Bux

Have kidneys really disappeared from most French restaurant menus? I suppose they may have, as I've not ordered them in a while and most certainly would if I saw them on the menu. Sweetbreads are pretty common. I'm sure of that. I had wonderful sweetbreads at Craft last night. Balthzar has a great blood sausage that's offered with poached eggs and potatoes for brunch. I don't know when they serve brunch. I've only had it on Sundays. Cafe Boulud once offered a terrific tripe stew on its changing menu and I've actually had tete de veau at one of NYC's fanciest restaurants, but it wasn't on the menu and I doubt it will ever appear there. Duck blood is pretty standard fare at most Dim Sum places in Chinatown, but as often as not, they don't offer it to non-Chinese unless you ask for it.

Andy, do you really believe one has to be good to be paid? Robert, have you ever read anything that Grimes has written that indicates he enjoys food or dining? I guess I was out of town when the review appeared, but by your description, I should judge it a typical review. It sounds deeply honest. Fat Guy, I suspect the NY Times reviews do not have an overall power. As you've noted elsewhere on this site, a three star review will not rock a restaurant with an established clientele if the food is still four stars. A great review will, however, bring a crowd to a new restaurant a lot faster than word of mouth. I think three stars is a great review and two just a good review. Of course I'm implying that too many people just read the stars or what they feel is the bottom line. I think a three star restaurant is something people feel they have to check out as soon as possible. A two star can wait. I still think most people pay too much attention to the NY Times stars. If we got a new reviewer who nobody knew tomorrow, his, or her, stars would be worth as much as any previous reviewer's. Okay, I'm a cynic. It's also worth noting that any review except a really bad review will probably bring some business to a restaurant.

Just for those who aren't familiar with Pierre Hermé's resume, he was chef-pâtissier at Laduée, and previously at Fauchon, where he became chief pastry cook at the age of 25, before striking out on his own. Anyone intrested in chocolate desserts should definitely check out his new book as well as his boutique.

What an incredible trip. I don't know about you, but in two weeks of eating at a less ambitious pace, my wife and I put on some weight. I don't know a few of your restauarants and look forward to whatever you have have to say about them. Especially since I find your terse comments on the mark in regard to the ones I know. I've not been to Bras, but have so heard much about him. I've mentioned Le Vieux Pont in Belcastel run by two sisters. I've been there twice and have found the food simply wonderful and wonderfully simple. The chef is a great fan of Bras and I'm told much infuenced by him. Ducasse--the level of perfection was almost on another plane of reality. I'd forgotten about La Galoupe. We had a great lunch there. I found Berasategui's inventiveness among the most easy to comprehend, accept and enjoy immediately. Whatever sounded outrageous on the menu, was not outrageous in my mouth. I trust we will be hearing more.

Procrastination is my middle name. I hope to cover most of the meals and culinary experiences of our recent trip in good time. I'm also trying to catch up reading other boards on eGullet as well and have posted reports of some of my experiences in response to other threads in this board, so you may find my report rather spread out. Since you asked here, I should make a few comments on A l'Huitière, Liile and French Flanders. We stayed the night in Bethune, the night before and arrived early in the morning. We decided not to visit the Modern Museum outside of Lille proper and to devote ourself to just enjoying downtown Lille. After a few stormy days of driving and sightseeing on the way from Paris to Lille, we were blessed with a wonderfully brisk, but sunny day in Lille and we spent most of it outdoors. We checked out the Beaux Arts museum to enjoy the rather majestic building with it's central skylit court. We were also interested in seeing the starkly modern glass administration building that sits behind it. Regrettably I don't have the architects name at hand. The facade is partially mirrored in horizontal stripes and reflects the ornate museum facade. I assume this also controls the amount of heat and light inside the new building. From there we wandered over to the Euralille development. Rem Koolhaas, the Dutch architect/city planner gets credit for the overall design, but I'm not sure who's responsible for the individual buildings which range from brave new world outside the scope of comparative criticism to the absolutely hideous high rise buildings. The new Lille TGV station is within this center as well and it's an exciting structure, but nothing shows grime more than broad expanses of glass especially when caught in the sunlight. Vieux Lille was well worth a long stroll. Parts of it are rather like Greenwich Village with little clothing shops and places for teenagers to hang out, while other parts have become gentrified with major designer boutiques and elegantly restored buildings. It was a bit cold for outdoor cafes, but we were able to bask in the sunlight as walked in the open squares. Every Flemish town has it's Grand Place, in Lille it's been renamed in honor of De Gaulle. While looking for the tourist office, cleverly hidden behind a tower and poorly marked in the place Rihour, we drew the attention of a genleman who correctly assumed we were tourists in search of the tourist office. When he learned we were from New York, he offered such an outpouring of solidarity, that we were truly touched. I think that if our conversation had lasted any longer my wife would have been in tears. Later that night, our waiter at A l'Huitière would also offer touching sentiments. This reminds me that this is primarily a group with food and dining interests and I'm prattling on about other things. (And I've forgotten to mention how much of a performing arts cultural center Lille has become.) We were carrying the Green Michelin which now lists some hotels and restaurants. A recommendation for Aux Moules, a braserie near where we were walking sounded good for lunch. Regrettably my mussels were small, overcooked and not very tasty. I had to wait until Antwerp a couple of days later for superior mussels. Dinner, however was much better. A l'Huitière, while not one of France's greatest restaurants, provided us with an excellent dinner experience and it's worthy of some thought before I post details.

