Andrew Harper's Paris: A Suggested Left Bank Food & Wine Stroll

Cafe de Flore

Cafe de Flore

Excerpted from Andrew Harper’s Paris, a free app for the iPhone and iPad.

Begin your day with a leisurely breakfast at the Café de Flore (#172 boulevard Saint-Germain), and afterwards walk one block west until you reach the large square featuring the 11th-century church of Saint-Germain-des-Pres. One of the most famous churches in Paris, it exhibits a severe Romanesque beauty.

Cross the Boulevard Saint-Germain and head down the Rue Bonaparte to Pierre Hermé’s beautiful pastry shop (# 72). Hermé is one of the country’s great pastry makers, and he’s famous for his superb macarons, which come in a tantalizing variety of flavors and make a wonderful gift.

Continue walking south along the Rue Bonaparte to the beautiful Place Saint-Sulpice. Here you’ll find a wonderful fountain guarded by large stone lions and a church with murals by Delacroix. After a stroll around the square and a peek inside the church, walk west on the Rue du Vieux Colombier until you reach the Rue de Sèvres.

Turn left on the Rue de Sèvres and walk two blocks to La Grande Epicerie, the food hall of the famous Le Bon Marché department store. This is one of the most luxurious food stores in Paris; the locals prefer to shop here instead of at better-known but decidedly touristy Hediard and Fauchon, both on the Right Bank. It’s an excellent place to pick up hard-to-find items for your larder back home such as herbes de Provence or bouquet garni.

Exiting the Grand Epicerie onto the Rue de Sèvres, walk west on the same side of the street until you reach Quatrehomme (#62). This is one of the world’s great cheese shops and a fascinating address for anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of French cheeses. They are happy to offer tastes and can “cyrovac” cheese for travel.

Further down the Rue de Sèvres, cross the street and walk up the pretty little Rue Mayet until you reach the Rue du Cherche-Midi, one of the Left Bank’s most emblematic streets. There is some wonderful window-shopping here. Turn left and walk four blocks to Le Nemrod, a bustling café that’s very popular with locals. I recommend the croque monsieur (grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich served with salad), one of their excellent salads or a steak tartare.

After lunch, head north on the Rue Saint-Placide to the Rue de Sèvres and cross the street, where the Rue Saint-Placide becomes the Rue du Bac. Continue walking along the Rue du Bac as it passes between the two buildings of the Bon Marché department store.

If you’re curious about the crowds on the left side of the street, you might want to visit La Chapelle de la Médaille Miraculeuse, which is run by a local convent. As the story goes, a pious young woman named Catherine Labouré had a vision of the Virgin on this spot in 1830, and acted on the Virgin’s instructions that a gold medal be cast in her image. The chapel is one of the most-visited pilgrimage sites in France.

Crossing the Rue de Babylone, you might want to stop for an ice cream cone at the excellent Bac à Glaces (#109), and enjoy it in the small public garden just next door. Continue along the Rue du Bac to the Pâtisserie des Rêves (#93). Run by celebrated pastry chef Philippe Conticini, this recently opened shop is one of the prettiest pâtisseries in Paris, and the beautiful pastries are displayed under heavy glass cloche, or bells, on suspension pulleys.

Continue north on the Rue du Bac to Ryst-Dupeyron (#79). Best-known for its vintage Armagnac and Cognac (the family who owns the shop has been Armagnac merchants for four generations), this is an excellent spot to do what Parisians do — pick up a bottle of spirits from your birth year. It also carries a superb assortment of wines.

Next, you may want to turn right on the Rue de Grenelle and visit the quirky Musée Maillol (#59-61), which was founded by Dina Vierny as an homage to the sculptor Aristide Maillol. In addition to Maillol, this intimate gallery also exhibits works by Degas, Rodin, Picasso and Cézanne. If you’re not in a museum-going mood, head to Barthélemy (#51). This tiny shop is sort of an Ali Baba’s cave for cheese-lovers and supplies a number of well-known Left Bank residents.

