marktynernyc

Yes - the cooking class was at El Naranjo - you can email Iliana regarding what days are available. I was going to bring back dried chiles but bought two pieces (one somewhat delicate) of beauriful Mexican folk art and didn't want to be weighed down being that I only brought a carry on. Also - at customs in JFK I was questioned about whether I had brought back any produce from Mexico - not sure how dried chiles would be treated. I did bring back some chocolate but didn't declare it. Forgot to mention - I have photos posted on my Oaxaca page at virtualtourist.com, if you're interested. I'll also post a short report to this thread regarding things I did while in Oaxaca.

El Naranjo Valerio Trujano 203, tel: (951) 514-1878 www.elnaranjo.com.mx I had dinner here my first night in Oaxaca. All the praise for the food here is well deserved. Started off with a margarita. With the bread you get small dishes of pate (very good), butter flavored with orange peel and a salsa (I believe). I started off with a nuez (pecan) and chiplotle soup - creamy, thick, nutty fragrance and a very restrained hint of smoky chipotle. Next was a jicama and hibiscus salad. The crunch of the jicama, the tartness of the hibiscus was balanced by pieces of thick bacon. I had the wednesday mole (Manchamanteles) with pork. (Why can't we have pork as flavorful in America?) The mole is enhanced with plantain and pineapple - very satisfying. Next I had the stuffed chile with calabaza flowers in a light tomato and almond sauce. Wonderfully delicate and layered flavors. For desert I had flan - which was fine. Service was efficient and polite. I met Iliana - the chef and owner. I had also schedule to attend a cooking class ($50 US) at El Naranjo for the next day. Class had about 10 people. We learned to make various salsas, guacamole (no garlic please and especially no mayonnaise, as one person confessed to adding to her version), amarillo mole, tortilla sopa with the traditional condiments, coconut flan, agua de jamaica, agua de horchata. While the mole simmered we walked over to the mercado and met various vendors. Then we returned to the restaurant to have the lunch we had prepared. This was a great way to start my trip to Oaxaca - the recipes were easy, fun way to meet other people, very hands on experience. Came back for lunch another day: started off with gazpacho - made traditionally, no cream; had the saturday mole (chichilo) with pork - once again flavorful and dense; dad the ancho chilie stuffed with goat cheese in an almond sauce - the goat cheese was creamy, not exceedingly tart(?) and didn't overwhelm the ancho. What impressed me most about all this dishes were how restrained and layered they were - the different flavours really came through. La Purisima Allende 208, tel: 50-1-09-27 Located near Santo Domingo. This restaurant has a great roof terrace - ideal for afternoon and evening drinks and/or dinner - the view of the surrounding mountains at night is magical. Great courtyard also. The food was competent. I had dinner here twice and afternoon margaritas numerous times. Both sopas I had - guisa and tortilla - were very good. Had a quesadilla with oaxacan cheese and espazote - which was average - the tortilla was a bit tough. The main dishes were okay - I had chicken with almond type mole and pescado (fish) with grapes - both nice but not extraordinary. Service was very welcoming and gracious. I did have crepes flambe with strawberries and vanilla ice cream my last night in Oaxaca - sitting in an ocher colored courtyard beneath a midnight blue sky, half moon and Orion. Hosteria de Acala M. Alcala 307, tel 51-620-93 Located near Santo Domingo. A cool and inviting courtyard is a nice respite from the afternoon sun. For breakfast I had chilequiles so I opted for a light lunch - started with a plate of chorizo and oaxaca cheese which had been heated and mixed together, black beans and guacamole with warm tortillas (similar to queso flamedo). Also had the house salad and a corn & poblano soup. Everything was pleasant. Los Danzantes M. Alcala 403, tel: (951)501-11-84 This was the most contempory meal I had in Oaxaca. A great modern space done in that