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I haven't been down to the Lafayette-Houston area in forever. I think Tower Records may still have been open. A group of 5 of us went for dinner at Lafayette following a memorial service in midtown. It was super loud and reminded me quite a bit of Balthazar in terms of lay out and sound. Our server was excellent and never let anyone run out of drinks (both alcoholic and non). We skipped appetizers and went straight to the entrees. I had a roasted pork chop that was great. Others at the table had the duck, the bass, a goat cheese ravioli and I think a roasted chicken dish. Everyone was very pleased. The brussels sprouts and pomme frites for the table were a hit as well. The dessert options were a bit exotic--the pineapple pavlova wasn't going to work for any of us, nor the chilled rhubarb consommé. It wouldn't be my first choice---my list of places I want to go in NY is quite long--but it was another case of everything being just right on a day where that was just what was needed. -
La Bohemia has opened. The two friendly guys from St. Michel are working the counter (and baking). The new owners are from the Czech Republic. They are starting slow- all the breads and pastries are made the way St. Michel made them and with the same ingredients. I bought some canneles and a bread pudding cupcake and thought they were delicious. They plan to slowly roll out non-French items such as a Bulgarian bread and a dark, rye-based, sour Russian bread. The co-owner says she has a special honey cake that will be coming soon. They are eager to hear feedback and suggestions for additional products. Really a good group of people making good products that should get our support. -
After reading about it in the Post last Week, I put Saint Michel Bakery on my list of places to check out for lunch. I'm not thrilled about the options in the lower part of Rockville (or North-North Bethesda), but I know I'll be back here to try more of their sandwiches. http://www.washingto...9060200792.html I had the pan bagnat; tuna on baguette with anchovy, egg, tomato, olives, and peppers. The baguette was great, crisp outside, soft inside. The tuna was solid (nothing spectacular, made with a touch of mayo), but the anchovy gave it a nice salty kick. The eggs added a creaminess to the whole sandwich. The 1/2 baguette sandwich (probably 9-10 inches) for $6 was delicious; too bad there is nowhere there to eat it. Carry out only. I also got some mini raisin buns and apple turnovers, to enjoy tonight. Before going, be sure to map the address. It is an easy place to miss. -
A few years ago, I was preparing for a trip to northern Spain and southern/southwestern France, which was to include a visit to Bilbao, where I'd never been before. I've been an ardent lover for most of my life of the musical works produced by the collaboration of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, so naturally my thoughts turned to the "Bilbao-Song" from Happy-End. Googling it, or YouTubing it, I chanced upon a version of it translated into French and sung by the late French singer Catherine Sauvage. I don't know why I was unfamiliar with her work untl then, but I fell in love with her immediately, and have never woken from the dream. Here she is singing "Bilbao-Song". Here she is singing a French version of the Brecht-Weill song "Nannas Lied", their penultimate collaboration.* (I used a line from this in my signature here for a while: "Et en fin d'compte, mes réserves s'épuisent", although I might more poignantly have used "Et en fin d'compte, on n'a pas toujours dix-sept ans".) Catherine Sauvage is especially associated with the songs of Léo Ferré, as here with "Est-ce ainsi que les hommes vivent?". And here most wonderfully with "Paris-Canaille". And here. And stupendously here. *The refrain in the French lyric runs "Hier tu pleures, oí¹ sont tes larmes? Oí¹ est la neige qui tombait l'an dernier?" (Yesterday you weep, where are your tears? Where is the snow that fell last year?) Brecht's original is "Wo sind die Tränen von gestern Abend? Wo ist der Schnee vom vergangenen Jahr?" (Where are the tears from yesterday evening? Where is the snow from last year?) These harken back, of course, to the repeated question in Franí§ois Villon's famous ballade: "Mais oí¹ sont les neiges d'antan?" which Dante Gabriel Rossetti put into English as "where are the snows of yesteryear?", in which he coined the word "yesteryear", not much used since except in The Lone Ranger. -
