Bienvendios

Travel journal with the good-and the bad-food experiences while my semester abroad. Hope you sink in my food-wise experience and enjoy every bit of it.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Parisien crêpes


My aunt spent a whole month in Paris so she gave me directions to the best crepe she had in her one-month stay, and to say the least, they were fantastic. A hole in the wall close to the Cluny museum, however, one of the best crepes you’ll ever eat in Paris. There was a short line, most of them being locals which was a good sign. I saw how the young guy prepared crepes for other customers and was shocked to his generosity when loading the crepes. One asked for a cheese crepe and he loaded the thin crepe with about half a kilo of cheese, I’m not exaggerating, it was loads and loads of cheese. I asked for a Nutella, banana and Gran Marnier crepe. It had a somewhat large size but good for the price of 4 euro (usually it is cheaper, but since I opted for the orange liquor the price went up a bit). About the taste…very very very yummy. The crepe was a little bit toasted which gave it a crunchy texture, and the Nutella was warm and overflowing, plus the Grand Marnier gave it a special orangey aftertaste that burned in my mouth for a while. They had tons of options in the salt and sweet side, from citron and sucre to confitures and fromages. They also had panini eventhough I did not try them,they didn't look too good behind the glass-case, perhaps crepes is their speciality. This place is located in rue de la Harpe, a small wall-stand next to the cornered McDonald’s.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Chees-ey



It has been a while since I updated my blog, but I have been MIA recently in between accommodating in Florence, going to class, and meeting new people. Nevertheless, did I ever mention one of my favorite foods is cheese?


I absolutely love cheese and I always find myself in the quest to taste new types. So far I have tasted a big range: goat, frue, camembert, Roquefort, fresco, Burrata and the list could keep on forever. In Paris, I found myself asking for an “assiette de formages” every time the dessert menu arrived (aside from the usual crepe or crème brulee). They would bring a selection of various cheeses that were incredibly delicious, from creamy and gooey to sharp and dry. Brie has been my number one favorite for a while, however, I discovered (thanks to my dad) this incredibly unique French cheese called Saint-Marcellin that has now occupied a tie spot with my Brie. It was soft and exceedingly rich; I could have eaten an entire block.

I cannot even imagine how my cheese world is going to expand here in Italy; I recently found that Italians have over 400 different cheese varieties!!!!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Raclette what?

So we walked around the Quartier Latin searching for a good place to eat, and this small crowded wooden restaurant (can’t seem to remember the name argh) called our attention for their specialty in raclettes. I’m always into trying new things and this “raclette” dish (which I later found out is originally from Switzerland) I had never heard about.

We ordered an order of raclette. For those that don’t know about itmy position before this dayit comes with a small appliance that both a grill for warming potatoes and a burner for cheese melting. When the cheese is melted you pour it on top of the potato and crush it with a fork. Then add some meat, I chose salami and then top it off with a dollop of sour cream and into your mouth. I know it may sound confusing but it is a delicious dish that’s fun to share with a group of people.

Macaroon perfection


When my family and friends found out I was travelling to Paris and the Amalfi coast before arriving to Firenze, I got a list of all their favorite places to eat. Ladurée was the one many mentioned as an elegant tea spot I should not miss for their soft perfect macaroons. Okay so they became my Parisian addiction, every time I saw one of this shops I stopped to buy one. Somewhat pricey for their small size but definitely something that’s worth the splurge. I first tasted their Pistachio one, amazing! It just was just what my friend Evelyn would rank as THE perfect macaroon, soft with a surprisingly chill feeling, and a perfectly round double crust in the cookies edge. Then the list expanded to Mimosa, Pineapple, Banana, Chocolate and so on…though Pistachio kept being my favorite. I tasted other macaroons from other places throughout Paris but none kept satisfying me after having tasted Ladurée’s. I was happy to see a Ladurée mini cart in the Odeon airport, one last taste of the perfect Parisian macaroons…ahhhh!!!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Moules en cocotte




First stop as soon as I got out of my 9-hours flight to Paris: Léon de Bruxelles on Champs-Élysées, famously known for its moules (mussels)! So I ordered the specialty and I do not regret it, a tasty and light meal! I got the special, which included a goat cheese salad that impressed me...wait, and for dessert one Belgian waffle with hot chocolate syrup. All this for 20E. I kept seeing this places all throughout Paris, I highly recommend it, they do moules en cocotte the way it should be. I guess I started my trip with the right foot.