Water aside, as this was not the basis for Robert's complaint, I recall a dinner with friends at Babbo. These friends were actually regulars at all Batali's restaurants which makes the treatment worse, in my mind. A side order of vegetable (I think it was fennel) was ordered and it arrived almost raw, tough and too chewy to enjoy. Two bites were taken. I took the second bite at my companion's invitation and concurred in the opinion that it was inedible. The fennel was left uneaten, the waitress was told it was inedible and I truly expected some consideration--like maybe not to see it on the bill. It was on the bill and it colored my opinion of the evening. By the way, when my companion noted that the fennel was inedible, the waitress replied she could not,or would not, convey that information to the kitchen, but that we should make note of it on the comments card. That would have been unacceptable, even if such a card arrived with our bill, but none did. As our firends chose not to make a fuss and they were regulars, we did not make a fuss. I think that goes without saying. I'll defer to my companion's practices in tipping and treating the staff in their restaurants and expect them to do the same in mine up to a point of course.

This copyright on the web page says 1996. It's not a relevent site. Kerry menus was a good idea that, like many a web concept, never seemed to fly. Does anyone have any idea if it still collects fees for this menu pages and if it solicits new clients?I was away, so my remarks are less than timely, but I ate at Da Silvano once, years ago. I exected a "solidly second-tier" meal in the neighborhood and just a bit overpriced, but when my canelloni arrived, it was glued to my plate with a congealed bechamel sauce. At about twenty-two degrees from the horizontal nothing flowed or moved. As I had suggested the place and my father who did not like fusses, was paying, I ate it in silence. My grilled squalb, or maybe quail, was much better but the restaurant had sealed its fate in my book, with my pasta. Perhaps they would not have sent that out to Warren Beatty or Andy Warhol. In any case I read it as a clear sign not to return at any price. It always looks appealing when I pass by, and I've thought it offers one distinct attraction--I won't be disappointed if I eat there again, which is more than I can say for many a new restaurant.

I'm too late to add a useful comment on the restaurant, although I'd note that I did not find it all that bad, but it was also not a place I'd choose to become a regular, or even to return to, if that's any help to others. I'd take some exception to description of quenelles as "light gefilte fish" or "light, creamy dumplings," although my pocket French/English dictionary says "(fish-, meat-)ball. Obviously Robert Brown's grandmothers' were better cooks than mine and I suppose dumpling may be technicaly correct, but it doesn't do justice to the best quenelles. They are a poached mousse of fish, chicken, veal or other food stuff, with egg white, but have a flour base. I suppose the coursest ones are "dumplings." Lyon, France seems to be their spiritual home and you can find them prepared in every traiteur, epicerie or charcuterie in the city, or so it seems. In a great restaurant they can be ethereal. At one point in the fifties or sixites, the pike quenelle in crayfish sauce became a must in every haute cuisine restaurant in NY.

