Café Restaurant La Gramont, La Frégate, and L'Egrégore Café in Paris, France

On the dreary days in Paris, it was great to walk into a cafe for a warm sip and some comfort food.

Across the Seine River with a view of the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay on the left bank (7th Arrondissement) is a little corner tourist cafe called La Frégate.  

The building is built on the site of the house of Marshal d’Artagnan, the character who inspired The Three Muskateers, and was named after the frigate that docked under Le Pont Royal in the 1870’s.

It is also a block away from the flat where writer/historian Voltaire, with whom I share my birth date-November 21 (in theory) died on May, 30 1778.

The heating lamps dotting the space where the outdoor seating was were attractive as were a few of the hot cocktails.

We sipped on Vin chaud (hot spiced wine/mulled wine) and Grog au rhum (Rum toddy-unfortunately not spiced) and people watched.

Vin chaud and Grog au rhum

For a simple, filling lunch, I enjoyed a couple of bites at Café

Restaurant La Gramont on the corner of Rue Gramont and Boulevard Italiens in the 2nd Arrondissement where I was staying at a friend's apartment.

I found the refreshing Remoulade aux pommes vertes et queues d'ecrevisses (Shredded green apple and crayfish tails in remoulade sauce) to be light and delicious with tart, creamy flavors and textures and tender sweet crayfish tails.  The Balsamic drizzle imparting the nice acidity and tang!

Remoulade aux pommes vertes et queues d'ecrevisses (Shredded green apple and crayfish tails in remoulade sauce)

The Croque Madame was decent with a crisp-edged sunny side up egg, and gruyere, soft-centered toast, savory ham.  The accompanying salad was dismal at best, but the hearty, thick cut, steak fries made up for it.

Croque Madame

Croque Madame

I came upon L'Egregore Cafe in the Louvre / Palais-Royal
 neighborhood after a disappointing dinner at Au Pied de Cochon.  Co-Owner Stephane was charming.  Having worked in the states (Boston at one point), we chat a bit about his culinary/restaurant experiences.  The space was quaint and casual- cute downstairs cafe area with a small 2-3 seats bar.  A couple of regulars and a group of young adults came in during my visit. 

Stephane and the chef gave me a tour of the kitchen and the adjacent upstairs dining space overlooking  Rue Croix des Petits Champs.

Stephane invited me back for a lunch service which I had heard good things about but, unfortunately, couldn't fit into my schedule during the rest of the week.  
Though my dinner meal was not spectacular (overcooked steak), I did appreciate a few Four Roses bourbons...

Stellar Evening at Toro NYC! Part of 24 hour Foodie Tour/ Greedy Girls Reunion August 2014

I organized a NYC dim sum and tapas tasting for my girlfriends and watched the expansion and blossoming of palates in a single day...I felt like a superhero!  This must be what chefs feel like everyday...lucky guys!

Me and the girls at Park Bar 10th Ave with awaiting our Toro resies over rye and Sangria

I had to check out Toro NYC as its Boston location is one of my favorites and so are Chefs Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer!  
You can read my two reviews of Toro Boston here and here.

Toro serves Barcelona tapas in far western Chelsea.  It's sexy, grounded space seats 120 beneath 18 foot windows- a food photographer's dream!

With much more space in comparison to the Boston site, Toro NYC presents an intimate setting with sexy dim lighting, slick, earth-toned surfaces of wood and granite, glass and metal.  This portion of the old Nabisco factory's space has a stark contrast to building neighbor Del Posto by Tom Colicchio (of brilliant restaurateur and Top Chef fame), but only in appearance, not quality of class.  It's smooth tops versus white tablecloths.  The quality of food is parallel, though the styles very different and leading in its own lane.

Photo credit: Missy H.

We were greeted by kind, smiling faces, including Andrew and other fabulous front of the housers.

La plancha is near the rear of the space with seats to allow for up close observation of the magic created by Chef de cuisine, Charlie Trotter and staff.  This area abutts a gorgeous vined green wall nestles in the far left corner.

Photo credit: http://gothamist.com/2013/09/23/boston_chefs_open_toro_a_barcelona-.php#photo-1

The seasonal resurrection of ingredients highlighted by server Josh, who would explain the entire prep from farm to table and its flavor profile of each dish if allowed.   He's just that excited about the food that he's been charged to present- and rightfully so.

He tells us of his relatively recent shellfish allergy revelation after having eaten at Toro during training.  I found this a bit curious, and so did Hadiyyah- our youngest Foodie Day participant- who said, " It's so strange that He's an adult and just realized his shellfish allergy."  Josh proceeded to tell us that he's originally from Colorado and us bay and port lifelong dwellers instantly and shamefully forgave him without judgement.

