Andy Gavin's Blog, page 40
January 20, 2023
Eating Paris – L’Ambroisie
Restaurant: L’Ambroisie
Location: 9 Pl. des Vosges, 75004 Paris, France. +33 1 42 78 51 45
Date: June 29, 2022
Cuisine: 1980s Haute Cuisine French
Rating: Amazing
_This was supposed to be my fourth starred restaurant in Paris, but some complexities of the “2022 moment” led to us missing two of them. I also ended up going here by myself instead of with a big group, but c’est la vie.
L’Ambroisie is a traditional French restaurant in Paris, France founded by Bernard Pacaud and now run by his son ...
January 16, 2023
Eating Paris – Jean-François Piège
Restaurant: Le Grand Restaurant Jean-François Piège
Location: 7 Rue d’Aguesseau, 75008 Paris, France. +33 1 53 05 00 00
Date: June 28, 2022
Cuisine: Haute Cuisine French
Rating: Amazing
_This was supposed to be my third starred restaurant in Paris, but some complexities of the “2022 moment” led to us missing two of them. Fortunately I didn’t miss Le Grand Restaurant Jean-François Piège as it was very high on my list.
I did however, due to another Paris in Summer of 2022 fact — a complete lack ...
January 14, 2023
The Last of Us (HBO) is Almost Here
Tomorrow (2/15/23) is the official debut of The Last of Us show and this previous Monday I was honored to attend the official premiere and have the opportunity to watch the first episode.
I’m not going to spoil anything, but I just wanted to say that what I saw was pretty darn awesome — flawless really. Not that I’m unbiased, but the tone was a pitch-perfect match to the games. And, hey, the music was the same — which is incredibly important in forging an emotional tie in for fans. Sure there a...
Eating Paris – Les Antiquaires
Restaurant: Les Antiquaires
Location: 13 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris, France. +33 1 42 61 08 36
Date: June 27, 2022
Cuisine: Parisian Bistro
Rating: Touristy, but delicious
_Wanting something casual, but ignoring Tripadvisor, we found this well rated street cafe/bistro.
Yeah, it appears a bit touristy, and the menu is “classic” but execution is quite good.
The classic Paris street-side seating.
A glass of Chablis.
Condiments.
Classic Escargot. Straight up but perfect.
Tools for the snails.
...
January 12, 2023
Eating Chantilly – O Bistrot Chic
Restaurant: O Bistrot Chic
Location: 62 Rue du Connétable, 60500 Chantilly, France. +33 3 44 63 93 46
Date: June 26, 2022
Cuisine: French Bistro
Rating: Casual, but very tasty
_After a visit to the Chateau de Chantilly we found this casual bistro for a quick bite.
Looks the part.
A cute interior with locals and tourists.
The classic French menu board.
Eyes Mayonaise. Aka deviled eyes. Very soft and nice. On the side is a beef pate with a very pureed texture.
Liu Noir (fish) with rice and ...
January 9, 2023
Eating Reims – Brasserie le Jardin
Restaurant: Brasserie le Jardin
Location: 7 Av. du Général Giraud, 51100 Reims, France. +33 3 26 24 90 90
Date: June 25, 2022
Cuisine: French
Rating: Lovely lunch
_After my Tripadvisor fail the night before, I retreated for the next day’s lunch — and a day trip to Reims — to the comforting territory of Michelin Guide rated French restaurants.
I really wanted to go to Le Parc (2 Michelin stars) but our 13 person party and the formal dress requirements send me instead to Brasserie le Jardin thei...
January 7, 2023
Eating Paris – Bistro V
Restaurant: Bistro V
Location: 56 Bd de Port-Royal, 75005 Paris, France. +33 1 45 35 35 31
Date: June 24, 2022
Cuisine: French Bistro
Rating: Meh French
_On our first night in Paris I knew we were tired and was looking for a very casual “good food, authentically French” place for our large party with kids. Given that, I didn’t want to use the Michelin Guide or anything, so I thought I’d try one last time to use Trip Advisor. This place was EXTREMELY highly rated (on TA), like #20 out of almost ...
January 3, 2023
Ultimate LA Peking Duck Guide
Peking Duck is one of those sublime foods that’s full of contrasts. It’s always good, but rarely perfect. Seemingly common, proper versions are hard to find. And it’s poorly understood and equally poorly distinguished from it’s ducky cousins. I’ve loved it for nearly half a century, enjoyed it in America and China, and recently made an exhaustive study of the offerings in the greater Los Angeles area. Myself and my good friend and infamous fellow-glutton Jeffrey (a.k.a. @xtremefoodies_) co-organ...
January 2, 2023
Eating Orange – Tram Chim
Restaurant: Tram Chim Fresh Seafood
Location: 9455 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683. (714) 717-6885
Date: June 22, 2022
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Rating: Swimming in tanks!
_No parental visit would be complete without a trip down to the OC for some awesome Vietnamese.
Tram Chim has a typical looking frontage.
Big “pseudo fancy” room.
Creatures in the tanks.
They sell all sorts of stuff too.
Phonebook sized menu. Check!
Sauces. It should be noted that the room “reeked” of shrimp paste...
December 31, 2022
Soulmate Study
Restaurant: Soulmate
Location: 631 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 734-7764
Date: June 16 & September 15, 2022
Cuisine: Spanish Tapa Fusion
Rating: Hit and miss
_I adore Spanish food in general and Tapas in particular so I was excited to hear about a new “modern tapas” place in Hollywood. This report combines a normal 6/16/22 dinner with friends and a big set menu Chateauneuf du Pape dinner partially hosted by LVHM. It represents most of the menu and most of the key dishes sam...
