London Day 1 - Dinner at St John

We arrived in London from Paris on October 21^st via the Eurostar train to celebrate a very special 7^th anniversary with an 8 night stay at The Savoy Hotel.  I booked dinner at St John Restaurant months in advance and we were joined by very dear, close friends, Brian from Madrid and Phil from Victoria.  St John Restuarant ( www.stjohnrestaurant.com , 26 St John Street, London, 020 3301 8069) is owned by Fergus Henderson and his wife who started the ‘nose to tail’ food trend in 1994, with specialties like roasted bone marrow, veal sweetbreads and ox heart.  It was a bit of an ordeal to find the restaurant then an even greater ordeal once we were there!

We arrived a few minutes late after navigating a huge smoker crowd outside, and a huge bar crowd inside before getting to the restaurant entrance which lead us to a smoking hot (temperature) dining room.  All of the staff, dressed in white to appear as butchers, are super professional and knowledgeable.  Our server told us about some interesting specials, we ordered the house Bordeaux and chose our starters.  Our starters consisted of the special squash soup, grilled sardines, crispy pigs ears and calf brains on braised chicory.  Each were prepared using simple techniques and were all fabulous.  The sardines were deboned and grilled with a simple vinaigrette to allow the flavour of the sardine to shine through.  The squash soup topped with tiny croutons, one of the few vegetarian starters, was one of the most flavourful vegetarian soups I have ever tried.  The crispy pigs ears were the type of dish you could serve to anyone who loves deep fried food and they would love it, as long as they didn’t know what they were actually eating. Similarly, the lamb brains I ordered were prepared in the traditional grenoblaise style with lemons, capers and olive oil.  Similar to sweetbreads, although not breaded, the texture and flavour were even more delicate than sweetbreads.

Our main courses were more disappointing.  The grouse I ordered exceeded my expectations, with a side of grouse foie gras on toast and mashed potatoes.  The grouse itself was cooked medium rare, tender and gamey as I expected.  However, the other main courses did not meet expectations.  The middlewhite (pork chop) was quite thin and exceedingly fatty.  Both Jeff and Brian ordered the braised hare with swede (chard), but were disappointed with the gamey flavour, portion sizes and lack of tenderness.  We expected the hare to be fall off the bone tender but it was a bit of a challenge to eat.  As we approached the end of our main courses one of us had an issue with a rock hard hare bone which resulted in an abrupt end to our dinner.  I had looked forward to dinner at St John since 2009, but was disappointed by our collective experience.  That being said, it was a real treat to meet our dear friend Brian on this very special evening in London.

Paris Day 5 - Dinner at Quai 21

On Sunday October 16 we spent the day strolling through the non-touristy 19th Arrondissement residential area of Paris.  We had a nice picnic lunch on this sunny, warm mid-October day, in the Butte Chaumont Park (a lovely man-made park in Paris).  The park is very popular with Parisians who want to jog, stroll and picnic - it's also a great spot for tourists like us!

Sunday and Monday are the days when many Paris restaurants and shops are closed.  Our first 2 restaurant choices on the left bank of the Seine were closed. It was getting late and we were hungry after our light lunch and long walk around Butte Chaumont that afternoon. We were getting antsy to find a place to eat and decided to have dinner at the next funky restaurant we saw in the next block (thanks for the advice Trish). We spotted this restaurant that immediately reminded us of Bin 941 in Vancouver, BC (http://www.bin941.com/) , although much quieter! Quai 21 (21 Quai des Grands Augustins, 75006 Paris, 33 1 43 26 08 57) specializes in Tartines and Au Gratin Potatoes (scalloped potatoes).

Our server was amazing and could have been the twin sister of my friend Carmen Paulke from BC Transmission. She got us settled at our table with three fingers each of pastis to calm our nerves and quell our appetities (excellent value for 3.50E each). To start I ordered warm goat cheese salad and Jeff ordered the marinated salmon salad; the latter came as huge thin slices of gravlax covering a plate of dressed salad greens. For our mains Jeff enjoyed duck breast while I sampled 3 styles of tartines. Tartines are toasted slices of baguette topped with greens, melted cheese and charcutterie, again simple country style food from France. We enjoyed a 2007 Bordeaux with dinner and the total came to 60E, another outstanding value and fun location.  Quai 21 is the only restaurant in Paris that earned the honour of two meals during our 9 days in Paris!  You know it has to be both good and fun!

Paris - Lunch - Day 4

On Saturday morning (Paris day #4) we went for a walk around ‘Les Halles’ the old market of Paris for over 800 years called ‘the Belly of Paris’. In the late 60’s the government decided to move the market from the heart of the city to relieve traffic congestion from the market. The area continues to attract locals and tourists to the restaurants and cafes that fill the streets around the current site which is now a huge underground shopping centre. I had my heart set on lunch at the famous ‘Tour de Montlhery - Chez Denis’ (5 Rue Prouvaires, 75001 Paris, tele 01 42 36 21 82). This restaurant has been serving the market butchers for over 100 years. Even after the Les Halles market moved to Rungis in 1969, this bistro continues to be going strong with their emphasis on meat, particularly offal. Unfortunately, they are only open Monday to Friday from morning until 0500.


