et alors
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But if ham is what you're looking for take a trip to "LA FLOR DEL TORANZO"aka Trifón on the corner of Gamazo and Barcelona, for the thinly hand sliced ham and the delicious montaditos de picante con lomo and de lomo de orza al jerez con manzana.
How can you go to spain and not look for ham? I also am seeking cheese, wine, olives, lively markets and food related day trips.
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I've been through the threads, and I haven't been lucky in coming up with recent information of eating in Seville/Sevilla (using both forms of the name in hopes of making this thread searchable).
I stayed in Seville 10 years ago, in a wonderful hidden hostel I can't find now, and I recall wandering through the streets at night, having wonderful tapas and copious amounts of sangria.
But now I'm older, and have a 9 month old daughter (who has already dined at Trois Gros!), and while tapas will be great some evenings, I'd love advice on breakfast, lunch and proper dinner, high end and low, with the only requirement being that it be tasty. I'm sure my husband and I will have at least one high-end meal to celebrate our mutual 40th year, but the rest will probably be in the moderate to cheap range...
(and if anyone wants to sneak in further advice on lodging or such, don't hesitate.
In return, I promise reports.
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hi, my wife and I will be vacationing there in a few weeks and im trying to get a list of
any recommendations? thank you!
great thread here
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Has anyone been to Chez TJ lately? I've been hearing a lot of buzz about it, but haven't been there yet.
I went there for my birthday and I was impressed by everything. It was as close to a French 2 star at a SV Restaraunt as I can remember. Quiet, elegant service, beautiful well crafted food.
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I gambled and I won. I got a cherry pie from Pennsuila Creamery grill in downtown Palo Alto. In the past, I was so in love with their milkshakes I never gave their pie a chance. But I am happy to report:
good crust
sour cherries (vital!)
good filler
I couldn't bake because my family was doing things to the house, but if I could have, I would have done this
My Grandmother's Pie Crust Recipe
This is a classic, old fashioned Iowa recipe. Fill with apples tossed with cinamon and sugar, cherries, or other goodies.
3/4 Cup plus 2 T. shortening (Crisco)
1/4 Cup boiling water
1 T. milk
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 Cup sifted flour
Put shortening in mixing bowl. Add boiling water and milk. Beat mixture with a fork until smooth and thick. Sift flour and salt into mixture. Stir with round-the-bowl strokes until dough clings together and cleans the bowl. Lightly form dough into 2 balls. Roll out on lightly floured surface until 1/8 " thiick. Ease dough into 9" pie plate. Roll out 2nd ball & lay over filled pie shell. Trim about 1/2" beyond edge. Fold under and flute.
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About Duarntes: good pies?
Duartes: good pies.
I'm the kinda person who, when driving across america, stops and has pie with every single meal, trying to find good pie. Jack Keroac would be sad, Des Moines is no longer a pie town.
The best is the olallieberry pie, but blueberry and apple are pretty good. I'm not sure they make them there, but they are homemade, and you can buy them whole to take home as well as eat them there. Warm, a la mode, which is my (i know, impure) choice. or even plain.
Sorry for the bad spelling, but the link should help.
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I have a dream for my birthday: good old fashioned pie. Like Duarantes, except I'm very pregnanat and I'm not allowed to go that far away from my hospital (Duarntes is in Pescadero).
Real pie= homemade flakey crust, fresh fruit, and none of that yucky thick corn syrup goo binding.
I live in palo alto, so anything 30-45 minutes north or south is fine (or I can send an intrepid explorer further, if it's really great pie!)
Ideas???
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I had a great dinner at Alexanders. Pricey, but that's the nature of the beast. Some interesting and playful non-steak items as well.
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That said, we'll also be eating at vieux puits, and I'm very eager to see how the two compare.
if you can, check out le Pont de l'Ouysse, not so very far away (to an american used to long drives, I suppose)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eleganthack/t...epontdelouysse/
**, wonderful patio with charming view *and* near the terrifically bizarre musee of automatons.
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I feel quite guilty for not returning after my trip-- I did eat well there and had my first starred experience at Vieux Puits, in which I was too shy to photograph. But I ended up returning a year later and had very good food including Jardin Des Sens
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eleganthack/sets/204297/
and le pont de l'Ouysse
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eleganthack/t...epontdelouysse/
I hope these photos make up for my delayed responses!
