Bivalve88's Profile
3 days in Paris with two pre-teens - itinerary advice?
Thanks, Parigi! Sounds just what the doctor ordered.
As for the meals/restos I had scoped out, I'm really just trying to find places that are a bit casual, with good food, and that are more French than not (except for Padagon). We'll be in London for 11 days after our trip to Paris, so we'll be hitting more different cuisines there (Chinese/Indian/Thai/Lebanese).
My eldest daughter is more adventurous, but the younger will be more than happy with a good steak frites. If you (or anyone else on the board) knows of good places near St. Michel/St. Germain that I haven't thought of, I'd love to hear them!
3 days in Paris with two pre-teens - itinerary advice?
We'll be bringing our two very well-behaved pre-teens to Paris in July. We'll be staying in an apartment close to the St. Michel metro stop. I've been perusing the boards and have come up with a draft itinerary. Any comments or warnings will be appreciated!
Day 1:
Arrive CDG 10AM. Lunch at Bistro des Augustins or an alternative suggestion close by
Dinner at Les Degres de Notre Dame or Au Vieux Comptoir or Dans Les Landes
Day 2:
Picnic lunch in Parc de la Villette or pizza at Pink Flamingo on Canal St. Martin or crepes at Chez Imogene
Dinner at Maison de la Lozere or Le Petit Prince or L’Ecurie
Day 3:
Lunch at Breizh Café or Au Petit Sud Ouest
Dinner at Padogon or another suggestion for Vietnamese
Day 4:
Pick up picnic lunch near Gare du Nord to eat on the train. I've seen suggestions for Terminus du Nord. Any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Cafe Constant, L'Ami Jean, Dans Les Landes, Les Papilles, L'Absinthe, Le Trumilou.....O.K . for pre-teens?
We will also be bringing two pre-teens to Paris this summer, so this thread has been very much appreciated.
My father has given both of the girls sketchbooks and colored pencils/markers and has asked them to sketch the things they see in Paris for him. We plan to use them wherever we land for lunches/dinners - and are hoping that they will also generate some great dinner conversation. I'm glad to hear that this plan won't be a faux pas!
Family Friendly Restaurants in Newport, RI
My kids, aged 9 and 10, love Puerini's, The Mooring, The Brick Alley, and Tito's Tacos (technically in Middletown). If you're looking for a more high-end experience, 22 Bowen's is great and kid-friendly. We go there every Christmas Eve and the kids are always happy.
Did Your Mom Repeatedly Cook a Dish You Despised?
I used to come home from college every weekend to work in a local restaurant. Every single Friday, when Dad would pick me up at the bus stop, I'd ask "what's for dinner?". Invariably, the answer was meatloaf. After a year of this, I begged my Dad to ask Mom to make something else on Friday nights since I never could stomach her meatloaf. His answer was, "But, she makes it for you! It's your favorite!".
How could she never see how I gagged and choked it down every Friday??
He's such a good Dad, he did ask Mom to make something else and I've never again been subjected to her meatloaf.
Thanksgiving on South Coast of MA?
Well, CapeCodGuy, you hit a home run. We ended up at the Ocean House in Dennisport for Thanksgiving dinner and it was superb. We were seated at noon on the dot and were placed in the corner table in front of the window with a lovely view (and no steps down for Mom).
The table split the tuna "cones", with the tuna tossed with soy and topped with a wasabi cream, and a bowl of calamari to start. I thought the calamari tasted a little bit fishy, but everyone enjoyed it. I got the oldest chowpup to try the tuna cone, since it had such a great presentation, and she gave it a big thumbs up. This from a kid who is just coming around to seafood except for calamari.
Two folks at the table ordered the Thanksgiving dinner. Your traditional turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potato gratin, and cranberry sauce. The turkey was done but not overdone, and plates were cleaned.
Due to a dairy allergy, I didn't go for the turkey but had the filet mignon with cabernet demiglace, grilled asparagus and truffle fries. A very standard presentation, but wow, those fries will keep us coming back. Even without the parmesan cheese, they were stupendous. I was slapping hands from the fries right and left.
