mmm-yoso!!!

Paris - Boulangerie Nelly Julien, Musée de l'Orangerie, and Canard Street

We slept a bit later than usual on our first morning in Paris. This was good since we'd be doing a bit of walking on this day. We quickly got ready and before heading off to our first stop grabbed some croissants at Boulangerie Nelly Julian which was right around the corner from our apartment.

We were kind of excited about this since Douceurs et Traditions de Nelly Julien had place in the top in the Concours du Meilleur Croissant au Beurre AOC Charentes-Poitou; basically the best butter-croissant competition in Paris over the years.

So of course it was the Croissant au Buerre we had. It was nice and buttery, great balance with salt, but we didn't enjoy the hard and not flakey exterior and the interior was on the slightly greasy and doughy side. It might have been the wrong day.

The place is indeed popular; there's always line as we noticed when passing during our stay.

Nelly Julien Douceurs et Traditions
85 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

It was a quite a nice and clear day as we crossed Pont Alexandre III and walked along the Seine.

We walked past Place de la Concorde and over to Musée de l'Orangerie. I had been wanting to visit this museum for a while. A whole lifetime ago; I had to take an art appreciation class. There's not much I recall about that class; well, at my age, there's not much I recall about any class…..however, I remember our instructor loved Monet's series of painting named the Water Lilies. He liken Claude Monet's situation at the time of creating this work to Beethoven writing his 9th Symphony while completely deaf. You see; by the time work was being started on this work; Monet was suffering from cataracts and going blind.

The Museum itself is small, it was created to shelter the Orange Trees of Jardin de Tuileries.

Monet's Water Lilies are displayed in two rooms on the first floor, the rooms have renovated to display this work to the specifications designed by Monet himself.

Monet takes us to his garden in Giverny during different times of the day; the light and reflections play off the natural light in the room. From the peaceful morning to the splashes of bright yellow at Sunset.

The second room features the other foliage around his pond.

You really get the amazing play of natural light when you view the works from different angles; which I found, especially with "Sunset" when returning to the first room from the second.

There's also the Walter-Guillaume Collection wich features works by Cezanne, Renior, and Picasso.

And some other quite interesting work as well; from classic, to very Modern.

We also saw school tours being done almost everywhere we went; some with children quite young in age. It was fun to watch and listen.....

From the museum; we headed across the Jardin de Tuileries over to Rue de Rivoli.

So, here's a hint about personal property security when in France. We've been here several times and have seen these folks in action. A group of girls; clipboard in hand will approach you to sign some sort of petition. You'll quickly notice that they will surround you and while you're distracted, pick your pockets, or the like. So, whenever these groups approach, I simply say, "no...thank you...." and scurry away. Our next stop was in the 3rd Arrondissement, so we walked on over to Rue Étienne Marcel, then to where it became Rue aux Ours to pick up our pocket wifi (or as the French say "weefee") device. It works real well when you have more than 3 wifi devices.

After this...well....we needed a break. We were fairly close to Rue Montorgueil, so we decided to walk over and grab some espresso....and people watch. We saw a "good dog" doing a wonderful job walking without a leash; until it came across what must be the little fellows favorite market, it was time for a sudden detour as he ran inside.

We also saw these fellows.....

A few years back after having coffee at Les Deux Magots we came across Firefighters selling "hunky" calendars for charity and bought one for a friend of the Missus. So, here we were back in Paris; it was that time of the year I guess. It was a hoot watching the firefighters flirt with all the girls and especially the older women.....most of whom ended up buying a signed calendar!

While having our caffeine fix; the Missus and I discussed lunch. I mentioned a bunch of places in the area and others a mile and change away. I had a nice list from that area since we'd be staying in the 2nd on our return trip to Paris.

I mentioned this new "chain" from Lille had just opened a shop in Paris; right on Rue des Petit Champs, named Canard Street. This is basically what they call a "Street Food" concept...think fast casual; but it ain't your typical "fast casual". The Missus sounded quite excited; even though I told Her we'd be basically staying right around the corner from the place....She just wanted it "now".

I know; it looks like any other fast casual restaurant on the street.....

But, think about the name....Canard Street....then think about the items on the menu; Foie Gras Sandwiches, Duck Confit "Burgers", Magret Tartare......