[posted on eGullet 2003-2004] The indigenous people in North America were Asians who crossed the Beringia land bridge formed by glacial flow (and corresponding topographical change) approximately 12,000 years ago. When they arrived, they found woolly mammoths, saber-tooth tigers, mastadons, large bison, camels (!), giant ground sloths, and a whole host of other now-extinct beasts. However, the true "Native Americans" were the anaerobic bacteria which formed during the Precambrian Era, only to be conquered and usurped, at least in stature, by the stromatolites and other primitive prokaryotes which formed approximately 3 billion years later in the region surrounding Lake Superior. The only thing I can think to add is that I had a kick-assed beef shortrib "pot-au-feu" at Citronelle on Saturday night, and the presentation of the shortribs really does look like layered stromatolites. It's a bloody brilliant take on this dish, turning the peasant into the elevated. Run, do not walk. It's available at the bar for $35, and no shit, I suspect the entire dish has less than 1,200 calories while at the same time being rich, filling and satisfying. Thank you for listening, and have a nice day. Rocks. -
It has been years since I have been in this place and have no idea how many ownership changes, if any, may have taken place. Last week for lunch I really enjoyed the trout sandwich with a side salad for about $10.50, give or take two bits. Nice crispy long roll. The trout looked pan-fried and was not overcooked, accented with capers. The salad ingredients were very fresh. Very tasty all in all. The web site can use a little work and a good editor. -
Pair some Pit Stop bbq with something sweet from Arno's Pastry. The former pastry chef for the FRENCH EMBASSY is now offering his world-class wares at GILBERTS CORNER. Wrap your head around that. Suggestion: see how the pulled pork tastes on one of Arno's brioche rolls.-
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Don, I've searched as best I can, but I can't find any Serbian Crown thread. If there is one, though, I won't be insulted if this gets moved. There's a coupon (GroupOn/AmazonLocal - one of those) for Serbian Crown today. My colleague perused the menu and commented to be about all the game. There's antelope, emu, venison, rabbit, boar....AND LION Is this even legal? Could it be "loin" of something and not "lion"? There are several typos and poor grammar throughout the online menu, so "loin" would certainly be more likely. -
Is Cafe de Paris still open? It used to be a great pretty romantic place when I lived in Columbia a few years ago. I tried calling the number on their website, 410-997-3904, to order a gift certificate for a couple moving to Columbia soon and I got nothing. Anyone know what's up? Thanks. -
Earlier today, I noticed a blue awning over a large window next to the Afghan Grill on Calvert Street, just east of Connecticut Avenue, emblazoned with the words "Cafe de Paris". I wasn't able to stop to investigate. Any idea what this might be?
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La Peg at FringeArts is now open. "La Peg Is Officially Open" by Arthur Etchells on phillymag.com "La Peg Takes The Stage" by Michael Klein on articles.philly.com
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"French Food Goes Down" by Mark Bittman Unfortunately, he's right. I could tell countless stories, from the vats of olives at a Marseille farmers market (with empty cardboard boxes discarded out back that say "Produit de Morocco") to centralized, wholesale boulangeries that truck in pre-baked baguettes to the local "mom-n-pop" boulangerie. But my mother-in-law, a born-and-bred Nií§oise, was warning me of this over ten years ago. "Les jeunes -" she said in her native French. "The young people - when you go into town now, you see them eating while they walk." That was a decade ago, and those young people are now having children of their own, and propagating their culinary habits forward. Industrial food arrived in France quite awhile ago, and continues to metastasize throughout the country. The contra-forces against the industrialization of food in France are few and weak, and they are losing a losing battle. You've probably heard people say, "You're no longer guaranteed of a good meal in France," and that is, sadly, correct. I've had dinner with Alain Ducasse and thought he was a very nice man; however, I also look at him as the first really high-end chef ever to branch into more than one restaurant (the second one also got three Michelin stars). You could make an argument for Robuchon, and Veyrat followed very quickly in Ducasse's footsteps, but from the fine-dining end of things - in other words, in terms of top-down pressure against mediocrity - this was the beginning of the end of credibility.
