Luna Calvados

Here is the link to the NY TIMES Obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/04/nyregion...?pagewanted=all I loved the article in GOURMET describing his 70th birthday celebration at L'Ami Louis in Paris, France. Although his death came at a relatively young age, he seemed to have lived life to it fullest, especially in his later years when he began writing about food.

I would guess 50 years + to remember a time when gas stations sold gasoline and attendants filled the tank. Now they are trained to ask you if you would like anything else to fill your tummy.

I doubt that you're thinking of the Pitcher Inn, which is smack in the center of the town of Warren, and backed up against the Mad River. Would've been someplace with more land around it. L. Rap ← Yes, the Pitcher Inn is across the street from the Warren Store in the center of town. Could you be thinking of the Tucker Hill Inn, which is in Waitsfield, between the mountains of Sugarbush and Mad River Glen? They used to have a great restaurant, but I have not been back there in many, many years, so I cannot vouch for what they serve today.

Cafe Capriccio, on Grand Street in Albany, has a private room upstairs to accommodate large parties. I believe that it is called the "Tuscan Room." Be sure to book early, as I am sure that this room is in great demand.

What about The Cocktails of the Ritz Paris by Colin Peter Field? This is a little gem of a book, which contains information about "the psychology of mixing drinks." Here are some things to ponder before making a cocktail:

My tried-and-true three favorite recipes from this book are: "Pan-Smoked Fish" (pages 266-268) cooked in a cast-iron wok after curing. This recipe is delicious with salmon, swordfish, or scallops. "Tuna Burgers" (page 271), a recipe inspired by one served at Gotham Bar & Grill in NYC. I like to serve it on a toasted English muffin with wasabi mayonnnaise and lettuce. "Home-Cured Salmon" (pages 276-279). The best, in my opinion, is the "Salmon Cured with Tequila and Cilantro," which is delicious on a toasted and buttered bagel, bialey, or English muffin.

Dalloyau (open every day from 9:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.) : http://www.dalloyau.fr/ Fauchon (open from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. from Monday through Saturday): http://www.fauchon.fr/main/home.aspx?cookie Laduree (Champs-Elysees boutique open 365 days a year from 7:30 A.M. until midnight): http://www.laduree.fr/ Lenotre (open every day): http://www.lenotre.fr/fr/index.html All of the above are fairly commercial operations that are open every day year-round, with no August closing, but Fauchon is closed on Sundays. Angelina's is pretty touristy, too, so I doubt that they close in August. I am not familiar with Cador, but Stohrer and Pierre Herme are one shop operations and therefore may have an annual closing in August.

I found the following information on the Matfer Bourgeat USA website at: http://www.matferbourgeatusa.com/default.asp There is a shop in the 1st arrondissement. Our Locations Europe: Corporate International Headquarters Matfer France 9-11, Rue du Tapis Vert - BP73 93260 Les Lilas Paris, France * Tel : 33(0)1 43 62 60 40 * Fax : 33(0)1 43 62 50 82 * Email : matfercontact@matferinc.com * Internet: http://www.matfer.com/ Mora Shop 13, Rue Montmarte 75001 Paris France * Tel : 01 45 08 19 24 Americas: U.S. Headquarters Matfer Bourgeat, Inc. 16300 Stagg Street Van Nuys, California 91406 * Tel : (818) 782-0792 * Fax : (818) 782-0799 * Toll Free : (800) 766-0333 Happy shopping and pastry-making!

Tant pis! Are you in Paris? The internet can be tricky there sometimes. The link is working just fine here in the Berkshires. I guess you and your family will just have to step outside, take a stroll down the Champs-Elysees, and sample the Berthillon glaces et sorbets for yourselves. Bon appetit!

