how to fan girl at restaurant l'arpege in paris

L'Arpege.

Chef Alain Passard is one of the most famous people in the culinary world. His restaurant, L'Arpege, consistently gets three Michelin stars and is a fixture on the World's 50 Best Restaurants List. He focuses on vegetarian cuisine although he does offer meat and fish as well.

I first heard of Chef Passard when a friend served me an "Arpege egg" one time at a dinner party. My friend's version was creamy scrambled egg topped with caviar served in an egg shell. Since then, I've been wanting to try the real thing.

When Mr. Sazy Rock and I recently visited Paris, he wanted to go back to Arpege to get himself up to date on the city's dining scene. I was more than happy to tag along. I was very excited to finally eat the famous Arpege egg.

The Scene

The diners were both food tourists and French people alike. We arrived fairly early and the place was mostly empty. But, by 9 pm, when most people ate, the place was full and buzzy. Men wore jackets and women dressed smart. I should note, however, that I saw a French speaking couple wear jeans.

The Service

What excited me was Chef Passard working the room and greeting every single diner. In fact, when he first started greeting diners, I thought he knew them personally. He was that friendly. Instead, those folks were just regular diners like me and Mr. SR. When he finally came by our table, he joked with us and noted how much Mr. SR seemed to enjoy eating their bread. After saying hi, he went back to the kitchen.

video: what is a bouchon?

Join me and Mr. Sazy Rock as we dine in a real bouchon in Lyon, France at Comptoir Chabert. I hope you enjoy our short video.

video: dining at paul bocuse's l'auberge du pont de collonges in lyon, france

If you've ever wondered what it is like to dine at Paul Bocuse's temple of gastronomy - L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges - in Lyon, France, I've shot a short video below. Enjoy!

have you ever wondered how the british house of lords dine?

The menu at the Peers' Dining Room.

If you've ever wondered how those Lords in the British Parliament ate, well, now you can somewhat have an insight. As a quick primer, the British Parliament is made up of two houses - the House of Lords (similar to the Senate in the USA) and the House of Commons (similar to the US House of Representatives). Their office is the Palace of Westminster where Big Ben is located. If you are a Downton Abbey fan (like me), a period drama about the lives of the upper and lower classes of wartime Britain, Lord Grantham would have been a part of the House of Lords.

Within the Houses of Parliament are dining areas. The Peers' Dining Room is the restaurant where the Lords eat. Usually, only Lords are allowed to dine there, unless invited by a Lord (or when they decide to - on very rare occasions - open it up to the public. (The House of Commons has its own dining area and Lords cannot dine there unless invited by a Member of Parliament ("MP"). So, if Lord Grantham was visiting London (and if he were real), he would have had access to the Peers' Dining Room.

During our last visit to London, Mr. Sazy Rock (a dual citizen of the US and the UK) got wind of a rare opening of the Peers' Dining Room. Lords and MPs were out and about campaigning for and against Brexit so the powers-that-be decided to open up the Peers' Dining Room for a short period (about one week) to plebeians like us. As an aside, 2015 was the first year that the powers-that-be opened up the Peers' Dining Room to the common folk. It was such a success that they did it again in 2016. Pre-Brexit, we were told that they had plans to do it again. I don't know how those plans will work post-Brexit.

hedone: hedonism for the mouth

Hedone.

One of the highlights of my last trip to London with Mr. Sazy Rock was a meal at Hedone. Our expectations were very high. Yet, Hedone still met them.

Let me explain. My brother in law dines at Hedone. A lot. As in he-dines-there-so-much-he-has-a-chair-with-a-plaque-with-his-name-on-it "a lot." He's been dining there since it opened and we think he's dined there over 200 times. When Mr. SR lived in London, he and my brother in law ate out a lot and talked about it. The bottom line is: we trust his palate.

So, on our recent trip, my brother in law treated us to a meal at his favorite restaurant. We went for lunch because we knew it was going to be a long lunch. As the restaurant's name suggests, we were in for a pleasurable meal, and we wanted it to last a very long time.

Hedone.

lamb chops: london's iconic dish?

There are plenty of iconic dishes in London to choose from. Last week, I wrote about the Roasted Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad from St. John. Today, I submit that the Tandoori Lamb Chops at Tayyabs is pretty iconic as well.

The Tandoori Lamb Chops at Tayyabs.