Mom had the scallops over mashed potatoes and peas sauteed with bacon. I didn't even get a bite so I can't report on the dish.
The youngest chowpup had the maple glazed pork chop over bacon-apple risotto. This is a kid who doesn't really like rice, but she ate almost half of her plate. Two thumbs way up.
DH had the beef short rib, which he said was delicious, but the real star of the plate was, oddly enough, the garlic-sauteed spinach.
Desserts were huge. Dad had the blueberry-apple crisp topped with what looked like a pint of vanilla gelato. He plowed this way through it, and finished it. Said he couldn't stop! The youngest chowpup had the deconstructed PB&J, which is a stack of oreo-like cookies with peanut butter mousse in between and a drizzle of melted grape jelly on the plate. It was a lot for her to eat, so DH gladly pitched in. The oldest chowpup had the creme brulee which I am told was a little bit eggy but tasty.
Service was very good. Our waiter was available but not hovering. No errors in ordering, timing on everything was great.
We have a new Thanksgiving tradition. Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions and a big thanks to CapeCodGuy!
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Ocean House Restaurant
425 Old Wharf Rd, Dennis Port, MA 02639
Thanksgiving on South Coast of MA?
Here we are again at Thanksgiving, so I'm giving this topic a bump.
We ended up last year at the Huttleston House in Fairhaven. While the food was mediocre, the setting was decent and the parents were highly pleased.
However, mobility issues are rearing their ugly head and we need to stay closer to home in Brewster for this year's outing. As mentioned previously, while I dearly love the Bramble Inn, the parents were not so pleased with it. Mom has suggested the Brewster Fish House, which I'm frankly confused by. Doesn't seem like a Thanksgiving kind of place. Correct me if I'm wrong!
Chillingsworth's is out of our price range. Captain Linnell House is a bit far for us, coming from RI, but we'd be up for it if the food was good. I've heard good things about Red Pheasant. They're offering a set menu, though, which is tough for me due to a dairy allergy.
Any other recommendations in the Brewster/Dennis/Harwich/Yarmouth area?
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Chillingsworth
2449 Main St, Brewster, MA 02631
Captain Linnell House
137 Skaket Beach Rd, Orleans, MA 02653
Brewster Fish House
2208 Main, Brewster, MA 02631
Red Pheasant
905 Main St, Dennis, MA 02638
Bramble Inn & Restaurant
RR 6 Box A, Brewster, MA 02631
Can I survive 3 days in Paris without cow's milk or butter or cheese?
Thanks, everyone, for the advice!
What about restaurants in Paris? Any tips on managing this allergy? Can I expect restaurants to work with me, with my halting French? I imagine that I'd have better luck with the higher end restos, but sometimes you just want to pop in to the neighborhood place or someplace on the spur of the moment.
Can I survive 3 days in Paris without cow's milk or butter or cheese?
So as you can probably guess by this post's title, I'm allergic to cow's milk. It came on suddenly about 5 years ago, which makes it doubly hard because I know how scrumptious a Parisian croissant can be!
I will be travelling to Paris this coming summer for 3 days. We will most likely be staying in an apartment in the 5th arr. I dearly loved my previous trip to Paris, starting each day by sitting out at a sidewalk cafe with my newspaper, a cafe au lait and a pain au chocolat. Are there any suggestions folks may have for eating a good breakfast each morning in Paris without butter, milk, or cheese? Is there anywhere in the 5th arr. where I can source good goat's milk yogurt? Do baguettes typically have milk in them? A simple tartine with a fabulous confiture could work, although not nearly as decadent as my dearly departed pain au chocolat.
Could there possibly be a bakery in Paris that uses mostly goat's milk products? I would be willing to travel some distance for that.
How hard will it be for me to eat out in Paris? Cross-contamination with cow's milk in a kitchen isn't a problem. I just need to stay away from dishes that have butter or milk or cream in them. Will I find restaurants that will work with me to keep sauces on the side, for instance, or cook with oil instead of butter? I'd hate to have to eat solely Asian in Paris.
