Thursday, September 21

This year’s trip to Europe follows the pattern of our 2016 trip, with two days in Paris at the beginning and three at the end, staying with our friends Ana and Bertrand in La Varenne, and six days of touring in between.  This year our tour will be to Normandy and Brittany, which I will post about as it evolves.

Quai Winston Churchill, La Varenne-St. Hilaire

Once again, we had a very nice flight on Norwegian, arriving on time. We found a cab driver whose GPS led us faultlessly to 79 Quai Winston Churchill, giving us just enough time to say hi to Ana and Bertrand before hurrying off to lunch at Clown Bar, the very trendy bistro in the trendy 11th Arrondissement.

Clown Bar

This is one of two restaurants we are trying this time that are run by Japanese-born chefs, and combine Asian influences with French technique.  The food was as fabulous as we had hoped.  We started with three appetizers and then shared one main course (everything is a la carte).  First up was a bowl of calf brains and a plate of tempura sardines with a red pepper cream dipping sauce, both outstanding.  Next was steak tartare, which, though we would have preferred it to have more spice, was nonetheless delicious, and helped by the generous amount of black pepper that I added.  The main course was pigeon, cooked perfectly rare, with the most wonderful potatoes.  We were quite filled, so no dessert, just two coffees.  With a bottle of an interesting wine from the Ardeche, “Le Canon” 2013, the bill came to 114 euros.

The atmosphere is rather no-frills, with the exception of the gorgeous ceiling and bar.  The servers were very cordial and attentive, really nice people.  This is a fun place.

http://www.clown-bar-paris.com/

After lunch, we headed back to La Varenne, where we first stopped off at the Spanish gourmet shop to buy several bottles of Pedro Ximenez Sherry, then visited with Ana and Bertrand before we all headed off to dinner at Le Radis Beurre in the 13th.  We were excited to return there after the wonderful lunch we had there last year.

Le Radis Beurre

Once again the food was superb, and Ana and Bertrand were thrilled to try it.  The three-course menu at 35 euros is a steal, and the menu changes daily, though the signature appetizer of pig’s feet seems to always be available.  Bertrand and I started with that, while Stanley and Ana had the pate de campagne.  For the main course, I had beef tongue with mashed potatoes and gaufrettes, and the others had confit of lamb belly with Paimpol beans.  Both dishes were exquisite.  For dessert, Stanley had a poached pear with ice cream and chocolate sauce, while the rest of us had rice pudding with caramel sauce.  With a bottle of Cotes du Roussillon, Les Milleres 2015, the total was 175 euros.

As before, the service was very friendly and professional, and the atmosphere simple but elegant.

http://www.restaurantleradisbeurre.com/fr/index.php

Friday, September 22

Friday morning, after a rather fitful sleep, I took it easy and started writing this post.  Then we headed into Paris again for lunch at Amarante, once again revisiting a favorite from last year’s trip.

Amarante

Once again, I started with thin-sliced cold veal tongue.  Stanley had foie gras.  Then I had the pintade and he had tripe.  The lunch menu is a great deal at 19 euros.  We had a bottle of Cotes du Rhone, and the total with two coffees was 70 euros.

 » quand on veut aller au théâtre on regarde le résumé avant et on arrive à l’heure « 

After lunch, we went to the Petit Palais to see the special exhibits, one of pastels and the other of the Swedish artist Anders Zorn.  They were well put together and the building is magnificent.

http://www.petitpalais.paris.fr/en

By then it was late afternoon, so we had just enough time to get back to La Varenne and relax a bit before going back into Paris for dinner at Tomy & Co. in the 7th.  Tomy Gousset was formerly the chef at Pirouette, and opened his own restaurant a year ago.  We didn’t manage to try it then, so it was on our list for this trip.

Tomy & Co.

We opted for the three course menu at 47 euros (with 6 euro supplements on two of the dishes).  Stanley started with gnocchi with black truffles, a lovely dish, though the truffles did not have the intense flavor of the ones we’ve had in Piemonte (see my post on that from last year).  I began with an interesting variation on tete de veau that was very good.  Our main courses were confit of shoulder of chevreuil (roe deer) topped with foie gras, and duck breast with beets, both delicious.  For dessert we ordered figs with cream sauce, and a Granny Smith apple ice with tapioca.  They brought us an extra dessert, which was a chocolate tart with nuts (this was actually the best of them all).

With a bottle of Cahors at 25 euros, the total was 131 euros.

After dinner, we stopped at Gare de Lyon to pick up the rental car for the trip to Normandy and Brittany, and drove back to La Varenne.  My report on Normandy is coming up next.

The Red Cat opened in 1999, and Stanley and I tried it sometime not long after.  We liked it, but somehow never felt compelled to return.  So when I received a 30% off deal from Blackboard Eats recently, I thought why not give it another try.  I’m glad we did.  Looking at the menu, I thought it seemed a bit pricey, but the portions were so generous that we could easily have made a dinner out of two appetizers per person or shared a main course.  They also have a nice selection of beers, so ordering a bottle of wine is not necessary.

We started with calamari alla puttanesca and steak tartare.  These were heavenly. For mains, I chose calf’s liver and he had tagliatelle with mushrooms and capers. The liver was a thick slab, which allowed it to be cooked rare, as I prefer it, a nice change from the usual thin-sliced versions.  Though we were quite stuffed, we could not resist the desserts, so we shared the pick me up sundae, which is actually a slight variation on tiramisu, and probably the best take on it that I’ve ever had.

