beaulieu's Profile
Istanbul - question on some restaurants recommended by hotel
Yes, our hotel also recommended Sur Balik. I was sceptical, but we enjoyed it very much. To see my report on it, and on Hünkar, which we also liked, go to http://epicures.wordpress.com/category/turkey/.
The reports are three years old now, but probably still valid.
Jungsik - one of the best restaurants in the city! (lots of photos)
I dined there on Tuesday and it was excellent. Why would anyone want to order à la carte when you can choose three courses on the smaller prix fixe?
nicoise dining recommendations
Bouillabaiise isn't really niçoise; it is marseillaise, but you can get a great one by taking the train to Golfe Juan and going to Tétou. (You won't get a reservation if you are there around the Cannes Film Festival.) In Nice I recommend Luc Salsedo and L'Aphrodite for good cuisine in the niçoise tradition. (The latter has an ecelectic menu, but there is at least one niçois dish offered in each course.) Of course, you can get socca, farcis, raviolis etc at many restaurants in Old Nice.
Colombe d"Or St Paul de Vence
If the tradition of the place is important to you, why not? The basket of crudités is memorable.
But for the best meal near there go to Les Bacchanales near Vence.
St Petersburg
It is not upscale, but we enjoyed the Café Stolle Konyshennyi. See http://wp.me/phxFt-2P.
Although tourists are welcome, the clientèle was almost all Russian. The cuisine seemed authentic to us.
molyvos
We ate at Molyvos Friday evening before Carnegie Hall. The service was excellent. The grilled octopus appetizer was very good, but a bit too much. My moussaka was disappointing. It is a perfect pre-concert choice, but I wouldn't go there otherwise. Even so, it is better than Milos.
Anything around the Camargue - Saintes Maries de la Mer?
La Chassagnette, in the Camargue, but not next to Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, is excellent. It was the first bio restaurant to get a Michelin star. Its gardens are a sight in themselves. L'Atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel in Arles is superb. (He was actually the chef at La Chassagnette when it first got its star.)
Best source for fresh seafood in or around Nice
Your villa sounds ideal.
The fish market in the Place St-Francois is picturesque and good. Chez Tony on the Rue Stalingrad is excellent. Fish at the Carrefour is usually very good with a wide variety.
La Poulette, unfortunately, has closed.
Has anyone been to "Chez Bruno" near Lorgues, South of France
If price is a concern, you should try Le Diamant Noir, the truffle restaurant in Nice run by Bruno's youngest son.
Kanazawa, Takayama recs
I cannot imagine being in Kanazawa and not going to Zeniya. The cuisine and ambience are superb. See http://wp.me/phxFt-1tp
Budapest not to be missed
We enjoyed Dunacorso for local food. The menu is very Hungarian. The staff was very friendly. You might enjoy Thursday evenings when they have jazz instead of gypsy music. And the view from the terrace at lunch is great. See http://wp.me/phxFt-1VL
Vienna report
Sturmi,
Is Meinl's Restaurant closed? The website is still active. We had a lovely lunch there in September. See. http://wp.me/phxFt-2uR.
galette des rois
Thanks for the suggestions. When walking by the Maison du Chocolat on Madison Avenue at 78th Street, I saw one in the window. I ordered one for pickup before our party. It was fresh and excellent.
[Belgium] Hertog Jan or De Karmeliet
My experience was the same as Nancy's. But Oud Sluis and Hof van Cleve are also among the world's best. De Jonkman is also very good.
galette des rois
Where can I buy a good galette des rois, preferably on the Upper East Side?
Smoked eel
The Petrossian Store, but it is expensive.
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Petrossian Boutique
911 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Arpege?
I had a similar request from Ryugin in Tokyo and for Kikunoi in Kyoto. It is not unusual at the high end in NYC, even on Open Table. I think it is very reasonable.
Vienna report
I would give up Silvio Nickol. We found it very bling bling with only one really good course.
Any opinions about Hungarian food? Travelling to Budapest soon...
For Hungarian food we liked Dunacorso a lot. I think it gets a poor reputation sometimes as its terrace is overcrowded and touristy in the summer. Service may be lacking then, but we had an excellent welcome and service. The food was good and seemed authentically Hungarian to us. See http://wp.me/phxFt-1VL. Onyx is also good, but has more recognition.
Junoon (bad)...Other suggestions for Indian, please?...(very long)
We had the non-vegetarian Tasting Menu at Amma recently and enjoyed it.
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Amma
246 E. 51st Street, New York, NY 10022
Vienna lunches and dinners: looking for advice!
We had a lovely lunch at Meinl's Restaurant. Despite being near Demels, it is not full of tourists, although we were welcomed. It is a bit formal, but that seems Viennese to us.
Although not the real thing, the newer, bigger Figlmüller around the corner is a fine alternative; we were given a nice table in the front room for lunch without a reservation. The sweetbreads cooked like a Wiener Schnitzel were excellent.
Pick two! -- Pierre Gagnaire, Taillevent, Le Cinq, L'Arpege, others?
If you have never been to Pierre Gagnaire, you should. Have the big menu. You might not like everything, but it will be a great, unique culinary experience you will not forget.
Best place for Dim Sum?
I'm no dim sum expert, but we have certainly enjoyed the dim sum at Oriental Garden in Chinatown.
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Oriental Garden
14 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013
American Food Gifts to bring to French Family
Wild rice, but be sure that there are instructions on how to prepare it as they don't understand that it isn't really rice and needs much longer cooking.
Eugenie Les Bains
I agree with Souphie's main point,. One night would do it, although two would be better if you enjoy spas etc. Look at http://wp.me/phxFt-g1 and you will see the whole experience with the garden, breakfast in the charming room etc.
salad in arles or environs
It looked big enough to me. Plants grow rapidly in the climate of the Camargue.
salad in arles or environs
La Chassagnette in the Camargue.It will be more than a salad, but it will come from their garden.
Vence/St. Paul de Vence area / Restaurant recommendation
The choices within 75km are many. For a special meal on the outskirts of Vence go to Les Bacchanales, which is now consistantly very good. In Vence, try Les Agapes.
Quick (delicious) lunch reqs neat The Met?
Centolire at Madison and 86th is good for lunch. (But don't go in the evening.)
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Centolire
1167 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10028