Now that I think of it, his discover of shellfish allergies was definitely better than the one that my mother told me...she was on a date...there was eyeball swelling...and a closed throat.  Enough said!

After an earlier dim sum feast at Nom Wah in the belly of Chinatown at the oldest dim sum tea parlor in NYC, a stroll and L'Arte del Gelato on the High Line, and a sip or two of rye whisky and red sangria at Park Bar 10th Ave , I was desperately craving a dry cava to feed my Veuve Cliquot hangover and hair-of-a-bigger-dog vodka martini once I landed in NY.

We ended up ordering a bottle of a lovely, dry cranberry and blackberry noted Spanish sparkling rosé:  Joseph Foraster Rosé, Trepat Penedes, Spain.

I was excited to see a few of Toro Boston's staples (and general Spanish tapas' staples) on the menu, especially the Maiz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotilja, Pimientos Del Padron, Gambas Al Ajillo, and Asado De Huesos.

New to my palate was the tuna tartare (with everything the kitchen loves)- a fatty, garlicky, rich, and mildly spicy raw tuna glorified by the aforementioned rosé.

After the smiles induced by the delicate tuna tartare, we moved on to several more well executed dishes and few that missed the mark in only small components.  

The Morcilla con Habas (lamb and pork blood sausage with fava bean stew), courtesy of the chef, was a lovely bite.  Crisp, juicy, beautifully deep burgundy colored morsels atop bright fava and smooth sheep's milk, house-whipped ricotta.

Morcilla con Habas (lamb and pork blood sausage with fava bean stew) with sheep's milk ricotta

Unfortunately, I didn't get the opportunity to sample the pretty hamburguesas with tomato jam and pickled red onion, but the table gave them a clear thumbs up!

Hamburguesas with tomato jam and pickled red onion

 

The Panceta de Cerdo (pork belly) was amazingly moist and fork tender in the center with crisped outer fatty layer.  It was sadly paired with bland, but crisp triangles of green tomato, both served over a mild, unremarkable smear of yellow curry aioli and adjacent to a green tomato relish.  A lovely presentation, yet the pork was definitely the only star on the dish.

Panceta de Cerdo (pork belly) with crisp triangles of green tomato served over a yellow curry aioli

In keeping with the East Indian flavor theme, the Mollejas (grilled veal sweetbreads with celeriac, cardamom honey, pickled lime, cashews, cilantro, and mint).   

A colorful dish of tender sweetbreads and magnificently layered flavors.

Mollejas (grilled veal sweetbreads with celeriac, cardamom honey, pickled lime, cashews, cilantro, and mint)

Wishing it were served warm, the Corazón (smoked beef heart) was sliced roast been thin and served atop toast and a thick Romesco sauce.

Corazón (smoked beef heart) was sliced roast been thin and served atop toast Romesco sauce

At this point, we began to realize, but not regret, the richness of our meal.  We moved on to the Asado de Huesos (roasted bone marrow with radish citrus salad and beef cheek marmalade).  A phenomenal bite of warm gelatinous bone marrow smeared on toast and topped with a perfect addition of acid from the mandarin and grapefruit, finished with tender shreds of juicy beef cheeks and sprinkle of smoked paprika.

Asado de Huesos (roasted bone marrow with radish citrus salad and beef cheek marmalade)

In keeping with our organ meats and rich offals, the Foie gras y melocotón (pan-seared foie gras with smoked peaches, whiskey gastrique, and hazelnuts) was definitely in order.  I'm very much into sour, sweet, and crunchy with foie gras.  I can say that the pickled, grilled peaches was wonderfully different...'tis the season!

Foie gras y melocotón (pan-seared foie gras with smoked peaches, whiskey gastrique, and hazelnuts)

The absolute bite highlight was the uni spoon...loaded with cool, creamy uni, caviar, a quail egg, and Iberico ham crumble.

Uni, caviar, a quail egg, and Iberico ham

My face before the uni spoon:

My face after the uni spoon:

Ugly Ecstasy...LOL

How was your experience at Toro NYC?  Leave a comment in the box below!

Lobsta & More Lobsta @ Pauli's North End, 65 Salem Street, Boston, MA

North End Boston, 1901

There are three things I find absolutely beautiful about Boston - the food, the history, and the scenery.

After a hearty lunch at Pauli's North End, my friend and I discussed how Boston is a "just-big-enough-city" that features landscape that people appreciate most about metropolitan areas - waterfronts and green space.

