Like French wines, and cheeses, and breads, and pastries, and homemade liquors…

<sigh> Life is hard :)

This was basically my lunch everyday.

There really was copious amount of food consumed by my family and I. I did a valiant effort to consume everything within my reach. The big problem is that my stomach has limited capacity. Even though, I powered through to eat some of the freshest breads and raw-milk bries and camenberts and pont-leveques…

(Clockwise from top left) More cheese, pain au chocolats and croissants, galettes (avec du cidre), and crepes (au chocolat!)

I didn’t stop at just cheese though. I didn’t start with it either. My day normally began with a quick trip to the local boulangerie to pick up baguettes, pain au chocolats (aka “chocolate croissants” in the US), croissants, and maybe a pastry or two. Breakfast was at least one croissant, one pain au chocolat, and one entire baguette de campagne. The process begins with me eating chunks from the still-warm baguette while walking home from the boulangerie and finishes with tartines of butter or–my favorite–fromage blanc.

I’ve talked about fromage blanc before. And I just want to reiterate that it is good.

My mother is from the Brittany area of France, which is home of the now stereotypically French crepes and galettes. Of course I had to find a Creperie and indulge. And cider–sorry, “Cidre”. This is the carbonated, alcoholic apple cider artisanally made. Not fancy apple juice or “hard cider” (though, it’s basically just really good hard cider).

Oh, there was plenty to drink...

Speaking of alcohol… Not only were there fantastic wines (this is France, after all), but there were several great homemade liquors and alcohols around. There were “griottines de fougerolles”, which you can see in the top photos. It’s essentially cherries that had been soaked in brandy.
In the bottom left, you see homemade ratafia. Which I’ll let wikipedia describe. I’ll just add that this was stronger than it appeared to be.
Finally, yes, I brought the Cucumber Fix to France. And they liked it.

I cooked too! For 15 people at once! (well, I helped my uncle cook...)

It wasn’t all me eating and drinking though. I was called upon to make food for everyone that was there, about 15 people. I had help though. Or rather, I helped the actual chef. My uncle, Serge, definitely know a thing or two about kitchens. He used to be a chef in a fancy-pants club in France. So we easily managed to make a fantastic tajine and a baked rice and seafood dish for everybody with minimal time and effort. The tajine with merguez is the top left photo, the rest are of the seafood dish. We were like two well honed machines chopping and stirring and searing and baking in the kitchen. The result was food. Tasty, tasty food.

Not food, but still awesome. I miss France.

Nope, not food in these photos. Just some shots from a walk from my grandparent’s house in Brittany. Beautiful area. It’s hard to tell, but the sun was setting in the bottom two photos. Really fantastic though.

OK, I haven’t run out of things to say, but I’ll stop with the trip report. Next week, food you can make!

Let me break this down for you though, it’s actually a pretty small step to go from salad to sandwich. Go back and look at the salad, I’ll wait… OK, we already have the spinach–lettuce in sandwiches is obvious–and putting salad dressing in a sandwich is also not uncommon either. Blueberries, I’ll grant you, aren’t obvious, but they were great in the salad. That leaves us with what missing?– Cheese and bread? Cheese easily goes in both, in fact, I debated crumbling either some blue cheese or goat cheese on that salad, but decided to keep things simple. As for bread–what do you think croutons are? So, all I have to do is make my croutons from whole slices of bread instead of small squares and warm the salad up between the bread and cheese.

But as I said, the situation kept spiraling out of control: I ended up making several delicious variants. Here are my three favorite.

Blueberry balsamic viniagrette (large), Spinich and tomato (top left), Sun-dried tomato and caramelized onions (bottom right). All made with goat gouda.

I’ve listed them below in order of preference, but I’ll eat any of them without complaint. I made a couple without the balsamic vinegar and blueberries, but that one was hands-down the best. (Not just my opinion either! Honest!)

For full recipes, scroll down and click through for the full article.

1) Spinach and blueberry grilled cheese with a balsamic glaze

Best. Grilled cheese. Ever.

With that salad on my mind, this was the first one I made. The dark, slightly-black looking surface on the bread is actually balsamic glaze, bot burnt toast. Note that all these sandwiches were made with goat gouda and a rustic, wheat, sour-dough bread. Any wheat or sourdough would fine. I might try a goat brie next time though, it may melt a bit better (and the blueberries will stick better when assembling it).

2) Hint-of-heat tomato and caramelized onion grilled cheese

This is probably the most basic of the bunch.