I've been in Paris in January and can tell you that there are usually great sales. I can also tell you that the sky was a milky yellow grey for a week and the sun goes down early. Nevertheless, we were thrilled to be there. While a sunny outdoor cafe may be everyone's ideal vision of Paris for good reason, there is a certain pleasure in escaping the cold and damp streets for a hot chocolate in the depths of a cafe. If nothing else, you're likely to hear more French than English and there's a certain sense of well being that comes with sharing your comfort with Parisians rather than tourists. The early sunset is a downer of sorts, but then again it's all the better to appreciate why Paris is the city of lights. The food certainly doesn't get any worse in the winter unless you're adverse to cèpes and all sorts of game. Ultimately, neither good nor bad weather can be guaranteed, but I'd choose to avoid most holidays unless you had friends or family in foreign cities, or some particular activity. I suppose that given the choice, I'd go in early January or mid December rather than over Christmas. Others may have reason to offer better advice. There's a wealth of information on food and dining already posted here, but you'll have to search patiently to gleam the pertinent stuff. If you like boulangeries and patisseries, you should not miss Poujauran in the 7th arr. for croissants, flakey things and bread. I still like Poulain and would not care to compare the two. For pastry, you should see Pierre Herme's new shop(s) in the 6th arr. The one on rue Bonaparte just off pl. St. Sulpice may look more like a boutique or jewelry shop, but the pastries are real and leave you wishing you had access to a knife for and table. There's a second shop on Vaugirard, that should open soon if it's not already open.

My first visit to Spain was as a student. I remember little except a drunken week running the bulls and discovering paella in Barcelona. My next trip was in 1964 shortly after we were married. In all honesty, I disliked most of what I ate with the exception of paella and squid, both fried and en su tinta. I was especially disappointed with Spanish Basque food. It may have been my budget, it may have been my ignorance or it may be that Spanish food has changed. We've returned in the past few years to tour the North from Barcelona to Galicia and have loved most of the food we've found. Some of our success may be due to some great pointers I was able to pick up from a food critic in Madrid. Much of my new found appreciation is also due to a greater sophisitication on my part as well as the contrast of Spanish regional food with the homogenization of French food. I also accompanied my wife on business to Madrid on a couple of trips where I came to realize that Spain has the greatest cured meats in all of Europe. France, Italy and Germany may have their hams and sausages (fresh and dried) but nothing compares with Spanish ham and cured meats in my opinion. Still it can be hit or miss in Spain. Many dishes leave me flat and some of the food can be quite dull. In addition to Can Majo mentioned in my other post above, we really enjoyed Ca L’Isidre, Les Flors 12, phone 34-93 241 11 39. It's in the Barrio Chino, a not particularly upscale neighborhood and we'd been advised to go at lunch. Although the area didn't seem particularly dangerous, I'll pass that along. North of Barcelona, El Raco de Can Fabes is a Michelin three star restaurant and I can only say that if it were in Paris, it would still rate three stars. I don't know if it's accessible without a car and as far as I know there's no place to stay in town. We drove up for lunch. It's about a half hour away from Barcelona. On the whole, I've found the Michelin guide reliable in Spain although there may be other guides that are better. When we were in Bilbao with friends, a couple of years ago, we ate at Goizeko Kabi. Some of food was dull, but some of it sparkled. Sauces, both brown and bechamels, were heavy, but a roasted pigeon served rare with its roasting juices was exceptional. A plate of white beans with chorizos and blood sausage ordered by one of our companions was one of the cheapest things on the menu and emminantly satisfying. I believe there are some new places in Bilbao which is changing as a result of the increased tourism. I seem to recall that some San Sebastian chefs had opened restaurants in Bilboa.

Sorry, I never answered Yvonne's question. I can't really remember my one visit to Pipa, but few of the plates we ordered really pleased me and most seemed far inferior to versions I've had elsewhere, namely Meigas and Spain. Variations from the traditional were not improvements either, as I recall. I agree with Jayask, it was not bad, just not so great and I had the feeling it was not a great value. I do recall enjoying one wine. Memory fades on this too, but I think it was a Godello I have not seen elsewhere. I've yet to understand the fuss about Rodriguez' cooking, although I've not met a ceviche I didn't like including all I tasted at Chicama.

