I could never live in New York City. Why? Because of the Doughnut Plant.

This is an evilly addictive bakery that specializes in natural ingredient doughnuts and is so delicious that we went a total of five times during our two-week stay in Manhattan (we would have gone even more had we discovered it the first week of our trip and not the second).

It all started because I wanted Sébastien to try a real American doughnut. He, despite having lived in the US for nearly three years, had never had one before. When I first asked him about this he was sure he had already eaten a doughnut, but his description didn’t quite fit. Upon drilling, it turned out that he had eaten a bagel – same shape, but… no. It was several years ago, at the continental breakfast table of a chain hotel along Route 66. Sébastien described one of those thawed, lifeless bagels that one doesn’t actually choose to eat. I, therefore, declared my husband had tried neither doughnut nor bagel. This had to be remedied.

I myself had not eaten a doughnut in exactly 10 years – Dunkin’ Donuts’ Munchkins were quite popular when I was in college and I distinctly remember eating one senior year. I think I’d only ever eaten a doughnut once or twice in my life – remember I grew up in New Mexico, not New York. I was thus entirely unaware of the lingo when ordering at Dunkin’ Donuts.

The other day, this is what I ordered, in quite a fluster because the line was going very fast: a regular coffee, a coffee with milk, a Boston Kreme Donut, a plain donut. This is what we ended up with: a coffee with cream and sugar, a coffee with milk, a Boston Kreme, a jam-filled donut. None of this, except the coffee with milk, was what we wanted.

First off, the doughnuts: the Boston Kreme was my fault. Sébastien had wanted a simple white doughnut with chocolate glaze. In my confusion, I scanned the selection, eyed the glaze on top of the Boston Kreme and order it. Did it occur to me that there would be cream in a Boston Kreme? No, not until it was too late. As for the jam-filled, how did I end up with that? Maybe the woman behind the counter had misunderstood me. Or, was a plain doughnut in fact a jam-filled doughnut in New York terms?

This leads me to the coffee. I took one look at the “regular” (which obviously had cream in it) and quickly informed the barista, “Oh no, just a regular.”

To my amazement he responded with pure confidence. “There you go, one regular.”

I continued, “No, just a regular, nothing in it.”

By now the woman who took the order had come over, grinning. “Here, a regular means cream and sugar,” she laughed.

How was I supposed to know that?

In the end, we got the coffee we wanted (they were nice about it) and nibbled our cream and jam-filled donuts (the coffee had been enough hassle to try and exchange these, too). They were light and fluffy, but had this underlying taste of… well… something chemical and I started thinking of some article I had once read about the life of a doughnut in your body. It was something like years. We ended up throwing out the coffee half way through.

Thus, when I checked the list of “Places to Go in NY” that my friend Karen had emailed me and read “best doughnuts,” I thought we’d give them another try.

The Doughnut Plant was located not far from our hotel (there are two locations in New York: Lower East Side and Chelsea). I knew I had found our place when I walked in the door and saw “Valrhona chocolate” as a flavor. At first, we were overwhelmed by the selection, but (fortunately) there was a bit of a line so we could take a minute to figure things out. In sum, there were three types of doughnuts: yeast (big and fluffy, perfect for dunking in coffee for breakfast), cake (smaller, denser and sweeter) and filled (a “doughseed” filled with chocolate or homemade blackberry jam). Over our five visits, we tried eight different flavors, including triple chocolate, blackout (with oozing chocolate inside) and, my personal favorite, carrot cake (filled with cream cheese frosting).

Thus, I could never live in New York. Despite the fun we were having, it was necessary to head back to Paris. We needed to nip our addiction in the bud.

Go to:

Doughnut Plant

Lower East Side:

379 Grand Street (cross street Essex) / Phone: (212) 505-3700

Chelsea:

220 West 23rd Street (between 7^th and 8^th Avenues) / Phone: (212) 675-9100

Like I said in the 1^st post in this series (on Berlin), 2011 was filled with lots of foodie adventures.

I made some fun discoveries traveling, yet many of my favorite finds were right here in Paris. From restaurants and wine bars to markets and vegetables, here are my top picks for the year.

