France's new food festival.

France'e new Fête de la Gastronomie is a new one-day celebration of food. More than 47,000 restaurants have joined the celebration. Events include free soup at greenmarkets throughout the country, a culinary treasure hunt in Paris, and an outdoor banquet in Avignon.

Check out the website (in English) at www.fete-gastronomie.fr/en/ for a list of events.

Paris Cooking School

I'm frequently asked for a recommendation for Paris cooking classes. Here's my favorite:

Former New York chef & caterer Richard Nahem, and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, conduct the Eye Prefer Paris cooking classes. Classes start at 9am by shopping at a fresh food market. Then, you head to Charlotte’s private townhouse located in the 7^th arrondissement, near the Eiffel Tower. After students arrive, they discuss the menu with Charlotte over coffee and then prepare a five-course feast for the next few hours. The meal is then shared, accompanied by French wine from a local wine shop. Classes end at approximately 2pm. Info: €185. Tue, Wed, Thu, and Fri. Minimum of 2 students, maximum of 6. www.eyepreferparistours.com/cooking-class  

Favorite restaurants in Italy's Cinque Terre.

The Cinque Terre are five beautiful towns, which until recently were accessible only by train or a series of hiking paths. Perched on dramatic cliffs above the sea, you will experience car-free serenity and an Italy of old. Here are some of my favorite restaurants in the Cinque Terre. For more on dining in Italy (including the most comprehensive Italian menu translator available), check out Eating & Drinking in Italy: Italian Menu Translator and Restaurant Guide http://www.eatndrink.com/


De Mananan
117 Via Fieschi, Corniglia
Tel. 0187/821166
Closed Tue.
Hearty fare served in the cellar of a home in the smallest Cinque Terre town. Many dishes feature pesto. Try the pansoti (triangular-shaped filled pasta).
Moderate - Expensive

Marina Piccola
120 Via Birolli, Manarola
Tel. 0187/920103
Closed Tue.
Dine on delicious cozze (mussels) or zuppe di pesce (fish stew) at this waterside restaurant.
Moderate

Miky
104 Via Fegina, Monterosso al Mare
Tel. 0187/817608
Closed Tue. from Sep. to July, and all of Nov. and Dec.
http://www.ristorantemiky.it/
Ligurian seafood, baked in a wood-burning stove, served in this charming Cinque Terre town. Enjoy delicious antipasti while you take in the sea view.
Moderate – Expensive

La Laterna
46 Via San Giacomo, Riomaggiore
Tel. 0187/920589
Closed Nov. to Jan.
Dine on fresh fish and innovative Ligurian cuisine at this trattoria above the harbor. Have a glass of limoncino.
Moderate - Expensive

Gambero Rosso
7 Piazza Marconi, Vernazza
Tel. 0187/812265
Closed Mon., Jan. and Feb.
Ligurian specialties at this harborside restaurant (it’s been open for over 100 years). The creamy pesto is fantastic.
Moderate – Expensive

The largest wine bar in Paris.

Ô Chateau is known for its fun and interesting wine tastings. It has now opened the largest wine bar in Paris. Located near the Louvre (see details below), Ô Chateau's new digs have over 3000 square feet of space with three tasting rooms and a wine bar (said to be the largest in Paris). The wine bar is open Mon. to Sat. 3pm to midnight (until 2am on Fri. and Sat.). Highly recommended.

 

Info: 1st/Métro Louvre-Rivoli (line 1) or Etienne Marcel (line 4). 68 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau (a six minute walk from the Louvre and a two minute walk from rue Montorgueuil). Tel: 33 (0)1 44 73 97 80. www.o-chateau.com

Lunch in Pisa, Italy

Torre Pendente

The bar

No matter how many times I see the Leaning Tower (Torre Pendente), I am never disappointed. After taking in the Tower and nearby sights, take a short walk to the beautiful Piazza dei Cavalieri. On a street just off of the Piazza is a real find for lunch. La Sosta dei Cavalieri is an intimate and friendly restaurant.  Try the delicious tagliolini al sugo di piccione (thin noodles with a pigeon sauce) or the cannelloni alla erbe di campo e pinoli (cannelloni with wild herbs and pine nuts). There's a decent selection of wines from the region. The house chianti is a good choice.

The restaurant

tagliolini al sugo di piccione

Also near the Leaning Tower is another choice for lunch: Da Bruno. For details on Da Bruno, check out Eating & Drinking in Italy: Italian Menu Translator and Restaurant Guide.