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Keith Don't Go is the name of a song on Nils Lofgren's 2nd album, Cry Tough. It has absolutely nothing to do with the new Keith McNally restaurant Cherche Midi, which is in the same spot as the old Keith McNally restaurant, Pulino's, which closed six months or so ago - I just thought it sounded like a good title for this post. In any event, in a mere six months, Keith has transformed what was once Pulino's, an Italian pizzeria slash trattoria into Cherche Midi, a French, well, bistro slash brasserie, I guess. In early visits, I liked Pulino's food; there was some cool stuff on that menu - I particularly remember a dish with smoked sable, a guilty pleasure of mine. What I didn't like about Pulino's was the corner; to be exact, the southwest corner of Bowery and Houston Streets, in my mind one of the most heinous corners in Manhattan on which to put a restaurant. As someone on a website I frequent, and where I started an argument about this particular corner noted, "there is no joy going to the corner of Bowery and Houston." Additionally, the place had windows that were thrown open to that corner; why exactly, I'll never know...my memory fails, but there may have even been cafe tables outside, which is great if you like eating at a bus stop. Fast forward to now, and even though you can't change the corner, the windows are gone and once inside you'll barely know where you are; if your imagination works well, maybe you'll think you're on the right bank - although that might be pushing it. Suffice to say - it's a hell of a lot nicer inside now, though if you're sensitive to noise, it's as noisy as many of the McNally places, especially as the evening progresses. Significant Eater and I had stopped in about two weeks ago for an after dinner drink and last night I made my way back, specifically to try the burger, which has been raved about in various articles, in blogs, etc. So when I arrived early last night, I took a seat at the practically empty bar, and checked out the drink menu. The head bartender just happens to be the bartender I've known for years from another McNally joint, Schiller's Liquor Bar, and he rightly steered me towards a Julia's Blush, a riff on a Jasmine (a drink I first had made for me by Kenta Goto at Pegu Club). It's Campari heavy, with gin, lemon juice and agave taming the bitter - and it's delicious and perfect for a hot night. It's also $15, as are all the cocktails, which in this day and age in NYC is not crazy, but once the price creeps up to $17, all bets are off. I enjoyed it as I decided what to have for my appetizer; thankfully, the menu is simple compared to the new style of menu. You know the ones - with starters, small plates, middle sized plates, larger plates, in-between plates, pre-desserts, desserts, and on and on, until you end splitting like 7 things and paying twice as much as you used to. Here, it's appetizers, entrees and sides - what a concept! I decided on something cold for my appetizer, an heirloom tomato gazpacho with pickled shrimp... And it was quite good. Thick and rich, not too smooth, with the pickled shrimp adding a nice, well, pickled note. For my entree, the burger. A LaFreida burger (is there a freakin' burger that isn't LaFreida's?), it's allegedly made from dry-aged trimmings from the dry-aged prime rib, which is also on the menu, along with some short-rib, which isn't. It's topped with roasted mushrooms, bacon marmalade and aged gruyere, and I'm guessing the buns are made somewhere in the McNally world - like at Balthazar bakery. It comes with fries, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle slices, and it looks like this... It's good. It was cooked to perfection. It's really good, as a matter of fact, the dry-aged beef adding that cheesy funkiness I happen to like. If I have one complaint, it's that the bun may be a little too big for the burger, but it was toasted and held together beautifully, and you can't ask for much more than that. And the fries - still some of my favorite fries in the city. From Balthazar, to Minetta, to Schiller's - the fries are fine. And just to pretend I might be in France - I dip 'em in mustard - try it, you might be surprised. The tariff for the burger and fries - $21. Not bad, when you consider that a side of fries is $9 on this menu. Same price as the Spotted Pig's and cheaper than Minetta Tavern's Black Label entry. It'll be interesting to me to see if Cherche Midi has a long run. As I mentioned above, I felt that one of the main reasons for Pulino's closure was specifically the location. But now the Bowery is home to a dozen or more restaurants, all on a stretch that was unimaginable a decade ago. The crowd is different than Schiller's was, back when it was the lower east side's hottest spot and they could squeeze 8 models into a booth made for 4. So it remains to be seen whether the crowds will continue to come (and it was crowded by the time I left last night), with all those other choices nearby. Me - I'm heading back with Significant Eater soon. The menu has lots to explore, and it's the kind of food we really like to eat. My guess? On our next visit, she's gonna want that burger too. Cherche Midi 282 Bowery, NYC -