Favorite Restaurant

Le vin qui chante (“the singing wine”)

Sebastien found this one for Valentine’s Day, though we didn’t celebrate on the actual day – which I recommend! Whenever we go out in Paris on the real Valentine’s Day we’re confronted with too many people, overwhelmed waiters and set-menus – none of which lead to the ideal dining experience. Instead, we find it better to go to a nice restaurant on any other evening in February.

Our meal at Le vin qui chante was excellent and we highly recommend it for a special night out. I enjoyed the “menu gourmand”: three courses, each paired with a glass of wine.

Address: 52, rue Sainte Anne (2e)

Telephone: 01 40 20 03 70

Metro: Auber, Quatre Septembre or Pyramides

Favorite Wine Bar

La Trinquette

A hidden-away bar just north of the Marais that specializes in wines from the Languedoc region in France. Very good tapenade and cheeses to accompany your wine.

Addresse: 62, rue des Gravilliers (3e)

Telephone: 09 52 07 80 60

Metro: Arts et Métiers

Favorite Crepe Stand

La Creperie du Comptoir

This is the most “gourmet” crepe stand in Paris, and offers both savory galettes (buckwheat) and sweet crepes. You may take crepes to go or stand inside at the counter for wine and tapas.

Address: 3, carrefour de l’Odéon (6e)

Telephone: 01 44 27 07 97

Metro: Odéon

Favorite Farmers’ Market

Marché biologique des Batignolles

100% organic! Excellent quality. Low-key, down-to-earth atmosphere.

When: Saturdays 9am-3pm

Where: 34, boulevard des Batignolles (17e)

Metro: Place de Clichy

Favorite Vegetable Discovery

Chou-rave

Kohlrabi, also known as German turnip or turnip cabbage, is easy to find at Parisian farmers’ markets. It’s a member of the cabbage family and great eaten raw. I like to grate it into lentil salads for example.

Favorite Vegetable Re-discovered

Choux de Bruxelles

Brussel sprouts are especially abundant in the winter months. I eat them like popcorn! Cut them in half, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake until they are brown and crispy. This is my version of crispy kale.

Favorite Bread

Quinoa and chestnut bread from Naturalia health food store. I like it toasted and smeared with salted butter.

Favorite Biscottes

Le Moulin du Pivert’s Spelt biscottes (without palm oil)

“Biscottes” are little crunchy toasts often eaten for breakfast in France. Finding anything without palm oil is difficult these days (yes, including something as simple as breakfast toasts!), thus I was happy to find these. They’re sold in health food stores.

Favorite Cheese

Fourme d’ambert

This is a creamy blue cheese from the Auvergne region. It is amazing in an endive and walnut salad.

Favorite “I can’t believe I ate that!”

Escargots with butter and garlic at Chez Chartier

I know, I really did eat snails!

]]> http://thetomatoknife.com/2012/01/best-of-2011-my-favorite-foodie-finds-paris/feed/ 0 http://thetomatoknife.com/2011/09/cest-la-rentree/ http://thetomatoknife.com/2011/09/cest-la-rentree/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:35:05 +0000 Joy Anna Becvarik http://thetomatoknife.com/?p=1893 It’s “la rentrée,” or French New Year, as I like to call it. The American term “back to school” is the closest translation I can find for the phenomenon that has been sweeping Paris for the past week. It’s a poor translation because “la rentrée” isn’t just for kids and college students; it’s for… well… everyone.

Our “new year” is off to a good start so far – back to work, back to sports, back to reading in the metro (I’m nearly finished with Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go and can’t wait to take the metro to dance class tonight to get back to reading it – that says something if I’m actually looking forward to taking the metro!)… back to cooking up storms in the kitchen, to Sunday farmers’ market, to fresh raw milk from the local cheese shop… yep, summer’s over… it’s back to daily life in Paris, including the customary new discoveries.

