European Vacation - Part 13 - The Viktualienmarkt in Munich, Germany

If you like food, the Viktualienmarkt behing Marienplatz in Munich is the place to go. It used to be a farmers'market and is now a place where gourmets and Chefs shop for victuals. It is a huge market that is comprise of more than 140 stalls and shops. 

This is definitely a tourist place as it is one of many attractions that you can find in guides, but people from Munich also go there to get their food and lunch. There is definitely a relaxed atmosphere and you will see many people taking their time to eat or enjoy a delicious beer from Munich!

The market is kind of split by specialties. On one side, you will have a succession of stores that sell meat and sausages.

Shops were next to each other and tourists (like me) were trying to take photos...

Then, the seafood section was on the opposite side.

There, you could enjoy lobsters, shrimp, oysters; you name it.

Other stalls were selling cheeses from all over the world, as well as fruits and vegetables. Interestingly, as it was from season, we saw plenty of white asparagus and Germans seems to be fond of them!

There was even a vendor who was selling exotic fruits. For instance, I saw a durian, a fruit that I tasted once in Singapore, known for its smell (it is forbidden to carry it in public transportation and they are forbidden in hotel).

On top of this, there are plenty of vendors who offer lunches: you can eat sausages, pork meat in bread... We went for a veggie and cheese sandwich.

Yes, I admit that we were not very adventurous there. It is because we ended up in the market after having tried Ratskeller self-service with its awful potato pancake! Of course, after the sandwich, we ended up at Cafe Hag that I mentioned in a prior post...

If you are in Munich, the Viktualienmarkt is definitely a site to visit, even if you do not eat any food there.

Enjoy (I did)!

European Vacation - Part 12 - Bagel Company in Berlin, Germany

We were walking in Berlin, looking around when we ended up in front of the Bagel Company. Bagels did not originate in Germany, but the different stories I found confirm an Easter Europe origin directly or indirectly linked to Poland (some say it is coming from there, others that it was a viennese bread to celebrate the Polish King Jan III Sobieski for saving the people of Austria from Turkish invaders). What is sure is that they existed for Centuries before coming to the United States at the end of the 19th Century, brought by Jewish immigrants. 

I never had a bagel before going to London many years ago: bagels are not known in France. But the best bagels I ever ate were in the United States.

My favorite bagels are H&H bagels (in NYC) and Bagels on the Hudson (in Hoboken, New Jersey).

So, back to the Bagel Company: they have a large selection of sandwiches and spreads (curry/chicken, tuna, feta/tomato, or dried tomato and basil spread, lettuce and vegetables), as well as several types of bagels (plain, whole wheat...). The size of the bagels is probably 80% less than the one we find here.

So, first we tried the whole wheat with cream cheese.

It was good. Simple and good.

Then, we picked the Salami bagel.

It was served with cream cheese, salami, lettuce and tomato. It was good, but there was only one slice of salami, so you could barely taste it. I also preferred the whole wheat bagel. 

In term of price, it was a bit higher than what one would be paying here, but it is a safe choice!

Bagel Company‎
Rosenthaler Str. 69
10119 Berlin
030 40690001
www.bagel-company.com
Note: they have several locations in Berlin.

Enjoy (I did)!

Persepolis Restaurant in NYC, New York - A taste of Persian Food!

What I love in New York City is the diversity of restaurants and cuisines. I think every cuisine is particular although you will always find similarities due mainly to historical reasons. 

This time, we went for Persian (aka Iranian) food at Persepolis in New York City. It was not the first time for us and the place has not changed: nice decor and very attentive service, with food as good as before!

Going back to the decor, Persepolis is pretty big with red bricks on the wall, a large map of what use to be the Persian Empire and photographs of the soccer team the founder of the restaurant used to be in back in Iran.

They have a large menu that can satisfy any taste: meat, seafood and vegetarian.

At first, they gave us some Iranian bread or Naan (yes, like in India).

There were two sorts: one thick that I believe is called barbari and another one that looked like a thin pita, called lavash. The barbari was my favorite: a bit crusty, it did not need anything on it. They served the bread with a dip made with sesame, that I did not like.

Then we went for the kebab (pieces of meat roasted or grilled on a skewer or spit):

The Kubideh is skewers of marinated ground aged sirloin. 

We also tried the Taj Kebab that is a combination of Saffron Chicken (boneless breast of chicken kebab, marinated in saffron and onion) and Baby Lamb Barg (marinated tender lamb kebab).

When you are ordering, you can pick the way you would like the rice (basmati). My favorite is the one with almonds and orange: it is so good! There is no need for any sauce on it! They also have rice made with sour cherries: surprising and still good!

Each dish is served with a braised tomato and some cabbage. 

The Kubideh is definitely my favorite: the meat is very tasty and extremely moist. The saffron chicken had a surprising buttery taste at first and was very well cooked, not dry at all. Last, the lamb (the chicken was sitting on top) had this delicious taste that is so particular to lamb meat. It was very tender.

These dishes were outstanding, but again, the Kubideh is the best!