Remember that sun-dried tomato spread? I froze some and couldn’t help but use it here. It’s like a gift that keeps giving. This sandwich has a healthy amount of caramelized onions in it, and I’m OK with that. Once they are cooked down, all that’s left is this mild earthy sweetness that pairs really well with the tomato and cheese. That hint of heat? A pinch of red pepper flakes. Seriously, it really brought everything home.

3) Spinach, tomato, spinach, caramelized onions, and spinach grilled cheese.

This one goes out to all the spinach lovers out there...

Lots of spinach (lots), a few slices of roma tomato, goat gouda, and some caramelized onions. Great stuff, but for once I may have overdone it with the spinach. The sandwich had nearly two cups of wilted spinach in it. It was great though, the tomato and the goat gouda helped cut through it. This one could have slid into the number two spot if either the cheese was increased or the spinach was decreased.

So now that you know, let’s break down how to do each one:

1) Spinach and blueberry grilled cheese with a balsamic glaze

Stop whatever you are doing and make this.

Spinach and blueberry grilled cheese with a balsamic glaze
The proportions vary depending on the size of you slice, so I’ve deliberately left some of the proportions a bit vague. This should make enough for two sandwiches.

Ingredients
blueberries (get the most flavorful you can find, I find the organic ones to be superior)
3/4 to 1 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh baby spinach
goat gouda (or goat brie)
2 tbsps butter (melted)
4 slices rustic bread
splash of vegetable or canola oil

Directions
1. In a small, non-reactive pot or skillet over medium to medium high heat add the balsamic vinegar. Bring to a bares simmer, adjusting the heat if needed, until it reduces by about half and has thickened. Don’t over-reduce as it will continue to thicken as it cools.
2. Brush one side of all four slices of the bread with the melted butter–this will be the outside. Spread the other side, the inside, with the balsamic glaze. Some may seep through the holes in the bread, this is OK.
3. Put a layer of the spinach on the bottom slice, then layer the cheese. Carefully place the blueberries on the cheese and close the sandwich to keep them in place. I had maybe a dozen blueberries or so in each sandwich. A couple fell out while cooking that I tried to sneak back in. Protip: If you use goat brie, you’ll have a better time getting the blueberries to stick to the cheese–they kinda roll off the sliced gouda.
4. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add just a drop of oil and spread it around the skillet with a paper towel. (You don’t want to cook in the oil, you’ve already buttered the bread. The oil is to give extra insurance against sticking if cheese oozes out.)
5. When the skillet is warm, place the sandwiches into the skillet and allow to cook until the bottom is toasted and golden. Cover as best as you can to help the gouda melt. Once the base is golden, carefully flip the sandwiches over (picking up any blueberries that escape) and cook until the next side is golden (covered, again).
Extra. If you have any glaze left over, spread some over the top. That stuff is delicious. Serve with some blueberries on the side.

2) Hint-of-heat tomato and caramelized onion grilled cheese

Excellent sandwich. The onions and tiny bit of red pepper flakes make it.

Hint-of-heat (sun-dried) tomato and caramelized onion grilled cheese
The proportions vary depending on the size of you slice, so I’ve deliberately left some of the proportions a bit vague. This should make enough for two sandwiches.

Ingredients
2 tbsps butter (melted)
4 pinches red pepper flakes
Sun-dried tomato spread (see recipe)
caramelized onions (about 3 onions worth, see recipe here)
4 slices rustic bread
splash of vegetable or canola oil

Directions
1. Brush one side of all four slices of the bread with the melted butter–this will be the outside. Spread the other side, the inside, with the tomato spread. Sprinkle a pinch or two of red pepper flakes over the side with the tomato spread. Add a healthy amount of caramelized onion. Those are the only additions other than cheese, so don’t skimp. Then add some sliced goat gouda and close the sandwich.
2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add just a drop of oil and spread it around the skillet with a paper towel. (You don’t want to cook in the oil, you’ve already buttered the bread. The oil is to give extra insurance against sticking if cheese oozes out.)
3. When the skillet is warm, place the sandwiches into the skillet and allow to cook until the bottom is toasted and golden. Cover as best as you can to help the gouda melt. Once the base is golden, carefully flip the sandwiches over and cook until the next side is golden (covered, again).

3) Double spinach and fresh tomato goat gouda grilled cheese

I love the wilted spinach in this.

Double spinach and fresh tomato goat gouda grilled cheese
The proportions vary depending on the size of you slice, so I’ve deliberately left some of the proportions a bit vague. This should make enough for two sandwiches.