Yesterday, I was on my way home from work – and I was hungry (I feel like I’ve started many a mischievous story this way). I’ll cut to the chase: I fell in love with Paris in the “fall time” and street crepes all over again. Why? Under the late afternoon, fading sunlight of autumn, I had my first crepe smothered in Speculoos spread – wow! I have two favorite crepe stands in Paris (well, three – but the third is a whole category of its own, see below): the one on boulevard Montparnasse (north-side of the street, just before rue de Rennes) and the one on boulevard Saint Germain (north-east corner of the boulevard and rue Bonaparte).

I’d asked for a simple sugar crepe and watched as Mr. Crepe Man poured a ladle full of thick batter onto the pan. Then, my eyes began wandering as I waited. That’s when I spotted THE jar.

“Is the Speculoos good?” I inquired.

“Of course, a little bit, as long as you don’t abuse it.”

Interesting answer.

Next I know I’m about to sample what looks like peanut butter on the end of a small plastic spoon.

“I’ll have that instead. That’s more fun than sugar.” And to myself: “That’s all it is, is sugar! But, it’s fabulous. Kind of nutty, smooth, probably addicting.”

“You might be able to find this in the grocery store,” the man continues as he holds up the jar. “But that might be a bad idea,” he laughs.

“Yes, probably.” By now, I’m in crepe heaven.

So, yes, autumn has come to Paris. The leaves are changing from green to subtle tones of orange and brown. The air is that much brisker and the slower-paced rhythm of summer has faded away. The days are getting short (I’m getting up with the sunrise now – soon to be before the sunrise)… Wait, wait… not yet… I haven’t mentioned the best parts of summer:

I FINALLY GOT MY FRENCH DRIVER’S LICENSE!!!!!!

We also had two fun culinary adventures:

The first was L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Saint-Germain) with some good friends from the States. What a neat experience to sit up on high stools and watch the cooking (instead of sitting at an ordinary table in an ordinary restaurant away from the action). What was also neat about this restaurant was that you could choose from an array of mini-starters or “petites portions dégustation”. We chose two each, so ended up with eight different entrées! The marinated anchovies with grilled red peppers was my favorite, but one of our friends was raving about the “pieds de cochon” for the entire next week. Did I just mention pigs feet on THIS blog?!

The next was La Creperie du Comptoir (3, carrefour de l’Odéon, 6e). This is essentially a take-away place, but you can stand up at the bar and eat there. A friend had already mentioned this creperie, saying the galettes were “gourmet”. Of course I believed her but it took actually going to really understand what her enthusiasm was all about. I had a buckwheat crepe with tomato confit (dried, marinated tomatoes) and artichoke spread – you just don’t get that at any old crepe stand. Also, you can enjoy a glass of wine (the Languedoc was especially nice) and tapas starters (which are advertised on signs hanging from the ceiling). A very cool place to get a quick bite before heading to whatever other fun you have planned.

Yay! It’s almost time to go take the metro – and get back to my book.

When we first arrived in Paris, Sébastien and I stayed clear of Mexican restaurants.

One day, we were roped in. Friends had invited us to join them at “Fajitas” (a Mexican restaurant near the Seine) – and we agreed. Walking down rue Dauphine (I like to imagine I was wearing chaps, cowgirl boots and a lasso flung over my  right shoulder), I felt like an outlaw. No, worse. I felt ike a traitor.

“I can’t believe I’m about to eat ‘Mexican’ in Paris.” My fingers danced in the air around the word “Mexican.”

I decided I’d think of it as something else – like soy milk is to milk, carob to chocolate, margarine to butter. No, they aren’t as good and, no, they’re not substitutes (in my book). They’re something else completely – just like so-called Mexican in Paris.

Or so I thought.

Five years later, we’re still eating at Fajitas, as well as at a handful of other Mexican/Latin American restaurants we’ve discovered on our own. I have to admit, they’re not so bad and do a pretty good job at satisfying my cravings for rice and beans. Granted, Parisian Mexican will never be like home (especially in the sauce and spice department), but you can’t have it all (not all at once, at least).

