Hello From Paris

Just a quick hello and no pictures. The internet here at the hotel is a pretty hefty 5£ per 15 minutes. That is a bit over 50 cents a minute, as near as I can determine. Ah well, a coffee costs 4£ at many of the cute little sidewalk cafes, so that makes Starbucks a bargain. Paris is, indeed, an expensive city.

There was a "minor" transportation strike yesterday, but I didn't really notice. There was another at the Versailles though that delayed the opening of the palace until 11:00 AM, an hour and a half after the scheduled opening. Of course nobody seemed to know about this in advance so the lines were building up pretty impressively. The delayed opening also seemed to apply to the toilettes. This would never have benn allowed to happen before the revolution. There is something to be said for a monarchy.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman and her equally Mysterious Sister decided they would wait it out. Bar Man abhors all lines, especially long lines made longer because of a strike that can't possibly accomplish anything other than making a lot of tourists upset. But then, maybe that is the point.

The food here is delicious, and we haven't even gone to any fancy restaurants, just little bistros. We did have one lousy meal in a nest of touristy Greek restaurants. I ordered suckling pig and got what would be the leftovers of the same dish at a better place. The Mysterious Chinese Woman ordered a fillet of pork chop that sounded good. Sadly, she ended up with the same platter of leftovers that I got. Yet, she was assured that she did indeed get what she ordered. Even the Retsina, a Greek wine, I ordered tasted watered down. Maybe they figure most people don't know what it is supposed to taste like, but I do. There is a Greek Orthodox church on the block where I live that serves it at their annual week-long festival.

Beware if you find yourself in a narrow street lined with mostly Greek restaurants displaying fantastic looking fish and cuts of meat. On the other hand, gyro stands looked good and we did get delicious gelato at a nearby stand.

The subway system in Paris is pretty slick, although we have managed to get "confused" a couple of times. Still, we pretty much get where we want to go.

My time is running out so au revoire for now and I will post more and will have pictures when I get back.

On Vacation

The Mysterious Chinese Woman, a Mysterious Chinese Sister, and myself will be heading to Paris tomorrow, and then on to Rome. I don't think I will be bringing my laptop with me so there may not be any new posts until I return. On the bright side, once I return I should have enough material for a bunch of interesting posts.

I might try to put something up from an internet cafe, and maybe I will be able to upload pictures. We shall see.

Because we will be in Paris tomorrow we decided to get an early start had dinner at Bar Tabac, my favorite neighborhood bistro, to get into the mood. We fly to Madrid where we change planes. I don't know what the restaurants in the airport are like. Some airports, including the one in Minneapolis, have dynamite restaurants. I really liked Madrid when I was there so a nice Spanish breakfast while we are waiting for our connecting flight would be good.

Also not sure what clearing customs is like as you travel through Europe these days. I don't really remember from the last time I was there. We shall see.

Anyway, please excuse the hiatus, I will try to post if I can, but for sure I will start posting again as soon as I get back. I would tell you when that would be but then you wouldn't keep checking and my hit count would go down and I will never appear on David Letterman. We can't have that, now can we?

Where Wolves In London?

Before having lunch at the Heights Cafe, the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I took a little walk down by the East River. To get there we pass under the Brooklyn Bridge where much ado has been made about the new signage that will make it easier to find the secret stairway to the pedestrian walkway. I don't know why, but I was underwhelmed.

No Expense Was Spared


Actually, though, this sign may actually be helpful.

Pointing The Way, Kind Of


In a small park across from the entrance to the pedestrian walkway a neat little sculpture has been place.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman Heading West


Our initial destination was to see the telectroscope that has just been completed. Work on this began long ago when a tunnel under the Atlantic Ocean was started and a series of magnifying lenses and mirrors were installed to let people in the United States and Great Britain observe each other.

Quite The Feat






The United States end is right here in Brooklyn by the Brooklyn Bridge and the one in Great Britain is located by the Tower Bridge across the Thames River in London.

Peering Across The Pond


Hey, It Really Works!!!


Well, it was kind of cool, but no werewolves were to be seen. I think they were all at Lee Ho Fook's eating beef chow mein.

One of the cool things about New York and, in my mind, especially Brooklyn is the diversity and the little surprises. A very nice, and expensive restaurant sits right under the Brooklyn Bridge. The River Cafe, while fairly fancy on the inside, looks for all the world like some riverside cafe somewhere in the rural south or maybe Maine.