Ingredients
about 4 cups spinach
2 tbsps butter (melted)
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1 roma tomato, sliced thin
caramelized onions
4 slices rustic bread
splash of vegetable or canola oil
2 tbsps olive oil

Directions
1. In a large pot over medium to medium high heat add a the olive oil, then add the spinach. Stir frequently until all the spinach is wilted and has reduced in volume.
2. Brush both sides of all four slices of the bread with the melted butter. Sprinkle a pinch of red pepper flakes over one side of each piece of bread. Add a small amount of caramelized onion to two of the slices of bread (think of these two slices as the “bottom” of each sandwich). Add some sliced goat gouda, then pile half the spinach onto each sandwich. Add two or three slices of the roma tomato and add more slices of the gouda. Close the sandwich with the remaining slice of bread.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add just a drop of oil and spread it around the skillet with a paper towel. (You don’t want to cook in the oil, you’ve already buttered the bread. The oil is to give extra insurance against sticking if cheese oozes out.)
4. When the skillet is warm, place the sandwiches into the skillet and allow to cook until the bottom is toasted and golden. Cover as best as you can to help the gouda melt. Once the base is golden, carefully flip the sandwiches over and cook until the next side is golden (covered, again).

Winter BLT

Really, this sandwich was an excuse to use up some bagels and that terrific sun-dried tomato spread. My original humble idea was to make a simple BLT. The issue with that though is that in the dead of winter, fresh tomatoes just aren’t available. (Sure, tomatoes are available year-round, but the best BLT are ones made with honest-to-goodness, outdoor-grown, vine-ripened, hyphen-laden-adjective, heirloom-style tomatoes.) I had just made that sun-dried tomato spread, so I figured I could use that as a substitute. And if I was going to make one substitute, why not make several. Bagels, obviously, were on hand. Avocados are always tasty (doubly so in a BLT). And bean sprouts? Why not, they are healthy–it’ll offset the bacon!

Get your chompers around this!

I’ll spare you the assembly directions, I trust you to be clever enough to assemble the ingredients listed above between two slices of toasted bagels. Don’t let me down, now. I believe in you. Go and enjoy a BLT in the winter. Now you have no excuse for not having access to fresh tomatoes.

I believe this is what is called "the money shot"

Not much going on in the looks department here.

These didn’t taste bad, they just don’t look like much. But that sometimes happens when you try new things. In fact, this post is less about introducing a new recipe as it is an encouragement to try experimenting in the kitchen. Not all recipes have to be clever, unique, or look astounding. Start with something you like and let your curiosity take over. Make a few small changes, try a different seasoning, switch some vegetables…

(If you do want this recipe, click this link for the roasted chickpea recipe, and reduce the baking time to 30 minutes, check after 20. I made the savory version.)

Don’t be afraid to take one idea and apply it to another. Look for contrasts or similarities. Let’s use these (or any) roasted beans as a launching point. Start by considering their texture: crunchy. What is their flavor like: fairly neutral, but easily modifiable (they originally taste like beans, obviously). What else is crunchy, but has a neutral, easily modifiable flavor… croutons! Consider using dry roasted beans as a garnish on a salad. Maybe roast the beans with a bit of garlic powder and some herbs to make them more like garlic croutons. See, that was an easy and original twist for your next salad.

Don’t be afraid to trying new things in the kitchen, you may be happily surprised. And if you aren’t, well, you don’t need to blog about it. You can leave that to me :)

My food aspirations at the NC State Fair were a bit lower than that. I had to work my way up to the atrociously unhealthy foods. (“Foods” is a term that was liberally used at many stalls at the fair.)

I started with the NC State University’s Food Science College’s Howling Cow Ice Cream. The demand is such that the lines at this stand form even before it opens. Fortunately, the pace is brisk and the servings are generous. We picked up three flavors, Chocolate Mint Chip, Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, and Cookies & Cream. These kids beat most other creameries by a long shot. Best $4 spent at the fair. (The worst was on the damn game where you have to try to lift a soda bottle using a ring tied to the end of a strong.) I heartily recommend it. I’m pretty jealous of those students able to get it at the dining hall year-round.

I would have eaten them all myself... but let's be realistic. I needed to save room for something deep fried.

