Praise be to Burgers!

Can there be better news for those of us who worship at the altar of a great burger and fries? Especially when the supreme creators of the Burger, those Gods of Grilled Ground Beef at Castagna Café have just let me know they are going to be opening for lunch starting June 12th! Let the angels rejoice, because more chances to eat their divine burgers and heavenly fries are to be celebrated. Owners Kevin and Monique are also working on some specialty sandwiches with house roasted meats and a few other variations from their regular café menu. Lunch service is going to be starting June 12th, and will be served Tuesday through Saturday. The hours are tentatively planned to run from 11:30-2:30. I'll have more details as they become available.

Southern Hospitality!

And what could possibly be more hospitable to me than good food? Especially when I'm not cooking it? Okay, maybe free food, but for what we had the other night, I was more than happy to fork over the required tariff.

Saturday night w and I headed to north Portland (and don't give your needy, wannabe NoPo acronym. Leave that to needy, wannabe New Yorkers) to meet our friends Jeff and Kathyrn to pay a visit to Roux. I've been there a few times before, and I have to admit the last time didn't knock me out. There's a new chef in the kitchen, though, and based on what we consumed, the whole place seems reinvigorated. This was a seriously good meal, withy just one slip that they happily corrected. We had a pretty fair share of the menu, and there was the constant sound of "oh" and "wow" heard at our table. Here's the quick rundown.....

Jeff, w, and I started with their perfectly refreshing French 75 cocktail, a gin concoction that they do better than any other I've tried. After slurping down a dozen oysters on the half shell, our starters of the "Croque Monsieur" salad (spinach, smoked ham hock, gruyere, & a creole mustard vinaigrette) and a creamy, decadent crawfish pie (think chicken pot pie-ish, only really sexy!) were outstanding. We moved on, and happily through, our entrees which were a crab crusted roast trout; pan roasted rabbit; red jambalaya; and a grilled flat iron steak for me with three sides of collard greens, mashers, and beets & turnips (my steak came out medium-well instead of the ordered medium-rare, and they immediately brought out a new one without any fuss..very nice. Plus, because of the wait for the new steak, they even brought out a new plate of sides!). Again, it was all excellent, with that southern comfort food thing enveloping us in happiness. We managed to make our way through three desserts, and they even sent out a fourth on the house! Stuffed as we were, how could we refuse?! Not to be redundant, but big smiles were going around as these were also fabulous. More detail? Okay: Beignets, Rhubarb Crostata, Almond Cake, and the Shortbread Cookie Plate. My stomach is stretching out just thinking about it!

Great job by the kitchen jocks at Roux, and it seems that now is a great time to be checking it out, as the kitchen is rocking the food!

Spring is calling!

It's automatic: Springtime...sun comes out in PDX...warmth...no rain...grill is calling...find piece of animal to cook.........................

But sometimes you need too ignore the siren song, because one of the other signs of spring is fresh, young asparagus that is seemingly calling to you from every stall of the farmer's market, just begging to be cooked in any number of ways. Last night w and I had a very satisfying Asparagus Risotto based on a Mario Batali recipe. Risotto is one of those things that to me always tastes, and feels, so good. The Italian equivalent...along with creamy polenta...of mashed potatoes. Total comfort food. Here's yet one more way to take advantage of spring.....
************************
Asparagus Risotto
Adapted from Mario Batali
Time: 45 minutes
1 pound asparagus, peeled, trimmed and cut into one-inch-long pieces, tips reserved (I didn't peel the asparagus and it worked just fine. If you're more patient than me, have at it!- bb)
4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 medium red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for sprinkling.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add half the asparagus stalks and cook until quite soft, at least 5 minutes. Rinse quickly under cold water. Put cooked asparagus in a blender or food processor and add just enough water to allow machine to puree until smooth; set aside.

2. Put stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add onion, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add white wine, stir, and let liquid bubble away. Add a large pinch of salt. Add warmed stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring occasionally. Each time stock has just about evaporated, add more.

4. After about 15 minutes, add remaining asparagus pieces and tips, continuing to add stock when necessary. In 5 minutes, begin tasting rice. You want it to be tender but with a bit of crunch; it could take as long as 30 minutes total to reach this stage. When it does, stir in 1/2 cup asparagus puree. Remove skillet from heat, add remaining butter and stir briskly. Add Parmesan and stir briskly, then taste and adjust seasoning. Risotto should be slightly soupy. Serve immediately.
Yield: 3 to 4 servings.

