tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70682045062313878672024-03-12T17:29:26.641-07:00TASTE by The Travel GroupThe Travel Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14135333413453903925noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-90233458680540439102019-05-28T13:53:00.000-07:002019-05-28T13:53:12.658-07:00Japan get a big 3 Yums up in my books<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #141412; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Japanese quest for harmony and perfection is a hard gig for them but makes a great experience for visitors. Everyone will tell you how clean and safe it is and the reality of that is simply great.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are lots of little things to watch out for but no one will ever make you feel uncomfortable about them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have very few food pictures. Having your camera out taking pictures of the food is frowned upon. I’m sure they don’t want anyone touching their phones during a meal. Remember the cleanliness thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you sit down you are given a wet
towel and after cleaning your hands, you should fold it neatly and place it
beside your plate in case you need to wipe your fingers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Restaurants have baskets for you to put your
bags or purse in beside your chair so you don’t have to leave anything on the
floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141412; font-size: 16px;">Our love of Japanese food was a big motivator to visit Japan but the 1</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #141412; font-size: 12px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141412; font-size: 16px;"> day or so can be a bit overwhelming. We stayed at the Hyatt Shinjuku so we had our 1st sushi meal there at Miyako. With just 14 seats at the sushi counter we had a chef who was exclusively focused on making us happy. His knife skills were something to see. For the finale he used little bits of this and that and made us the most delicious roll. I dared one picture.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwUIUKMLivO_3PHRFYOvuBxeLq73nTstTDZvG92llqnO-QUM_w-EUuWhZkUITbQxkurFCR0XADQiTbzW9TT9VPo1Y6e3liCr3e2umb976yeCsUCPNJ3mjStYL1OHL81Hf1t6wc2ZZufTz/s1600/Miyako+Sushi+Hyatt+Tokyo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwUIUKMLivO_3PHRFYOvuBxeLq73nTstTDZvG92llqnO-QUM_w-EUuWhZkUITbQxkurFCR0XADQiTbzW9TT9VPo1Y6e3liCr3e2umb976yeCsUCPNJ3mjStYL1OHL81Hf1t6wc2ZZufTz/s320/Miyako+Sushi+Hyatt+Tokyo.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Place At Miyako, Hyatt, Shinjuku</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141412; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The next day we took a walk around the old fish market. I took one picture of a beautifully displayed octopus. The vendors do not want tourists taking pictures and getting in the way of their business. Being exceeding polite people, they may not say anything but they definitely don’t like it.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kpc0-dUINh5jYD2iH18VQJ0-jphj9GuBpqJBESK5XgzbDt2byiZpNRSqUgKOj3q3Skcj9pQ1MIYT_cJKwqT5COmawqYce_hci74bf7NFxWlfRuVQullOWB0IbroujdNZL7weDRMZm7bs/s1600/Tsujiki+area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="1280" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kpc0-dUINh5jYD2iH18VQJ0-jphj9GuBpqJBESK5XgzbDt2byiZpNRSqUgKOj3q3Skcj9pQ1MIYT_cJKwqT5COmawqYce_hci74bf7NFxWlfRuVQullOWB0IbroujdNZL7weDRMZm7bs/s320/Tsujiki+area.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tsujiki Market Area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniqz1lGvvvii-rYR7dY63Vhgs-r5JiIWSHLRBB2E8u_9JDz2jfE1NBz3fxmQUf6FbfdYYdwG58CX_X5q_XBDKuzieq9fCbVj_7_P7p-wNed6U8WBTj0RqfQaUgzko4W62VR0GJDdDn8b_/s1600/Octopus+in+Tsujiki.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniqz1lGvvvii-rYR7dY63Vhgs-r5JiIWSHLRBB2E8u_9JDz2jfE1NBz3fxmQUf6FbfdYYdwG58CX_X5q_XBDKuzieq9fCbVj_7_P7p-wNed6U8WBTj0RqfQaUgzko4W62VR0GJDdDn8b_/s320/Octopus+in+Tsujiki.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Octopus at Tsujiki</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The department stores are amazing places and the whole top
floor is often full of restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
tried the tempura restaurant in the Keio Department store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s where I noticed how much the Japanese
enjoy their food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat at the bar
again and were able to see the reactions of the people around us as they ate
and expressed their great pleasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t know that eating tempura was complicated but they have us a guide to
enjoying tempura.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really liked all the
different salts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A giant tempered clam
was absolutely amazing and I’m sure I’ll never have anything quite like it
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsOdf4nriBNnXuUhyi9OtkO4lJu6zjnRAfssBOMwvVXf9OoAl3li1JQ-LVLfPf9GTGf-mF_eeIBD5zWEPZoOjchmlRdmfp7c3aIeMuUEQXiz1rZK7EwMQPKyhudLLYRMjmHjGq7FS_FaZ/s1600/David+and+Udon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsOdf4nriBNnXuUhyi9OtkO4lJu6zjnRAfssBOMwvVXf9OoAl3li1JQ-LVLfPf9GTGf-mF_eeIBD5zWEPZoOjchmlRdmfp7c3aIeMuUEQXiz1rZK7EwMQPKyhudLLYRMjmHjGq7FS_FaZ/s320/David+and+Udon.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Dreams of Udon</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Takamatsu we did an udon making class and then ate the
udon and a bento box lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was super
fun and tasty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOg_gWfSkNnTwA5gsb5ukS_jX1Nd38E0wKto7ZZMJJSvqvvJgfu7e8dTvRdhtM4FiymxQ6wLW8rlicCvQfPvQKaEYlj5NXhqN9yhX3Q0F2k5exxyUDph9A7u4hp19CZj0_K2oJNj0t_kcc/s1600/Bento+Box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOg_gWfSkNnTwA5gsb5ukS_jX1Nd38E0wKto7ZZMJJSvqvvJgfu7e8dTvRdhtM4FiymxQ6wLW8rlicCvQfPvQKaEYlj5NXhqN9yhX3Q0F2k5exxyUDph9A7u4hp19CZj0_K2oJNj0t_kcc/s320/Bento+Box.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bento Box of Goodies</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the time we got to Osaka we were pretty comfortable and had a great visit to the Kuromon Ichiba Market.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyeamicbnVT4r5hC1GjmGh3O4XF9iRMpMfpJl70ARMP3_dejte2P607rBJe6ONNvHLdwfYHNRvuaNACIAXFFzUoGkR2KI2vNzo2rswnwRsjL7awPKMGUUnJud2pIqNDatxqvqi6ZPrnwC/s1600/Kurumon+Market.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyeamicbnVT4r5hC1GjmGh3O4XF9iRMpMfpJl70ARMP3_dejte2P607rBJe6ONNvHLdwfYHNRvuaNACIAXFFzUoGkR2KI2vNzo2rswnwRsjL7awPKMGUUnJud2pIqNDatxqvqi6ZPrnwC/s320/Kurumon+Market.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kuromon Market. Don't Miss It.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141412; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You don’t eat on the streets and there are no garbage bins anywhere, so in the market when you buy something, you should stand at the stall you buy from and eat so they can take care of your disposables. They may have a couple of tables in the back and will invite you to use them. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbrvA-CnVCVl_IEAEIKiB__YYKFPRRw63VtrviSFqKS1lWPsZ4tgnQS9NeoJhiFoYwYIqDt5LWJBPzER_NNMKgc1L6mM7bkUHywDcQta-Y7zeP5WaUsebOmKtPzaTHhsxqV5w632bwVuC/s1600/takoyaki.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbrvA-CnVCVl_IEAEIKiB__YYKFPRRw63VtrviSFqKS1lWPsZ4tgnQS9NeoJhiFoYwYIqDt5LWJBPzER_NNMKgc1L6mM7bkUHywDcQta-Y7zeP5WaUsebOmKtPzaTHhsxqV5w632bwVuC/s320/takoyaki.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Takoyaki </td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141412; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We tried takoyaki, little balls of batter stuffed with octopus, cooked in a special molded pan and covered in yummy sauce.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_i0tsvYvDmP06UtgudulGxA3RzV3MTdAvR-aNkQQ37ttD8c8XFzDn7miaJDYIpKto15qK4uHnqpN5l9cnmLBH2iPnKFwuiqWhWKUkH5OQMkdLZyedYoN1300NAekYCqwyyz7X8TWkLRP/s1600/Okonomiyaki.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_i0tsvYvDmP06UtgudulGxA3RzV3MTdAvR-aNkQQ37ttD8c8XFzDn7miaJDYIpKto15qK4uHnqpN5l9cnmLBH2iPnKFwuiqWhWKUkH5OQMkdLZyedYoN1300NAekYCqwyyz7X8TWkLRP/s320/Okonomiyaki.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okonomiyaki</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We loved okonomiyaki, a savory pancake with optional fillings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okonomi means “what you like” and yaki means
“cooked”, so it can have almost anything in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have a recipe and am looking forward to making one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another fun foodie thing to do in Osaka is to wander along the Dotonbori canal and the streets around it. Lined with restaurants and full of people eating and having fun, you could spend several nights there and never run out of great things to try or see. You won’t be bored.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When it’s time to leave Japan you can buy your souvenirs or treats to bring home at the airport and trust that the price will be the same as in the city.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can’t wait to go back to Japan.</span></div>
Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-53641563593043327132018-09-14T15:49:00.004-07:002018-09-14T15:49:50.488-07:00Tim Raue Berlin No 37 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2018 I'd love to eat my way through all 50 of The World's Best Restaurants but I'm happy I had the chance to try Tim Raue. I chose it for the vegetarian menu, reputation and location. We loved every minute of it.<br />