Pauli's is located in the historic North End of Boston.  The neighborhood exemplifies Old meets New World in its design/layout, restaurants, culture, and community.  Salem Street amongst other popular "main" streets in the neighborhood are juxtaposed with the large, wide Greenway.  Short story tenements with small shops or restaurants below them suddenly appear even smaller once the city's sky line becomes visible again from street level.  There a sense of opening up, of deeper breathing once leaving the closeknit, narrow streets of the North End heading towards Fanueil Hall Marketplace or Haymarket.  The contrast is quite an experience.

The North End certainly has an air about itself.  There is definitely a community feel.  Many of the business owners are welcoming and inviting and Mr. Pauli's 'super deli", where you are sure to receive "wicked fresh and crazy good" eats, is no exception!

I must say, after spending 8 years in southeast Alabama for school, it is refreshing to enter an eatery, or any business for that matter, and immediately experience or note warmth between patrons and staff.  Pauli clearly takes pride in assuring that each customer he serves receives his personal best.  And yes, Pauli helps run the register most days!

The restaurant served a multitude of dishes.  The number and variety of dishes offered by the kitchen is nothing short of amazing for a place that is small, even for the North End.  There are three rows of double basic tables and room for two to three people at the window bar where people are watching you and your food as much as you're watching them.

It's really no surprise that we order the lobster roll.  After all, it IS award-winning and all the buzz in the foodie community!  We were not, however, brave enough to sample the $49.99, 1.5 lb USS Lobstitution lobster roll, created back in July 2013 as the largest lobster roll in New England (no doubt)!  We went with the 7 ouncer as to save room for other bites.  The lobster is locally-sourced, arriving daily from Globe Fish Co. at Marine Industrial Park.

Now, when I say other bites, your options are abundant, hot or cold sandwiches and wraps, pasta dishes, salads, wings, and breakfast foods like steak tips and eggs, omelets, pancakes.  The list goes on...

7 oz. Lobster Roll + "Dirty" Kettle Chips

  What I loved most about the lobster roll was its pure, unadulterated, sweet, tender lobster!   The precious claw and knuckle meat was simply tossed in light mayo, no filler and no shreds of sad crustacean.  Pauli's serves a purist lobster lover's dream resting on and even toppling out of a sweet roll.

I guess this was the day of the lobster as I also had to sample the lobster mac n' cheese.  My only disappointment was the substitution of penne for macaroni, but other than that minor detail, once the dish was mixed well, the pasta and lobster coated in the cheesy sauce, all was right in the world.  Again, this dish featured a hefty helping of succulent lobster claw and knuckle meat and topped with buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.

For my non-seafood taste, I order the Pollo Pazzo, a large hot sandwich featuring hearty, crisp chicken cutlets, crisp bacon, a beautiful herbaceous pesto mayo, purple onion, fresh feta cheese, lettuce, and tomato.

I have every intention of returning to sample a few breakfast and more lunch/dinner items.  Breakfast is served until 5 pm, but Pauli informed me that this may change soon to give the kitchen a bit of a breather and maintain their reputation of all day fast service.

We left with big smiles.

DrFoodie

Erika

 I want to thank Pauli's North End for filling our bellies and extending such fantastic hospitality.

 You can check out Pauli's blog with great photos and recipes,  here.

Disclosure:  Pauli's North End covered the costs of this meal.  All opinions are my own.

1st Annual Boston Cocktail Summit: The Thing "Salty" Black Tie Event @ Locke-Ober (Now Closed. Tragically)

 

For what turned out to be one of the last cocktail events at the iconic space "The Thing", held at Locke-Ober was a pretty amazing event filled with fashionable friends and snazzy industry folks likeKirsten Amann, Jackson Cannon, Josh Childs, Ted Kilpatrick, and Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, amongst others.

With the attire calling for "salty" black tie and proceeds benefiting "Meet the Worms" (an initiative by the Barbara Lynch Foundation which helps educate children on the importance of health and nutrition), how could anyone resist? 

Me and Danette of Yum! Food Food

Photo by Natasha Moustache Photography: Me, Christopher Bidmead, and his beautiful locks ;0)

Several handcraft cocktails were featured on each of the 3 floors with my favorite served up by Troy Clarke and Kirsten "Kitty" Amann:

The "Ward 8" cocktail was created in 1898 at Locke-Ober, made with rye whiskey, fresh orange and lemon juice, and grenadine/maraschino cherry.

Troy Clarke serving up the good stuff!  How do you like that ice cube?!?  Love a good punch!!!

Emma Hollander mixing up the Margs!

A perfect pour!

Jackson Cannon

Shannon Bullard Sweetser

Andrew busting a move and being photo bombed. Ha!

Photo-bomber and friend :0)

Noah. Playing the air flute??? :0)

Milk punch producer @ Catalyst ;0)