I adore Berthillon for their classic French ice cream flavors such as Caramel, Chocolat noir, Noisette, et Pistache. A double scoop cone (un cornet double) with Chocolat noir et Pistache would make a classic French combination. Berthillon also serves refreshing fruit sorbets and a decadent chocolate sorbet. For a delicious combination, try un cornet double with Cacao "Extra Bitter" et Mandarine. Their website, where the flavors are listed, is at: http://www.berthillon-glacier.fr/ The boutique on the Champs-Elysees, which carries chocolates and pastries, in addition to the Berthillon ice creams and sorbets, is called "Berthillon Maiffret" and is located at 102, avenue des Champs-Elysees in the 8th arrondissement. The nearest Metro is George V. Unlike the original Maison Berthillon located on 31, rue Saint-Louis-en-l'île, which is closed on Mondays & Tuesdays, the Champs-Elysees boutique is open every day from late morning to late evening. Just to be sure of their hours, their telephone is: (33) 01 45 62 55 17.

Oops! While it is true that Paris no longer closes down for the month of August, many restaurants are closed for vacation during this month, especially the fine dining establishments not located in hotels. Do you have the new 2005 Paris Michelin Guide Rouge? It lists the closing dates for restaurants, as well as their facsimile numbers and e-mail addresses in addition to their telephone numbers, although I doubt that you will get a response via any avenue if a restaurant is truly closed. Do you have a relationship with your hotel Concierge? I have found that the best way to make reservations for dining in Paris is by communicating my requests to the hotel Concierge via e-mail. The Concierge then contacts the restaurant at the appropriate time for reservations (some restaurants, such as Pierre Gagnaire, take reservations only within a narrow window, such as between certain hours exactly one month in advance). E-mail is certainly the fastest and the cheapest way to communicate. The Concierge may be able to best advise you on how to proceed over this hump. The worst case is that you just may have to wait until la rentree in late August-early September when the restaurants reopen for business and begin again taking reservations. Bonne chance!

I concur with Lesley C. that the Beaver Club is second-rate at best! My husband and I had a Christmas Day dinner there several years ago that was memorable for its mediocrity. The food was classic 1950's gourmet "continental cuisine"--very unimaginative and uninspired--and the service was not particularly great. The main dining room looked like it had not been updated in the past half-century, with a dark, depressing decor reminiscent of a 1950's country club (there was an additional dining room off to the side that was lighter and brighter). We only ate there because there were not many dining establishments open on Christmas Day other than Chinese restaurants, and we felt like something a bit fancier and festive, but we vowed never to return. I fail to understand why the Beaver Club is still considered "fine dining" with so many other far superior choices available in Montreal. I truly believe that its "fine dining" days have long since past, if they ever were indeed.

Sad to say, but for the capital city of New York, Albany does not have much to offer in the way of great dining experiences. The best I have found is the Northern Italian cuisine served in the comfortable bistro-like setting of Cafe Capriccio. This restaurant is consistently rated highly and was just voted "Best Restaurant" in the Metroland newspaper's "Best of the Capital Region 2005": http://www.metroland.net/guides/2005_best_...est_of_food.htm This link provides a list of the Metroland staff members' favorite restaurants, some of which were mentioned above, e.g., El Mariachi II is listed as "Best Mexican." Hope this helps docsconz. I think that you will have better luck in Paris than Albany!

I like to go to Parc Monceau after a trip to Alleosse (Fromagerie), which is one of the best cheese shops in Paris, at 13 rue Poncelet in the 17th arrondissement (Metro: Ternes). Just remember to go early because they are closed in the afternoon hours between 1:00-4:00 p.m. Business Hours: Closed Sunday afternoon & Monday Tuesday-Saturday: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. & 4:00-7:00 p.m. Sunday: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Also on rue Poncelet, there are many fruit and vegetable stalls and fish and meat markets, plus the Boulangerie Paul for breads to complete your picnic fare.