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It was a deadly hot day in Berlin and the cold clothes were a welcome way to refresh and settle in.<br />
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The room was cool and comfortable and the service had that amazing balance of friendly, relaxed perfection that so many restaurants try to achieve and so few succeed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkD_IKipsCck9CvizH2IAnoKy37H0Rqz7rwJbXz07bH64mYHB7nSZ52RPPYzSNho9IpEpK9pllAYNNCEN3R6VXx45YJHIGyIoiWvCGeWgTTU_piHnaYPuegRXSTXl0n3zvVQXLi9nlQr_/s1600/Tim+Raue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkD_IKipsCck9CvizH2IAnoKy37H0Rqz7rwJbXz07bH64mYHB7nSZ52RPPYzSNho9IpEpK9pllAYNNCEN3R6VXx45YJHIGyIoiWvCGeWgTTU_piHnaYPuegRXSTXl0n3zvVQXLi9nlQr_/s320/Tim+Raue.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim Raue</td></tr>
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They even have their own brewery, so David was happy with the beer.<br />
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The meal started with some spiced nuts, pickles and pok choy leaves. My favourite was the pok choy. It's hard to believe a couple of leaves with a dab of sauce and some oil could be so delicious.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3FFprZDYoUD8rljvVsdP0rLti12EfYsQYXnKJ992fNebb5WssDprkXrjJWB8ZuJzs_G9PiB6bebTep-Q4h0veTW2P3IIK1yL6oMat4O_0xpOf2LwLTvn0adRAV5ZId82jTU795icsv2V/s1600/Snacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3FFprZDYoUD8rljvVsdP0rLti12EfYsQYXnKJ992fNebb5WssDprkXrjJWB8ZuJzs_G9PiB6bebTep-Q4h0veTW2P3IIK1yL6oMat4O_0xpOf2LwLTvn0adRAV5ZId82jTU795icsv2V/s320/Snacks.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snack to start<br />
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A little dish of Kim Chi was David's favourite snack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwegQ5AzbGz-oR2mPsNTuR_yNU5ccnX_9yPz2aKNO6sV0rzc-p8G67ussvnnYdhQw9sXi2d9Nxxlh_XnHwjUb3uUYbB4Thx3juRqP6M98NkvmZ5voOBkOfjd7rF-ymNucO1Z3x90D74-U/s1600/Kim+Chi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwegQ5AzbGz-oR2mPsNTuR_yNU5ccnX_9yPz2aKNO6sV0rzc-p8G67ussvnnYdhQw9sXi2d9Nxxlh_XnHwjUb3uUYbB4Thx3juRqP6M98NkvmZ5voOBkOfjd7rF-ymNucO1Z3x90D74-U/s320/Kim+Chi.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim Chi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDfLEGWgybunzNwN6SzBSw5-i577xjJepg1miZz75GiRot5gnkdwM1QhAxpWu8XAFPqOV9qMeK8Dr1400-RzewoCnj5QDQik-lvJTzLhoFZZioo_DBsfyu_yAel-xqy33pew676YgeEWg/s1600/Pomelo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDfLEGWgybunzNwN6SzBSw5-i577xjJepg1miZz75GiRot5gnkdwM1QhAxpWu8XAFPqOV9qMeK8Dr1400-RzewoCnj5QDQik-lvJTzLhoFZZioo_DBsfyu_yAel-xqy33pew676YgeEWg/s320/Pomelo.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pomelo Coconut Roscoff</td></tr>
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This pomelo wrapped in coconut had lots of textures and flavours. The red onion was crispy but not deep fried.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5YAkrjik_cegn8mMY1F5c86BUPpJcp5oy0QkdOwPzfxbYYq_G6WBKWoZWW99PXE1iCnWYLokjHAEJOxkXnabqtStw0_40VVHOflPfk1nTxP4sPbBHLy3Mjdz1vngbUL-UoqZdxc_CuPv/s1600/Pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5YAkrjik_cegn8mMY1F5c86BUPpJcp5oy0QkdOwPzfxbYYq_G6WBKWoZWW99PXE1iCnWYLokjHAEJOxkXnabqtStw0_40VVHOflPfk1nTxP4sPbBHLy3Mjdz1vngbUL-UoqZdxc_CuPv/s320/Pumpkin.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato Star Anise Pumpkin<br />
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Those look like tomatoes but they are really a kind of tomato jam shaped like a tomato. The half moon is pumpkin and the tomato broth was flavoured with star anise. The flavours were starting to deepen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTdCf_EypJztwseAG3mT90qX7oR_suTPRo8u-s2-wvDrQmoVNyHdX1NLLKZXJAgO1y9cskjIbufeW8l1joF5kTWVtj5jCOWvLvwhEPLuU5xZEh_tJinTFqAz3Wi3YLN6MiD68-dU4K164/s1600/Jeruselam+Artichoke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTdCf_EypJztwseAG3mT90qX7oR_suTPRo8u-s2-wvDrQmoVNyHdX1NLLKZXJAgO1y9cskjIbufeW8l1joF5kTWVtj5jCOWvLvwhEPLuU5xZEh_tJinTFqAz3Wi3YLN6MiD68-dU4K164/s320/Jeruselam+Artichoke.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topinambur Sate Mango</td></tr>
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Wow! Jerusalem artichokes or sunchokes have never tasted this good before. They had a deep umami that was contrasted beautifully by the mango on the side plate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJw0v-B_eJsoh5sZQku7bpmqZLbYDcCeSNzQQ8Vmn8Kol8jttYTN3jpjQFPQoan_TtMM60_FWKArgv39jVbGbdvS1iFGlZQYx49qcGyZunHdhF1v0jNRNd_07T6BgjYl5YufdTxyoq0Yr/s1600/Spiced+Tofu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJw0v-B_eJsoh5sZQku7bpmqZLbYDcCeSNzQQ8Vmn8Kol8jttYTN3jpjQFPQoan_TtMM60_FWKArgv39jVbGbdvS1iFGlZQYx49qcGyZunHdhF1v0jNRNd_07T6BgjYl5YufdTxyoq0Yr/s320/Spiced+Tofu.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spiced Tofu Chiu Chow Chili Pumpkin</td></tr>
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The final savoury dish was spiced tofu. By far the best tofu I've even eaten. Just the right amount of spice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcD82R4CTJ8fOSJb5vmhUTptc7uMK5GkctcqUcjh-zhncX3TeT18XcQwpray36_OPxEnv6PHqWtI27xKX5IdAxYjxW28kAX8m4mjbUBgftbnO4TXJlK8GOH9cOitmomne7n6vJA0JKWL7b/s1600/Yuzu+Cheesecake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcD82R4CTJ8fOSJb5vmhUTptc7uMK5GkctcqUcjh-zhncX3TeT18XcQwpray36_OPxEnv6PHqWtI27xKX5IdAxYjxW28kAX8m4mjbUBgftbnO4TXJlK8GOH9cOitmomne7n6vJA0JKWL7b/s320/Yuzu+Cheesecake.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuzu Cheesecake Caramel Beurre Sale</td></tr>
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Finishing with a light cheesecake that was as refreshing as the 1st course Pomelo really wrapped up the meal.Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-76623420777404165512018-02-20T13:31:00.000-08:002018-02-20T13:31:22.551-08:00Hawaii can be a challenge for restaurants. Eat lots of fruit from the plentiful markets and you'll be happy and healthy.We spent a week on Hawaii, the Big Island recently and found that dining out can be a disappointment. <br />
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I know that living in Vancouver we are spoiled with great restaurants and even the simplest spots are competing to be the best they can. Hawaii is full of tourists who may never come back and I think the quality of restaurants are a reflection of that.<br />
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We had enjoyed Roy's restaurants in Maui and Oahu, but Roy's Waikoloa was a disappointment. Over priced and noisy with sloppy, rushed service. Does rapid expansion every really work?<br />
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I was expecting a lot from Umeke's Grill and Bar. Known to have the best poke on the island, it was good but Vancouver has so much more going on with their poke bowls. The best seller is the fish tacos. I wish I'd tried them instead.<br />
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The best we tried was Holuakoa Garden Cafe, a slow food restaurant in the little town of Holualoa, high above Kona. Tables were set around a garden, under trees with twinkling lights. The food is sourced as much as possible locally and the freshness shined. The Mahi Mahi was the best fish we had on the island and the vegetable lasagna got a thumbs up from David (lasagna aficionado). The service was good too. <br />
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We also loved the markets in Waimea, Hawi and Kona. The fresh fruit is great and some of the markets had chefs cooking up some of the best food available. <br />
<br />Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-16312239738264914412018-02-20T12:58:00.001-08:002018-02-20T12:58:39.959-08:00London dining has gotten so much better over the years. Two iconic restaurants delivered a hit and a miss.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On a recent trip to London we hit a couple of iconic restaurants, River Cafe and Nobu.</div>
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<b>River Cafe </b>was most memorable for the Wet Walnut Pasta. Completely different than anything I'd had before. A pretty simple dish, the pasta was nice and chewy and the walnut sauce rich without being cloying. It did feel like they were moving us through as quickly as possible with the next people waiting for our table at a stand up bar crowding the entrance. My expectations may have been too high.</div>
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Dinner at <b>Nobu </b>was more memorable. In this case my expectations were lower for some reason. Each dish beautifully presented and as delicious as it looked.The service was also outstanding. Our server even wrote out the ingredients for a salad dressing and was fully engaged when she realized how interested we were in the food.</div>
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<b>Beware </b>the crazy mark ups on the wine list. This is a good place to stick to tea or to enjoy a beer.</div>