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"arguably the best"... I'll argue yes, with my limited expereince.
I just got back from a jaunt to seattle using this forum mostly as my guide, and while matt's in the market was good (lunch) and brasa was a fantastic deal at happy hour (thanks!), The Union blew me away. I will not go to seattle again without stopping in there for Ethan's cooking. grilled lamb tongue, heavenly fennel soup with smoked trout, a chantrelle risotto that reinvented mushroom rissotto in goodness, and a perfect, absolutely perfect seared bass that was a love poen to bass. And the cherry cobbler-- shoot, I'd book a flight to get at that again.
Just wanted to share.
a final bonus.. well worth going out to fisherman's terminal to buy much cheaper and quite better seafood, including oysters and the obquitous smoked salmon.
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Interesting. My husband's family (originally from Auvergne) very thinly slices the potatoes and onions, layering them with onion and places the reblochon on top, and bakes... no precooking. It's much like his "potatoe pie" done in puff pastry with no cheese.
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Two small things, Blue-- do NOT do pilates without an instructor. I did, and hurt my back.. talking to a therapist, he said that the postions get the most out of you but can also injure you. If you can't get classes, do yoga instead, which can be done with a book or DVD with far less chance of injury. 10-20 sun salutations done fast every morning will stretch you and exercise you.
Secondly my husband I have been doing south beach and lost 30 pounds each (well, me 20, and just put back 10 during a visit to france). We ignore the stupid recipes,a nd cook local organic food according to his strictures and feel wonderful. I believe they are much the same-- whole grains, high protein, veggies... but he allows even less sugars. your strawberry compote would have been forbidden.
Thank you so much for the narrative and photos.. so wonderful!
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I'm not wrong.
By wrong, I only mean I hope Keller is not the only defining moment of my eating career, and I hope that I can find great joy in the hands of other great chefs who take their own paths...
The dusts are interesting-- I feel like he is inviting me to participate in the food, and handing me some paintbrushes. His crazy platter of salt is a similar invitation to participate
from http://www.flickr.com/photos/eleganthack/tags/frenchlaundry/
Compared to other chef's refusal to accept palette differences in the diner by not allowing salt... I prefer the more leinient attitdude, though admittedly understand why they care.
I will admit I'm happinest when I don't even see the menu until afterwards, and I put myself completely in the chef's hands.
The price tag is a hard one-- I also don't eat junk food, cook most things myself, and eat organic/local as much as possible. But at the same time I don't ask of my neighborhood tacaria the same things I ask of jardin des sens.
I'm enjoying this conversation as well-- healthy debate always informs one's thinking.
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I will be in Dijon in september and would like to hear of any remarkable restaurants any members have experienced
My husband, former Dijoinaise, says
"Lameuloise in Chagny is remarkable and it's not too early to make a reserv
for Sept."
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Keller is Keller. The thing that makes other chefs great is that they are not Keller and don't want to be Keller.
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So if Keller is the defining eating moment in your life, than only Keller can top Keller for you.
Gosh, I hope you are wrong... I've had sushi that has been in a "Keller" league yet sharing no style with him but a passion for the nature of the ingrediant. And I had a rabbit bolognese that made me love my mother a bit more in portland. heh.
I think what I'm looking for is not the keller style (as much... admittedly my fierce loyalty to ingrediants is a stylistic choice) but the keller sustained excellence. Every.single.damn.dish. at the FL was great, even stuff I typically don't like (until dessert, again.). I think that is what I seek in the three star-- sustained attention and complete performance.
So when I eat, I think I look for
* was every single ingrediant the best it could be, by common judging of the ingrediant? (ripe, in season, hand crafted, etc)
* was every ingrediant cooked to its best? (and long stewing is a way to get a meat to be its best, if it can't be young and tender. I appreciate fully the transforming of the secondary ingrediant into something more-- even if it conflicts with criteria #1)
* was every ingrediant allowed to be itself, or an aspect of itself?
* was the marriage of the ingrediants interesting/complementary/harmonious/pleasently discordant (hardest to judge!)
* did every ingrediant have a job to do for my eye and my tongue? (that means you, you lazy garnish you)
* was the dish more than its parts?
* does the chef have a story to tell me, about food, ingrediants, love, country or family?
This was accomplished here
but (IMO) not here
(all so gorgeous, aren't they?)
