Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts

Food for thought and not only that: Les Compagnons de la Grappe

Photo Credit: http://www.cartesurtables.com/

Les Compagnons de la Grappe
**** (out of 5)

26 rue Lepelletier
Lille, 59000, France

Neatly-tucked away from the hustle of Lille's centre, Les Compagnons de la Grappe offers traditional Flemish and French fare in a wonderful cosy rustic setting. The restaurant makes simple, honest, and great-tasting home-like meals in a similar setting.

The outdoor patio / terrace looks lovely and welcoming but even though the heaters were on, it was too chilly for a November night to enjoy food outside. It was pretty adventurous of us to head out on a Friday night with no reservations. The place was packed, but amazingly enough, we were seated immediately at a cute corner table by the fireplace.

The decor is simple, bright and cheerful; the place exudes great ambiance. The menu was extensive with the regional Flemish specialties and French regulars; I picked a duck salad that I adore ever since visiting Gascony - Le Salade Composee (or Salade Landaise) with the best of the season - foie gras, magret de canard and gesiers. The plate was overflowing with goodness of regional produce - with potatoes on the side, the foie gras was very tender, the magret had just the right texture and smokiness, and the dish, overall, hearty and great-tasting. For desert we split a light rum baba that came with a generous portion of rum on the side.

The service was fantastic, quick and unobtrusive. The extensive menu options and the variety were a pleasant surprise in a restaurant that competes with hundreds of others in the category of Northern French gastronomy. I wouldn't hesitate going there again, actually, I just might.. soon!

Cologne Dom

Germany has quickly cured any melancholy I felt for the warm sunny Adelaide. Basking in the afternoon sun in a cafe on a cute car-free square in Wuppertal, enjoying my coffee and wholesome German brunch I was reminded why I'm so drawn to Europe.

We spent a couple of days getting over the jet lag, walking and shopping, eating out, relaxing in a hotel sauna and splashing in the jacuzzi. Having got used to Australian food, Germany's menu was refreshingly different. I couldn't remember the last time my schitzel was so incredibly good as this time in April.

Two days of relaxation seemed enough and next day we hopped on a train to Koln (Cologne). The last time I was there was about 10 years ago but I still remembered the beautiful cathedral and the tea cafe at the square. This time around the cathedral seemed even more magestic, glowing in the spring sun; the Gothic detailing - breathtaking. We climbed to the top of the Dome and the Little Nomads counted all 533 steps up and down.

Next we visited Wallraf-Richartz Museum, which is not too far from the Dom. In the city that boasts such an amazing architectural treasure, the museums are often overlooked. I was so surprised to have found this museum! Its collection is extensive but manageable, covering 13-19cc.

Yummy pretzels that you have to try when you are in Koln

Having walked along the Rhone river we headed to the Chocalate Museum sponsored by Lindt. And what a treat it was for the kids!!! 2,5 hours that we had spent there were not long enough for all the things they could and wanted to do. They explored every nook and corner of the 3-floor facility, pressed every button and watched every demo. Finally, we indulged ourselves in the museum's cafe. A Russian-speaking waitress brought us white chocolate for the kids, Aztec coffee for me and Crispy Gold coffee for the Big Nomad. An array of deserts followed.

At least two pounds heavier, tired, but happy (chocoate releases body's happiness hormones) we headed back. The gloomy weather, gusty wind, cold, and drizzle did not seem to be that unpleasant with warm coffee and chocolate warming us from the inside.

Chocolate Art in the Chocolate Museum's cafe

Mutter Wittig interior
(courtesy of the MW site)

The staples of German cuisine are potatoes and meat. The range of cooking creativity applied to both of these ingredients is amazing.

The country has really perfected the art of potato preparation and brought such variety to this simple starchy vegetable! There were 8 of us in a seriously-German and extremely popular Bochum restaurant Mutter Wittig (founded by a former midwife). Each one of us got a different potato accompaniment with a twist (which doesn't include boiled or mashed potatoes): rosti, croquette, fries, etc. Beside 5-7 chicken and / or turkey dishes, the menu lists 6-8 types of steaks and 10 types of pork schnitzels, roast goose and duck fillet. You truly need to be passionate about meat and potatoes to appreciate such variety!

Other traditional restaurants we visited offer similar entrees, in addition to cutlets and meatballs for kids. Usually, my schnitzels and steaks were delicious, but how often can you eat a slab of meat!?

