January 4th, 2014 § § permalink
HG/BSK (plus enchanting Beautiful Granddaughter Sofia) arrived in Paris Dec. 31. The weary trio shopped for some basics and then snoozed for a few hours (HG rented a two bedroom apartment in the Quartier d’Europe, a neighborhood in the 8e that borders the 9e, 17e, 18e and is close to many metro lines). Showered, refreshed and hungry, the destination for New Year’s Eve dinner was Bourgogne Sud on nearby Rue de Clichy. This is a bistro that features cooking from the Burgundy region, a cuisine that is rich, flavorful and makes good use of the region’s wonderful white and red wines. The holiday menu (a steal at 38.90 euro a person) started with a plenitude of escargots. These had been removed from their shells and cooked in a special metal plate that had indentations to contain the escargots and the lush garlic-parsley-butter sauce in which they were bathed. The best snails HG ever tasted. Big. Plump. Juicy. And, not overwhelmed with garlic. There was also a big platter of excellent (reminiscent of New York’s Russ & Daughters) smoked salmon and gravlax. A good baguette to soak up the escargot butter and Poilane bread with the salmon. And, before this gala beginning, the warm and welcoming host, Gilles Breuil, plied our party with flutes of champagne and slices of lovely Rosette salami. Pouilly-Fuisse was the ideal wine to drink with the entrees. For mains, BSK had a generous plate of perfectly grilled scallops. BGS had the signature dish of boeuf bourgignon and HG dove into a big quenelle de brochet in a rich sauce nantua with abundant crayfish. Wine was Moulin-a-Vent from Beaujolais. A trio of pleasant desserts including a chestnut Mont Blanc. Digestif was marc (from Burgundy, of course). The atmosphere in Bougogne Sud was happy and jolly. Gilles Breuil keeps the great traditions of Parisian bistros alive . He is to be thanked. If you are in Paris, don’t miss Borgogne Sud.
January 1st, 2014 § § permalink
HG here wishing all of his readers and followers a Happy New Years!! HG would like to extend his hopes that everyone has a 2014 filled with delicious edibles and wonderful memories!
Some time ago, HG wrote about good restaurants in unlikely places. One of those was Lucky Garden, a very nice Chinese restaurant located in a mundane strip mall in gritty North Providence, Rhode Island. It was an obligatory venue for a happy family dinner during the Christmas holiday. Since HG eats no Chinese food in Santa Fe (where all that exists is corn starch heavy, sweet, tourist cuisine of the PF Chang variety), HG insisted (though it’s a shlep) on a visit to Lucky Gardens. An error. Management had changed. Interiors had been expanded and renovated. Unfortunately, the cuisine had taken a toboggan slide downhill. Worst dumplings ever. Unfortunate pork belly. Pallid eggplant casserole. Cold tripe that made HG long for a bowl of New Mexico menudo. Passable chicken and chive blossoms did not compensate. SJ and EM, Asian food mavens, were not among the dinner party. Lucky them. Un-Lucky Garden is to be avoided.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Hemenway’s . For years, an HG visit to Rhode Island has always included a stop at Hemenway’s with its big windows overlooking some fine 18th and 19th Century architecture and a pretty little park in downtown Providence. The food, the service, the friendly welcome, the oyster bar and the comfortable dining booths are all splendid. HG/BSK had lunch in the oyster bar with SJ and Gifted Daughter Lesley R. Two dozen local oysters and six Rhode Island clams. plus crisp fried calamari with hot Greek peppers ( a Rhody specialty). Everything fresh and sparkling. It was so good that SJ and HG came back the next day. They were accompanied by Exquisite Maiko (who had been troubled with an unpleasant cold). EM had two of her favorite comfort foods: Clams Casino and French onion soup. HG/SJ knocked off Hemenway’s versions of a French brasserie “Plateau de fruits de mer.” Hemenway’s version had a bunch of New England’s finest: Oysters and clams plus a one half Maine lobster. There were also some very good jumbo shrimps from southern waters. A Delightful, and more importantly, a consistent dining experience.