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We were talking about the King Crab Tempura and the Red Chili Soul for days.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPWwsNyfH9UyRj8zE35Rn4qcXfwWmZ4iFzP-KswZf7Q3aIpvGfOUofJIHlVUvpWfzBU0h7Wl-Gh9pD44stjSwqA3cVEz6koRbQyQyo8YYI-dj_YofUxs1FlHVGH0xLeXmZVRDBi4JzguB/s1600/Nobu+Shitake+Salad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPWwsNyfH9UyRj8zE35Rn4qcXfwWmZ4iFzP-KswZf7Q3aIpvGfOUofJIHlVUvpWfzBU0h7Wl-Gh9pD44stjSwqA3cVEz6koRbQyQyo8YYI-dj_YofUxs1FlHVGH0xLeXmZVRDBi4JzguB/s320/Nobu+Shitake+Salad.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Shitake Salad</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0xszGsMr84jdX3E7jjt5tFp7IS2ohrMxWYmMkwNmVZfmgwhAixZEZ8v0mLHySkhyphenhyphenekkcskoHpDX4Ox0m3Cc2NU363DptfuxUpd0wjeVdniHoXzF_7iX5w5EarhgX7QM-KVoHMreJVmcl/s1600/Nobu+Sushi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0xszGsMr84jdX3E7jjt5tFp7IS2ohrMxWYmMkwNmVZfmgwhAixZEZ8v0mLHySkhyphenhyphenekkcskoHpDX4Ox0m3Cc2NU363DptfuxUpd0wjeVdniHoXzF_7iX5w5EarhgX7QM-KVoHMreJVmcl/s320/Nobu+Sushi.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Scallop & Smelt Egg Roll</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxo17aYdorBwic8ZaiQvCUzW67AyNnrMhuHSc6WN7FS0mqpMBUCtCRWgpKE99_Zfkxnzqrc4ygGIBOJ-kplqX8feqNLzVsuqAvwtVtXxbp0x-dxarEKJbWmDxx8aIpy6dBFy7jOv4MQHz/s1600/Lobster+Tempure.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxo17aYdorBwic8ZaiQvCUzW67AyNnrMhuHSc6WN7FS0mqpMBUCtCRWgpKE99_Zfkxnzqrc4ygGIBOJ-kplqX8feqNLzVsuqAvwtVtXxbp0x-dxarEKJbWmDxx8aIpy6dBFy7jOv4MQHz/s320/Lobster+Tempure.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>King Crab Tempura with Amazu Ponzu</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUNjgm8hHwMtNC7boCasV1UwdpmX6cZ08yz3odRIA0KfnRrfb5RifKdgAbDoFS2WXspChPKNMq9f_xLtpVDUmpwV5YCu_Pr61sBBultPfQW_hWUSAeRWdI6ErbeRJjqo_oeILfrandiLq/s1600/Nobu+Red+Chili+Soul.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUNjgm8hHwMtNC7boCasV1UwdpmX6cZ08yz3odRIA0KfnRrfb5RifKdgAbDoFS2WXspChPKNMq9f_xLtpVDUmpwV5YCu_Pr61sBBultPfQW_hWUSAeRWdI6ErbeRJjqo_oeILfrandiLq/s320/Nobu+Red+Chili+Soul.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Dover Sole with Red Chilli Shiso</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlqi1y-q9DXI8_qUMbruZGivSlqlEFTlbvu8Nm3QKSC626CBsPLKASk333sPzgd6ujphqWfytRXMe4HedFczvS-FpF9SvxdsGsfpJMJdnoCTSw5NTevB1lRosYlnoAbLEF-YIiwU5s3Jm/s1600/Nobu+Crispy+Rice+with+Crab.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlqi1y-q9DXI8_qUMbruZGivSlqlEFTlbvu8Nm3QKSC626CBsPLKASk333sPzgd6ujphqWfytRXMe4HedFczvS-FpF9SvxdsGsfpJMJdnoCTSw5NTevB1lRosYlnoAbLEF-YIiwU5s3Jm/s320/Nobu+Crispy+Rice+with+Crab.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Crispy Rice with Crab Dip</i></b></td></tr>
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<br />Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-43439832276154375122017-12-06T16:49:00.001-08:002017-12-06T16:49:45.869-08:00Galvin's at the Athenaeum Hotel London offers great value and sophisticated deliciousness. 3 Yums Up!London is has won my heart and is again my favourite city to visit. We recently stayed at the lovely Athenaeum Hotel in Piccadilly and had dinner at Galvin, their restaurant from the Michelin starred Galvin brothers, Chris and Jeff. The Prix Fixe Menu is great value pre-theater for 24.50GBP.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioK5uw1EMEs1GYNSTjy-e7EEEi1H9r1ZMpqVFj0j5TTlBQxsqtxKJEmxi8HtKjB5-w0NQfO-ULBmzvLQMsytTUNF_LL7AyxxXCoYLALjq6EtulFgt85DfnjPJ0WMy6oe7kDJo6C9mpZzbD/s1600/Heritage+Beetroot%252C+walnuts+%2526+Westcombe+ricotta+on+crisp+sourdough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1244" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioK5uw1EMEs1GYNSTjy-e7EEEi1H9r1ZMpqVFj0j5TTlBQxsqtxKJEmxi8HtKjB5-w0NQfO-ULBmzvLQMsytTUNF_LL7AyxxXCoYLALjq6EtulFgt85DfnjPJ0WMy6oe7kDJo6C9mpZzbD/s320/Heritage+Beetroot%252C+walnuts+%2526+Westcombe+ricotta+on+crisp+sourdough.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Heritage Beetroot, Walnuts, Westcombe Ricotta on Crisp Sourdough</b></td></tr>
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We tried the Parsnip and cider soup with pickled apple and parsnip crisps. very tasty and nicely presented with a lid topped with the parsnip crisps. I preferred my beetroot, walnut and Westcombe ricotta on crisp sourdough. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqTC9jdVuIXuGy-ARlE2lulZw0yoifzAaG9Xqpt8NATCdH60S6KWkn93-4yLmlTHQDRssV5woq5aW7y4i367iIChQHtRCdv-xNc-Ml7VcloD_4MyI_oKeKl_97FsM8FQm0eTsGEe_hQzD/s1600/Flaked+Peterhead+Cod+with+Brandade%252C+artichoke%252C+lemon+and+parsley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqTC9jdVuIXuGy-ARlE2lulZw0yoifzAaG9Xqpt8NATCdH60S6KWkn93-4yLmlTHQDRssV5woq5aW7y4i367iIChQHtRCdv-xNc-Ml7VcloD_4MyI_oKeKl_97FsM8FQm0eTsGEe_hQzD/s320/Flaked+Peterhead+Cod+with+Brandade%252C+artichoke%252C+lemon+and+parsley.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Flaked Peterhead Cod, Brandade, Artichoke, Lemon and Capers</b></td></tr>
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We each had a main course fish dish. I had flaked cod with brandade, artichoke, lemon and parsley. It was a delicious, somewhat rustic dish in a bowl. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmw8FFxy434oAxrD57AVsGQW8HszXFJgePxIiPGBcTPW_n1WX4PNtCsyJMKi6U3uSf3BgCSMG6v9RiIuDByDu5yiem1OtlEwI_8bubPolfcf-rk6ktzXwYTya9dyFUaBKBTUUTsVi4A1V/s1600/Roast+Brixham+Brill%252C+brown+shrimps%252C+lemon%252C+capers+%2526+leeks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmw8FFxy434oAxrD57AVsGQW8HszXFJgePxIiPGBcTPW_n1WX4PNtCsyJMKi6U3uSf3BgCSMG6v9RiIuDByDu5yiem1OtlEwI_8bubPolfcf-rk6ktzXwYTya9dyFUaBKBTUUTsVi4A1V/s320/Roast+Brixham+Brill%252C+brown+shrimps%252C+lemon%252C+capers+%2526+leeks.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Roast Brixham Brill, Brown Shrimps, Lemon, Capers & Leeks</b></td></tr>
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David had Brill with brown shrimps, lemon, capers and leeks. The leeks were craveable. When finished he suggested we have dinner there again the next night. As much as I wanted to try the Brill, I was never going to let that happen. We had some good dining ahead.Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-83762455369088165682017-10-19T13:39:00.000-07:002017-10-19T13:39:08.278-07:00St. Lawrence is my new favourite restaurant in Vancouver<div class="Body">
We sat at the kitchen counter on opening night at the St. Lawrence. Oo la la!
Precision in the kitchen and some very positive nervous energy from younger staff. The food was outstanding. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1znlSvdTZlKpKUVuVBs95TRs0jXXmpHQOly35jGj-pvXTqFM5YJZCHkIGhMK3V1hnAMeMqDA-OyEDAgL9ZAR0YU-9gkmnmO9HbVReUUT3dPPicfwpzSrOw52P288Wf_LXYoXoZygkItY/s1600/Cod+in+parchment.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1znlSvdTZlKpKUVuVBs95TRs0jXXmpHQOly35jGj-pvXTqFM5YJZCHkIGhMK3V1hnAMeMqDA-OyEDAgL9ZAR0YU-9gkmnmO9HbVReUUT3dPPicfwpzSrOw52P288Wf_LXYoXoZygkItY/s320/Cod+in+parchment.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Perfect Cod</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="Body">
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<div class="Body">
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<div class="Body">
We had 3 starters; <span lang="IT">quenell</span>e
with mussels, white wine sauce and puff pastry, mushrooms in vol au vent and
ratatouille with Parmesan pudding. I think the quenelles are the bomb, David
the mushrooms. The menu is limited for “pesky”tarians so both had cod in
parchment bundles. We watched them prep them full of fresh new veggies plenty
of butter and a generous portion of beautiful ling cod. The sauce was poured on
and a spare jug offered. We needed the big spoons to finish every bit of broth.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTrOz7QBlAq7rnzAAK2buhdVSTyZu9Duu5KVzlEP9P18H_zsooVqo04xK1Dn3lfbG6qCGvDCOyAcKzyfbwHkuwmAz_NqId9APNm4yoHYYe_V0Ppmw6L-VUnd8PuYliixogUPzCR_GcBVu/s1600/Quenelles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTrOz7QBlAq7rnzAAK2buhdVSTyZu9Duu5KVzlEP9P18H_zsooVqo04xK1Dn3lfbG6qCGvDCOyAcKzyfbwHkuwmAz_NqId9APNm4yoHYYe_V0Ppmw6L-VUnd8PuYliixogUPzCR_GcBVu/s320/Quenelles.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Quenelles</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="Body">
I’ve been back and had the Quenelle twice now and finally took a
poor picture. It’s a mild fish dumpling with mussels in a cream sauce. Also got
to try the fries and the potato chips. The chips are served with the steak
tartare so I was grateful to have a carnivore friend along. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Body">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6i9xW9fPG386dYTVSg0bCrn5ISXxCDnF4vbFgdl4NppgRJilKwoT13Du7R_yQDQ06Fi8ZbZWpsUP30KJRlCuazhy_rKt4pMCN4tJxYBN1AGwxsBbXre0UCVUcpK3JIAVOUfweeu2bWCF/s1600/French+75.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6i9xW9fPG386dYTVSg0bCrn5ISXxCDnF4vbFgdl4NppgRJilKwoT13Du7R_yQDQ06Fi8ZbZWpsUP30KJRlCuazhy_rKt4pMCN4tJxYBN1AGwxsBbXre0UCVUcpK3JIAVOUfweeu2bWCF/s320/French+75.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The French 75</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
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<div class="Body">
Big discovery was the French 75 le vrai with cognac. I’ll be
begging for chips to go with my new favourite cocktail next time.<o:p></o:p></div>
Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-66585064690758591822017-10-06T15:20:00.002-07:002017-10-06T15:20:57.075-07:00Our 9th annual Okanagan wine tour finds big improvements in the food, wine and experience. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PcYZcbuBbzf7jB3ToSDh1PaOoFZcAw3o13qPW4CyomK4Co0Buo0b46PLK9NfFK0ngtz2LGJO8b01py5STXLZdplU6_srPVZ_Egd1gCC-d6aLZn42CqKv8V3Z_7qOCbXrTIxtL6qZXcJW/s1600/IMG_8834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PcYZcbuBbzf7jB3ToSDh1PaOoFZcAw3o13qPW4CyomK4Co0Buo0b46PLK9NfFK0ngtz2LGJO8b01py5STXLZdplU6_srPVZ_Egd1gCC-d6aLZn42CqKv8V3Z_7qOCbXrTIxtL6qZXcJW/s320/IMG_8834.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Almost ready to harvest</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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BC Wine touring has exploded since our 1<sup>st</sup> annual
in 2009. Back then it was hard to get a
good meal and the tasting room was often in the garage. This year my top pick was <b>Black Hills Winery</b>. For several years now they’ve blown us away
with the Cabana tasting for club members.