The River Cafe


And, adding to the illusion, a bit of beach and a couple of ducks paddling around.

They Kwak With A Brooklyn Accent


For some reason this reminded me of some photo shoot on a beach somewhere in Italy.

Hold That Pose


We were thinking about having a pizza at the famous Grimaldi's but it had gotten too famous for my liking. I just don't fancy standing in line for a pizza and the "velvet rope" really put me off.

Are You On The List?


Now don't get me wrong, I have had the pizza here, and it is very good indeed. I know a place in Manhattan that is just as good, but none better. I think it is better to go in the off-season though. Too many tourists this time of year. And yes, Grimaldi's is, indeed, a tourist attraction. I told you it was famous. Actually, if I was a tourist I would rather go to Grimaldi's than the Statue of Liberty. And the line would be shorter too.

Heights Cafe

After our walk to look at people in London (you will have to wait for my next post to see what that is all about) the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I had worked up a bit of a hunger and I had worked up a bit of a thirst. We decided to stop into the Heights Cafe on Montague Street where I figured I could get a decently built drink.

Heights Cafe


It was a nice a nice sunny day so we figured we would sit outside, just like they do in Europe. We are just so cosmopolitan, but not like that overly sweet, overly hyped, pink drink. Ah, but I am too harsh. You can get a good Cosmopolitan if you have a decent bartender. Sadly, Sex And The City has made them so popular that they are not only over-priced, they are now churned out by the bucket-full by people who don't really know what they are doing. I guess that is okay though, most of them are drunk by people who prefer their margaritas made with a mix.

But, I digress. As usual, I like to at least order my drink at the bar where I can watch it being made and enjoy my first few sips in a familiar setting.

Bar Man At The Bar


I opted for a Tanqueray and Tonic and it was nicely made indeed. By that I meant it was strong enough so that I didn't really need more than one. Well, that didn't mean I wouldn't have more than one, though.

We moved outside and took a peek at the menu. Lot's of good stuff. I had a hard time deciding but I opted for one of their daily specials, a grilled pastrami sandwich. But this wasn't just any old grilled pastrami sandwich. The grilled pastrami was on a nice multi-grain bread with cranberry and tarragon aioli, caramelized onions, grilled tomatoes, arugula, and Swiss cheese. It sounded kind of bizarre, but it intrigued me. I figured I better get it because I might never see it on their menu again.

It was surprisingly good. Everything was well balanced. I guess it was a takeoff on the classic Grilled Reuben. Now that I think about it, I guess this was to a Grilled Reuben like a Cosmopolitan is to a Martini. But a Cosmopolitan made by a really good bartender using fresh ingredients. The sandwich was served with a side of fries that were thin and crispy and quite good.

Bar Man Enjoying His Sandwich


The other item on the menu that intrigued me was a Texas meatloaf sandwich. This featured meatloaf wrapped in bacon which sounds decadently delicious. This is on their regular menu though so I will be making a trip back shortly to try it.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman had a sesame crusted salmon and tuna salad that was served with marinated vegetable sprouts and mesclun greens with a wasabi vinaigrette. It certainly looked good and apparently tasted good too. At least the plate was cleaned.

We also got a nice bread basket with both bread and rolls. They weren't served hot, but the they were tasty nonetheless.

I found the bartender to be pleasant although too busy to talk much. There was just one and he had a lunch crowd to contend with. The service was prompt and courteous and our waitress was very nice. She was the one that suggested I get the grilled pastrami sandwich because, she said, the specials were always good and the Texas Meatloaf was always available.

Now that Amando's is no more I will probably visit here more often than I have in the past. Damn, now I can't get that Texas Meatloaf out of my mind.

Feels Like Home

A good friend of mine who now lives in Florida came back for a visit and, as he almost always does, put together a group to have dinner at Capucine's, my favorite Italian restaurant.

Capucine's




Now I have written about Capucine's before. In fact it was stop number 514 on my journey through 1000 bars. I used to live just a couple of blocks away and probably ate there once a week back then. Even after I moved to Brooklyn and still worked in Manhattan I would pop in at least a couple of times a month. Now, sadly, my visits are less frequent. But that doesn't stop the owners and staff from treating me like family whenever I show up. Maybe I over tip.

This trip I was spotted while I was still outside and taking a picture.