Tayyabs is named after the last name of the owners of a Punjabi restaurant in the Whitechapel area of Greater London. Although it is very near Brick Lane, which is known for South Asian restaurants, Tayyabs is the better option because the food is just amazing (and affordable). 

"nose to tail": london's iconic dish?

The Roasted Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad at St. John.

Admittedly, there are plenty of iconic dishes in London. That is, those widely known and well-established dishes that scream "yeah, that's London."

I will submit that St. John Restaurant's Roasted Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad is one of London's top iconic dishes. After all, the dish was arguably popularized by a well-respected chef -- Fergus Henderson -- based on his well-known philosophy of cooking -- nose to tail. 

have you ever wondered where the buffalo wing was invented?

Have you ever wondered where the Buffalo Wing was invented?

The Home of the Original Buffalo Wing.

restaurant review: eventide in portland, maine

Eventide Oysters.

Portland has been getting a lot of love in the food world. Portland, Oregon, that is.

And, that's great. Portland, OR is a great eating city. But, I have to argue that Portland, Maine is just as great, if not better.

The Scene

Eventide is a small seafood restaurant on the outskirts of downtown Portland near the port. Although, Portland is so small that being on the outskirt is not really all that far. When we stopped in for brunch, most tables and the bar area were full. Luckily, we found a great spot near the oysters at the bar.

lubec: thoughts on visiting the easternmost town in the contiguous usa

Lubec.

Mr. Sazy Rock's mantra in life - and subsequently, mine - is to "Go Everywhere, Eat Everything." Inevitably, we visit different places and sample the cuisine. But, on top of that, we like to - as much as possible - meet the locals. 

On our recent trip to Lubec, Maine - a small town that boasts of being the easternmost city/town in the contiguous US - we saw, we ate, and we met the locals. It was an amazing thing. 

Lubec's Main Street.

First, Lubec borders the Canadian border. Getting there is a matter of crossing a short bridge behind the town's post office. 

That is the bridge to Canada, just behind the Lubec Post Office.

Second, Lubec used to be a striving fishing town until about 22 companies left in the 1970s and 1980s. But, there are still a few lobster and sea urchin fishermen/women that remain. The population is about 1,200 and "swells" to about 2,500 during tourist season. 

Water St. Tavern. Behind it is Canada.

Third, it's a great place to see the sunrise (especially by the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse) because at certain times, such as during the Equinox, the first place the sun shines its rays on in the USA is in Lubec. 

We saw West Quoddy Head lighthouse and the marker for the easternmost point of the contiguous USA. The lighthouse was commissioned by Thomas Jefferson. 

Marker for the easternmost point in the contiguous USA.

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse.

We ate at Water Street Tavern & Inn (the easternmost tavern in the contiguous USA) and feasted on a two and a half pound fresh Maine lobster. It was fresh and sweet.

A two-and-a-half pound lobster at Water St. Tavern.

We drank at the Lubec Brewing Company (the easternmost brewery in the contiguous USA). The Red Ale was rich and deep. 

Lubec Brewing Company.

But, more importantly, we met locals. At the brewery, we chatted with Julie the bartender and her husband Bob, Leroy and Steve, but we missed Gale - the owner and Brewer. We heard stories (or myth?) about the drunk surveyors who drew up the the US/Canada map, which resulted in the island next to Lubec becoming a part of Canada instead of being part of the USA. We also heard about war stories from our new veteran friends, their ancestries from England, local gossip, and even got the lowdown on the application of macro economics in Lubec. At the tavern, we met Jim the proprietor, Valerie the server, Matt the cook, and Theresa the former cook and Matt's mother. From them, we heard more of their backgrounds and individual stories.

We ended up not seeing the sun rise - in May, the weather was still ghastly. It was raining and the temperature was in the 40s and 50s. But, it was still a special visit meeting great food and wonderful people. 

Our visit was not just a matter of saying that we've been and eaten in the easternmost town/city in the contiguous USA. It was a matter of meeting people from everywhere and anywhere. Trips like this make our mantra to "Go Everywhere. Eat Everything" a lot more meaningful. 

restaurant review: harry sasson in bogota

Outside Harry Sasson.

While researching places to eat while visiting Bogota, I wanted to make sure that our limited time in the city would not be wasted on bad meals. There were a few candidates and the final choice boiled down to Harry Sasson, which has received a lot of favorable reviews and has been dining destinations for heads of state. So, Mr. Sazy Rock and I thought that Harry Sasson should be a no-brainer.