Michelin, an organization run by humans, gets it wrong sometimes, although they might say I'm wrong. Michelin is dependent on someone's judgement. You can't argue about the score of a baseball game (although you might well dispute a crucial call by the ump). The score in a gymnastics, or ice skating competition is another story. I don't care how objective a reviewer tries to be, or how well disciplined the Michelin staff may be, it's a subjective call to a great extent. Michelin is also known to be conservative--slow to award and slow to remove a third star. They've also had a long history of operating in a climate where all the restaurants operated in a narrow framework of idea and standards. That's no longer the case and my guess is that all guide books will be less reliable for some diners if we move in the current direction. It's one thing to judge who makes the best quenelles in Nantua sauce, but it's another to decide if the scallops with chocolate tuilles at one restaurant are better than the quenelles in Nantua sauce at another. As to your ultimate question, I think Michelin itself tried to answer that from the beginning. The rosettes were never designated as good, better and best, but as good for its type and location, worth going out of your way, and worth a special trip from anywhere. I've only eaten once in Roellinger's, but I thought it was worth a longer trip than some three star restaurants. Roellinger was first mentioned to me by a Breton chef in NYC, who said, at the time, that he thought it would have three stars in the next Michelin. After eating there, I was inclined to agree. Several editions have appeared since. Roellinger is still two stars and I don't predict Michelin stars with any confidence. When you speak of going local as opposed to chasing stars, there's yet another factor that comes into play. Satisfaction may often be more easily, and definitely less expensively, had outside the star chambers. As ethereal as dinner at Ducasse might have been, I can't say it was any more satisfying than an andouille at Le Balzar, a brasserie that was overrun by Americans and whose cuisine is probably not all that good overall, but it can still grill a sausage and I can't get andouille in the states. Eel in green sauce earlier this week in a venerable Brussels brasserie was another delicious dish that I will crave when I'm not in Belgium and I am likely to crave it more often than I will dinner at Ducasse. I doubt Ducasse will be insulted to learn that I would not look forward to dining at his restaurant when I am just tired and hungry and just want a good bowl of food I don't have to pay much attention to. Of course if someone came along and told me they'd pick up the tab if I joined them at Ducasse, I could probably change my mood quickly. ;-)

Am I alone in this understanding? I'll check my Michelin guide later for some sort of verification. Right now I'm late for a dinner appointment. Anyway, in regard to one star restaurants, it's always been my understanding that the star is earned relatively. That is relative to other restaurants in the region and perhaps a bit towrds value as well. Thus a single star is far easier to earn in Picardy than it is in Gascony or Burgundy. I have dined in dreadful one star restaurants, but I suspect they may well have been the best in the town, if not the department in which they did business. As for the multiple stars, the three star restaurants I've known in Spain were as good as those in France. Ditto for the two stars. One star restaurants varied from area to area. Back to France, I've dined in two star restaurants I was sure would be three stars in the next edition and in three stars restaurants that were perhaps a weak two star, in my mind. Comme Chez Soi was not Ducasse, but I would be arrogant to assume I could adequately rate either on the basis of a single visit. Okay, my wife's not ready to leave. My Michelin (for France) notes that one star is a good place to stop on a journey--that means not a destination restaurant by any means. It also warns against comparing an inexpensive one star to a deluxe one star. Comparing one stars between counties is meaningless as there is no standard just within France. Comparing three star restaurants is another story and on the whole, I believe a consistent stadard is meant to apply. The problem is that few of us will agree with any set rating across the board. If I know of a three star restaurant in Vonnas that's better than one in Paris, why shouldn't I also know one that's better than another in Brussels.

Interesting issues. As far as being held hostage while waiting for the check, this is a national and regional thing in some ways. In many European countries, American tourists go nuts waiting for the check. They whole system seems to operate on the principle that the house is willing to let the diner occupy the table after dinner and that the diner is honored to do so. In certain parts of this country the check arrives with coffee, or dessert. In NYC it would be considered offensive to bring the check before it was demanded. Noise is another issue that seems to have proponents on both sides. I abhor noise in a restaurant. Generally I don't care much for music either. I certainly don't want any noise that makes it difficult to hear the conversation at my table. We had lunch at one very good restaurant in NY not long ago. Everything was superb, but the noise level, music with a hard beat, was obnoxious. As we paid our bill, we noted our displeasure at the music. Our waiter said it was a post attack policy to lend an upbeat ambience to the restaurant. I thought the problem was in getting people to go out. Once they're at your restaurant, you don't have to hit them over the head. This was not an inexpensive restaurant. What are they thinking.