(Note that on Tuesday and Friday mornings you could also add the open-air market on the Boulevard Raspail to this walk, fitting it in between Pierre Hermé and La Grande Epicerie. The market begins at the corner of the Rue de Sèvres and runs south on the wide median strip in the middle of the Boulevard Raspail.)

Andrew Harper’s Paris, a free app for the iPhone and iPad.

Pierre Hermé

Pierre Hermé © Paris Tourist Office / Stéphanie Rivoal

Vineet Bhatia: Return of the Native

Vineet Bhatia

Vineet Bhatia

In 2001, Vineet Bhatia elevated the international reputation of Indian cuisine when he became the first Indian chef to win a Michelin star. Three years after this triumph at Zaika, on London’s Kensington High Street, Bhatia opened his own restaurant, Rasoi, in an elegant townhouse just off Sloane Square. There, he was promptly awarded a Michelin star for the second time. With just 14 tables and the ambience of a stylish private home, Rasoi has been one of my favorite dinner venues in the British capital over recent years. Even if you believe you don’t care for Indian food, this is one place you should try. The flavors are complex, but the dishes are light, fresh and delicately spiced. And Bhatia takes considerable pains to pair them with appropriate wines.

A native of Mumbai, Bhatia rose to become chef de cuisine at Kandahar in that city’s Oberoi hotel before departing for London in 1993 to further his career. During the 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai, The Oberoi was targeted, 30 people died, and Kandahar was gutted. I am pleased to say that the hotel has been fully restored and is animated and thriving once more. During the reconstruction, Oberoi approached its celebrated alumnus and asked him to open a restaurant on the site formerly occupied by Kandahar. Bhatia duly obliged, and Ziya debuted in 2010.

My recent trip to India presented a first opportunity to sample Bhatia’s cuisine in his native land. The new dining room has a “contemporary Indian” interior, with a color scheme of gold and charcoal gray, while a black granite and dark wood floor provides a dramatic counterpoint to the gold-leaf jali (trellis) screens and the burnished gold walls of the display kitchen. In short, it is extremely stylish. Some of Bhatia’s signature dishes were to be found on the menu, including his classic smoked salmon, presented at the table in a smoke-filled cloche, and the grilled chili-garlic lobster, dusted with cocoa powder and served with chocolate samosas. Feeling a tad conservative that evening, however, we opted for lamb chops with a minced-lamb samosa, and black spiced chicken on a bed of saffron upma (semolina). Both were delicious.

Despite the city’s wealth, Mumbai cannot boast a lengthy roster of outstanding restaurants, so Ziya is a very welcome addition. Even if you opt to stay at my favorite Mumbai hotel, The Taj Mahal Palace, you should still take the short taxi ride over to Nariman Point to savor Bhatia’s peerless cuisine, as well as the mesmeric view over the Arabian Sea.

— A.H.

San Francisco's Boulevard Restaurant Wins a James Beard Award

 

Boulevard Restaurant

 

On my recent trip to San Francisco, I made the wise decision to book a table for dinner at Boulevard, located just by the Ferry Building. I have long admired the cooking of Nancy Oakes, who teamed up with noted designer Pat Kuleto to open the restaurant in 1993 (hard to believe!). With its Belle Epoque flair and first-class staff, the restaurant hums with a liveliness that never overpowers or distracts from the excellent food. My starter of ahi tuna, sliced into thin ribbons, brought together a whole world of Japanese flavors and textures, including bits of fried tofu and a small salad of seaweed and turnip, all with a sherry-soy vinaigrette. The equally imaginative and beautifully prepared Berkshire pork prime rib chop came with delicious little dumplings made from sauerkraut and bacon, tiny turnips with a glistening cider glaze, some apple crème fraiche as an accent and a dressing of pork jus with sage.  I was delighted to find the restaurant even better than when it first opened, and this was without question one of the standout meals I’ve had this year.  To go to San Francisco and not dine here would be an oversight!  I am all the more pleased to see that this achievement has recently been noted by the James Beard Foundation, which gave it the coveted Outstanding Restaurant award. Well done and well deserved!

-A.H.

