A Terrace with a View

So it seems that it is finally starting to warm up after our incredibly long, long winter. The first day when I can walk ol' Elvis without wearing a jacket has me already dreaming of day trips to the beach and serene seafood dinners.

How lucky are we that the closest beach is the Cinque Terre at a very do-able hour and a half car ride? Chances are if you have visited Italy before, the Cinque Terre were on your "Must Visit" list and for good reason. Check out how insanely beautiful this coastal area is.

Sigh

My first visit was three years ago when my family flew over for a little Italian holiday. Turns out that my aunt's colleague was friends with Franco the owner of Ristorante La Torre, and sent her armed with a letter of introduction. Thank goodness for that because otherwise I doubt I would have ever found La Torre, now my regular dinner spot for days at the beach.

Cinque Terre means "five lands" in Italian, and that's exactly what this natural reserve is: five villages built into the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean. They are connected either by train or by hiking paths that vary in difficulty. La Torre is located at the top of Vernazza and unless you are hiking the trail between Vernazza and Corniglia (one of the most difficult), you would never have reason to pass it.

The Mediterranean before you, embraced by vineyards

The menu is typical for the Ligurian coast: spaghetti with plump muscles and clams, lasagna with beautifully perfumed pesto (pesto comes from this part of Italy), anchovies from the nearby village Monterosso bathed in local olive oil and lemon juice, and a simple, but gorgeously prepared tomato bruschetta. Choose a crisp white wine made from the grapes that come from the vineyards right over your shoulder. Since seating is limited to less than 10 tables outside on the terrace, you are guaranteed a panorama of cheery Vernazza and the deep blue Mediterranean.

Not bad

Now for those of you who know me well, you know I am not exactly the most athletic chick in the barnyard, but for dinner and the view, I will gladly hike the hundreds of steps to get up to the restaurant. Wouldn't you too?


Ristorante La Torre
Via Carattino, 64
Vernazza Italy
0187 821082

The Spanish 'Stache

When my honey suggested vacationing in Ibiza my eyes rolled up in disgust, immediately imagining, well, pretty much what Ibiza is known for. But after some hearty research, I quickly gathered that the Spanish island is much more than an ecstasy-laced, club hotspot. If you steer clear of that scene, which is very easy to do, you will be rewarded with some of the most beautiful, and secluded, Mediterranean beaches. Exactly what we came for. Oh, and to eat.

Do you all know about defensive dining? It's what happens when you're at, let's say a buffet, or any situation where there is potentially limited food to be shared among a large group of people and everyone loads up really early on because they're afraid it'll run out and they'll be left high and dry. Or if you are at a restaurant that doesn't take reservations and get yourself all worked up in a tizzy, aggressively defending your place in line. This is me at my absolute worst. I become such a maniac. That fairly describes the scene that went down getting reservations at El Bigote.

I had read about this place and put it at the top of my Ibiza dining list with three imperative stars next to it. It could be out of a film - located right on a secluded, crystal bay, no menu, but rather it serves seafood caught that day, you must reserve in advance, oh and they don't have a phone, which means you gotta go there in person to get your name down. Que estrés! As you make your way there through the winding, bumpy mountain roads you can't help but think, "This better be freaking worth it." Getting there is no easy feat.

And luckily it is SO worth it! This is casual, beach dining at its absolute pinnacle. Everyone sits outside under a covered patio, hoovering over write-home-about sparkling water. A huge pot sits over an open fire, cooking up everyone's lunch. When we were there we stuffed ourselves on fish (who knows what kind...whatever was fished out that morning) cooked simply with rice and saffron. Nothing as fancy or involved as a traditional paella, but filling in every sense of the word, just as you hoped it to be. It's all very communal, generous seconds if you'd like are passed around and at the end the staff comes by offering a special, sort of syrupy coffee, also ladeled out from a huge pot.

Lazy afternoons are built around meals like this and somehow all the stress of finding El Bigote and getting our reservation was miraculously erased from memory. A satisfied stomach, and soul, will do that to you, you know.