Wanna cook? Don't call the C.I.A!

I've often thought about this, especially having owned a restaurant in a former life. That is, what is the point of culinary schools? Other than as a means for the people who run them to make huge amounts of money off of future line cooks who are going to be making $10 a hour...if they're lucky...cooking at some country club. We'd have temps come in from our local cooking school when we were in a pinch, and they were without fail worse than our regular cooks who had learned everything they knew by cooking, not by opening text books or having some guy with a ridiculous hat lecturing them.

That thought came to mind because of an article in yesterday's New York Times that should be required reading for anyone who thinks they're going to be the next big Food network star. The bottom line is you're going to be spending tens of thousands of dollars in the hopes that you'll be that one in several thousand who actually gets to own their own restaurant at some point in the distant future. Forget about food TV, you'll probably be making a couple bucks more an hour than the guy washing dishes about ten feet away from you in a hot, sweaty kitchen in Des Moines.

I have never met a really great cook who learned how to be that at a culinary school. You can't teach passion. You can't teach taste. Either you have it or you don't. I like to cook, but I would never fool myself into believing that I have that something extra that separates us wannabes from the professional cooks. No school is going to teach me what comes naturally to a lot of my restaurant pals who just "get it".

The article is a great cautionary tale, and if you know someone who's thinking of taking the plunge off that culinary cliff, pass it on!

Outside insight!

You can bet that as soon as the sun comes out and it's even halfway warm, sun starved Portlanders are going to be flocking outside to eat. I was meeting mom today for a little lunch and vacation photo sharing opp, and we ended up stopping by Meriwether's up at 2601 NW Vaughn. This has been on my list to try for weeks, ever since I had heard that former Gotham Tavern chef Tommy Habetz had taken over the reins in the kitchen. As we were driving by today on our way to another destination, I noticed the open sign out, so within moments of pulling a quick u-turn in the middle of the street, we were walking in the door. The hostess informed us that their patio was open, so even though I'd like to think I'm not like everyone else, when it comes to eating outside on a beautiful spring afternoon I’ll do the lemming thing too.
The bottom line: this is one of the nicest, if not the nicest, outdoor dining spots in the city. Some tables are completely in the open, and they also have a covered area with a fountain in he middle that burbles just enough to drown out other diners. Very Euro feeling, and an especially nice transition home after w and I spent the last two weeks having much the same experience in Italy and France. Also, the ceiling of the covered area has a line of heaters attached on two sides, so I'm guessing even when it gets a little chilly out, you can still be pretty comfy.

The menu has lots of tempting choices, but having a craving for all things good and American, I had to go with the char-grilled burger while mom had the roast chicken salad sando. I also added on their escarole hearts Caesar salad, and we each felt the need to relax with a glass of vino. The Caesar, even though the greens were a tad limp, was quite good, lightly dressed in a piquant dressing with crunchy foccacia croutons and shaved Parmagiano.

Our sandwiches arrived, and both were wonderful. Mom's chicken salad had a tarragon dressing and was mounded high between sliced foccacia with apple wood smoked bacon and avocado, with a small arugula salad on the side of the plate. She loved it, and there was enough to it that she took half home. Now I'm kind of...okay, extremely...particular about my burgers. For me, the Castagna Café burger remains at the pinnacle of local offerings. Having said that, this Meriwether's hunk of beef was delicious, and something I'd order anytime. Cooked perfectly medium rare as ordered, the meat was juicy, really nice "beefiness" to the flavor without that disturbing fattiness that you get when restaurants try to foist off inferior beef on you. But with a guy like like Habetz in control, and with his rep for getting the best local ingredients, I had a feeling that this hunk of cow would be about as good as it could be. It was topped with apple wood bacon and fried onions, and I added cheddar because I can. A pile of fries came on the side, good but to me could have been crispier and less limp.

Mom's chix salad sandwich





My super delish burger & fries





All in all, though, this was a first class burger and a top quality lunch in a really nice setting. The outside was packed and the servers were super friendly, even those who weren’t waiting on our table! I would absolutely put this on your list, especially if you're looking for a little al fresco experience, and I can’t wait to try the dinner menu 'cause I hear Habetz has a way with all things porcine!