Is a real French bistro meal in my future?
Christmas in Newport with Child
We take our kids to 22 Bowen's every Christmas Eve, and have done since they were toddlers. They have a reasonably priced kids menu, beverages with lids, etc. but the overall dining experience is upscale and "special". The servers seem to love kids (especially dressed-up well-behaved kids!) and go out of their way to make the experience wonderful. Highly recommended.
NEWPORT, R.I. (Need a Nice Family Place w/Good Food!))
I concur with this recommendation. I have little ones myself and we always enjoy the Mooring.
Thanksgiving on South Coast of MA?
Thanks, CapeCodGuy - the Beachmore looks great. The folks don't care much for the Bramble Inn, although I've had some wonderful meals there.
Someone else suggested Bittersweet Farm in Westport. Does anyone know if they're any good?
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Bramble Inn & Restaurant
Route 6A, Brewster, MA 02631
Thanksgiving on South Coast of MA?
I'm looking for a nice place to have Thanksgiving dinner on the south coast of MA. Diners will be two foodies, two foodie cubs and two elderly parents who think Cracker Barrel is darn good night out.
The parents live in Brewster, MA and the foodies live in RI. We're looking for something in between. We'd love a "ye olde New England" ambience - think crackling fire, low ceilings and warm service - but it's not necessary if the food and service are good.
Help!
Newport, RI - best dinner you've ever had?
I'm not sure what your definition of amazing is, but I love Restaurant Bouchard. I've enjoyed Spiced Pear but I'm in no rush to go back. The only thing amazing about the Spiced Pear was the prices - pretentious menu and execution was way off. Castle Hill is wonderful - great food and surroundings. But something always seems to be "off" every time we've gone. We never leave with that blissful feeling of everything being just right. And every time we go to the White Horse Tavern, we end up looking at eachother and saying, "Why didn't we go to Bouchard's?" The only thing about Bouchard's is that it doesn't have the "wow" factor that Castle Hill has. But for me, I'm always very, very happy.
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Spiced Pear Restaurant
117 Memorial Boulevard, Newport, RI 02840
Matunuck, RI and surrounding areas
You can't go wrong with the Matunuck Oyster Bar. Yum......
Lunch in Downcity Providence?
Hey, Providence foodies! I just started a new job on Broad Street, near Empire. I'm looking for lunch takeout spots. I tried Cafe La France yesterday, and that was great. Is there anything else good around here (walking distance)? Something besides sandwiches would be a treat - maybe some Asian?
Anniversary dinner this Saturday in Providence
Thanks for all the advice!
We ended up at Gracie's and had a very nice meal. I won't call it outstanding, because pan-fried fish with your basic sauteed veggies doesn't spin my head around. The dish, however, was executed perfectly and the service was good. Our server made several trips to the kitchen to ask about what could be done with certain dishes (not all that much, as it turned out) to accomodate "the allergy". Many sauces and sides that went with the dishes I was interested in were done ahead of time and were full of butter, of course. And the dishes just didn't sound very exciting without them. The scallop entree with curried cauliflower, for example, wasn't really worth it without the cauliflower - otherwise, it would just be sauteed scallops. Yawn. I was a bit surprised that the kitchen didn't offer to make up something more interesting with the dishes I was interested in, as I've had chefs do before in high-end places. But I was steered to the one dish on the menu that I could eat as-is. Hmph.
All the staff who came to our table were aware of what I could and couldn't eat. They steered me to the foccacia from the breadbasket. They provided olive oil instead of butter without asking. One strange thing that happened was the server asked me how severe my allergy was. Really, I have to quantify it? Do you really want to know if my skin just breaks out in a rash or if you'll be calling 9-1-1 if I have some butter? I said I have an allergy, I don't want the offending item. At all. Sheesh.
But whatever. We had a nice time, although how much that had to do with the three (four?) hours we spent at Trinity Brewhouse beforehand, I'm not sure. We won't be rushing back, but it wasn't a bust, either. If we had gone three years ago (before I became allergic) I'm sure we would have had a much better experience.