Add to this the cheerful atmosphere and attentive service, and you have a place that deserves many return visits.

http://www.theredcat.com/

Chop-Shop II is the Flatiron branch of Chop-Shop in West Chelsea.  Not having been to the original, I can’t compare them, but we have enjoyed our two meals here very much.  My only complaint is that, as with many Asian restaurants, the food comes out a little too fast. You can easily be in and out in forty-five minutes.

The food is a mixture of Chinese, Thai and other styles.  Dishes are well spiced without being mouth-burning.  We loved the lamb dumplings, chicken lollipops, coconut curry risotto, spare ribs, and flank steak.  Szechuan orange beef  and drunken noodles with shrimp were good but could have been spicier.  I love that they serve Beer Lao.

Service was cordial and attentive.

http://www.chop-shop.co/flatiron/

We had another very enjoyable dinner last week at Hudson Curry House.  Having been there several times now, I’ve found it to be consistently tasty, with excellent service every time.

Housed in what was formerly a Wendy’s, in one of the nondescript shopping areas on Fairiew Ave., it doesn’t look very promising, but don’t be put off.  Do be aware they do not have a license to sell alcohol, so you may bring your own beer or wine, which for us is a big plus.  The prices are very low for the quality of the food.  They have a buffet on Wednesday and Friday, but we have not tried it.  I would only order a la carte.

Dishes we have liked best are the two shrimp appetizers, another appetizer listed on the menu as shish kebab that is really seekh kebab (ground meat grilled on a skewer) with onions and peppers, chicken jalfreze, lamb vindaloo, salmon curry, and chicken malai kebab. All dishes come with a generous portion of basmati rice. We always tell them we like the food spicy, and it’s been just right.

http://hudsoncurryhouse.com/

Front view

We were in Claverack this past weekend, and on Sunday we decided to head to Rhinebeck for a tour of Wilderstein.  We have visited most of the historic homes in Dutchess and Columbia counties in the last twenty-five years, but somehow never got to this one.  It is a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon.

Wilderstein was built by Thomas Suckley (pronounced Sookley), a descendant of the Beekman and Livingston families, in 1852, as a much more modest Italianate house, then remodeled and greatly enlarged in 1888 in the Queen Anne style, by Thomas’ son Robert.

Side view

The last occupant of the house, Margaret Suckley, known as Daisy, was a close friend and confidante of Franklin Roosevelt.  Whether there was a romantic involvement has never been confirmed, but she spent a great deal of time with him after he and Eleanor began living separately.  There is a wonderful interview in the introductory video that begins the tour, of Daisy and her sister Elizabeth, when Daisy was ninety-five, four years before her death.

View of the Hudson from the house

The interior is fascinating in its ornateness, along with the Victorian preference for very dark rooms.  I took these photos of the entrance hall before we were informed that photography was not permitted:

For more information and visiting hours, visit the website:

Home

Click on the image below to view, and enlarge as needed:

Stanley and I headed to Maine yesterday with our friends Arthur and Al.   On the way to Cundy’s Harbor for the weekend, we stopped in Portland for lunch.  We had hoped to get into Eventide Oyster Co., where we had a wonderful lunch three years ago, but it is so popular that the wait for a table or bar seating can easily run to an hour.  A friend had recommended Honey Paw, which is next door and under the same ownership, as an alternative.  We were able to get seated without a wait, though it did fill up while we were there.  The food here is a mix of seafood, meat and some vegetarian options, with Asian influences, all beautifully plated and delicious.  It’s mainly small plates, running $15 on average.  Two plates made for a very filling lunch.

I particularly liked the glass noodle salad with seafood, whose flavors reminded me very much of the Malaysian style cooking of Zak Pelaccio, which we loved at the now defunct Fatty Crab in Manhattan, and more recently at Back Bar in Hudson.  The fried spare ribs were well-spiced and meaty.  They also have a great selection of beers on tap and in bottles.  We had a Founder’s Stout that was superb.

http://www.thehoneypaw.com/

UPDATE:  Sale closed on 10/5 for $1,585,000, which is $285,000 above the original asking price!

Offer accepted after multiple bids, in less than two weeks on the market, far above the asking price, and now in contract.

To view, click on images below and enlarge as needed:

To view the full listing, please visit my web page:

http://www.wohlfarth.com/listing-details/coop-970126.html

view the listing, click on this link:

http://www.wohlfarth.com/property/49-county-rt-65/

Last week, Stanley and I had dinner with our friend Victor at Wm. Farmer & Sons.  It is yet another “farm to table” restaurant, and it has earned a well-deserved reputation for excellent food, a fine addition to the ever-growing Hudson restaurant scene.

The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with just the right level of lighting.

Starters we had were beet salad, octopus, and rabbit pate, and main courses were chicken pot pie and duck breast.  We liked everything.   It’s especially nice that they use chicken thighs, giving the pot pie a much richer flavor.  The duck was perfectly done medium-rare.

The beer list shows a lot of thought. We very much enjoyed the porter from Suarez Family Brewery in Livingston.

By the way, Wm. Farmer & Sons also rents rooms, and is just two blocks from the station.

http://www.wmfarmerandsons.com/