hillvalley

I walked 30 miles in three nights and three days. Magnificent meals broke up the wandering... Le Baratin-My first meal in Paris in over 15 years. I had the house made foie gras and steak tartar. Great foie although the slices were thinner than I would have liked. The tartar was a solid rendition but the fries were the standout in the dish. Not worth traveling for but a great choice if you are in the area. Huitrerie Regis-Oyster bar in St. Germain. 14 seat restaurant run by a husband and wife. Oysters from France that live up to reputation, best sea urchin I will probably ever have. Everything is seasonal so the offerings change weekly. Worth traveling for. Cave La Bourgogne-Local bistro on Rue Mouffetard. I was craving duck confit and this local joint had a classic rendition. Not worth traveling for but if you are in the neighborhood worth checking out. Le Comptoir-Great pate campagne and bone marrow. The pate was served in the terrine with a knife stuck in and cornishon on the side. Bone marrow was served with chestnuts and celery puree, great combinations. Lousy salad nicoise. Worth traveling for. Fish (La Boissonneire)-Excellent choice for Sunday night dinner, especially if you want to be able to order in English. 35 euros for two courses. I had the fish soup and brilliant scallops. I snagged a seat at the bar but reservations are needed for a table, even at 19pm on a Sunday. Worth traveling for. Mariage Freres-Tea house in La Marais. The selection of tea was overwhelming until a waiter helped me figure out what I was looking for. After walking 7 miles it was the perfect place to stop, relax, and reflect on the fact that I was sitting in Paris drinking tea. Worth traveling for. Biggest ripoff: Paul bakery on Champs Elysees-due to a bit of poor planning on my last day I ended up here to buy croissants and other baked goods to bring home. Each item had two choices: a lower price for items baked off premise, a higher price for those baked on site. When I ordered I wasn't asked which I preferred but was charged the cheaper price. I looked at the shop in the airport and they only had one price. In all seriousness, does anyone have a place I can use sometime in the next seven months?

KBQ is that close to opening but has run out of money. They have an indiegogo campaign going on to raise funds. This is a great family who deserves your support. Reopening the restaurant has been harder than they expected and it would be a shame for them not to be able to finally open its doors.

I third, fourth, and fifth the Hinata recommendation. Once you all get spring you can get take away and have a picnic. If you are looking for cheapish, basic sushi Taipei Tokyo on the Pike fits that bill.

Don't worry, my mama didn't raise a fool. Planning now revolves around the list above.

For $90 it should come with someone to do all the work for you. They are great when you need to bash the hell out of something, and for many of the uses you listed above, but if you have any problems with your arm, elbow or hand don't bother. I'd say find a much cheaper one and go for it.

A lamb stew of sorts with garlic, chickpeas and lamb simmering in tomatoes with fresh rosemary and dried "Greek Salad mix" aka mint, parsley and oregano.

Next weekend I'll be there from Friday night through Monday afternoon. It's been 15 years since I was there and it will probably be quite awhile before I go again because there is so much of France, let alone the rest of the world, to see and eat. I'm staying in the 5th in the Latin Quarter. All I plan to do is wander, read, write, draw, and eat. Emphasis on eat. But my anxiety rises every time I try to figure out where to eat and which market to hit. I will plan my days around meals and markets. I have no idea where to start. I'd like one meal to be a "semi blowout" and the rest "really damn good." Please help.

We recently did a taste test of four oils, all extra virgin: one from southern Italy, one from Ticino, Switzerland, and two from Greece. All were grower or family made thus ensuring they were pure. The unanimous winner was the liter I picked up at gas station in the middle of nowhere Greece, somewhere between Delphi and Athens. It was bottled by the family that own the gas station made from olive grown in their groves near by. The liter cost me 6.50 Euros, or less than $9. It has a beautiful color of golden with a tinge of green. The flavor full but not overpowering, peppery but not bitter. For me, it is the perfect olive oil and I'll probably never find it again.

I live in a village with less than half the number of members on this site. You can only buy groceries at a small bodega and a butcher. At the butcher you can buy house made picante sauce of local olive oil and peppers, their own hot sauce.. Nothing is in English; the family that runs the butcher shop cannot and does not want to speak English. Both carry Tabasco. It is displayed on the butcher counter so it is one of the first things you see when you walk into the store. It may be overrated, but it is overrated all over the world.

Friday night: After eating in hotels for six days I came home to meatloaf a la Pioneer Woman and roasted brussel sprouts Saturday night: Green curry with chicken* and basmati rice Sunday night: Pork chops marinated in lemon juice, rosemary, and Greek olive oil *The grocery stores here sell a prepackaged combination of Thai vegetables, most of which are not available for individual sale.

Should you find yourself in the middle of nowhere Greece, somewhere between Athens and Olympia, avoid the Autogrills that pop up and head to the mom and pop gas stations. Chances are they won't be open when you need them, such as when you have a bus full of Grade 9ers who swear they are about to explode. But when you do find one of these gems, they will provide the best kebabs and souvlaki you'll find. And if you are really lucky you'll find one that sells the family olive oil for absurdly cheap prices and feta made from the animals roaming around out back. Later that night, after yet another meal of cabbage and carrot salad, carbs, meat, and fries, top the feta with the olive oil and you will be in Greek culinary heaven. P.S. The link Waitboy posted above doesn't work anymore but this one should.