Kamps bakery chain is a live-savior for a family with kids! They have a huge variety of German pastries, as well as great sandwiches and coffee.

Knorr's and Maggi's (and such) powdered pre-packaged sauces, seasonings, dry soups, and bases seem to be beyond popular. I was browsing through stalls and isles of packages trying to figure out where the real food was. This selection is so minuscule in North America and I really hope it would stay this way!

Having spent a few months appreciating Belgian beer and French wines, I feel I am now lost to international beer and wine markets. I wonder how long it would take to train my palate to start appreciating gastronomy, wines, and beers of other parts of the world! Maybe Barossa Valley is the right place to start?

Endless rows of stalls with
prepacked sauces and bases from Knorr and Maggi

Au revoir, La France!

Bidding farewell to France took several rounds and made the leave longer, hectic, and in a way, sadder than I would have liked it to be. There were kids' farewell lunches at school, lunches with the new friends from the French class, packing for the next trip, catching up on the last sights, events, and restaurants! Alas, swift English goodbyes (which I would so much like in this case) are not for moms with kids!

The Little Nomads' teachers had hinted that it'd be nice to have a class farewell with some treats for the kids.
- Oui, avec plaisir!
What do French kids consider a treat if they have pain au chocolat for breakfast? I didn't want to leave the class with the lasting memories of North American-type sponge cake, nor was baking an option. Finally, it was decided on tarte aux fruits which was a smashing hit! Both classes had prepared beautiful albums with keepsakes of the months the boys spent at school.

By the end of November the temperature in Lille was slightly above 0C, just cool enough to remind you of the looming winter. Christmas music was floating at the Place du General-de-Gaulle around a tall decorated Chrismas tree. Marche de Noel was in full swing and the smell of roasted chestnuts, cooking specialties, and spiced wines filled the air. With these Christmas-filled memories of Lille, the Little Nomads and I left for Russia on December 1st.

The remnants of my lunch at Aux Moules -
a quirky Flemish restaurant

Vin chaud -
hot spiced wine is
a winter-time specialty in Flandres

The Very Little Nomad's farewell lunch

The Little Nomad's belle francaise

Food for thought and not only that (4)

Clement Marot ***/*

16 rue de Pas, 59000 Lille, France
www.clement-marot.com

I wondered if we'd be lucky to get a table at lunch at this Michelin-starred restaurant. The main seating area got filled up right after we had managed to get a table without a reservation. The decor was lovely, wine list exhaustive and pricey, the chef gracious and welcoming, however, I felt like inspiration was not a part of the menu. The menu du jour had a Flemish focus, which was perfect for the grey clouds, occasional snow and drizzle that day. Having spent so much time in Lille I had not yet had a chance to try Flemish food stapes besides mussels. I ordered Terrine de Poisson for an appetizer and Carbonnade Flamande for the main dish. The terrine arrived beautifully served. This colorful dish looked quite lovely with a few layers of fish and veggies but I could hardly make out the taste of fish and both the homogenized texture and the bland taste were a bit disappointing. The Carbonnade was very good but I had scooped an equally good Carbonnade off the Big Nomad's plate in Ghent in a side-street restaurant. The Big Nomad's Foie Gras Terrine was served on a bed of greens and Coq au Vin was pretty good, as I was told.

I have to admit that my expectations were set high for this place and they were not quite met. The food was quite good but only good.

L'assiette du marche ****

61 Rue Monnaie
www.assiettedumarche.com

Both the interior and the exterior of the restaurant are beautiful and it is a pleasure to be eating here. For the first time in France we had to ask for the English menu as the list was quite extensive and featuring lots of out of ordinary ingredients. I had a Salad with smoked herring and apples - an usual twist on a Russian vinaigrette, with refreshing and interesting textures. The main dish was fish (can't remember which one though) quick-fried to perfect crispy crust and tender flaky meat, accompanied by butter-sauteed leeks the taste of which still haunt me. The rum baba, which looked deceivingly simple, melted in my mouth.

The cuisine here really excels at great combination of tastes and textures. It is wonderfully-prepared, well-served by impeccable waiters in a great setting. One of the best restaurants I've visited in Lille!

Food for Thought and not only that (3)

L'Ecume des Mers (***/*)
10 Rue Pas
59000 Lille
03 20 54 95 40

Apparently, places like these do exist - impeccable service by rather arrogant but nevertheless efficient waiters in crisp white shirts who appear and disappear quietly with gleaming trays of seafood, piled oyster shells, and sparking Champaign glasses. The menu features seafood mainly - from fish to lobsters, served beautifully. Though the food very good, the stand-offish air of the restaurant makes it hard to enjoy the meal.

