France Day 5 - A day of discovery & mystery meat

On this morning's jog, RRR & I discovered something wonderful... a bread delivery truck! A woman drives around the neighborhood where we were staying delivering fresh bread the way you would deliver a newspaper - the French certainly know how to live!

Anyway, after chowing down on some more rhubarb lemon jam, we headed south of Beaune to taste some of the wonderful white wines from this area. Our first stop was at a tasting room in Puligny-Montrachet where our Scott Storch look-a-like wine pourer told us about some good vineyards to hit in the area and then we headed to Savigny Les Beaune.

One of them was Domaine Les Guettottes where the woman who greeted us didn't speak English very well so her son, the winemaker, came out and chatted with us. We talked about his recent visit to NYC where he was treated to a Beyonce' performance (for GMA) in Times Square. "You don't understand, it's not like you'll see Beyonce' singing on the streets of Beaune"... So funny what we (me) take for granted living in New York. He recommended that we dine at La Part Des Anges that evening and was kind enough to make our reservation.

Later that day, we tasted what was probably the best overall wines in the cellar at Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard with a fun Belgium couple. He was a beer maker and neither one of them spoke English well, but you'd be suprised how well you can communicate about wine without speaking the same language. Funny thing was the more we tasted, the stronger her English became and so did our command of French language!

After more exploring and tasting we would up picnicking in Meursault and devoured our purchases from the previous day's trip to the market in Dijon. Somewhere along the way we stopped in Aloxe-Corton - after a marathon day of tasting it all becomes a blur!

I did find that as the trip progressed, I continued to gravitate to the wines of Savigny Les Beaune - there is just something about the scent, body and flavor of these wines that my palate just can't get enough of!

That evening, we received a warm welcome from the staff when we arrived at the La Part Des Anges. Apparently, they sell Jean-Baptiste's wines and I am sure we are not the first group he's sent there. After the couple sitting next to us helped us navigate the menu and our server gushed about how the chef cooks everything to perfection (and just happened to be her boyfriend) while answering our many questions, I chose the following menu which were that evening's specials so I do not have a French translation:

Duck with a faint raspberry sauce - the duck was tender and actually superior to the duck I had a Chez Catherine at the beginning of our journey. My inital thought was that the raspberry sauce would make this dish too sweet, however, it was light and minimal so it did not interfere with the meat but added some depth to the dish.

The duck was accompanied by braised apples wrapped in bacon which was a delicious combo of sweet and savory along with a braised "mystery" meat. I enlisted Mitch & RRR to help figure out what it was (SheGal wanted no part of it) and through the process of elimination decided it was some type of organ, especially since our waitress pointed to her midsection when we asked her what it was. Not much taste here but it was braised for a long time so whatever it was it was tender.

Trout - This fish looked like salmon and RRR was sympathic since she knows I am not a salmon fan, but it was trout or at least something similar with a bit more density to the fish. This came with mushrooms and pea pods with a butter & cream sauce. God, why does everything taste fantastic with butter & cream?

For dessert, we collectively decided on a cheese course and the chocolate "cigar" with sorbet. We also picked a fruit terrine-type desert and we were all a bit disappointed in that dessert.

But you can never go wrong with cheese, especially in this country, and the chocolate cigar was a light crispy flaky crust on the outside with a souffle-like chocolate sauce on the inside. What a way to end the meal!

One more note: I woke up the next morning with the realization that I ate duck gizzards!

France Day 4 - The many wines on the road to Dijon

RRR & I went for a jog in the rain. Normally this is a chore, but it wasn't bad since we were exploring the small streets and fields that surround the Chateau.

When we got downstairs for breakfast, we were treated to a wonderful spread. Fresh bread, warm croissants, hard cheese, butter, homemade jams (peach & cherry among the choices), fresh-squeezed orange juice, coffee, yogurt and an offer of eggs which we declined.

One of the jams was rhubarb with lemon. I am not a huge rhubarb fan but the sweetness of the rhubarb coupled with the slight tartness of the citrus had me raving (much to the annoyance of my traveling companions I'm sure) about this for days! The yogurt was also impressive - certainly more depth than supermarket brand yogurt and when mixed with a bit of the jam it is indescribable!