After much wandering and losing money at the games on the fairgrounds, we decide to find the most outrageous fried food item we could. Apparently, the new popular thing this year has been the “Texas Fried Frito Pie”. This snack is apparently so awesome that its website looks like something made in 1998 on geocities. It’s like someone scooped chili into each little frito, then breaded the whole thing and dropped it into a deep fryer. If you aren’t sold on it already I’m afraid there is nothing I can do. It’s a great novelty food item, but I’m not even sure I can make it sound more appetizing than simply describing it. I’ll admit to eating it, and even to enjoying it. But I’ll also say this, three people split one serving of this and had enough to eat. (That ice cream was surprisingly filling though.) I still haven’t had deep fried cookie dough. I’m generally a fan of cookie dough anything, so I’ll have to try that next time.

There needs to be some kind of eating competition to see if someone can eat all the ridiculous food items at the fair in a single sitting... On second though, there absolutely does not.

You win again, state fair. I’m going go eat some carrots and hummus now.

One of the food related events that really stood out was Charcuterie 101. This was essentially a guided tasting of nine different meats paired with wine. The event was held in the cellar of Macelleria and presented by Herb Eckhouse of La Quercia and Jake Dickson and Chef Gabriel Ross of Dickson’s Farmstand Meats. Prosciutto, coppa, pancetta, a terrine, pastrami (served cold!), and a chicken liver pate were among the meats we got to sample. The speakers were very informative and lead us from one sample to the other explaining the differences in the preparation and flavors present. See more of the meats at this link.

sooooo tasty

I also attended a whiskey tasting at Abe and Arthur’s led by Matt Purpura of Beam Global Spirits & Wine. We all had 10 different drinks to sample. Perhaps the most interesting, but least tasty, was an unaged sample of new bourbon whiskey–or “white dog”, as it’s known. It’s essentially raw bourbon, clear in color and much more of a neutral, grainy flavor than you would expect–like straight grain alcohol. And really, that’s essentially what it is–none of the wood flavor has been imparted to the drink yet. While it was interesting, I wouldn’t recommend drinking it often. Comparing several whiskeys, aged to different length, aged in differently charred barrels really led to a greater appreciation of whiskey, and I’m not even the biggest fan of the drink! (I could drink gin all day though.) Click here for a list of all the whiskeys we got to taste.

This was actually really interesting. Anyone interested in having a Whiskey tasting here?

Apart from the Food and Wine events, I again stopped by Little Branch for some very good drinks. I wandered through Chelsea Market looking for coffee (Ninth Street Espresso) and some kind of chocolate (Fat Witch Bakery). Beyond that, I must recommend the awesome bakery Two Little Red Hens. This place has some very amazing muffins, biscuits, cookies, cupcakes, cakes, coffee, pies, scones, and, well, you get the point. Look, go there, get the apple muffin. Calling it a muffin is almost wrong. It’s terribly moist, flavorful, and just sweet enough.

My only regret is not packing a bunch of bagels to bring back home. And maybe trying to freeze some NY pizza. There is always next time.

Two Little Red Hens Bakery, By Richard Berg on Flickr

That question was actually the title of a song from The Intelligence that my brother sprung on me. It was a fun little exchange, but I wasn’t that satisfied by my answers. I never conducted the proper research to find out what could work.

Well, when I made that souffle last week, the question came back. I was having people over and wanted to serve something to drink with it, but my mind had trouble wrapping around what to pair the meal. Considering the amount of eggs in it (eight!), there was going to be some eggyness to it, no doubt about that. So, what wine goes with eggs?

I could troll the Internets for an answer, but I have a better source. The French! I gave my parents a quick call to ask them what they thought I should serve. My mom (the French one), my dad (the English one), and I had a little back and forth:

William: “So, what wine to serve with a souffle?”
Dad: “Hold on…” sounds of rustling
Mom: “Oh dear, your father is consulting his hugh johnson.”
Me: “As long as it’s the book by the wine writer, then I’m OK with that… But what do you think, mom?”
Mom: “Oh, c’est simple–Don’t serve the souffle!”
Me: “Maman! Ca ne m’aide pas! That doesn’t help me!”
Mom: “Tu compliques les choses. I always start with the wine and then build the dish around that. It’s much more simple that way.”
Me: “Uh, OK. Well, Dad, did the book suggest anything?”
Dad: “Well, it has written here a dry Burgundy or sparkling white.”
Me: “And with just eggs?”
Dad: “He says that if he must, he’ll have a champagne with scrambled eggs.”

OK, maybe the conversation didn’t go exactly like that, but I’m the one writing this, so I can pretend. Regardless, it’s true: Sparkling wine does go great with a souffle. So if you make this and want to have something nice to drink, grab a bottle of champagne or French sparkling wine. You won’t go wrong and people will be impressed not only by the fantastic souffle, but also by the nice champagne you pop open.