Minetta Tavern 113 MacDougal St. New York, NY 10012 http://www.minettatavernny.com/ If ever there were a drink that was alone worth the time and expense of traveling to New York, it might be the Green Mary at Minetta Tavern ($14). A Bloody Mary made with fresh green tomatoes, it has a sweet smokiness that lingers on the palate for minutes and on the brain far longer. Literally every time I have an ordinary Bloody Mary, or even a good one, I think about this drink. This trip, I had my Green Mary with the Black Label Burger ($26). For the price it should, at least, come with bacon. Really, really good bacon, made by monks in the Black Forest, from hogs raised on a diet of Champagne and truffles. Or maybe some cheese. But, whatever, it's a good burger. It does come topped with well carmelized onions and a side of nicely crisp, but kind of bland fries. And a really, really good pickle. Unlike the drink, the burger is not the sort of thing you lust after. But I'd get it again, even considering the cost. I'm a sucker for a good burger. -
Perhaps I'm burnt out with Impressionists after touring the Barnes Collection. First of all Degas/Cassatt was packed over the Memorial Day weekend, barely able to move packed, can't read the walk text packed, stumbling over other people packed. Which was good to see. The show investigates the long relationship between Degas and Cassatt and how they influenced each other. Perhaps the most interesting room was the side room featuring a body of work by Degas known as Cassatt at the Louvre: The Etruscan Gallery. The show features many small etchings and studies, which in a packed room are tough to enjoy. But in the end, few of the major, finished pieces are particularly strong. -
Bibou French BYOB close to the Italian Market It's not that the food wasn't great. It was. But Bibou was more a revelation in the atmosphere it produced; homey and intimate don't nearly encapsulate the feeling we had by the end of our meal. If the words don't do it justice, well, use your imagination. Here are a few snapshots from the night-- Our sexagenarian server in an amusing French accent- "I have one order left of the last oysters of the season. West Coast. Very briny." Later on a lamb special- "We also have lamb chops from Colorado. Very expensive." (They were $45). After reading some of the reviews I thought I could prepare myself for the bewitching effects of charm but the earnestness and honesty of the place resonated deeply. We started with the oysters (which were more briny than I'm accustomed to from the west coast), a first for my dining partner. Overhearing us Charlotte (Chef Pierre Calmels' wife) came over and told us how she didn't try oysters until she was 29. Tonight was my lady's 28th birthday. More traditional foodie note-The mignonette they served with the oysters was mild enough not to overpower the Pacific ocean. Next up was the escargots in a bordelaise sauce with trumpet mushrooms, fava beans, tarragon, and plenty of diced shallots. Really delicious and wonderfully different from the classic butter-garlic version most are accustomed to. We cleaned out the snail shaped bowl with our bread. I was able to talk my partner into the veal bone-marrow, which came next. It was decadently rich and served in the bone. It resembled stuffing but was so concentrated I actually asked my adopted papi/server why he brought it out before the fletan (halibut)--he replied "We just wanted to slow it down for a nice dinner." Maybe I've eaten in and worked at too many bistros but a novel concept like "slowing down the meal" really floored me. The halibut didn't blow me away, but that was a good thing following the bone-marrow. Served with an English pea puree and orange Sicilian veal jus it was a model of restraint. The fish itself was expertly cooked and flaked under the pressure of a fork edge. This was all despite the fact that they split the dish, unrequested. As advertised Chef Calmels did indeed stop by the table. Maybe it was the wine, which by the way was the only disappointment of the night (thanks in part to the terrible selection of Philly's "premium" PLCB stores), but I blurted out something like "If I were a writer I'd say we are full in belly and spirit." Ugh. Might as well have just drunk texted him.. The [less feminate synonym for magical] evening wrapped up with one last bit of grace-- while we posed for a self-shot outside of Bibou a busser/food-runner (who had early recognized my dining partner from her work at a tavern he frequented years back) came outside and took the picture for us. I've had some fantastic dining experiences in Philly over the years (Tinto, Morimoto, etc.) but Bibou would be the very first place I would return to. -