Cannelloni

Chianti!

Fall/Winter 2010 Paris Restaurant Update

The new edition of Eating & Drinking in Paris (the 5th edition, but really it's the 6th as the first edition was called Eating & Drinking in France), will be released before the summer tourist season. As you can imagine, there's lots of "research" required for the new edition.

A few long-time favorites are gone since the last edition. La Maison and Au Gamin de Paris have closed their doors. Both of these restaurants have been in the guide since early editions. Au Gamin de Paris is now a clothing store, a sign of the times in the increasingly expensive Marais. Also gone from the new edition will be Procope. It's always been way too touristy, but the food has really declined. Spicy is also out. It's now called Villa Spicy, but the name change can't save it from being what it now has turned into- a tourist trap. Vin Sur Vin (in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower) may still have a fantastic wine list and decent food, but its prices simply aren't worth it. You can find other similar dining experiences in Paris for a lot less.

New to the next edition are the wonderful La Veraison in the 15th (see my Fall/Winter 2009 blog), Petit Prince (which continues to be a joy and pleasant dining experience), and Chez Janou (always very much fun). Here are a few other new entries or places worth trying:

Spring
Who would have thought that a Chicago-born chef would be creating the biggest buzz in Paris dining? Daniel Rose has moved from his tiny restaurant into a modern, sleek space near the Louvre. Reserve well in advance to dine here and if you're fortunate enough to get a seat at the counter overlooking the open kichen, you'll have the dining experience of a lifetime. The menu changes daily and you'll be served what everyone else is having. A delicious experience that you won't soon forget. A typical menu du jour includes an amuse-bouche, a starter, a main course, cheese course, and desserts. Interesting wine list. At the end of the street is the companion food and wine store featuring French specialties and wine tastings.

www.springparis.fr
1st/Metro Louvre-Rivoli
6 rue Bailleul
Tel. 01/45.96.05.72
Open dinner Tue.-Sat. Lunch Wed-Fri.
Reservations required.
Boutique:
52 rue de l'Arbre Sec
Tel. 01/58.62.44.30
Open Tue.-Fri. 11:30am-3pm and 5pm - 9pm, Sat 11am-8pm.

The details:
Bottle of Catherine & Pierre Bretton 2007 Chinon Saint Louans (42 euros)
Greens in a mild horseradish sauce topped with caviar.
Normandy scallop on top of a smoked chestnut puree (crème de marrons) sprinkled with fried chestnut chips.
Sauteed brussel sprouts, root vegetables, foie gras d'oie (fattened goose liver), grilled halibut, topped with fried chard (blette), quenched with consommé.
A cutting of cheeses at your table (roquefort, chèvre, cantal, camembert).
Fresh pear dessert.
A glass of Vin d'Alsace, Herrenweg de Turchheim Degewurtraminer (10 euros a glass)
A dollup of thick crème au chocolat drizzled with caramel and crème anglaise.
Lunch (without drinks) was 38 euros per person.

Le Taxi Jaune
You'll find the intimate "Yellow Taxi" on a backstreet in the Marais. The menu changes regularly and although it often includes offal and horse (cheval), there are plenty of other choices. Service is friendly, unobtrusive, and unhurried. Try the pumpkin and vegetable soup when available. If you're looking for a relaxing dining experience in the Marais, you've found the place.

3rd/Métro Arts-et-Méiters
13 rue Chapon
Tel. 01/42.76.00.40
Closed Sat. & Sun.

Frascati
Sometimes you're walking around Paris and just want to pop into a place for dinner. We stumbled on the tiny, warm (it was very cold outside as Europe was experiencing quite a cold spell), and comfortable Frascati. Specializing in Italian cuisine, we selected an inexpensive bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and dined on escalope de veau (veal scallop) and ravioli in a gorgonzola sauce.

4th/Métro Rambeuteau
47 rue du Temple
Tel. 01/42.71.06.11
Closed Sun. and Mon.

 

Monet showcased in Paris.

The Grand Palais (near the Champs-Elysées) in Paris is hosting an exhibition of Monet's works. The exhibition runs until January 24th. You'll see 200 works contributed by museums from around the world . What you won't see is the work that game Impressionism its name, the “Impression, Soleil Levant” ("Impression, Sunrise"). This famous painting remains at the Musee Marmottan in Paris (which is definitely worth the trip).