A lot of Kit Kats, a lot of flavors

Unfortunately, on average, the flavors were, well, “interesting”. Some were pretty good. Even the unusual ones were not awful. But I still wouldn’t really wish the Soy Sauce flavor on many people (unless you are a fan of white chocolate and soy sauce, then don’t let me stop you). It wasn’t that many of these were bad, it’s more that they tasted very sweet–cloyingly sweet, even. I’m a huge fan of dark chocolate, so getting very sweet, very milky chocolate or white chocolate was less than ideal for me. But they were definitely interesting to try.

Frambroise (frambroise) flavored Kit Kats

Some of my friends were apprehensive about the flavors, but eventually they all came around and had some of each. Their reactions–less than enthusiastic. Let’s just say that I don’t think most of these will catch on very well in the US market. The cheesecake and fruit ones were the favorites. (It’s not a worry anyway, in the US, Kit Kats are made by Hershey whereas in the rest of the world Nestlé is the manufacturer. Which is a shame, because the regular Nestlé ones, IMHO, are better.)

Wikipedia has a big list of flavors here.

Wasabit Kit Kats

Soy Sauce Kit Kats

I had the wonderful opportunity to dine at this Michelin rated restaurant courtesy of Tsumori-san. Simply put, this meal was fantastic. ASO is what I’d classify as modern Italian cuisine with its blends of recent advances in food science (stable foams and emulsions) and classically themed dishes to create novel and delicious meals. They are serious about making excellent food, but don’t take themselves so seriously that they aren’t willing to have a bit of fun. The combination of plating foods in interesting ways and involving the diner with the eating experience helps keep the atmosphere convivial and relaxed while still keeping a strong focus on the food.

Rather than detail every course, I’ll go over a few of the fun and interesting parts of the meal. The meal was set as an eight course menu with a wine pairing for each course. The cheese course isn’t listed on the menu.

Menu from Ristorante ASO in Tokyo, Japan.

Admittedly there was more than one instance where the waiter had to explain how the meal was intended to be eaten as the presentation could appear intimidating at first. As the first course was brought out to the table, I knew I was in for a treat and that the chef wanted to set some expectations for the coming meal. The first course was brought out with an inverted shot glass on the plate. On the top (the bottom of the glass, technically) were several tips of asparagus. Underneath the shot glass was a small salad of shaved asparagus. Two of the three promised asparagus preparations were already present, what was the third? I finished the asparagus tips and set my shot glass right-side up to begin the salad. No sooner than my glass was inverted, a waiter filled the glass with a refreshing asparagus soup. Each preparation was simple and straightforward with clear, pleasing flavor. The asparagus was front and center in each iteration, with other more subtle flavors taking minor roles. An exceedingly simple premise that I’m sure took quite a bit of patience and practice to develop and prepare.

Some assembly required.

In the photo above you can see a bit of the involvement needed on the diner’s part that I mentioned earlier. This part of the meal was a pasta dish, but the plate of seafood set in front of me left me perplexed. Notice that insulated glass container in the top right of the photo? That’s the pasta. Each diner who ordered the same dish combined the two together at the table. Involving the diners on a level more than just eating made us experience the food in other ways. How does the food combine? Does the food become more than the sum of the parts once combined? Would they have been appreciated as much separately? Was there a culinary reason as to the separate preparation? As you can see, many thoughts passed through my mind as I enjoyed the meal. Also, notice the foam on the top of the pasta–that dissolved into the dish to become a sauce.

Mini food in the top left, actual portions in the bottom right.

Here is a prime example of the playfulness of the chef. When the meat course was brought to our tables, some of us were presented with miniaturized version of the meal! The staff quickly replaced the plates of tiny food with the full sized portions after the joke became apparent, but it was fun to see the chef keep humor in the meal as well. It makes me appreciate one of my continuing driving forces in cooking: To have a fun time with friends. Food isn’t just eating, it’s the experience of sharing a good meal with good people and enjoying oneself.

I’ll cut to the desserts now so I don’t get too long winded, but I’ll leave you with a few final thoughts at the end.

Orbiting Chocolate Cake

I’m a sucker for chocolate cake, so I had to order it for dessert. After such a meal, I knew that the pastry chef had to have his act together. But I wasn’t expecting this! It looks almost planetary; I expected other bits of chocolate to be orbiting it. I could hardly bring myself to destroy it–OK, after the first bite, I fairly easily destroyed it. It was even more delicious than it was beautifully presented. Different intensities of chocolate played off of each other, from the smooth melting bits of solid chocolate that were the orbits paths, to the gelato that was orbiting the outside, to the cake itself at the center.

