11.06.26
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EUROPE 2026 – PART 4 – PARIS

Saturday, 10/31

We arrived at Ana and Bertrand’s in La Varenne just in time to head to dinner at Le Garden, a fairly new restaurant nearby.

It’s beautifully decorated, service is impeccable, and the food is out of this world. I can see a Michelin star on the horizon. Here is the menu:

Les entrees

LA COURGE BUTTERNUT, courge butternut confite à la citronnelle, sauce mimolette truffée – 29€

LA BETTERAVE, betterave rôtie, moutarde, hibiscus, pickles de Chioggia, brousse, shiso rouge – 28€

L’ŒUF PARFAIT DE SAISON, œuf parfait 63°C, polenta crémeuse, châtaignes, figatellu, pickles d’oignons jaunes – 30€

LE BAR, carpaccio de bar, leche de tigre, gel de kiwi – 32€

Les plats

LE CŒUR DE FILET DE BŒUF, sauce shiso, cèpes rôtis, crème miso blanc de topinambour, chips de topinambour – 51€

L’AGNEAU, épaule d’agneau confite, fregola, chou-rave, piquillos – 49€

LA LOTTE, lotte basse température, chou romanesco, huile de poireau, pistache, chou kale, sauce herbacée – 48€

SAINT-JACQUES, Saint-jacques snackées accompagnées de coques, salicorne fraîche, pak choï, coulis de cresson et beurre nantais – 49€

Fromages

ASSIETTE DE FROMAGES (+15 €)

ASSIETTE DE BRIE DE MEAUX DU MOMENT (+16 €)

Desserts

LE PANAIS, panais rôtis, mousse de panais, pickles de panais, glace noisette – 21€

CHOCO CAFE, pâte sucrée cacao, crème mascarpone, crémeux café, glace Baileys – 23€

LA POIRE, poire pochée poivrée, crème vanille de Madagascar, biscuit sablé amande,
crème glacée poire verveine, sirop verveine- 22€

PISTACHE, ORANGE, FLEUR D’ORANGER, biscuit moelleux à l’orange, ganache montée fleur d’oranger, crémeux pistache, confit orange, glace pistache – 24€

The 3-course prix-fixe, one choice each for entree, plat and dessert, is only 72 euros.

Sunday, 11/1

This was our day to spend at home, buying food at the Sunday market, Stanley cooking the afternoon meal and I doing the evening.

Monday, 11/2

We began with a visit to the Jacquemart-Andre, which we have been to a number of times. There is always a special exhibit worth seeing, and the building itself is magnificent.

This time the exhibit was Tintoretto.

From there we took an Uber to lunch because the train we needed wasn’t running. Lunch was at Gemellus, where we had been a year ago and loved.

We will plan to go back next year as it’s a great deal for what they offer.

Next we went to Notre Dame, which I was able to get a reservation for on their website (admission is free). The cathedral has been beautifully restored.

Then on to dinner at Le Radis Beurre, where we got together with American friends who live in Nice but happened to be visiting friends in Paris. We had an outstanding dinner.

The highlight for me was the perdreau (partridge), but everything was superb.

Tuesday, 11/3

We relaxed at home in the morning and then set out for lunch at Alliance.

The menu is a 4-course tasting, plus dessert, based on the chef’s whim and your own preferences. The dishes we had were: Crab mousse, potato with girolles and shallots, St. Pierre (John Dory to Brits), colvert (wild duck) and chocolate mousse. This doesn’t begin to describe the complexity of the dishes, and there were many small additional tastes. With wine and coffees the bill was 350 euros, and worth every penny.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Picasso museum, which we enjoyed immensely.

For our final night’s dinner, I chose Eels.

This was something of a disappointment. The food was very good, but not good value, and the wine list was way out of line. I find its popularity surprising.

Stanley began with the poultry and sweetbread galantine, which was superb. My eel appetizer was good but not really special as I would have expected from their signature appetizer. Next I had the pike-perch and he had the roasted pork. For desserts we had the pistachio and fig dish and the savarin. With wine, the total was 215 euros. This was equivalent to what we spent at Le Garden and there was no comparison. Le Radis Beurre was also a much better deal at 142.

10.30.26
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EUROPE 2026 – PART 3 – CALABRIA

Monday, 10/26

After Taormina we drove to Messina where we caught the ferry to Reggio Calabria, where we spent the night at Athena Luxury Rooms. A very comfortable room even included breakfast, for under 60 euros.