Oh I'm not going to go about redoing existing threads. I'm only a control freak in theory, in practice it's not worth all that trouble. Message boards such as this are almost guaranteed to be a bit chaotic. Please feel free to post what you want, where you want. I'm just pleased to find interesting content wherever it is. While I like all posters to think about how to name their threads and how to organize them, I'm not of the belief this sort of organic forum can be well organized anyway. I'm interested in your comments and detailed report on Savoy. I've not been there and have mixed feelings about that. From all reports, it's as due for a third star as any restaurant in France. •... and we ended up being next to a large, loud, smoky table of the chef's closest friends ... - This is one of the things that's kept us away. From one of my most trusted sources who loved the food and told me I would too, but who also warned me that the restaurant encourages cigar smoking and that if they had not had a corner table the somehow remined rather smokefree, they didn't know if they could have enjoyed their dinner quite as much. •...seared foie gras, a thin slice (a technical error in my view--can't get all the different textures with this thin a slice, or maybe just the hedonist poking up again) with a chocolate-black pepper cookie (including roasted cocoa beans) and bitter chocolate sauce. - Well the Mexicans beat the French to the meat and chocolate combination by centuries, but this seems to be in the air in Paris. One of Steve Klc's demos at the chocolate salon was a "ganache" of foie gras in a chocolate cup. While at the salon, one of the really exceptional tastes we had was a bit of rillettes de lièvre au chocolate corsé prepared by David Van Laer of Restaurant Maxence. One of the first things we did was to try getting a reservatin at Maxence. We were assured at the show, that the restaurant was open seven days of the week, but it was closed on our only free day. This was the weekend after All Saints Day and I think a lot of places took a four day weekend, including those places that are normally open on holidays and/or Sundays. •I'd never had my bread buttered for me before,... - Tableside service has returned in a big way. I remember restaurants from before the days when food came plated in the kitchen. Fashion is cyclical. Nevertheless, one practice that seems to carry over from one Ducasse restaurant to another is that that of having the waiter place your sugar cube in your coffee after you've selected the cube. I find that a bit over the top. •The plates would be placed in front of us, silently, by a waiter. The silence was a cue not to do anything. Next, the captain would come with a pot of something to spoon on, usually a sauce. - I guess this is also what I noted above. More than once I've picked up a fork thinking the staff was finished garnishing my plate, only to find yet another sauce or garnish. Above all else, my comments aside, I've vicariously enjoyed your dinner at Guy Savoy's restaurant. I've also realized that although we invariably lean towards gastronomic tasting menus in great restaurants, we shied away from them this trip after our experience at Darroze and Petrossian. More on the latter elsewhere and later. Our trip caused me to rethink several of my recent convictions, which is always wonderful. Boring is to have one's prejudices reinforced. (Edited by Bux at 5:12 pm on Nov. 16, 2001) (Edited by Bux at 5:16 pm on Nov. 16, 2001)

I would generally advise against traveling on the Metro with luggage. How strongly I would stress this advice would depend on the amount of luggage being lugged, the physical condition of the traveler, the time of day and other factors. If you disagree, it's a sign that you didn't need to ask. In fact, this is a case where if you have to ask, it's probably something you should avoid. ;) Of late, we've been using a shuttle service to get to and from CDG. We've recommended this service on our web page and given out their e-mail address. Regrettably, they didn't answer my e-mail this trip and when we called from the airport just to check, they said they could have a van for us in a reasonable time frame. We said okay as we wanted a coffee anyway. To make a long story short, the wait was interminable and when one of their vans showed up to make a drop off, he said he knew nothing about picking us up. I've heard too many horror stories about shuttle vans, but thought we had found a reliable company. I guess I was wrong. Somehow we stuck up a conversation with a guy with a van and he offered to take us into Paris for a reasonable price. It turned out he had a few vans and ran a small service including airport service. I have his number and e-mail address somewhere if anyone wants it. Naturally I can't guarantee his service, but I'd probably try him myself the next time we're arriving.