hip, cool, minimalist Mexican tone. The crowd consists of a lot of cell phone and beeper types. As for the food: apple&avocado salad with a grainy mustard vinagrette - nice, pleasant and light - crisp apple, creamy avocado, robust mustard - interesting combination. Had a seafood soup with chipoltle - shrimp. mussels, scallops - which was fine. Ordered the ravioli stuffed with huitlacoche with a poblano sauce - very interesting dish - the pasta I thought to be a bit too thick - beautifully presented. Alejandro - Casa Oaxaca Garcia Vigil 402, tel: (01-951) 514-4173 www.casaoaxaca.net Wonderfully updated mexican cuisine. Casa Oaxaca is both a hotel and restaurant. The restaurant is in the main courtyard - very pleasant. Started with a grapefruit and avocado salad. For sopa - fresh creamed corn with poblano strips - must have been just prepared, the corn tasted that fresh. Chile nogada - poblano stuffed with both pork and beef with a walnut sauce but not battered (which I prefer) - very good. For desert -pineapple and banana pie - which was okay. Had a wonderful mezcal afterwards - Mezcal Cuerudo, Sabores y Tradiciones de Oaxaca las Casas St. - extremely smooth. You'll need to make dinner reservations - be sure stop by and confirm if done by email. La Ascuncion Hostal de La Noria, Av. Hidalgo 918, tel: (951)514-78-44 www.lanoria.com This was probably my most "traditional" meal: caesar salad, which was prepared at my table - crisp green romaine leaves lightly coated; huitlacoche in chicken consomme - a beautiful bowl of glistening black pearls of various size in a rich chicken consomme - delicious and beautiful; filet mignon topped with a mild cheese and oaxqueno chile sauce - cooked rare - the flavours really melded well together in this dish - the flavor of the smoked oaxqueno chile is very unique; desert - cheese flan. The restaurant is decorated in colonial style with large floor to ceiling windows that open out to the street La Fonda de Sto. Domingo 5 de mayo 41, tel: 52 (9)-514-89-24 Located near Santo Domingo. I had a simple lunch - quesadilla with flor de calabza and chilaquiles armarillo with pork. The flowers were so fresh, almost grassy - the oaxacan cheese was smooth and buttery - really delicious. The chilaquilles were simple and good. I can still remember sitting in in this restaurant - the bells at Santo Domingo ringing, occasionally someone walking by - I became very aware that it was siesta time. El Topil Plazuela Labastida 104 Located near Santo Domingo, just off Alcala. I had read the food here had a homey touch - the restaurant has that type of feel. Had a tamal de mole negro -they were huge and the masa nicely complimented the mole negro and chicken. For an entree I tried enchiladas de bautro con picallo de tre carnes accompanes de frijoles negro -enchiladas smothered in a mole rojo - it was a hearty dish. Flor de Oaxaca 311 Armenta Had nopal salad, oaxacan tamales, poblanos stuffed with picadillo, fried plantains with sour cream sauce. The nopal salad was bright; the tamales contained mole nego and chicken; the poblanos were cooked in a light tomato broth - very delicate; plantains with a sour cream type sauce was a nice ending. None of my meals were bad - and some were quite good. What stands out is how restrained , subtle, milder the flavors of real Mexican food is compared to American versions of Mexican, be it authentic or tex mex or what have you. The freshness of produce really impressed me. Real-live-time, freshly squeezed orange juice is so much better than any supposed supermarket fresh orange juice. I don’t think there was a restaurant that didn’t serve the standard seven moles. Probably my only quibble - dishes have the tendency to come to the table pretty quickly. As for wines - Illiana, from El Naranjo suggested a malbec wine. I stuck to margaritas, mexcal and bottled water. By mid week I had become more adventerous and started trying various things in the mercado - with no ill effect. The aroma of cacao roasting or being ground is intoxicating and very heady. Be sure to try it both ways - milk and water. Different intensity of flavors and texture. If you have any questions about Oaxaca, feel free to ask.