And what we got; for the nice price of 18 Euros; the simply named "Planche Canard Street".....basically a charcuterie board.

Yikes.....man, this was like I died and went to duck heaven. Actually, the items were all decent; and the foie gras terrine and the saucisson de magret were excellent. The duck rillete and Saint-Nectaire (cheese) were really good. The baguette was passable and this was a load of food.

The Missus even had a glass of wine....I got a Coke Zero.

Man, this was quite a lunch...….and you definitely got your money's worth.

Canard Street Paris
16 rue des Petits Champs
75002 Paris, France

It was time to head back to the apartment and sleep off all that duck......

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris - A Revisit to Les Cocottes

We usually have our trips planned in advance; by the time we return from one, we know where we're going two trips ahead. Thus, by the time we returned from Emilia-Romagna, we had our flights to Paris booked. From there it was just putting all the pieces together. In the end; we decided to enjoy France a bit more this time around....nothing overly fancy, just enjoy the vibe. And of course; it doesn't hurt that Paris is the Missus's favorite city by far.

The Missus still loves the 7th Arrondissement, so we decided to stay there when we arrived. We knew the area fairly well making things quite easy. Our flight didn't get in until nearly 8pm and by the time we arrived at the apartment it was almost 9. The place I picked out this time was much more spacious than on our last visit. It was farther from Avenue Bosquet and Avenue de la Bourdannaise, but we enjoy the location, it was quieter, closer to the metro, yet the Missus's favorite sight was just down the street.

Even though we had arrived late; the Missus just had to get out and take walk to across Pont Alexandre III and of course down Rue Saint-Dominique, then across the Seine for Her favorite view of the Eiffel Tower.

We hadn't expected to be hungry; we'd eaten on our flight and had a snack at the Galleries Lounge at Heathrow. But this walking had made us hungry. We did not want; however to have a huge meal. I mentioned Les Cocottes to the Missus. We'd enjoyed the nice, simple fair there before......it was, in fact, the first meal we ever had in Paris, for the same reasons.

Even though it was nearly 1030 pm, we were greeted with smiles and grabbed seats at the bar. We'd have to get our orders in quick before the kitchen closed. This was no problem as we already knew what we wanted.

I started with a Leffe and the Missus a nice glass of red.

We started with the simple country style pate. It was satisfying; not overly rich, but still substantial. A mild, pleasant liveriness, rustic in nature, just enough filler. A humble, but very pleasing dish; just what we needed.

The other dish we got was the Poached Egg with Bacon and Rocket Salad. This was even better than what we had here several years back.

The lardons had a perfect balsamic vinegar glaze; it was crunchy, yet toothsome at the same time. The egg was poached nicely, adding a rich, creaminess to the dish, and we do prefer simply dressed arugula as was the case here.

This was just what we needed; nothing too fussy or filling. The staff here was so friendly, smiling and asking us questions, and making sure we enjoyed our meal.

There was one more interesting difference from our meal here several years back; the place was filled with a mix of locals and regular tourists. The loads of Korean tourists weren't in sight. Perhaps they've moved on to their latest spot....which I think we might have run into later on.

Anyway, this was a nice; satisfying, low-keyed start to our time in France.

Les Cocottes de Christian Constant
135 rue Saint-Dominique
Paris, 75007

Thanks for reading!

Paris - Au Passage

Ever since reading (and doing a bit of cooking from), Jane Sigal's wonderful book (it more than a cookbook in my mind); Bistronomy: Recipes from the Best New Paris Bistros, I'd been wanting to try one of the places mentioned in the book. In case you're not familiar with it; think of it as "bistro + gastronomy", at its best; it is affordable food, made with excellent ingredients and technique, without over-wrought processes, in a casual environment.

After doing a bit of research; I'd managed to get reservations at Au Passage in the hip and trendy 11th Arrondissment. So, after a nice afternoon nap, we headed off....we actually walked to the 11th from our hotel in the 5th.

It was about a mile and a half from the hotel and while it was a bit of a hazy evening; it was still quite beautiful.

Located in a little side street (passage) Au Passage has a rustic, vibrant, somewhat hip, vibe to it.

The place fills up pretty quickly. The Missus partook of several of the wines by the glass; the listing is on the chalkboard.

The menu, on a single sheet of paper changes frequently....we immediately knew what we wanted to start with.....