We ate the dishes with some Most O Khiar that is Yoghurt (Most) with cucumber and mint.

This was very refreshing. I just wish that the cucumber was cut smaller.

Of course, we could not end this delicious meal without dessert!

We picked the Baklava! This is one of the best Baklava I had in New York (with the one at Molyvos)! It was not too sweet and very buttery. I wish I was still hungry to have another one...

Persepolis is definitely a great place to go to! We had, once again, an incredible experience there!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

 

European Vacation - Part 11 - Ratskeller and Spatenhaus in Munich, Germany

Besides the Hofbrauhaus, we did not really eat that much of German cuisine. I do not know if it is the cold I had at that time or the restaurants we went to, but it was really not my thing. It is not that we did not try as this post will show (besides the Hofbrauhaus).

Ratskeller Self Service:

Marienplatz 8  80331 Munich, Germany

089 219989-0

www.ratskeller.com

After walking around the city and our visit to one of its Art Museums, we decided to go to Ratskeller, a self service on Marienplatz. It was crowded for sure and we thought it was because the food was delicious... 

Like any self service, we picked up our tray and went first to the salad bar. There was some mozzarella and tomatoes, grilled vegetables, salad, etc...All priced by weight.

We decided to have a mix of tomatoes and mozzarella and grilled eggplants.

I know what you are going to tell me: it does not look like German cuisine. True, but considering the other choices of food they had, it was the safest...For sure, it looked better than these boiled white asparagus and potatoes!

Then we saw the potato pancakes: on the photo on the menu, it looked like any potato pancake you will find in a deli in New York. So we were thrilled to try to see if it was similar.

It was served with some black-ich sauerkraut that had an awful taste! Well, in fact the pancakes did not taste better: they were greasy, mushy and the fact that they put the apple in it did not help. We barely touched it.

Clearly, besides the salad, this was a bad choice! I do not think I would go back there....

Spatenhaus:

Residenzstraße 12  80333 Munich, Germany

089 2907060

http://www.kuffler.de/en/muenchen/spatenhaus/index.php

The restaurant is across the street from the Opera. It seems to be a popular restaurant, not only for tourists. The decor is very nice with painted arched ceilings. The service was a bit cold...Efficient, but cold!


In term of food, they serve Bavarian cuisine. So we gave it a try.

First was the clear consomme with liver dumpling.

Think about a Matzoh ball soup with a liver ball. I have to say that it was very good! The broth was delicate and the liver ball light with a nice liver taste.

Then, the spaetzles gratine with cheese (melted cheese, oven broiled), served with crispy onions and a salad.

Honestly, I did not care about the salad and it was weird to serve pasta (the spaetzles) with it. I did not really like the dish: it was dry and the pasta seemed overcooked. It might be the way German eat it!

Then, there was the warm goat cheese salad.

The cheese was deliciously toasted: I guess they put some sugar on top of the cheese and torched it. Simple and good.

So, overall, it was just ok. Interestingly, they put a pretzel basket on the table. Usually, when they put a basket on a table, you would not think that they would charge you for it. Over there, yes. They charged 1.50 Euros for each pretzel that was eaten! I personally do not like this type of pratice: at least tell your customers what the rules are! Do not trick them!

So, if you are in Munich, find another restaurant or go to Spatenhaus only if it is the only choice you have!

Enjoy (the post, not the food)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

European Vacation - Part 10 - Treats in Germany

I'll be honest with you: I was not thrill with the food I ate in Germany: heavy, heavy, heavy! So I was looking forward for sweets.

Cafe Hag in Munich:

In Munich, we ended up at Confiserie Rottenhöfer Café Hag. 

Address: Residenzstraße 25, 80333

Phone: 089 22 29 15

Website: www.rottenhoefer.de

We went twice in fact. The entrance is kind of weird: first you go through the confiserie (sweets and chocolate store) and then you have the entrance to the cafe. The cafe is big and was very busy. There you could see either tourists or...senior people! The selection of cakes was pretty impressive and it looked yummy. We tried three of them:

First is the Schweineohr (pig's ear):

You probably saw these cookies in New York. In France, we call them palmier or palmito. This was my favorite: it was light, buttery and cripsy. If you like butter, you can easily be addicted to these!

The second cake was the Baumkuchen Torte, a chocolate layered cake.

This one was disappointing: the chocolate taste was not as pronounced as I had imagined. In fact, the only part I really enjoyed was the frosting....

Last was of course the Apple strudel. You cannot go to Germany without trying one!

It was good, but was missing some sweetness (I can't believe I just said that: usually, it is too sweet)!

So, overall, it was not a great experience, but I would go to Cafe Hag for sure for the Schweineohr and would try other pastries: with all the choice they have, I am sure there are some amazing one! No?

