Posts Tagged With: restaurants

La Cosmopolita – A Malaga Gem With a NY Connection

Posted on May 10, 2024 by Ziggy

They really love their long names in Spain. Officially on Google its “La Cosmopolita Malagueña | Dani Carnero | Restaurant in Malaga”. After getting a strong worded letter from Google about the name and use of special characters they decided to shorten their next project to “La Cosmo Malagueña | Dani Carnero | Restaurant in Malaga”. Yes, these are two different restaurants in the heart of Malaga’s vivacious center, and I sampled one of them. The long one. It was so good, I just had to come back the next day. Well, sort of…

Malaga’s center will make you cancel all museums, castles, cathedral, anything involved walking uphill, and beach plans. Especially if this is your last leg of a long trip. Its a maze of cuteness. The architecture, the shops, the scene, the art, the fashion, will make you want to walk and rewalk the same streets just in case you missed something. Exploring other neighborhoods like Soho was interesting but felt like a waste of time for us tourists. Note to the Urban planners of the world: Unless you have a street named Houston, stop calling your neighborhoods Soho and Noho. Its getting old, and silly.

La Cosmopolita could not have been in a more touristy area. Its entirely surrounded by Tapas Bars and all sorts of other food options. For the casual diners who dont necessarily need to have the best Ajoblanco in the city, but just want to sit down somewhere and people watch, there are options galore. But for the rest of us freaks who derive much of the pleasure from months of research, you want to check out La Cosmopolita, and its Michelin approved sisters. While not every dish worked, the ones that did more than made up for it.

Lets start with the one clear dud. Crab omelette. Reviewers made this a must get, and since I love crab and everything egg, I just had to sample it. But it just didnt work for us, especially while smothered with that crab sauce. The profile flavors of fishy seafood and eggs in general should not be combined, unless you posses the creativity to make it work.

Moving on to the hits. Mollete de Atún, one of their specialties is like the best raw tuna sandwich you’ll ever find. Mollete translates to a muffin (like an English Muffin I suppose), but its actually IGP protected buns from Antequera. Its a glorious, well balanced combination. Another hit, perhaps the big one came in the form of steak tartare. Pure joy with every morsel. I dont recall eating tartare this good even in Paris recently.

The Tuna, Cadiz style, comes like a stew with onions was serviceable. Not something I’d order again, but I do like this style which we enjoyed numerous times on this trip. Payoya cheesecake to finish off was sensational. One of the better cheesecakes of the trip (we had quite a bit). Love that funk from the Payoya goat cheese. Didnt try more, since some of the us got sick and stayed in the hotel room. So it was an impromptu date between Mrs Z and I on our first evening in Malaga.

But that’s not the end of the story. This was by far our favorite staff of the trip. Not due to their over the top professionalism, but goofiness. From the waiter that decided to grab my phone to take a better picture (he didnt), to the British woman, and the chubby jokester who brings the Panna Cotta to the table next to us while shaking it to show how it jiggles, its the type of dysfunctional family you want every restaurant to have. By the end of all this (span of two days) the chubby waiter hugged me more than Mrs Z hugged me all year. TMI? Not really.

Why did I go there again the next day you may be asking. Not to eat. When Mr Chubby (we were having so much fun that we forgot to formally introduce each other) learned where I was from, he replied “Oh, our chef is from NYC. He used to own a restaurant called Da Andrea”, 😲😲😲. “but he’s not here today. Come back tomorrow”. If you’ve been following me for a long time, you’d know that Da Andrea used to be my favorite restaurant in NYC years ago. I spent birthdays there, among other functions. I was introduced to proper Italian food, and even some of my favorite wine at Da Andrea. But I never really knew the owners, who apparently sold Da Andrea not too long ago. Needless to say coming back the next day and conversing with the man, the legend was a trip highlight.

Categories: Spain | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Blanca Paloma {Seville} – Game of Prawns

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Ziggy

Once you cross the bridge into the colorful Triana neighborhood in Seville, you will find yourself glaring at the scene of Calle San Jacinto, before joining the scene. Close the street to car and horse traffic and you get a party. Yes, in Seville you need to also keep in mind horses, especially during the April Feria. That means declaring a designated horse poop spotter that leads the pack and warns the rest of the group. Preferably the one that had the least Tinto de Veranos for lunch. It’s V E R A N O! If you are Italophiles like us, you will struggle with the name big time.