The tried and tested:

Fajitas

15, rue Dauphine (6e)

This is the fanciest Mexican restaurant of the lot we’ve tried- great for a nice night out near Odéon. I love walking through the glass door and being greeted with big, friendly smiles. Maybe it’s because they know us by now, but we are always so well welcomed. I’d recommend reservations, though – one time (despite all the smiles), the restaurant couldn’t accommodate us. The fajitas are lots of fun -  the ingredients are served on two plates and you put them together yourself. Since you eat with your hands, you’d think the biggest risk would be dripping. Not for me – I spilled an entire glass of Chilean wine all over my jeans. The waitress kindly brought me another one. I’d also recommend the vegetarian enchilada (with green sauce). The one downside is the margarita – it’s not as good as it used to be (too watery and sweet). There is also a room downstairs for a large, festive party.

Mexi & Co

10, rue Dante (5e)

This spot is more casual, and I love the decor. Colorful Latin American paraphernalia is displayed everywhere (I mean that), especially hanging from the ceiling. The space is small and crowded – a popular place during summer, especially amongst students in the Quartier Latin. The food’s simple and inexpensive, but decent. Best part: you can buy a whole stack of homemade (frozen) corn tortillas to take home with you.

O’Mexico

20, rue du père Guerin (13e)

This one’s hidden in the Buttes-aux-Cailles, our old neighborhood. We used to go there to get away from the stress of grad school papers or when I just felt really far from home. We always liked the food (served on searing plates placed inside flat wooden boards), and have found that it’s even better now than when we first started going. It’s quite savory and comes the closest to New Mexican cuisine (in my opinion). I like (of course) their vegetarian enchilada (though it’s on a flour tortilla instead of corn – go figure) and their South American red wines. Definitely one of my favorites on this list.

Rice & Beans

22, rue Greneta (2e)

This hidden spot is our most recent discovery. Located on a small street just off rue Montorgueil, they propose a variety of burritos and tacos. They also serve brunch on weekends. Meat eaters have a lot more choice than vegetarians – even the rice and beans are meat-based. I really appreciated the cook (a joyful young woman) coming out to our table to ask if the veggie tacos we had ordered were for “real vegetarians”. She proposed replacing any non-veggie items with suitable alternatives. That was the first time anyone had ever proposed that in Paris! At first I was thoroughly disappointed not to have my rice and beans, but when I got my plate, I was quite satisfied with the fresh salad the cook had put together. Because of her kind jest and honest concern for my well-being (and the excellent corn tortillas), I’ll definitely go back.

El Sol y La Luna

31, rue St. Jacques (5e)

This is located in the same building as Mexi & Co (same owners), and has a similar atmosphere. I like the warm, cozy feeling and the old wooden benches and shared tables. Last time, we sat at a table downstairs – which took us continents away from Paris! With the live music and vibrant decorations, we felt like we’d landed in Latin America. There was enough variety for everyone and we left feeling quite satisfied – we even refused the ice cream down the street. That means a lot.

Complete change of subject: I’m off to eat deviled eggs and potato salad. Happy 4th of July!

]]> http://thetomatoknife.com/2011/07/eating-mexican-in-paris-restaurant-reviews/feed/ 0 http://thetomatoknife.com/2011/05/brunch-in-paris/ http://thetomatoknife.com/2011/05/brunch-in-paris/#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 16:01:18 +0000 Joy Anna Becvarik http://thetomatoknife.com/?p=1748 I’ve been on hiatus for way too long – doing everything but writing blog posts. I’m looking back at my date book: it’s all marked up with blue, red, black – even some purple to keep different going-ons in order. Can I blame it on springtime in Paris? The weather is not condusive to being good (i.e going home and doing what I’m supposed to be doing), nor are all the activities and other diversions around town. Among the most memorable readings I’ve attended recently are those of Amy Tan and Nicole Krauss, at Village Voice Bookshop. Both are authors I’ve admired for years and am glad to have heard speak. Sébastien and I also checked out the Musée des arts et métiers, where we saw a demonstration of the Foucault pendulum. We’d already seen the one displayed at the Panthéon, but it’s always impressive to watch a device made to demonstrate the rotation of the earth. I also spent a couple weeks in Bordeaux with family where we discovered laundry soap made from ashes. Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking – how do ashes clean clothes? Shouldn’t it be the opposite? It’s not only environmentally friendly, it actually works – really well! Check out the 100% Gironde website for more info. Honestly, I swear by it now.