We asked a local foie gras vendor for his recommendation and he directed us across the street to ‘Le Gros Minet’ (1 Rue Prouvaires, 75001 Paris, tele 01 42 33 02 62), a small tavern style restaurant just a few doors down from Chez Denis. The restaurant is run by a husband and wife team who has apparently been in this spot for decades! The ambiance was amazing with old photos and postcards stuck to the wall in between bric a brac that had been acquired over the years. Just based on the atmosphere this is a place you would stop in for a bite to eat or a drink if you lived in the neighborhood.

Lon admiring the bar

  

Pate

 

Warm Gizzard Salad



We walked in at noon to find 2 ladies having some wine before lunch, very quiet for Saturday lunch. While the wife/owner spoke very little English we just loved the feel of the room and the menu selections. While the prix fixe menu was very reasonably priced at 18E for 3 courses we opted for 3 courses from the a la carte menu.

Jeff ordered a ‘gezier salad’ consisting of warm sautéed chicken gizzards served over fresh salad greens with a simple dressing. The combination sounds very odd, but was outstanding, so much so he barely shared any with me! My simple hearty Breton pate was also excellent, served with cornichons and excellent French mustard, but was overshadowed by Jeff’s salad.

Our mains were duck breast with french fried potatoes (just look at those fries!) and boudin noir with mashed potatos, roasted apple, tapenade and mustard. Both of these were prepared in a very traditional french country style with no extra seasoning or sauces. This allowed the flavour of tasty (albeit a bit tough) duck breast and blood sausage shine through. Simply delicious. By this time the restaurant was packed with Parisians’.

We ended the meal with coffee ice cream chocolate cake and espresso. An excellent Brittany coast country lunch in the heart of the 1st only 2 blocks from the Louvre! All of this for 60E for 2 including a pichet of rose, tax and tip.

Paris - Lunch Day 2 - La Tour d'Argent

On our second day in Paris we walked from the Opera Garnier, past the Louvre, along the right bank of the Seine to Ile de Cite (the home of Notre Dame Cathedral) across the bridge to Ile St-Louis, then it started to rain.  We were on our way for lunch at La Tour d’Argent (www.latourdargent.com , 15 quai de la Tournelle Paris 75005, 1.43.54.23.31) on the left bank opposite Ile St-Louis.  The owners claim that the restaurant has operated on the same location since 1582, that’s right, they have been serving dinner here for 429 years.  It had been a 3 star Michelin restaurant until 1996 and is currently has 1 Michelin star.

I made this lunch reservation months in advance based on the popularity of the restaurant, particularly at lunch when they offer a 3 course meal for 69E, which is inexpensive considering the starters range in price from 49-210E, mains courses from 70-140E, with desserts are all priced at 24E.  This would easily be the most expensive restaurant I have ever eaten at.

The greeting by the maitre’d was the first and only snooty treatment we received from someone in Paris.  It was clear to us that we were less than welcome in ‘his’ restaurant.  We were sent off to waiting room for over 30 minutes while they prepared our table.  Other were greeted at the door and immediately escorted to the elevator that takes you to the restaurant on the top floor of the building overlooking the Seine.  We were the second people to arrive for lunch at noon sharp, however by the time we were escorted to the restaurant there were at least 2 dozen people seated.  Our persistence paid off, we would be seated for lunch.  The surroundings were outstanding, the view over the city was gorgeous, the room decorated impeccably and the staff operate with surgical precision.

While we may have glanced at the a la carte menu we were quickly drawn back to reality of the prix fixe menu which is what we were there to indulge in.  After being some tiny canapés we ordered our lunch.  I started with their famous pike quenelles.  In this dish comprised of creamed pike that is mixed with eggs and poached in cream sauce and finished under a broiler (salamander).  The result is a heavenly dish of silky smooth poached pike in a rich buttery sauce.

Pike Quenelles

Cold Poached Salmon

Jeff ordered the cold poached salmon which arrives looking like a piece of art.  They poach a perfectly shaped side of salmon that has a thin layer of spinach topped with aspic and garnished with micro greens and a drizzle of green sauce.  The presentation is like nothing either of us has ever seen before.

For our main course we decided to both have the Canette de Vendee (duck breast).  A dish that was prepared to perfection.  At no point did I ever consider the need for seasoning since it was all, quite honestly, perfect.

Jeff's Dessert

Chocolate Tartlette

Dessert and coffee were again incredible.  Especially the ice cream and figs that Jeff ordered.  As you can see this dessert was both gorgeous and delicious.

My dessert was a chocolate tartlette, I barely recall how good mine was since I was so taken by Jeff’s dessert.   By the time we had finished our espresso, chocolate truffles and cookies we realized we had been at lunch for 2 ½ hours.  The bill for lunch for two including two very small, but expensive glasses of white wine was almost 200E.  Which is very inexpensive compared to the people dining around us.  One table of note was a lady in her late 40’s who sat alone at a table for 6.  Although her presence was inconspicuous through our meal Jeff noted that the bottle of wine she was drinking was a 1961 vintage Bordeaux, which would have easily cost 8,000-10,000E.  There is clearly no shortage of wealth in Paris!

