Ore

Thanks ALL - Leaving in a few hours... will post as things come up. Thanks again for all of your help.

I will be there the 28th... Any info on this topic would be greatly appreciated! My friend Daniel opened up a place called Asia Monica in Hod ha Sharon - I haven't seen any reviews. Ore

We'll be staying at NH Amsterdam Center - $85/night on priceline...SCORE! Do you know how long the drive is from Brussels to Amsterdam? And now that you know we are at the NH Center - any other recommendations you can throw out? Thanks!

There are some specials on their website in the "Arrangements" section but I can't make sense of it using a translating website. It says there is a special for a night at the hotel + dinner but that the restaurant is closed!?! If you can, please explain. I tried contacting them as well. Do you think this is a hotel which can be used for visiting the alsace wineries and then returning to? OR is this hotel for one night from Parma to Franz Keller and then the next night stay somewhere more in the wine area? Thanks.

Auberge du Cheval Blanc is CLOSED June 21 to July 13

Thanks for your help on other topics. So we will have one night (Saturday, June 19) to dine in Paris. Where should we try to get a reservation. Thinking no more than a 1* Michelin place and even that is not necessary. We'd like to find a place where the food that is prepared by a chef who prides himself on what he does and that pride shows through on his/her plates. I really would like to find a place that is friendly and generous. I don't mind spending some money (100E+) pp but I want to leave a place like that feeling like I didn't just get worked. I'd love to have a wine paired meal and a grand cheese cart offered before sweets. I'm not into the whole asian/french thing going on right now at a lot of the restaurants I've seen. All help is appreciated.

Beautiful - thank you. From Basel I think we will take the A35 to Strasbourg. Then I hope to Cheval Blanc - Wow the place looks amazing and they seem to be fairly priced. I sent an email request and I do hope to be able to visit on a Thursday night. So we'll spend a night in Strasbourg and then a night in Lembach and enjoy that day visiting the surrounding area. The drive from Lembach to Amsterdam will be a fun one...7 hours or so! Ore

I'd always leave it on. It is very simple to remove if needed once cooked or smoked. Whenever making salumi with whole muscle cuts (pancetta tessa, guanciale, prosciutto, etc. the skin is left on in my experiences). The skin is left on if cooking sous-vide as well so you can press it on a flat top to crisp the skin prior to service - YUM! I can clearly imagine where the TOXIC comment comes from. On the larger sows we'd have to carfully remove the mammary glands from the belly as when that gets cooked it is possible to leave "piggy" flavors around. This is especially true of the fattier breeds with the THICK bellies. YUM!

Very little in my case (but I guess I'm still evolving!). Put anyone into the correct setting and they may flourish. Once that setting changes, it may not be the same. As far as I know, the CIA does not publicize nor record "top students" in a class and I feel this was merely a ploy and verbiage tactic used on the show to show him/her to be better than someone else. There would be so many ways to measure this too... GPA, Chef Recommendations, Practical Exams, Etc, Etc, Etc.

I'm busted... My wife read some of the comments on here and we are looking at this in a new light. Old Itinerary: June 17 – Paris June 18 – Paris June 19 – Drive 9 Hours to Arles, France June 20 – Drive 2 Hours to Cannes June 21 – Cannes June 22 – Cannes June 23 – Drive to Strasbourg, France (11 Hours with a stop in Italy) June 23 – Strasbourg June 24 – Strasbourg June 25 – Drive 8 Hours to Amsterdam June 26 – Amsterdam June 27 – Depart Amsterdam Total Driving: 30 Hours-34 Hours New Itinerary: June 17 – Paris June 18 – Paris June 19 – Paris June 20 – Paris June 21 – Drive 6 Hours to Strasbourg June 22 – Strasbourg June 23 – Strasbourg June 24 – Drive 6 Hours to Amsterdam June 25 – Amsterdam June 26 – Amsterdam June 27 – Depart Amsterdam Total Driving: 12-15 Hours So with the "NEW" Itinerary - places to eat, sleep, visit, etc. s'il vous plaît. Ore

glauer, I am most into foods that I can't get here in Los Angeles. I'd kill for some Ortolan Really though, we want food that is prepared by a chef who prides himself on what he does and that pride shows through on his/her plates. I really would like to find a place that is friendly and generous. I don't mind spending some money (100E+) pp but I want to leave a place like that feeling like I didn't just get worked. I'd love to have wine paired meals and a grand cheese cart offered before sweets. I'm not into the whole asian/french thing going on right now at a lot of the restaurants I've seen. I know you think we're crazy but we are also young and I hope that a trip like this opens our eyes to what is out there in the world so we know where we can visit again one day soon. Thanks for your help. edited to add that I hope you don't think I'm crazy cuz Boston just lost and I'm from LA

Parigi, I am checking out Arles and the hotel option you mentioned. Have you been to the restaurant "Cilantro"? JudyB, I have asked if there is availability at La Beaugraviere. I hope so as it seems intimate and could be a great experience. It seems though that there isn't as much going on as in Arles. KD1191, the website for Hotel K says they are full but I sent an email anyway. Where else would you stay nearby in order to enjoy dinner there and breakfast the next day!?! Thanks for your help.

Lovely - I am looking forward to my ONE day in Italy very soon. I am going to go on a salumi e formaggio BINGE. Beware!

Can any Amsterdamers recommend a few local hotels that are safe, centrally located and reasonably priced? Will be in AMS for two nights and I am def. into all the street food (doner and vlamsefrites) and all the other yummy things there. What about sweets?

The need for speed thing is pretty funny! I have a rental quote from Hertz at $490 including fees and drop-charge. Can anyone recommend an Amsterdam Hotel. Looking to spend our last two nights in Amsterdam in a nicer hotel and personal recommendations are always best. Thank You.