Great post Jake. I might have considered breaking it up into several posts. I'm afraid the sheer length, was well as the separation between a comment and a reply may make if difficult to follow sub threads and I would hope this sort of post would generate good comments. Let me add my thoughts on Salon de Hélène Darroze. We were in Paris a week earlier than you, but just got back after a trip north to Belgium. I'm afraid I was not as well rested and recovering from something that attacked me in NY just as we were leaving, so my focus may not have been as good or my notes as complete. We had some mixed reactions to Salon de Hélène Darroze. It seemed the perfect place to dine on the evening of the day we arrived in France. It's hard to predict my level of fatigue and consequent appetite and mood, without knowing if, after an early morning arrival, I'll jump into a day's activities or if my room will be available for an early morning nap. Unfortunately we had pushed our arrival date up two days without changing our reservation and by this time in our trip we were in the mood for a more traditional meal and not alert enough to adapt to the style of the Salon. The menu of very little plates described as tapas is eminently suited for grazing. All of the portions are smaller than what one might expect from an appetizer and by trying to construct a meal from too few dishes, we were faced with the fall back position of ordering a second batch of plates. Our lack of preparedness was not helped by one waiter who was clearly over worked and another who was less adept. Still, service was cheerful, if slow and the food generally pleasing if not what we had in mind. It did not help that we found both descriptions and prices a bit misleading as to their size and quality. The Coquillettes au Foie Gras was a very tiny casserole of macaroni with mushrooms and hardly enough foie gras to affect the overall flavor at 95 F. The Bouquettes au Calvados, ten or so tiny shrimp may have been a delicacy, but we didn't find them flavorful (105 F). Poirettes, (small leeks? scallions?) Jambon "Bellota" and gratings of hard sheep's cheese (sarde) could hardly have been expected to be much of a serving at 45 F when we knew the price of excellent ham in Spain, but we were ill served by one out of three small slices--just gristle that should have gone to the stock pot for the beans. On the other hand, the Jeunnes Betteraves served with a sauce of chèvre, were a treat at 35 F. Filet de Rouget de Roche at 50 F was another winner. Perhaps the best dish may well have been the Garbure Bearnaise, another very small pot of large white beans with a few pieces of pork and sausage. It was a real teaser and the one dish that would most inspire us to try Ms. Darroze's real restaurant on the floor above. We finished on a high note with desserts, A very nice pot de crème au chocolat with whipped cream and some crunchy rice (soufflé) and a light rendition of Ile Flottante were both pleasing. The Salon is really a very chic interpretation of a neighborhood bar where one can graze lightly or compose a tasting menu of some duration although the list of dishes offered isn't that long. To it's credit, it offers a selection of inexpensive and well priced wines from the chef's home region, the southwest of France. It almost seems as if every new restaurant in France is run by a chef from the southwest. We had a similar problem with wine languishing in a bottle while our glasses were empty. My attitude towards a waiter's responsibility about wine differs from yours. While I have no problem pouring my own wine in a three star restaurant, once the server decides to place the bottle out of my reach, I expect him to be absolutely dedicated to seeing that my glass is never empty no matter how simple the restaurant. In my book, it's a cardinal sin that is so easily avoided by leaving the bottle on the table near me. (Edited by Bux at 3:30 pm on Nov. 16, 2001)

Let me add a note about Aux Armes de Bruxelles. Located just a block off the Grand Place at the intersection of two streets chockablock with tourist restaurants is Aux Armes de Bruxelles. It's a reasonably priced brasserie/restaurant, although it's nowhere nearly as cheap as its neighbors. I've been told that the neighboring restaurants are to be avoided, but I can't offer first hand evidence. Aux Armes, however, is an instuttion to be sought out. We both ordered the anguilles au vert (18 EUR) and I cannot vouch for the rest of the menu, although food around me looked appetizing. Anyway, the eels in a green herb (parsley) sauce were superb and a memorable dish for me. Right on the Grand Place is 'T Kelderke, good enough for a lunch. I had boudins entre ciel et terre (9.30 EUR) which I saw on other menus as well. It turned out to be both white sausage and blood sausage. It came with hot apple sauce and the ubiquitous frites. Very good boudin blanc and excellent boudin noir. So-so fries and apple sauce. My wife's salade with warm rabbit liver (8.06 EUR) was less successful as the liver was overcooked. Of course if you give in to temptation of waffles and fries from street stands, you may never have to eat in a restaurant in Brussels. No shortage of chocolate shops as well. (Edited by Bux at 1:23 pm on Nov. 16, 2001)