I'm having dinner at El Naranjo my first night in Oaxaca - the next day I'm attending a cooking class at her restaurant. I have read glowing reviews of her cooking - looking forward to it. http://www.elnaranjo.com.mx/

Thanks for the suggestions. I'l post a report when I get back from Oaxaca.

Received an email informing me that KampaPark has reopened. They specialize in seafood and is located on Kampa Island and the river's edge. They were of course closed due to the floods. http://www.kampapark.com/ Also - I have additonal posts to my trip to Prague that I've debated posting because it's really not food related but would defintely enhance your visit to Prague. I had read that the views from Letna Park - across the Vltava from the Jewish Quarter - are superlative - they were right. From the plateau overlooking the city you can see all the bridges spanning the Vltava - the view is a must do. There is a restaurant located in the park - Hanavsky Pavilion - “a impressive structure in luxuriant Dutch pseudo-Baroque style , all made of cast iron complemented with masonry” . The food was nothing special. I would recommend getting a table outside, weather permitting, ordering a bottle of moravian white and just sit for a few hours. The longer I sat the more I began to see that Prague really is the city of 100 spires. The sunlight streamed across the rooftops casting the city into high contrast - the wide expanse of the sky and the rolling clouds - the silvery green of the Vltava - trams and people crossing the bridges. The second movement form Dvorak’s New World Symphony kept coming to mind. Occasionally other tourists would appear but overall I had this incredible vantage point to myself to enjoy. I was able to pin point various buildings the longer I sat. It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. The restaurant also serves dinner. http://www.hanavskypavilon.cz/Indexa.htm Had reserved a space for the tour of the Municipal House one morning. Be sure to reserve in advance - spaces are limited. If you love art nouveau architecture - take this tour. The only way you’ll be able to see the galleries upstairs is by taking the tour. The tour also includes the concert hall - which you can also see during a performance. Each gallery is unique. It cost about $40 million to restore the Municipal House. Beautiful interiors. The tour lasted for about an hour. Be sure to check out the various rooms in the basement also. Decided to have lunch at the Pilsen restaurant one day - which is located in the basement. The Pilsen restaurant was originally named “Folk Restaurant” - it’s a large brasserie with folk type motifs from the Slavonic countryside - dark blue green tiles, dark woods, ceramic pictures - definitely more peasant tone. Lunch: potato soup with wild mushrooms; prague ham with horseradish, mustard and pickled gerkins; piquant sausage from Davle with mustard and apple horseradish; assorted czech cheeses and a large glass of Pilsner (the only time I drank beer while in Prague). It was a simple, nice, moderately priced meal. http://www.obecnidum.cz/e_index.htm One afternoon I had reservations to tour the Mullerova Villa. If you’re an architecture buff - this is a must do.The house was designed by Adolf Loos. You must make a reservation to take a tour - group size is limited to 7. Tour cost 400 Kn. To make reservations: vila.muller@muzeum. http://www.mullerovavila.cz/default-cv.html

Am going to Oaxaca soon - I've been doing research, cross referencing, reading reviews and have almost finished composing the list of restaurants I plan to try. While I will have a few margaritas while there - straight up, with salt (no, not frozen - I've had more than enough snow this winter) I'm wondering what types of wines would be a good match with Oaxacan cuisine. I've had oloroso sherry with some spicy dishes that I thought worked well. I'll be trying various moles, stuffed chiles, etc.. Not really sure what would go with armadillo or iguana - any ideas?