I’ve also been on the hunt for the best brunch in Paris. Being American, I grew up eating Sunday brunch, so I’m glad to see it’s now becoming popular in France. One big difference: restaurants in Paris often serve a fixed brunch menu with a more than ample combination of eggs, meats, pancakes or french toast, fruit, yogurt, cheeses, cakes, breads, coffee, juice – even wine! I don’t know about New York, but in New Mexico, we usually choose à la carte. I’d order eggs Benedict or pancakes, for example – not both at the same time. I also don’t remember ever paying more than about 15 dollars, max. In Paris, breakfast is reasonable, but brunch is more expensive. On average, it seems to run from 20 to 30 euros. Oh yeah, another difference: the fried eggs in France are only cooked on one side and are… can I say… slimy? There’s no “over medium”, so I opt for scrambled. This said, I really enjoy brunch in Paris and am certainly having fun putting restaurants to the test:

Le café qui parle

24, rue Caulaincourt 75018 Paris

Located in Montmartre, we vote this brunch the best. Offerings: scrambled eggs, breads, cakes, croissants, cheeses and meats, salad, fruit, yogurt, fresh orange juice, good coffee…. Advantages: self-serve, all-you-can-eat, choose what you want. Reasonable fixed price: 17,50 euros. Very fresh and good quality. Friendly staff and fun atmosphere. Disadvantages: no reservations and a long line. Brunch is only served on weekends and holidays. Walking the hills in Montmartre is difficult after this brunch!

Breakfast in America

Two locations:  4, rue Malher 75004 (Marais) OR 17, rue des Ecoles 75005 (Latin Quarter)

Our pick for the most authentic American breakfast, including the atmosphere and diner-style stools. Greasy eggs, potatoes and toast, pancakes with real maple syrup, omelets, even bagels… Advantages: You may order à la carte or from the special Sunday brunch menu (15,95 euros). Disadvantages: Real American coffee, i.e. “jus de chaussettes” (like I said, it’s the most authentic). No reservations, gets crowded.

Coquelicot

24, rue des Abbesses 75018

This is a bakery in Montmartre that proposes a variety of “petits déjeuners”. They range from simple (a hot drink and brioche) to a full-out brunch (Saturday and Sunday only), including eggs, veggies, crepes, even a mini-hamburger and potatoes (19,95 euros). Advantages: You can supplement and add any side to your “petit déjeuner” (scrambled eggs or smoked salmon toasts, for example). Since it’s a bakery, you know the pastries are made on the premises (the brioche was wonderful). Disadvantages: Again, the line.

Le pain quotidien

Four locations in Paris, including: 18, place du Marché St. Honoré 75001 AND 18-20, rue des Archives 75003 (Marais)

This is the spot we’ve been to the most over the years – probably for the variety and the pots of chocolate spread served with breakfast. Only once did we actually go for the full-out brunch because they propose such a nice variety of “petits déjeuners” (from a simple croissant, country bread and a hot drink to one served with a soft-boiled egg, yogurt…). The brunch (23 euros), however, is quite copious and worth it if you’re hungry: fresh breads, pastries, fruit, yogurt, cheeses, smoked salmon, meats, a hot drink, fresh fruit juice… Advantages: Consistent quality. Organic ingredients. Disadvantages: Once again, no reservations and often a wait on weekends.

Twinkie

167, rue Saint-Denis

While I liked the lazy-Sunday atmosphere and the clean, simple decor, I was a bit disappointed with this brunch. It was too expensive for what it was and the eggs (scrambled) were too undercooked – no, that’s not just me being American – they were soup. While Breakfast in America can get away with American coffee (though they do give you the choice to upgrade), this place was too upscale for that. Twinkie does propose a vegan, wheat free brunch with buckwheat bread (14 euros). I was happy to try this, but didn’t feel like it was copious or satisfying enough. Maybe I should have tried the eggs Benedict or a bagel sandwich (I just wasn’t about to pay 21 euros for something I often make at home or 16 euros for a bagel). Advantages: cute decor/atmosphere. Disadvantages: The waiters made too many mistakes and kept forgetting things.