Once you reach the end of the pedestrian area, continue walking one more block. I know, I know, youve already seen three churches today, a Game of Thrones site (Alcázar), walked 15 miles, and want to settle at one of the inviting joints on the Calle for another Tinto de Varena. But keep going. Deliciousness awaits.

Blanca Paloma, the restaurant, not the singer, is a Triana institution. Its the only restaurant I encountered in Seville that takes reservations that I couldn’t make. Even my hotel, the excellent El Rey Moro had difficulties getting someone to pick up the phone. But dont despair. Most just show up. And if you show up when they open for lunch or dinner, you can snag a table inside or out.

We were the first team to arrive (Amazing Race fans here) prior to opening. BTW, you can pretty much forget what Google tells you about opening times in Spain. Its more like a probability. Some places can open at that time, but with the kitchen actually opening 30-60 minutes later. Meaning you can just hang out and have a Tinto de Verona. But Blanca Paloma and its kitchen opened as promised at the American lunch time of 12:30. The locals eat lunch after 2pm, and dinner after 9pm. We gave it a shot, but gave up on day one.

Prior to my visit, I got a sense that anything and everything shrimp is the name of the game at BP, and I’m more convinced now. But I’m guessing you cant have many wrongs here no matter what you get. Eggplant stuffed with shrimp – Si please. Probably our top eggplant dish in eggplant loving Andalucia. Mini garlic shrimp burgers, immensely flavorful. And then you get the phenomenal Shrimp a la Plancha that I saw many eating all over Calle San Jacinto.

Crab Croquetas was yet more awesomeness. Unlike other Croquetas we had, there was flavor and texture here. One of the surprising items we’ve seen on various menus is Canelones, like the Spanish Cannelloni. This one stuffed with Iberian pork and Roquefort sauce. Exquisite stuff. The only thing that was average here was the cakes. They ran out of Torrija before opening somehow! Maybe one of the cooks had a tough breakup last night. South of Spain rule of thumb: Order Torrija and/or cheesecake for dessert everywhere.

Blanca Paloma also served one of the better Vermouths of the trip. After trying the Spanish stand-alone Vermouth at Txikito in NYC, I was worried that its not really for me, but throughout my trip I couldnt get enough of it.

After the meal, make sure to check out the market and some of the tile stores around the area. Like Ceramica Triana, and Ceramica Santas Justa y Rufina where the friendly owner speaks excellent English, and lets you break things!

Categories: Spain | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

The Thai Diner Survival Guide

Posted on April 11, 2024 by Ziggy

Why should you go?

Thai Diner (aka Uncle Boons 2.0) is one of the most popular if not the most poplar Thai restaurant in NYC that tourists generally dont know about. Dont worry locals, I’m not gonna change that as I dont have that kind of reach. But sharing is caring. One way you can check whether a place is touristy is simply by looking at Trip Advisor reviews compared to the more local Yelp, and Google. A whopping 26 reviews compared to 871 (Yelp), and 1569 (Google). Thats as local as it gets for a Manhattan establishment.

It took me a few visits to warm up to Uncle Boons, but I’m beginning to like Thai Diner even more. The space is more welcoming, and more comfortable (emphasis on more than the predecessor which was fairly uncomfortable). Love the decor, the Pure Thai Cookhouse-like Thai music. I never understood why so many ethnic places play American music. Who wants to listen to Sweet Caroline while munching on Szechuan food. Well, according to Trevor Noah its every single white person, but you know what I mean.

When should you go?

Its always busy, and waits are inevitable. They take a very limited number of reservations, so you can pretty much forget about reserving. But that just means you have a better shot at getting a table than popular places that do take full reservations. I call it the Via Carotta effect. If you are like us and have no problem combining lunch and dinner, than 4pm is your best bet. Even on Sundays there was no line at 4. By 6pm you are well fed and you are good for the rest of the day. Otherwise, come earlier, put your name down, and play tourist in NoLita/Little Italy/Chinatown.

What should you eat?

Its a smart mix of creative and classic. Every meal for many of us starts with the sick Disco Fries and ends with the Coconut Sundae. The latter is a masterpiece that includes candied peanuts, coconut gelato, coconut caramel, and to add much needed coconut flavor, toasted coconut. Another must is the crab fried rice. The Khao Soi is very solid but messy to share if more than two. The Turmeric Roti with the curry dip is terrific, as well as the Phat See Ew with fried chicken (some prefer the other chicken option, but I like the fried). The only dish I’d avoid is the Green Curry with braised beef. Sounds great, but large chunks of meh quality beef isnt doing it for me.