The hosts are true wine experts and the guided tasting a learning
experience. We combined the tasting with
lunch and it outstanding. The pizzas
were creative, the olives warm and delicious, and the smoked cod cakes were the
bomb. The cod cakes are now on our
#orderitfordessert list.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nGGWPRnj0XUpP50pJt2Wv4AyYcqmFZOZhxbWyrP4Sq217_QFrrVAzjcMRQoAMdz7wdMpr9GJjg7npvB5QX6Ln6oqxlOxoZeeGhHhWVqw2ga29cJSa30i-asyb6g3wOTmcnN5-fT41jQX/s1600/IMG_8821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nGGWPRnj0XUpP50pJt2Wv4AyYcqmFZOZhxbWyrP4Sq217_QFrrVAzjcMRQoAMdz7wdMpr9GJjg7npvB5QX6Ln6oqxlOxoZeeGhHhWVqw2ga29cJSa30i-asyb6g3wOTmcnN5-fT41jQX/s320/IMG_8821.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Cabana tasting at Black Hills</i></b></td></tr>
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We started our trip with a picnic at <b>Clos du Soleil</b> in the Similkameen.
They have slowly become one of my favourite wineries and I highly
recommend a visit. Bring a picnic, they
have several tables and are very welcoming.
White or red, they make both in the Bordeaux style and they do it very
well. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We also stopped at <b>Vanessa
Vineyards</b> to see the newly opened tasting room. It’s a beauty and they are making some great
red wines. Look for the Cabernet
Franc. It’s special.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Seven Stones</b> is always one of our favourites to visit. Great wines and a tour of the cellar is worth
the trouble. They are experimenting with
how playing Mozart affects the wine. How
could it be anything but good?<o:p></o:p></div>
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After checking into our suite at <b>Spirit Ridge Resort</b> we went to the <b>NK’MIP</b> tasting room. It was
crowded and the staff were ready to wrap it up for the day. I love the Spirit Ridge resort and the NK’MIP
winery, but this wasn’t one of our better tasting experiences there,
reinforcing the value of booking your tastings in advance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We also had dinner that night at <b>Mica</b>, at Spirit Ridge. Sadly,
except for some above average calamari the food was mediocre and overpriced. I don’t think we’ll go there again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Tinhorn Creek</b> prepared
a great sit down tasting for us, including the new and delicious blend, The
Creek, a high-end wine, daringly put under screw cap in a light weight
bottle. Remember it’s the inside of the
bottle that counts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We had another excellent lunch at <b>Miradoro</b>. I had whey poached
halibut with salt cod fritters. I’m a
sucker for anything made with cod and delighted to see more cod fritters
turning up. They are a staple in
Portugal and Spain and are crazy delicious with a bottle of sparkling wine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQdSzoi6skZm7yHkkxTattAimMnWNLMhDbP8VkYhAQt1SkxuuEsdFgS79NEncuSMMAv1tM18APl7NsAan5OIus2WEefnRDMBLkEzLOnmk1eDgnZneHC9BC3xL8FTTwQILfHGoUeXg4Cyy/s1600/IMG_8894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQdSzoi6skZm7yHkkxTattAimMnWNLMhDbP8VkYhAQt1SkxuuEsdFgS79NEncuSMMAv1tM18APl7NsAan5OIus2WEefnRDMBLkEzLOnmk1eDgnZneHC9BC3xL8FTTwQILfHGoUeXg4Cyy/s320/IMG_8894.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Ella sparkling wine from Maverick</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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My favourite new winery was <b>Maverick </b>in Oliver, where Karin Lepa guided us through a tasting of
their portfolio. I’m a fan of Ella, the
sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pino Noir, it would be great with some
of those cod fritters. I look forward to
seeing how this winery grows up. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlED4k5imienlucT-tL9F-ZJXsE0kcr9W2r90xRFNACgk-pbAzY2VrOdbBI6RI4X_dyvDQ14_mKMKnBAGL-7GXgEpRaYHHFVfewiVGRq6geAyua0cy_Q1rAOwKf22KirY59MG2ZUCK1KY/s1600/IMG_8873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlED4k5imienlucT-tL9F-ZJXsE0kcr9W2r90xRFNACgk-pbAzY2VrOdbBI6RI4X_dyvDQ14_mKMKnBAGL-7GXgEpRaYHHFVfewiVGRq6geAyua0cy_Q1rAOwKf22KirY59MG2ZUCK1KY/s320/IMG_8873.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>LaStellina Rosato</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDQOXDP_TpVb71zyiVelQUm8MfJ-Q1WexYPOCPCuhC4vERrPk-tAKDPmRN-c4210WuKSySddRpHS9Jdy1W6DElq8bo9H-vtkyxSBMYKkDR2as9Hj7ecV16CVa0hZYVFeyqVTEFotMRP0R/s1600/IMG_8815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDQOXDP_TpVb71zyiVelQUm8MfJ-Q1WexYPOCPCuhC4vERrPk-tAKDPmRN-c4210WuKSySddRpHS9Jdy1W6DElq8bo9H-vtkyxSBMYKkDR2as9Hj7ecV16CVa0hZYVFeyqVTEFotMRP0R/s320/IMG_8815.JPG" width="240" /></i></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Trying to stay on time at Le Vieux Pin</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We also visited <b>La
Vieux Pin</b> and <b>La Stella</b>. Stand outs at La Vieux Pin were the Syrah and
the Sauvignon Blanc, which was perfect with scallops for dinner recently. At La Stella we all loved the rose but it was
sold out. We tasted the last of it. Both
make great wine but one of the things that stands out is the great people that
work there. They are always so knowledgeable and generous
with their time. Book a tasting and they
will treat you very well.<o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2rSsudgBF2ZHmTFNqGYnTgMtcY62LxF2dmb8TGqMVENKWthsZ2c0jDDvZosxATrriPtr9KqEPFnMeHTKarWVbCnh2-7xbrER6FC2TDVpQIesBHirECXNWai0jLh-Aj_z__Mpt4BsgpeR/s1600/IMG_8879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2rSsudgBF2ZHmTFNqGYnTgMtcY62LxF2dmb8TGqMVENKWthsZ2c0jDDvZosxATrriPtr9KqEPFnMeHTKarWVbCnh2-7xbrER6FC2TDVpQIesBHirECXNWai0jLh-Aj_z__Mpt4BsgpeR/s320/IMG_8879.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Corcellettes in the Similkameen</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Last but not least we finished our tour back in the Similkameen at <b>Corcelletes'</b> new tasting room. We really like this Jessie and Charlie, a great young couple with a passion for the wine business, they are making great wines and truly understand hospitality. We always save room for some of their wine.<br />
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Another year of Okanagan wine touring is under our belts and we are already planning next year.</div>
Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-896579073120427252017-09-27T11:57:00.002-07:002017-09-27T11:57:58.186-07:00Dining al fresco @LeBistrotduBorddel'Eau in Beaune, France #3yumsup.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWV2khsLSP8tFPvN14Y3nRJ4H1dHANx4Qp2YXYRWuImggcFDIntwwBUmAHaAycqxnJkSW9_wWLdERcIvFIuDHZsi5bkBIJ6LRytHAIPN2WNxypbuJeSBZV1heKd0JYFwH4FW8-w3MrzvKr/s1600/Hotel+de+Levernois.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWV2khsLSP8tFPvN14Y3nRJ4H1dHANx4Qp2YXYRWuImggcFDIntwwBUmAHaAycqxnJkSW9_wWLdERcIvFIuDHZsi5bkBIJ6LRytHAIPN2WNxypbuJeSBZV1heKd0JYFwH4FW8-w3MrzvKr/s320/Hotel+de+Levernois.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Lunch at Le Bistrot du Bord de l'Eau</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
I love a meal in a garden and some of the best I've had were in France. At the end of a river cruise we hired a driver to do some wine tasting in Burgundy with a stop for lunch. He recommended Hostellerie de Levernois' casual restaurant "@Le Bistrot du Bord de l'Eau" outside Beaune in Burgundy. It was outstanding. The lamb, cod and chicken were all declared delicious, and a couple of plates of risotto with fresh green peas disappeared instantly, but a fish cake for 2 made with perch and crab was the bomb. I know it doesn't look like a fish cake, more like scalloped potatoes. No matter, it tasted like heaven and we had to get more bread to mop up every bit of the sauce.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhG_7x5HZ3CN9jUA5yNgeSYNXOWzalinVP4kDFSsF9iSi1aGuTBttEO2b68hdxeNwEYTJifgnIy1SuR_3HZ6idCh23ZngNY_6Y3NSzjW1SsRINhPeYddOZDbYqy10NGhrOADCSMCtyYi5u/s1600/IMG_8390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhG_7x5HZ3CN9jUA5yNgeSYNXOWzalinVP4kDFSsF9iSi1aGuTBttEO2b68hdxeNwEYTJifgnIy1SuR_3HZ6idCh23ZngNY_6Y3NSzjW1SsRINhPeYddOZDbYqy10NGhrOADCSMCtyYi5u/s320/IMG_8390.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Perch and Crab Cake</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I did a bit of a walk about and had a peak at the impressive kitchen garden providing an abundance of fresh veggies and herbs. When I found the kitchen, it was like watching a ballet. Everyone knew where they were supposed to be and what they were supposed to be doing. <br />