Then, last Sunday, I was walking down streets, eying all sorts of brunch restaurants to try…

81, rue de Seine (at Odéon). Go there.

And check out the inspiration:

Slow Food Movement

to justify eating more Grom.

According to Alison Bryce in this NPR article, “Raw foodists eat by the theory that when food is cooked over 112 degrees, it loses its living enzymes.” Shes goes on to explain that such people usually fit into two groups: those that eat meat, eggs and dairy; and those who eat only vegetables, fruits and nuts. Also, this type of diet generally favors unprocessed, organic foods.

I love all kinds of food (and all kinds of cooking), so I think it’d be hard to convince me to go 100% raw. I, however, can understand why it might be advantageous: enzymes can be positive little beings and help digest food and absorb important nutrients. Apparently, eating raw protein can also give more immediate energy. Plus, I’d be fun to get creative and challenge myself to make appetizing dishes, without a flame.

Since I’ve been increasingly curious about raw food, I was more than game to try the Parisian restaurant, Cru (whose name means “raw” in French). I first and foremost liked this restaurant/wine bar for its idyllic location – on a quiet street in the Marais (Village Saint Paul). Looking out the window from our table, we could see the remains of the oldest city wall in Paris (built in the early 13^th century by Philippe-Auguste, king of France).

Inside the restaurant walls, the dim lighting and sparse décor gave a fresh, modern atmosphere. I loved the real glasses and water pitcher that mimicked plastic picnic ware and the roll of green cloth napkins that you tore off like paper towels. This gave a fun, casual feeling to an otherwise upscale restaurant.

Pure raw foodists may not appreciate Cru, but for me (who wouldn’t touch raw fish until just a couple years ago) it was a nice balance between raw and cooked. The two first-course dishes we chose especially impressed me: a “cuit/cru de fenouil” and a “ceviche de mulet aux agrumes.” In the first, I was delighted that raw and cooked fennel were served on the same plate – I still remember how finely sliced and crispy the cold vegetable was, and how the warm one melted in my mouth. How diverse a single vegetable can be! Ceviche is a traditional Central/South American dish prepared with raw fish and citrus juice. Like I said, I’m hard to convince when it comes to raw fish, but I absolutely loved this – the perfection was in the marinade.

For the main course, we took scallops (they proposed both raw and cooked versions, the latter of which were complete with white truffle oil) and daurade (sea bream) with sweet potato fries. Actually, you could choose your side from a variety of propositions.

White wine: Petit Chablis, Domaine Bernard Defaix 2009.

We were thoroughly content with our experience, despite a few rough edges. The first two items I spotted on the menu (and really wanted) weren’t available (calamari and tiramisu au Speculoose – that sounded too good). Since the menus were on paper, and seemed like they were easily printable, I would have reprinted them since so many enticing items were unavailable. Or, at least I would have informed customers upon seating. Also, the credit card machine didn’t work that evening and we were confused about the ordering process (the waitress wanted to take all the accompaniments at the end, instead of as each person ordered – that’s fine, but I shouldn’t feel silly for not knowing).

Now I’m curious to know if there are other “raw food” restaurants in Paris. I don’t know that the movement has caught on here like it has in parts of the States, but I’m keen to find out…

I knew I was back in Paris this morning when I got on the metro.

That’s where I am- home. Sipping a cup of tea and gathering up my notes from San Francisco. I’m going to jump right in and tell you about the very best foodie find ever: Bi-Rite Creamery and Bakeshop. I’d been hearing about this spot for a couple years and, finally, got to go. Located near Dolores Park in the Mission District, Bi-Rite has (I’m being very truthful here) some of THE BEST ICE CREAM I HAVE EVER HAD. The unique flavors will reel you in: orange cardamom, brown sugar with ginger caramel swirls, salted caramel (I get this wherever I go), roasted banana, cinnamon with snicker doodles (I learned these where little sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon), earl grey, Meyer lemon… Oh yes, I tried every one of these! To top it off, I’m giving Bi-Rite some of my “sustainability kudos”: compostable cups and tiny wooden spoons.