Bandy Brooks in Berlin - Ice cream and homemade chocolate:

Friedrichstr. 96  10117 Berlin, Germany
030 20962323
www.bandybrooks.org

So, here we are in Berlin for our last day of vacation. The weather was very cold so far and it rained a lot. So we were happy to have a wonderful day with Spring temperatures so we could walk around the city. Of course, at some point, we decided to have a snack. We passed by Bandy Brooks, an ice cream and chocolate maker. They say that they make their ice cream with fresh ingredients on a daily basis. They have plenty of flavors: vanilla, banana, Belgian chocolate, wild berry,  crunchy macadamia, almond hazelnut, hazelnut, mango, etc...

They also make crepes with Nutella! My favorite! 

So we tried the vanilla ice cream:

And the hazelnut one:

The ice cream were delicious! Flavorful and creamy. Perfect treat to cool down! Definitely a good address.

Incredibly enough, these were the only treats we had in Germany!

For the most part, I enjoyed (I did)!

European Vacation - Part 9 - Hofbrauhaus in Munich, Germany

Anybody who went to Munich will tell you to go to the Hofbrauhaus! Even the taxi driver other there mentioned it!

It is a very old brewery owned by the state government of Bavaria and one of the epicenter of Oktoberfest in Munich. The brewery is beautiful inside with some amazing painted high ceilings. There is really a bavarian ambiance there between the loud band and the staff wearing traditional outfits!

Some would say that it is a tourist trap. I do not know. I can only say that their menu is pretty reasonable. For sure you will not find fine dining there! No, it is traditional bavarian food.


Of course, as it is a brewery and as we were in Germany, we had to have some beer.

I had the Hofbrau original. It was nice, slightly bitter and refresing. Perfect with the food we ordered!

So, first was the Mushroom pot.

It was a kind of cream of mushrooms made of mixed fresh mushrooms and served with two bread dumplings. This was pretty good (perfect dish for mushroom lovers), but quite heavy. The bread dumplings were good, but I could not imagine eating them without a soup!

We also picked the Hofbrauhaus sausage platter that had several different types of sausages. It was served with sauerkraut and mustard. The sausages were just ok for me. I think I prefer sausages with a more pronounced taste. The sauerkraut was too sweet: I did not like it. I prefer it sour.

Of course, we had some pretzels with our lunch.

It was good. At least they do not put as much salt as the carts you find in New York! Interesting enough, there was a staff member walking around the restaurant, selling some huge pretzels!

For our first lunch in Germany, I was not wowed by the food. However, I would go back to the Hofbrauhaus though for the folklore and the beer!

Enjoy (I kind of did)!

Hofbrauhaus

Platzl 9  Bayern, 80331
089 290136100

http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en/index_en.html

European Vacation - Part 8 - L'eden, seafood restaurant in Coublevie, France

Still in France, we decided to go outside Grenoble for a delicious seafood lunch. We ended up in Coublevie, at L'Eden. Nice name for hopefully a paradisiac meal!

The restaurant is located on the highs of the city of Coublevie and the view of the town is beautiful. The decor is all about the sea with a large fish tank where you can see live lobster that most likely will end up in your plate.

The service was a bit slow, but courteous and the restaurant was busy (it was a Sunday).

In term of food, they have a large menu offering traditional specialties such as the bouillabaisse that is a fish soup from Marseille in the South of France, or some plates featuring various seafood.

They also propose different prix fixe menu. We went for the Madrague menu that, for 26.50 Eur ($34) offers an appetizer, an entree and a dessert.

As an appetizer, I picked the seafood plate that consisted of prawns, oysters from Marennes Oleron in Brittany, Bulots (buccin), mussels from Spain and clams.

This was a nice presentation and the various seafood tasted very fresh. The clams were not rubbery and the prawns were perfectly cooked. First time I had mussels from Spain and I liked them. The only thing I did not like was the bulot: I did not like the taste and the texture.

Then, I picked the Veloute de Homard, that is a lobster cream soup.

Presentation wise, again, very nice and appetizing! The soup was perfect: correct amount of spice, creamy with a delicious lobster taste. It was served with sun roots (Topinambour in French) on the side: I do not like sun roots, so I did not finish it.

As I was with my Family, I had a chance to try other plates (he he!)...First there was the Saint Marcelin salad.

Saint Marcelin is a small town few miles from Grenoble where they produce this deliciously creamy cheese that you can toast on a piece of bread and serve with a salad. You can in fact find this cheese at any good cheese store in the US.

They also proposed a salmon tartare served with apples, citrus and an avocado mousse. 

This was a very refreshing dish. The salmon tartare was perfectly made and seasoned.

Of course, last, came dessert!

They had this great idea of proposing a dessert sampler (I wish all restaurants would do that)! It was composed of vanilla ice cream, a creme brulee and strawberries. They were all very good!

There was also the "mushroom" that is a succession of homemade meringue cookie and vanilla ice cream shaped like a mushroom and topped with a thick chocolate fudge. This was very good, but a bit sweet and after having eaten the dessert sampler and all the food described above, it was tough to finish it!

This was a nice lunch, very refine, in a very relax atmosphere. I definitely suggest L'Eden if you can go to Coublevie. After lunch, you can even walk around to help your digestion: the landscape if beautiful!