It depends what you mean by "best": best values, highest quality, most unusual selections, most knowledgeable staff? That said, in my opinion, the "best" Paris wine stores are: Caves Augé SA 116 boulevard Haussman 8th arrondissement Metro: Saint Augustin or Miromesnil Closed: Sundays & Monday mornings. Open: Mon.: 1:00-7:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.: 9:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m. This is a fine wine store, very traditional, which has been serving Paris since 1850. Although Augé is small in size, they have a wonderful selection of wines and spirits. Ask to see Marc Sibard, who speaks English and is extremely knowledgeable (he is also an advisor to Lavinia), for consultation on your selections. Les Caves Taillevent 199 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré 8th arrondissement Metro: Charles de Gaulle-Etoile or Ternes Open: Mon.: 2:00-8:00 p.m. Tues.-Fri.: 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m Sat.: 9:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Closed Sun. This is a small shop owned by the Vrinat family and is not in the least "touristy." Because of their limited space, they do not have many wines on display, but they have a catalogue from which one may make selections. You may find this shop to be more intimidating if you do not speak French or have a good idea of what particular wines you are seeking. Lavinia 3-5 boulevard de la Madeleine 1st arrondissement Metro: Madeleine Closed: Sun. Open: 12:00-3:00 p.m. for lunch. The casual bar stays open until 8:00 p.m. Lavinia claims that it is the largest wine shop in Europe, with a selection of more than 6,000 bottles of wine and a staff of 15 sommeliers. On the first floor (second floor in the US), there is a restaurant that serves lunch only and a bar. Wines are sold by the glass and range in price, but the restaurant’s wine list reportedy consists of all 6,000+ bottles in the store—any of which can be purchased and corked for no additional fee--so you are able to try before you buy. There are also the wine cellars at the shops of Hédiard and Fauchon around la Place de la Madeleine, but their selections are not as extensive as Lavinia or exquisite as Caves Augé SA or Les Caves Taillevent. I hope that this is helpful.

I agree that the best Cobb salad is made at home. Try this link for recipe: http://www.thefoodmaven.com/radiorecipes/cobb_salad.html.

I, too, second Payard Patisserie ( website at http://www.payard.com/) at 1032 Lexington Avenue, but would pass on Fauchon. However, my favorite French pastries--mostly chocolate, of course--are found at La Maison du Chocolat (website at http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/) at 1018 Madison Avenue (between 78th & 79th Streets). LMdC has a small selection of delicacies, including items such as eclairs, lemon pound cake, macarons, etc., which are displayed in the front window and can be eaten in the back room with a chocolate drink or taken away.

Yes, for a more casual atmosphere, there are the chain boulangeries/patisseries, such as: La Brioche Doreé Le Pain Quotidien: http://www.painquotidien.com/ PAUL: http://www.paul.fr/ Good luck and happy eating!

I adore Ladurée-Champs-Elysées, a tea salon located at 75, avenue des Champs-Elysées, for a sit-down continental breakfast. They are open at this location from 7:30 a.m. until midnite, but there are other locations throughout the city, which can be viewed at: http://www.laduree.fr/univers_va.htm Ladurée serves a wide range of viennoiseries, which can be seen on their website at this link: http://www.laduree.fr/b_viennoiseries2_va.htm They also make delicious omelets, but because the French do not generally eat eggs for breakfast, I believe that the omelets do not appear on the menu until luncheon time. Enjoy!!

I just drove by the new location of Penzey's when I was in Boston this past weekend. It is located at the old "Boston Market" take-out restaurant location on Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington Heights (near the intersection of Mass. Ave. with Park Ave.). I was surprised to see it there. It looks as though it is still under construction. I did not see a notice with an opening date, but it looks like it will be opening soon.

Thank you, Lesley C, for your professional comments, which I will take under consideration. It seems that there is a general trend in restaurant service away from the French formal toward the more casual. I suppose that this is because most people feel intimidated by formality and prefer to be "comfortable" when dining out. I am still left wondering has anyone tried Toque! at its new location?