Last Supper...Last Thoughts

5/4/2007
After this two weeks of sampling the best of regional Italian and French cuisine, what else are we going to do on our last night in Paris but go to what is regarded as the best cuisine of it’s kind in the city. Yes, for our last culinary fling, we went to La Coloniale (161 Rue de Picpus, 12th Arr.), which is said to make Cambodian food like no other place. Cambodian food, you ask? Hey, after eating too rich food and adding to the body counts of I don’t know how many fattened geese these past few days, we needed a change. w picked this wonderful little spot. Unfortunately, the lighting was a bit dim and in this tiny restaurant, I didn’t want to use the flash, but rest assured this is worth putting on your itinerary.

It’s like walking into your somewhat eccentric aunt’s tchotzke filled home, and I immediately was charmed. Here’s a peek....

The dining room of La Coloniale


The madam who own this place runs around the tiny main room, singing along with whatever happens to laying on her sound system, to no one in particular. I thought it was charming, while w did a bit of eye rolling . It has the while feeling of a place that is a bit out of tune with the times, but somehow manages to put out quite satisfying food at very reasonable prices. We had a starter of a deep fried chicken beignet, which was extremely delicious, striped of chicken breast laid atop a slice of baguette, lightly breaded and deep fried, and served with a dipping sauce. We both loved it! Also a plate of mild sliced sausages with a spicy dipping sauce that worked very well. For main courses, w had one of their whole fish selections, I had a classic Cambodian pork creation, and we shared a bowl of pho-like soup that was excellent.

A most fun night, and for us the fitting and satisfying end to our fabulous 13 days of eating!

5/5/2007
Waking up this morning to pack and get ready to leave, we are both more than ready for our Portland home and the comforts therein...our own familiar bed, cooking at home which I am really missing, the farmer’s markets which will be in full swing, and most of all Chopper, who’s furry presence has been much missed. It has been a great trip, one of the best ever. The sights, the food, the people. It makes me appreciate so many things, especially the abundance we enjoy in the NW and most of all that I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to have these experiences....I’m constantly amazed and thankful.

Au revoir!

Canal Cuisine

5/4/2007
One last lunch a Paris, and it turned out quite well. We took a stroll along the Canal St. Martin, which is really quite scenic, in the middle of a Parisian neighborhood. That is if you ignore the homeless encampments along parts of the waters edge. Apparently, there is now a homeless uprising here, I assume because with most other segments of French society rioting, striking, or protesting against one affront or another, those who are sans foyer were feeling left out. So now you see these tent communities along some very nice stretches of Paris real estate, like the Canal St. Martin and on the banks of the Seine. Apparently in Paris, in the midst of this country of entitlement, just because one has lost the means of shelter doesn't mean one should lack the proper address.

A view up the Canal St. Martin


So we strolled along, ignoring the occasional exhortations shouted at us from the tents to join their cause, and soon found our way to the delightful Bar L’Atmosphere (49 Rue Lucien-Sampaix, 10th Arr.). They had an intriguing menu board, windows opened to the warming afternoon sun, and a waitress with a perfect sense of sass. I ordered their croque monsieur, because I couldn’t let this whole vacation slip by without a taste of this French classic. It was deliciously crisp, juicy ham and oozing cheese inside with lightly browned gruyere melting on the outside, and crisp green salad alongside. w ordered the plat du juor, a really finely done duck leg that would have done any number of tonier establishments proud, and was quite astonishing to find here. The duck meat was tender, falling off the bone, perfectly roasted and seasoned. Okay, maybe the carrots were a tad overdone, and the chips a smidge less crisp than we would have liked, but overall more than satisfactory. We both had a glass of blushingly cool rosé, and enjoyed yet another perfect Parisain moment!

One half of the perfect café lunch.










The other half!

Second chances

I am all about second chances, and luckily so are our friends Monique and The Handsome One, who agreed to another dinner with us after I led them inadvertently astray at Tuesday nights fiasco at Juan et Juanita. We made plans to meet last night at what is a classic Paris boite, Bistro Paul Bert. The idea to come here was actually put into my head after checking out a story in the NYT a bout 10 days ago regarding Mark Bittman's experiences searching out the best examples of that most standard of bistro dishes, steak frites. Bistro Paul Bert was among his five favorites, and was also mentioned in the quirky, sassy, and quite useful eat/shop guides published in PDX. So reservations were made, the scars of Tuesday scrubbed away, and off we went.