L'Eden

Route de Chartreuse

38500 Coublevie

www.restaurant-poisson-grenoble.com

So this is it for the food in France! Next stop: Germany!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

European vacation - Part 7 - Crepes at Le Celia in Grenoble, France

Crepes are a very thin version of pancakes that originated in Brittany and are today commonly eaten all around France (for instance, there is a whole street with crepes restaurants - creperies- in Paris). There are two types: the ones made with wheat flour (crepes de froment) and the ones made with buckwheat (galettes). They are not complicated to make (I promise I will post the recipe soon) and are great because you can put whatever you want in it! 

In NYC, there are plenty of places where you can eat delicious crepes: Maison on 53rd and 7th or Bar Suzette in Chelsea Market are a good example.

So here we are in Grenoble, at Le Celia, a very popular creperie. I went there last year and we decided to go back. I like the decor that references Brittany and its fishermen. The restaurant is warm with its blue walls. Reservation is suggested because it gets very busy!

There menu is composed of traditional crepes but also some creations like the leeks fondue, seafood...

They serve a smoked salmon crepe (Norwegian) that is great! 

The presentation is beautiful with all the elements that you would normally find rolled in the crepe, on top of it! It includes of course the smoked salmon, but also the creme fraiche and some fish eggs.

The fromagere (photo 1 on top) is my favorite: it has some emmental, roquefort and goat cheese in it! Mixed together with the softness of the crepe gives a very nice texture.

Of course, if you do not like crepes, you can go for a salad! They even have one with foie gras!

If you would like to try crepes, I suggest you go to Le Celia: you will not regret it!

Enjoy (I did)!

Reference:

Le Celia

1 rue Irvoy 

38000 Grenoble

www.creperie-lecelia-grenoble.fr

July 22nd: The US Jerk Festival

Yes, you are not mistaken: when referring to jerk, I am talking about food, not individuals!

On July 22nd, come to the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival to celebrate the independence of Jamaica 50 years ago and the 90th anniversary of Grace Food (Caribbean food manufacturer). It will take place at Roy Wilkins Park, Queens, New York from noon to 8pm. There will be hot and spicy food as well as music!

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.jerkfestivalny.com

Enjoy!

European Vacation - Part 6 - Pizza time in Grenoble, France

One of the best known area in Grenoble to eat Pizza is the Quartier Saint Laurent (Saint Laurent Quarter) on the bank of the Isere river. It is one of the older quarter of Grenoble and is known as the Italian quarter since a lot of Italian immigrants settle there years ago and opened Pizza places (pizzeria) next to each other. Yes, there are plenty of Italian restaurants that mainly serve pizza and pasta, but can also serve crepes...

Like anywhere else, there are some good ones and some bad ones. For instance, last year, I went to Casanova: it was pretty bad!

Now, let's talk about pizza in France:

• Pizza is pretty popular, but in pizzeria, you will have a whole pizza that is typically for one person (usually 11 to 12 inches). They never sell by the slice.
• If you want a slice, you can buy it in a boulangerie (bakery) or in a sandwich shop.
• Usually, pizza is made with tomato sauce, but you can find white pizza South of France.
• In term of toppings, you will find some differences with the US: smoked salmon and creme fraiche, merguez (lamb sausages), seafood...For a four cheeses pizza, you usually end up with goat and gorgonzola or roquefort besides other cheeses.
• The majority of the pizzeria cook in a brick oven.
• Frozen pizza is popular and they are of pretty good quality! They even sell frozen brick oven pizza!

So, this year, we went to Pizzeria Di Roma. They serve pizza, pasta, salads and crepes. I have tried couple of their dishes...

They had a traditional tomato and mozzarella salad called Salade Italienne (Italian salad). It was served with some lettuce, cabbage, black olives, basil and drizzled with Olive oil. It was delicious and very fresh. The mozzarella was perfect and not rubbery at all!

Then there was the fried ravioles salad. 

Ravioles is a regional specialty from France and are a type of ravioli but the dough is much lighter and thinner and the filling is meatless. The typical filling is made of comte cheese (similar to aged gruyere), fromage blanc and parsley, but you can find variations such as mushroom filling. You usually cook ravioles like pasta, in boiling water during few minutes and it is the first time I saw them fried. The taste was good, but I prefer the traditional way of cooking them.

Then came the pizza:

The first one was made with gorgonzola.

The other one was a 4 cheeses pizza. The cheeses were: goat, emmental, roquefort and mozzarella.

The pizza were delicious and had a lot of cheese on it! The crust was very thin and crispy. I really liked them, but was not able to finish my plate, although I managed to finished all the parts of the 4 cheeses pizza where there was goat cheese! Of course, after such a meal, I was unable to go for dessert! Another time maybe...

So if you are in Grenoble, try it: you will not regret it!

Pizzeria Di Roma

50 Quai Perrière  38000 Grenoble

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Ninth Avenue Food Festival in NYC, New York - May 19th and 20th

Save the date! Next week, on May 19th and 20th will take place the 9th Avenue International Food Festival, running for the 39th year!