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Our driver Pieter recommended we try a bottle of Anne Brooks 2015 White Burgundy. It was a lovely wine from a small bio-dynamic winery that I'm sure we'll never see again.<br />
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There are so many little things that a Relais & Chateaux property will do. It was a hot day and I fanned myself with my menu. A few minutes later a fan was placed by my side. Little things mean a lot.</div>
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I would be very happy to stay at this hotel. More time in Burgundy would be great.<br />
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-15890336227840918672017-09-22T13:48:00.000-07:002017-09-22T13:48:17.445-07:00Top tip for wine loving river cruisers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezgpLmPOIPOk6GkDr7Qmb6KZXooQE2fceIffcqXE_DW_OwI7Zcu1uLXJ6ifSVed6vMnXtzp2FyuoaDutEjE5BAJsUJRjOlisjJ2XSRwmES2upbNUWB9_PQrKGOI5mO02I7BBeo1Gb5aT1/s1600/Avalon_Poetry+II_Exterior_Rhone_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezgpLmPOIPOk6GkDr7Qmb6KZXooQE2fceIffcqXE_DW_OwI7Zcu1uLXJ6ifSVed6vMnXtzp2FyuoaDutEjE5BAJsUJRjOlisjJ2XSRwmES2upbNUWB9_PQrKGOI5mO02I7BBeo1Gb5aT1/s400/Avalon_Poetry+II_Exterior_Rhone_08.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Avalon Poetry ll</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May is my absolute favourite time in Europe and this year we cruised from Provence to Burgundy on the Rhone River. The weather was perfect and the long days made for some lovely sunrise and sunset hours on deck. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We travelled on <b><i>Avalon Waterways Poetry ll</i></b>. Think of river cruising like a bus tour where you unpack once and your hotel moves along with you. There are daily bus tour options but you don't necessarily want to do those everyday. Sometimes the ship is docked in the heart of town and wandering is a pleasure. The rooms are small, even by European standards but well designed and in <b><i>Avalon</i></b>'s case the panorama suites are among the very best.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Competition in the riverboat market means that the food and wine on board continues to get better as does service and pricing. Even better, now you don't necessarily have to book years in advance and there are sometimes last minute deals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We found the staff incredibly accommodating when they learned we were keen wine drinkers. We like our white wine cold and an ice bucket was always brought to our table as soon as we were seated. The sommelier checked every night to see if we were happy with the wine being offered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My top tip for wine lovers </b>on river cruises is that although the wine selection may change every night, if you've been served a wine that you really like there is probably more on board. We've used this to our advantage several times on different cruise lines and it works like a charm. So when you have a wine you like, take a picture of it or note the name. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ask and you may receive.</span><br />
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-79893928440623142182017-08-31T09:37:00.001-07:002017-08-31T09:37:35.089-07:00Cod Fins have little morsels of sweet meat. Makes me crave cod tongue.Once upon a time I could leave a rack of lamb picked bare. 20 years later I love a fish collar or these cod fins. Hard to imagine a Newfoundlander eating cod fins. Not the prettiest one of the 21 courses @WillowsInn.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAoEBFf088cFpqcVq6tgaPrS3QHSFK0ItCtd8oNCFy5RNCsO8N6xWXw4-QbEcLKjNpEHFcKjSyUA-vlTKB9totQjQ6ievdVOQq-km1rwC2y9OaG-LlfPCi_dfhY7UvoCy7zL0n2mKWfP9/s1600/Cod+Fin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAoEBFf088cFpqcVq6tgaPrS3QHSFK0ItCtd8oNCFy5RNCsO8N6xWXw4-QbEcLKjNpEHFcKjSyUA-vlTKB9totQjQ6ievdVOQq-km1rwC2y9OaG-LlfPCi_dfhY7UvoCy7zL0n2mKWfP9/s320/Cod+Fin.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Cod Fin</i></b><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-90398779208126037012017-08-30T15:04:00.001-07:002017-08-31T09:38:06.282-07:0021 COURSE LATE SUMMER MENU AT WILLOWS INN LUMMI ISLAND AND MY TOP PICK LOOKS LIKE A FLORAL ARRANGEMENTFor our 3rd visit to the Willows Inn we chose late summer to fully enjoy the abundance of the season. Below are pictures of some of our favourites. The herb tostada was our top pick. A tempura fried mustard leaf topped with some creamy herb spread and covered in a beautiful and delicious arrangement of herbs and edible flowers. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JzlTHtAHp2DBLdtAeA-PxSQt4WmJZqXb_P6kh6jIFj404Q5N92LKuTq2HDqJFOWsxOAFceiHcR6j9GZTC0_sK5pM647hzPNjrBO6niYu5IETgOyhO6-OijifjNJL9LNKsHRXtvQaBLIt/s1600/Herb+Tostada.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JzlTHtAHp2DBLdtAeA-PxSQt4WmJZqXb_P6kh6jIFj404Q5N92LKuTq2HDqJFOWsxOAFceiHcR6j9GZTC0_sK5pM647hzPNjrBO6niYu5IETgOyhO6-OijifjNJL9LNKsHRXtvQaBLIt/s320/Herb+Tostada.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Herb Tostada</i></b></td></tr>
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Lummi Island's remote location and the length of the dinner experience means you need to overnight on the island. The Inn has several guest rooms and partners with the best local bed and breakfasts. Booking early is a must. <br />
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Chef Blaine Wetzel won the 2017 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest and the restaurant is consistently named among the best in America. I like to arrive early enough to spend time watching the action around the grill, smoker and kitchen. Young food professionals from all over the world come to work with Blaine and their passion is a thing of beauty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAm0blEc-2uNBsaJm-_8aq-Z_HcG-X4oL8g8kz5cqroihuViHzJC0WQaE8OGj2NvCqDs81omwgl2UaKX_P-idIsDcOtw6uNAFDzzX9mnTVf4rc9vn0xx7Y9misLkN0JAE8VCyPueMCZeG/s1600/Plums.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAm0blEc-2uNBsaJm-_8aq-Z_HcG-X4oL8g8kz5cqroihuViHzJC0WQaE8OGj2NvCqDs81omwgl2UaKX_P-idIsDcOtw6uNAFDzzX9mnTVf4rc9vn0xx7Y9misLkN0JAE8VCyPueMCZeG/s320/Plums.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Lummi Island Plums</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Mackerel and Rhubarb Ceviche</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CwycWc8ll4Cc-pVssQzQuEzpA6Ji09ZsUuDVJDDPF_WSHiknsUonoiSS1tAb4H42xiPyAtOCk9mmz7xiOQTBvDRgJ_Kqf-kc-zVmcwIvN89VsQVe-L4dTEaHSr9hyJXglLCdKcCTv7zD/s1600/Mussel+opened.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CwycWc8ll4Cc-pVssQzQuEzpA6Ji09ZsUuDVJDDPF_WSHiknsUonoiSS1tAb4H42xiPyAtOCk9mmz7xiOQTBvDRgJ_Kqf-kc-zVmcwIvN89VsQVe-L4dTEaHSr9hyJXglLCdKcCTv7zD/s320/Mussel+opened.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Grilled and smoked Mussel</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkfmTlPzSuGWulQ9N3WdQxhl5uiCPQRBLnr094wzeyR0kvHl7LYPGPkQUTZ3rMZyK5bU6NVg13pWtVLkx3Quz-mxxulazXZaHb7HMHmpi9U8GrYFCMuQuMTfl44OrvnGPyKsrBpxJG3Me/s1600/Smoking+mussel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkfmTlPzSuGWulQ9N3WdQxhl5uiCPQRBLnr094wzeyR0kvHl7LYPGPkQUTZ3rMZyK5bU6NVg13pWtVLkx3Quz-mxxulazXZaHb7HMHmpi9U8GrYFCMuQuMTfl44OrvnGPyKsrBpxJG3Me/s320/Smoking+mussel.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Smoking Mussel</i></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0D2jG-OmF8wW6bT6QUtg3zeMYFqwpAtH0hAnpcVvPtIIMOYgCsVUdtJ9lle6eNFS_qWC2v3tiAFzeG5sb_sR2EFBFTGrow2L0-LkvtXOuHcH5qIHG_7BalKU0MTzOg7LgOF_705VjtwZv/s1600/Toasted+Kale+and+Truffle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0D2jG-OmF8wW6bT6QUtg3zeMYFqwpAtH0hAnpcVvPtIIMOYgCsVUdtJ9lle6eNFS_qWC2v3tiAFzeG5sb_sR2EFBFTGrow2L0-LkvtXOuHcH5qIHG_7BalKU0MTzOg7LgOF_705VjtwZv/s320/Toasted+Kale+and+Truffle.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Toasted Kale Leaves with Truffle</i></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Black cod donut</i></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGv0GojzfgJXWFkuIwBjN0Gg9gXUq-FwHxL0Am5edK6yio-0BNMKa-xp0J-GjzTxS07T3wis1KTZcRS0_EZE47_30B2h61-fTHKcYjldGDE6quAsI7HoaJ9PfkltV7kaJ36WU3U0QHoBF/s1600/Rockfish+in+bone+broth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGv0GojzfgJXWFkuIwBjN0Gg9gXUq-FwHxL0Am5edK6yio-0BNMKa-xp0J-GjzTxS07T3wis1KTZcRS0_EZE47_30B2h61-fTHKcYjldGDE6quAsI7HoaJ9PfkltV7kaJ36WU3U0QHoBF/s320/Rockfish+in+bone+broth.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Rockfish in Bone Broth</i></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Grilled Geoduck Clam</i></b><br />