The House Foie Gras (8€). This was well made, very smooth, quite balanced in flavor between the earthy livery flavors with a touch of sweetness. It was also quite a large portion.

Next up; "St Pierre" Sauce XO (10€). Basically, John Dory in a version of Chinese XO Sauce.

If you've ever had "matodai" at a sushi bar; you'd know what this is; a mild, lightly sweet, and tender "shiromi" (whitefish). The XO Sauce (which seemed to have quite a bit of lardon), while quite mild in terms of spice, was still overkill for the lovely and tender fish.

We particularly enjoyed the Endive Moutarde Oreille de Cochon (9€) - some really bitter and yet sweet endive, with a nice mustard based sauce and crunchy delicious fried pig ears.

The Veal Sweetbreads with a wonderful, lightly tangy, sunchoke sauce was also quite amazing.

The perfectly seasoned and cooked sweetbreads were wonderful, a light crust, gave way to a soft and creamy interior.

These Vielle Rouge; which I believe is grouper; was fine, moist, with a crisp skin.

Quite simple in prep.

The Beef was served "blue" and was on the tough side and under seasoned. The greens were quite good though.

Overall, a nice meal, quite solid, and a decent value. The service was a bit shakey as the place got busier we were kind of forgotten.

Still, it was fun trying one of these neo-bistros, the proclaimed "new wave" of bistros.

Au Passage
1 bis passage Saint Sébastien
75011 Paris, France

As we crossed the Seine, we stopped to watch the Eiffel Tower shine it's light on Notre-Dame de Paris, we stop to reflect on just how lucky we were to be able to enjoy the freedom of travel....the sights...sounds...and of course the food!

And to be in Paris......the Missus's favorite city.....

Thanks for reading!

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Romeo & Julieta Wine Cafe, Et Voila, and Sushi Noguchi (Yorba Linda)

Just a quick post for tonight - 2 Happy Hour revisits and once place where not all the photos came out.

Romeo & Julieta Wine Café:

Now that the weather is getting a bit cooler, we're enjoying HH here. It's never too crowded and the food is hearty. There's always leftovers for the next day.

My previous post on Romeo & Julieta Wine Café.

Romeo & Julieta Wine Cafe
4715 Monroe Ave
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Tues - Sat 4pm - 10pm
Sunday     3pm - 10pm

Et Voila!:

Honestly; we're not overly fond of many of the meat courses and entrees. But we really enjoy HH.

Even though the Huckleberry Bourbon is now nine bucks during HH....it's still a relative bargain.

Two drinks and  a couple of staples from the Happy Hour menu and we're....well, quite satisfied and happy.

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
Happy Hour:
Sun - Fri 430pm - 7pm
Saturday 430pm - 6pm

Funny story insertion time. The Missus and I were eating outside on the quaint little patio. There was a couple seated right past us.....the gentleman was really, really chatty. We usually keep to ourselves, but he was very amiable. We talked about everything from this being his first visit to Et Voila (he was pleasantly surprised - Jayne's was closed) to Japan to whatever seemed to come to mind. I told him he looked familiar; turns out it was Mike Aguirre. I laughed and said; "wow, you're famous". He smiled, shook his head and said, I'm sure in jest, "no...more like infamous." You never know who you're going to sit next to.....

Sushi Noguchi (Yorba Linda):

Yes, Yorba Linda. This one is from last year actually. I had a meeting up in the OC and the Missus decided to join me since She had a couple of days off. I'd been waffling between sushi places, so I sent off an email to the one and only Elmomonster, His vote was the tiebreaker. We chose Sushi Noguchi; which is a rather odd place....another strip mall treasure in Yorba Linda.

The Missus and I had a great time....such a great time that I missed a couple of photos and some of what I took was not usable.

I thought about trashing what I had; but the meal was very good; especially having three different uni (San Diego - Santa Barbara - Hokkaido), where we could really make out the differences in flavor - San Diego was the meatiest and the mildest, the Hokkaido uni had an amazing briney-sweetness, it tasted of the ocean, the Santa Barbara might have been the sweetest of the three. We also really enjoyed all the shiromi (white fish).

The only thing we didn't particularly care for was the yellowtail in the olive oil-soy sauce.

This was only about half of what we got; the negi toro temaki was also fantastic.