The parking situation at Rose's is not going to get better so people can stop dreaming about that. Don't forget that Rose's, and all of Barracks Row, is smack dab in the middle of a residential area. Parking on the weekends is already a nightmare for residents, especially throughout the summer when the Marines put on their parade. The metro is three blocks away; take advantage of it. Need to kill a few hours? Walk over to Penn. Ave. and stroll down to the Capitol and back. It is one of the most beautiful sites in DC, especially once you all get rid of the snow. Rose's is committed to the neighborhood. Chef lives nearby and they appreciate the support of locals. Assuming the level of success continues, they don't need to worry about people coming from the burbs to fill their seats.

The nurses have told me to lay off of dining hall food for a while, which this week is easier said than done... Ticinese bread with truffle butter Guacamole with chips Blueberries

We were so rebellious in our younger days.

Should you find yourself traveling across the pond, a G-Man on a hard roll holds up beautifully during the trip. Not quite as good as Literri's, but more convenient for me and fulfilled the Italian sub craving.* *Not surprisingly, you can't find a proper Italian sub in northern Italy or the Italian section of Switzerland.

A few years ago my mother took a cooking class in Tuscany from a chef who had lived in DC. She asked for suggestions for olive oil to bring back as gifts. He told her to go to Littteri's instead.

Some sort of Swiss French type cheese, goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, baguette during rugby Tacos filled with ground beef, beans and/or broiled squash blossoms stuffed with mozzarella, homemade guac and grana padano (because it's difficult to find any cheddar or queso blanco here) during the Olympics. The Brits were relieved to learn that it is impossible to eat a crunchy taco without making a mess. They thought they had been eating them wrong all these years.

To unmuddle the conversation let's assume you can guarantee, which over here is relatively easy to do, that the Italian olive oil was produced from olives grown and pressed in Italy. Greek v. Italian...

Copa di Parma. Smells similar to prosciutto but tastes like copa.

Greek vs. Italian. Discuss.

Last night, a special meal prepared in memory of a friend: First course: meat and cheese plate including a local cheese whose name I can't recall, an Italian marscapone and blue, two different types of salami, and a local lardo Second course: roasted cauliflower, risotto primavera, chicken picante Third course: basic salad with homemade vinaigrette Fourth course: strawberries and creme in pastry shells, hot, frothed milk with Baileys Tonight: Foie Gras Steak tartar* Different local cheese Leftover Strawberries and creme *The tartar was a major coup because I had to learn how to ask for ground beef in Italian from the local butcher. Beef is ground to order and my last two attempts at purchasing ground beef in a combo of English/Italian/French were quite frustrating to me and the butcher's son.

I've only lived in Europe for five and half months so I'm sure you've spent more days here Joe, but the longer I am here, the harder it becomes to compare American life to European life. Your comment about language is a perfect example. I deal with students from over 60 different countries, from Inner Mongolia to Germany to the US. The only country where it is not expected for you to come out of the pre-University school system speaking only one language is the US. It is well known that the only parents and students who complain about the language requirement for my school are the Americans. As for dining, it is a completely different experience here than in the US: you are never rushed, excellent service is expected whether in the local Irish pub or high end restaurant, and there is a sense of pride by those who work and own the restaurant that is not the norm in the US. Comparing the two continents and their service systems is comparing apples and oranges, still fruit but of vastly different flavors and qualities.

I've been in nine airports in six months in Europe and the US and by far the absolute worst, without a close second, is Malpensa, the major airport for Milan. The food choices are lousy, it's rare that every thing is open, and the prices are absurd. I'm not looking for gourmet food but one should be able to get a decent panini from the sandwich shops or mozzarella from the mozzarella bar. No dice though. One the other hand, Malpensa has a separate security line for families traveling with children. That is something all airports should implement. MXP

I raise this glass of Jura to Eva who joined the world today.

You can get the truffled pasta when sitting in front of the kitchen. My parents were transported by the dish. There is nothing my writing skills could add to the conversation about the food so I won't bother. Instead I'll add my two cents about the open kitchen; I'm surprised there has not been more discussion about these seats. The food was, of course, amazing, decadent, transcending. It is the only restaurant I am trying to hit twice while in the States. For us though, part of the magic of the evening was sitting in front of the kitchen staff, interacting with them as they answered questions or welcomingly butt into our conversations with explanations. When my father wondered aloud if they could put more butter into the pommes puree, one of the sous (I think) turned around with a smile and explained just how much they use in the recipe and why. When I asked why they used the hot sauce as opposed to other brands Chef replied that it was because he couldn't make anything better. I watched the staff greet returning patrons like old friends, truly pleased that they had returned, and make friends with new patrons. What I love most about the restaurant though, is that none of you knew this block existed a few years ago. Then the Ugly Mug and a few other bars opened and you came to drink before a Nats game. Now you come, not just because Siestsema and every other critic in town is telling you to, but because the chef, who lives in the neighborhood, is putting out the best food in DC right now.