Two friends and I went to Lavandou last night for their Bastille Day (week) special. Frankly, I was a little disappointed. The night seemed like a mediocre experience during Restaurant Week. Service was fine, the food was cooked as ordered (steaks arrived as medium and medium rare), but there seemed to be something lacking. It seemed as if the kitchen was in a mass production mentality for the week (although the restaurant was far from full last night). Having dined there several times in the past and very much enjoyed the food and the experience, I felt more of an effort was put into the regular menu offerings than that to the Bastille Week specials. We dined on vichyssoise soup, steak frites, salmon paillard with grilled vegetables, and Feuillete of Blueberries and Strawberries with Cream. The entrees were cooked well - nothing overcooked or undercooked. The dishes just seemed to lack any "oomph" (for lack of a better word). Is anyone going tonight? -
I searched and could not find in the archives of DR.com a Petits Plats thread (though, I apologize if it exists). Why so little discussion of this charming little restaurant? Perhaps one reason is location: Petits Plats is located at the end of the string of tourist trapping restaurants that dot the Adams Morgan red line stop. The vast majority of those places do indeed serve insipid food at inflated prices. "Come on, Zoo visitors, walk on in and eat this chicken we just got from Safeway." Yet, set inside a townhome with four cozy dining rooms, Petits Plats offers humble bistro dishes with honest preparation, worthy ingredients, and reasonable prices. My relationship with PP began not in the main restaurant, but in the take-out room of the lower floor. There I am accustomed to call about 20 minutes ahead so that I can be told, in an endearingly accented English, precisely when one of their fantastic roasted chickens will be freshly finished. Stuffed with some of their delicious baguette, crispy onions, garlic, and jus, this is a treat. Eventually I started eating at the restaurant. Sietsema's review of the place in 2000 described the quality as ranging from moderate to very good, but with inconsistensies. That's about right. I recently sampled a special appetizer of asparagus, which were overcooked and not particularly fresh, with smoked salmon, which was soft and not overly salty. The main dishes, though, are the winners at this place. Their grilled salmon is fresh and well cooked, served with a zesty sauce accented with capers. The cassoulet is also good, the duck confit and garlic sausage being the highlights in that deep pot. If you like veal cheeks, sample these, they're fork-tender and rich. A caveat: the entrees are anything but "petits." Some of them are almost offensively large (why, I wonder, serve about 3 cups of white beans with a cassoulet?!) The desserts are reliable; I especially enjoyed the TART lemon tart (sadly, the vanilla ice cream that flanked it was horribly frozen and tasteless). A word to Rockwellians low on cash: it is a secret known to frequenters of the take-out room that those desserts are all available to-go for $4 (rather than $7 or 8). Indeed, on a recent visit, the tray on which a waiter graciously presented some fruit tarts was suspiciously familiar...The wine list is simple, though there is a reserve list with expensive French wines. At this place, I'll stick with the regular list. A safe bet is the 2004 Girard Sancerre, which costs around $35 (and retails at $18). Service is enthusiastic and friendly. The staff has a feel for locals vs. tourists, and one can observe some differences in their approach as they make that discovery. That's good and bad. On whole, a nice neighborhood place worth noting. -
Question: Does anyone know where chef Jay Jenc went? Comment: Bluebird is a KICKASS beer! From the Lake District in England. Won the overall grand prize at the Great British Beer Festival a number of years ago. Bottle-conditioned is found occasionally in our area, but I don't think I've seen it on draft. I know it's possible to get this cask-conditioned in the US, having had it myself in Albany, NY. If they can get it in Albany, there's no reason why they can't get it here. -
Eric Ripert. Here. From the "Chog" thread: If it means he might be here occasionally I am all for it. I will try to control my groupie instincts. (Adamson & Demetriou? Shocking. ) -
Good bread outsourced. Iffy sweet crepes - banana and chocolate tasted like a pile of one-note sweet mush and no browned crispy edges. However, a few bites of savory buckwheat crepes were quite tasty. -
Saw this on the Washingtonian Best Bites Blog. Opened in Cleveland Park at 3714 Macomb Street (appears to actually be at Macomb and Wisconsin) David Ashwell and John Warner come from the Robert Wiedmaier empire. Washingtonian Website