Watching From The Window


And sure enough, once again I was welcomed like family.

A Warm Welcome


I got here a bit before my dinner companions so I decided to have a drink at the small, but adequate, bar while I waited.

Bar Man, Bombay Martini, and Daryl the Bartender


As it turned out, Daryl and the fellow who greeted me at the door now own Capucine's. The previous owner retired but I am glad to see the same people are involved with the restaurant, although Daryl is new. I chatted with her about all sorts of stuff including Paris and Rome where I am headed later this week. She also makes a great martini.

I told Daryl that I had been going to Capucine's since 1982 when I lived in the neighborhood. I just found out that was when it opened. I guess we kind of grew up together.

The service here is always great, warm and friendly as well as efficient. And they make everyone feel at home, not just me. It really is a nice family restaurant a short walk away, corner of 19th Street and 2nd Avenue, from the more expensive and "fashionable" Gramercy Park establishments, many of which are also very good.

Capucine's is fairly small. The bar only seats about four people and the restaurant is divided into two separate rooms. It is pleasantly decorated with pink walls, and pretty flowers. Just a comfortable place to eat.

The food has always been top quality in the southern style. For appetizers we had the clams casino which the Mysterious Chinese Woman always orders so you know they must be good. My friend from Florida had the beef carpaccio and he just loves it. I often get it too and it is great. Someone else had the stuffed artichoke and I had grilled calamari which was outstanding.

I ordered my favorite which they had for a special as they often do. It was veal stuffed with eggplant, prosciutto, and mozzarella cheese. Just delicious and so tender you can cut it with a fork. The Mysterious Chinese Woman had the deep-fried soft-shelled crabs and although she didn't eat the legs she said they were quite good. She never eats the legs, too crunchy I guess.

I don't remember what everyone else had, but from the way they tucked into their meals they must have enjoyed them. I was too busy having a good time to take notes and now, of course, I regret that.

We all shared tiramisu for dessert and I also had an espresso with a Strega for a nightcap.

Let me simply say that I think everyone should try this restaurant, as long as you don't all go when I want to. It really is a throw-back to the old-style Italian restaurants that you don't see too often anymore.

Ballistic At Balthazar

Well, that is a bit of a stretch. Nobody went ballistic, exactly. However I did get sharply reprimanded for having the audacity to take a picture of the interior of Balthazar's. More on that later.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I met up with a couple of her equally Mysterious Sisters for dinner at Balthazar in the ever so fashionable SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. SoHo is another of those cute names they give to little sections of the City and is short for South of Houston. Houston (pronounced How Stun in New York, just to confuse the tourists) is a major street running east and west across Manhattan.

Balthazar


This is quite a well known French Bistro type restaurant located on busy Spring Street. It is a fairly large restaurant with a separate bar area and an adjacent bakery which may be even more popular than the restaurant.

The Big Picture


New York is a very interesting city for many reasons. One is the wide variety of neighborhoods and even streets within a neighborhood. Although Spring Street was crowded with cars and pedestrians, right around the corner was this almost deserted, partially covered-over, cobblestone street.

Almost Pastoral


I managed to get to Balthazar about fifteen minutes early so I had time to pop into the bar for a couple of beers.

Wetting The Old Whistle


It was fairly early so the bar hadn't packed up, quite. It was crowded enough so that there were only a few barstools open. There were three bartenders on duty so I had time to chat with mine a bit. He was very friendly and we talked about beers. I didn't get a chance to get his name or a picture though, my fault really.

The bar is quite stylish in an old French Bistro simulated kind of way. Nice though. For some reason they had those black-knobbed beer taps though so you don't really know what they have unless you ask. I think they had about six draft beers. I opted for a Corsendonk and a Belgian White. I don't know what kind of a Belgian White though, and neither did the bartender. It was good though, as was the Corsendonk.

They also had peanuts and olives and thin cracker-like bread on the bar to nibble on. That is always a nice touch. It was a pleasant enough place and would probably be fun to stop into some afternoon for a stretch. I bet is is too crowded for the likes of me in the evening though. It was pretty packed up by the time we finished dinner, and that was early by New York standards.

The dining room was as nicely appointed as the bar and it, again, had the ambiance of an upscale bistro in Paris. Except one end of the dining room was occupied by a large raw bar. That is something I don't recall ever seeing anywhere but here.