Who should you bring?

Ok, this survival guide is getting ridiculous Ziggy. But hear me out. This is not your typical Thai eatery in NYC where I normally have to do some begging for a little bit of heat. And while its not exactly “Thai spicy”, BYOB (Bring your own Bounty) like Ugly Baby, its bald flavors arent for everyone. Since the spoiled Mrs Z doesnt always remember the names of places we visit, I have to refer to them in other ways. Thai Diner is the “coughing place” after a memorable spicy coughing attack one time. Meaning its not the place for your mother in law’s 70’s bday celebration. Take adventurous eaters that appreciate good food and can handle a bit of heat.

What about Brunch?

Yes, please. This is one of the areas that sets Thai Diner apart, and where the creativity shines. Its a popular Brunch option for many, and one of the reasons is the outstanding, hurt so good, egg sandwich. Its wrapped in Roti that absorbs much heat so its a bit difficult to hold with bare hands, but its worth it. Thai flavors mixed with eggs, even in the morning is like magic. The Thai Tea Babka French Toast is popular as well.

What should I wear?

Khakis, loose clothing, funeral sunglasses for those not used to bald flavors.

Categories: New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

10 Reasons Why I Like Ulivo

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Ziggy

Ulivo, in the heart of NoMad isnt particularly known like a Lilia, Rezdora, or a Via Carota. It’s just one of a myriad of regional Italian in that part of the city, and unless you live nearby, it’s sometimes easy to forget it even exists. But there’s a reason it survived 8 years including a pandemic. 10 reasons in fact.

Fresh Pasta Galore – Gotta start with the bread and butter. On my first visit I was introduced to what I dubbed The Widow Maker. Lets just say its not exactly the pasta maker my kids bought me for Xmas. This is what you need in order to create a pasta centric menu, responsible for a dozen items in this case. Add a seasoned Sardinian chef and proper raw materials, and you get magic on a plate. Whether its Paccheri with braised tuna belly, Pici, Pappardelle or anything else that starts with P, you are in for a treat.

Underrated Pizza – While the focus initially was on fresh pasta, at some point they added another “Widow Maker”, an imported pizza oven producing Neapolitan pies within seconds. A capable pizzaiolo and top notch ingredients of course help. Even with this pasta lineup, I have a hard time not ordering at least one Diavola on every visit.

Seasoned Chef – He wont like me calling him seasoned (twice now), but Chef/owner/pasta wizard Emanuel Concas has been around, and can flat out cook. Since completing culinary school in Italy, he’s been cooking all over the world before settling in NYC. He started showcasing that talent in Hell’s Kitchen’s Mercato, his first restaurant, before opening Ulivo with his partner. When you meet him, you realize how passionate he is about food in general, including Asian and other cuisines.

The dependable starter – In a city that’s becoming fully a la carte including bread, olives and other used to be free items, its always refreshing to get a delectable free starter once in a while. Every meal in Mercato and Ulivo starts with fresh bread and a lentil dip plate that we lick to the point of no washing necessary.

The location – I may be fishing here, but the location in the heart of NoMad can not be any more central. No matter where I am in the city it seems, I’m fairly close to Ulivo.

Great Cocktails – Beverage director Antonello Iacca has been mixing them since he was a child. That explain some of the driving I’ve seen in Puglia. The simple but potent Gin-zilla is an award winner, but everything I’ve had here is nicely balanced.

The Olive Oil – As the name suggests, EVOO is an important aspect here, and in Italian cooking overall. To the rest of us its a concept, but for this Italian generation using the highest grade raw materials they can find is the only way they know.

Island Touch – Another thing that separates Ulivo is Sardinian and Sicilian specialties you wont find anywhere else, like Malloreddus alla Campidanese, Busiate, and the more common rigatoni alla norma.

Busiate con Pesto alla Trapanese – Worth its own entry. Its simple and unique at the same time. The consistency of the Busiate, along with the almonds, tomato, basil and plenty of garlic. The only dish I’ve ordered every single visit I think.

Easy to pop in – This is important to me. So many restaurants in NYC call themselves “corner neighborhood Italian”, yet require a month in advance to reserve. Some places are just more under the radar than others, and that doesnt necessarily make them subpar. I like that I can just be in the neighborhood with the family, and pop in unplanned. That to me is a neighborhood joint.

