There’s an epicerie fine called Rock du Palais literally right across the street from my apartment. It’s become my go-to on on those nights I plan to spend dabbling in the canned-and-jarred chapter of France’s inexhaustible cuisine. They have all kinds of great stuff there: duck foie gras, duck magret with duck foie gras, duck…
I’m about three months overdue on an account of my evening at Le Chien de Pavlov, a jewelry-box-sized, quiet little brasserie specializing in creative French dishes prepared with market-fresh, seasonal ingredients. We caught our 9:00 pm reservation after a beer out on the terrace of Le Trou Duck around the corner, and sat to a…
The last dinner of a trip has to be a special one. I think I remember learning that during my childhood from my parents and I’ve lived by it ever since. I guess most people do. For our last night in Rome we chose a place called Elle Effe on the petite Piazza Pollarola near the…
It was around 10:30 that we rolled out of bed and another hour and a half later that the three of us were dressed, perfumed and ready to leave our Trastevere AirBnB. Too many Negronis and Sambuca and not enough water the night before at Freni e Frizioni (which quickly proved itself one of my top…
As I tucked my little Sony Cybershot into my suitcase on the morning of my flight to Rome, I was hoping to find some places worth writing about. Tons of work for school left me with no time to do the research I normally do before visiting a new city, and I only had a list of…
My buddy Ethan is a good guy to know when you’re bopping around Italy, looking for good things to eat. He knew just where to take us in Bologna, what to recommend in Tuscany and he sent a rather detailed “foodspotting” google map of Rome a few weeks before I arrived there. Under “EAT” he…
Rome, Italy. I cannot believe that up until two weeks ago I hadn’t been to this major European capital. After having visited, throughout the 28 years of my life, almost all other big culture hubs on this ancient continent, I had kept the best for last, like that best bite of pizza (the one heaviest with toppings)…
The counter menu at Belle Campagne demands your full attention. It’s a short selection of just 11 savory options, a cooler and more shareable complement to the full menu served upstairs. But each item on there requires careful consideration. Duck fat frites or frites soaked in meat jus? White asparagus or beetroot? Smoked trout or the catch…
There are many good kebab spots in Bordeaux and Coluche is considered one of the best. The place has been packed each time I’ve passed it, made even more popular by its corner location right on a vibrant plaza. Behind the counter is a simple salad station, two vertical rotisseries and a deep-fryer for French…
On a sunny Saturday, beaux’s friends were in Bordeauxtown for a visit. We were looking for a chill spot for a bit of midday wine drinking and oyster binging, where we could catch up on the past few months and share stories about our new life here. La Capitainerie near Place du Palais fit the bill…
That Best Bite 