Our waiter was very attentive and quickly took our drink order, an Alsatian wine, and it arrived promptly. He kept a watchful, but unobtrusive, eye on our table and was quick to take our order when it looked like we were ready.

We started with smoked octopus as an appetizer and it was excellent. Nice and crispy on the outside with a real grilled flavor to it. Real tender on the inside. This is not the easiest thing to accomplish so the dinner got off to a nice start.

One of the Mysterious Sisters ordered the duck confit that was served with crispy fried potatoes, wild mushrooms, and a salad of some kind. I didn't taste it but it got good reviews from everyone who did. It certainly looked delicious, browned and crispy.

The other Mysterious Sister ordered grilled chicken paillard and she also commented on how good it was. The Mysterious Chinese Woman ordered pasta (in a French restaurant, go figure) with pancetta and green peas. Not exactly my cup of tea, but what do I know. She also said hers was quite good.

I ordered the Steak Frites and my opinion is a bit mixed. The frites were quite good, thin and crispy just the way I like them. I ordered the steak medium-rare and that was how it came, so no complaints there. However, it wasn't the most tender cut of meat I had ever had and, for the price of $30, it should have been. Not bad, but I would recommend that if you do order it you get it at least medium.

We split two desserts between the four of us and they were delicious. We had an apple tart with ice cream that was dynamite. Nice crispy crust and an apple filling my mother would have been proud to call her own. The other dessert was Lemon Mille-Feuille. Not sure what that means, but it too was outstanding. Kind of a crispy lemon meringue with a lemon custard. My descriptions are not doing justice to these so you will just have to try them yourself.

During the course of our meal I saw an interesting greenish cocktail go by with a lime slice hanging on the rim of the glass. It looked like a margarita but I wasn't sure. I wanted one, but I didn't want it if it was some kind of a melon thing. The waiter tracked the drink down and informed me that it was, indeed, a margarita. So I had one. Lip smacking good it was too. Tasted like they used real lime juice and not a mix.

Now if this place wasn't so hard to get into I might go more often. The problem is that you have to make reservations almost a month in advance. Kind of eliminates just spontaneously popping in. And if I am going to plan on going to a restaurant a month in advance I probably wouldn't pick this one.

Oh, the picture thing. I had no problem taking pictures in the bar area but after we sat down at our table I snapped this one and the guy entering the frame from the right immediately came over and told me that no pictures were allowed. As you can see, I wasn't taking any pictures of other patrons and he wouldn't have been in it if he hadn't started to rush over to the table when he saw my camera.

No Pictures, Except This One


I half expected him to make me delete that one too.

To compensate I pulled this picture off of the web. It will have to do.

Purloined Picture


To sum the place up, decor was nice in a pseudo fancy French bistro kind of way, service was excellent, food was by-and-large very good, desserts were to die for. Oh, and the bread they served with the meal was fabulous. As I wandered off at least one of the Mysterious Sisters was standing in line in the bakery to buy some bread to take home. She said she wanted it to make sandwiches out of some leftover lamb from our Memorial Day outing.

Something Fishy Here

Well, nobody correctly identified the tasty looking dish that was pictured in my previous blog. But, as promised, all shall now be revealed.

I shouldn't have been quite as surprised about this as I was. Earlier in the week Jim had sent me an email asking me if I knew what a buffalo fish was. I told him I thought it was like a carp, a bottom feeding "rough" fish. In the Midwest, where I am originally from, nobody eats carp though, and they are considered a nuisance because they can crowd out other more desirable species. Jim, of course, showed up with a fourteen pound buffalo fish.

Ah, Beautiful


Of course Jim then left it to me to deal with this monstrosity on my own. And I wasn't too sure what to do with it either. It hadn't been cleaned, of course, and was too big to fit into my smoker.

Trying My Best


A Lot Of Eggs




Yep, that delicious looking dish was a lot, a whole lot, of buffalo fish eggs. In fact there were more eggs in that fish than meat. I tried my best to fillet the fish, but I pretty much botched that up and ended up with mess of meat.

Not A Pretty Sight


Sadly, things got worse. The top of the smoker is supposed to fit loose, but I have a dent in mine. You have to line up the dents to get the top on right. For some reason I was impatient and kind of whomped it down. Then, when I went to open it, it was stuck so I had to jerk it pretty hard. When the top popped off the grill dislodged and all of the fish meat fell directly onto the coals.