Le Petite Table (***/*)
59 rue de la monnaie

My grandma would cook these meals, if she were from Provence. This lovely small restaurant serves simple and unassuming food with a very approachable price tag - the way Provencal food should be. My meal consisted of seafood tartar made with smoked salmon and walnuts, seafood lasagna, and creme brulee. The portions are very big, the waiters extremely charming and welcoming, and the room itself quite homey. If you are in a mood for soul-food, this is the place to visit!

Food for Thought and not only that (2)

Le Lion Bossu *****

Courtesy of www.lelionbossu.com

The meal at this very cosy restaurant was absolutely fabulous!

In spite of its numerous awards, reviews, and accolades, we did not have difficulty getting a table for lunch. The upstairs room has about 15 tables closely put together but the room was not full and we had a wonderful time. Nothing of pretense here - lovely decor and delightful ambiance!

All of the Menu du Jour items had complex and delicate flavors: it started with a Remoulade de maigre - a spreadable fish pate with nuts on a bed of endive. My main dish was magret de canard (duck fille) with raspberry sauce and celery risotto which was absolutely fantastic! The Big Nomad's lasagnes de petoncles (scallop lasagna) with spinach and creamed mushrooms was served in red curry sauce. A little pear and almond pie in wine topped the meal and was on par with the rest of the dishes!

Magret de canard, risotto de celeri

Lasagnes de petoncles

Food for Thought and not only that: Le Compostelle

Le Compostelle ***/*

The lunch menu featured EU22 / EU17 for a 3-course / 2-course meal.

For starters, I had Cannelloni Shrimp, with chopped seafood and vegetables wittily stuffed in a cucumber and carrot cone. Presented on a beautiful blue stone slab with drips of sauce and salad. The main course - mahi-mahi (apparently, called Dorado as well) in a citrus sauce accompanied by risotto and veggies. The dessert was truly amazing - once again, beautifully presented mascarpone mousse with grapefruit. Good flavour and texture - airy and light (felt like it contained no calories!)

Cons: very dry and reserved service, a limited wine list.

“When good Americans die they go to Paris.”

Oscar Wilde

Since we are Canadians - we are good by definition, hence, we don't need to wait till we die to go to Paris!

By the Louvre

Traveling without kids tends to leave a touch of hazy sentimental after-taste to any place you visit. I had a certain image of Paris based on my previous trips, not overly romantic, but very pleasant nevertheless. I wondered if this picture of Paris would be completely ruined by the time we get back.

The trip turned out to be fantastic - quite different from all the other visits, but in a good way: we got to visit places we'd otherwise skip, walked around more rather than stand in line to get into 'hard-to-get-into' places and exhibits, went to restaurants that are laid-back rather than formal.

Here's are some highlights of the trip:

1. The Louvre

The line up was very modest and we were inside in less than 10 minutes! We were lucky to have had an hour in the galleries after showing the Little Nomads the famous Mona Lisa, as they were losing their minds amidst thousands of paintings!

The Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Etruscan, the Napoleon III apartments, the Medieval Louvre exhibits were a big hit!

2. Playgrounds and Parks

We took long and nice breaks from walking and sight-seeing in Paris' many parks, amusement squares, and playgrounds. The Luxembourg Gardens has an amazing closed-off playground for C2,50 per child! A wonderful fountain with toy boats, puppet theatre performances gave our little guys a chance to recharge their batteries. Other parks we visited: Tulieri, Champ-es-Elysee, St Eustace.

By St Eustace

3. Churches

St Eustace

The solemnity of churches became a welcome change from the museums so much so that by the end of the 1st day, the Little Nomads were screaming "Let's go visit the church!" It's hard not too, as Paris has one too many! A few we visited:

-Notre Dame Cathedral

-St. Eustace

-St. Germain-des-Pres

-St-Sulpice

-Sainte-Chapelle

Because of the European Heritage weekends all buildings normally closed to public were open. We even caught an organ demonstration and a fringe theatre acrobatics rehearsal at St. Sulpice.

4. The archaeological Crypt of the Parvis de Notre-Dame
A splendidly recreated settlement of the Parisii, the Celtic tribe that first settled on the site of Paris 2000 years ago, from which the city takes its name. The Little Nomads had fun running around the gloomy crypt with dark paths, pressing buttons that illuminate certain parts of the excavation (I'm not sure the staff were equally excited though!)