Yountville, California, Dining Update

Redd Wood, Yountville, California

Redd Wood, Yountville, California

 

  • Richard Reddington, of Michelin-starred Redd, has opened Redd Wood, a more casual establishment focusing on pizza, pasta and charcuterie. We recently stopped by for the special pictured above: a house-baked pizza with prosciutto cotto, Brussels sprouts, taleggio and farm egg. Along with a spicy glass of Piedmont Barbera, it was perfection.
  •  Along with a new name, Lucy Restaurant & Bar, at the Harper-recommended Bardessono Hotel, has unveiled a revamped menu emphasizing local production and sourcing. Guests can now choose among “Garden” (such as green garlic, potato and leek soup), “Ocean” (Maine lobster risotto) and “Range” (Iberico Fresco pork) options. “Moveable Feast” picnic baskets can also be purchased.
  •  The newly remodeled Ad Hoc has begun its spring and summer “addendum” program, serving boxed lunches to go Thursdays through Saturdays. For $16.50, guests have a choice of the popular favorites buttermilk fried chicken or barbecue (orders can be picked up or placed over the phone from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
  •  Bouchon Bakery has also benefited from some upgrades that include a second door for better-flowing lines, and a new dedicated phone line for sandwich orders (707-754-4272).
  • The French Laundry has a new manager, Michael Minnillo, a longtime Keller associate who will be moving to Yountville from New York’s Per Se.
  • Watch the video tribute to Thomas Keller (featuring Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert and Tom Colicchio, among many others) from this year’s Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival here.

Dining Update for Beaver Creek and Vail

Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch

The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

Though I’ve long been a fan of Vail, I’ve been migrating to nearby Beaver Creek in recent years, and that held true again this year.

I spent most of my time on the slopes in the eastern part of Beaver Creek, which meant lunch in the village proper. Thanks to the well-situated escalators, this is an easy proposition. Coyote Café is right at the base of the first down escalator leading to the village plaza. A lively and casual Tex-Mex place, it has excellent guacamole made fresh tableside, chili in several incarnations, and a first-class pulled pork sandwich.

Although getting there means a walk in your ski boots from the mountain base, I was very happy to return to the saloon-like Dusty Boot. Although the burgers are terrific, notably the Castle Peak Patty Melt with sharp Cheddar, sautéed onions and Thousand Island dressing on toasted marble rye, I generally order the combo bowl of soup and half a sandwich. I recommend the Turkey Bacon Melt on grilled sourdough, the Reuben on marbled rye or the well-named “Lunch Lady Grilled Cheese” with Cheddar, Swiss and jack with diced tomato on sourdough. The fries and onion rings are also regrettably good.

When I found myself in the western reaches of the Beaver Creek terrain, I headed for The Ritz-Carlton at the lift base in Bachelor Gulch. On a sunny day, it’s tempting to sit outdoors and listen to the live guitar, but my choice remains the atmospheric Buffalo Bar, with its timber walls and wood floors. The menu is full of hearty choices perfect for warming up after a morning in the cold. I’ve liked everything I’ve had here, my default favorite being the superb bison chili, which I can substitute for the soup of the day in the “Bachelor’s Grab” combo with a salad and half a turkey club. The table’s top choice remains the juicy bison burger with white Cheddar, with the flaky-crusted chicken pot pie a close second.

I had long heard good things about Vin48 in Avon, which is at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain, and I finally made it there on this trip. With a sleek but comfortable contemporary setting, this stylish restaurant has delicious food and excellent service. A very satisfying arugula salad featured roasted shiitakes, little chunks of Gorgonzola and sweet potato chips in a smoked tomato vinaigrette. Rich, tender-braised beef cheeks on a bed of pepper jack cheese grits had a nice dollop of guacamole, crunchy tortilla chips and a zingy ancho-citrus sauce. Dessert sounded so good that I succumbed: banana cream pie cheesecake with toasted meringue and chocolate mousse with crème fraiche and a raspberry sauce.