Holly - It sounds like you may be talking about Hotel Diana - I had wanted to go but the metro was closed. There was a review in the Prague Post just a few months ago. http://www.hoteldiana.cz/ang_left.htm

Just got an email form the Black Rooster promoting their French and Czech Pig slaughtering feast menu for February: Appetizers * soups Home made pork paste with five herna, cognac and white goose liver, baked in sesame crust and served with stewed pears with clove flavour 148,- Smokem mosaic andouille sausage flavoured with „garni bouguet“ served on salad made of fresh cabbage with horse radish and Apples 110,- Rosette made of home made andouille sausage and blood sausage, served with horse radish, mustard and bunch of salads 110,- Fine home made brawn with onion vinaigrette, decorated with vegetables 110,- Soup made of blood sausage „Le Bougras“ – stark pig-slaughtering broth with vegetables, garlic and seasoned blood sausage 89,- Old Bohemian pig-slaughtering soup with leafs of fried onion and crumbled marjoram 89,- Sauerkraut soup with home made sausage and cream 89,- Specialities from home farm Alsace stewed cabbage with juniper berries and wine, latex with smoked meat, sausage, pork fillet, blood sausage and andouille sausage, served with home made bread 350,- Roasted lean home made andouille sausage with blood sausage served on sauerkraut with potato-pasta balls with onion 240,- Boned filled knee marined in dark beer with garlic, served with spinach potato with smoked scrap, decorated with horse radisch salad 280,- Pork steak filled with sausage cabbage with goose liver, served on green sauce with roasted eggplants in mustard and garlic 340,- Pork sirloin baked in pig-slaughtering paste and herb dough, served with horse radish apples and leaf salads 320,- Baked in pork liver with savoury pork tatar with Boletka mushrooms, served with ham pancakes, interlaid with green beans 340,- The chef prepares for you the meatless dish according to the momentary offer of raw materials. Favourite specialities Caked bluefish in shrimp shell with herbs, served on asparagus risotto with sauce made of morels and grilled tomato with anchovy foam 420,- Roasted duck breast with pears and plums on armagnac, served with potato souflée with white goose liver 450,- Grilled chicken barbecue with pork fillets and shallots, served with roasted potatoes with cheese and garlic, cold cream sauce with tomatoes 350,- Deboned venison saddle packej into bacon shell on the rose-hip sauce with cranberries, served with potato soufflé with almonds and roasted pear with forest berries 480,- Griled beef-steak made of true sirloin larded with roasted crispy vegetables with roasted filled potato 380,- Sweets Baked apple with dried plums stewed with drop of plum brandy, served with gnocchi made of apple sorbet and strawberry sautee 120,- Chocolate bonbone foam with sour cherries in white shell with almond crust on sauce „Grand Marnier“ 140,- Basket made from poured lemon dough with vanilla flavour, filled with fresh forest berries and cognac chocolate cream 160,- Ice cream terrine with fresh fruits and oran_e ice cream 120,- Hot raspberries with vanilla ice cream 120,- Sorbet – pear, lemon, raspberry 80,- Pear baked in with French cheeses 130,- Palette of Czech a French cheeses with fruits 280,- Salads Vegetable salad with home made brawn and onion vinaigrette 120,- Lettuce with horse radish dressing 120,- Mixed leaf salad – Lola biondo, rosso, oak, Frissé 98,- Mixed vegetable salad (with cheese) 110,-

Korso at the Hotel Bristol, Mahlerstabd 2. Beautiful setting - old world elegance - dark woods - plush carpeting - crystal chandeliers - piano player descreetly playing in the background - beautiful flower arrangements - beautiful dishes and glasses - definitely reserve a table in the main room. The food was excellent. Go for the taster's menu - order a bottle of wine - sit back and enjoy. The fish dishes were fresh and clean - the venison was cooked perfectly - dessert hit the right note without being heavy. The waiter suggested a moderately priced bottle of wine. Service was attentive without being stuffy or rigid. The meal was expensive but - I think- definitely worth it. Will go back next time I'm in Vienna http://www.starwood.com/redir/we

The Prague Post just did a reveiw of Alcron, at the Radisson: http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2002/Art/122...23/restview.php Also, here is a restaurant listing with brief reviews by the Prague Post (which I found very helpful): http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2002/resthome.php