El Bigote
Cala Mastella
07850 Santa Eulalia
Ibiza, Spain

Pesce a Parma

Since I am spending this New Year's Eve at work (no comment) we decided to celebrate the new year together last night at a fancy shmancy dinner. Now generally when you think of Parma, probably two things come immediately to mind: Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Parma ham. And rightly so, after all those two products are really what put this area on the worldwide food map, but every now and then we "locals" have a hankerin for some really good seafood. And luckily for us smack dab in the center of Parma, Ristorante La Fata Bema beckons.

How to pick?? Ordering was no easy task as everything on the menu sounded fantastic and such a change from the normal fare. In the end I settled on ravioli stuffed with shrimp and artichokes, served with oysters and lentils, which I deemed fitting since tradition here has you eating lentils for the new year. Delish. And such a fun change of pace from the standard Parma offering of ravioli, called tortelli, stuffed with either ricotta and chard or squash (of course my heart will always belong to these two, but a change every now and then never hurt anyone).

Isn't that just lovely?

As much as I enjoyed my pasta, P's antipasto of raw fish really knocked me off my feet! By far the best plate of raw fish I have ever enjoyed in Italy, and I know that is near blasphemy since we are several hours from the closest sea. Sorry. It was just so brilliantly executed, simple, as it should be, to allow the perfection, freshness, sweetness of the fish take center stage. Loved, loved, loved the prawns, tuna and swordfish! A note to anyone in the neighborhood who would like a sushi fix: skip any so-called Japanese restaurant and just come here and order this. It comes with a little dish of soy sauce if you'd like, and this is all by far better than any sushi I have had in Italy. Eeks!

Wheee!!!!!

For my second courses I went with the orata, sea bass, cooked to perfection and served with fennel and plump slices of oranges. What a lovely contrast up against the buttery fish. P instead ordered a variation on gnocchi, those lovely pillows of potato turned dumpling, served with small sea scallops in a buttery homemade pesto.

What a lovely meal to show out 2009 and welcome in 2010. Cheers!

Ristorante La Fata Bema - moderately expensive
Via Turchi, 4
43100 Parma
0521 208798

Le Meilleur, I

First days back to work after a little Parisian getaway and all my co-workers have been asking if I visited the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre. "No," I reply, "this trip was all about eating!" (ok, maybe a whee bit of shopping too.)

Not ones to mess around when it comes to meals, especially when time is limited, we ladies did our research and arrived hungry and armed with this itinerary:

I know, I know, seems a bit rigid for vacation, but there were just so many places to visit and so little time! And I must say that our planning really paid off. Not a single meal was disappointing, and in recounting the trip, I find myself saying more than may be acceptable for a 4 day vacation, "And then we had the best _______!"

So, if you are off to Paris and in search of the following treats, may you look no further.

Oysters

Wheee!! So French, so fun! I happened upon Huitrerie Regis two years ago when I was in Paris and instantly fell in love with the little hole in the wall. In fact I meandered by, staring longingly into the window so many times that I definitely started getting some sideways glances thrown my way. But just look at it! How could you not love it?

The crisp white interior smells rightly of the sea and seats a maximum of 14 people, so either arrive early or knock back a glass or two of Champagne at the cafe across the way and wait for a table to free up. Once seated, snuggled up to the stranger at your elbow, your dinner choices are...you guessed it, oysters! Ok, so there are clams and steamed shrimp on the menu too, but this is an oyster place people. We ordered a dozen each, (six of two varieties) and the guys come with some delish bread and butter. Once we finished off our Sancerre and coffee (there is a popular apple tart on the menu too) we left more than satisfied and poised to take on the ever-so-rich foods that awaited us further down our itinerary.

Well done Jenn.

Falafel

The next time you're in Paris, I definitely suggest heading over to the Marais for some lunch and a stroll. Located in the heart of the district, Rue Des Rosiers is a Jewish street lined with bakeries, shops and koscher restaurants (a real treat and change from country Italian life for B and me). Our mission here? L'As du Falafel.

You can either buy your falafel at the curbside window (it seems that there is always a line at lunch, but it moves quickly - don't get discouraged!) or eat inside the modest restaurant. Whatever you do, you are guaranteed what is in my book the best falafel out there. The fried chickpea fritters are smaller than usual, slightly sweet and deliciously crunchy on the outside. What puts L'As head and shoulders above the competition is what comes stuffed inside your pita - pickled red cabbage, yogurt sauce, cucumber swords, big ol' pieces of lightly fried eggplant and perfectly heated harissa on the side. Don't be afraid to slather it on, it is mild enough that you won't regret it later.