I'm interested in what other folks value. BTW, I don't expect this from every meal, just the ones that cost 350 a head.
When it comes to service, I want it to be invisible but always present to help. And lead if I ask, but never bully.
Well, sounds like the next time I step out, el bulli should be my destiny. maybe for my 40th....
But I do love french food. What is the best restaurant in france, in your opinion, for food alone? Or point me to a thread?
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Yes I am completely open to discussions. I have a excellent palette and I know food very well, having worked in the industry for years before changing to something that allowed me to afford eating more broadly, but my experiences have mostly been Bay Area ones. I'm eager for other points of view!!!!
This is my third french starred experience, and my first three-star although I have eaten at some of the nicest places in the US. And yes, I plan to eat at another three-star first chance I get, preferrably bras or troisgros. I have family that have eaten at both, and their descriptions have been enticing. I have a dedicated goal, and that is to find someone who can outcook Thomas Keller. Just because that is the defining eating moment of my life, and I would love to see it matched or topped.
This conversation is particularly interesting to me, because of the meta-aspects (if that isn't too tiresome for this board) of what makes something great, and how do you distinquish quality from taste.
What makes Keller so great in my my mind is the fact that eary single item on the plate is perfect in both itself and its relationship to the other items, and that includes garnish. It's probably naughty to be speaking of an American chef on this forum, but that is my current measure. His food is often about two things, the materials and human experiences-- his plates often remind me of sadness, or love, or whimsy. I think he is a Pollack of the kitchen, in that his food is both about the nature of the food (as Pollack's were about painting's flatness) but also about the artist's realtionships with life. Though Keller's are less self-centered and much tastier. (admittedly, since Stephen left, the desserts no longer continue the level of quality and fall back into "merely" excellent. But the same thing happened at Jardin. Why is dessert so hard?)
With all my starred experiences, even the little one star in Lacave, some dishes achieved this moment of tastiness and expression, many were (just?) extraordinarily yummy and some were just food. The percentage of dishes that go beyond yummy and into art is, to me, the mark of a starred experience, though I can imagine Michelin inspectors might not feel that way.
and chefzadi-- I assume you know it is shockingly rude to use soy or wasabi at a good sushi place. it's used to disguise the taste of second-rate fish. So your attitude is properly respectful!
One question-- the truffle dishes truffles were marked with a slight-- er-- amonia taste? I noticed this taste in a much worse strength from a truffle pieces that had been in my fridge for a couple days. Is this typical of truffles, and considered okay or is it a sign of over-maturity? In the dish I had it just added a slight sharpness that was actually okay but I was really surprised by it since I associated it with age.
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I'm sorry if I was unclear-- I could not taste any scallop or any lobster. You are right in that could be considered a matter of taste-- I think of the main ingrediant listed on the menu to be the theme of the dish and all other flavors listed after to be about complementing the flavors, either through contrast or through complement. In both cases I mention the secondary ingrediants smothered the first and there was no taste of the "star". The lobster however, did maintain a lovely proper lobster texture which I did appreciate, but lobster tasts nice and it was sad (IMO) to hide it completely.
The point of Alice is, of course, don't serve a peach when it isn't nice. That works in california where every season has something; in michigan or france I imagine it is not such a practical approach. However it is montpellier where the seasons are pretty gentle...
Again, it was a really terrific meal. I ate a rising two star Auberge du Vieux Puits last year and I think the food was quite close to Jardin De Sens. There was one dish that I couldn't eat there because I found it repulsive, but I don't think there was anything wrong with the dish, just me. Some fishes I don't like.
Critcism is, of course, intensly personal and contextual... maybe I can compare a high two-star with a low three-star, but maybe not a two and a three. I know there are things I don't like and take that into account (avoid sea urchins! although to jardin's credit, theirs was very tasty) More tricky is talking about an aesthetic... it's possible my aesthtic which is around the soul of the ingrediant is not the chefs. So be it. I ate well.
BTW I want to continue to make it completely clear I loved my meal even if I do think a couple choices were unfortunate -- and being my first three star (second two star?) meal, it made me wonder what makes a three star meal a three star meal.
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The Jardin des Sens in itself didn't deserve to lose this star.