A Fiasco


Jim was bound and determined to at least try some of the fish so he gamely tried to pick some of it out of the charcoal.

There Has Got To Be A Bite In There Somewhere


To his credit, he did manage to salvage a plateful. Not much to show for a fourteen pound fish though.

Slim Pickings


I did salvage the head though, which I plan on using to make fish stock.

Bar Man And Fish Head


You can see a beer poking into the above picture and yes, it was time for a beer.

It's Beer Time




Just to let you all know, earlier in the day I did successfully smoke a chicken and a boneless leg of lamb. The chicken I soaked overnight in root beer and some kosher salt. Then I glazed it with an orange/honey glaze. It was deemed to be a great success. For the lamb I used a dry rub that I made and everyone liked that as well.

The next day I decided to put the fish behind me and start afresh.

A New Day


I did two racks of ribs, one with the dry rub I made and the other with soy sauce and five spice powder.

Ribs Getting Ready To Go






I also did another chicken, this time brined overnight with pineapple and orange juice with kosher salt and a duck brined with apple juice and kosher salt. I used the same glaze that I used on the chicken the day before.

Just Perfect


And, of course, I had to cook the fish eggs.

Giving It The Old College Try


As you may recall, they did turn out pretty good. In fact just like they were supposed to. They had a smooth creamy texture with a bit of a crunch on the outside.

Beautiful To Behold


And yes, Jim and I did eat some. Not a lot, but some. Maybe one tablespoon full each.

Yummy, Not!


They basically tasted like fishy Cream of Wheat.

It was Jim's birthday though so we were able to clean our palate with his cake.

Cutting The Cake


I guess Jim was still upset about the whole fish thing and was taking it out on the cake. Well, better the cake than the cook.

Finally, The End Of A Long Day

Okay, just so everyone is clear, I am still writing about the Sunday before last, May 18th. Some of my long-time readers remember when I coordinated the date of my post with the date of the events. I haven't been doing this lately, although perhaps I should start again. Let me know what you think. At any rate, this blog ends Jim's visit to Brooklyn, an eventful day.

After leaving the Waterfront Ale House Jim, the perpetually hungry Jim, decided he wanted to stop into the The Atlantic ChipShop. He had heard from a friend that it was very good. In fact his friends said they served the best fish and chips he had ever had.

The Atlantic ChipShop


Given that the ChipShop is within easy staggering distance of Waterfront Ale House, this seemed like a reasonable idea. And they do have a bar with a decent selection of beers.

Fish & Chips & Beer (hold the fish & chips)


I wasn't that hungry so I didn't order anything but I did taste the fish and chips. It was very good indeed. I would have to do a side-by-side taste comparison with Joe Jack's in Puerto Vallarta to tell you which I liked best, but it would be close. The fish was lightly battered and beautifully golden brown. The batter was crisp and not at all oily. The fish was moist and delicately flavored. The chips (French fries to the uninformed) were quite good as well, although I am not a huge French fry fan. Just something to scoop up the ketchup with. I kind of like the ones at Bar Tabac though, just because of the homemade mayonnaise they serve with them.

We were well served by Adam who had his hands full with a bit of crowd for a fairly small place. Actually, he probably had his hands full just with the three of us.

Adam The Patient




From here we felt compelled to mosey on down Atlantic Avenue a bit and stop into another one of my favorite places, Montero.

A Real Waterfront Bar


Not much I can say about this place that you haven't read about before on my blogs. Oh, except that Pilar wasn't at her usual seat. The bartender said she was there earlier though.

Montero is pretty much a beer and shot place with Rolling Rock priced cheap. No sense going against the flow, such as it was.

Beers And Shots At The Bar


I don't exactly understand what was going on here. I may have been trying to do the "Live long and prosper" thing and I presume Jim was just flashing the "bullshit" sign. But maybe he is a Texas Longhorn fan, who knows.

Just Hanging On


And finally, as the sky began to darken, we called it a day and headed home.

Heading Home


I spent Memorial Day week-end at my sister-in-law's for a barbecue and to celebrate Jim's birthday. Jim showed up with something unusual for me to work with. He has been working on the Iron Chef show recently so I think he had this whole "surprise ingredient" thing on his mind.

Secret Ingredient


If you think you know what this is, send me an email or post a comment. I will give you credit in my next post when all shall be revealed.