We piled into the car and headed up the Cotes' d'Or, hitting a few villages and tasting rooms along the way. We started off at Domaine Bertagna which was one of my favorites, especially the Vosne Romanec (Les Beaux Monts Premiere Cru) we tasted. It was full bodied and the bouquet was a nice stinky-cheese smell. The amazing things about wines from this region is that you can smell the earth; a big departure from American wines which have a lot more fruit.

We also had a blast with the gentlemen who poured for us at Philleppe LeClerc (the 2003 Vosne-Romaneec was again the stand out here) and a delicious 2002 Savingy Les Beaune at Moillard Grivot.

When we weren't tasting, we were on our way to check out the city of Dijon. We came in at the end of their market (most markets close around one) and of course our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, talk about sensory overload! We walked out with figs (spoiler alert: RRR gets addicted as trip continues), sundried tomato and red pepper tapenades, peppers stuffed with goat cheese, peaches, apples and grapes. Hey, we were running low on picnic supplies!

A winemaker in Nuits St Georges suggested we go to Les Caves de Madeline for dinner, even offering to make our reservation and who are we to argue? It was an intimate local restaurant with a small kitchen, two person waitstaff, a large communal table and bottles upon bottles of wine on a side wall available for purchase with your meal. There isn't any table turnover in French restaurants so we saw a lot of disappointed diners get turned away at the door.

We were served some bread which came with a selection of dijon mustards (also available for purchase) with each one more unique and flavorful than the last with the exception of the cassis mustard, a bit too sweet. Three of us left with mustards which we probably SHOULD have bought while actually IN Dijon but what the heck?

After having the entire chalkboard of entrees translated for us, I chose the following:

Jambon Persille De Bourgogne - this was a bit of a risky pick for me, ham in a gelatin-like terrine with super fresh parsley. The parsley helped the dish along and while I am not a fan of the consistency of the gelatin, the chunks of ham were fresh and had just the right amount of salt. This was served over greens, something we have not seen a hell of a lot on dinner menus.

Beef Bourguignon - a trademark dish of the area. The beef was cooked for five hours and was fork-tender in a very rich sauce. Good and hearty!

Standout item: RRR's potatoes (pictured below) that came with her chicken - crisp, yet toothsome and garlicky!

Wine: tonight's choice came courtesy of SheGal who picked a 2004 Crozes Hermitage from Alain Graillot - fruity with a dry finish and a nice bouquet .

Dessert was a bit of a free-for-all with four forks flying at our desert offerings. We shared a dark chocolate cake with creme fraiche (standout desert), apple pie with the same creme, and meringue with caramel sauce. The owner told us that the eggs for the mereguine came from his father-in-law's chickens and also indulged us in a story about his experience with blue eggs in Japan when he went with his wife for the first time.

Sometimes it is more about interacting with each other and the owners and getting a real personal dining experience. We were treated as if we were dining in his home and it brought the entire meal to another level and this is why he probably turns people away night after night.

France Day 3 - Cabs, Trains & Automobiles

Woke up, checked out and headed to the train station. I was a bit out of sorts since I could not locate my Tiffany ring (in pants pocket from night before) and wound up leaving my hoodie and was what to become a priceless pack of pocket tissues in the cab - does anyone carry tissues in France? but we made it with plenty of time to spare.

With time to kill we had an espresso in the station and waited for our track number to be called. Eventually, we proceeded to the track only to find a very large set of stairs awaiting us and no escalator in sight. This wouldn't be an issue if not for the almost 60 pounds of luggage Mitch was carrying and the rest of us (with the exception of SheGal) were only about 15 pounds behind her. Needless to say, we got our morning workout as we hit our seats.

We enjoyed our Poilane treats on the train. The apple tart and the pain au chocolate were tasty, however, I probably would have enjoyed the apple much more if I had the ability to heat it up. Regardless, it was quite delicious and a nice way to enjoy a long train ride.

After wandering around Beaune luggage in tow, we finally found the car rental agency, packed our car to the gills with our luggage and headed to Chateau Chorey Les Beaune where our gracious host, Francois and his three adorable dogs greeted us. By this point we were starving and the lunch window was quickly closing, so Francois recommended "the Grill" (Le Bareuzai Restaurant Grill) less than half a mile down the street.