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Six of us dined at Bistrot Lepic this past weekend. I wanted to share our experience...we had a late dinner, around 930, but the place was still packed with people. Few things...the AC was off, and it was very uncomfortably warm, even with the ceiling fans at full blast. I asked for a french martini, however, was told that they could not make it, because they didn't know how to, and if I wanted a "special" drink, I would have to go upstairs (even though they had a full bar downstairs). I ended up asking the host for one, and was told that in France, they are called American martinis?! I'm still confused about that part...anyway, I should've left it alone, but I ended up getting something that was no where close to a french martini. To continue---the food....we started with salads and soups. I had muscle, potato and leak soup, which was very nice, and the muscles were perfectly cooked and it had just a right amount. My friend had a vegetable soup, and she felt that the veggies were overcooked and mushy..and just too blah. No complaints on the salad side. I had salmon tartar with seaweed...I thought it was a nice dish, however, I would prefer less capers, for a nicer balance with the seaweed. My friend's veal dish was excellent, so was the tuna and the beef. We were looking forward to the scallops, which were just OK, and I didn't find myself caring for the broccoli "mush" they were served on...tasted more like baby food to me. We were informed that the kitchen was closing, so we had to hurry and order, if we wanted dessert. We ended up getting a chocolate cake with mint ice cream...again...nothing to "ooh" and "ahh" for. I wanted it to me more moist, with something busting in the middle, more french if you will....maybe again, I got the "American" brownie version. The restraunt was still full, however, the staff made sure to let us know that they were done for the night, by turning on the lights, and gathering in the corner to wipe wine glasses and count tips for the day. The people behind us were very pretty annoyed, with the bright light over their dessert of the night. Oh, and a lady had a dog on her lap, next to our table...now I dine with my dog at times...but animals inside, is news to me.... -
After going to the movies yesterday, we ate at Mon Ami Gabi, which it seems, is a branch of the restaurants of Chef Owner Gabino Sotelino (the card says Chicago, Oak Brook, Las Vegas, and Bethesda) I made the reservation thru OpenTable.com without knowing anything about the place other than what I saw on the website because it was right next door to the theater. My wife started with the Steamed Artichoke. It was served with a lemon-mustard vinaigrette. While she said it was good, she did think it was a little undercooked. She then had the Onion Soup Au Gratin and the Butter Lettuce Salad which came with apple, Gruyère cheese and walnuts. The soup was very good, but much too much cheese for her tastes. The salad on the other hand was ordinary, the lettuce and Gruyere only so so. My son started with the Gazpacho, which was perfect for the very hot weather, and the Escargots de Bourgogne. They were excellent, very tender (not at all over cooked) lots of garlic and butter, and piping hot. He then had the Beef Short Ribs, fork tender (even mor so, they were falling apart to the touch) and flavorful. Served on a bed of baby potatos in butter and parsley. He loved it, but felt the potatos were a little undercooked (is a theme emerging?) I started with the Onion Soup, which I loved. It was huge, had enough cheese to start a heart attack, and was delicious. In addition I had the Duck Leg Confit & Barley Salad, a wonderfully cooked confit and a very tasty barley salad accompanying it. While I wish they had not been served together (I'd have preferred the soup first, then the confit), they were both delicious. For my main dish, I had the Steak Provencal. It was cooked just as ordered, medium rare, and delicious. Very tender and flavorful. It came with a huge mound of frites that were like none Ihad ever seen before. Thin ribbons of potatos, french fried and not at all chip like, but unlike any frites I'd ever had. They were very good. We accompanied the meal with a 2001 Cháteau Moulin de Lavaud that was quite good (if a bit young but what can you do, it was the best value for Bordeaux on the small, all French, but well chosen and relatively well priced list imho) and which my wife really enjoyed. (She even asked why since she doesn't normally like the Bordeaux that I prefer, but since this was a Lalande de Pomerol and thus pedominately Merlot, I knew it would please her.) Service was excellent, attentive without being too attentive. Water glasses were kept filled, empty plates were removed quickly but without anybody being rushed, and once I said I'd take care of it, the server left the wine alone and did not try to keep filling the glasses. The only problem was that it was so hot outside (high 90s) that the airconditioner was laboring to keep the restaurant cool. All in all, it was a good meal with some misses, but some very good hits too. Considering the location in the middle of Bethesda, the prices were reasonable. Dinner for three with wine but no dessert (we went next door for ice cream), with tax and a 20% tip was just under $200. -
By Tom Sietsema Just over a month after Alain Ducasse and the St. Regis parted ways and the lights dimmed in the globetrotting chef's Adour restaurant, diners are returning to the downtown hotel's dining room. The posh setting hasn't been touched; a baronial wood ceiling still hovers over a sea of white … more » Source: Washington Post Food Section