Ulivo
4 W 28th St (5th/Brdwy)
Recommended Dishes: Prosciutto San Daniele, Pizza, Paccheri, Busiate, Gnocchi, Tiramisu

Categories: Gramercy, Flatiron, New York City | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Claro – From Oaxaca With Love

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Ziggy

Fuck congestion pricing. There you have it. The first EWZ post that starts with the F word. I felt it was time. For many of us, driving to the city is expensive as it is. We have to pass multiple bridges and tunnels, some of the most expensive in the world, just to face yet another hefty tax for the privilege. And no, there’s practically zero chance that I will rely on a bus late at night, during bad weather and other situations. We’ll most likely still make plenty of trips as my oldest lives there, but I may need to pivot.

That pivot will require to rely more on less discovered neighborhoods like Gowanus, Brooklyn. Go ahead, I’ll wait while you Google it. You can be a 10 time visitor or even a local that never heard of this neighborhood. Although its tucked between the more famous and eatery heavy Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, you only find yourself in industrial Gowanus if you go to Whole Foods. It looks and feels like a Red Hook extension. The kind of neighborhood where dads playing ukuleles in front of babies in a brewery isnt out of the ordinary.

Add Claro as another reason to go. From the outside and in it looks like your typical rustic Red Hook/Gowanus neighborhood joint. But the food tells a different story. It may sound like a cliche, but if there’s one thing I learned in Mexico City last year, was that Mexican food in the US is quite different than Mexican food there. You expect it but dont realize the extent when you spend time there. Claro, although Oaxacan by nature, is closer to the full service CDMX experience than any place I’ve been to in NYC.

You can visit Claro a dozen times without realizing it boasted a Michelin star until last year. The prices do reflect higher end Mexican, but that was also the case before the Michelin star. Many restaurants like Rezdora, Jeju Noodle Bar often change menus and even decor to try match Michelin expectations, but you get the sense that Claro just wanted to stay the same. Maybe that’s why they couldnt maintain the star.

Masa, Mezcal, and superb raw materials is the name of the game. A concentrated menu that will make you want to bring friends that appreciate good food. While picky eaters can manage, there’s not enough variety to satisfy. Though the excellent Mezcal lineup and based drinks can keep them entertained.

We started with Tuna Tostada, the only dish I’ve had here before. The tuna was bright and flavorful, as were the rest of the ingredients. But its closer to a refreshing salad than a Tostada. Not a bad thing. The Garnachas de Venado was the first moment of brilliance. Two thick fried corn tortillas shaped like small hockey pucks, topped with braised venison. But what made the dish was the accompanied Curtido (fermented cabbage). Another winner was the outstanding Black Bass with green mole, topped with smoked Trout roe, and another beautiful concoction of Brussel sprouts, cabbage, and more.

But the piece de resistance was the Mole Negro. As the hefty price ($68) suggests, its more of a dish for two. It featured a succulent Bone Marrow with fried mole that added a nice texture, and a perfectly cooked short rib sitting on a bed of their famous mole. But it was the ugly duckling, a sad looking Tenderloin that was one of the best cooked meats I’ve had in a long time. It comes with Negi Onion (fancy for scallions), and their excellent tortillas. Their Masa is made in-house from imported Oaxacan corn.

Arroz con Leche with pineapple was the perfect finish to a rare flawless meal. Not too sweet, and not the soupy variety. As for drinks, you got your Mezcal pairing options, but we opted for Mezcal based drinks which were both well balanced and superb. Jungla – Milk Piunch for me, San Pascualito Rey for her. Go!

Claro
284 3rd Ave (Brooklyn)
Recommended Dishes: Tuna Tostada, Garnachas de Venado, Black Bass, Mole Negro, Arroz con Leche

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Anguilla – How to Gain 7 Pounds in 7 Days

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Ziggy

One of my most popular posts and a lot of fun to update over the years was a similar title for TCI, where I offer a 7 day eating itinerary. Granted I havent updated that in over 5 years (blame Anguilla). Although this is the same concept, I will focus on my favorite 4 dinners and 4 lunches and will give suggestions on the rest of the week. While my three visits so far dont give me the same amount of expertise as the over 20 in TCI, I think I got a pretty good handle on things in tiny and delicious Anguilla.

7 Lunches

Sunshine Shack – A no brainer and not exactly a secret. It is a lot more popular these days than on our first visit. Still, this is a shack in its core, not a full blown restaurant. You’ll just need to wait a bit for the food. Get the frozen BBC (Banana Baileys Coconut) to start which will fill you up like an appetizer, to make that wait a lot less painful, and fun). There are only a few items on the menu. I prefer the chicken and ribs combo over the expensive lobster.

