentlemen that she would come here when visiting Kyoto while working for the German Consulate in Osaka.

It was fun watching the salarymen, now quite friendly and helpful after a couple of rounds of sake, try and help these folks order and make suggestions.

Even more funny as none of the salarymen spoke any English! An array of pantomimes, hand gestures….you name it.

Meanwhile, one of the men, the super tall one was walking around the bar checking out what folks were eating. He had heard the Missus and I speak English. We were eating our second bowl of Shirako Ponzu. He smiled and asked, "sir….what are you eating" while pointing to the quivering white masses in our bowl. Passing him the bowl with two hands I told him; "I will tell you, after you try it." He had a taste and his face lit up. "It is good". I said "this is cod sperm sacks". He stood up his full six feet plus, raised his hand, and asked one of the guys behind the counter, "sir….sir…may we have TWO BOWLS of SPERM please?" No one else except his party and the two of us understood what he was saying…..but man, we were rolling.

I now have a new wrinkle for my "a guy walks into a bar….." joke.

Gion Yuki
111-1 Tominagacho, Higashi-ku, Okamura Bldg.1F
Kyoto 605-0078, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

There was still a line of folks waiting outside as we left.

We took the long way back to the apartment, just taking in the city.

Kyoto is beautiful anytime of the day. No wonder it's one of the Missus's favorite cities to visit.

Paris – Arnaud Nicolas

June 13, 2018 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

On our last trip to Paris; I made only two dinner reservations. One of them was for Arnaud Nicolas. First off, it was in the 7th Arrondissement, the Missus's favorite area in the city…..She is still in love with that Paris dream. You know, the one with Eiffel Tower in the background, with the oh-so-Parisian food street Rue Cler at your doorstep.

Finding a place in the area, reasonably priced, that served charcuterie from a young chef who achieved the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) at the age of 24. Well, I was quite curious. And being that we love charcuterie…. we just had to check it out.

Located on busy Avenue de la Bourdonnais, I believe this place wasn't even here on our previous visit to Paris in 2016.

Part deli part restaurant; we loved the casual, yet refined atmosphere, and the service was excellent.

I had walked past the counter with the fabulous looking pate en croute and other charcuterie that I was just ready to order everything off the menu.

Luckily, our Server calmed me down with a nice glass of white wine (free as you're seated). We decided to order a nice variety from the "Entrées de Charcuterie". What arrived was so beautiful looking, especially the two pate en croute.

Both the "Volailles et Foie gras de Canard", basically foie gras, duck, chicken and the "Caille, Poire et Pistache", quail and foie gras with pear and pistachio were excellent. The pastry, was delicate, I'm used to doughy and rather hard pastry, this was delicate, light, and still held some texture. It also nicely "hugged" the pate.

While we loved both, our favorite of the two was the beautiful quail and foie gras Caille.

The interplay of earthy-offal tones and mild sweetness just went together so well.

The Missus laughed as instead of digging right into these….I took some time….to enjoy how lovely they looked.

Easily the best pate en croute I've ever had.

The Terrine de Gibier had a wonderful gameiness.

It looked lean and tough, but had a perfect toothsomeness. Not overly salty, but with a nice assertive flavor, this was quite nice and dense.

The Foie Gras mi-cuit (in the foreground) was everything you could ever want. Wonderfully balanced offal-sweet flavors, smooth, decadent richness, with just the right amount of "heft". It just seemed so perfect.

The only "clunker" of the night was the Foie Gras – Truffle (in the rear), two of the Missus's favorite food groups, which just fell flat. Perhaps the foie gras and pate en croute had soiled our tastebuds, but it seemed like, at least with this, that the two main ingredients cancelled each other out. We could really not taste any truffle and the foie gras flavor was faint….we expected the texture to be the same as the mi-cuit, but it was strangely waxy.

We decided to split our main course, which the kitchen graciously did for us. After all the charcuterie, I wanted to try the Boudin Blanc with Truffle. This dish just blew us away.

The black trumpet mushrooms and Jerusalem artichokes were just perfect…..but it was that traditionally finely textured, mildly flavored, white sausage that blew us away. It was nicely seared, which added just the perfect amount of crispness, the restrained amount of truffle was perfect….just a hint, a tease, just enough. The sausage had a mild porkiness to it. But it was the texture that was amazing as it just melted away in your mouth.