Simple and good.

This dessert looked wonderful in its simplicity. I’m a huge fan of the chocolate sculpture I ate, but simplicity is too often overlooked. Not in this dessert. Gelato. On ice. And salt. Three kinds of salt, no less. We were all amused by the presentation of the large block of clear ice but, frankly, what better way to keep ice cream chilled! The salt was there to play off of the sweetness of the dish as it can intensify and enhance flavors.

I’ve often thought that overly complicated presentations are interesting but can quickly become tiring. I’m a big proponent of simple meals that are excellently prepared. I too often have had a poorly cooked steak that would otherwise lack flavors if it had not been slathered in some kind of sauce. It is rare to find an excellently prepared steak with fantastic taste alone (unless you are in Argentina). The chef here kept it light and playful. His skill and uniqueness was not overlooked, but he knew when to indulge and when to keep things minimalistic. This balance of letting good food stand on its own and alternatively be enhanced by the chef’s preparations made for one of the best dining experiences I have had.

A little arrangement brought out to the tables with coffee after the meal.

Final thoughts:

Bacon and Brussels sprouts! Awesome!

You gotta be resourceful in a kitchen this size.

Even while in France, I couldn’t help myself but to make a few meals for some friends. In fact, we were asked to bring food to a couple parties. I couldn’t resist the urge to make a bunch of awesome quesadilla’s to blow some French people’s minds. Tex-Mex food isn’t quite common over there. Needless to say, they were well received. But I was in France, so I definitely did sample the local food (great steak, awesome wine, terrific cheeses).

So, enjoy the food related photos and I’ll see you here again with some recipes next time!

Of course, I had to go to l’as du falafel again.

can I haz falafel

I did have a food revelation thanks to my brother: fromage blanc is amazing. I can’t seem to find it here in Raleigh though, which is unfortunate. It’s such a simple pleasure, it’s not even fancy. Just a mild cheesy, yogurty, curdy goodness. Imagine a cross between Greek yogurt and ricotta. I would just spread it on some fresh baguette and call it breakfast or a mid day snack. I did some research back in the US for the English name for it and they all sound like names of characters in Lord of the Rings or something: Topfen, Quark, Tvorog, or Kaas. Try to tell me that I am wrong.

Dinner in Nantes (top), Le Labo bar in Nantes (bottom left), Breakfast (bottom right).

The meals in France were always stellar. Above you can see a seared goat cheese salad with prosciutto and melon eaten at Millesime 68 in Nantes. Next to it is beef and potatoes gratin. I forget what it was actually called, but the sauce was very rich meaty.

After dinner, I stopped by a bar called Le Labo. Their thing is to play up the whole “laboratory” atomosphere. Their drinks are served in lab flasks or beakers and the drinks list is organized into things like “Cryogenics” and “Erlenmeyers.” If that’s not your thing, they also double as a pretty impressive rum bar with a long and varied list of rums to choose from. (Photo of Menu here, and here.)

Bread is still amazing in France. That last photo was basically my breakfast every morning there. I devoured a baguette and some kind of croissant, pain au chocolat, or pastry. I wish I could still have baguette and fromage blanc here in Raleigh…

Petanque with a group of friends at the canal (top), Poached egg with asparagus (bottom left), English beer in France (bottom center), The Black Lips, an Atlanta, GA band playing in Paris (bottom right).

Other interesting revelations:
-Playing petanque with a group of friends by the canal is a great way to spend an afternoon. Though finding out which brother is winning can be tough.
-Speaking of good meals, the poached egg with asparagus was the appetizer and beginning of a great meal at Café Panique. Unfortunately, I don’t have any other photos, so I’ll just move on.
-Potato chips come in different flavors than over here too. Many were very meat-centric like Rotisserie Chicken or Chorizo.
-I didn’t go out to eat as much this time, so no serious restaurant reviews like last year. I mostly made simple dinners with my brother or bummed around the city. It was good just to relax and not take much seriously for a while.
-I managed to find decent English beer, but it just wasn’t the same in France. It’ll hold me over until I go back to England though.
-Speaking of traveling to one country to see something from another: I saw the Black Lips in Paris. I lived in Atlanta for five years and never saw them in their home town, but I travel to Paris and see them there… go figure. Great show though.