I'm not sure when or if we'll be back in the area in the future, but this one is a total winnah! I'll do a better job of documenting our meal then. And worth every penny of the $120 per person without drinks.

Sushi Noguchi
18507 Yorba Linda Blvd
Yorba Linda, CA 92886

Paris - Restaurant Alliance

We got back into Paris at around 330pm. The Paris metro system is fairly easy to navigate and we got to what I consider to be one of my favorite hotels; the Hotel Monge in the Latin Quarter by 4pm. Check-in, as always with the folks here is a breeze. Hotel rooms are fairly small in Paris and I've learned to get the Deluxe Double Room. Which at first worried me because it over-looked the street, but the windows do a good job of muffling out the noise.

We aim for one blow-out meal when visiting Paris; the first time around it was David Toutain, the last time at Sola. Because the Missus loved Sola, I tried to make reservations for a revisit; but they were closed during this time. There was something about French cuisine with Japanese touches and sensibilities that really got to us. And I think many other folks as well as there seems to be a revolution going on where Japanese Chefs are running Michelin Star level restaurants in France. After doing a bit of research; I settled on Restaurant Alliance which is located a short walk from where we were staying.

We took in the holiday season sights at Notre-Dame de Paris, before crossing back to the very discreet location of Restaurant Alliance on Rue de Poissy.

There are only 9 tables in this discreet restaurant; only one of which was filled when we arrived.

The simple décor belies the nice spacing; comfortable seating, the sound dimming qualities of the place. As for the staff; they were amazing, not obtrusive, very genial, professional, and most of all they really knew their stuff. They Missus and I got the tasting menu, with one tasting, and the Sommolier, Shawn Joyuex, one of the partners, really made the Missus happy with our pairings.

We loved the pacing on the dishes; each looking pristine, not overly done, and to the point.

Starting with the Anchovy and Tomato. This amuse was wonderful; the savory-salty anchovy perfectly balanced with the sweet-tangy-acidic tomato paste.

The Brioche with Fennel Cream doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy; but the light, mildly sweet, buttery brioche found a wonderful dancing partner, one with a rich little anise kick to keep things moving along.

One of my favorite items of the meal was the Beignet Seafood. This was basically a Karaage, a pristine, perfectly fried, perfectly seasoned, karaage, the lieks of which I'd never had before.

A lovely crunch, nice seasoning, savory-sweet, with a very mild smokey spice, and I believe there was a light touch of shio koji or something similar going on. This was just amazing.

Caviar with Champagne was fine. A bit austere, but perhaps with something like this, simpler is easier.

Uni with Kampari Foam and Sea Asparagus was another amazing dish with flavors I would have never though would have gone together well.

I'm not the biggest fan of foams; but this light, tangy-acidic-fruity foam did so well with the rich, oceany uni. Really creative combination.

The Beets with Dulse was a good dish to bring us back to earth after the uni.

The almost salty "bacon of the sea" flavor of dulse was nice in really balancing out the earthy sweetness of the beets.

When we were seated; one of the Servers came around with a glass container....as soon as he opened it the entire room was filled with the fragrance of white truffle. So, being on vacation, how could we not order it? The container would make it to every table and we'd be assaulted with the intoxicating aroma of truffle. There was a table of four across the room, one of the young men seemed to be a regular. Everyone knew him and chatted with him. When the glass container started making its way to his table; he raised both hands in surrender and said "c'est bonne...c'est bonne"!

Not the biggest fan of the pasta per se; but you could have given me shoe leather and I'd have gladly consumed it with the truffle and that perfect funghi based sauce.

The Scallops, kaffir lime, and coconut milk was a symphony of familiar flavors that worked well together.

The scallops were as to be expected in a place like Alliance. Perfectly seared, perfectly rare, perfectly sweet and mildly briny.

The wonderful buttery texture and mild sweetness of the lobster was the star of the Lobster, kumquat, and spinach, in red wine sauce.

The dish could have used a bit more tannic-bitter flavors as it approached being perhaps a bit too sweet.

The desserts? Well, that's the Missus's department. I will say that I really enjoyed the Vanilla Mousses that was served with black olives, where the saltiness of the olives just balanced out the sweetness off the vanilla. The Missus loved the chocolates with jellies in the center.