After cocktails a block away at Mida, we set off for dinner at Officiana del Gusto, another excellent choice. We were the only English speakers in this busy and popular spot.

The quality of the food was impeccable, He started with meatballs and I had stockfish salad. For mains I had octopus and he had braised beef. We couldn’t resist dessert as they had a pistachio semifreddo, which was as good as the one we had at lunch (love love love pistachio).

With this Calabrian wine and water, the bill was, remarkably. only 100 euros.

Tuesday, 10/27

In the morning we visited the duomo first.

After that we stopped off at the art museum, which was not terribly interesting, so we continued along the Corso Garribaldi to the archaeological museum.

Most of it is dedicated to broken clay pots and metal tools, but what everyone goes to see are the bronze sculptures.

Next came lunch at Drogheria Culinaria, another popular and very busy place.

Again we were the only non-Italians. Stanley began with a plate of prosciutto and cheeses and I had prawn tartare. Next he had stuffed rabbit and I had stuffed squid. For dessert we shared pistachio tartufo. Everything was delicious and we had the best wine of the trip so far, a Duca de ? from Librandi, a producer of Calabrian wines we have been buying at home.

After lunch we headed back to the car and drove to Lamezia Terme, where we checked into the B&B Casa Lissania.

The 2 corsos in Lamezia:

For dinner I chose Merlo Rosso, which turned out to be decent but unexciting so I won’t go into detail.

Wednesday, 10/28

This was a long day of touring, to Rossano and Corigliano.

In Rossano we visited the cathedral.

After that it was time for lunch. We had chosen Sei Ulivi, which is in the town center away from the historic district.

This was an excellent choice. I started with arancini and Stanley had scallops. For mains I had beef filet in a port wine and foie gras sauce and he had gnocchi with mushrooms in a butternut squash sauce. With an excellent bottle of Calabrian wine. water and coffees, the bill was 99 euros.

After lunch we continued on to Corigliano, where we toured the ducal palace, which was fascinating.

Back in Lamezia, we had a terrible time finding a decent restaurant open on Wednesday. I finally came upon Rustic Osteria Contemporanea, which turned out to be excellent, and a major deal.

I had a caprese and he had bruschetta, then I had lamb chops and he had porchetta. We skipped dessert but had limoncello. With a delicious primitivo from Puglia, and water, the bill was just 82 euros.

Thursday, 10/29

We only visited one town, Santa Severina. First the castle.

Then the duomo.

We were too late getting back to Lamezia for lunch, but we were able to have a mini pizza and a mini sandwich, with spritzes, and tiramisu with coffees.

Our dinner plans went bust. The restaurant formerly known as 102 and now Arama Bistrot is only doing private events, but the proprietor was kind enough to serve us dinner, nothing fabulous but decent food.

Friday, 10/30

We drove to Cosenza, where we found a parking garage and walked along the pedestrian street, Corso Mazzini, which is lined with nondescript businesses. We continued on to the Piazza Duomo, where we had a very nice lunch at Calabria Bella.

Stanley began with melon and prosciutto and I had bresaola. Then he had baked lamb and I had veal filet. Everything was top-notch. With a bottle of Calabrian wine, water and coffees the bill was 96 euros. The owner offered limoncello on the house.

After lunch we stopped into the duomo next door.

Back in Lamezia, we went back to Rustic Contemporeana, which we liked so much on Wednesday. It wasn’t quite as good this time, but for 80 euros we aren’t complaining. The dishes were massive but a bit “rustic”.

This concludes our time in Calabria. We enjoyed it very much, though there were some disappointments. The best thing about it was that it was a genuinely Italian experience. We didn’t see or hear Americans, Germans, French etc. If there were tourists they were all Italian.

10.27.26
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EUROPE 2026 – PART 2 – TRAPANI, ORTIGIA WITH STOPS IN AGRIGENTO, NOTO, RAGUSA AND TAORMINA

Friday, 10/23

We departed Palermo and got a taxi to the airport to pick up the rental car, then drove to Castellammare del Golfo.

We had lunch at Egesta Mare, which was recommended by my barber, who is from Castellammare and goes back every summer.