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Gracie's
194 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903
Anniversary dinner this Saturday in Providence
My DH and I will be starting our Saturday evening at a birthday get-together at Trinity Brewhouse and are looking for a nice place for our anniversary dinner afterwards. Bravo Brasserie has been suggested. Any others? We're foodies who will try anything, but I've been recently diagnosed with an allergy to cow's milk, so I'm concerned about a French place like Bravo. French food without butter isn't worth eating, in my opinion. Italian is proving to be tough for me, too, as almost everything has cheese on or in it.
Don't need a view, don't need a super fancy place. Nice atmosphere, reliably excellent (preferably local) food, and a good wine list will make our night.
Suggestions?
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Bravo Brasserie Restaurant
123 Empire St, Providence, RI 02903
ICE CREAM craving for lactose intolerant...
The Purely Decadent brand has both a soy-based ice cream and a coconut milk-based product. I greatly prefer the coconut product. I find the soy ice cream can have a funky aftertaste, although the chocolate peanut butter flavor is pretty darn good.
I have an allergy to cow's milk which makes my hands break out in a terrible rash. I can tolerate goat's milk and sheep's milk, though. Not sure what in cow's milk is the culprit, although I suspect something in the butterfat as skim milk doesn't give me quite the reaction that, say, half and half or real ice cream does.
I can get multiple flavors of the Purely Decadent ice creams at my local supermarket.
Unpasteurised Cider Central or Southern New Hampshire
It's a bit of a schlep off of 93, but we stopped at the orchard at Hollow Hill Farm in Tamworth a couple of weekends ago with the kids. Bought the most glorious unpasteurised cider, picked some apples, petted their mare (Mandy) and had a great time. The apples aren't pretty, but they're tasty. You might want to call ahead to make sure they're still picking and pressing cider. 603/323-7456
Review: Heather in Falmouth, MA
A group of six of us tried Heather in Falmouth, MA this weekend and were pleasantly surprised. Four in our party dine at Regatta a couple of times a year and were eager to try Heather Allen's new place. The space is much more attractive than its strip mall location would suggest. Service was very, very good. Although we were not dressed up to the nines, we were made to feel very welcome. The waitress was asked to provide wine pairings for the table and she did a stupendous job. She worked with me to have the kitchen adapt dishes to my dairy allergy. Just as we started to say "wouldn't it be great if they....", someone would be right there, taking care of it.
The food -- ah, the food. Two of us tried the foie gras appetizer and raved at its balance of sweet, rich, sour, and then a tang of sea salt on the tongue. I had the crab cake, which was sublime. A thick crab cake with very little filler, and cooked all the way through without being the least bit dry or overly crusty. Just the way I like it! DH's gazpacho was very good, although I didn't find it outstanding. The hot-flashed mussels were delicious, and the "chef's favorite salad" (spinach, warm bacon vinaigrette, apple, pecan and blue cheese) was a bring-over from Regatta and just as good as always. Entrees ranged from pan seared scallops with a lightly dressed arugula salad (mine - minus the asiago cheese, which hurt the dish) to a fabulous salmon with a spinach-blue cheese saute (I thought the salmon was outstanding, although I had to forgo the spinach, which was reputed to make the dish) to blade steak which went well off the mark. The cloying teriyaki-flavored sauce on the blade steak did little to help the chewiness of the meat. It was the one flop at the table.
We were so stuffed, we didn't have dessert. Didn't even look at the menu, as a matter of fact! But we were all pleased with our experience at Heather and look forward to going back again soon.
Farmstand veg in Falmouth, MA?
We're going to be camping in Falmouth this week and are going to want to buy some nice fresh local veggies at some point - preferably from a farmstand. It's a little early for local corn and tomatoes, but some nice salad greens, some beets, maybe some sugar snap peas? Also, does anyone know of a place where I can get fresh goat's milk? (I'm allergic to cow's milk.) thanks!
best blueberry pie in Maine??
