peterpumkino

Thanks John. I just might try your recipe as it does sound good. I agree with you about 'authentic' ingredients, but where would you get Bouilliebasse cooked this way? I suppose you would have to go hunting in the back streets of Marseille. Peter

I've already got six bottles of Cassis in the fridge!! Thanks for your comments but problem with Miramar (apart from it's change of management) is closed in August. Looks inreasingly like Chez Fonfon.

Yes, Holly, your site has some great photos but......................disaster......................I'm going in August and, apparantly, Miramar is closed then. Back to the drawing board. Have you (or anyone else) got some ideas. Thanks again

Sounds great Holly. What kind of price range? And does the waiter cook in front of you? Thanks.

Alas Anne, I didn't have much time to really explore Aix and Cassis as I was working. However I will say that Aix is a very beautiful place and Cassis is fun. The Cassis white wine is also excellent.

I'm off to Marseilles in August and needs some ideas re. Bouillabaisse as it can be pricey and great and can also be pricey and miserable! Anybody any ideas for the Real Thing. Money is important but good food and nice location are more important. Thanks a bunch, Peter

Thanks Andy!

Do you know Simon that when you're upset you write just like A.A. Gill - I mean that as a compliment even if you don't take it that way! Very amusing and spot on. My question is this: how do these places survive. In Italy (always excluding tourist places) a bad restaurant would be out of business within two weeks.

And quite right too, long may it remain so !!! What's more, the French call them frites And the Americans call them 'Freedom Fries'!! I have had a US Credit Card for yonks and have had about 2 problems in France and I rather think that they were due to shop assistants not knowing how to deal with chip-free cards - and, unfortunately, I have use my card A LOT in France.

now you're saying only the seafood platter was good. Seafood platter is hard to get wrong especially when you are above a fish market. But I did have food that requires an element of skill and execution and it just didn't do it for me. Yes, that's exactly what I said and that's what I meant. I would recommend their seaflood platter unequavocally - I was not judging the place for it's 'element of skill' but on it's taste. On one hand you complain that your food was not good considering it was above a fishmongers and on the other hand you say that that is the exact reason the seafood platter is so good! You can't have it both ways. All I said was that the seafood platter was great. It was. The fact that you went there and had something completely different (and that it wasn't good) is another story completely. The ambiente is NOT London chic but very local - what's wrong with that? Bottom line is I liked the seafood platter very much and would recommend it to anyone interested. I will go back. Plus I'll try the fish and chips which I love if it's cooked correctly (which it sounds like it is).

Oh I must must I? First of all it's my opinion only and therefore it's accurate, for me. Secondly I resent the 'as usual' Cireceplum. Yes, I am often wrong in real life but regarding restaurants it's very rare (go to the Italy site and see what I mean - they allegedly like me there!). Thirdly, if you actually bother to read what I said (which I doubt) I had the Seafood Platter which is similar to Fruites de Mer and, guess what, is fresh therefore not ruined or tainted in any way by garlic or whatever. I have no idea if the cooked seafood is good or not at the C & W only that the seafood platter is superb (and this from someone who eats fruits de mer regularly in France). However thanks for the rec. on The Dove - I'll make sure I go there for an afternoon soon then I'll know everything.

I hsvr not been to Oyster Fishery as I have head that it is overpriced and not the 'bees knees'. I expect Americans would like it. I adored the seafood platter at the Crab and Winkle - at least check it out, great food and great, local, atmosphere. Wheelers I've heard is wonderful and looked incredible when I poppped in but it's very small indeed - very cramped atmosphere. Great for me bt I don't think it's The Place for Americans.

surely the dessert would be 'Waffle served with lots of cheese' I would never eat in an Italian restaurant in London that has POLENTA FRITTA WITH DOLCELATTE, ARTICHOKES AND PANCETTA on the menu!! I mean, the Italians would laugh for days if they saw that in a restaurant! Polenta is only served in rustic restaurants in the mountains. Come on!!!!! That's for Brit poseurs only - you know who you are! And I love cheese - can't stand waffle.

Hey! Wait a moment, Craig has bestowed on me the copyright: RealItalian® - you have to pay me royalties (in Italian lire) if you use it! Thanks for the rec. 200mt from the border and thanks Craig for Bordighera - any more anybody?

I'm off to Florida on Tues and immediately on on my return I'm taking advantage of a Daily Mail Eurostar/TGV train offer of £69 anywhere in France! So I'm off to Nice for a couple of days but being an Italiaphile I'm also going over the border for a day. Based on the kind of restaurants I like (i.e. local but great - not Michelin) and the vicinity to the border (Ventimiglia, San Remo or further afield if it's worth it) can anyone recommend something neat for me? Actually lived for a while in San Remo so I do know that there are great places nearby but it was a long time a so I would really appreciate your help. Thanks.

Oh yes he did! But my favourite antipasti is the Tummin - a white goats cheese that is kept in a bottle of oil and spices. At La Maisson they offer two types, one im a pakrika oil and one in a sort of spicy oil. Mmmmh.

