menton1

Just watched the Walnut Tree episode. What puzzles me is how the current owner got the means to buy this place. He seems clueless in restaurant management, and it would seem amazing if he makes the place a success again. He was also so unreceptive to Gordon's good advice, a very stubborn man! Another thought-- why have so many Italians emigrated to this part of Wales, where the culture is so different from Italy and the weather so uninviting?

For an interesting brunch, you might try Mango's Café 554 Bloomfield Ave. Elegantly casual ambience, and run diligently and enthusiastically by 4 dedicated women! The Sunday brunch offerings include Omelettes with plantains, calaloo, ackee, and jerk chicken. A much better choice than stuffing youself on one of those buffets where the food steams itself dry! A non-institutional ambience as well... Mango's Brunch Menu

Have you contacted the producers of the TV show "Opening Soon"?

Be aware that, as big as Lyon may be, virtually the entire city is closed on Sunday nights. Your dining choices, other than pizzerias and bars, will be few and far between. Plan ahead for Sunday night!

The sports beverage of choice in France is called Extreme Energy. You should be able to find it at almost all the little convenience markets, and the larger markets, like Casino

This place got a tremendous recommendation from an associate of mine. Any more recent reviews?

Sorry, please disregard.

As these festivals draw closer, I thought I'd revive this and see if anyone is going this year-- Carnaval in Nice, and the Fete du Citron in Menton. Note: For the "Spainophiles" who also like France (Bux)(?!) this year's theme for the Fete du Citron, amazingly enough, is "Espana" even though Menton, on the Italian border, is 600 kilometers from Spain! (You ought to go, Bux!)

Had a very poor dining experience at a Cagna-owned restaurant a couple of years ago, and many Eg-ers at the time said that they also have doubts about spending a lot of money at a Cagna restaurant. Read about it Here: Egullet Thread about Jacques Cagna's L'Espadon Bleu

I respectfully disagree. I LOVE the coffee in France. As I said before, getting off the red eye and having that first coffee in a cafe is a terrific rush. I think that most coffee, if freshly ground daily and made in the Italian espresso machines, will be good. I do not like the way Europeans do drip coffee, however. I think this is an area where Americans have them beat. I have had drip coffee made for me in France when a guest at someone's house, and also at Chambres d'Hote, and always in Italy hotels where breakfast is included. Invariably, the drip coffee is horrid. But the "café" at the Cafés, whether straight, or as a "crème" I have always found to be wonderful.

I had an excellent experience at Taro last sumer; if it was closer, I would go a lot more often, it is one of my favorites in NJ. See my review above.

Great!! Please give us some more details of your trip!!

Actually, this is a standard practice for most restaurants with liquor licenses. They usually mark up a bottle 3-4x and glasses 5x. In New York City, the average wine by the glass is $9-$10. With the liquor licensing laws in NJ producing all the BYOBs, we are spoiled about wine prices!

Enjoy your trip to France, Owen.. (Jealous). I've been to France many, many times, and the coffee just about anywhere is terrific. Getting off the red-eye at 9AM the first order of business is to get that first shot of coffee. What a rush!! In my experience it's actually difficult to get a BAD cup of coffee in France. If it's espresso you want, just order a "café" The capuccino is called just that, and it's just about the same as in Italy. A "café crème" is actually similar to what we call cafe au lait. (but much better). One thing I recommend for sure is to stay AWAY from Starbucks in France. If you want to buy coffee to take home (not sure if that passes the APHIS criteria) we usually go to the supermarket and just grap a couple of vacuum packs. They are usually better than anything you can get in the US and very cheap! Where are you going in France? (Have a great trip!)

A DEFINITE wastland; if you can, get over to Le Madeleine, on 43rd just West of 9th Ave; Terrific lunch, beautiful room with a skylight. Le Madeleine Web Site

Hey ghost, can you give us the low down (or do you know where there is a thread) on the Rutherford scene? Have you been back to mignon? Best choices in the area: Sonoma Cafe Matisse Park & Orchard Everything else is super-ordinary...

Smoking is now banned in restaurants in: Ireland Italy India Norway Hong Kong New Zealand Closer to home: California New York City Boston Florida DC Suburbs (Maryland) Hawaii and scores of other US municipalities... Restaurants are still thriving in these locales. Definitely NOT a ruse. Plus, the NY Times is not given to printing propaganda. The article is not online yet. When it is, I will post the link. Also, here is a blurb from a business expert: Smoking Bans actually increase restaurant business

If you don't mind sitting on couches or easy chairs, I echo the choice of Dancing Goat in South Orange. The omelettes and pancakes are awesome, and the environment is nice and laid back. A totally non-diner experience!

Last Sunday's NY Times NJ section said that the legislature will be considering an anti-smoking law in the new session. This has apparently been gaining momentum again. If it passes, there will be the usual outcry from the smoking contingent and the bars, and then after a few months it will settle down and it will have proven that there was no loss in business. Go Trenton!!

Here is a recipe adapted from the one in Gourmet November 1979: Crèmes Caramels au Gingembre Serves 4 1/4 cup water 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger 4 egg yolks 2 large whole eggs 2 cups whole milk The first step is making the caramelized ginger, combining the water and 1/2 C sugar and ginger in a saucepan and boiling for 6 minutes. Remove the ginger and keep cooking the syrup until it turns a deep caramel color. Then coat 4 ramekins with the syrup. Beat up the yolks and the eggs together. Combine milk, 1/2C sugar and cooked ginger in a pan. Bring to a boil. Carefully fold milk into the eggs, whisking as you go. Then put the mix into a fine sieve, throwing out the solids. Pour into the ramekins and bake in a water bath at 325° for 40 mins. Let cool, invert on a plate and garnish with the crystallized ginger.

Yes indeed! A search on the annuaire turned up: Tan Dinh 60, rue de Verneuil Paris 7th 01 45 44 04 84 And to think, rue de Verneuil is where I stayed on my first visits to Paris! Runs parallel to rue Jacob and the Quai... Maybe someone in Paris can drop in to this restaurant and inquire about these "Cremes Caramels"!

Every time I drive by this place it is very, very crowded-- also looks quite attractive. Are we Egulleters missing something good?

Just heard about a unique chocolate shop in Paris, A L'Etoile d'Or. This place is different in that the proprietor, Mme. Acabo, selects artisinal chocolates from small fabricators from all over France. She is apparently quite a pip, with her hair in braids and wearing knee-length pleated skirts. She will talk endlessly about the chocolates and how and where they are made, and then will help you pick some out and gloriously arrange them for you in elaborate boxes and wrappings!! A L'Etoile d'Or 30, rue Fontaine Paris 9 ème

A look at old Gourmet Magazines turned up a blurb in November 1979 about a Frenchman who grew up in Vietnam and opened a restaurant in Paris, Tan Dinh. One of the first French-Vietnamese fusion restaurants. They give the recipe for Crèmes Caramels au Gingembre a combination of French and Vietnamese touches for this dessert. I won't post the recipe here without the OK of the site managers, (copyrights) but it uses milk instead of cream, crystallized ginger, and lots of beaten eggs. Sounds like it could be close to what you are searching for here! Wonder if Tan Dinh still exists-- (doubtful!)

Why no mention yet of Totonno's in Coney Island? Always on all the "best pizza" lists...