Blanchards Beach Shack – Another popular shack, but very different than SS. This is more of a full crew cross between a Caribbean shack and American fast casual. You got multiple windows for orders, pickup and drinks. Even in slower months expect lines to order and waits for the food (you get a buzzer). But its worth it for the crafty salads and sandwiches. Try the Jerk Burger.

Johnno’s – This pick might surprise the hardcore Anguilla fans. By day, a very low key, rustic joint, overlooking beautiful Sandy Ground. By night, well, I wouldnt know. I’ve only been during the day, and each time I got the quintessential Anguillan treatment, including fresh, well cooked food. And a strong rum punch to boot. Sunday is funday with live music. In a way Johnno’s reminds me of Flamingo’s in TCI. Try the steamed snapper with Fungi, and/or Shrimpi Scampi, as long as you forget everything you know about shrimp scampi.

Vincy – I’ve already written about Vincy. The restaurant is one of the newer kids on the block, but the talented Vincy the owner has been around. The view overlooking Sandy Ground adds to the atmosphere at lunch, and the food is not too shabby. Vincy keeps things relatively simple with the ingredient driven menu. Try the shrimp tacos and grilled snapper with lemon sauce.

The rest

Falcon Nest – Another casual shack/bar with a full menu of goodies. Try the seafood pasta

Trattoria Tramonto – Good place to hang out on a gorgeous beach. Try the Vongole

Tasty’s – Solid local cuisine for lunch or dinner. Try the seafood salad

7 Dinners

Jacala – One of my favorite restaurants in the entire Caribbean. Even now, without the Jac half (retired), hospitality and cooking at the highest level. Some like it for lunch, overlooking beautiful Meads Bay, but I think this is the type of meal that should be experienced at night. Its French at its core, utilizing local ingredients with the expertise of a seasoned master (the “Ala” part). Try the tuna tartare, the stupendous chicken, and grilled crayfish.

Hibernia – Another absolute must. You can pretty much copy and paste everything I said about Jacala above, except that its a very different place. A French and Asian mashup pioneer, opened before it even became a thing in Paris (today you can find them in almost every corner). And the museum-like environment and view is a major bonus. While I’m listing it for dinner, I think everyone should try to experience Hibernia for lunch at least once. Try the Foie Gras, smoked fish trio, any of the fish dishes, and homemade rum raisin ice cream

Straw Hat – Although not exactly new to us, its a new addition to the rotation. In fact I think we’ll make it our early first night meal from now on. It has just the right kind of “Welcome to Anguilla” thing going. You got the view of Meads Bay beach, great frozen drinks (BBC!), and expertly cooked food with a clever mix of local and eclectic items. Try the flatbread, goat curry, and snapper.

Blanchards – A 25 year old legend and one of the most popular spots on the island. I admit it took me a few trips to finally try it, as the menu looked a bit too New Yorkish for me. But I get it now. Just like its beach shack, a well-oiled machine by an exceptionally friendly and capable crew. Try the jerk chicken, and do not leave the island without trying the famous Cracked Coconut. Although the Bread pudding isnt too shabby either.

The rest:

Mango’s – Some of the island’s best and freshest seafood

Artisan – Solid Neapolitan pizza

E’s Oven – Popular with locals. Try the Pumpkin soup, goat curry, skip the steak

Categories: Anguilla | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

The Staten Island Survival Guide – 2024 Update

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Ziggy
The Staten Island Survival Guide
Categories: New York City, Staten Island | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Don Peppe – Legend Still Going Strong

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Ziggy

Every time I’m invited to an event at Don Peppe, I huff, and puff and bitch all the way there. Its too far, its too old, its past its prime, I think I have a rash and it could get nasty any minute. No shortage of excuses. I just dont like to travel too far for old school Italian. But every single time I go there, I’m not only reminded how good it is, but I’m also reminded that we dont really have anything like it.

Even with a party of 10 on a Saturday night, no reservations allowed (I dont think). And even with a very full house, and standing room only in the oversized waiting room, we got our table in no time. People travel here from all parts of the city, often well over an hour to get a chance to experience this legend. In fact, its one of the only reasons to get to the JFK area other than JFK. Well, except the casino or if you are on your way to long island as I once did with my daughters. Introducing them to Don Peppe was like taking them to a Goodfellas movie set.

