A French country kitchen par excellence.  This famous restaurant, a stone's throw from one of  Bordeaux city's old city gates, Porte de la Monnaie, has been serving southwestern France regional specialties since 1968.  It was on my hit list for my September 2007 Bordeaux wine country visit and it should be a must stop for anyone visiting the Bordeaux region. As you enter the restaurant you'll immediately see a country kitchen with wood burning fireplace straight ahead of you.  Laid upon a red checked wood display table are baskets of fresh cherry tomatoes, radishes and generous slabs of beautifully marbled cote de boeuf.  You'll also likely see one or more whole ducks or chickens being spit roasted over the fire with a large iron kettle of duck fat also bubbling away; they fry their signature chunky fries in this kettle.  It's a perfect Bordeaux tableaux and sets the scene for a fabulous experience. Specialties of the house include duck and foie gras, grilled cote de boeuf, the herb spit-roasted chicken, duck rillettes, the crispy & insanely flavorful duck fat fried potatoe chunks and for good measure, heritage black pigs and farm fresh lamb from the region. After being seated I was presented with a basket of the aforementioned ...

A taste sensation and satisfying lunch on the run, just a short hop from Washington Square Park.  Following a tip from a buddy, I headed to Mamoun's for one of their legendary Falafel sandwiches.   It had been a busy and warm morning, I had just finished the East Village Rock & Punk walking tour, an entertaining and illuminating 2 hr. jaunt through the Lower East Side, finally ending at the fabled former site of CBGB's.  But I digress.. Mamoun's Falafel 119 MacDougal St. (between Third and Bleecker) New York, NY 10014 212-674-8685 119 MacDougal St New York, NY 10012 212-674-8685 Open 365 Days A Year Open 11am - 5am Everyday

Heard about the Shake Shack through Fred Wilson's blog and decided to drop in for a much needed refreshing shake after a long walk through Central Park on my last visit to NYC.  I had already walked past this UWS  Shake Shack outpost several times as my hotel was only about 2 blocks to the north.  Whenever I walked by I had noticed the lines out the door and staff members handing out menus to try and expedite the process.   Something must have been right about Shake Shack I noted to myself the previous day. I was in between meals and really went in for curiosity's sake and also due to the lack of a line on this early Sunday afternoon.  I proceeded to try the Black and White Frozen Custard Shake and patiently waited for my electronic hokey puck to vibrate while I checked out the swag available for sale off to the side of the menu. The shake was fantastic, creamy cold goodness on a very humid day in New York!  There are two Shake Shack's in Manhatten with a third planned for early 2010.  There are also plans in the works to take Shake Shack to Dubai and Saudi ...

We needed to check this out after the slow burn hype this establishment continued to receive in the Charlotte press and especially after being featured on Guy Fieri's  Food Network show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  Two colleagues and myself decided to hit the Penguin for lunch on a mild mid-week late August day in Charlotte.  The restaurant is situated in the middle of the Plaza Midwood neighborhood, a recently gentrified hip enclave of Charlotte with your usual mix of tattoo parlors, organic leaning restaurants and the odd used LP record store.  Our first glimpse was the vintage Penguin Drive-in sign which definitely lent an air of authenticity to this restaurant.  The Penguin originally opened as an ice cream parlor back in 1954 and the restaurant features the original pine paneled walls and cozy atmosphere. Upon entering, we encountered several tattooed hipsters disguised as wait staff and were told that the current wait list was approximately 20 minutes.  Inside seating is pretty limited, I'd say an assortment of about 15 booths and of course the upfront diner/bar area with about 10 bar stools available.  We put our name on the list and were pleasantly surprised to be seated in a prime corner booth with minutes. We were faced with a ...

After browsing the forums on eGullet for Richmond I finally settled on checking out Comfort, a hip take on classic southern cooking located in the heart of town on Broad Street.   Conveniently situated less than a 5 minute walk from my hotel I made my way to the restaurant just before 7Pm.  This was my first time in Richmond and I had spent the afternoon walking and exploring different historical areas of the city and touring the Museum of the Confederacy along with the neighboring Confederate White House. Settling into my table after a 5 minute wait I was excited to see a list of over 75 small barrel American Bourbons available for sampling.  I immediately ordered one up and began to try and decide on dinner options.   A large chalkboard above the bar listed the evenings entrees, appetizers and a mouthwatering long list of side dishes available.  Entree prices included 2 accompanying sides of your choice or you could opt for 3 if you were up for it for a modestly higher price.  After considering the fried catfish, roasted chicken and grilled pork chop I ultimately opted for the pulled BBQ pork and went with braised greens and creamy macaroni and cheese as ...

