Burgers and strawberry smoothie
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minced pork and chives over rice
Grilled rib steak, Greek salad, and Espelt Garnacha
Blackened chicken sandwich w/ siracha mayonnaise and pickled jalapenos with sharp cheddar. Side of tarragon corn
My better half and I were going to just pick up something simple and bring it home tonight to hang out. Last minute we said screw it and went to Suzette's. I had duck confit with mushroom risotto, and we had a bottle of a 2006 Gevry-Chambertin that was very nice. Can't recall the producer. A nice spontaneous date night. 
Baked portabello mushroom topped with prosciuto and mozzarella
Squid ink pasta with seafood in a tomato based sauce
Pecorino cheese for dessert to finish the wines
Squid ink pasta with seafood in a tomato based sauce
Pecorino cheese for dessert to finish the wines
tonight: Pot luck buffet spread by the lake with the other members of the homeowner's association.
We're bringing chicken wings.
Will be drinking Newcastle brown ale and/or Smithwick's.
We're bringing chicken wings.
Will be drinking Newcastle brown ale and/or Smithwick's.
Grilled strip steaks, asparagas and twice baked potato.
Burgers... (yum)
same here. burgers and bordeaux while enjoying the perfect weather in the back yard.quote:Originally posted by winetarelli:
Burgers... (yum)
Spanish tapas followed by seafood paella
A young pork leg grilled for 3 hours and served with lots of masa tortillas, torta buns, creamy coleslaw, onion-cilantro salsa and queso fresco.
Happy 4th of July America!
Happy 4th of July America!
At a ballpark last night - BBQ pork chop sandwich, bratwurst, popcorn and a few bites of a churro.
Tonight, clams in garlic cream, pan-seared Ahi, and a Greek salad with a white yet to be determined
roasted beets, sauteed beet greens
roast cod with orange dill gremolata
basmati
chenin.
tres leche cake.
roast cod with orange dill gremolata
basmati
chenin.
tres leche cake.
Chicken Breast
Grilled fennel
Sautéed spinach
Scotch
Grilled fennel
Sautéed spinach
Scotch
Dinner last night at Bistroy Les Papilles in Paris, excellent tiny bistro that we were re-visiting, not far from Jardins Luxembourg. Outstanding cauliflower soup served in a tureen family-style, with bowls centred with creme fraiche, lardons, and croutons set before the diners. We loved their braised lamb shanks from a previous visit and went with those again, a generous portion of really tender meat that fell off the bone, and a lot of vegetables with particularly flavourful eggplant in it. My wife had a caramel panacotta with a passionfruit sauce that she says was "incredible" and wouldn't let me taste because I hadn't ordered my own (Why would I need to taste hers if I had ordered one myself? The logic is clearly beyond me here.). I had a nice piece of chèvre served with good baguette slices, some olive tapenade and sun-dried tomato. We had a nice glass of Sancerre to start, and a recommended bottle of 2009 Jean Foillard Fleurie, which despite my initial reservation turned out to be denser and more concentrated than expected, a nice accompaniment to the lamb. This place is tiny with a short line-up outside the door when we arrived (we had a reservation) and a longer one when we left. Not hard to understand why.
Making fresh pesto now to go on pepper crusted salmon. House smells wonderful and I haven't done anything yet.
Comparing two truffled goat cheeses later.
Comparing two truffled goat cheeses later.
Lamb burgers with mint salsa and various cookout sides.
Manchego and 2007 Charbonniere CdP VV
Last night, Fish, La Boissonnerie, a tiny place in St. Germain district, had been recommended to us by a very helpful clerk in a wine shop; both that shop and restaurant have the same owners. The chef was formerly at Alain Ducasse, and we were told that the restaurant is NOT a seafood restaurant, but is geared equally toward meat. (back story: the location was previously a fishmonger, or 'poissonerie' but as the owners have a wine shop, they like to encourage drinking; the French word for 'drink' is 'boisson' and they would like to see people 'drink like a fish', so the name "Fish, la Boissonerie" is really a double pun of sorts.)
