Rieux

The Holy Shiitake pizza here is like crack.  Totally addictive, but I usually ask them to go light on the aioli, since the toppings already make this a total gut bomb.  

I'd add Leo's Grandevous (totally hit or miss on food) in Hoboken and Emilia's on Arthur Ave in the Bronx to that old school list. 

There is a way to do it online.  I can't find the exact way, but you have to go to your reservation on the AA site, scroll down to Passengers, and then click edit Passenger info.  There is a field there for your AA #. 

This  is especially important for flights that leave just after midnight. I've flown back from Peru and Chile several times and thought "I want to leave Friday night". I have to remember that midnight restarts the clock so I actually want to book for 12:05 am SATURDAY, not Friday. 

On 11/4/2016 at 8:43 AM, zgast said:

Becco on 46th might fit the bill.  

My go to in the Theater District isn't Italian, but I'll throw it out there anyway.  Casellula on 52nd St between 9th and 10th.  Cheese and light dishes.

Becco was pretty good (not amazing, but solid) the last time I was there (which was several years ago).  It is mobbed pre-theater, and then pretty empty while everyone is at their shows.

Any thoughts on the following places?

Benoit (Worth it?  Lunch or splurge for dinner?)

La Coupole (I have heard it has gone way, way downhill from the glory days)

La Cordonnerie

Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie?

Paul Bert

Pierrot

Le Richer

52

The food at DBGB has been excellent the last two times I have been there. That said, it can be really loud. If you go, ask for a booth upstairs. They seem to be quieter. If they will only give you a table downstairs, don't go. 

58 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

Are you *sure* you can access the island at night? There's something about the tides and the causeway that I thought made it impossible, but my memory is cloudy - I also think something weird happened about ten years ago that changed all that (but I don't remember what it is).

You don't need to stay in Bayeux; you just need to see the museum - Honfleur would be a great place to have a good meal at the village square (preferably outside, but that would be impossible in January, most likely). You *must* see the tapestry, even more than Rouen (when I said "the cathedral," I was actually thinking of Reims - speaking of which, *do* see that, and prepare to be disappointed by Versailles, which, to me, looks like an apartment complex from the outside (it's the inside, and the gardens, that make it special)).

If you think you'll never get back to Mont St.-Michel, then do it; but, boy, it's a damned shame that you won't be getting the full experience. Why don't you ask this same question on Rick Steves' forum? He's the original source of most of my France information (including staying on the island itself), and I suspect people there are pretty knowledgeable, enthusiastic travelers.

There's something *really* nice about walking to dinner, and then having a 2-minute stroll back to your hotel room afterwards - that's kind of what this is: It would be optimal if you could stay on the island, but realistically, there are so many places to see in the world that you'll never be back (not trying to be a pessimist; just going by statistics). Given that, I'd probably do it, but make sure you're on the island after the tour buses leave (are there any restaurants open? Have you checked Le Mouton Blanc?), and make sure you're there before they arrive. There's no "magical moment" at Mont St.-Michel; it's just hanging out there at night, listening to the silence, hearing the echos when you walk up the stairs - the general feeling of the place, and the wonderful solitude at night. Also, if you think about it, if you really wanted "The Optimal" experience, you'd be going to Honfleur in the Spring and dining al fresco, so there are already some compromises being made on this trip - meh, what's the big deal? You're already there, and a bird in hand ....

Thanks!  Yes, with the new causeway you can access the island at all times.

On 10/22/2016 at 1:25 PM, DonRocks said:

Just make *sure* you go to the American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer - I was there almost 25 years ago, and still remember it as one of the most moving experiences of my life.

Almost everyone has left us by now, but when I was there, I literally got *hugs* from French senior-citizen men and women when they found out I was an American - they were almost crying, trying to thank me - *just* for being an American. It's pretty damned sad how things have changed.

The other non-optional attraction is one of the finest museums I've ever visited in my life: The Bayeux Museum. Even if it's the *only thing you do* for an entire day, it's worth every minute of effort to visit and spend a couple of hours. It's designed absolutely brilliantly: By the time you get to see the actual Bayeux Tapestry, you know *so much about it* by having visited the antechamber, that it feels like you're seeing the Mona Lisa in the Louvre (and don't be surprised if you're disappointed by the Mona Lisa - it's a fine work of art, but it can't possibly live up to its reputation, and in my eyes, it didn't (partially because visitors were kept so far away from it)).

Have lunch in Honfleur (if you're feeling flush, dine at SaQuaNa; if not, dine at La Fleur de Sel - either place, get a traditional, local menu), and obviously, you're going to want to see the cathedral at Rouen. Gill is a Michelin 2-star restaurant in Rouen with a 40-Euro lunch menu Tue-Fri (it will be a relatively simple meal, but it's uncommon for a 2-star restaurant to serve anything at 40 Euros - see the bottom-left, and keep in mind that this includes tax and tip). Consider La Maison de Lucie if you spend the night in Honfleur.