We headed to the grill and quickly discoverd that at this and at many other 'grill establishments' in France, you go up to the counter, pick your protein of choice (beef, sausage, veal, etc), season with the various salts/peppers/etc, and then head over to a large grill where you literally grill your own meat! There were some veggies on the side that were self-serve buffet style so it wasn't a full-blown meat fest.

Although I was eyeballing the sausage, I went conservative and picked the beef and with Mitch as our appointed grill master and we sat down to a delightful yet suprising lunch! So much for a casual quick bite!

After recovering from our laughter over lunch, we headed into Beaune and tasted at two caves in town, Marche' aux Vins and Patriarche pere et fils. The latter was touted as the largest in Bourgogne, however, the wines were far superior at Marche aux Vins. We gathered some goodies from the local shops and decided to relax and dine al fresco back at Francois'.

We regrouped and set up shop outside the Chateau on a beautiful warm night. Our treasures included: a fresh baguette, salumi, jamon pizza, quiche, cured olives, goat cheese with mustard, camembert and two other cheeses only found in France (unpasteurized so it's a no-no in the U.S.). The camembert was perfectly pungent and flavorful and the tomatoes on the ham pizza were double-roasted to add another level to the pizza. And for desert? Chocolates from La Maison du Chocolat of course!

Luckily, we had half a bottle of 2003 Chorey Les Beaune left over from lunch, purchased one bottle from the Chateau (Francois used to be the winemaker, now he's retired and his son takes care of the vineyard) and half a bottle that RRR had purchased earlier in the trip.

With Francois' dog we nicknamed Cleetus
(doesn't he look like one?) by our side and under the Burgundy skies, what a way to kick off our journey into the French countryside.

Now this is what I call dining!!!!!

France Day 2 - SheGal joins in on the fun!

After sleeping in MUCH later than anticipated, we started our day off at the Musee D'Orsay. After wandering around in awe for a few hours, we headed towards St Germain and had lunch at the pretty well-known Les Deux Magots, named not for the white worms we all know & love but for the two figurines (aka magots) of Chinese dignitaries at the entrance from 1914.

I had the croque madam, which is roasted bread, ham, cheese and eggs with a limonade a light refreshing lemon soda. Nothing too spectacular about this lunch but here's it's all about the atmosphere! The quintessential Parisian cafe' filled with history (hangout of Picasso & Hemingway) and the perfect place to people watch!

After lunch, we strolled around the streets of St Germain, shopped, (one of us spent a lot of money on a sweater she doesn't need but loved!) had some gelato and then headed to the famous Poilane bakery to meet up with SheGal who was coming in from the airport. The location we went to was a nice storefront with a constant flow of people coming in and out. It is funny and pretty damn cool how the French carry around their baguettes and bread the way we carry around containers of coffee. We really need to start carrying around carbs! But I digress - I purchased an apple tart and a pain du chocolat for the next day's train ride to Beaune. The smell was heavenly and the breads certainly delicious, but I gotta admit, as our journey continued I think we might have found better.

While Mitch & SheGal rested at the room, RRR & I hit the Lourve to see if it was really as overrated as we've been told. I don't think it was overrated at all! We chose what works of art and time periods we wanted to see (besides the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo) and kept our visit to a minimum without trying to tackle the entire collection. It was beautiful and certainly worth seeing!

After struggling to find a cab, we headed towards our dinner destination Ze Kitchen Gallerie, a restaurant which gives a nod to flavors from South East Asia. We had a few minutes to spare, so RRR & I found a Carribbean type bar down one of the little side streets near the restaurant and settled in for one of the best mojitos I've had in a long time! Of course neither one of us can recall the name of the place or our Texas-born bartender.

When we finally met up with Mitch & SheGal, we caught up and chowed down:

Wine: 2004 Les Gorrigues Domain Clavel

"Gnocci Sardi" (RRR & I split) - actually not gnocci, but orecheitte with spicy tomato sauce, eggplant and an egg. They actually divided the portion for us and each of us got our own tiny little egg. The sauce was creamy, the little egg was downright adorable (don't want to know what "little bird" it came from) and there was a bit of sweetness to the sauce that perhaps came from some thai basil? To me, this was the best dish on our table!