My favorite Cheese Shop (Fromagerie) in Paris is Alloesse, which is located in the 17th arrondissement on 13 rue Poncelet. Alloesse has very comprehensive array of cheeses, some of which are aged/ripened in the caves beneath the shop. They are also the supplier of cheeses to the world-renowned, three-star restaurant Taillevent. Business Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. & 4:00-7:00 p.m. Sunday: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (Closed Sunday afternoon & all day Monday) Metro: Ternes Other Fromageries in other arrondissements (chiefly the 7th) are: Androuet Maitre Fromagerie 83 rue Saint-Dominique 7th arrondissement Barthelemy (Fromagerie) 51 rue de Grenelle 7th arrondissement Barthelemy is a source for some of the best Vacherin in Paris and is also known for its Epoisses, Camembert, and Roquefort. Open: Tues.-Sat. 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. & 4:00-7:00 p.m. (Closed Sun. & Mon.) Metro: Rue du Bac Marie-Anne Cantin (Fromagerie) 12 rue du Champ de Mars 7th arrondissement One of Paris' most famous fromageries, Marie-Anne Cantin is family-run shop with a well-rounded and consistent selection of about 120 different cheeses, 40-50 of which are chevres. The house specialty is Saint-Antoine, a triple-cream made from cow's milk in the Ile-de-France. Open: Tues.-Sun.: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.; Tues.-Sat.: 4:00-7:00 p.m. Metro: Ecole Militaire Located near rue Cler, a market street. Quatre Homme (Fromagerie) 62 rue des Sevres 7th arrondissement 118 rue Mouffetard 5th arrondissement A source for cheeses popular with restauranteurs, Quatre Homme usually has impressive, hard-to-find Beauford (from Haut-Savoie) and a creamy Saint-Marcellin. Open: Tues.-Sun.: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.; Tues.-Sat.: 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

I am going up to Montreal with my husband and some friends for the Thanksgiving Day Holiday and have dinner reservations at "Les Caprices de Nicolas." Although several members have given it positive reviews (carswell: "probably the city's best 'French' restaurant"; Lesley C: "I would definitely second Les Caprices de Nicolas. I have no problem agreeing that it's Montreal's top French restaurant, and it really is far from stodgy food-wise."), I have recent reports from friends who ate there and complained about the casual, unprofessional service, lack of availability of wines on the wine list, etc. Has anyone eaten there recently? And what was your experience of the quality of the service and the meal? The last time that we ate at "Les Caprices de Nicolas" was when Nicolas Jongleux was the chef, and we had a long, leisurely, wonderful meal with several courses and wines to accompany each; but that was a long time ago, and the chef has since changed. Also, has anyone tried the new "Toque!"? For many years, we had our Thanksgiving Dinner there, but over the years, we have become disillusioned with the impersonal quality of the service and attitude of the staff, and the menu does not seem as innovative as it used to be. It seems that the quality of the service has declined as the restaurant has expanded.

Green Street Cafe serves both lunch and dinner and offers fresh food and good wines at reasonable prices. Herrell's has the best ice cream, although the desserts at Green Street are very good as well. While in Northampton, you might want to do some shopping at the following: Big Y Wines & Liquors/Table & Vine at 122 North King Street is a huge wine and liquor market and gourmet shop with an outstanding selection of products. Culinary Specialties/Coffee Gallery at 65 King Street (closed Mondays) is a great gourmet specialty shop with very knowledgeable owners. Bakery Konditorei Normand at 192 Main Street (closed Mondays) features German and European breads, pastries, and tortes.

I order a variety of mail-order foods extensively via the internet. My favorites are: For Exquisite European Chocolates: La Maison du Chocolat http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/ For Freshest Seafood, shipped overnight directly from fishermen/producers: FARM 2 MARKET http://www.f2m.com/ For Foie Gras, Game Birds, Game Meats, & Specialty Items: D'ARTAGNAN https://www.dartagnan.com/index.asp For Oils, Vinegars, Mustards, Jams, Etc.: ChefShop.com http://store.yahoo.com/chefshop/index.html Culinary Specialties/Coffee Gallery http://www.culinaryspecialtiescoffeegallery.com/ & http://www.cooksshophere.com/ For Spices & Specialty Foods: Kalustyan's http://www.kalustyans.com/ For Peanuts: The Peanut Shop of Wiliiamsburg http://www.thepeanutshop.com/ For Pork: Niman Ranch http://www.nimanranch.com/index.htm I hope that this is helpful.