In addition to ice cream, this was the second time I went back to Kara’s Cupcakes in Ghirardelli Square. Started as a small catering business, Kara’s now has five stores in the Bay area (the first of which was in San Francisco). Some people seem to think the whole cupcake craze is coming to an end, but I don’t think so. It seems to just be starting here in France- though I haven’t found any as good as these. Kara’s has good old-fashioned ones (vanilla chocolate, gluten free vanilla, carrot…) as well as “filled” ones. I recommend the Meyer lemony lemon, with a tangy filling inside and buttery frosting on top.

I also strolled through China Town where I visited some traditional grocery stores (live frogs and turtles for sale) and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. Here, you can watch women folding fortune after fortune into cookie after cookie. It’s a tiny little place, hidden away on Ross Alley. The streets in China Town are so colorful, especially at Chinese New Year. My favorite buildings are on Waverly Place – thanks in part to my early introduction to Amy Tan (we’d listen to The Joy Luck Club and stories about Waverly Jong  as a family in the car) and part to a family visit to the Tin How Temple (#125 Waverly Place) on my first trip to San Francisco in 1996. I always enjoy wondering around the streets, smelling the herbs seeping into the air from the pharmacies and looking into the all-knowing eyes of the old women coming up the sidewalks.

A few more places I should mention are the coffee shops (slash bakeries). It’s not easy to find a satisfying cup of coffee in the US, not when you’ve been spoiled with strong European espressos. I didn’t actually discover Blue Bottle Coffee until the morning I was leaving, but it was by far the best coffee I tried (and I tried every day for two weeks). Since it was the last shebang, I opted for a moka. Not too sweet and nice rich coffee flavor. The reason it took me so long to find this place is because the address I’d been told about looked pretty much like a little shack on Linden Street (more or less an alley way). Blue Bottle calls this location a “coffee kiosk”. During open-hours there is quite a line for such a hidden place. I’d also recommend Frogs Hollow Farm in the Ferry Plaza Building and La Boulange in Hayes Valley for breakfast. The coffee’s decent and the pastries are quite nice. At Frogs Hollow I’d go for the granola, yogurt and seasonal fruit (the scones, unfortunately, seemed small compared to what I remembered from last year). At La Boulange, try to raspberry financié.

Since I’m on a bit of a French run (talking about bakeries and all), I’ll mention Bistro Central Parc for a special dinner. Located near the Panhandle, this is a “neighborhood” restaurant that offers traditional French cuisine. I didn’t know this “bistro” beforehand, but was lucky to be introduced to it by friends. The atmosphere was relaxed and modern, yet reminiscent of Europe. The food was excellent. For vegetarians, they propose a “Chef’s vegetarian special”, but I chose the special fish of the day: trout with slivered almonds. I was happy to see this dish on the menu because that’s exactly how the fishmonger here in Paris told me to prepare my trout (grill it with almonds). That was a hint that even in San Francisco, French tradition abounds.

While in San Francisco, I made it a point to check off a handful of the restaurants and other food spots on my “To Try While in SFO List.”

The day after arriving at SFO International, a dear college friend and I made it girls’ night out and treated ourselves to Chez Panisse’s innovative, yet refined cuisine. This set the stage for the rest of my trip and San Francisco’s fascination with French-inspired fare.

We dined at the upstairs “Café,” which isn’t a café at all, but a fine-dining restaurant where the menu changes daily, according to seasonal products. There is also the downstairs “Restaurant,” which is where it all began in 1971 (here, they propose set menus). As a side note, “Panisse” was the last name of a character in Marcel Pagnol’s 1930s film trilogy set in Marseille (Marius, Fanny and César). The two-storey restaurant is located in a one-of-a-kind wooden house in a part of town that immediately made me feel like I was back in college again. Shattuck Avenue was bustling on a Saturday night, mostly with students squatting on the median eating pizza from a local, and obviously popular, spot (never mind the “Keep off Median” sign clearly planted in the middle).