Forgot to mention this place: I had dinner reservations at Sarah Bernhardt, located in the Hotel Pariz, next to thew . It is an elegant, restrained art nouveau space - dark turquoise mosaic tiles with highlights of gold, a piano player, a staff waiting to please. I started off with a poultry terrine with foie gras served on a honey sauce - beautifully presented. Next dish was wild duck salami, with marinated plums and balsamic dressing. Main dish was doe medallions with hot cherries and almonds brocollli with creamed potatoes. For wine I had a Svatovar Inecke Barrique, 1999 - competent, nothing extraordinary. Desert was fine. As I sat next to the window I watched couples walk by, the leaves blown about by the wind. http://www.hotel-pariz.cz/menu_en.html

I did have a couple mediocre meals: For one dinner I decided to try U Modre Kachnciky - reviews had praised this place for exceptional Czech cuisine. They have two locations - the Prague Post recommended the one in Stare Mesto. However when I went there the maitre-d insisted on sitting me next to a table of six eyebrow plucked, collagen-botox injected British queens. I was not in the mood to deal with that and went back to the one located in the Mala Strana. The meal, in comparison with the other meals I had in Prague, was mediocre. The first glass of bohemia sekt was flat - I insisted on a fresh glass, which they complied with. The duck liver in red wine sauce was over cooked and tasted like chicken liver. The fallow deer was okay - but once again, in retrospect, I had much better quality and preparation at other restaurants. I would not recommend this restaurant. I may try the one in Stare Mesto next time I’m in Prague but for lunch, not dinner. http://www.eol.cz/MODRAKACHNICKA/defaulten.htm I had dinner reservations at Belleveu. I had read numerous reviews praising this place - I was looking forward to an exceptional evening. Unfortunately, this restaurant was a let down. While the food was competent nothing stood out as exceptional. I had foie gras, breast of french duck and a dessert. The restaurant struck me as a tourist haunt. The room seem a bit dusty and dowdy. Even the view of the Castle, while nice, didn’t really add much to the evening. Don’t get me wrong - the food was solid but in comparison to other meals, not unique. By the time I had finished dinner it had stopped raining - I stopped off at a bar in the Mala Strana for a night cap of Becherovka. www.zatisigroup.cz As for David’s - the night I went the place was full. The food I found to be a notch above many of the meals I had throughout Central Europe.