This was a wonderful meal; perhaps the best we've had in Paris thus far. The Missus is still talking about this meal; not just in terms of single dishes; but mentioning the pace, the staff, and of course, the wine!

It's going to be hard to top this one!

Alliance
5 rue de Poissy
75005 Paris, France

Strasbourg - Place Kléber, the Aubette, Terres à Vin, and More Choucroute

After napping off our afternoon wanderings and vin chaud, we awoke and relaxed a bit. The Missus watched Netflix, I worked on a post. By the time we headed out it was dark. We decided to head back to Place Kléber considered to be the central square of Strasbourg. As the sun set, the city seemed to awaken, everyone put on their warm clothes, the lights came on, and Strasbourg came alive.

The Missus was enchanted with all of the wonderful window displays.

 

Just like the previous evening we stopped at Place Kléber to enjoy the Christmas Tree.

And the beautifully lit Aubette.

So strikingly beautiful. It just put you in the holiday mood......

And this really good street musician helped to set the tone.

It just made for a wonderful moment in time.

Wandering around the side streets we found a little courtyard and this wine bar.

Named Terres a Vin. We decided to step in and have some wine and a snack.

We both started with wines typical of the region; a Riesling for the Missus a Gewürztraminer for me. While sipping on our wine, we decided to stick around for a while. We ordered some fromage and had another glass.

It was another nice little stop on a day of many wonderful vignettes.

Terres a Vin
1 rue du Miroir
Strasbourg, France

As we headed back to the apartment; we decided to get something to eat. Guess what the Missus wanted?

Yep, more choucroute, this time with just some "knacks". That baguette was actually quite good. The Missus just couldn't get enough sauerkraut.

The Missus was in heaven.

There's a time for having things planned out when on vacation. But then again, sometimes it's great to not make plans at all. Not having to be anywhere made for a wonderful day, in a lovely city.

We were given a bottle of wine when we checked in. This evening made for the perfect moment to pop that cork.....

Move one of the chairs up to the window; throw back the curtains, and enjoy...….

Thanks for stopping by!

Strasbourg - The Cathedral, Petit France, and Lunch at "Christkindelsmärik"

We slept well after having a pretty busy day; hard to believe the difference between Paris and the Christmas Market in Strasbourg. The only real plans we made for our stay in Strasbourg was for the apartment and the dinner we had the previous night. We just wanted to relax and enjoy ourselves.

We stepped out into a brisk, but beautiful morning. The sun reflected its orange colors off the buildings.

We decided to head on over to the Cathedral to get a better look at it. There was also one item in the Cathedral that I really wanted to see.

So we headed out; down the pedestrian only alleyways of the Grande Île.

We strolled down Rue du Dome, which ended right at Strasbourg Cathedral; the sun reflecting orange rays off the bell tower.

It was quite a stunning sight.

 

Like I mentioned in my previous post; Strasbourg Cathedral was once the tallest building in the world.

There are also some interesting stories about the Cathedral; one of the most interesting, you'll find a version here; is of the Devil , riding on the wind, was drawn to a sculpture in the Cathedral, showing him in the form of "a tempter". Curious, he left the wind outside and entered the Cathedral and was imprisoned in one of the pillars. To this day; the wind still awaits his return outside the Cathedral. Which is why it is always so blustery in Cathedral Square.

The Apse is quite stunning.

As are other parts of the Cathedral.

But, as I mentioned, there was one main thing I had come to see. Since our visit to Prague a few years back; I'd become rather fascinated Astronomical Clocks like the one in the Old Town Square of that city. I'd only seen one other Astronomical Clock; this one in Olomouc, so I was interested in seeing another. This one is actually the third clock. The first had been built in the 14th Century, the second in the 16th Century. This one dates back to 1843. It is also one of the largest.

Satisfied we headed back out. There's a Christmas Market in Cathedral Square. The theme of this market is a different country every year....this year it was.....well we had a chuckle.

Iceland; where we had just been the previous year! All these little connections......

I still wanted to get a decent photo of the Cathedral, so I walked down the alley of Rue Merciere. Since it was early, there wasn't much traffic, of the wheeled or two-legged kind.

So I snapped a photo. Not sure if it it's especially great; but it would be the best I would get on this trip.