For a casual dinner, I have come to rely on The Blue Moose in Beaver Creek Village for pizza. I am a fan of the small spinach salad, which is impeccably fresh with mushrooms, red onion and tangy blue-cheese dressing. There are also hot and spicy wings as starters, and then there are the pizzas. I was reminded that I had ordered the same thing last year (with no regrets): the chicken ranch with bacon, fresh tomato, red onion, Cheddar, mozzarella and ranch dressing. The Blue Moose welcomes families with a children’s menu, paper tablecloths and crayons for artists of all ages.

Before forays into Vail, I heard good things about places I have recommended previously (read the original post here): Larkspur, The Tavern at the Arrabelle, and the restaurants at the Sonnenalp — Ludwig’s, Bully Ranch and the Swiss Chalet. On this trip, however, I had time for just one Vail dining experience.

Following drinks at the lively, sophisticated bar at Sweet Basil (seek out Sean, who knows his wines and spirits) we returned to a longtime favorite. Russell’s sits right on the Eagle River by the iconic covered bridge and is known for its steaks. The house specialty is steak Diane, a classic grilled filet served with a mild mushroom, shallot and brandy cream sauce that is indeed delicious, but I chose instead the superb lamb chops: tender and flavorful with rich potatoes dauphinoise.

 

A Cape Winelands Classic: Duck Breast With Kumquat Chutney

South African kumquats and Pinot Noir grapes

South African kumquats and Pinot Noir grapes

Chef Lennard Marais heads the kitchen at La Residence hotel in Franschhoek, South Africa. He uses only the best local and seasonal produce to create wonderful Cape Winelands dishes for guests, taking many of his cues from the hotel’s garden and surrounding vineyards.

Here, he shares his new (and mouthwatering) recipe for Duck Breast With Kumquat Chutney, prepared especially for Andrew Harper readers.

DUCK BREAST WITH KUMQUAT CHUTNEY

A recent stroll through our garden showed that one can’t miss the vibrant yellowish-orange kumquat fruits. I have seen guests and staff happily eating them skin and all! In our kitchen, we use them for candying, preserves, marmalade and jelly. Kumquats are the ideal fruit to use when making traditional sweet-and-sour Cape chutney. This is the perfect accompaniment to serve with spiced duck breast, a wonderful French-inspired Cape Winelands dish!

Lennard Marais, Executive Chef at La Residence

Ingredients:

Duck:

-¼ cup fresh lime juice

 -1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger         

 -1 tablespoon olive oil

-3 garlic cloves, crushed

-6 boneless duck breasts

-¼ teaspoon salt

Chutney:

-1 cup kumquats, halved and seeded

-2/3 cup sugar

-½ cup white wine vinegar                  

 -¼ cup finely chopped red onion

 -1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

 -½ chili, finely chopped

-½ cup dried cherries or cranberries

-¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil

-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preparation

Duck:

Combine the lime juice, fresh ginger, olive oil and crushed garlic in a zip-top plastic bag. Add the duck, seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove the duck from the marinade and sprinkle it with salt. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat with a little olive oil. Add the duck and cook on each side until desired degree of doneness. (Medium rare is about 6 minutes.)

Chutney:

Combine the kumquats, sugar, white wine vinegar, red onion, ginger and chili in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the cherries/cranberries and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the basil, parsley and lime juice.

Spoon the chutney over the duck breast and serve with blanched green beans.

Wine Pairing Suggestion:

A light Pinot Noir is a classic accompaniment to most duck dishes. The fruitiness and berry notes in the wine compliment the gamey flavor of the meat. For this particular recipe, a spicy and warming new world Pinot Noir would work nicely with the ginger, garlic and cloves.

Try: Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2009.

 

 

 

Sundance Film Festival: Park City Restaurants

Glitretind Restaurant, Stein Eriksen Lodge

 

You may have better luck with restaurant tables than hotel rooms in Park City this week.  Should you be visiting for the Sundance Film Festival, I heartily recommend the three following restaurants, which I recently reviewed in the Hideaway Report as part of my Deer Valley coverage.

-A.H.