We decided to rendezvous with our dining companions at BPB, so w and I left a bit early to check out what is supposed to be one of Paris' best cocktail bars, China Club, where according to one description we read, "they take their martinis very seriously." If you read my post about the martini article in the NYT a couple of days ago, you know for me that kind of commentary is like telling Bush and Cheney there's another dictator with boatloads of oil needing his ass kicked...we are both so there! And so we were (w and I, not W and C), grabbing seats at the long wooden bar and tucking into a couple of delicious libations. Okay, I had a Negroni, not a martini, because after seeing the national drink of the Republic of Bruce on the menu, I had to see how those Frenchies treated it. And you know, they treated it, and by extension me, with all the respect it deserved. So much so that I had two! We paid our tab and feeling much better about myself, dinner prospects, hell, even W and C, we walked the short distance to BPB.


The menu at Bistro Paul Bert



This place is so cool. Small, tucked inside an old, old building. A cozy dining room, tables snug together. Ancient ads and pictures adorning the walls, comfy chairs and that kind of yellowy light that makes you feel all warm and gooey inside. Le menu is presented tableside, written on a blackboard. We all chose the nights 32 euro entrée/plat/dessert selection. We made our decisions, ordered a very substandard bottle of Anjou blanc, which after a couple of sips was replaced by a MUCH more acceptable bottle of '99 Champagne, and enjoyed what for me was one of the most enjoyable meals of the trip.

Fizzy fun!


Our entrees (first courses) were superb, white asparagus for w and Monique, thick stalks of tender, delicious spring garden produce. The Handsome One had the chopped raw duck, which was exceptional, and I had macou carpaccio, macou being some kind of fish none of us had ever heard of, but it tasted like something I'd like to get to know better!

White apsargus, in all it's springy glory!






The Handsome One and I, very much in the moment!






The conversation was flowing in that way it does when you're around people who are on the same wave length, in this case meaning food obsessed omnivores, and we were more than ready for the main courses to arrive. A bottle of Burgundy was rustled up, and plates were hitting the table. Monique and I both ordered that steak frites, and it was everything Bittman had said it was. An expertly cooked, chewy but not too, very juicy and flavorful piece of cow with a pile of perfectly done, salty good hand cut fries. We were both loving it. The Handsome One had the pigeon, again delightful, and maybe something the guys at Portland's Le Pigeon could take a lesson from. The only marginally weak moment was w's monkfish, which was somewhat bland and oddly seasoned. Not bad, but we all were kind of indifferent about it.

Not to worry though, because there's always dessert to look forward to (I love these prix fixe dinners!). Monique had the fresh fraises with cream, The Handsome One ordered the cheese platter which was incredible. There were perhaps seven or eight different selections, and the server left the whole board of cheese on the table and you could take however much your stomach could handle. Which at this point wasn't much, but the ones chosen were delicious. w had the meringue with fresh strawberries, and it was outstanding. I ordered the Paris-Brest, which as Monique explained to me is a classic French dessert, two pieces of buttery pastry with, in this case, a nutty, thick, stupidly sexy custard slathered between them. This is among the most decadent things I've ever put in my mouth, and while I've never had sex with a piece of food from a restaurant, I was almost blushing at the thoughts going through my head...whew!

w's strawberry meringue... very yummy!






My indecently delicious Paris-Brest







We wandered out into the night, sated, stuffed, sleepy, thankful for the Paris metro system that whisked us all quickly home and to bed!

It's getting hazy....I'd better eat something!

Let's see, what happened yesterday? In the haze of much activity, I seem to remember some walking....okay, lots of walking. But how else are we going to make room for yet more self indulgent behavior. I was going to say justify more self indulgent behavior, but I had so rationalized all of that before leaving Portland.

So what did happen? I believe there was a late morning ramble to the Place d'Aligre market, to search out the huîtres at the oyster vendor who was closed on Tuesday and dashed our hopes and dreams. Our faith in all things grand and edible was restored however, as a supremely fresh, briny, delicious dozen oysters were brought to the one table that sits outside their stall in the market. The man who shucks asked if we wanted "une verre de Sancerre?", and at first I inexplicably refused. What the hell was I thinking? As if it is ever too early for a great glass of wine. Luckily, reason took over, or perhaps my brain noticed a drop in my body's blood alcohol content, and I quickly corrected that mistake, as there is perhaps no better food/wine match than cool, crisp, minerally Sancerre and a plateful of oysters. And all before 11:30am...again, only a Paris!
I seem to also recall a wonderful, sunny picnic in the Jardin de Musée Rodin, a perfect place to dine with your saucisson, fromage, et bouteille de rosé amid some tremendously impressive sculpture. We sat, we ate, we strolled, we spoke admiringly of the art. I think we had the picnic appreciation angle covered.

