On May 1, 2014 I found my myself in Fontainbleau, France enjoying a holiday called May Day. The only people who have to work on May Day are the restaurant employees so I went to this bistro down the street from Napolean’s house called L’escapade and tried some rum from Martinique.
The staff is friendly & the food is delicious. You won’t be disappointed. Go here!
Merci L’escapade.
The Brussel’s Bar located on the main street in Fontainbleau, 47 Rue Grande, is a perfect place for an afternoon snack and a beer.
The prices are seasonable, the food is good and it is the perfect way to take a moment to enjoy another day in France.
As I walked the 65 miles or so around town I could feel my energy getting lower.
I needed to eat and when in Paris you do as the Parisians do so I decided I needed wine with my lunch. The Captains Croc provided me with a delicious plate of salmon pasta in cream sauce and some wine to help keep me going. The staff was friendly, the food was great and I’d certainly go back.
If you are in the area then I recommend you walk over, just across the river from Notre Dame, and eat lunch here. You won’t be disappointed by the quality food, reasonable prices or friendly service. Merci Captains Croc.
At the web site listed below you will find the information to the first sign I saw upon exiting the Métro at Place des Fêtes . Having left Santa Monica, CA 15 hours earlier you can imagine the surprise this sign caught me by. I laughed and knew I must go check it out.
After traveling for 15 hours I was ready to drop my bags off, eat and wander around Paris. The Santa Monica pizzeria was closed so I didn’t get to eat there until the second night of my stay and found Ismail and the staff to be friendly and hospitable. I went back as much as I could while in Paris. Merci Santa Monica Grill.
check them out at-
www.lafourchette.com/restaurant/santa-monica/22029
or if in Paris – 15 Rue Henri Ribiere 75019 Paris
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was not only a patron and contributor to the arts but he also collected recipes with a friend. This collection is titled L’art de la Cuisine and was published months after his death by his friend Maurice Joyant. The book includes Lautrec sketches and interesting menu selections. (read more https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-bites-henri-de-toulouse-lautrec-chef-cookbook-recipes-2466779) Lautrec enjoyed culture and liked to cook, drink and celebrate. He liked to dress up as a samurai or flamenco dancer at his parties and once served a Degas painting for dessert. Lautrec also was known to add goldfish to the water pitchers encouraging his guests to imbibe alcohol fueled concoctions instead of water.
More can be read about this fascinating character, his life and his circle of interesting friends at the following sites and on wikipedia.
http://www.lautrec.info/
http://www.toulouse-lautrec-foundation.org/
This family of fine wine is named after the matriarch who came from Italy, Elena Napoli.
Bodega ELENA de Mendoza, Argentina
2010 RED BLEND
62% Malbec
21% Syrah
17% Bonarda
This family has developed some top wines from Argentina that I happen to enjoy. The Malbec and the Red Blend from Bodega Elena de Mendoza are my favorites.
According to the web, the “legs” or “tears” of wine that run down the inside of the wine glass are a sign of alcohol. The heavier the legs, the lower the alcoholic content of the wine. If this is in fact true, then these wines are low in alcohol and big in flavor. The legs may be attributed to sugar, I don’t know.
This Red Blend, like it’s sister Malbec, is loaded with solid flavors and not too sweet.
It’s not too dry either, but just right. These wines will slowly undress for your tongue, landing softly, pleasuring your taste buds, leaving you wanting another sip.
Was priced under $10. Get some.
This tasty limited edition Malbec was also grown and bottled in the Mendoza region of Argentina and is imported by WX Imports, Novato, CA
Do Not Confuse with the 2011 which wasn’t good.
www.espueladelgaucho.com
This is another fine Malbec that is now on my Top 5 Malbec list. Not as good as my favorite, Bodega de ELENA, but gets close. This winning wine is a 2012, so maybe could use a year to age, but is a very good selection.
The Espuela del Gaucho has unique, slow running, heavy legs. It carries a lighter body, that lands gently on the tongue, joyfully leaving hints of mixed berries grown in the fresh Andes air and then drifts away.
This is another quality Malbec from Argentina, that any California cab or Merlot drinker will enjoy for under $12.
Another fine wine from the Mendoza region nestled in Argentina.
TERRAZAS de los Andes Reserva Malbec 2010
Produced and bottled by Terrazas de los Andes, Argentina.
Selected grapes of the Mendoza region terraces, found a little more than 1,000 meters above sea level, make their way into this wine. The selectivity of this wine is probably why it is imported by the Moet Hennessy company.
Personally, this wine is almost as good as my still favorite Malbec, Bodega de ELENA. The Terrazas is kind of similar to the Elena, but I found it to be a touch lighter in body and flavor when landing on the tongue. The Terrazas is flowery and fruity. Perhaps the Terrazas could be imagined as a Merlot version of the Elena if it were imagined as a Cabernet style of the same producer.
The Terrazas is a good wine, reasonably priced and will be gone before the other bottles that folks brought to the party.
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Grown and bottled by Red Rock winery Healdsburg, CA
This Malbec is grown here in California, not Argentina.
The flavor of this reserve wine lacks the depth of the Bodega de ELENA Malbec, which is my current favorite. It is not a bad wine, but if looking for a reasonably priced California red, I’d go Murphy-Goode Cabernet.
Bodega ELENA de Mendoza 2011
Vinted and bottled by B.E.D.M. Wines
Imported by Wine Brokers Unlimited, Hayward, CA
Product of Argentina
This is the Dudes favorite Malbec yet! This is the first of the bottles that I have opened that came with a real cork. Good 1st impression. Upon tasting this wine, I was immediately aware that the taste game had changed.
The bar had been raised. This is serious wine. This full bodied wine smoothly drifts over your taste buds, dangling flavors of blackberries and plums, leaving a rejoicing smile and desire for more.
There was no crazy tinny aftertaste. This was immediately my new favorite Malbec.
If it is a dollar more than the other Malbec’s in this price range, pay it! Get this Malbec!
(Note) April 2013 issue of Bon Appetite magazine includes McCormick gourmet selection recommending this wine also.