Zoom

In addition to the Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford has given Park City a delightful restaurant, Zoom, set within the atmospheric old Union Pacific station. Chef Roger Laws’ American Continental menu is casual, but seriously good. We let our lunchtime waitress talk us into a starter of grilled summer squash — not usually a pulse-quickener — with black pepper-sage risotto cakes and heirloom tomatoes. It was utterly delicious, all the elements combining to make a dish for the vegetarian annals. Afterward, the sandwich of pulled pork, given new purpose in life with a chipotle barbecue sauce, was every-bite gratifying, as was the zesty-not-sweet crisp coleslaw. Tel. (435) 649-9108.

Glitretind

Although I did not stay at the Stein Eriksen Lodge on my recent visit, I made a point of revisiting its charming Glitretind Restaurant, which has long been a Harper favorite. It remains supremely warm and congenial, with panoramic views, superb food and first-class service. Executive Chef Zane Holmquist presents an exceptionally imaginative menu. I particularly enjoyed an appetizer of seared sea scallops served with celery root purée. My delicious main course was the roasted poulet rouge chicken — a slightly smaller breed than the usual — that came with crisp skin and a flavorful molasses jus, plus sides of creamed corn and al dente farm vegetables. During the meal, I had a lively and fascinating discussion with the talented sommelier, Cara Schwindt, who oversees the superb 10,000-bottle cellar. Tel. (435) 645-6455.

Grappa

Sometimes it’s hard to work up enthusiasm for yet another Italian restaurant. But Grappa proved to be a dynamic, multi-level space — extending to the outdoors when weather permits — with delicious food and engaging service. The best starter was a generous portion of perfectly cooked ravioli with an unusual and tasty filling of sweet corn and roasted pork, accented with fresh mint. A main course, veal Milanese, is often a limp, disheartening dish. On this occasion, however, it was wonderfully moist inside its crisp bread coating, and was complemented by a luscious Marsala jus, plus a hearty salad of potatoes, prosciutto and apples. Tel. (435) 645-0636.


The Sukhothai: Bangkok's Gourmet Oasis

Celadon at The Sukhothai

The Mandarin Oriental and Peninsula hotels offer prime riverfront locations for leisure tourists in Bangkok, but for business travelers and serious shoppers, The Sukhothai’s setting in the commercial and diplomatic district can be more convenient.

One of the chief draws of this six-acre resort is its gourmet Thai restaurant, Celadon, set in a temple-like sala surrounded by lotus ponds. It presents beautiful renderings of local dishes throughout the year, but if possible, gourmands should plan a stay when a notable guest chef takes the reins:

February 1-4: Alfonso Iaccarino of Don Alfonso 1890 (two Michelin stars).

March 6-10: Gaetano Trovato of Arnolfo Ristorante (two Michelin stars).

April 24-29: Alain Passard of L’Arpège (three Michelin stars).

October 23-27: Iniaki Aizpitarte of Le Chateaubriand (ranked #9 in San Pellegrino’s list of the world’s top 50 restaurants).

November 14-17 or 21-24: Andrew Fairlie of Restaurant Andrew Fairlie (two Michelin stars).

New York Theater Dining

DB Bistro Moderne, New York

With the new Broadway season under way, I thought I might recommend a few of my favorite places for pre- and post-theater dining. An advance word: I am not necessarily holding these up as paragons of fine dining (although they all have their merits). When eating before a show, you want to make sure you’re at a restaurant that understands this and knows how to move you along. After a show, I think the atmosphere is more important, and I’ve always enjoyed being in places where theater folk may drop in, not because I need to see a celebrity, but because it adds to the fun.

-A.H.

 Pre-Theater

I have great affection for Angus McIndoe (258 West 44th Street; 212-221-9222), both the man and the place. McIndoe for many years was the congenial host at the estimable Joe Allen (see Post-Theater), then struck out on his own and opened this lively spot. The drinks are generous and the food is delicious — I have enjoyed the burger, Cajun seafood pie, New York strip steak and trout en papillote in the past.