You will be able to taste some delicious (hopefully!) food from Poland, Italy, Spain, Greece, Japan, Thailand, etc...

Where:
9th Avenue from 42nd and 57th street in NYC, New York
From noon to 5pm, rain or shine
Information available at: www.ninthavenuefoodfestival.com
Free!

Enjoy!

European Vacation - Part 5 - Time for something sweet (Grenoble - France)!

You cannot go in France without trying sweets! And do not go there when on diet: you would miss so much!

Here is what I think is so particular about French Pastries:

• There is a large variety and in every pastry shop (patisserie in French), you will not only find different cakes, but also the creations of the Pastry Chef that will make your experience unique.
• Pastry Chefs use real butter, not butter cream (sorry Cake Boss!). You can definitely taste the difference. 

The difficulty with pastries is that you have to be extremely careful making any change to the recipe as it can completely mess up your cake. So, chapeau to the Pastry Chefs (I would like so much to be a judge on Top Chef Just Desserts...)!

In France, it is common for people to bring pastries whenever they are invited or to serve them at the end of a meal over the week end. Here are two different experiences we had in Grenoble.

L'instant Gourmand:

So, here we are, going to a lunch. We decided to stop by a pastry shop to bring dessert: L'instant Gourmand from Thierry Court who is a Pastry Chef and Chocolatier. First, you could not miss the macarons (macaroons): there were plenty with wonderful colors (photo above). There were so many flavors that it was tough to pick: vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut, salted caramel, pina colada, banana, walnut with chartreuse alcohol, thym and lemon...So we asked them to give us one of each.

I had two favorites: the hazelnut and the salted caramel. The macaron itself was perfect: crispy outside and gooey inside, not too sweet. 

Then there were the cakes:

They had two sizes: regular and small (also called gateaux de soiree). They had the classics: baba au rhum, tarte tatin, mille feuille...And some creation: le bastille, le glamour, le finger citron...

Visually, it was amazing and my stomach started growling, imagining those little pastries going down my throat...

I of course had a baba au rhum, one of my favorite pastries: it is a brioche dough soaked in sugar syrup and flavored in rum (he he!). I also tried the tarte tatin. Both were delicious. 

This is definitely a great pastry in case you are visiting Grenoble!

They have two locations:

L’instant gourmand - Chocolatier Thierry Court 

17 Avenue Jean Perrot 38100 Grenoble

or

22 Rue de La Poste 38000 Grenoble

linstant-gourmand-38.com

Bonnat Chocolatier

Bonnat is one of the most known chocolatier in Grenoble. In fact, the chocolaterie (chocolate factory) is located close by, in another city called Voiron. It is a familly business that started in 1884.

We went there during Easter so they had a bunch of Easter creations that were beautiful.

Not only Bonnat sells, like any chocolatier, their small chocolate creations, but they also sell chocolate bars that I saw couple of times in stores in the US!

But one of the best thing to have at Bonnat is their hot chocolate! 

They have different ones; my favorite is the Caracas: it is 75% cocoa with an extreme chocolate flavor. They serve it in a pitcher that is equivalent to two cups. Of course they have other hot chocolate selection and if you do not like chocolate (what?), they have other drinks!

Definitely to try!

Bonnat Chocolatier

1 Rue République  38000 Grenoble

www.bonnat-chocolatier.com

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to Eat!

European Vacation - Part 4 - Brasserie Le 1836 in Grenoble

Imagine a restaurant located in an old hotel particulier (old townhouse of grand sort) where the Chef is dedicated to quality and food inspired by nature. This is the brasserie Le 1836. In fact, there are two restaurants: The Fantin Latour located at the entrance of the townhouse, where the Museum dedicated to the painter Fantin Latour was. The restaurant is kind of fancy and gastronomical with some mouth watering tasting menu. And then the brasserie Le 1836, a more casual but still upscale restaurant whose name comes from the year Fantin Latour was born.

The restaurant is owned by Chef Stephane and his wife Lea Froidevaux.  The story of the Chef is pretty interesting: According to him, he was 5 years old when he decided to be a Chef. He spent his childhood going in the mountain with his family to pick various plants, fruits...ingredients that he used later as an inspiration for his cuisine.

We only went to the brasserie for lunch and I have to say that the restaurant was beautifully decorated and there was no doubt that nature was the inspiration considering the large presence of wood and plants. They also have a lovely garden with a fountain that is opened when the weather permits.

In term of menu, it changes depending on the market availability. We went for the 26 Euros ($35) prix fixe menu: for that price, you get an appetizer, an entree, a dessert and either a glass of wine or a bottle of mineral water. But note that there is no choice for this prix fixe, except if there is really an issue with a dish or an ingredient. Otherwise, you need to order from the menu (written on a chalk board). So, that day it was:

Pissaladiere: pizza like dish from the South of France and the Italian region of Liguria, made of a bread dough thicker than that of the classic Italian pizza and the traditional topping consists of caramelized onions, olives, garlic and anchovies (either whole or in the form of pissalat, a type of anchovy paste).