I'm not sure that was true: I expect from a 3 star no missed steps; both the lobster and the scallop dishes showed disrespect to their ingrediants by using contrasting tastes to heavy to show them off, and ended up masking instead. And the strawberries and raspberries though gorgeous were slightly out of season and too tart. But of course, I may be a bit californian in my attitude toward the raw materials of art.
To those who plan to dine there, this should not discourage you. Still a worthy meal, no question.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/eleganthack/sets/204297/
this link has photos, with descriptions of every course, of my meal with my cousin at Jardin des Sens in montpellier.
Overall, a very good meal but not as good as either meal I've had at the french laundry. It's my first french three star, and while not michel bras or troisgros, I expected as certain level--- it was better than ducasse in new york, but still I left feeling-- well, I dunnno. I wonder sometimes if I've gotten a bit jaded. Maybe it's time to stop spending crazy money on food. um, right after this month's return to french laundry. hmm.
wow, i didn't mean that to sound so whiny. I guess I just have some ideas about what I want from a three star meal. I want every dish to be a discovery or a rediscovery of the true nature of the ingrediants, and the chef to show his adoration and delight in his relationship with the food, so my mouth can only compare to "seurat! david bowie! chopin! picasso!"
Eating very well recently as made me really realize the pain of a great chef is that when he is gone, no art is left, only memories that fade in his clientel. No museum fo rhim. I hope someday someone invents a taste-recorder!
also of potential interest, a one-star in the dordogne, http://www.flickr.com/photos/eleganthack/t...epontdelouysse/
terrific setting and tasty food. They'll have another star before long, if they can address some service misteps.
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I've eaten in Sausalito many times, as that's where my folks live and it's often nice in a homey way but my have never had my socks blown off. Antidote is trying hard to to not only knock my socks off, but make them into sock puppets for a a little sketch.
I don't know if it's Thomas Keller's fault, but as this article suggests, the modern chef must pun. Though I'd say chef Eric Torralba has a sense of humor that's closer to Duchamp's than Keller's, with references to Neitzche and vache qui rit sprinkled across the menu with little regard to whose getting it.
It was a significant birthday of my father's, enough to spring for the 75 dollar tasting menu. It was an extravaganza with the food nudging toward two star and the service nudging toward houlihans. I'll hit service first, so we can concentrate on the comestibles.
Our waiter was knowledgeable, but he was alone in this. One server dropping off cheese said it was compte. I said, oh, Jura? and he said, no, it's from france. Yeah, it's kinda like that. They place was crawling with helpful servers milling about pour water, clambering over the booths (you can't do proper service with booths, chef, don't go there) to replace forks and serve, and almost none knew how to identify or pronounce the food. And since the menu was all puns, it didn't help either. We found ourselves trying to catch our educated waiter (who acted like the place was full, when it was never more than half) to figure out what was delighting our tongue. But we should have guessed when we sat waiting int eh bar with our champagne and amuse bouche long gone and empty tables everywhere, that their were still some kins in this freshly minted show.
Don't get me wrong. We had a good time. But the front of the house did not live up to the back. The sommelier poo-pooed Beaujolais (a mistake often made by journeymen wine fans, but not master) and pushed a white that when served, was cold enough to frost the glass. What did it taste like? It tasted cold.
So enough grousing-- the good time. Warning: all pictures very poor indeed, and good for memory mostly and for getting an idea of the composition.
First course: oyster of a tiny size and delicate flavor with a touch of creme fraise, caviar and a eyedropper of blue vodka to tickle the palette.
Second course (hope my memory holds out) A tourchon of foie in a sugar wrapper, looking very much like a candy (sorry photo is so weak-- all I had was my treo, and the place was not well lit). it sat on a "bed" of two perfectly cooked peeled white asparagus and was surrounded by a delicate minced something-- carrot maybe, but the most sweet nutty carrot one could want.
Third course, "sardines for the very first time" which is the house cured sardine and it is lovely-- just the right touch of pickledness, not too fishy, nice and meaty. There was delicate tiny watercress, the first of many powders, and an intense tomato concasse.
Fourth Course, butternut squash soup. I never have anything against butternut squash soup, it's always good. this was a veloute consistency, with a Parmesan crisp that melted into the soup to good effect. try this at home. Nothing amazing here, just good soup.