The prix fixe menu changes daily and if tonight was any indication-- and if constant lineups out the door means anything-- the food here may be one of the best bargains in central Paris. After a generous amuse-bouche of salty cucumber gazpacho, I had an excellent heirloom tomato salad with feta, while Sylvia had a perfectly poached egg over quinoa and greens; our mains were a perfectly-cooked (firm exterior, red moist interior) crisp-skinned salmon with a colourful sea urchin sauce and some watercress, and a filet of 'lieu jaune a la plancha,' a fish I've never heard of and for which I can't seem to find an English name, but man, was it good, served with lovely cucumber strips and tiny pommes dauphin; dessert for me was a very good rice pudding with diced mango and rich salty caramel topping, while Sylvia had what was claimed to be carrot cake but tasted more like a delicious spice cake with homemade vanilla ice cream and salty caramel. Roasted belly of Iberian pork was another main course that tempted me, and there was also a roast lamb option for those who prefer meat. They have a very good wine list-- no surprise, owning a good wine shop as they do-- from which we had glasses of extremely crisp and mouthwatering Pouilly-Fuissé, a perfect aperitif for a very warm summer evening, followed by a bottle of NV Infloresence Champagne Blancs de Noir Roses de Jeanne, which was outstanding and served at an ideal temperature, with me being given the option of an ice bucket, which I declined. For what we paid, this place was absolutely worth seeking out, and as extra incentive to North Americans, the staff all speak excellent English (and apparently excellent French as well).
[Wine geek note: I'm certain I've had that same Champagne a couple of times in the past, an almost identical label to the wine of the same name being sold in California with the name of the grower/producer-- Cedric Bouchard-- and all the other major nouns the same, but on this bottle in Paris, Bouchard's name does not appear on the front or back label; disgorged April 2011, perhaps there's been a change of either policy or ownership, but it was kind of a little mystery to me on this evening, though not one I'm going to waste any time solving. Still, an excellent Champagne.]
The prix fixe menu changes daily and if tonight was any indication-- and if constant lineups out the door means anything-- the food here may be one of the best bargains in central Paris. After a generous amuse-bouche of salty cucumber gazpacho, I had an excellent heirloom tomato salad with feta, while Sylvia had a perfectly poached egg over quinoa and greens; our mains were a perfectly-cooked (firm exterior, red moist interior) crisp-skinned salmon with a colourful sea urchin sauce and some watercress, and a filet of 'lieu jaune a la plancha,' a fish I've never heard of and for which I can't seem to find an English name, but man, was it good, served with lovely cucumber strips and tiny pommes dauphin; dessert for me was a very good rice pudding with diced mango and rich salty caramel topping, while Sylvia had what was claimed to be carrot cake but tasted more like a delicious spice cake with homemade vanilla ice cream and salty caramel. Roasted belly of Iberian pork was another main course that tempted me, and there was also a roast lamb option for those who prefer meat. They have a very good wine list-- no surprise, owning a good wine shop as they do-- from which we had glasses of extremely crisp and mouthwatering Pouilly-Fuissé, a perfect aperitif for a very warm summer evening, followed by a bottle of NV Infloresence Champagne Blancs de Noir Roses de Jeanne, which was outstanding and served at an ideal temperature, with me being given the option of an ice bucket, which I declined. For what we paid, this place was absolutely worth seeking out, and as extra incentive to North Americans, the staff all speak excellent English (and apparently excellent French as well).
[Wine geek note: I'm certain I've had that same Champagne a couple of times in the past, an almost identical label to the wine of the same name being sold in California with the name of the grower/producer-- Cedric Bouchard-- and all the other major nouns the same, but on this bottle in Paris, Bouchard's name does not appear on the front or back label; disgorged April 2011, perhaps there's been a change of either policy or ownership, but it was kind of a little mystery to me on this evening, though not one I'm going to waste any time solving. Still, an excellent Champagne.]