The evening got off to a very rough start following a 6 hour delay at Charlotte before finally arriving at JFK at 9pm followed by a tortuously long Blue Van trip to my upper west side hotel.  Taking a previous recommendation and determined to still enjoy what was left of the evening, I set off west to Broadway and then down to Lincoln Center to find an available table at Daniel  Bar Boulud, just across the street.  What a fantastic place; the interior resembled a wine cellar/cavern with white tiled walls and a handsome long  blond wood bar along one side.  As it was nearing Midnight, I quickly perused the menu and ordered the Escargot as an appetizer followed by the Boudin Blanc & Noir combination entree.   In a word, fantastic! I will try and hit Daniel's latest NYC creation, DBGB Kitchen & Bar the next time I'm in the city. Bar Boulud 1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023 nr. 64th St.  212-595-0303

After reading various write ups and reviews I thought I would try this out for a late Sunday afternoon lunch before heading back to JFK to catch my flight.  The morning had been rain soaked and I had managed to kill a couple of hours touring the Frank Lloyd Wright installation at the Guggenheim. From there, I hit the subway and made my way back down into the Village to try Keste, one of  a handful of new, Napoli-esque pizzerias that had recently opened in the city.   After wandering down Bleecker and checking out the various literature posted outside the Bitter End, I made my way down the street.   Upon entering I learned that I had just missed the lunch hour and decided to venture up north to Chelsea to try Co. instead. After about 20 minutes, I found Co. on the corner of 9th Ave. and 24th Street and immediately liked the clean, minimalistic look of the main room - blond hardwood tables and poured concrete floors.  The big windows offered tons of light and people watching opps throughout lunch. I settled on the Boscaiola, ordered a glass of white and enjoyed almost all of side one of Abbey Road that was on the restaurant's ...

Last week I chose to dine at one of Ann Arbor's quintessential restaurants, far from the now trendy cavalcade of high dollar Main Street emporiums of foodie lust.  Knight's, established in 1984, features a horseshoe bar set up in the middle of the dining area with wood paneled walls and an old school menu featuring dyed in the wool favorites like Shrimp Cocktail, Escargot in Puff Pastry and good quality Steaks.    Dinners are served on an old fashioned sizzle plate with a choice of basic salads and a few potato options.  Having dined here several times previously I knew the service could be spotty, the wait staff potentially cranky but what brings me back is the undeniable 'authenticity' that this establishment delivers. Arriving late this evening close to 9:30 PM, the main dining room and alcove areas were still buzzing with patrons lingering over their steaks, clinking fresh drinks or dutifully watching the Tigers - Yankee game on the TV above the bar. My dining partner ordered up a glass of Pinot Noir while I opted for a Grey Goose martooni. Suffice to say the martooni had to be re-iced before I was able to enjoy it. All quibbling aside, this place ...

Custom built and gourmet burger emporiums seem to be taking the USA by storm and Charlotte, North Carolina is no exception.  The monthly lifestyle magazine, Charlotte Magazine, has named Big Daddy's Burger Bar as the best burger establishment in Charlotte in it's annual Best of the Best Charlotte issue.   Having read the magazine and hearing testimonials from friends, I set out on a steaming Saturday afternoon for the trendy Dilworth district of Charlotte to see what all the fuss was about.   Dilworth is a leafy subsection of Charlotte intersected by tony East Boulevard which features countless upscale dining options including several on my current 'hit list'.  Tree lined residential boulevards and lanes surround East Boulevard which seems to underscore Dilworth as one of Charlotte's most affluent areas. Anyway, upon arriving I was relieved to see ample reserved customer parking behind the restaurant and brought my vehicle to a stop between a Range Rover Sport and a shiny new C4S.   Proceeding to the entrance, I noticed the bustling outdoor patio which was currently overflowing with a mix of trendsters, yuppie parents and urban adventurers.  I opted for the comforts of AC and headed inside.   I was promptly greeted by a smiling and sultry hostess ...

Finally had a chance to visit Jim Noble's newest restaurant, just a stones throw from Charlotte's upscale Southpark Mall.   Entering this establishment I noticed the irreverant wall of stuffed roosters  set against what looked to be vintage, harvested barnwood siding, very nice. The open kitchen with wrap around bar and comfortable bar stools gives way to a spacious dining area made up predominantly of cozy leather booths and tables along that same chicken festooned wall.   A separate wine bar adjoins the main dining room at the back.  The entire vibe of this place is rustic and relaxed. The menu and style is decidedly 'Napa Valley'-esque and draws heavily on prudent portions of Spanish, French and California style small plates featuring house cured and smoked treats like organic salmon, salumi and chilled duck breast -- bingo!  I felt immediately at home and happy to be among like minded foodies in this new found temple. The extensive wine by the glass menu features South American delights as well as lesser known European offerings.  I settled on a toasty Chilean Malbec and was impressed with the ample pour.  I opted for the organic lightly smoked salmon to start and was happy to share the battered ...