French Chocolate Heaven
As you walk into the shop, the smell of chocolate overwhelms your senses. You can dazzle your eyes at the chocolate counter and explore the cute packages of chocolates and treats and you can watch Robert and his family in action. When I was there for lunch recently, I was able to watch him hand dip chocolate caramel truffles! Finally don't miss out on the tiny but delicious lunch menu. We tried the turkey and brie sandwich served on fresh baked baguette, and the homemade spinach quiche. The breads and quiche are also made daily and are the closest to France I had tasted in a while. The quiche was light and flaky with eggs that were firm, but not overcooked something hard to find. They also offer them frozen so you can take one home.
Before leaving, we had to get some chocolates and try my personal reason for visiting, the macarons. These are very hard to find in Atlanta. Maison Robert offers about 10 flavors, each one delicate and full of natural flavors like sea salt and caramel and raspberry. The colors are so pretty and they taste amazing.
Northlake Thai
For a few years now, I have been keeping this place pretty much to myself. I love Northlake Thai. Its tucked away in a Kroger shopping center off Lavista Rd. between Decatur and Tucker. This group formerly owned the now closed Eurasia Bistro in downtown Decatur. The unassuming facade gives way to a nicely appointed if somewhat suburban restaurant. This is white tablecloth Thai!
Their menu has peoples favorite staples like curries and pad prik, but the chef is inventive and features gourmet ingredients as well as non-traditional takes on Asian fare.
Some of my favorites are the mango chicken which features a slightly spicy sauce and plenty of fresh mango slices.
Their menu has peoples favorite staples like curries and pad prik, but the chef is inventive and features gourmet ingredients as well as non-traditional takes on Asian fare.
Some of my favorites are the mango chicken which features a slightly spicy sauce and plenty of fresh mango slices.
Another traditional staple is pineapple fried rice. You can choose an assortment of meat, but the shrimp is the best. This somewhat expected dish is dressed up with herbs and served in a pineapple!
Final the specials are prepared daily and go well beyond what you might expect. The most recent night I visited they were featuring complementary appetizers with an entree. We were treated to a spring roll, small salad, and beef dumpling sampler plate. One of the featured entrees was the duck served atop eggplant with a slightly spicy soy sauce syrup and basil puree. The duck was tender and offset nicely by the roasted eggplant.
Northlake Thai is delicious. The wait staff are more than willing to offer suggestions. The menu is diverse and ever changing. I would recommend a drive almost OTP for this great restaurant.
Last Summer Vacation Meal- Comerc 24 Barcelona
Comerc 24 was host to the epic meal of our vacation. Epic in terms of food, and in terms of length. Known for its innovative tapas and its famous chef, Charles Abellan, this restaurant sits tucked off of a side street near the Gothic Quarter. In the true style of the city we had made our dinner reservations late. 9:45 pm was as late as we could manage after a long day of sightseeing. As we entered the restaurant we were happy to see we were not eating with the early bird special, but rather just on time for the start of the dinner rush. We were seated and presented with a number of dining options for the evening. We centered in on two tasting menus the Festival and the Grande Festival menu offered samplings of tapas at the whim of the chef, with some input (if desired) from the patrons. As the waiter read through the explanation, my ears tuned only to two words cheese course. Of course this is part of what separated the two tasting menus. My gracious date agreed to fork over the additional Euro needed for the Grand Festival and we were off on our culinary journey of 12 courses of southern Spanish cuisine.
We began with a tasting of four Spanish olive oils with crusty hearty bread. This was followed by gold covered macadamia nuts, olives stuffed with anchovies, and monkfish filets with black garlic and sesame.
Apparently those were only appetizers and not a part of the actual meal! The amazingly beautiful and tasty courses came as follows:
Sancho Oyster with Beet Root Foam
Beach Shrimp chevice with wine and peaches
Marinated sardines with orange and wasabi
Cold infusion of vegetables and cockles
Consume containing poached quail egg and truffles
Razor shell clams with mandarin yakisoba
Tuna Tartar
Artichoke cod and spinach
Field rabbit with rice and asparagus
Palamos prawn on a bed of salt
Sirloin with white sesame
Assorted cheeses
Desserts and chocolates
If you travel to Barcelona and want a unique and memorable experience, try Comcerc 24.
We began with a tasting of four Spanish olive oils with crusty hearty bread. This was followed by gold covered macadamia nuts, olives stuffed with anchovies, and monkfish filets with black garlic and sesame.
Apparently those were only appetizers and not a part of the actual meal! The amazingly beautiful and tasty courses came as follows:
Sancho Oyster with Beet Root Foam
Beach Shrimp chevice with wine and peaches
Marinated sardines with orange and wasabi
Cold infusion of vegetables and cockles
Consume containing poached quail egg and truffles
Tuna Tartar
Artichoke cod and spinach
Field rabbit with rice and asparagus
Palamos prawn on a bed of salt
Sirloin with white sesame
Assorted cheeses
Desserts and chocolates
If you travel to Barcelona and want a unique and memorable experience, try Comcerc 24.
Final Two Vacation Posts- My New Love Anchovies
Provence:Sunday Lunch at Le Vivier- Isle sur la Sorgue
The third course was a red fish served sauteed over large Provençal beans with cockles and a seafood broth.
Finally our dessert plate featured a strawberry tart with a house made strawberry smoothie and homemade ice cream. I could not think of a more beautiful or refreshingly light way to end a large meal.
Provence: Tasting dinner at Auberge du Tavel
After a long day of sightseeing, we headed back to cozy Tavel and to our room at the Auberge du Tavel. We spent some time at the pool, and as we read the owners were busily preparing the tables for dinner. When we booked our room, we had heard of the hotel through trip advisor, but as we got closer to our stay, surprisingly it was written up in the NY Times! The writer had eaten lunch at our cute little hotel. Needless to say, I was looking forward to our dinner. We knew it would be delicious, but were not prepared for the level of culinary skill and beauty this meal would entail.