Once inside Chez Panisse, the atmosphere changed completely and we were transported to a dimly lit room that timelessly hovered somewhere between a refined French restaurant and a Zen Japanese tea garden. In other words, I felt like I was in the Bay area- where many restaurants have taken Alice Water’s lead and succeeded in bringing out an idyllic combination of the past (French culinary tradition) and the present (fresh new attitude and natural, organic ingredients). I was especially interested in discovering Chez Panisse since it has been an important leader in supporting local, sustainable products.

The whole experience was pretty near perfect. The menu, inspired by Rose Gray* (see end), didn’t help our indecisive natures though! We must have spent a good twenty-minutes mesmerized by the array of tempting choices. Looking back, deciding between the local halibut tartar and the goat cheese salad, must have been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made in a restaurant.  In the end, we were content with what we ended up choosing:

Entrées:

- Local halibut tartar with Belgian endive and steelhead roe

- Orange salad with red onions, cilantro and pistachios

Mains:

- Ravioli di cima di rapa e ricotta with wild mushrooms

- Wood-oven roasted squid and artichoke with rosemary salsa and aioli

Dessert:

- Bittersweet chocolate truffle tartlet with candied bergamot and crème chantilly

- Vin Santo ice cream with almond brittle and biscotti

- 2 Cappuccinos

Wine:

- 2009 Navarro Pinot Gris, Anderson Valley

The starters were a toss-up, both excellent. The squid (calamari) was my very favorite dish- a perfect combination of flavors. I also enjoyed the ice cream, made of Italian dessert wine. The pinot gris, from California grapes, was fresh and reminiscent of citrus fruit.

Like I said, Chez Panisse was a special treat. I was glad to finally dine in the restaurant that is so well known for marrying traditional French cuisine with local products. This experience is up there with the one I had last year at Greens. If I were to compare two similar dishes though, (the raviolis), Greens gets the gold medal. I remember them simply melting in my mouth like butter. The ones at Chez Panisse were nice, but weren’t as memorable. Since Greens is purely vegetarian, I guess we’ll never know how they’d do roasted calamari. I’m happy leaving that to Chez Panisse.

*Rose Gray was a British chef, cookbook writer and co-founder of the River Café in London. Here’s a neat article about how she helped revolutionize British cuisine.

Here’s a French-inspired dish for you, but first let me write an important reminder to myself: there are no outdoor food markets in Paris on Mondays. Not anywhere, ever.

Back to the gambas and the restaurant that inspired me to cook these large prawns in a creamy saffron sauce with onions and garlic. Chez Bruno (Place Michel Debré, Amboise 37400) is one of my favorite wine-bar bistros in the Loire Valley – actually, in all of France. It’s a tiny place located just at the foot of the Amboise Castle, and in the summer and early fall you can sit out on their terrace under dreamy umbrellas. The first reason to go the Chez Bruno is for the view of the castle and the pleasant atmosphere. The second reason is for the wine (try La Closerie de Chanteloup’s chenin or sauvignon-blanc, for example). The third reason is for the satisfying, no nonsense French cuisine. We went there for the first time about a year ago, and that’s when I ordered prawns in a cream sauce over rice. Ever since then, it’s been in the back of my head to recreate a similar dish.

Here’s what I came up with (for 4 people):

Shopping List

24 large prawns (cooked)

½ onion (chopped0

1 close garlic (minced)

1 cup (20 cl) light cream

Several pinches ground saffron

Olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 cups uncooked rice

Recipe:

1. Peel and prepare the prawns. Set aside.

2. Brown the onion and garlic in olive oil.

3. Add the light cream, saffron, salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer over low heat, stirring regularly.

4. Add the prawns and continue simmering until they are fully heated; stir regularly.

5. Cook the rice and continue simmering the sauce to bring out flavor. If it becomes too thick, add a little milk until the sauce is the consistency you want.

6. Add a little butter/salt to the rice if desired. Dish onto plates and pour the prawn sauce over it. Bon ap’!