Then it was a metro ride to near the apartment, with some late afternoon shopping thrown in. A couple of shirts, some gifts, and most importantly, a stop at Josephine Vannier Chocolate Artisnal, which thankfully is a mere 100 feet down from our front door. These are some of the most creative, artful pieces of tempting, decadent, sweet goodness I can ever imagine seeing. We bought a couple of gifts here, because they have that all important “wow” factor covered, plus we picked up a few extra pieces for the plane ride home, to ease the bad taste that is sure to be in our mouths at having to leave this most wonderful of cities. If you think it’s easy to choose from among these for the chocoholics on your list, you would be very wrong......

Le Petite Marche avec saveurs grande!

What's that you say? No pictures of food? No, we haven't been starving, as if that could possibly happen. In fact, the last two days we've had a couple of fabulous dinners, one wonderful picnic, morning oysters and Sancerre, artisan chocolate, and....well, here's a bit to get you caught up....

Wednesday, 5/2
The interior of Le Petite Marché








Dinner tonight was an easy 2 block walk from the apartment, at a cute, charming little café called Le Petite Marché. You see these on practically every other corner, usually with marginal food. This place had been recommended in a couple different books, and seemed a reasonable deal. We walked in about 8:00, and were surprised that it wasn't more crowded. We immediately liked the feel of the place...warm, yellow tones in a who-knows-how-old building, a space loaded with character. We jumped right in with a couple of starters, one was piquillo peppers stuffed with soft, creamy goat cheese with olive tapenade sprinkled on top. Very rich, but really good.
Seasme crusted tuna with dipping sauces.


We also had some seared, sesame crusted thon (tuna) with two Thai dipping sauces, unusual to find in a corner café in Paris, but very well executed. It's nice to see people doing different twists on some classic French dishes. The tuna was perfectly rare inside, the piquant sauces added just the right flavor. Most encouraging so far.
My cornish game hen, with savory sides of mashed potatoes and a vegetable confit.

For plats, w ordered a fresh, delicious dourade, a light, white fish filet with a bright, citrusy sauce and tempura fried asparagus. I had the Cornish game hen which was excellent, served with a buttery, bacony sauce, with lardons and pearl onions dropped artfully around the plate. This was superb, spot on roast chicken. We ended with a creamy, custard filled dessert that hit our sweet spot dead on.
Our dessert, which I can't remember that name of, but which made us most happy!




This was a delicious, creative meal, and I would heartily recommend the place. The food was beautifully plated, again unusaul for s simple café. The all female serving staff was super friendly, spoke reasonable English, and really made us feel welcome. We also learned that the reason the place was so quiet was that there was a debate between the two presidential candidates before this Sunday's general election. This event has riveted Paris, you see signs and posters everywhere, most of them defaced of course. I have to say, if you go by looks alone, Ségolene Royal has it all over Nicolas Sarkozy . She appears the attractive, caring candidate, while he looks, and this is said with all due apologies to smarmy used car salesmen everywhere, somewhat like a smarmy used car salesman. He is leading in the polls however. People here are loving the drama, though. I have to say even we're buying in and can't wait to see who wins.

Why I Love Paris: reason #347

We're walking out the door of our apartment, and ahead of a us a truck is stopped in front of a boucherie (butcher) with doors wide open and blood red sides of beef stuffed inside and hanging out the back. One guy is hacking away at the rib section of one carcass while standing on the street while his partner is hauling in huge slabs of meat to the shop. File that under things you would never see in the U.S. How can you not love that?!

Un birra a Paris.

A bit of Paris street life that passed me by over the course of about 15 minutes as I sat at an outdoor café having un birra while w read back in the room. It was early evening, around 6. Where are they going? What are they thinking? I'm guessing the same things we all do.....










My favorite is the seventh picture down of the young guy with the two shopping bags. He looks so done with his day, and all he wants is to get home.....

Back on track!