The Scene 


We were not disappointed in Harry Sasson's aesthetics. Located in a beautiful and tony neighborhood of Bogota, the restaurant looked like a big, fancy European home. In fact, we almost missed it because the facade did not particularly look like what a restaurant's facade should look like. But, google maps did not lead us astray.

travel zen on friday: russ & daughters for a special bruch treat

Scrambled eggs and caviar is a treat that I reserve for special occasions - what better place to indulge than at Russ & Daughters in NYC?

restaurant review: andres carne de res in chia, colombia

Outside Andres Carne de Res.

About an hour outside of Bogota is a tiny town called, Chia. It is known for a party restaurant called, Andres Carne de Res. It is also a steak heaven. There is a branch in Bogota itself. But, people I've met have suggested that the one in Chia is a lot more fun.

Andres Carne de Res.

The Scene

dining with a real life "most interesting man in the world" at juan del mar restaurant in cartagena, colombia

It's a shame I cannot officially review my meal at Juan del Mar because the food was delicious and the atmosphere was so much fun. I can't, in good conscience, review it because the proprietor would not let us pay (we did tip generously though). Although I believe I can still be impartial despite the free meal, it seems cheeky for me to so. So, I thought I'd just tell you why I think it's a fun restaurant that serves good food with full disclosure that we only tipped. Plus, I met Mr. Juan del Mar himself, the most interesting man in the world. Seriously.

Juan del Mar

Mr. Sazy Rock's colleague recommended we check out Juan del Mar and proceeded to introduce us to its proprietor, Juan del Mar Iglesias. Why do I think he is the most interesting man in the world? 

some favorite cheap(er) eats in new york

(New York, New York).  Too little time; not enough meals.  There are some cities where it is a struggle to find enough time to indulge in all the delicious food offered - and New York is definitely one of those cities.  Whenever I visit now, I will try to do a new "high-end" restaurant, and then try to squeeze in some old casual/cheap favorites.

On this trip, I was able to squeeze in following:

restaurant review: marmoleo in medellin

Marmoleo.

For a romantic dinner in Medellin, I'd like to suggest a steakhouse restaurant called Marmoleo. It is located up in a hill overlooking the city. The views there are fantastic as one can see a valley of city lights surrounded by towering mountains.

I know, you might say that usually restaurants with great views do not deliver on the food. But, I can tell you that my experience dining here with Mr. Sazy Rock was positive.

Tip 1: when reserving a table online, check the website for the configuration of the tables vis a vis the view. Then, choose the perfect table. 

Tip 2: The place is usually empty until about 8 pm, when everyone starts arriving.  

restaurant review: carmen in medellin

When Mr. Sazy Rock and I travel to research the food of an area, we tend to try street food, casual dining and fine dining options. After all, we believe that all the food - whether street, casual or fine - reflect the people. After all, those who can afford fine dining are just as much a part of the populace as those who can only afford street food and vice versa.

That being said, whether a particular restaurant or a particular dish is good is more a reflection of the proprietor and not of the food of the region or country. Put another way, not all restaurants serve good food. Some are better at creating tasty dishes than others. That, I believe, is true everywhere around the world.

Carmen.

During our recent trip to Medellin, one of Mr. SR's colleagues suggested we try Carmen, a fine dining restaurant in the Poblado neighborhood. We decided to give it a go since we have been eating at a lot of fast casual restaurants and sampling street food at stalls around town.

restaurant review: mondongo's in medellin

There was once a time when going to Colombia (not Columbia), and specifically, Medellin, would've triggered plenty of alarm bells. These days, not only is the country safe (as safe as any other big city) to visit, but it is also a great place to sample the local cuisine.

Medellin is land-locked in the country's interior (and quite hilly). So, the restaurants in town had plenty of good meaty options. My visit with Mr. Sazy Rock started at a very popular fast casual joint called, Mondongo's, in the Poblado neighborhood. (We found out later that they have another branch in town, and one branch in the US - in Miami.)

The line outside Mondogo's.

what is an arepa?

A very short video primer on the Arepa, the ubiquitous bread found in Colombia (not Columbia). Enjoy!

puerto rico's ruta de longaniza

During our visit to Puerto Rico in 2015, we visited the Ruta de Lechon (Roast Pig Route). This year, we decided to check out the Ruta de Longaniza (Sausage Route). 

Unlike the Ruta de Lechon, the Ruta de Longaniza comprised of two different main highways. And, at least two towns host sausage-centric restaurants along the road.