If you are seeing a show in the West 40s, give serious consideration to db Bistro Moderne (55 West 44th Street; 212-391-2400). The “db” is for star chef Daniel Boulud, and this outpost of his culinary empire is a comfortable, stylish place where the menu includes the notorious “db burger” (a sirloin patty stuffed with braised short ribs, foie gras and black truffles), as well as a lovely organic chicken breast. For a starter, I suggest the thin-crust Alsatian tart with cheese, bacon and onions.

A relatively new discovery for me, ViceVersa (325 West 51st Street; 212-399-9291) is a sleek, smart and contemporary Italian restaurant with a very engaging staff. My choice for a starter is usually the salumi platter with stracciatella cheese, caponatina and marinated olives. I then almost invariably order the unusual casoncelli pasta stuffed with a delicious mix of veal, raisins and crushed amaretto cookies dressed with sage butter and pancetta. It is one of my favorite pasta dishes anywhere.

The Theatre District used to have many charming French restaurants with excellent service and delicious food, wonderful places to visit before or after a show. That has changed, and I particularly miss Les Pyrenees, my favorite, and Pierre au Tunnel. One worthy holdout is Chez Napoléon (365 West 50th Street; 212-265-6980). In this warm and welcoming restaurant, do not look for cutting-edge cuisine. Instead you’ll find just wonderful renditions of classic French cooking, including starters such as onion soup gratinée, vichyssoise and country pâté, and main courses such as boeuf bourguignon, sole meunière, steak au poivre and rack of lamb. You can almost hear Julia crying, “Bon appétit!”

Post-Theater

My preference is generally to eat before a show — not too heavy, though. But there are times when a meal seems the best choice for a post-show post-mortem, and in those cases, I love to go to Joe Allen (326 West 46th Street; 212-581-6464). With a long, lively bar and brick-lined walls (festively hung with framed posters of the most notorious flops in Broadway history), it serves a menu that is full of comforting favorites: black-bean soup, buffalo wings, fried calamari; and main courses such as New York strip steak, grilled marinated free-range chicken and a terrific hamburger (although I’ve been known to opt for the meatloaf instead). And this is not a reason to visit, but show folk often turn up.

If I’m in the mood for light meal after the theater, I’ll often head to a spot that I particularly like: Bar Centrale (324 West 46th Street; 212-581-3130). There is no sign, but it’s right up a flight of stairs next to Joe Allen (who owns it as well). Intimate, with a small bar and low-key jazz in the background, it is the perfect spot for a cocktail and little nibbles — say, some fresh oysters — or the excellent Baja fish tacos, pulled pork sandwich or flatbread pizza. Reservations are a must.

Chez Panisse at 40

 

Most formal restaurants in the United States extol the virtues of their seasonal produce and locally sourced ingredients as a matter of course. Berkeley’s Chez Panisse is largely responsible for this. The birthplace of “California Cuisine” has also given rise to a constellation of local gourmet enterprises: The Acme Bread Company, Greens, Zuni Café and Cowgirl Creamery, among others. On the East Coast, Dan Barber and April Bloomfield are alums.

The restaurant celebrated its 40th anniversary this year with a series of well-deserved parties. Perhaps more notably, the festivities raised more than $500,000 for the Edible Schoolyard Project, which hopes to improve the diets of American schoolchildren.

Lately there have been grumbles in the food press about Chez Panisse: the food is plain and overpriced; the attitude is sanctimonious. Last year, the restaurant lost its Michelin star. Given that every place can have an off night, we thoroughly enjoyed our recent dinner in the warm, wood-lined environs of the downstairs restaurant (the more informal café sits above).

A vividly green spinach soufflé with purslane, tomatoes and cucumbers tasted rich and vegetal. Meyer lemons and roasted figs lent some citrus tang to a lightly breaded petrale sole. The main course was hearty, Gallic and wonderful: grilled duck breast with confit and fried potatoes and watercress, along with a bottle of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.  Apple and quince tart with Armagnac ice cream followed. A long, lingering cup of French press concluded the set menu.

We strolled out, happy and satisfied, into a foggy Northern California night. Here’s to another 40.