Not only the presentation was incredible, but this was delicious although the Chef made it different: the onions were not fully caramelized and a bit crunchy, giving an awesome texture to the dish. The dough was a puff pastry and there were some delicious raisins. Last, the anchovies were replaced by a sardine. It was in fact my favorite dish!

Then, we had the Quasi de veau with a peas sauce.

Again, for this dish, the presentation was amazing. The Quasi de veau is in fact a piece of veal taken from...the bottom of the animal. It is supposed to be the best part for roasting. But I have to say that I did not really like the meat. The sauce and the sides were good, but the meat was tough. Too bad. However, I loved the mash potatoes, the couscous and the peas flan (very light) that came with it.

We also tried a piece of beef that is closed to rib steak.

Imagine that it came with truffle sauce! The sauce was amazing! The beef was perfectly cooked ("a point" meaning medium) and it was a nice piece of meat. The dish came with the same sides as the veal.

Once we finished the entrees and before dessert, they gave us a non alcoholic digestive shot made of pineapple and ginger.

It was very refreshing and helped clean our palates before dessert!

So here is the best part: dessert!!!

It was a chocolate tart with praline sauce, homemade whipped cream and homemade vanilla ice cream. This was simply delicious! The chocolate tart was like a fondant (meaning dense flour less chocolate cake). So, perfect for chocolate lovers! Mixed with the whipped cream or the ice cream, it was to die for.

I definitely had a nice meal, although I did not like the veal itself. The presentation of the dishes was very elegant, at the level of a gastronomic restaurant. The whole meal really shoed the creativity of the Chef and it was a pleasure for the eyes before being a pleasure for the palate. I would definitely go back, but next time, I would like to try the other restaurant of the Chef, The Fantin Latour!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I just want to eat!

Reference:
Le 1836
5, rue Abbé de la Salle,38000 Grenoble, France

European Vacations - Part 3: cheese / Fromage

France is definitely the country of cheeses (fromages)! Imagine that there are approximately 400 different types depending on how you count them. On top of this, cheeses can be aged, giving a different texture, color and taste. I remember that few years ago, I brought my wife Jodi to the cheese section of a supermarket in France and showed her not only the large selection, but also the prices that were 2 to 3 times less than in the United States!

It is very common in a French family lunch or dinner to end with a cheese plate (do not forget the bread)! There are also lots of recipes featuring cheese: a cheese souffle is a good example.

In New York, there are few places were you can find good French cheeses: Fairway (the cheapest), Zabar and Whole Foods are the most common. Freshdirect has also a good selection. Whenever I buy cheeses for a cheese dinner (understand only eating cheese and bread - yum!), I often select:

• A bucheron: sort of log of goat cheese with a strong, but not overpowering taste. It is delicious in a salad, toasted on a piece of bread.
• A Saint Nectaire: a rustic, earthy, washed-rind cow's-milk cheese aged for weeks on wooden planks and beds of straw that give Saint-Nectaire a pronounced grassy aroma and flavor.
• A comte or cave aged gruyere that has a lingering nutty flavor. I use it also for my Mac & Cheese.
• A Saint Andre: a triple-cream that is mild, milky, sweet and buttery.

Of course, the list is non exhaustive and I like to vary based on the selection in front of me. Some people do not like the strong taste of cheese. A good way to counteract this is to either eat the cheese with butter, honey or jam. Pear jam is especially good with cheese! 

So, in Grenoble, we went to Les Alpages, one of the best fromagerie (cheese store) in town. It is owned by Bernard Mure-Ravaud who after being named the best cheese merchant in the World, was awarded the title of Maitre Ouvrier de France (MOF) in 2007. This award is unique in France and sees professionals  from different categories compete to win the title.

The store is quite big (approximately 2500 sqf) and you cannot miss the smell of all the cheeses (there are so many!). Again here: small prices compared to what we are used to! Lots of people are there to buy but also receive advices from the employees or the Master itself with his funny moustache. 

We ended up there to buy some cheeses for a fondue (dish of melted cheese served in a communal pot -caquelon- over heat, and eaten by dipping long-stemmed forks with bread into the cheese). I have to confess that I forgot what cheeses they proposed. Most of the time, it will be Comte, Beaufort and Emmental.

To make a fondue for four people (I tried to adapt with regular cheese easy to find):

• 1/2 pound of Comte cheese or aged gruyere.
• 1/2 pound of Emmental or Swiss cheese.
• 1/2 pound of Beaufort or sharp cheddar.
• 1.5 cup of dry white wine.
• A garlic clove.

Rub the inside of a 4-quart pot with the garlic, then discard. Add the wine and bring to a low simmer on medium heat. Little by little, slowly stir the cheese into the wine, constantly to prevent the cheese from seizing and balling up. Cook just until the cheese is melted and creamy.

It will be eaten by dipping cut up bread (usually old bread) in the cheese. But be careful: if your bread falls into the pot, you have dare!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Reference:

Fromagerie Les Alpages

4, rue de Strasbourg

38000 Grenoble - France

European Vacations - Part 2: The Mc Baguette - oh la la!