There are a few restaurants that I would really go out of my way for (i.e. drive three hours just to eat there) and one is Bill's rec. (we are alike aren't we?) Maison Di Fillippo in Entreves just outside of Courmayer. It's rustic and has a great mountain 'feel' and in ski season you must make a reservation (+39 0165 869797 - Closed Tuesdays and June 01-July 15 and November) as even the French visit in droves by driving through the Mont Blanc from Chamonix. Yes, they have about 40 antipasti but it's not a buffet, they are brought individually to your table then taken to the next table and the next and so forth (would this be illegal in Britain - health laws and all that?). And these 40 dishes come before you even order anything! Only then do you order the pasta course which comes before you order the main course! (they have lovely trout for main but you should try something different and that's the Bagna Cauda (dialect for hot bath), which consists of massive, fresh vegetables dipped, fondue-style, in hot, spicy oil. And then comes the dessert and then the fruit. With unlimited house wine it's about L85,000 set charge (I haven't been for over a year so I don't know in Euros). Amazing value for what you eat. Also sample the Coppa D'Amici here (cup of friendship) also called the Grolla which is a Val D'Aosta specialty whereby coffee and liqueors are flamed and is poured into a fancy wooden 'cup' with 4 or six seperate spouts, it is then handed around the table and you each take a drink until it's finished or you fall over! Enjoy Maison Di Filippo anybody who goes, It's also pretty outdoors in Summer under a beautiful view of Monte Blanc. There's also a great 'find' just before you hit Aosta itself. Come off the Autostrada just before Aosta (coming from Milan or Torino) and there's a sign on the road for St. Christophe, turn right up this small road and you come to a restaurant (I can't remember the name) which is superb. I found this restaurant by asking in a bank in Courmayer for a great restaurant en route back to Milano - this request created a massive argument amongst clerks and clients alike which lasted fifteen minutes culminating with the bank calling long-distance to the restaurant that everyone finally agreed on (now that's a better rec. than Michelin!) to ensure that it wasn't their day off! Don't you all wish you got that kind of service at your bank! As is common in Italy the best thing to do is get the owner and just ask him to "bring a few things" (!) he won't rip you off and you'll have a great experience.

Actually the Italians do have wonderful Toast (spelt english-style) in bars. The main difference is that, as they use Italian cheese, these 'melts' have Real Flavour!

Have just read Confessions Of A Culinary Anarchist and it's also very funny and very true. I like this comment of Craig's: I thought I would be bored by the culinary mono-culture of Italy as compared to the all-encompassing diversity of the United States, but I found the reverse to be true. When I first moved to the States (this was before fast food places opened in Europe) I was truly amazed at the diverse food available. I couldn't wait to eat Smorgasbrod at Sweden House, fresh sea food at Red Lobster, Italian at the Olive Garden, Mexican at Taco Bell - I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Duh! At the end of the day it's quality not quantity that matters! When I first moved to Italy years ago as a young, non-drinking, naive, musician, I married an Italian girl (from Ivrea in Piemonte) and was invited into many homes - when asked what I wanted to drink I insisted on aranciata (no wine not even San Pelligrino). God knows what the Italians thought of me! So I can certainly relate to all of Craig's comments, except I'm no anarchist - as the bad joke referring to rape said, I just lie back and enjoy it.

Wonderful, accurate and witty page, everyone should read it! I particularly liked this : 'But if you order coffee or tea during the meal, ask for the ketchup, bottle, or request a doggie bag…watch out, you will be in big trouble'. I have an American friend who absolutely insists, vehemently, that he have his coffee with his dessert. He makes a big deal of this, telling the waiter at least three times and, guess what, ..........he NEVER gets his coffee with his dessert! The page missed out two points: You are meant to drink beer with pizza, wine is a big no-no. I've been in pizzarias in Naples that do not even offer wine! They serve only beer! The other rule is for all the 'trendies' amongst us: It is NOT considered chic to drink wine if you are not eating. For example, if you go to go to a bar and order a nice glass of Soave you do not end up looking like a gourmand - at best you end up looking low class and at worse an alcoholic! As I said, great page, funny and very true!

It's funny Jay but just checking-out Wheelers made me think that it had what it takes and your rec. confirmed it. I will try it next week and also the sportsmens pub. Thanks.

Just for your info I had a fabulous afternoon in Whitstable yesterday. From Guildford it was only a 90 minute drive but what a difference!! The place is really neat and not a Body Shop, Dixons or Pizza Express to be seen! We ate at the Crab and Winkle right on the harbour front where we had their Seafood Platter. I'm a great fan of the French 'Fruits de Mer' platter but this was even better. Great 'rustic' atmosphere and really fresh, fresh sea food (there's a large fish warehouse downstairs!). Also looked into Wheelers which is a small Oyster Bar in the High Street and it looked very interesting but with the Crab and Winkle being so good I don't know when I'll eat at Wheelers (unless I stay a night there which is not so bad an idea). Anway just for you city dwellers it's a great get-away which is not too far but a thousand miles from London. Yes, yes, I DO know that Michelin recommends the Oyster Factory, but that's Michelin for you. I thought the C&W far better

So at least we're on the same wavelength! Let me know how Tokyo was.

I went last night (prior to going to the Paul McCartney concert - amazing) to the 'cheapo' Japanese in Chinatown and it was really good, genuine (a lot of the customers were Japanese) and very reasonable (the Nigri selection of Sushi was £8 and the Miso Soup was 80 Pence - I think that's cheap!) but the menue had a lot more options much cheaper (including Bento boxes). The name is, imaginatively, Tokyo, and it's located on the corner of the road parellel to Gerrars Street (go East on Gerrard Street and take a right at the end and it's on the corner). Let me know please someone, but I think it's cheap and good. Of course it's very basic.

Why 'here'? Why not here (on this thread) so we can all benefit ('here' is a thread for chocolate chip cookies!). Thanks.