Hell, if only I had read Bon's post in time. My wife was dying for a bowl of Japanese noodles for lunch in Paris, but it wasn't what I wanted and the shops we passed didn't look good enough to dissuade me from preferring a sandwich. We found internet access next door to our hotel in Brussels, but had so little time, I barely read a few posts in my eGullet French section. As for my findings in Belgium, I am impressed by the cluster of stars in the Belgian Michelin, but I share Robert Brown's opinion that restaurants in France may be better. Two days in Antwerp and two more in Brussels hardly qualifies me as an expert however. I will say that the single bowl of mussels I had in Antwerp, at a brasserie not even listed by Michelin but recommended by friends living in Antwerp were better than just about any bowl of mussels I've had in New York, Paris or Brittany in recent history. For those traveling to Antwerp, this particular place is across the square from the cathedral and its name is Schaduw von de Kathedraal. We had large well flavored and exceptionally plump clean mussels. The fries were so-so. Can't comment on the rest of the food there. Good tap beer. I had a glass of local Palm beer. It was a nice amber beer and came with an incredibly creamy head. Although everyone, or so it seems, speaks English in Antwerp--in fact we had considerable evidence that the Dutch speak to the local Flemish population in English to be better understood as the local dialect is so different from the Dutch spoken in the Netherlands that English often proves to be the common language--we found ourselves for once, a bit disoriented when looking for a place to eat. Many places do not post menus, or only post them in Flemish so it's difficult to know exactly what sort of place, or type of food they have. Waiters are invariably polite and helpful, and never did we have a waiter who was not fluent in English. Comme Chez Soi is a member of the prestigious Les Grandes Tables du Monde, probably the best known Belgian restaurant, and a Michelin three star restaurant, although only one of several for such a small country. Les Grandes Tables du Monde whose NYC members are Le Cirque, la Grenouille, Daniel and Le Bernardin has always struck me as a group more concerned with luxury than food although most of its members are great temples of gastronomy as well. Nevertheless, I was struck by the rather intimate setting, general lack of space between tables and service that was fine, but not in Ducasse's league. For example, requests for bottles of water were forgotten. There are several rooms. When my wife told me she had, upon being asked, chosen the no smoking room, I thought "kiss of death." Belgium makes France seem like a smoke free zone. While I can't speak about the other rooms, our table was in the part of the restaurant that occupies a space designed by Horta, the great Brussels art nouveau architect. Accepting the scale and intimacy, it was a beautiful space. I'd have to say that it was a treat just to be able to eat in that space. That the food was as good as it was, was icing on the cake. With memory of dinner at Ducasse the week before still in our minds, it is perhaps unfair to say we thought our meal was less impressive than expected. It's often easier and sometimes both safer and more interesting to choose a menu than to order à la carte when dining in a new restaurant. Here there were three menus, a 139 EUR six course and two four course menus at 62 & 98 EUR, each with some choice of courses. We settled on the 98 EUR menu largely on the basis that it was only four courses--after all our indulgences of the past two weeks--and because it featured wild hare à la bécasse albeit at a 12 EUR per person supplement. Le foie gras d'oie truffé, en terrine at another supplement of 9 EUR per person was fine, but virtually ungarnished. Perhaps more would have been gilding the lilly, but that's what I often expect three star restaurants to do. The filet of brill with tomato coulis came with an unexpected cream sauce and the diced tomatoes were less than deep red and less than fully flavored, although the brill in cream sauce with a few tiny clams and mussels would have stood on its own. The hare was sensational and a dish we'll long remember and crave. I'm not exactly sure how dishes à la bécasse are prepared, but I know that bécasse (woodcock) is often, or usually, prepared without being drawn. We've had pigeon à la bécasse and as with our wild rabbit, the sauce was rich and thick. I suspect both liver and blood as thickening agents. When asked how we wanted our meat cooked, rosé was suggested. My request to have it towards the bloody side was met with a friendly shake of the head signifying "no," but when the meat arrived, we found it exactly to our like. In fact I had not realized how red hare could be. I forget my wife's dessert, but I had a chocolate cake that was almost like a terrine with three intensities of chocolate and some marzipan. The bill came to 370 EUR with 2 glasses of Clos Laberre Sauternes, a bottle of Clape Cornas (great with the hare, not exactly a match with the fish in cream sauce) two small bottles of sparkling water and 2 cups of espresso. That includes service and tax, although it's not uncommon to add a few percent more as a tip. I'd return.