The best blueberry pie in Maine has got to be made by "The Pie Lady" on Mt. Desert Island. On the left as you're travelling on the main drag going in to Bar Harbor. She and her husband make glorious pies in their home kitchen and they sell out quickly each morning. The apple pie was to die for, too. We were there last summer during blueberry season. You might have to wait a few weeks for peak fruit, as the blueberries aren't quite ready yet.
First Cape Cod Vacation Ever...And I'm Hungry!
One nitpicky point: the Friendly Fisherman is in Eastham, not Wellfleet. (Buys you five minutes' drive!) You can't go wrong with their lobster roll or anything fried. I even like their clam strips and as a rule I never like them. My dad and I usually split the fisherman's platter and I swear every time we go it's bigger, and not just with a pile of fries, either. Stay away from the chowder. Seriously bad stuff the last time I was there.
Also, I would only go to the Raw Bar in Mashpee for the lobster roll. Nothing else of note except for a killer rum punch. (Beware the cherries!) If you're going to be in Harwich, though, Mashpee's a pretty long trek for a lobster bar when FF is just up the road 20 minutes! Enjoy your trip!
Jekyll Island, GA this weekend - with kids
Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. Here's what we ended up doing.
Friday night, we grabbed as many people as we could and headed over to Seajay's. The low country boil was a bit disappointing (not as spicy as we had hoped) but the sausage was great and everything else was really good. Delicious crab cakes. It's a casual place, and they were very funny with the kids. There was even live music.
Saturday the moms and kids went to St. Simon and climbed the lighthouse. Afterwards, we were hungry and were torn between the 4th of May Cafe and Barbara Jean's. We ended up at Barbara Jean's for more crabcakes. They were even better than at Seajay's. Huge lumps of crabmeat, cakes not too dry and not too wet. Nice choices for vegetable sides and again great with the kids.
I was hoping to get away from the JI Club for breakfast, but morning choices on the island seem to be non-existent. So we ended up at the breakfast buffet in the Grand Dining Room each day. Kids eat half price, so it wasn't too bad of a deal. My 6 year old can out-eat me (and frequently does) so we felt we got our money's worth.
Dinners were at the JI Club, sponsored by my SO's company. Everything was good. I only have two complaints. The soup at the dinner buffet was touted as "seafood chowder" but was really more of a seafood gumbo. The last time I checked, chowder did not have okra in it. Also, the dessert buffet on Sunday night consisted of four different kinds of cheesecake. I have a dairy allergy, so I wasn't able to have anything sweet. It's not a huge deal, and I didn't ask anyone for something non-dairy, I just thought it was kind of strange. As an aside, no-one in the hotel seemed to offer a non-dairy creamer for coffee, so I ended up taking the little packets from our coffee machine in the room and carrying them with me. Isn't that odd? They put the non-dairy creamer in the rooms but don't stock any in the restaurants...
Despite the weather, we all had a good time on Jekyll Island. If we ever head back to the area, I'd probably stay in St. Simon instead, though.
Jekyll Island, GA this weekend - with kids
We're going to be attending a company function on Jekyll Island this weekend. It looks like it's going to rain on Saturday while my SO is in meetings and I'll have the kids to myself. A treat of going out to lunch looks like it's going to be one of the only activities we'll be able to do. Any suggestions besides Bennigan's? My two chow pups are extremely well-behaved and love to eat out, but one is still firmly entrenched in the "chicken and french fries" phase while the other is more adventurous. I'd love to have the option of some really good seafood and maybe a view of the water.
Sunday night takeout in Kendall Square?
I was actually looking forward to Emma's, but their website says they're closed on Sundays. Bummer.
Thanks for the recommendations for Similans and Mulan. I'll check out their online menus.
Sunday night takeout in Kendall Square?
After taking the little ones to see the Nutcracker, we're going to need some sustenance. The kids'll be sacked out in our suite at the Residence Inn in Cambridge but my SO and I are going to need some grown-up food. Can anyone recommend good takeout within an easy walk? Any ethnicity is okay.
What are your favorite edible gifts to make?
Biscotti and a half pound of coffee beans from our local roaster. Current favorite biscotti flavors are cranberry-pistachio and chocolate-hazelnut.