Here are a few more remarkable meals I had in Prague: I went to U Petrske veze (Peter’s tower) for lunch - located next to one of the remaining towers of the town wall - very easy to locate. Started with a warm appetizer of goose liver with onions and armagnac on toasted points - really well prepared (and I don’t like cooked liver - seared foie gras I love). For the main course old-Bohemian style breast of wild duck in black sauce with Carlsbad dumplings - deep, rich and hearty, perfect for a grey drizzly day. Desert was traditional Czech pancakes with bilberries. Once again - I had a couple glasses of Bohemian sect and a terrific glass of Moravian cabernet sauvignon (unfortunately did not write down the name). I will come back to this restaurant for dinner next time I’m in Prague. http://www.upetrskeveze.cz/english.htm Being that the restaurant Kampa Park was closed due to flooding I went to the Alcron at the Radisson Hotel for dinner. The Alcron specializes in seafood - which I thought might be a nice contrast to all the meat dishes I was consuming. The hotel is near the Fred&Ginger building - not a particularly nice area. I started off with Dublin bay prawns with seared foie gras with carpaccio of mango and brown poultry stock. The foie gras was perfect - the prawns were average, too much work for too little meat. Then had lobster soup with shell fish oil, grilled artichokes and lobster meat. The soup was at a perfect temperature - it was velvety on the tongue. It was a chef’s speciality which made me decide to try another recommended appetizer: smoke eel with black truffles, scrambled eggs and potatoes. This was an incredible dish - the flavors were amazing - stop me dead in my tracks. Then had grilled scallops with mushrooms, summer truffles, fried cepes and pasta. The scallops were buttery smooth - the pasta was okay - the mushrooms firm. Desert was warmed blinis with strawberries and raspberries and warmed vanilla sauce - a nice ending. Had a very good Czech white - Veltlinske Zelene, Vinne Sklepy Vatice, 2000. My only quibble - the room had F. Scott’s Fitzgerald inspired 1920 NYC skyline murals on the walls - I could have been eating anywhere - the one problem with eating in a hotel environment. A very nice change of pace. http://www.radissonsas.com I had lunch at the Savoy Hotel, which is located near the castle. I decided to try the menu de gustation, which included wine pairings (2100 Kn): Salmon tartar with fresh blinis, tiger shrimp, creme freche and salmon roe w/ Chateau Radyn brut; foie gras with parma ham, figs and grilled endive w/ bohemia sekt prestige -demi sec; saddle of fallow deer with game farce, stewed white cabbage in champagne and herb-potato noodles w/ cabernet sauvignon, Moravska Nova Ves; mousse meringue with chocolate cream and vanilla sauce; Hennessy XO. All the dishes were excellently prepared. I would love to come back here in the late spring because the roof of the restaurant slides open. The chef also does a four course surprise menu for 1300 Kn using seasonal ingredients. As for the hotel itself- it’s suppose to be pretty posh. www.hotel-savoy.cz I had reservations at Flambee - a czech french restaurant. It is a cellar restaurant and had just reopened 2 weeks ago. Numerous cellar businesses had been flooded even though they were not near the Vltava. If you’re looking for a swanky, elegant evening, this is the place. The restaurant is done in 1920 art deco style yet the barrel vaulted ceilings remind you that you’re in Prague. The food is international - the service is exceptional. I tried the menu de gustation: mousse of wild duck w/ grilled crepine of duck breast and foie gras with apple orange jam and brioche; roasted fillet of brittany turbot served with truffle jus, potato creme with fave beans; stuffed lamb saddle under pine crust, fricassee of provencal vegetables and polenta croquette stuffed with marscapone; campari blood orange sorbet; chocolate creation using Varlhona chocolate. The only dish that failed to impress was the dessert - everything else was wonderful. The service can be a bit intimidating - at one point I told the waiters to just leave me alone. Had a wonderful czech white wine: Rulandske Bile, 1999. http://www.flambee.cz/