I want you to trust me on this one: Either spend the night on Mont Saint-Michel, or don't see it at all, because it is positively *flooded* with tour buses (imagine Venice in high season) - yet, the buses all leave at around 5 PM, and the island becomes deserted - a ghost town, with the abbey on the hilltop eerily lit up at night. There are only a few hotels on the island (you want to stay *on* the island; not *overlooking* the island), and having dinner there, then walking up to the hilltop in the evening, is something you'll remember for the rest of your life - when the tour buses arrive the next morning, around 9-10 AM, it's time to check out and move on. If you've ever trusted me about anything, please trust me here - this is the third "can't-miss" thing to do (even more so than the cathedral at Rouen, although Rouen will be on your way if you're driving so you shouldn't miss that either).

You're more likely to return to Paris before you return to Normandy, so I'd skew the trip towards Normandy. I have the 2016 Red Guide (in French) if you want to borrow it.

Don, most hotels ON the island are closed in January, and the couple that are not look really bad.  If we stayed just on the other side of the causeway, do you think that would work?  It's walking distance, so we could still have dinner and wander the streets at night on the mountain.  What do you think?

Also, hotel options seem much better in Honfleur than Bayeux - what do you think of making Honfleur our base (doing 1 day of D-Day sites, and 1 day of either Bayeaux or Rouen?

Anyone been to Nopi or Ottolenghi Islington lately?  I am an admitted Ottolenghi fan, and have enjoyed meals at the Islington location near my friend's house.  Have not been to Nopi.  In an upcoming trip after christmas, should I stick with my tried and true Ottolenghi, or is it worth it to "experience" Nopi, even though it seems more expensive and not necessarily "better"?

Thanks!!

Anyone with recommendations for what to do on New Year's eve and New Year's Day?  Open to anything from restaurants to cabaret to a classical concert, etc. on NYE.  I assume many places will be closed on the 1st so we may just walk around, or go to the few museums open, or even day trip to Chartres.

I've traveled a lot, but have very very very little experience in France, so really hoping some France experts come through here!  Also, still looking for gems in Normandy.  

Hominy grill was o.k.  Friends love it, but I found it good, not great. Too bad about two boroughs larder, I really enjoyed it when we were there. 

Any suggestions on where I should spend New Year's eve in Paris?  Headed for about a week over New Year's.  Happy for other recent suggestions too.  Is lunch at Jules Verne worth it???

Headed to Paris and Normandy over New Year's for about a week. I'll peruse the Paris thread, (although open to suggestions here!) but couldn't find information on Normandy anywhere. Food, sites, etc..  Any help appreciated!

I really, really liked the Grocery for dinner.

9 minutes ago, LauraB said:

If you travel to Mexico or Canada you need to take your GE card with you in order to return through the GE lane.  (This is because passports aren't required of US citizens to travel to these 2 countries.) You don't need to take your GE card with you to travel anywhere else because your passport has all the GE information.

This is not true if you are flying.  I fly back and forth to Mexico all the time with my passport and never show the GE card (although I do leave it in my wallet, just as an alternate ID).  I can't speak to the land crossing - I have never done that.

Nora is closing.

The two times I have been there I thought the food was really mediocre, the service snooty, and the bill astronomical (one of the times was with a gift certificate, so at least I was not paying!).

Johnny's Half Shell

You basically never need the card, as all the Global Entry info is stored with your passport #.  And, by using the GE machines to enter the immigration station you get the printed piece of paper that allows you to go to the customs line for GE.  I have never had a customs agent ask for anything other than the paper from the GE machine and I travel internationally 1-2 times/month.

That said, I do keep the little card in my wallet, mainly because it counts as a legal federal ID if you ever need more than 1 ID for something like a notary, etc.

The ham and cheese baguette was wonderful, and I'd love the recipe for their curry chicken salad, which remains one of the best versions of that classic that I have ever had.

I tried this place out last week for lunch after getting my hair cut nearby.  I have to say, I was underwhelmed.  I had the messy, which was just ok.  From the reviews I had been expecting something spectacular, on the level of Katz's, but I thought the pastrami was just, well, fine.  It was good enough -- juicy, nicely spiced, but there were some huge unrendered pieces of fat and the meat itself was hard to chew.  I thought the sandwich needed more dressing and kraut, and that it was small.  Maybe the other choices are better.

I've been told the Kirkland premium vodka is Belvedere.

That's shocking, and much longer than the waits I have heard of in the past.  I would bet that if you have a couple of hours to kill walking in at the Reagan building would be successful.  The appointments that they schedule are longer than they actually take, so the agents have some free time.  Also, you might try this:  

"Use This Script To Get a Global Entry Interview Much Faster" on reddit.com

Sally's Middle Name?

That sounds right. I think the review period is a bit shorter now but they have to run you through the security databases before they clear you for the appointment. Think of it like doing a mini security clearance. BTW if you have had a security clearance in the past I think it speeds up the review.