Paris - Dinner Day 1 - Les Diables au Thym

On October 12 we left Dresden Germany for Paris France, with our lost luggage, on Lufthansa via Munich.  The structure, organization and discipline of German society was very interesting to see.  I saw it manifested in the timeliness and cleanliness of services and public areas.  Trains leave exactly on time, not 30 seconds early or late.  There is no gum or garbage anywhere, and the streets and sidewalks are swept nightly.  Rules are posted everywhere that people are expected to follow, and they do.  It is clear to me why Germany is such an economic powerhouse.  Now we are on our way to Paris, then London, were things were not nearly as structured or organized as in Germany!

My birthday dinner in Paris was at Les Diables au Thym “Devils Time” (www.lesdiablesauthym.com , 35 Rue Berger Paris 75009, 01 47 70 77 09) a restaurant recommend by my dear friend Trish Saltys.  We walked from our hotel beside the Opera Garnier to this 24 seat right bank restaurant just off of Rue Faubourg-Montmartre.   Our server was fabulous, he was fast, efficient, funny and really knew how to upsell!  He suggested the Kathmandu cocktails to start (pink peppercorn infused vodka topped with champagne), then recommended a bottle of wine called ‘Les Couilles d'ânes rouge’ which he told us translated to ‘Donkey’s Balls’, we assumed he was just kidding, who in their right mind would give their wine a name like that.  With the power of the internet in our hands we confirmed the translation was indeed correct!  This soft, smooth 2006 Malbec was a great pairing for our dinner.

In France food menus are labeled with Entrees and Plates, were entrees are starters or appetizers, and plates are main courses, what we would typically call entrees.  To start Jeff ordered the ‘Foie gras de canard cuit en terrine’ which was a perfect slab of silky smooth foie gras topped with some flaky fleur de sel.  I ordered the ‘boudin noir aux pommes’, a thick slice of blood sausage served with gingerbread and roasted apple, another delicious rich entrée.

Stuffed Rabbit Saddle

We both love rabbit and decided to have the stuffed saddle of rabbit for our main course.  The rabbit saddle (boneless loin of rabbit) was stuffed with a delicious combination of dark rabbit meat, shallots and fresh herbs; then served with wild mushrooms and cannellini beans.  This dish looked and tasted great except that it was overcooked.  Rabbit is not very forgiving when it comes to being overcooked!

For dessert I ordered a delicious Chestnut Mille-feuille while Jeff had a selection of French cheeses like Forme d’Ambert, Morbier and Brie (all available from fine cheese shops in Vancouver and Victoria).  Dinner at Les Diables au Thyme was a great start to our first trip to Paris and my birthday celebration.

Dresden, Germany

European take away food is so much different and healthier than in North America.

Take Away Sandwiches

Lunch on our first day in Dresden was at Cosel Palais (http://www.coselpalais-dresden.de/ , an der Frauenkirche 12  Dresden, 351 4 96 24 44) just off the main square in Dresden, the capital of the Saxony, with my business associate Mike Hoche from Vancouver. Mike was in Germany for a family reunion and was able to join us for a couple days in Dresden. After a starters of cauliflower soup and game consomme we were treated to a main course of Rinderzunge (warm beef tongue with dauphine potatoes, peas and carrots), including one beer each the total was 20E per person, delicious and great value. A great start to our trip to Dresden Germany.

On Tuesday we started the day off with some clothes shopping courtesy of Lufthansa who lost one of our bags packed with the clothes and shoes we needed for dinner that evening. We then arrived at the VW factory ‘Die Glaserne Manufactur’ for our personal tour of the factory where our car was built (this is like a Mecca experience for men who love cars). If you don’t know anything about the factory or the car follow this link (http://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de/) and at the very least look through the photos of the factory. It is like no other manufacturing site I have ever toured in my career.

Following our tour we enjoyed lunch at Restaurant Lesage at the VW Glass Factory. Jeff and Mike had the duck breast with spinach risotto and shitake mushrooms while I ordered the chicken with cauliflower and broccoli puree, and confit spring rolls. Quite the lunch for a car factory (better than GM would do for you in Detroit).

Our last dinner in Dresden was not a gourmet feast, but rather a hearty European Country dinner at a German-Czech restaurant called : Wenzel Prager Biersstuben (www.wenzel-bierstuben.de) . We ordered great local beers, 2 or 3 each and hearty fare. Mike had the dumplings stuffed with smoked pork served on sauerkraut with fried onions and gravy, while Jeff ordered the rolled pork chop with 2 types of dumplings (bacon and potato) served with delicious braised red cabbage.

I optd for the non-vegan special ‘Karlstein Platter’, comprised of roast beef, roast pork and smoked pork (aka ham) served with sauerkraut, braised red cabbage, and 3 types of dumplings, this was an outrageous amount of food!

We ended the night at a small local (smoky) bar for a beer before Jeff and I left for Paris in the morning, while our friend Mike travelled to his grandmothers ancestral home in Poland, we clearly know who would be enjoying better food on Oct 12!