Was in Prague at the end of October for my 39th birthday. I had some remarkable meals, here are a few: For one lunch I ate at U Zlate Sudne because reviews had mentioned a spectacular view and competent food. The view is incredible - looking out over the clay tile roofs of the Mala Stana towards Stare Mesto. Started off with a terrine de foies gras with apricot coulis, which was ever so slightly spiced with black pepper. The foie gras was silky smooth and luxurious on the tounge. The breast of duck was nicely prepared and for desert a vanilla panna cotta with strawberries. I had a couple glasses of bohemia sekt - overall a well prepared light czech meal. http://www.zlatastudna.cz; email: restaurant.davidsen@zlatastudna.cz I had dinner reservations at the Francouzska restaurace, located in the Obecni dum (The Municipal House). I had the menu de gustation (1750 Kn) - terrine de foie gras with apples and cumberland sauce, sea dog gnocchi with spinach and lobster sauce, chicken coq au van with grapes and couscous, veal with pearl onions and potatoes - all excellently prepared and presented. Finished with dessert, espresso and slivovice - a plum brandy - request the golden style, which is much smoother than the clear. The art nouveau dining room is a real treat - service was attentive and professional. The only thing that could have made the evening better was if it had been snowing outside - get a table next to one of the windows. http://www.frenchrest.obecnidum.cz/ Cerny Kohout (The Black Rooster) which is located in the 5th district, is about a 10 minute cab ride outside central Prague. The Prague Post review: “ elegant and remote. The perfect place for entertaining hard to impress visitors.” The cab ride from the hotel cost 300 Kn - I was a bit concerned when the cab turned down a dirt road. This restaurant specializes in game done in modern preparation - contemporary czech. This was by far the best meal I had while in Prague. I had arranged in advanced an 8 course tasting menu. Started off with a salad of wild duck with strawberries, orange, frisee, cherry tomatoes - bright, beautiful presentation, perfectly balanced. Soup of roasted zander (sweet water fish) with garlic, asparagus and carrot - clean and light. White goose liver roasted with venison foam, served on stewed apple in sweet smelling muscatel, decorated with forest fruits and blackberry sauce - perfectly cooked and beautiful presentation. Roasted quail served on peas compote with dried plums - solid, on the mark. Baked zander with cucumber gnocchi and dill cream sauce - nice counterpoint to the meat dishes. Roasted venison with bacon gnocchi, roasted pear, glazed apricots, raspberry sauce - rich, dense and satisfying. Dessert consisted of home made pie with forest berries on cream foam and smoked czech cheese, camembert and goat cheese baked in puff pastry - both delicious. Add to that 2 bottles of wine. And incredible meal - I recommend this restaurant highly. And the bill, including tip, came to about $80. Also the cab ride back to the hotel only cost 300 Kn. http://www.cernykohout.cz David’s, located in the Mala Strana, almost around the corner from the Hotel Constans. It is a small, intimate restaurant - probably about 12 tables max. You have to ring a bell to gain access. I had foie gras with wild berries marinated in Port wine, baked quail in armagnac with plums, marinated deer's back in smooth truffle cream sauce with fresh vegetables, served with gratinated bacon flavored potatoes and for desert, home made poppy seed gnocchi with vanilla-mint sauce and fresh fruits. The waiter recommended a Czech cabernet sauvignon 1994 - which was a nice compliment. This meal struck me as what traditional Czech is - each dish was delicious and a work of art. Afterwards, a complimentary glass of slivovice served in a special hand blown glass. My only quibble: I wish the owner would turn the lights down just a tad. I recommend this place highly - a real treat. http://www.restaurant-david.cz

I did enjoy my meal at Gundel. It was the first week of December 2001 - the city was already very quiet at night - Christmas lights on Vaci. The restaurant wasn't packed - and they have a no smoking section. I remember realizing that night the difference in flavor between goose liver and duck liver. George Lang also owns Cafe de Artisse (?) here in NYC, which I found to be average. I will go back to Gundel for dinner when I'm in Budapest again - maybe this December again.

On my third visit to Budapest I finally made reservations at Gundel - my Hungarian tutor thought it to be a tourist trap and over priced. I tried the taster's menu with wine pairings - eight courses for $60: belinis with caviar, goose potage with goose liver, venison, and cheeses to name a few.The restaurant is very elegant - beautiful lighting and woods. There was a gypsy band that played various songs - nothing too loud or overly sentimental. Service was smooth and well paced. For dessert I wish I had tried the Gundel pancake - next time I'm in Budapest. Lunch is suppose to be a bargain. http://www.gundel.hu/ Aranyszarvas (the Golden Stag). Excellent game appetizers and game entrees. Large selection of Hungarian wines. Favorite dishes: deer pancakes with a white wine paprika sause ( delicious ); smoked wild boar; venison with ragout of mushrooms with potato dumplings. Address: Szarvas ter 1, located on the Buda side near Erzsebet hid, somewhat near the Rac Baths

I just got back from Dubrovnik, with day trips to Korcula and Lopud. I'm still organizing my notes and will post later. I will say that most of the restaurants in Dubrovnik serve the same food - proscuitto, fish, scampi, risottos - cooked in similar manners. It was all very fresh but a bit pricy (Dubrovnik is a major tourist stop between Venice and Greece and I'm guessing the Adriatic has been over fished). ON the wine list at the restaurants there was usually at least one $12 (80 kn) white and red which was okay but then jumped to $20-$30 (140 kn- 210 kn) which were very good. Dubrovnik is enchanting - and the coast is gorgeous - the Adriatic perfect.