5/2/2007
A great lunch was had by w and I today as we shrugged off the memories of yesterday’s dining disappointments and forged ahead with newfound resolve. How could we go wrong with today’s lunch at Le Comptoir, one of the restaurants of the moment in Paris, run by superstar chef Yves Camdeborde, considered the godfather of the new Paris bistros who are shaking off the culinary cobwebs of the past several decades and reinvigorating the Parisian food scene with fresh life. Based on what we had this early afternoon, all accolades are very much deserved.

Located just off Boulevard St. Germain on the left bank, we were immediately able, a bit to our surprise, to be seated at an outdoor table. It was yet another stunningly beautiful afternoon, the perfect time to be sidewalked in Paris. The tables are elbow to elbow as they are at most sidewalk cafés here, but still workable. Ur waitress was marginally welcoming, but with the food we exeprienced, that one small bug in the ointment was easily overlooked. So, a starter of an amazing croque monsieur, made with smoked salmon, some king of crazily good soft cheese, with little pellets of caviar inside, was sensational. So satisfying on the palate, perefctly toasted. REALLY good! As was my daily piece of foie gras, this one with a pear confit that went superbly with the inrense duckiness. Here’s a look....
Our plats, for me a delicious lamb confit that was fork tender, incredibly flavorful, on a strikingly green bed of perfectly tender snow peas. Beautiful to look at and to eat. w had the braised beef that was as savory, tender, and as good as a classic dish like this could get. And to finish, w had been craving crème brulee...like who doesn’t...and Le Comptoir’s coffee crème brulee was silky, sensual goodness that slid easily across the tongue...wow!
My lamb and w's braised beef that rocked our palates today!















So like I said, the world here is back in order as it should be. I just wonder what’s for dinner?

Off topic, but we're talking martinis here!

Even though we're on vacation, it doesn't mean I'm not keeping tabs on what's happening stateside. As I was finishing the last post, I went over to the New York Times website to check out the Dining section, and lo and behold an article on one of my favorite topics when I'm not gorging myself on wine and foie gras in France, martinis, specifically, gin martinis (as if there could be any other kind).

Worth a read for all you gin/martini/drinking fans (and if you can stand to read this blog regularly, you've gotta fit into at least one of those categories!). My two favorite quotes, which I couldn't agree with more:

"It’s come to my attention that some people believe martinis are made with vodka. I hate to get snobbish about it, but a martini should be made with gin or it’s not a martini. Call it a vodkatini if you must, but not a martini. Gin and vodka have as much in common hierarchically as a president and a vice president."

"Indeed, gin is more of a thinking person’s spirit."

Truer words were never spoken.

And once again, if you haven't registered to read the NYT online, you are missing out. The best paper in America, for free. All you have to do is register, no spam comes your way, no annoying offers, the best food section anywhere every Wednesday, and just plain great articles like the one above!

Paris, pt.3...you can never go back

It started out with such promise. My birthday, a beautiful, sunny. 70+ degree day. A morning at d'Aligre market salivating over the produce displays that practically vibrate with color, the fromagerie and charcuterie counters, wonderful pastries on the walk back to the apartment. Then lunch.......a long ride out to the edges of the 18th arrondisement to Le Trois Freres, a place the Time Out guide gushed about as being a fabulous deal. No it wasn’t. Average couscous, my plat which consisted of mashed potatoes and ground beef in a barely seasoned tomato sauce. A pichet of well below average rosé. I couldn’t get out fast enough. Then a stroll up to the Sacre Couer, which remains a beautiful, iconic monument with one of a the best views in the city, but with holiday hordes of people crowding around, trash strewn around everywhere as if civic pride was a distant memory, it was a short stay.

We wandered back down the hill, wandered some more, thankfully ending up on the Rue des Rosiers in the Marais. Rosiers remains the center of the Jewish quarter, holding on stubbornly despite the encroaching high end boutiques that are creeping in from all sides. Plus, after the disaster that was lunch, I desperately needed the always satisfyingly perfect falafel from L’as du Fallafel, my favorite spot for this bargain bite, a place I go whenever I’m here, about $5 for an overflowing pita that is drippingly good. I love that!
Later that evening, I had planned my birthday dinner at a place I went to twice during last years visit because I was so taken with it, and adored it both times, Juan et Juanita, a trendy, hip place that had imaginative, expertly prepared dishes. We were meeting our friends who own Castagna in Portland, Monique and The Handsome One, who are also here on holiday. By now you may have noticed the lack of pictures. Much to my surprise, and chagrin, J et J was a major disappointment. The food was okay, good but not near what I remember. Owner Carine was welcoming as always, but the service was distracted, perhaps owing to a birthday party...not even mine!...that was taking up about two-thirds of the place. This may explain the food and service issue, but still it was a large letdown. The best thing was my foie gras appetizer...and yes I’m going to eat it every day....and w's duck confit tagine, which was outstanding. We even passed on dessert...