Ancho chile filled with chicken, olives, capers and almonds in a cilantro cream sauce
Seaquam, I love the feeling of being in Paris, albeit vicariously through your prose. Please keep it up!
Friday night great tapas at a relatively new "gastro bar" in coral gables; we tried a bunch of things all excellent but the meatballs, gazpacho and some egg dish with potato foam and truffle oil were superb
Last night empanadas, grilled provolone and skirt steak with chimichurri
Last night empanadas, grilled provolone and skirt steak with chimichurri
quote:Originally posted by redknife:
Friday night great tapas at a relatively new "gastro bar" in coral gables; we tried a bunch of things all excellent but the meatballs, gazpacho and some egg dish with potato foam and truffle oil were superb
Last night empanadas, grilled provolone and skirt steak with chimichurri
Sounds great, just like what we'd like, but a bit far for us. Hope to see you in December
quote:Originally posted by Board-O:
[QUOTE] Hope to see you in December
Ditto!!
Just let me know in advance so we can plan something
Roasted chicken. My wife roasts a chicken for me almost every Sunday. And almost every Sunday I say it's the best chicken she's ever made, because it seems that way. She is definitely the Princess of Poultry.
And Key Lime Pie from the place that makes awesome Apple Pies in Long Grove.
And Key Lime Pie from the place that makes awesome Apple Pies in Long Grove.
Parmesan crusted lamb chops
Burgers on the grill and a salad of mixed greens.
Stir-fired steak with yellow peppers and scallions
Dinner last night at Atelier de Joel Robuchon in St. Germain was our 6th visit to this unique diner, and we left just a bit sadly with some mixed feelings.
Some of the dishes were as good as ever, maybe even a touch better than last year. On a hot summer evening, after a 10-minute walk in the heat, we opted to skip the set tasting menu and order from the small plats menu, 5 items each. Highlights were my gazpacho ('La Tomate' which I'm pretty sure I've ordered every time we've been here, and this was the best ever, a work of art in an unusual bowl with tiny edible flowers floating on it, a sort of butter cream-- as if it needed any additional richness!-- in the centre, and an exceptional intense, garlicky tomato essence), my wife's Le Burger was the best couple of sliders you could ever imagine having, with fois gras and killer mayonnaise, remarkable buns (damn but they do bread well over here), amazing crinkle-cut French fries with a tomato and hoisin (I think) 'catsup,' and also the tiniest milk-fed veal chops over an essence of thyme, just superb. In addition, I loved my Crabe Royal, fresh Alaska crabmeat (Dungeness, I believe) between 2 paper-thin slices of daikon, with another remarkable flavourful avocado sauce artfully dotting the plate.
Misses were the Iberian ham (Jambon) which was a pretty small portion-- and in this case that was a good thing-- of which about 1/3 of the slices were oxidized and hard, so I left those, hoping a server would either question me or notice it, but to no avail. It is a very small portion, and impossible not to notice that I had not eaten all of it. Also, my aubergine (eggplant) and bocconcini course was just not very good (I've had it before and loved it) this time, the eggplant undercooked and slightly bitter while the bocconcini had a thick skin that actually sloughed off when I cut into them; I'm guessing perhaps they were not as fresh as they ought to have been. But worst of all was Sylvia's langoustine in ravioli, which smelled fishy, though it is not in her nature to complain so she ate most of it rather than send it back.
Prices have risen since last year, I believe, though given the variance in quality of our dishes maybe I'm just more aware of it this time. The egg {'L'Oeuf') which I also love cost 14 Euro a few years ago and is now 23 (over $31 Cdn) for one egg poached in creme with a few tiny chanterelles and a mushroom foam, truly a spectacular dish, but damn that's a lot of money for an egg.