Racasee Cloutee' a la Citronelle - red snapper pan roasted and served on a spear of lemongrass. While Mitch was a bit suspect of fish bones, the fish was bone-free, light and tasty. I didn't really taste the seashell jus the menu said it came with but I really didn't miss it at all.

We decided to pass on dessert since we were all exhausted and needed to say a temporary 'au revoir' to Paris as we head to wine country!

Tomorrow's installment: four women with luggage navigate a train station (hilarity ensues...)

France Day 1 - Americans in Paris

So after an uneventful and unrestful overnight flight, I landed in Paris and headed to the hotel. Finally met up with RRR & Mitch and we decided to head to Chez Catherine for lunch. We were at the end of the lunch crowd and the restaurant was filled with Parisian businessmen but not for long...

We settled into a table near the front and eventually won over the heart of our server, Cyril.

RRR & Mitch (the wine gurus) chose a 2004 St Joseph Bordeaux and we started our lunch off with the following appetizers:

mushroom carpaccio - plain, simple and delicious. Thinly sliced mushrooms topped with peppercorns, tomatoes, olives, walnuts, and scallions brought together with a light coated of olive oil.

fricasse de girolles (mushroom fricasse) - sauteed mushrooms of various types and again plain, simple and delicious - no ingredient overpowered the freshness of the mushrooms.

tartare de tomatoes et fenuil crouquat mousse lecere a la ricotta glace aux herbes - this tomato tartare looked like tuna tartare but was a bountiful blend of fresh veggies - the basil mousee was the most interesting part of this dish, it was chilled almost to a desert-like status.

For our mains - Mitch went with raie aux framboises et vinaigrede framboise and was a bit disappointed simply in the amount of bones in the skate. Not the best way to start a dining extravaganza but read on, she made up in cheese what she lost in bony fish.

RRR chose filet mignon de pore aux fleurs de courgettes farcias - filet mignon with zucchini flowers. The zucchini flowers were stuffed and the standout item on this plate.


And I went with one of my favorites as you will see as our journey continues
magret decarnord aux figues pommes allumettes - duck breast with figs and fries.
The sweetness of the figs which were beautifully roasted and presented on a stick of rosemary were the perfect accompaniment to the duck which was perfectly cooked medium rare. The meat was pink on the inside, soft but not overly chewy and not gamey, just the way it should be. The fries had just enough crispiness without being burnt and just enough salt not to be overseasoned.





Mitch made up for her entree with a whirl around Chez Catherine's fantastic cheese plate offerings, our first of many experiences with the wonderful world of French cheeses. I think we shocked the waiter a bit by asking for tastes of just about ALL of the cheeses they brought by on the cart - I'm sure the Parisian businessmen don't chow down like this, pass around tastes of everything so they all can taste and take photos of their meal along the way, but hey, we were excited and wanted to sample & discuss everything!

By the end of the meal we were joking and laughing with Cyril & the maitre d' who were telling us about some good vintages of Beaujolais and hoped we'd return to Paris at the end of our trip with a special bottle or two for them. They also gave us some recommendations of good non-touristy restaurants worth a look in Paris.

After lunch, we searched and searched and searched and finally found a chocolatier that RRR had read about La Maison du Chocolat. The saleswoman was no fool, she knew a chocolate junkie (that would be me) when she spotted one and after some chatting about the beauty that is chocolate we all bought a few pieces to enjoy during the week. The whole place seemed vaguely familiar and then the salewoman asked me if I was from New York and told me they had a shop on the Upper East Side! And to add insult to injury, they were present at a chocalate tasting and panel discussion I had gone to at the 92nd St Y a few months back! Oh well senior moment aside - excellent chocolate in two countries - not a waste of time!

By this point, jet lag had set in so after a jaunt down the Champs de Elysses and a visit to the Arc de Triomphe, we decided to pass on dinner and catch up on some sleep. So we called it a day and got some rest for our first FULL day in Paris!

There's a lot more eating and drinking to do and we've only just begun to dine!