Walk across the street and you are on Place Gutenberg; yes, named after that Gutenberg. Johannes Gutenberg lived in Strasbourg for around faive years or so. It is said that during this time he presented his printing press to the world in a publication called Kunst und Aventur (art and enterprise). Naturally, a statue of Gutenberg stands in the square.

From here; we decided to hit up the TI and they recommended we take a boat tour around the Grande Île. Because of the green tinted windows; my photos didn't turn out well; but here's a short video clip.

And, I got a nice shot of the row of buildings where our apartment was. You can see it was quite a nice location.

The boat ride ended in the area known as Petit France. This picturesque and historic area is where the River Ill splits into four canals.

And is known for the covered bridges in the area; you can still see the fortifications for those bridges that date back to the 13th century.

It is quite touristy, but also very charming.

Because of the river and canals; this was where the tanners and other folks lived. In an interesting twist; the name "Petit France" is not named for its architecture, but because of a 16th century hospital that treated "zum Franzosel" (the French disease), aka syphilis while still a free city in the Holy Roman Empire. Apparently, the citizens of Strasbourg believed the disease was the fault of the French. Basically, the idea was to isolate those with the disease in a structure in this district.

On a totally unrelated (to venereal disease) note. Since we were in the area; we decided to finally try some Vin Chaud; mulled wine.

Basically warm, mulled wine...….

You know, we never developed a taste for this.....gaaack...it was really sour, warm, and in most cases spiced. One of our friends wade a video of all of our faces after drinking this stuff. On a positive note; it really did warm you up....but you had to swallow of course. As you can read yourself on this post: "Vin Chaud was originally made as a means of saving wine that had gone bad—by adding sugar and spices it often made the wine drinkable again" You did get some nice souvenir cups though.

By now, we decided to head back to the apartment. But after that vin chaud we were in need of some sustenance. We stopped by the Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie just two blocks from the apartment. This stand looked quite popular.

Seems this fellow resented not getting his share of choucroute garnie.

The Missus got the Choucroute d'Alsace; She just can't ever get enough fermented cabbage it seems. The knack was nice and snappy and the smoked sausage quite nice.

The potatoes were tender...what's not to like....since She just loved the charcroute, who am I to deny Her access to this....we'd basically have it for every meal.

I decided to try the Munster en Baguette.

Very ripe smelling Munster cheese, but very mild and milky, almost sweet in flavor; on a nice crusty baguette....the ripe tomatoes added just enough acidity to cut through the richness and salty tones. This was quite enjoyable.

Then we made a mistake of trying more vin chaud! This was better, not as puckery....but we're not sold on this......

As this fellow seemed to say to me "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...…."

It was obviously time for a nap!

Thanks for reading!

Strasbourg - Experiencing the Christmas Market and Dinner at Chez Yvonne

It was a rather quick hour and forty-five minute train ride from Gare l'Est to Strasbourg Station. From there we walked to the apartment we were staying at which was right across the river on the Grande Île, the "island" which is the center of the city which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We were a bit shocked to find bag checks and road blocks manned by soldiers for folks crossing over to the Grande Île. I didn't know it at the time; but Strasbourg, along with being famous for having one of the best Christmas Markets in Europe is also the home of the European Parliament, the European Court of Human Rights, and the Eurocorps.

We settled into our apartment; which was huge......three bedrooms....crazy. And we loved the views across the river from the front door and the unit.

Here you can see the bridge we crossed and the security detail in place.

Like I mentioned above; the apartment we stayed in was large and so comfortable. And the details were kind of...well, interesting.

We took a nice short nap and awoke refreshed. We decided to head out and explore before finding the restaurant where we had dinner reservations.

During the Christmas Season (from November 24th this year, 2018) Strasbourg has an amazing Christmas Market.

Actually the term "Christmas Market" is incorrect, as there are if I recall correctly, 11 different markets (called "Christkindelsmärik") that occupy different areas of the island. The Grande Île is quite walkable, so we just started at the one closest to us at Place Broglie, which is also the oldest Christmas Market in the city, having been established in 1570!

Once the sun sets and the lights are turned on the city is transformed.

It's really hard to not get into the spirit of things with all of this joy, bright lights, the atmosphere is quite magical. Yes, I'm sure at its core there are commercial concerns, but man, you'd have to be a major scrooge to not get into the spirit of things.

