pete ganz

We drove by, but unfortunately felt too chateaux-ed out at that point to go in. The medieval section of Chinon was great, it was exactly how I pictured those old European side streets to look.

Driving was definitely worth it, but a little scary at first. The highway may as well have no speed limit, the traffic lights are the size of golf balls, finding parking is almost impossible, and on some of the backstreets I think I had about 12" of clearance on either side of the car. But it was alot of fun after I got used to it.

Steve, I forgot to mention it but we did have the fig and port wine, which I thought worked well. You're exactly right with the basil...that was what was in the chocolate bun. I liked the exotic spicing of the other dishes, but it seems tough to pull off with dessert. Although it was served grey side up, I thought the bass was perfectly cooked. I don't remember there being too much oil in the dish. I ate the marshmallow with the lobster, and I thought it was a good complement, but there were certainly some strong flavors going on in that dish. I had no idea he was trying to do this. As you said, there aren't many vegetables in the dishes, and the only "land" that I remember was the lamb chops. We stayed at Les Rimains, the smaller of the 2. Are they at the Richeux? That room was worth every penny, especially after staying at 45 Euro/night hotels everywhere else!

Hollywood: Thanks, I wish it could be more informative, but I didn't take notes and kinda just went with the flow and gave general descriptions. It certainly wasn't a Relais & Chateaux at every location kind of vacation, but definitely a bit more than a backpacking tour of the region kind of trip. After reading through all of the France board here, there were some places that I felt we had to splurge on. Tommy: Yes and no. I thought they were a lot more formal in Paris. Very nice, but yet still very formal. It seemed a lot more laid back in the provinces. I was actually amazed at how openly friendly people were in the country. Paris was certainly a lot hipper than other regions, but I suppose that's to be expected. However, there was still a decent array of butcher, bakery, cheese, clothing, etc. shops in the provinces that I didn't think you would find there. I thought it was interesting that we rented a car for a week and I didn't didn't see one cop on the highway the entire time. The whole country seems to have a "do whatever you want as long as you're not causing any trouble" kind of vibe.

My wife and I just got back from a 2 week trip to France. We basically hit the all the touristy spots; Paris, Versailles, Giverny, Rouen, Mont St. Michel, Brittany (Cancale), and the chateaux (stayed in Chinon). Since I basically got all the restaurant info from eGullet, I figured I would give some feedback on some of the more memorable places. Our first lunch was at Le Vieux Bistro in the 4th, right next to the Notre Dame. We had very good escargot and a fantastic bouef bourguignon. What a terrific dish that was, so much flavor. Extremely nice hostess. A great start to the trip. One of two big splurges was lunch at Le Grand Vefour. A bit intimidating, since this was our first experience with a starred French restaurant. We are also in our late twenties, and were the youngest couple in there by far. It was nice to have Guy Martin greet us at the door, but I was so nervous when I first got there that I didn't say anything to him, I just gave him a nod and a smile. I guess 1:00 is a bit early for lunch, because there were only 2 other tables taken when we got there and we had 5 waiters staring at us! After some champagne and an amuse bouche (broccoli and sea bream soup?), we started to relax a little. The service was very professional but not stuffy in any way. As for the food, I would have to say that it was more interesting than delicious. I had a terrine of chicken and vegetables for an app and pork prepared 3 ways for a main. It was very good, but I expected more from a 3 star restaurant, although my wife loved her sea bass main course. Maybe the a la carte menu was the way to go. The cheese, however, was a different story. I remember someone on eGullet recommending the comte at this place. When they brought the cheese cart around, the comte was not on it, but the waiter said he had some 3 year old comte in the back. It was probably the best cheese I've ever had. The desserts were also excellent, and they kept bringing around tiny petit fours non-stop. The waiters certainly warmed up as the lunch went on. The service and the beautiful room definitley trumped the food here...the waiters made it a very special lunch. Dinner at Chez Gramond in the 6th. A tiny little place that is run by an elderly couple. We were the only ones in there for a while. Good foie gras and very good navarin of lamb. Very warm service from Madame Gramond. Her husband came out from the back at the end and we had a nice little chat with them before we left. Dinner at Le Repaire de Cartouche in the 11th, which seemed very much like a locals place. They give you pork rillettes with the bread when you get there...yum. We had the foie gras and langoustines to start and both were great. My duck main with mushrooms was very good, but was a tad chewy even though it was rare. I figured this was due to the fact that it was wild, not farm raised, when I discovered the hard thing I bit into was not a bone but a shotgun pellet. Very good cheeses. Le Beffroy in Rouen (Normandy). Another nice, very old, half-timbered dwelling run solely by an elderly couple. This time the wife was in the kitchen. We had a terrific example of the local favorite; duck rouennaise, which is extremely rare pressed duck in a sauce composed of its own blood. Awesome. The man was very nice, and halfway through the meal brought out a book on Normandy cooking that had a picture and story about his wife. Dinner at Maisons de Bricourt in Cancale (Brittany). We sampled the delicious Cancale oysters at lunch that day, and went to this excellent 2 star for dinner, the second big splurge. The grounds are beautiful, with windows all around with a view of the duck pond in the back. We had the 10 course tasting menu and the food here was head and shoulders above Le Grand Vefour. It was very innovative, not traditional in any way and the chef was not afriad of using different spices. Some dishes that I recall; red prawns in a whiskey sauce, raw scallops with a citrus/curry sauce, red mullet, lobster, assorted crustaceans, bass, and lamb chops. I unfortunately did not take notes so I don't remember all the different sauces, but they were all amazing. Cheeses were also excellent. The only dish that missed in my opinion was the dessert, which was 3 different preparations of chocolate that all contained a tremendous amount of mint (and other spices?). Their hotel, which is close by, is also gorgeous and pretty reasonable considering the room and the view. Dinner at La Maison Rouge in Chinon (Loire Valley). Not a very touristy town I don't think, but I would highly recommend this place if anyone is ever in Chinon. Run by a couple in their 40's, very casual and nicely decorated. It's the kind place where they have the jazz going in the background and there are neighborhood cats just popping in and out the place. I had an excellent platter of regional items such as country pate, saucisson sec, slow roasted pork, rabbit pate, and smoked ham. Excellent straight forward food, paired with a good local Chinon wine. And with the limited French that we know, the French people were very understanding and extremely nice in almost all cases.