To start, we ordered a flight of rose. Each wine from the region was paired with a course of our meal and gave the opportunity to see the subtle differences in the terriors of Tavel. The dinner was a coursed tasting menu. To begin, the escargot served out of shell, sauteed, and over small glasses of different creme sauces, one with basil, one traditional, and one that seemed to be red pepper.
As we sat in the tiny courtyard, we dreamed of meals like this every night, relaxing with good company from gracious hosts, to a friendly Englishman at the adjacent table. The Auberge is well worth a stay for its large well appointed rooms and perfect location for wine tasting and visiting several of the larger cities in Provence, but I would go back again simply for its beautiful and deliciously unpretentious food.
Paris Day 2: Magnificent Moroccan at Le 404
Le 404 is located in the hip Marais neighborhood of Paris. This neighborhood is known for its artsy vibe, and is loaded with great restaurants, and nightlife. The restaurant is small but beautiful and located off an unassuming side street. When you walk inside however you are transported to Morocco. The candlelight flickers and the smells waft out the door. We were greeted by the staff and treated to a cocktail while they set up our table. Long communal tables and low chairs added to the ambiance.
The menu was full of traditional dishes as well as some creative additions. As an appetizer we started with the Salad Zaalouk which was a mix of roasted eggplant, tomatoes, olives and olive oil. For the entrees, we each decided to order a tangine. We had roasted lamb with prunes and raisins, and the roasted chicken with potatoes and preserved lemon. The flavors were rich and elegant. The prunes and lamb were the perfect combination of sweet and salty. The lemon and chicken were lighter and refreshing.
Thanks to the suggestion of a couple at the adjacent table, we tried the Pastilla au lait, which is a light crepe with milk, honey and almonds. It has a similar flavor to baklava. Served with hot mint tea, it was a perfect way to end our meal. Le 404 is an excellent find in Paris a city known for great ethnic food. The staff was friendly and helped us easily translate the French menu describing Moroccan dishes in English or French words we could understand. This is truly a hidden gem in the Marais.
Travel Post-Tasty Tavel
Most of you know I am headed to France in less than two weeks! Last night I spent some time reviewing our plans for Provence. After spending a day and night in Avignon, we will be renting a car and heading out to explore several small towns in the area. A recent NY Times article inspired me to explore the town of Tavel.
Tavel is only 14 km north of Avignon and touted as the birthplace of Rose wines.
Although I think Rose in the recent past has been overlooked here in the US, this pinkish wine is making a comeback especially as we enter the months of summer. This is not white Zinfandel and not Boone's Farms! Rose is a long standing traditional French wine dating back to when the Pope ruled from Avignon. Tavel along with Chateau Neuf de Pape was home to vineyards charged with creating wine fit for the Pope! Today, in France, the sale of Rose wine outpaces white wine.
Tavel is the epicenter of great Rose. With over 30 wineries, there is plenty to taste and to see. We will be visiting Domaine de la Mordorée to sample some of the wines of the region followed by lunch at L'Auberge de Tavel a cute little hotel and restaurant built in a former school house.
This tiny town of 1,600 will hopefully be a perfect place to dive into small town French culture and sample some amazing food and wine.
Tavel is only 14 km north of Avignon and touted as the birthplace of Rose wines.
Tavel is the epicenter of great Rose. With over 30 wineries, there is plenty to taste and to see. We will be visiting Domaine de la Mordorée to sample some of the wines of the region followed by lunch at L'Auberge de Tavel a cute little hotel and restaurant built in a former school house.
This tiny town of 1,600 will hopefully be a perfect place to dive into small town French culture and sample some amazing food and wine.
Korean BBQ
In case you don't know (because I didn't), when eating Korean BBQ (as I was shown by our great waiter) the meat is grilled at your table over hot smokey coals. It is then typically served with lettuce and an assortment of banchan (side dishes), like kimchi, radishes, bean sprouts, peanut or soybean paste, scallions, and other vegetables. The grilled meat is placed inside the lettuce to make a lettuce wrap and can be eaten with the side dishes.
Hae Woon Dae has been voted best Korean BBQ in Atlanta several years running. This small out of the way restaurant sits in one of the many obscure strips of shops off Buford Highway. I was pleased the first several times I ate there to be the only non-Asian customer. The menu consists of many traditional Korean dishes and appetizers. I prefer the Kimchee Jun a moist crepe like appetizer with kimchi and onions. We have also enjoyed the Goon Mandu a fried dumpling stuffed with beef and cabbage, much like a Chinese dumpling. For entrees you can choose between traditional rice and stew dishes likeBi Bim Bab, shredded beef & vegetables over rice with hot sauce or my favorite the Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab which is a veggie version of the dish. This comes served in a cast iron hot pot so the rice becomes moist but slightly crunchy.
For the main event though it is hard to pass up the BBQ itself. I pair it with a Korean beer Hite. Guests choose from an assortment of familiar and maybe not so familiar meats. Many feature exception marinades. I recommend the short ribs which are marinated and very tender, also the Joo Mool Ruk which seems to be marinated beef tips, as well as the Dak Yang Nyum Gui marinated chicken that melts in your mouth. I have also tried the Dae Ji Bul Gogi pork marinated and grilled. For more adventurous eaters, they feature tripe, tongue and various seafood choices.
This restaurant is a destination dining experience. I have been taking friends new to Korean BBQ here for a few years. The service is friendly and the food is fun and delicious. Well worth the drive just outside the Perimeter.