And for sure the wine prices have gone up. A bottle of Egly-Ouriet Champagne Brut Grand Cru Traditional, which is a very nice wine and perfectly serviceable with our meal, is now €135. This wine sells for about €32 in a lot of places in Paris, and around $50 around the U.S. Starting price for young white Burgs was about the same, and not for Premier or Grand Cru bottlings. I do not recall the prices being anywhere near those kinds of markups in the past, and in fact even bought an extra bottle of a couple of Girardin Premier Cru (Puligny or Chassagne Montrachet) white Burgs from them before leaving the restaurant to take with us. No more.
Service is still very good, but not as well choreographed as previous visits. Wine and water glasses were always filled, two servers were most engaging and helpful, the sommelier was attentive, but the kitchen's timing seemed to be a bit off, with some of our courses arriving a couple of minutes apart, not always simultaneously as before. And I know that in a restaurant that's open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner (not all that common in Paris) there must be a lot of staff, but we did not recognize anyone from previous visits, which may or may not mean anything at all.
I don't mind paying a lot of money for a great dinner, but overall this meal was not really worth anywhere near what we paid. And I am most sorry that I find myself writing this about what has for five years been my favourite eatery in Paris.
The world changes, of course, but it saddens me to lose the enthusiastic anticipation I've had about the coming to this restaurant on many of our previous Paris visits. C'est dommage.
Some of the dishes were as good as ever, maybe even a touch better than last year. On a hot summer evening, after a 10-minute walk in the heat, we opted to skip the set tasting menu and order from the small plats menu, 5 items each. Highlights were my gazpacho ('La Tomate' which I'm pretty sure I've ordered every time we've been here, and this was the best ever, a work of art in an unusual bowl with tiny edible flowers floating on it, a sort of butter cream-- as if it needed any additional richness!-- in the centre, and an exceptional intense, garlicky tomato essence), my wife's Le Burger was the best couple of sliders you could ever imagine having, with fois gras and killer mayonnaise, remarkable buns (damn but they do bread well over here), amazing crinkle-cut French fries with a tomato and hoisin (I think) 'catsup,' and also the tiniest milk-fed veal chops over an essence of thyme, just superb. In addition, I loved my Crabe Royal, fresh Alaska crabmeat (Dungeness, I believe) between 2 paper-thin slices of daikon, with another remarkable flavourful avocado sauce artfully dotting the plate.
Misses were the Iberian ham (Jambon) which was a pretty small portion-- and in this case that was a good thing-- of which about 1/3 of the slices were oxidized and hard, so I left those, hoping a server would either question me or notice it, but to no avail. It is a very small portion, and impossible not to notice that I had not eaten all of it. Also, my aubergine (eggplant) and bocconcini course was just not very good (I've had it before and loved it) this time, the eggplant undercooked and slightly bitter while the bocconcini had a thick skin that actually sloughed off when I cut into them; I'm guessing perhaps they were not as fresh as they ought to have been. But worst of all was Sylvia's langoustine in ravioli, which smelled fishy, though it is not in her nature to complain so she ate most of it rather than send it back.
Prices have risen since last year, I believe, though given the variance in quality of our dishes maybe I'm just more aware of it this time. The egg {'L'Oeuf') which I also love cost 14 Euro a few years ago and is now 23 (over $31 Cdn) for one egg poached in creme with a few tiny chanterelles and a mushroom foam, truly a spectacular dish, but damn that's a lot of money for an egg.
And for sure the wine prices have gone up. A bottle of Egly-Ouriet Champagne Brut Grand Cru Traditional, which is a very nice wine and perfectly serviceable with our meal, is now €135. This wine sells for about €32 in a lot of places in Paris, and around $50 around the U.S. Starting price for young white Burgs was about the same, and not for Premier or Grand Cru bottlings. I do not recall the prices being anywhere near those kinds of markups in the past, and in fact even bought an extra bottle of a couple of Girardin Premier Cru (Puligny or Chassagne Montrachet) white Burgs from them before leaving the restaurant to take with us. No more.