How gorgeous is that?

Stamp of approval

Crepes

One of the strongest food memories I have is when I ate my first crepe in Paris. I was 20 years old, it was my first night in Paris, and my dear friend Colleen and I had bought them from a street vendor next to the Sacre Coeur. Biting into the warm Nutella-filled blanket on that cold winter's night, with the glowing city spread out below us, it was one of those perfect moments that stays with you and continues to warm you from within, years later. Even now when I visit Paris I like to buy one from the street vendors, and for a moment revisit what will always be one of the happiest times in my life.

But, if we are going to talk about crepes, then we must speak of Breizh Cafe where we had the crepes to end all crepes.

Yes!!

The focus here is on the quality of the ingredients - organic buckwheat flour and one of my favorite butters, Bordier. The galettes are gorgeous and beg you to stick to the traditional offerings - ham, Gruyere, and a fried egg. Or as B had, a sublime Breton galette with mushrooms, bacon and creme fraiche.

As awe-inspiring as lunch was, it was dessert that left me speechless. A simple butter and sugar crepe = perfection. I know it sounds easy enough and maybe even a bit boring, but again, the quality of the ingredients shines here, as well as the artful hand of the chef. I am sure if I tried to recreate this at home, it would fall embarrassingly short and probably end up overly buttered (if such a problem does exist) or crunchy from a heavy shower of sugar.

The Cafe of My Dreams

Laduree. Few things in Paris make me happier than breakfast here. I love everything about it, from the jewel-like pastries displayed just-so, to the elegant, yet whimsical dining room. And of course the croissants.

Huitrerie Regis
3 rue de Montfaucon
Paris, 75006
01-44-41-10-07

L'As du Falafel
34, rue des Rosiers
Paris
01-48-87-63-60

Breizh Cafe

109 Rue Vieille du Temple

Paris, 75003
01-42-72-13-77

Laduree
Several locations

Mussels to Write Home About

*

Mussels. A brilliantly prepared bowl of mussels can almost make me cry (in fact I am having a difficult time focusing on writing this; now I want one so bad).

A few months ago we were in Sicily for vacation and ate our way from Catania, down to Noto, through Modica, Agrigento, up to Trapani and out of Palermo. I could happily gobble down any of the island's star players - cannolo, bottarga, granita, caponata, heaping helpings of pasta with clams - but it is the mussels we were lovingly led to in our final days that come to me now when I dream of Sicily.

It would be fair to say that we were a bit resistant to take our lovely B&B owner's advice on where to dine. Other owners had more times than not suggested places that were good, but always missing a note or two. After a highly disappointing dinner at a restaurant that the owners had specifically told us to avoid (tsk! tsk!), we came home with our tails between our legs and agreed to try out their favorite.

Even if you had the good fortune to just happen upon it, La Piazzetta is not the sort of place you'd be inspired to try out without a previous recommendation. It's located on a dark street in the suburbs of Trapani (i.e. seemingly a bit sketchy) and at first glance just seems to be another neighborhood pizzeria. But if you take a second to look around, you will quickly notice that the place is filled to the gills even on week nights.

We came the first night for the mussels. And the second. And had we not had a flight home on the third, we would have come back for them again. Never mind that the 9 Euro antipasto is more than enough to fill two hollow, expectant tummies beyond satisfaction, but these seriously were the best mussels I had ever eaten. First the efficient waiters plunk down two loaves of gorgeous bread, which in and of itself is somewhat shocking given that gorgeous (or even good if we're being honest) bread is hard to come by in Italy. Then comes the overflowing pot of deliciousness, and when it arrives your conscious self wants to go slowly and savor the little guys, but somehow you dive in and what seems like minutes later (and probably is) you emerge to an empty pot, practically wiped clean of any broth, thanks to the two, now gone, loaves of bread.

We never succeeded in saving room for other dishes, but if the mussels are a measure of La Piazzetta's power, then the huge platters of pasta and the wood oven pizzas are sure to inspire longingly hungry remembrances of Trapani.


La Piazzetta
Piazza Salinagrande
Trapani, Sicily
923 867161

* Blame the mussels. I didn't take a photo, so instead offer up views of nearby Favignana to tempt more than just your palate.