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-50303913173416162852016-08-25T15:33:00.002-07:002016-08-25T15:37:17.983-07:00Malta is crazy busy and crowded but the food and the ruins are what we remember <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Malta is a place best looked at in retrospect. It is crowded and too busy BUT the history is complicated and diverse and contribute to food, wine and architecture that are very good.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Honey Bun</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We spent some time in Valletta and found a perfect coffee at the beautiful Caffe Cordina, founded in 1837. I love these old coffee shops, that run like well oiled machines. It was very busy but we never felt rushed. We tried the Honey Ring, a traditional Maltese treat made with black treacle, marmalade, orange peel, spices and honey. I could see how they would become addictive. They aren't nearly as sweet as they sound and are really perfect with coffee. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Legligin Wine Ba</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>David ready for a great lunch</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had lunch at Legligin, a wine bar with a tasting menu. They asked about food restrictions and we were impressed when they understood our pescatarian preference. We asked about local wine choices and the owner brought us a selection that he then described in detail and had us quite excited to try the Celsius Cabernet Sauvignon. It was so good we found some to bring home. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgashPGKh0s3mzHCqf6QjX90zvPBW55ZB-0nrIx4boxDJ8a8GzDZrGBlHbh243QaowvSAWBeXO3HMLxJX6jRIV1POfXZ9LIb2cppOILFvR497TP-MF2bQV6kbtFWHQBTkR17t-a2aQgdeXi/s1600/Malta+Celsius.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgashPGKh0s3mzHCqf6QjX90zvPBW55ZB-0nrIx4boxDJ8a8GzDZrGBlHbh243QaowvSAWBeXO3HMLxJX6jRIV1POfXZ9LIb2cppOILFvR497TP-MF2bQV6kbtFWHQBTkR17t-a2aQgdeXi/s320/Malta+Celsius.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Maltese Wine Celsius</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lunch was a long lovely affair with mostly local ingredients that were fresh, well prepared and lovingly served.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirRZi25riHIy6PA6yQ_UG9n2c2xm0bogW9MZ0TP7bGvgG3Q1J7HFkNlNPIqQP3n6uOWoMPZ6jJqDsZVfcA1RsX37_-RHOD3h7BHWXLMWYHb0gtfH5ydCBZ4YQGBNthaU1B72eP5cn8nSA/s1600/Malta+Legligin+appies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirRZi25riHIy6PA6yQ_UG9n2c2xm0bogW9MZ0TP7bGvgG3Q1J7HFkNlNPIqQP3n6uOWoMPZ6jJqDsZVfcA1RsX37_-RHOD3h7BHWXLMWYHb0gtfH5ydCBZ4YQGBNthaU1B72eP5cn8nSA/s320/Malta+Legligin+appies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Gozo Cheese, Olives, Peppers and Eggplant, Tomato Tapenade</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5UZQbejwPzg9pe90kXP9SY6TAh7h3G8uCJuNwZ1BLvyJupUnpWIDHaCrOsR4_Nm2_BXrIt9dSy_tmLtm4Q4C3L3QrLXVX2WSFGyqUmmRDlE8-pj07qCLsCaEJFrIkY0iLg1CK7NobtV9/s1600/Malta+Mushroom+Soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5UZQbejwPzg9pe90kXP9SY6TAh7h3G8uCJuNwZ1BLvyJupUnpWIDHaCrOsR4_Nm2_BXrIt9dSy_tmLtm4Q4C3L3QrLXVX2WSFGyqUmmRDlE8-pj07qCLsCaEJFrIkY0iLg1CK7NobtV9/s320/Malta+Mushroom+Soup.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Mushroom Lentil Soup</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Octopus and Fish were very fresh and simply prepared.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7UVeSdgxDnzUmfVGHUxWDg1vOJ1e1i8Gc7Zsf1q2xXO7BACdJHmZqzyToGPnvKYzp6OK8JbQ1436h1fypmkiSFP4py5KpTO3_8nh7OPIGgqLHVeda8AhyphenhyphenRNEWN67etspB6QPwVqdNHdw/s1600/Malta+Octopus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7UVeSdgxDnzUmfVGHUxWDg1vOJ1e1i8Gc7Zsf1q2xXO7BACdJHmZqzyToGPnvKYzp6OK8JbQ1436h1fypmkiSFP4py5KpTO3_8nh7OPIGgqLHVeda8AhyphenhyphenRNEWN67etspB6QPwVqdNHdw/s320/Malta+Octopus.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Octopus</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5mU2r1vzSDrd2kUlC92zI5dDt6oD1buWdx1VDKbIvFadWbHE1aPhj2JBsJOXtQWHV53bpqfD7KrWB4wMmt_CoJyrSfIO9FhHLFIz4_h81qM188yo8wXEO4gZFMaugTJhTAzEqQe68REG/s1600/Malta+Fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5mU2r1vzSDrd2kUlC92zI5dDt6oD1buWdx1VDKbIvFadWbHE1aPhj2JBsJOXtQWHV53bpqfD7KrWB4wMmt_CoJyrSfIO9FhHLFIz4_h81qM188yo8wXEO4gZFMaugTJhTAzEqQe68REG/s320/Malta+Fish.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sea Bream</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I recommend Legligin. It was memorable, good value and the food highlight of Malta. </span></div>
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-28446898949827773742016-08-22T13:34:00.001-07:002016-08-22T13:34:43.838-07:00I count on @Scoutmagazine for restaurant advice in Vancouver but Herzog was a great tip for Munich <span style="font-size: large;">I love Scout Magazine so much that when I saw Herzog Munich in Restaurant Porn and was planning a couple of nights in Munich I booked dinner there. Thank you Scout, you never lead me astray. Munich in July was all about outdoor dining and Herzog was no exception. The patio was sexy and comfortable at the same time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A beautiful restaurant full of beautiful people I was a little worried that the food might not be quite as good. The proof is in the pudding as they say and the food made the grade. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps a little pretentious in a serious foodie kind of way, the olive oil was served with an eye dropper. Didn't hold us back a bit. Great bread, great olive oil. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5eHMgUXtaM7jNQvxzjVcSnmBQFNVRyo13yiJe-St4E9HuzY9hBDSxR_4wwwmTUUJXXYTH0_OEIHs35L3N3_vebHXi3zJTbPzBMMnz3TL7o7keAUq_dd7KJ0EeERWDQhVNd7x3_2XCgKa/s1600/Herzog+Bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5eHMgUXtaM7jNQvxzjVcSnmBQFNVRyo13yiJe-St4E9HuzY9hBDSxR_4wwwmTUUJXXYTH0_OEIHs35L3N3_vebHXi3zJTbPzBMMnz3TL7o7keAUq_dd7KJ0EeERWDQhVNd7x3_2XCgKa/s320/Herzog+Bread.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bread olive oil and salt</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Baked avocado salad wasn't a great start but the only misstep. Ho hum boring.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJFtwOLZPqA5nTq_1-r6YVrXh90M4nfwGLMhpkwmnF6pRBgsvZO-zjmOb02_wxfybcIvv1Pd6dj9MZGz3o0FvNLhQhilR7tRUtNR3pIdmbTVkMGtL_gr5fGw0Kqv8zwG1Sn8wuuogCaeP/s1600/Herzog+Avocado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJFtwOLZPqA5nTq_1-r6YVrXh90M4nfwGLMhpkwmnF6pRBgsvZO-zjmOb02_wxfybcIvv1Pd6dj9MZGz3o0FvNLhQhilR7tRUtNR3pIdmbTVkMGtL_gr5fGw0Kqv8zwG1Sn8wuuogCaeP/s320/Herzog+Avocado.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Baked avocado salad</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I haven't had a spider crab worth eating in years but David wanted this one and I'm a fan again. 3 Yums UP!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGH_y2Sq98UmHtTl9VC9o6Cq1C5C0OEmTOpBBTeE1fV3StSuakM7rgn0VMOPXUyImkyhXK14OTbQIx0dXS02DaNPzrKXQfnY7jjl-8yZNayNmT4p75pSk_lWeFEcwr8qMKwenjpY1oQcW/s1600/Herzog+Spider+Crab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGH_y2Sq98UmHtTl9VC9o6Cq1C5C0OEmTOpBBTeE1fV3StSuakM7rgn0VMOPXUyImkyhXK14OTbQIx0dXS02DaNPzrKXQfnY7jjl-8yZNayNmT4p75pSk_lWeFEcwr8qMKwenjpY1oQcW/s320/Herzog+Spider+Crab.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Spider Crab</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">No one could translate the fish Zahnbrasse, but with yam gnocci on top we wanted it anyway </span><span style="font-size: large;">and it was delicious</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Since learned it is sea bream.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidi6tN_N0Hvt_aS8f2fGGbsLGZdI7UwIZp5jbrFahH70Cg550ymRoaExnPIdRj0njeLvqDfU60AyHMvpbZ4a5BnWQlUW0A-Ql_mYpBswhn2lNVcmesAlHu6ALjmyMHCp5bshK2CaK44wrG/s1600/Herzog+Zahnbrasse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidi6tN_N0Hvt_aS8f2fGGbsLGZdI7UwIZp5jbrFahH70Cg550ymRoaExnPIdRj0njeLvqDfU60AyHMvpbZ4a5BnWQlUW0A-Ql_mYpBswhn2lNVcmesAlHu6ALjmyMHCp5bshK2CaK44wrG/s320/Herzog+Zahnbrasse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Zahnbrasse</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We even tried dessert. Mostly because again, no one could quite tell us what is was. Tagesdessert is dessert of the day. A traditional dessert that wasn't like anything else I've had. Like a cross between a donut and a cake with fruit and ice cream. Tasty and pretty, David finished every bit. I prefer wine for dessert. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_kaVm85MAz2BiuTl-9Oo11JzFU9YKLu0iIkIF2KBoeMxABqMPD9ly_kPk-XQiqCqaWsVXA6-35L8XyXeWUaeSS1dCVVYkdsMkU7-B_z0yfT1g1iVPnn5TmcW62F1Zd6kFu8mZ7yf4Kf0/s1600/Herzog+Tagesdessert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_kaVm85MAz2BiuTl-9Oo11JzFU9YKLu0iIkIF2KBoeMxABqMPD9ly_kPk-XQiqCqaWsVXA6-35L8XyXeWUaeSS1dCVVYkdsMkU7-B_z0yfT1g1iVPnn5TmcW62F1Zd6kFu8mZ7yf4Kf0/s320/Herzog+Tagesdessert.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tagesdessert</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I enjoyed Herzog. The food was good, the comfortable garden table was excellent and the people watching even better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One interesting thing was how many large format bottles of wine I saw circulating the room. The Wine Guy told me he believed that large formats age faster and allow him to have exceptional wines by the glass. I didn't argue, just ordered another glass.</span><br />