So, few months ago I wrote a post about the revolutionary release of the Mc Baguette in France on April 18th 2012 and here I am on vacation over there!

Yes, I promise that I did not plan the trip just for that!

Let's step back a minute to understand few things:

1. Bread is a huge thing in France. In every French restaurant, they will systematically bring you a bread basket. Boulangeries (bakeries) are everywhere and you will often see people carrying a baguette or some bread, most of the time eating the end of it on their way home.
2. Baguette is the most popular bread, but not the only one. 
3. A recent study for the Sandwich and Snack trade fair indicated that 65% of the 2 billion sandwiches eaten each year in France are made with baguette.
4. The fast food industry represented 33 billion Euros (approx. $43 billion) in France showing an increase in a country that traditionally resisted to it! Mc Donald's, present since 1979, is a big part of it.
5. Mc Donald's is already serving in its Mc Cafes macarons and bread from the Holder Group that owns Laduree and Paul bakery (chain that makes delicious bread and sandwiches)

So, while in Grenoble, I could not resist to the temptation to try the Mc Baguette. I went to one of the Mc Donald's, located cours Jean Jaures. This place used to be a gas station before being sold to the fast food chain. I have to say that they created a very nice restaurant, very modern looking as you can see on the photo below.

So here I am, an American visiting France and eating in a Mc Donald's! At least, I am sure how to pronounce what I will order. I pick the medium menu: Mc Baguette, a soda (Coke zero) and fries. Few minutes later, here it comes!

So, I take out the sandwich from the bag. No surprise at this point: it is meat, cheese, lettuce and mustard sauce on a piece of bread.

But, the meat is supposed to be of high quality from one of the best cattle (charolais). The cheese is French emmental. I cannot miss the fact that the sandwich is falling apart: ok, they rushed to do it. Then I see that the cheese is not melted. Too bad. 

I take a first bite. The bread is pretty good: it tastes fresh and crispy. The cheese is as good as an emmental can be. But the meat is awful! They would have said that it was like a big mac in a baguette, it would have been fine; but they advertised the meat! Adding to that the stale fries, this was not a great experience and I am happy that I was not planning on having this as a meal, but more as a snack, to try it.

The Mc Baguette will be served in a limited time and I am not sure it will be successful. For the meal, I paid 6.50 Euros ($9). For the same price, I can have a great sandwich from a bakery.

The last thought I had concerns the perception of burgers that French people probably have. When my family came to New York few years ago, I suggested them to go to BRGR to try a real burger: they still remember how good it was. As many people associate burgers with America, it is too bad that their only reference is the tasteless burgers served in fast food chains.

Enjoy (the post, for the sandwich, go to BLT burger...)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

European vacations - Part 1: Introduction

If you read the post of the Facebook page of I Just Want To Eat!, you know that I was in Europe recently. The primary objective of my European trips is to see my family, but also visit places in Europe where I have never been or went a long time ago. This time it was Germany. 

So the trip was divided in three cities:

• Grenoble, a city in the Southeastern part of France, near the French Alps with a population of approximately 156,000 people. It is known abroad from hosting the Winter Olympic games in 1968. Food wise, Grenoble's specialty is the walnut: you can find it in candy or cakes for instance. But, of course, you can also find in this city some amazing French food from the region and all over France. People are sometimes surprised when I tell them that there is an Italian Quarter where you can eat some great (sometimes bad also, let's be honest) pizza (pasta is not a big of a deal as sometimes people associate it to the time they had to save money for food and thus eat pasta!). This is the Saint Laurent Quarter that is one of the oldest area of the city. Grenoble is located one hour from Lyon that is for lots of people considered as the capital of French Gastronomy with famous chefs (Paul Bocuse being the most famous of all) and delightful cuisine. It is also close to Savoie and Haute Savoie that is known for raclette (cheese dish based on heating the cheese and scraping off the melted part on boiled potatoes or meat) as well as fondue (dish of melted cheese served in a communal pot -caquelon- over heat, and eaten by dipping long-stemmed forks with bread into the cheese). 

• Munich in Germany: it is the capital of the state of Bavaria and third city in Germany behind Berlin and Hamburg with 1.42 million people. This city is of course known for its sad history (Hitler's putsch, Nazi stronghold and the Dachau camp close by are just few examples), as well as lighter things: soccer with the Bayern of Munich team and beer. 
• Berlin: It is the capital of Germany with a population of 3.5 million. Here also, there is a large history. 

One of my colleagues is from Munich and before going, I asked him what I should eat in Germany. He mentioned two things: sausages (wurst) and cakes, especially the World famous apple strudel. Of course, he added beer... In both cities, we saw many tourists from all over the world: USA, Europe, Russia. 

This was a memorable trip not only for the stomach, but also for the soul. I will at least share the first one on my blog and hope to make you (when possible) salivate!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just Want To Eat!

El Cocotero restaurant in NYC, New York

El Cocotero is a great Venezuelan restaurant located in the heart of Chelsea. I went few times and they have been pretty consistent: good service and great food! This is were I discovered what arepas were (check out the recipe of arepas here)! 