5. Centre Pompidou and the neigborhood

The colorful centre, the Stravinsky fountain, and the square filled with street performers was a great entertainment to the kids.

Chasing giant bubbles at Centre Pompidou

6. The Eiffel Tower

The shadow of the Eiffel tower

The tickets purchased online saved us what looked like hours of waiting in line. We got through the reserved line and were at the top in less than 15 minutes!

7. Hop on - hop off boat tour

Not only does a boat tour give you a different perspective of the city, but it also lets you avoid the hordes of tourists on Paris streets. The number of times you can get on the bus is not limited so essentially, we used it to get from one place to another and also, gave the Little Nomads a break from walking.

8. Fountains and Monuments

9. Dining

Having started to look around for a place to eat on Sunday evening, we realized that the only restaurants open were Asian. This did not entice us too much and we kept walking till we hit to a little pocket on Montmarte with a row of restaurants, which housed a French crowd. We found one that looked more democratic and settled for what turned out to be a very nice dinner at Le Tambour, which specializes in no-nonsense "urban rustic" cuisine.

The Impression of the Day. Who said the Parisians were rude?
A very lovely friendly bunch! Hope not in the National Lampoon's way:

Bruges, Belgium

Ever since watching "Im Brugge", I had listed Bruges as one of the top places to visit! The apparent discord between the harshness of the movie scenes and the beauty of Bruges made quite a profound effect on my impressionable soul!

Bruges is located mere 50 minutes (by train) from Lille. On the day we set off the weather was perfect - sunny and warm; the boys were in an excellent mood after a couple of freshly-baked croissants. We arrived early in the morning and headed straight to the info centre. Would I sound like an old lady by saying that times are really changing? - apparently, I could have downloaded a walking tour of Bruges on my iPhone. Oh well, we had to succumb to the traditional way of using a map and a sense of direction (or a lack thereof, in my case).

The town's history starts around 2000 years ago with a small Gallic-Roman settlement. Only in the 9th century, when the Normans had penetrated the territory and called it Bryghia (port, landing), the territory began to develop some significance as an international port connecting to the North Sea through a channel. The 15th century saw a growth spurt of the town - it prospered through trade and commerce: Middle-eastern spices, wines from Normandy, grain, Flemish cloth came through and was traded in Bruges. The Dukes of Burgundy made the town their main residence and it became the largest cultural centre north of the Alps. However, starting around 1500, the Zwin channel, which had given the city its prosperity, started silting.

The next 4 centures saw the demise of Bruges, which luckily, preserved the architecture, as for the lack of funds, no construction and development was done! Today, Bruges is the most representative town of the medieval Flemish architecture.

The tower leans 1.20cm
(or 82cm depending on the source you read)

Bruges is a city for endless walks, where narrow cobbled streets take you in twists and turns, stretching for a few miles off the area's centre.

As a must-do we climbed a winding 366-stair 83-meter-high Belfry tower, with the boys counting most the stairs on our way up. They say that on a good day you can see as far as 12-km away, but apparently, it was not a very good day as the view from the top was somewhat obstructed by partial renovation of the tower.

The Little Nomads and I took a pretty sketchy bus tour but this gave the Big Nomad an opportunity to roam the streets and take great photos, which I'm using in this blog.

We did lots of walking - it's hard to describe the line-ups of airy enchanting streets with neat houses, charming squares, and of course, the canal. The serenity of this place didn't cease to amaze me, despite occasional groups of very loud Russian tourists. Overall, the number of tourists was not overwhelming and we enjoyed the freedom of roaming the streets without bumping onto other people or having to wait in line to get into any place. A pretty good chocolate museum gave the Little Nomads a well-deserved break from the streets. To wrap up the day, we took a boat tour.

Cambrian King - the King of Beers

No trip is complete without visiting local restaurants. The kids had the usual Belgian fare -you've got to try French fries and mussels in Belgium that are larger than their French counterpart, decadent hot chocolate and Belgian waffles!

Cambrinus (Philipstockstraat 19), featuring 400 local beers, really depressed the Big Nomad - too little time to try all of them!!!

On the other hand, the same restaurant has a buyer-beware picture of Cambrinus, the King of Beer - an oversized drunk, who obviously, had way too much beer in his life.

In spite of this image glaring at me from the restaurant's walls, menu, and coasters, I had a Brugge Zot (a local blonde) and a glass of the restaurant-brewed Cambrian.