He said the seafood risotto was a must. We started with canolo of sardines, which sounded better than it tasted, and a caprese with mixed salumi, which was very enjoyable. Then we had the risotto, which lived up to expectations, and spaghetti with sea urchin, which was tasty but didn’t see to have much urchin in it. Coffee, oddly, was served in paper cups. With water and a bottle of Nero d’Avola, the bill was 96 euros.

After lunch, we proceeded to Trapani, taking the secondary road rather than the autostrada. It was very scenic and took no longer. Arriving in Trapani we easily found parking 3 blocks from Albergo Maccotta, a lovely small hotel in the heart of the historic district.

We strolled along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the main thoroughfare in the old town, and stopped into the duomo, which is quite simple.

Dinner was a short walk away at Il Moro.

This is an elegant restaurant with a very imaginative menu, quite different from what we have experienced so far in Sicily. Service is formal but not stuffy. Dishes we had were veal cheek meatballs, marinated amberjack, fettucine with pork cheek, stuffed quail, pork cheek confit, and for dessert a lemon shell filled with white chocolate and served on chocolate crumbs. This doesn’t begin to describe the many ingredients in each dish. With cocktails, an excellent nero d’avola and water, the bill was 240 euros.

Saturday, 10/24

Leaving early from Trapani, we drove to Agrigento, to see the valley of the temples, where we spent an enjoyable and interesting 2 hours.

We had a quick bite at the snack bar and headed on to Ortigia (the old city of Siracusa) where we stayed at Ortigia Mastrarua Rooms, a nice inn close to the waterfront and very convenient to the parking garage. Our room was 2 flights up (no elevator). In addition to the king-size bed there was an another twin bed. The only complaints I have are that the bathroom floor was dirty, and the bathroom had an unpleasant smell, like sewer gas (tolerable but weird).

We strolled around the old town and stopped for cocktails at Cortile Verga, a charming bar in an open courtyard, serving creative drinks along with traditional ones.

We dined at the restaurant on the ground floor of the inn (not related).

Food and service were excellent, and great value. We shared squid to start, then paccheri with pistachio sauce, cherry tomatoes and swordfish. For mains, Stanley had baby chicken and I had swordfish. With a good bottle of nero d’avola and water, the total was 100 euros.

Sunday, 10/25

First we walked to the Duomo.

Notice the columns along the outer wall. This was obviously a Greek temple before it was rebuilt as a cathedraL

Then we drove to Ragusa. The 2 things to see here are the Ebleo Garden and the Duomo.

After these, we had lunch at Cucina Sincera, and we could not have been more pleased.

Great value and delicious food. I began with grilled caciocavallo cheese, and Stanley had bruschetta with tomatoes and mozzarella, which I also ate part of. Next, he had lasagna with spinach and sausage, and I had 2 dishes (because I couldn’t decide between them), gnocchi with sicilian pesto, and eggplant parmigian stuffed with vegetables and ham. With a half liter of house wine, water and coffees, the bill was 77 euros.

After Ragusa we went to Noto which is notable for its duomo and other elaborate baroque buildings.

Back in Ortigia, we had cocktails at Barcollo, a beautiful bar with outdoor tables and comfortable chairs, and a choice of creative drinks, just 3 blocks from the inn. It was also better value than Cortile Verga, with much more generous sized cocktails.

Afterward we strolled the short distance back and had dinner at Ciauru Anticu next door.

We ordered too much food because we wanted to sample a number of dishes. I started with the tuna pasta, and Stanley had caponata with tuna. Then I had a filet of orata and he had pasta with sausage and mushrooms. We could only eat about half as the portions were huge, but it was all delicious.

With this excellent bottle of nerello mascalese, and water, the total was 130 euros.

Monday, 10/26

We got an early start to Taormina.

The big attraction here was the ancient Greek theater, which is remarkably well-preserved.

We took a look into the church in the center, but is wasn’t worthy of photography. We had lunch at L’Arco dei Capuccini, which in my careful research I had determined would be wonderful, and indeed it was. It’s a bit off the beaten path so was not at all busy, which is a shame.

Stanley started with a beautiful plate of grilled vegetables, and I had an excellent caprese. Then I had almond crusted grouper and he had mixed fried fish. For dessert we had a pistachio semifreddo, which was superb. With a bottle of Nerello Mascalese, water and coffee, the total was 130 euros.