We went there for lunch and had a feast!

We started with drinks:

Venezuelan lemonade made with sugar cane. Pretty good, although not the usual lemonade taste.

They also have shakes. I pick banana. The shake is quite good, not too thick.

For food, we started with the fried yuca served with guacamole and sour cream (nata).

This is a great dish! The yuca is cut like thick cut Fries and dipping in the sauce is divine. 

The cheese empanada was pretty good too although a bit tough to cut. I was also surprised when cutting through because I am used to have melting cheese. This one was made with white cheese (queso blanco).

Then we went for the arepas (cooked cornmeal pocket stuffed with various ingredients). They have a wide range of combination, whether you want an all vegetarian or some meat. 

This time, we went with the Santa Barbara, made with Guayanes cheese (white cheese) and sweet plantain. First of all, the arepa itself was real good: a bit heavy but not too much, perfectly seasoned and cooked. At first bite, you notice a caramelized taste coming from the plantains. The cheese is nice and soft. 

The second one is La Chinquinquira, made of quasacaca (Venezuelan Guacamole), guayanes cheese (white cheese), avocado and tomatoes. This is probably my favorite! Very fresh and extremely tasty with all the layers created by these ingredients.

El Cocotero has a wide range of dishes from Venezuela for those who would like to discover such cuisine and I will probably go back to try some more!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I just want to eat!

Madison Square Eats, spring 2012 Edition! May 4th to June 1st 2012!

The Madison Square Park conservancy is hosting again this year the Madison Square Park Eats, a festival of food with several vendors like:

• Roberta’s Pizza,
• Asiadog,
• Momofuku Milk Bar,
• ilili,
• Sigmund Pretzelshop,
• Bar Suzette,
• Calexico,
• Nunu Chocolates
• Birch Coffee

They will serve food daily in the Worth Square area just west of Madison Square Park (24th and 5th Avenue).

Enjoy (I will)!

Steak'n Shake Signature in NYC, New York - Another Burger Place?

I am wondering how many burger joints New York City will need!!! Between the restaurants who try to surf on the wave of this popular dish and the chains that try to multiply like pickles, there will soon be a burger place in every corner of the City!

Well, I am not going to complain! What is funny is that in France, people associate burgers with McDonald's! Normal: burgers are not popular there, steak frites are!

The last chain I went to is Steak'n Shake Midtown. Smart people: they opened, back in January, next to the David Letterman Show!

This is not a new chain: it was founded in 1934 in Normal, Illinois. When it opened, it got some additional buzz when Danny Meyers told The New York Times in an email that Steak'n Shake inspired him to open Shake Shack. He wrote: “Spent a lot of my weekend nights as a teenager at Steak ‘n Shake (curbside service was awesome — especially after getting driver’s license at 16) and those parking lot experiences hanging out with friends were inspirational in desire to create a burger joint that would bring people together (unlike fast food which was designed to feed people pre-cooked food and get them out). I also loved how they smashed little disks of beef into delicious griddled burgers.”

So I decided to try it. First, the place is small and there are very few tables. It is also jam-packed! If you are in a hurry, this is not the place to go! I think for sunny days, it is fine because you can just grab and go, but in the Winter, it is going to be a problem.

The restaurant is pretty cool: modern decor (makes me think about a modern dinner) with very bright colors (red, yellow and blue). They even have soda machines with touch screens!

So, first you order and then they give you a buzzer so you know when your order is ready.

I decided to try The Signature burger: a 6 Oz patty made of 100% organic beef (USDA), specifically rib eye and NY strip. It is supposed to be cooked medium well (mine was medium) and topped with American cheese, onions and pickles. I also got some ketchup and mayo.

The burger was pretty good: juicy and tasty with a lot of cheese. There was also a nice ratio bun / meat.

With the burger, I got some fries. I like shoestring fries. They were crispy and slightly salted.

Last, was a vanilla milk shake.

The shake was very thick and I had to wait before being able to drink it. It had a good vanilla taste, but was a bit too sugary. They mention on the cup that the milk shakes are hand-dipped. I will be honest with you: I had no idea what they meant! Whose hand was it! In fact hand-dipped means that they do it the old fashion way, with scoops of ice cream, milk and syrup, instead of using milk shake mix.

I got all of this for close to $10. I would probably get the same price at Mc Donald's but for a much lesser quality. I though it was pretty good for the price. But still not as good as Five Guys...

If you tried it, let me know!

Enjoy (I did)!

 

The Hester Street Fair in New York City begins!

The Hester Street Fair jus started and will take place every Saturdays from April 28th to October 27th. The fair features handcrafted accessories, art, clothing and most importantly Food! 


Among the vendors, you will find:
- Pies ‘n’ Thighs (confort food)
- The macaroon parlour
- Luke’s Lobster
- Brooklyn Taco
- La Sonrisa (for empanadas)
and many more!


When: Saturdays from April 28th to October 27th - 10 am to 6pm
Where: corner of Essex and Hester street in New York City
Info: www.hesterstreetfair.com