The Thai slaw sounds pretty good. One of my friends in high school used to swear by kimchi on a burger, but I've never tried it. I think that I must try this odd sounding concoction now.

I always heard it was Visine (or something like that) they put in drinks to give bad customers the runs. May be a myth though...

Wasn't David Rosengarten the original host a few years back? Maybe it was a different show.

I think you have a better chance of getting a meeting with the Pope.

Everyone likes to dick on Bobby Flay and yes, he is annoying at times, but the food he makes on Boy Meets Grill usually looks pretty damn good.

The classic steakhouse sides, creamed spinach and scalloped potatoes, are also top notch at Mignon.

That would be huge. I think the closest Thai place in the area is Wondee's in Hackencrack.

We made it to Fascino's last night. Concerning scarlet knight's comments about the a/c...well, it's still a problem. It was a bit too warm in there for me. The tables were a little close together, but I can understand that. The olive spread amuse Rosie mentioned is small, but very tasty. They also give you a saucer of good olive oil for the bread. We had the braised beef ravioli and crab stuffed zucchini flowers for apps. Both were quite good, but I believe could have been more flavorful. It's hard to explain that, but they were interesting choices that you don't really see every day and I wanted them to have more of a punch. However, the mains were terrific. Since Rosie's husband got the fennel dusted pork twice , I had to try it. I didn't discern much fennel, but the pork was excellent, cooked perfectly with a nice cherry sauce. My wife's olive and garlic crusted salmon was also cooked perfectly and delicious. Unfortunately, neither of our entrees came with a starch (I don't know if any do). For dessert we had the sampler, which I believe was a small serving each of peach gelato, cheesecake, and chocolate cake. Very good. Service was also quite good. The bill came to $100 even before tip. I'll be back in the fall.

I'm currently halfway through a 4-pack of La Fin Du Monde. My local Buy-Rite just started carrying it, and I remember a mention on this thread. I've had Ommegang before, but I don't know if it was their flagship beer, so it's hard to compare. This is definitely in the Belgian style though. Very good call. Since Buy-Rite has it, I'll have to check out the Trois Pistoles as well.

Welcome Don. And I hope the back is doing better.

Just click on the episode you're interested in and it will tell you when they're on next. Looks like mainly late Aug/ early Sept. Here's the link.

Sounds like a good time. Definitely hit the Dogfish Head tent. And remember to pace yourself!

Where/when is it? I actually went to a beer festival in Burlington, VT a couple weeks ago. It was a great time, and they had some really good micro-brews, but the lines to get your 3 oz. sample were huge.

It might, but the Lobel's grilling guide that came with the steaks does indeed say to add oil after searing, not before. Has anyone tried this method? All I know is that after reading all the Lobel's threads, I did not oil the steaks before putting them in my cast iron pan (no access to grill). While they were still fantastic, they did not develop a great crust...mainly because the s & p stuck to the cast iron. I don't know, maybe it wasn't hot enough.

Yeah, but they charge the same flat rate (roughly $20), whether you live in Newark or Alaska.

I've done this. They're right in Newark and I'd imagine you pay less at their warehouse than you do at a supermarket, but I haven't done a comparison. All you need to do is call in your order and tell them when you'll be by to pick it up.

As a funny coincidence, we were just at the farm this last Saturday. We were visiting some friends in Sussex county and it was only 20 minutes away. By the time we got there at 3:00, they were already out of a couple of cheeses. We ended up with the cheddar, the spring frolic, and the wawayanda. The cheddar was probably the best I've ever tasted. The others were also very good...creamy and ripe with complex flavors. They said that unfortunately the fallen pyramid and the tower of bobel cheeses were not ready yet. We also picked up 3 breads: the cranberry walnut, rosemay, and garlic & cheese...all terrific. I wanted to mention to John that we heard about his farm on eGullet, but I didn't see him. There is also a nice place for fresh fruit and vegetables right down the road on 94, Heaven Hill Farms. I will surely be back next time we go up to Sussex.

I think this guy is on something.

I'm not sure if you plan on filleting them on the boat or when you get back, but I think their is a law about not being able to take whole fish off a charter boat, although I don't know the reason for it. Even though the mates get tipped for it, I can't see them having a problem with you doing it yourself, especially if you bring your own knife. I hope you have better luck than we did...20 hour trip, 60 guys, and the entire boat caught 3 tuna.

This looks like a good place to start.... How to filet a tuna