Service is still very good, but not as well choreographed as previous visits. Wine and water glasses were always filled, two servers were most engaging and helpful, the sommelier was attentive, but the kitchen's timing seemed to be a bit off, with some of our courses arriving a couple of minutes apart, not always simultaneously as before. And I know that in a restaurant that's open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner (not all that common in Paris) there must be a lot of staff, but we did not recognize anyone from previous visits, which may or may not mean anything at all.
I don't mind paying a lot of money for a great dinner, but overall this meal was not really worth anywhere near what we paid. And I am most sorry that I find myself writing this about what has for five years been my favourite eatery in Paris.
The world changes, of course, but it saddens me to lose the enthusiastic anticipation I've had about the coming to this restaurant on many of our previous Paris visits. C'est dommage.
After that post, I'm embarassed to say we're have burgers tonight.
Bummer on L’Atelier Seaquam. It’s also one of our favorite restaurants in Paris and a must visit every time. I’m hoping it was just an off night although for the amount of money spent, off nights like that can be hard to swallow.
And you are right about those foie burgers. They are really amazing and the fries are the best I’ve had anywhere.
Last night for us, lemon/garlic/thyme marinated chicken breasts on the grills served with mixed greens and toasted pita bread. Just cold water to drink.
And you are right about those foie burgers. They are really amazing and the fries are the best I’ve had anywhere.
Last night for us, lemon/garlic/thyme marinated chicken breasts on the grills served with mixed greens and toasted pita bread. Just cold water to drink.
Baked Ziti With Pork Sausage Ragu.
quote:Originally posted by GlennK:
Bummer on L’Atelier Seaquam. It’s also one of our favorite restaurants in Paris and a must visit every time. I’m hoping it was just an off night although for the amount of money spent, off nights like that can be hard to swallow.
I don't know, Glenn. It seemed more a change than an off-night, but here's hoping I'm wrong.
Tonight we will go for a bucket list dinner: La Tour D'Argent for their signature pressed duck dinner. I've wanted to have this for quite some time, and tonight it will happen.
I look forward to hearing about it. My parents raved about it many years ago. I've been thinking about that very dinner for our next trip.
quote:Originally posted by Board-O:
I look forward to hearing about it. My parents raved about it many years ago. I've been thinking about that very dinner for our next trip.
Your parents must have had very good reason. We just got back a few minutes ago. The view and the service were spectacular. I need some time to digest this intellectually, but I had one of the best meals of my life. This is an experience that more than met my high expectations. My wife and I were giggling like kids as we walked home this evening.
quote:Originally posted by Seaquam:quote:Originally posted by Board-O:
I look forward to hearing about it. My parents raved about it many years ago. I've been thinking about that very dinner for our next trip.
Your parents must have had very good reason. We just got back a few minutes ago. The view and the service were spectacular. I need some time to digest this intellectually, but I had one of the best meals of my life. This is an experience that more than met my high expectations. My wife and I were giggling like kids as we walked home this evening.
Ah, such a view of Notre Dame, and the restaurant itself makes one feel like you are walking back in time.
What number was your duck?
quote:Originally posted by Seaquam:quote:Originally posted by Board-O:
I look forward to hearing about it. My parents raved about it many years ago. I've been thinking about that very dinner for our next trip.
Your parents must have had very good reason. We just got back a few minutes ago. The view and the service were spectacular. I need some time to digest this intellectually, but I had one of the best meals of my life. This is an experience that more than met my high expectations. My wife and I were giggling like kids as we walked home this evening.
That sounds wonderful! I just read this to my wife and she said the same thing. I expect to finish next year's trip in Paris and that is where we will have our final dinner of the trip. Thanks for that great review.
Arugula salad with grilled peaches, turkey bacon and toasted almonds