New York Times

Don Peppe is family style at its core. Families, and large groups have been coming here since 1968. Its Carmine’s for locals if you will, though arguably much better food. At this isolated location, you better be good to make it all those years. The only issue, and its not a small one with a large group, is what to order, and how much of it. Your eyes are often bigger than your stomach. And as much as you want to be at the mercy of the trusted waiter, our shrinking stomachs may not always agree with his assessment.

I think more than half of the people come here strictly for the Vongole. Spaghetti with clam sauce is individually plated table side, and reliably addictive. When the waiter took the order and dictated the amount we need, my friend mistakenly told him that he doesnt believe every one of us wants it. The waiter corrected the silly goose with a show of hands. 

Earlier on, the baked clams and simple house salads were winners. The salad is individually plated as well. We also often like to order Shrimp Fra Diovolo as an app. Fresh, plump, and plenty of heat for old school Italian. Though its beyond time for us to try some of the other Shrimp dishes that I suspect are even better. The only app I would skip is the mozz-tomato-peppers combo.

The zesty, buttery “Francese” like chicken was spot on. Same with the perfectly flaky, delicious Sole. But the one main that people often go nuts about here is the Veal Don Peppe. Breaded veal cutlets covered with tomatoes, peppers and onions. Its a crowd pleaser even on crowded stomachs. 

And just when the food coma starts to kick in, we still rarely miss dessert here. From the Tiramisu, Tartufo, and Sorbetto, its hard to go wrong here. While the prices have increased over the years, the fine house red is still fairly affordable. Not the most touristy location, but you wont find a more fitting “welcome to NYC” when arriving to JFK. Go!     

      

Categories: New York City, Queens | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Z-List Update

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Ziggy

Speaking of which (last post), a long overdue update to the Z-List. Five in, five out….

Out

Capizzi – Just not as strong as the many newer pizzerias
Bowery Meat Co. – Hard to stay below $100 especially if you want steak
Marta – Sadly closed
Scampi – Sadly closed
Faro – Closed. The location was a killer

In

Indian Table
Foxface Natural
Claude
L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele
19 Cleveland

The list

Categories: New York City | Tags: , , | 3 Comments

L’Aubergeade {Paris} – Double Trouble

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Ziggy

I was told by a local to keep this one a secret. I told him sure no problem, but failed to mention that I’m not very good at keeping secrets. Not to mention the local who gave me this secret equally sucks at it. Sometimes secrets get you in trouble. Like when I told my primary doctor that I smoked cigarettes at the age of 6. He’s old and didnt quite get the half joke and sent me for a Chest CT scan and other tests.

With the war in the Middle East consuming our lives these days, our visit to L’Aubergeade feels like ages ago. But it was only last month. On our first night in Paris the stars aligned, and everything clicked. Well, until we picked the “iPhone Tower” as our after meal Passeggiata. Its like a giant iPhone commercial these days as that’s all you see all around you. iPhones, red balloons, and a tower somewhere between it all.

L’Aubergeade is an old timer, run by two old timers. Twins in fact. I was about to say to my wife, “its like there are two of him”, until I noticed our waiter/owner had a different shirt this time. The twins easily handled the entire house, running around like two teenagers. In the US we are accustomed to seeing double the amount of workers in places this size, not to mention half the age of the twins.

Early on the silky smooth Foie Gras with clementine jam was a nice preview of things to come. Even more memorable was the addictive Escargot. Garlicky, buttery, awesomeness. Just like we like them. The problem with perfect escargot on your first night in Paris is that the rest of the stay they may seem pedestrian (and they were).

The deconstructed steak tartare was more deconstructed than I anticipated with all the ingredients including all the sauces on the table. But after mixing it up with some adjustments I think I’m ready for a chef de Tartare at Granite. Not sure I prefer it this way but enjoyed it nonetheless.

Leg of lamb with couscous was masterfully cooked. Extremely tender and scrumptious. Finished with a nice “Norwegian Omelet”, a new one for us. Essentially a baked Alaska. Flambéed, ultra light, fluffy, with an ice cream surprise inside. My favorite kind of surprise.

L’Aubergeade is just the kind of rustic we look for on our travels. Judging by the amount of locals in the house, it seems like everyone’s kind. Its not quite on the tourist trail. The residential location in the 12th will probably make sure of that. Tremendous value to boot with 88 euros total including a nice bottle of house white. This is a major Go!

Categories: France | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

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