The basic center of things is the giant Christmas Tree in Place Kléber. The market surrounding the tree is called the "Village of Sharing" and we were told that the stalls here sell their goods and food for charity.

Strasbourg is called the Capitale de Noël (the Capital of Christmas) and it's easy to see why.

Don't forget to look up.....there's something to see on almost every building.

Strasbourg Cathedral is quite grand as it rises above the city. The spire rises to 466 feet. The Cathedral, built in the Gothic style was, for over 200 years (227 to be exact) the tallest building in the world! Because of surrounding buildings and the size of the square, it's actually somewhat of a challenge getting the whole structure into a single frame. We'd spend some time visiting the Cathedral (for one main reason) the next day.

After wandering the stalls around the square we had to head off to find our destination for dinner.

I had wanted to try the traditional food of Alsace so I made dinner reservations at a Winstub. Strasbourg and Alsace as a whole sits on the Eastern border of France. In fact, the eastern border of Strasbourg sits on the Rhine. Across the river is Germany and the city of Kehl.

Over the last 350 years of so, control of Strasbourg has gone back and forth between France and Germany, so you can imagine the influences of the cuisine of the area.

We found our destination Chez Yvonne under another wonderfully decorated window, down a side street, close to the Cathedral.

A restaurant has stood in this location since 1870; and Chez Yvonne dates back to the 1950's.

We were seated upstairs. We enjoyed the Service which was friendly and the Missus enjoys Alsatian wines.

We started with the Goose Liver Foie Gras.

The was wonderfully creamy, though a bit too cold in terms of temperature. The flavor was on the milder side for Foie Gras....and that sea salt perfectly enhanced the flavor.

The Missus got the Veal Tongue which was super tender and quite mild in flavor.

As you can tell, this is hearty, meat and potatoes fare. Still, very nicely prepared, straight forward food. There was a mild vinaigrette dressing the tongue.

If you've read this blog long enough, you know the Missus loves fermented and pickled items. Thus I ordered the Choucroute Garnie….yes choucroute is what we know here in the states as Sauerkraut....and I'm truly aware that "Garnie" means "throw every kind of protein you can on the plate".

The Missus loved the cabbage; it was much more tender than what passes as sauerkraut here. I enjoyed the knack (the long snappy sausage) and the rinderwurst (the smoked sausage) the most. The pork and the liver dumplings were on the bland side. From this point on; the Missus and I decided to just hit all the sausage and choucroute stands.

All in all, this was a fun meal. The service was very nice and we got a taste of the rather heavy traditional cuisine of Alsace. Luckily, the only thing we'd had the whole day were croissants, so we were able to put away all this meat with no problem.

Chez Yvonne
10 Rue du Sanglier
67000 Strasbourg, France

Nice and warm, with full bellies we decided to take the long way back to the apartment.

The lights, the lively hustle and bustle, it just put us in the right frame of mind.

Yes, it's wonderful Strasbourg......

Capitale de Noël indeed!

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris - The Pantheon and a Revisit to Arnaud Nicolas

After finishing up shopping and eating near Saint Germain; the Missus and I decided to just wander around a bit and ended up at the Pantheon.

Though we'd visited the area before, we decided to actually enter and check the place out. There was one thing I really wanted to see......in February of 1851, physicist Léon Foucault, assembled scientists at the Paris Observatory and using a simple pendulum and his newly derived sine law to prove the earth rotates. A month later; Napoleon III requested that he repeat the demonstration in the Pantheon in the central dome.

The Pantheon was originally built to be a church to dedicated to the Patron Saint of Paris; St Genevieve, who is said to have saved Paris from the armies of Attila the Hun in 1451. The church was completed in 1790, which coincided with the beginning of the French Revolution. In 1791, the National Assembly determined that the structure be turned into a mausoleum. 

 

Internment can only be presented by the President and approved by parliamentary act.

On the day we visited there was a special exhibit of the works and career of Marie Curie.

Who was the first woman enshrined in the Pantheon in 1995, over 200 years after the first internment. I was especially interested since one of my Mom's favorite movies was Madame Curie.

We decided to check out the crypt and walk among the remains of France's "National Heroes".