So, three more days, six more meals....the pressure is on!

Paris pt.2...To market, to market.....

5/1/2007
A sunny, wondrous spring morning. In Paris. On my birthday! Is there anything better?? We woke up lazily after last night’s indulgences, had some tea in the room, but I was anxious to get out on the street. We headed down to the Place d’Aligre market, one of my favorites in the city, stopping for the obligatory caffé noir along the way. Being a national holiday here (apparently they knew it was my birthday), a lot of places were closed, but the market was bustling, a riot of color and smells. Tragically my favorite oyster vendor took the day off, so no briny deliciousness for breakfast. Perhaps tomorrow. We did grab some truffled chevre cheese to eat later and some wonderful sweet treats from a fabulous boulangerie, so all was not lost.

Here’s a couple quick shots to give some flavor. Back with more later!
Abundance!










Fraises des bois, piled a foot high! Where's the whipped cream??








To those who have been sending email, I've gotten them, but for some reason the lovely people at Qwest won't let me connect to their outgoing email server to reply. To my sis...thanks for te iwshes, love you too!h To DOR, w was much heartened by the pic, glad the lad is comfy!

Paris, pt.1...la vielle e'cole!

5/1/2007
Paris for me remains ever, always, thankfully beautiful. Especially under cloudless spring sky and 75 degree weather. Just being here, with the sounds, the sights, the people....it always feels so comfortable. We arrived late afternoon Monday, our apartment is perfect, maybe 100 feet off the Place des Vosges (along with the Place de la Concorde the first planned squares in the city) in the heart of the Marais on the right bank, my favorite place to be.

We had made plans to meet our friends Andrew and Shawnene from Portland for dinner. Coincidentally our first night here was their last night. So after settling in and cleaning up, it was out the door for a quick 15 minute walk to their hotel. They were waiting at a sidewalk café just up the street from the hotel, so having an hour to kill and a thirst to quench, we pulled up two chairs, ordered a deliciously cold 1-liter(!!) bottle of Provençal rosé, and all got up on our various travels. If there is a better way to spend an hour in Paris, I can’t imagine what it might be.

Then off to dinner, at what we had read was one of the best regional bistros in Paris, L’Ambassade d’Auvergne, which focuses, naturalement, on the food from this region of central France. This is an old school (vielle e'cole) place, comfortable but not stuffy. Our young waiter made us very comfortable, and we started right in for a pretty full exploration of the menu. That’s the nice thing about going to dinner with four. I didn’t have to settle , because I knew I could steal off of the plates of others. We ordered a bottle of white and red, just because we like options. Out of the four apps, Andrew’s salmon and scallop carpaccio and my foie gras were very good, but the standout was their “salad”, which consisted of a large pot of lentils that had been finished in goose fat...unbelievable! A hint if Dijon mustard ran through the dish, and the waiter left the pot on the table so we could have as much as we wanted. Which was a lot!
The salmon/scallop carpaccio






Our "salad"...lentils w/ goose fat!!







The conversation and the wine was flowing as our entrees arrived. Shawnene had a stewed pot of pork that was richly savory and had various parts of the animal in it, some identifiable, some not, but all delicious. W’s duck breast was excellent, if a bit on the rare side (we have to remember to order a point, which is medium rare). Andrew’s lamb was the deal though. Roasted and redolent of olive oil, garlic, and fresh rosemary. Simply perfect. Oh, and the potatoes. Apparently they love their mashed potatoes with some very flavorsome cheese stirred into them in the Auvergne, bless their fat loving souls. They were fantastic!
Andrew's lamb roast...too good!






The mousse au chocolate...keep in mind the bowl is about 8" wide and four inches deep, filled with chocalatey goodness!






After the obligatory cheese course, we decided to share the mousse au chocolate, and if not the best version ever of this standard, it was damn close. Plus, amazingly, they left the whole earthenware bowl of it on the table, so we could keep dishing out as much as we wanted. Crazy! A great way to start the trip, and left me wondering about delights to come........