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-14178887853220611572016-08-18T16:56:00.001-07:002016-08-19T13:38:41.936-07:00Augustiner Keller beer garden was a great introduction to Munich <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pretzels and beer are a staple in Munich</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our European adventure ended with a couple of nights in Munich. On good advice we checked into our hotel and headed out to the Augustiner Farden and it was better than I had imagined. It is the 3rd largest beer garden in Munich and can seat 5,000 people. We sat near the front entrance and it didn't feel so big. Perhaps all the trees helped keep it intimate. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzxDgvgXfHrpkBmGXopTcoSELEokG_f1Il6gq01JYVrBzG3BgvP9kFf4sTsdS8WkAj0Nd1w-7bEJhrM0EB_g_qVSYJXtvm7HamPLXK6pBVondBdDyeTSFOHt3_elgInvZjcWuUn-mjdQ-/s1600/Augustiner+Farden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzxDgvgXfHrpkBmGXopTcoSELEokG_f1Il6gq01JYVrBzG3BgvP9kFf4sTsdS8WkAj0Nd1w-7bEJhrM0EB_g_qVSYJXtvm7HamPLXK6pBVondBdDyeTSFOHt3_elgInvZjcWuUn-mjdQ-/s320/Augustiner+Farden.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Augustiner Garden Munich</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A basket of pretzels was delivered to the table as soon as we sat down. Some fresh Munich lager followed quickly and we settled in for a nice lunch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The vegetarian option was a dumpling with mushroom cream sauce. Absolute heaven. I'd get on a plane right now to have it again. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikq-PZArtbZFTcHP39F5eGC762YACuZAvrPeBys4Z9DBvh04D6KxASK73SjpGeHquIaf16abfGaqZdWtbs7Ow2TcKudFoCX7ZARmjClF4REisAf9SUP8pAs7B_rBJG-OpzVcXy5Bm8sa2i/s1600/Munich+Dumplings+and+mushroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikq-PZArtbZFTcHP39F5eGC762YACuZAvrPeBys4Z9DBvh04D6KxASK73SjpGeHquIaf16abfGaqZdWtbs7Ow2TcKudFoCX7ZARmjClF4REisAf9SUP8pAs7B_rBJG-OpzVcXy5Bm8sa2i/s320/Munich+Dumplings+and+mushroom.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dumpling Love</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The small green salad looked like nothing special until you dug in a little to discover a crave-able potato salad and some sauerkraut in the bottom. I've been trying to reproduce the potato salad ever since. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNW5JQXupZiPt2u_d2qwufOUHk2h0_Jg8n7fAvYzDSZOV_2OQma1N9A01XUOlRdlsIcg_mIqAoWblHdnzoCT3d9VOrI2l3_RMBRF1pR15iKrecq_UZJnzn9qSLVSb8J6jfzScVqYDop8T/s1600/Augustiner+Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNW5JQXupZiPt2u_d2qwufOUHk2h0_Jg8n7fAvYzDSZOV_2OQma1N9A01XUOlRdlsIcg_mIqAoWblHdnzoCT3d9VOrI2l3_RMBRF1pR15iKrecq_UZJnzn9qSLVSb8J6jfzScVqYDop8T/s320/Augustiner+Salad.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Simple salad with hidden goodies and Perch in background</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">David had perch, his favourite fish, it was simple and perfect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Good food and beer and a great atmosphere. I will always include a visit to Augustiner Keller Farden when I'm in Munich and I hope it's soon.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnruzSk-Ge9fo2i2j3AYp5iFzZAu1zbFUzshsbiL2jXsCn3xWGZe_RsL0bhfAog1Km36-Rpj2VM-3VQ2EFjHl9kcg4-IjAocVkv4L9LiU5NXEIJnygVPpfxtCll-umglljnInddJJIfq2E/s1600/Munich+Augustiner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnruzSk-Ge9fo2i2j3AYp5iFzZAu1zbFUzshsbiL2jXsCn3xWGZe_RsL0bhfAog1Km36-Rpj2VM-3VQ2EFjHl9kcg4-IjAocVkv4L9LiU5NXEIJnygVPpfxtCll-umglljnInddJJIfq2E/s320/Munich+Augustiner.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>An inviting entrance</b></td></tr>
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<br />Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-28527064021920583222016-08-17T14:12:00.000-07:002016-08-17T14:12:03.768-07:00Taormina, Sicily is the port we'd most like to return to<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-l9QWJ1GKUnsl2F1iuieToHOfM40ygyb6vSpyCruON4-pz56FkXPbbWmaZrtK_9nn4pUf27ct8PfkeHdzUM_ZamPRXywNkoMU46TaIWe-KwP4BVsoj62lsx_ylOw2aK_JUt0iepFpyiJY/s1600/Taormina+Gate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-l9QWJ1GKUnsl2F1iuieToHOfM40ygyb6vSpyCruON4-pz56FkXPbbWmaZrtK_9nn4pUf27ct8PfkeHdzUM_ZamPRXywNkoMU46TaIWe-KwP4BVsoj62lsx_ylOw2aK_JUt0iepFpyiJY/s320/Taormina+Gate.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Taormina Gate, Sicily</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Taormina is perched on a hilltop looking down on the port and like many Italian towns it has a gate leading into the old town and the main pedestrian street, Corso Umberto. It is charming with some very nice shopping and lots of restaurants. We stopped for granita and did some hunting for olive oil but eventually it became crowded and hot amd we started looking for a place to cool off and have lunch. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIVieh3Hovk3KsaC4nYW_WIVVa4dPDmTtYzgqAt9GetoHI4Hiy2QQnrzINR6ehvgXK4sivokt0st7dhhJ47txO_PK-7b1GVDLHfvOFSOYCUp0RlYNUb0rlNZ8EkWv3v_5ItarvaMRQWv1/s1600/Re+di+Bastoni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIVieh3Hovk3KsaC4nYW_WIVVa4dPDmTtYzgqAt9GetoHI4Hiy2QQnrzINR6ehvgXK4sivokt0st7dhhJ47txO_PK-7b1GVDLHfvOFSOYCUp0RlYNUb0rlNZ8EkWv3v_5ItarvaMRQWv1/s320/Re+di+Bastoni.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">David's nose for beer served us well yet again and we found Re di Bastoni or King of Clubs, a charming name for a lovely little pub serving up great food and drink. Check out the crazy room. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFCJth4ccS7ypUxR7i2KjuWM5hgjwynVbSY5Fsly5cobokd5R3IYGIaXDX9RH_uSG32EOPn4rUUUiN1FPyOhZIasag-90KWxCMsDxev9vqaZfbevUgIxoX8Muk0n8Zz6tyRxt_byoLRrH/s1600/Bastioni+Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFCJth4ccS7ypUxR7i2KjuWM5hgjwynVbSY5Fsly5cobokd5R3IYGIaXDX9RH_uSG32EOPn4rUUUiN1FPyOhZIasag-90KWxCMsDxev9vqaZfbevUgIxoX8Muk0n8Zz6tyRxt_byoLRrH/s320/Bastioni+Room.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Re di Bastoni, Taormina</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I started with a real deal Bellini made with fresh peach juice and prosecco. So refreshing. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKkgLdKwQkf7W5dwrSpBllzz6RTEoJvm0h9KPcbaV3pURS7_YJN5SMnJDPNeDowXQbSQoMp35t1Y-3qtt4DtnhJFRmuun3eeF7d8IOZkI45J1Wl2MC79kqaJF6vxqv_0W7oiGX7TMeJSz/s1600/Bellini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKkgLdKwQkf7W5dwrSpBllzz6RTEoJvm0h9KPcbaV3pURS7_YJN5SMnJDPNeDowXQbSQoMp35t1Y-3qtt4DtnhJFRmuun3eeF7d8IOZkI45J1Wl2MC79kqaJF6vxqv_0W7oiGX7TMeJSz/s320/Bellini.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fresh Peach Bellini</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The bartender was passionate and informative about local food and drink. David tried the Ulysses Pale Lager from Sicily's own Birrificio dell'Etna and called it the perfect for the hot day. He also tried the Nazionale from Baladin, a brewery near Genoa. It came highly recommended and was a good hoppy beer.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ja07AW6BT5fm0qlDuF3b-ybJIQlvjKS5Rud9bKqwpFDB9LJwdYomEXIZhq-FYQfN8MDqKkQMEdp5kL59C2gD6NCP6wQ7MdQ8jv23cMaVxqf2rGuBauw5pzlk2Dx1fBjsOiWzmGi7mDYm/s1600/David+Bastioni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ja07AW6BT5fm0qlDuF3b-ybJIQlvjKS5Rud9bKqwpFDB9LJwdYomEXIZhq-FYQfN8MDqKkQMEdp5kL59C2gD6NCP6wQ7MdQ8jv23cMaVxqf2rGuBauw5pzlk2Dx1fBjsOiWzmGi7mDYm/s320/David+Bastioni.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>David happy at the Pub</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We decided to stay for lunch and were surprised by farm fresh vegetables and fruity fresh olive oil. Since I'd been on a quest for some sensational Sicilian olive oil I asked about the source. Sadly only sold locally. Everything on our plates was local.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RhfDGtBjMgmo0Jbk7_cUx7apl2nNRQtT7jqtwPmwma0QKhqIvz0JbfwUC8_1iad9Yy_vXbWhbpjvCs_rZVnaTqOiMPWMEQtOpo371XlWJUF6HUjckqpiziv_WE037BJbpqg3emPhzYzY/s1600/Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RhfDGtBjMgmo0Jbk7_cUx7apl2nNRQtT7jqtwPmwma0QKhqIvz0JbfwUC8_1iad9Yy_vXbWhbpjvCs_rZVnaTqOiMPWMEQtOpo371XlWJUF6HUjckqpiziv_WE037BJbpqg3emPhzYzY/s320/Salad.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Farm fresh food at Re di Bastoni</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the end of our cruise we decided that Sicily is the place we'd most like to go back to.</span><br />