We've only made three reservations for our six days in Paris. We started making reservations and then changed our arival date. Nevertheless, so far we've booked Hélelen Darroze's more informal Salon, Petrossian and Ducasse for the big treat. Some favorite bistros and some target places may now be impossible, but we've had last minute luck in the past. I never know my mood on arrival and then that will leave All-Saints day and Sunday. Neither are exactly good days to be stuck without a reservation. If worse comes to worse I'll spend a day eating chocolate.

I've had gallstones. It's not like that. I've never quite understood what it was, but when I returned home from a trip to France and had pretty much already recovered, I nevertheless enquired about my symptoms. My doctor's simple reply was "crise de foie." For me it went beyond a queasy stomach and general malaise to an inability to swallow any food. My body simply said "you're not putting any more food in here." I left my wife at dinner in a one star inn in the country and went to bed. A few days later in Paris, I thought I had recovered and did not cancel a special reservation. My mistake. After the amuse bouche and cream soup, I could not make a dent in my rich first course. I made my apologies to the chef and cancelled the rest of my dinner. I spent a small fortune to watch my wife eat. She was pitiless, reminding me of the number of days in a row I had eaten foie gras and duck fat while in Gascony and Les Landes. Her only concession to my spirit was not to complain about the shade of green my pallor was casting on her plate, until later than evening.

We had superb seafood, albeit simply prepared and in simple surroundings (actually it was at an outdoor table by the beach in May) at Can Majo. Nothing fancy, but really fresh seafood. In terms of elegance, Michelin lists it as one step up from a tapas bar as the simplest level of restaurant. It's in La Barceloneta on a corner about midway along the beach. Excellent fresh seafood is never cheap in Spain, even in fishing villages, but you can avoid lobster and the more expensive crustaceans and still eat well.

Robert - Crise de foie is the problem and it's a real problem if I don't pace myself. Patrice - Nice of you to drop us a line. We hope to get some details in a few more weeks. Bras is the one we haven't been to, yet. but I suspect it to be a meal that's second to none when we get there. Trama was one of our weirder lunches. It was not his or his kitchen's fault really. We found no fault with the food. Puymirol was not really on our itinerary, but we found ourselves not so far away and ahead of schedule one morning in the dead of winter--a very slow season in the region. On a whim we phoned and asked if they had a table for two for lunch. They hesitated so long that we were sure they were trying hard to squeeze us in. As it turned out, we were the only diners having lunch that afternoon.

Souveyrens is aparently highly regarded if not rated. When I mentioned Belgium to a certain French cook here in NY, Scholteshof was the first restaurant he named. I am now on the lookout, or will be when I get there, for a certain cookbook of his no longer in print. I look at the map in the Benelux the Michelin Guide shows Belgium fairly dense with stars. regretably this little trip is but a side trip. Clearly Belgium deserves a longer gastronomic tour. Fortuantely for my wallet, I can only manage to eat so much in a day and not nearly so much as when I was younger. My 2001 GM was purchased in France last December. I'm not sure I have a copy of the 2000. I see a 1998 copy on a shelf. I'm also curious about my Comme Chez Soi meal. I'm leary of great meals at the end of my trips and worry about pacing myself along the way, but I'm learning about moderation. ;)

We're leaving on Turesday. Hasselt is well out of Antwerp and Brussels. (Scholteshof was a one star in last year's Michelin, by the way.) We're giving up the car in Lille and continuing on through Belgium by train. We have one unreserved dinner in Antwerp and I'd be happy to drink some beer in a casual spot and not eat French haute cuisine for a couple of days. Wynant's name rang a small bell, but I have to admit I've not payed any attention to Belgian restaurants or chefs. I see it in the Michelin next to Comme Chez Soi. My 2001 GaultMillau didn't come with a supplement. I recall older versions that came with a list of restaurants outside of France, but usually just across the border. Brussels has two 3 star restaurants. Comme Chez Soi is the one closer to the center of town. Good to know GM rates it 19.