We then walked back to the 7th and took a nice break (nap) at the apartment. It was dark when we awoke. We headed off to dinner.....we had enjoyed our meal at Arnaud Nicolas the previous evening so much that we booked a return visit.

You can read my previous post on Arnaud Nicolas..... Let me just say that it was just as delicious on this visit as well.

It's the charcuterie that's the star here. And the service was just as friendly and gracious as the night before.

Arnaud Nicolas
46 Avenue de la Bourdonnais
75007 Paris, France

Our train to Strasbourg wasn't leaving until the next day at 2pm; as is the norm when on vacation, we woke rather early. With no plans we decided to pack, then just start walking.

We ended up strolling down Rue du Commerce in the 15th Arrondissement. It was a less touristy and quite diverse section of the city.

We turned around near the Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Grenelle.

We walked back and found the Rue de Grenelle Market.....where we just wandered and browsed for a while.

And had a quick coffee and croissant at the corner shop.

Then headed back to the apartment....packed, then caught the metro to Gare l'est…….

Next up....Strasbourg!

Paris - Arnaud Nicolas

On our last trip to Paris; I made only two dinner reservations. One of them was for Arnaud Nicolas. First off, it was in the 7th Arrondissement, the Missus's favorite area in the city.....She is still in love with that Paris dream. You know, the one with Eiffel Tower in the background, with the oh-so-Parisian food street Rue Cler at your doorstep.

Finding a place in the area, reasonably priced, that served charcuterie from a young chef who achieved the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) at the age of 24. Well, I was quite curious. And being that we love charcuterie.... we just had to check it out.

Located on busy Avenue de la Bourdonnais, I believe this place wasn't even here on our previous visit to Paris in 2016.

Part deli part restaurant; we loved the casual, yet refined atmosphere, and the service was excellent.

I had walked past the counter with the fabulous looking pate en croute and other charcuterie that I was just ready to order everything off the menu.

Luckily, our Server calmed me down with a nice glass of white wine (free as you're seated). We decided to order a nice variety from the "Entrées de Charcuterie". What arrived was so beautiful looking, especially the two pate en croute.

Both the "Volailles et Foie gras de Canard", basically foie gras, duck, chicken and the "Caille, Poire et Pistache", quail and foie gras with pear and pistachio were excellent. The pastry, was delicate, I'm used to doughy and rather hard pastry, this was delicate, light, and still held some texture. It also nicely "hugged" the pate.

While we loved both, our favorite of the two was the beautiful quail and foie gras Caille.

The interplay of earthy-offal tones and mild sweetness just went together so well.

The Missus laughed as instead of digging right into these....I took some time....to enjoy how lovely they looked.

Easily the best pate en croute I've ever had.

The Terrine de Gibier had a wonderful gameiness.

It looked lean and tough, but had a perfect toothsomeness. Not overly salty, but with a nice assertive flavor, this was quite nice and dense.

The Foie Gras mi-cuit (in the foreground) was everything you could ever want. Wonderfully balanced offal-sweet flavors, smooth, decadent richness, with just the right amount of "heft". It just seemed so perfect.

The only "clunker" of the night was the Foie Gras - Truffle (in the rear), two of the Missus's favorite food groups, which just fell flat. Perhaps the foie gras and pate en croute had soiled our tastebuds, but it seemed like, at least with this, that the two main ingredients cancelled each other out. We could really not taste any truffle and the foie gras flavor was faint....we expected the texture to be the same as the mi-cuit, but it was strangely waxy.

We decided to split our main course, which the kitchen graciously did for us. After all the charcuterie, I wanted to try the Boudin Blanc with Truffle. This dish just blew us away.

The black trumpet mushrooms and Jerusalem artichokes were just perfect.....but it was that traditionally finely textured, mildly flavored, white sausage that blew us away. It was nicely seared, which added just the perfect amount of crispness, the restrained amount of truffle was perfect....just a hint, a tease, just enough. The sausage had a mild porkiness to it. But it was the texture that was amazing as it just melted away in your mouth.

As you can tell, we loved Arnaud Nicolas. It was the type of place that suited us well. "Real" and traditional food, executed masterfully.  We enjoyed our meal and the staff so much......we made dinner reservations for the following evening!

Arnaud Nicolas
46 Avenue de la Bourdonnais
75007 Paris, France

I gotta say. Maybe the Missus has a point about staying in the 7th...….