10.23.26
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EUROPE 2026 – PART 1 – PALERMO

Our itinerary for Sicily was 3 days in Palermo, one day in Trapani with a lunch stop in Castellammare del Golfo, then 2 days in Ortigia (Siracusa) with a stop on the way in Agrigento, and side trips to Noto and Ragusa, and finally a half day in Taormina before taking a ferry to Reggio Calabria. Next, 5 days in Calabria, the first in Reggio and the remaining 4 in Lamezia Terme, then a flight to Paris for 4 days.

Tuesday, 10/20

We arrived in Palermo in the morning and settled into Porta Maqueda B&B, located directly across the street from the opera house Teatro Massimo.

Beautiful large high-ceilinged room, lovely welcome and a perfect location in the center of everything. Not suitable for the disabled, though, as there are steps in addition to an elevator. The breakfasts were lovely and staff very welcoming and helpful.

For lunch they recommended Lo Bianco Osteria, a 7-minute walk away, which was an excellent choice.

We shared spaghetti with sardines, raisins and fennel (a Sicilian classic), then I had an oven-braised lamb with vegetables and potatoes, and Stanley had tripe in a tomato sauce. Both were delicious. With a half-liter of house wine and water, the bill was only 45 euros.

The remainder of the afternoon consisted of a most enjoyable tour of the Teatro Massimo, then a nap before dinner.

Built in 1897, it is the third largest opera house in Europe and seats 1,350 people.

After a restorative nap, we headed off to my dinner choice, Il Culinario, which was nothing less than fabulous. Located on a pedestrian street with touristy restaurants, this one stands out for originality and quality.

For starters, we shared sardine meatballs, then shared paccheri with a pistachio sauce and guanciale. For my main course I had the catch of the day, orata, perfectly grilled with a salad on the side, and Stanley had stuffed swordfish rolls, also with salad. With cocktails, water and an excellent bottle of Nero D’Avola, the bill was 111.50 euros.

Wednesday, 10/21

We began with Palazzo Butera.

It’s now a museum of art and objects, but still retains the original decoration.

Next we walked over to Palazzo Abatellis. It was almost entirely religious art, not very interesting, and the rooms were devoid of decoration. We didn’t find it very interesting.

Lunch was at Palazzo Sambuca. I forgot to take photos except for the wine, which was wonderful. The food was spectacular too. We shared shrimp tartare with bottarga to start, and gnocchi with swordfish and cherry tomatoes next. For dessert we had a very good tiramisu. Bill total was 139 euros. I thought I had reserved on The Fork, which would have resulted in a 20% discount, but somehow the reservation didn’t complete. It was a bargain nonetheless.

Following that we went to Palazzo Chiaramonte.

The palace also incorporated a prison used during the inquisition. The following photos are graffitti made by prisoners. It had been plastered over, but has been exposed.

The next photo is the interior courtyard of the palace.

From there we walked over to the church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, which is decorated with magnificent mosaics.

That night’s dinner was at Sapori Perduti (lost flavors).

Sorry, again I forgot to add photos. Best to sit outside as it’s more atmospheric than the overly bright interior. Food was wonderful, comparable to Il Culinario but different. We shared octopus to start, and it was not only flavorful but so tender too. Next we shared a mixed seafood couscous. This was very tasty but not as exciting as the pastas we had at Il Culinario and Palazzo Sambuca. The main courses, pork medallions and sea bass parmigiano, were outstanding. We shared a sable with peach sauce for dessert, also very good. With aperol spritzes, water and a bottle of nero d’avola, the total was 143 euros.

Thursday, 10/22

This was our day to go to Monreale. We took an Uber and it was only about a half-hour trip.

After touring the cathedral and cloister, we had planned to have lunch at Taverna del Pavone, a short walk away. Unfortunately we found it was closed, even though the hours are listed as open every day, apparently due to a brief truckers’ strike. Several others were closed as well. We eventually ended up at Ciuri Bottega e Cucina, which turned out to be quite good.

We shared a caprese to start, then I had eggplant rolls stuffed with prosciutto and cheese, and Stanley had a burger. The menu is simple and limited but perfect for a light lunch. With a bottle of rose, water and coffees, the total was 59 euros.

Returning to Palermo, our first stop was Palazzo Gangi. Unfortunately I hadn’t realized it required advance booking and was very expensive. We continued toward the cathedral, passing through the famous intersection, Quatro Canti.

We then toured the bishop’s palace across the street.