As you can tell, we loved Arnaud Nicolas. It was the type of place that suited us well. "Real" and traditional food, executed masterfully. We enjoyed our meal and the staff so much……we made dinner reservations for the following evening!

Arnaud Nicolas
46 Avenue de la Bourdonnais
75007 Paris, France

I gotta say. Maybe the Missus has a point about staying in the 7th…….

Parma – Trattoria Sorelle Picchi

June 7, 2018 mmm-yoso Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

After returning from visiting Castello di Torrechiara and Fontanellato we returned to the Agritourismo and rested up a bit.

As the afternoon sun faded, we decided it was time to head to Parma for dinner. We again found parking alongside the Parma River….as double bonus, because the next day was Easter, the parking pass was good for two days! Instead of heading into Parma like we did the previous day, the Missus decided we should just walk up Stradone de Martiri Della Liberta', just called the "Stradone". Interesting history here as this was the first Italian Boulevard designed in the French style. We hadn't been on this street before; it was side, tree-lined, with some very nice houses along the way.

At the East end of the street is this interesting structure…..it stood out since it seemed to be isolated in the middle of traffic.

This is the Casinetto Petitot, once a stylish cafe, designed by French born architect Ennemond Alexandre Petitot, who spent most of his career in the Province of Parma.

From here we took a left, past the Chiesa di San Pietro d'Alcantara and down some side streets. If we thought that seeing a non-Italian tourist was a rare sight before….now it looked all local.

It was a nice walk…..and we ended up on busy Strada della Republica again.

Even stopping back at the same cafe as the day before for a nice shot of espresso.

It was still a bit early for dinner, so we just wandered around a bit more……

And ended up back at Parma Cathedral.

There a nice open piazza in front of the Cathedral…..it was fun to sit and people watch for a bit. In contrast to Florence, things seemed so laid back here.

The Missus noticed that folks were going in and out of the cathedral.

So we decided to take a look.

The interior and the frescoes were quite dramatic.

From here it was back across Strada Giuseppe Mazzini and down the busy pedestrian Strada Farini. This lively street was Missus's favorite in central Parma. There are busy bars, restaurants, and shops.

Also on this street was a restaurant that was recommended to us named Trattoria Sorelle Picchi. We found the place which seemed really busy. Well, at least the outdoor eating area did. There's what seemed to be the kitchen, which could be viewed from the sidewalk.

There's a deli area and then the dining room, which, unlike the outdoor area, was quite empty when we arrived.

It did fill up quickly a few minutes after we were seated. At which time we noticed that there was an additional dining area downstairs. This was a deceivingly large trattoria!

Our Server was very nice, professional and attentive.

Of course we (I) started with the Culatello di Zibello, this one was aged 20 months. I loved how thin it was sliced.

Because of how thinly sliced and moist this was, it just melted away once it hit our tongue. Amazing……

This time it was the Missus who ordered the Cappelletti en Brodo.

First off, this capon broth was rich, chicken-ny, and not overly salty. It was really good. The pasta, stuffed with what seemed to be a meat-salumi mixture was excellent. The texture was amazing. I mentioned this to our Server who then brought back the menu and pointed out the names of the "Sfoglina" (the pasta makers) on the menu; Giuseppina and Luisella.

I ordered the "Trio de Tortelli".

First off, the ravioli like pasta was excellent, perfect pull, no hard spots, relatively doughy and springy at the same time. The erbette, which I believe is chard and ricotta had a nice milky-bitter-salty balance that was enjoyable. The Missus thought the "zucca" pumpkin tortelli was too sweet and I would probably agree with Her. The spalla (cured pork shoulder) in the green tortelli was nicely flavored and not too salty and the shaved Parmigiano Reggiano did help elevate it.

Overall, a very nice meal. We had really taken to the wonderful textures and flavors of the region. Things seemed so simple and yet the tastes and textures were quite amazing.

Trattoria Sorelle Picchi
Strada Luigi Carlo Farini 27/A
Parma, Italy

We had a nice walk back to the car…..through the part of Strada Farini that was more sedate.

It had been such a nice day and dinner just topped everything off.