Fifth course: Lobster Deconstructed. the best names are reserved for the best course. this is the course in which the chef finally make a claim for that next star. the lobster was melting, the risotto bursting with flavor from the coral, and the plate was playful with a tasty-tasty cookie made from the lobster roe. There were oooh and ahhs at this course, and cries of "dip the risotto into the lemon sauce" "have you tasted the cookie!" It was accompanied by a tiny perfect carrot and a tiny perfect half-fennel.
Fifth course: sea bass encrusted with brioche crumbs and swiss cheese (a very mild swiss, i might add) with a perfect white and green aspargus tip, a ravioli stuffed with a forcemeat of squash, eggplant, tomato; and more of the tasty mystery mince.
Sixth course: lamb with a basil powder crust, and a single olive taglitelli (see photo for assembly). I felt almost like I was mixing paint or wasabi-- the powder wasn't pleasant IMO until mixed into the reduction below. the lamb while beautifully cooked could have done well without being powdered.
My vegetarian sister was eyed enviously when a huge platter of veggies spared her the lamb. I was able to sneak a forkful of beet foam ( a leftover form the chef's training at el bulli?) which was stunning. how a bit foe foam can be more stunning than one's lamb is disturbing and hopeful at the same time.
Seventh course: the compte cheese course that caused such amusement. it was accompanied by a green apple sauce and balsamic reduction (we mistook the green for basil-oil even after tasting-- it wasn't strong)a a pretty apricot preserve that complemented the compte.
Sidenote: i visited the cheese platter and found an assortment from the horribly obvious-- compte and st. andre-- to tete de moine with the proper shaver, to several mystery cheeses I wish had been served)
Eighth course: dessert. it looked like a dessert circus act -- good cookie with yummy apricot creme layers, odd cone wrapped in housemade marshmallow, and extra nice pate de fruit crescent moon. I wanted to say "good night moon"
And finally petifours-- tiny creme brulee, tiny canelle de bordeux, miniscule peach tarte, marble size chocolate truffles-- you know the drill. Then we captured our obviously-dreaming-of-leaving-waiter to get espressos accompanied by tiny madelines.
And on the way out the hostess gave each "lady" a small bouquet of fragrant flowers.
Overall: too new, many kinks to work out but if they survive it could be a truly amazing place. And the chef is mixing daring with know-how in a way that makes me very very hopeful.
oh, and there is an unbeatable view of the bay. As we dined the sun set, turning the fog drifting in pink and lavender. yowza.
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I don't know anything about a new regulation, but I just came into the country after telling a bored customs agent I had a couple cans of "pate" and he let me in.
I usually call it pate just because I'm too lazy to explain what foie gras is and I pronouce it badly as well.am I going to hell? I also had some cheese, sous vide.
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I've just returned from france, which included a TGV from Paris>Bezier, Perpignon>Paris and I'll tell you it sucked.
I had a larger green rolling bag of the sort you must check at the airport, and it was too heavy to lift about our heads and would have just fit maybe-- if it fell, it would kill. The above racks are not dreadful, they can hold a back pack or a small rolling luggage of the cary on variety. I do recommend travelers to go multiple small valises, as annoying as that is or else... be like us. we had to keep it in the aisle on the trip south, and people climbed over it patiently-- i assume because the rules are so new. I'm going to guess patience will fade as the new rules are common. Riding back, my traveling companion and I were stuck in smoking, so we took turns breathing in the food car while the other sat with the luggage, who proudly enjoyed his own seat. (another bit of good advice; book early to avoid riding smoking.)
one could, if desperate, sit out in the doorway areas with a big luggage-- the important thing is you be with the luggage. I wouldn't recommend it.
it's tragic for those of us who need big luggage with wheels to cart back life's little necessities such as cheese, mustard, liquors, foie gras, and wine...
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Big is relative when you grew up in the midwest... but still. I'm entering Languedoc in Bezier, and starring outward from there. Carcassonne is definate, and after that... narbone, foix are likely. But I'm playing it by ear.
Aigne is darling!
Sevilla / Seville Restaurants
in Spain & Portugal: Dining
Posted
I am here and have found two nice tapas places-- casa paco, which is uneven, but one block from my apartment ,) and cafe europa which is quite good, esp. the crepe de bacalao, and the partige pate. will follow up on the rest soon.
also found the market on ferria where i got the most unbeliablely wonderful little pears. no idea what they are, except sweet and juicy.