Back to the B&B and then to dinner at Tannura Osteria.

This was a good choice, very busy and elegant atmosphere, without being stuffy. The food started out great but then fell a bit. Stanley had mussel soup and I had baked caciocavallo cheese to start. Both were delicious. Next we shared an order of pasta with rabbit ragu, which was also a treat. The main courses were less successful. He had lamb chops, which were tasty but thin so a bit overdone. My duck breast, despite the fact that the waiter and I agreed should be rare, came out medium-well. With cocktails, an excellent bottle of nero d’avola, and water, and a 20% discount for reserving on The Fork, the total was 129 euros, so I can excuse the shortcoming.

09.02.26
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RECENT RESTAURANT DISCOVERIES IN HUDSON, NY

We have gotten to like Saint Florian, which we had avoided initially because the menu was very limited. It has since been expanded so there are quite a few good options.

We love the buffalo skate cheeks, and the house-made sausages are excellent. Battered cod, wagyu burger and meat loaf are our favorite main courses.

The other recent discovery is Taiga, which serves Russian and Eastern European cuisine with a creative twist.

The atmosphere is opulent and colorful, service attentive. It’s highly unusual to find this kind of food in the area, so it’s a very nice addition to the Hudson dining scene. We really enjoyed the food, but the quantities are huge, so I recommend going with a group of at least 4 in order to try several dishes, which can be shared. This was what the waiter suggested. Prices are high, so we ended up spending a lot because we were only 2, and we couldn’t finish all the food. I would gladly go again if we have more people.

08.17.26
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RECENT DISCOVERIES IN AND AROUND VILLAGE/FLATIRON/EAST VILLAGE ETC.

We have had some exceptional restaurants in the past 6 months and I thought I would share them here.

Aquarelle

Wonderful mediterranean seafood in the East Village. Standout dishes we’ve had are crab cakes, octopus carpaccio, lobster bisque, whole fish, seafood pasta. The atmosphere is beautiful, service is always attentive. Some dishes don’t come with sides, so be sure to ask what is included on the plate.

Coppelia

Fun place that is open 24 hours. BIG portions. Eclectic mix of southern, southwestern, Mexican and Latin American. I love the mac and cheese (listed as an appetizer but I had it as a main and took half home). Fried chicken is great. Quesadilla is excellent and more than enough to share. Attentive service.

Nuyores

Peruvian small plates (not so small actually). Menu changes frequently. Love the octopus, very tender and served like a lobster roll. Corn and crab salad, caviar and potato, pork belly, crispy duck and crispy duck leg are all excellent. Rice pudding and cheesecake were interesting and delicious. Service is perfect.

Szechuan Gourmet

On West 39th St.. Best Szechuan we’ve had since Shu Han Ju closed. Lovely upscale atmosphere and fine service. Ox tongue and tripe is outstanding. Lab with cumin and fish in pickled pepper sauce were great.

Via 13

Formerly Sotto 13. Same owner but new chef and new upscale decor. The food is simply fantastic. Artichoke appetizer is the best I’ve ever had. Carpaccio is a more interesting preparation than the usual. Pizzas and pastas are always interesting and delicious.

Kidilum

Translates as “beyond awesome” and while that may sound silly, it’s actually true. Expensive but very worth it. The food is southern Indian and creative. We would recommend for appetizers, the chicken cutlets, pork ribs and lamb chops, and for mains roast goat, oyster mushrooms, prawns and crab. We have been there twice and will be back to try more dishes.

01.27.26
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SKRATCH KITCHEN – BRADLEY BEACH, NJ

Last Saturday Stanley and I took the train to Belmar to visit our friends Janice and Eric, and we had dinner at Skratch. The menu combines Italian with Cajun. It was generally excellent, with only one misstep. Stanley had a fig appetizer which he liked a lot. I had artichoke hearts coated with goat cheese and lemon, wrapped in prosciutto and grilled. That was the only disappointment, as the goat cheese was overpowering and the prosciutto too salty.

For mains, I had shrimp and grits and he had a pork loin special. Both very good, and we took half home for another dinner.

Janice and Eric shared fried calamari (a massive plate) and both had a scallop special. They enjoyed all of it. We took a couple bites of their pistachio tiramisu, which was impressive.

Skratch is a bring your own restaurant, so you can save some money by bringing a nice wine.

https://www.skratchkitch.com/