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<br />Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-78805144896250374032016-07-28T13:23:00.000-07:002016-07-28T13:23:00.356-07:00With better than a dozen cruises under my belt I say Oceania Cruises has the Finest Cuisine at Sea<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We cruised from Barcelona to Malta on Oceania Cruises newest
ship the Sirena and from beginning to end it was foodie heaven.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I learned early on
to temper my expectations from galleys that serve hundreds of people but Jacques Pepin has lead the Oceania culinary team since inception in 2003
and they have changed dining for all cruisers by raising the bar to a high
level. No midnight buffets here and “lobster
night” doesn't exist, instead my favourite crustacean is a daily part
of the menu in a variety of dishes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Grand Dining Room is grand indeed, with over-sized arm
chairs, crisp clean linen and lots of shine. It serves consistently good
food from a thoughtful menu. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">There is something for everyone and t</span><span style="font-size: large;">he esteemed Canyon Ranch manages
the healthy menu.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Cb-sk91bG9IDoOjmjY0bW3VsyCb-rMuAxcDvyrekQoc84M3TyfLiQW-4RExmEl2QYyi93qba3iknDIslyXP-0FHhv_6apma9Z_JDZjv2bTfBcm7FfnRbun56Vy418uGO-o_-oFafYwd-/s1600/Turbot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Cb-sk91bG9IDoOjmjY0bW3VsyCb-rMuAxcDvyrekQoc84M3TyfLiQW-4RExmEl2QYyi93qba3iknDIslyXP-0FHhv_6apma9Z_JDZjv2bTfBcm7FfnRbun56Vy418uGO-o_-oFafYwd-/s320/Turbot.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Grand Dining Room Turbot with stuffed clams and champagne foam</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMZsh4W4r0r1F2EzjfPZHc0irTpBDHBHmPKrsLdsxaMuLcF0KFuug-Amzohxv0GZg8-EDGYEW0Jjt1zV4gQ3vHWOpS2PPGSuO-ze_VwGG5aZ14m9D6_HzLUjs4oG9L74jsF_XyXmx5MfT/s1600/Beet+carpaccio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMZsh4W4r0r1F2EzjfPZHc0irTpBDHBHmPKrsLdsxaMuLcF0KFuug-Amzohxv0GZg8-EDGYEW0Jjt1zV4gQ3vHWOpS2PPGSuO-ze_VwGG5aZ14m9D6_HzLUjs4oG9L74jsF_XyXmx5MfT/s320/Beet+carpaccio.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Grand Dining Room Beet Carpaccio</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosqJu9LMcmNNKHWydmfAdhf6GxHfa3DQE7DNKvtBLUoNbpjY5j8ad2m49Kljiar75rE_vPpnUCAhepluLfhAUH79D2KHUBBQzA74lM2YaihYQLuE0gIyLOqudODqLYnGznJk0J0-o6Tnu/s1600/Cioppino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosqJu9LMcmNNKHWydmfAdhf6GxHfa3DQE7DNKvtBLUoNbpjY5j8ad2m49Kljiar75rE_vPpnUCAhepluLfhAUH79D2KHUBBQzA74lM2YaihYQLuE0gIyLOqudODqLYnGznJk0J0-o6Tnu/s320/Cioppino.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Grand Dining Room Bouillabaisse with Pastry</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Italian food is one of the worlds most loved and Toscana
restaurant delivers. The crab cakes
were outstanding with no filler masking the sweet crab and a nicely spiced aioli to
round it out. Bistecca Florentine got rave reviews and sole meunière, one of my
favourite dishes, was as good as any I've eaten. Our waiter was a young woman
born and raised in Florence and embodied the warmth and sophistication of that
great city. The room was comfortable with banquets and back cushions thoughtfully offered. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCqGWOOzRnfQF_F0hazXUyK_UilQzJiczuVZvx4ry0XRzPe8GdxB6t7ZMcmS9vVId5EoTcOECULbVdr8yGCO2VVf6XSjiIiC6Qvik1kk1EzW2IJ4kyq2mrtQ_qLUVxr2kbBeUcj_zDv3V/s1600/Crab+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCqGWOOzRnfQF_F0hazXUyK_UilQzJiczuVZvx4ry0XRzPe8GdxB6t7ZMcmS9vVId5EoTcOECULbVdr8yGCO2VVf6XSjiIiC6Qvik1kk1EzW2IJ4kyq2mrtQ_qLUVxr2kbBeUcj_zDv3V/s320/Crab+Cake.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Toscana Crab Cake</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYgEnJVHMTYYHYuD1V07DjAlkPVVBC65yn8M_EJYAoUeSsd9JYk2KuD9Vi6gxUUVKwV0BDlTtKRR4JZ9YKYgLKqyXpMaON77NGYJlAzFlLKSfxDf_HwMZzwvee6d72E_nyRgyLGjXnqul/s1600/Lobster+Risotto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYgEnJVHMTYYHYuD1V07DjAlkPVVBC65yn8M_EJYAoUeSsd9JYk2KuD9Vi6gxUUVKwV0BDlTtKRR4JZ9YKYgLKqyXpMaON77NGYJlAzFlLKSfxDf_HwMZzwvee6d72E_nyRgyLGjXnqul/s320/Lobster+Risotto.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Toscana Lobster Risotto</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_Fspj6md7t64TfIrKIxr4Gbonn-FtwhTCFbIW523MA9tQR1nh7xyUIb45Iz05bt5rQuX3Uqle9QcS8QI2z7etFa8DxtXVcpcHnLrUMLXeHHL8w-PQJmLVS6aNTkuUu_lSQn37zQIFqvs/s1600/Sole+Meunier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_Fspj6md7t64TfIrKIxr4Gbonn-FtwhTCFbIW523MA9tQR1nh7xyUIb45Iz05bt5rQuX3Uqle9QcS8QI2z7etFa8DxtXVcpcHnLrUMLXeHHL8w-PQJmLVS6aNTkuUu_lSQn37zQIFqvs/s320/Sole+Meunier.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Toscana The humble Sole Meunier was my favourite </b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Red Ginger had the over the top service only an Asian
restaurant can pull off, and the food was pretty great there too. Lobster Pad Thai was
one of the great Oceania lobster dishes. A tea menu and choice of chopstick styles were
interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CmVIMRThWt6woViMrewM5jlvpRUvofRN6uaIigCXcDyNb0EXxCFdjyyWGwp9wQWBFY_1pB6WwzUVU_AlWVxqxJC5Etj6laJSQxyWKLS1PdfQ8W_233W9TddSnSwhtZsS5iFjPj9M1BCI/s1600/Pad+Thai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CmVIMRThWt6woViMrewM5jlvpRUvofRN6uaIigCXcDyNb0EXxCFdjyyWGwp9wQWBFY_1pB6WwzUVU_AlWVxqxJC5Etj6laJSQxyWKLS1PdfQ8W_233W9TddSnSwhtZsS5iFjPj9M1BCI/s320/Pad+Thai.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Red Ginger Lobster Pad Thai</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A final nod to the Terrace Cafe, the nicely served buffet
and the many Americanos they delivered to me al fresco. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-62716710889455030602016-07-21T10:15:00.000-07:002016-07-21T10:15:32.632-07:003 Yums Up for El Quim de la Boqueria the food highlight of our Europe trip<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-size: large;">After a great 1st night in Barcelona we spent the morning sightseeing and working up an appetite for </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">El
Quim de la Boqueria. </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The Boqueria market is right on La Rambla near the Joan Miro mosaic. Full of fresh food stalls catering to the chefs of Barcelona, there are also occasional vendors preparing and serving outstanding food at bars with stools.</span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuwYWHTWYttMYt1pDRGpQo9DMUAlCdX-jLbCLkQ1cnwAKnM7FjrTpdV__iORJpWwr8-rATCzTnwBROqUtNxfMEUUZ-g8K9Dz20eiSv-KFU-8WiPeJjlpC-oiP41piN3-E1J_pIfVTLHzU/s1600/La+Boqueria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuwYWHTWYttMYt1pDRGpQo9DMUAlCdX-jLbCLkQ1cnwAKnM7FjrTpdV__iORJpWwr8-rATCzTnwBROqUtNxfMEUUZ-g8K9Dz20eiSv-KFU-8WiPeJjlpC-oiP41piN3-E1J_pIfVTLHzU/s200/La+Boqueria.jpg" width="186" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">La Boqueria</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Near the centre is El
Quim, star of the show and </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">rumored</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> to be the breakfast choice for chefs. We had lunch and it was
great fun with some of the best food we ate in a couple of weeks of gastronomic
indulgence. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRhtRvTgTtJ2kobK6j1eBQCRp_cr2Qj8X8iqpS7-jRVUbXVlaBfqHRwbTXjNCdbuAywycip9u8jR9f6y2Tf4EcQJ9cwNe2Te5NvoUeoVVvNJwrWnIzOxlqfggNz46vj5pdho9YY3HfUuL/s1600/Scallops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRhtRvTgTtJ2kobK6j1eBQCRp_cr2Qj8X8iqpS7-jRVUbXVlaBfqHRwbTXjNCdbuAywycip9u8jR9f6y2Tf4EcQJ9cwNe2Te5NvoUeoVVvNJwrWnIzOxlqfggNz46vj5pdho9YY3HfUuL/s320/Scallops.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Scallops with Littleneck Clams and Pea Puree</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The scallops stood out as the best of the best in a series of perfect dishes.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpxOR-FI0AhBAomXy9WhMglylL3b0FwaWfhI36HyYEJfn9d6ycevEiIOTuW3j36H8RqahQesUzGn1VIJ9wjX6m8RPo5KUgBrKk7o7kGnNzbED1SGgGrPzlCkLdrb9AG3nu6x306pmaNkn/s1600/El+Quim+menu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpxOR-FI0AhBAomXy9WhMglylL3b0FwaWfhI36HyYEJfn9d6ycevEiIOTuW3j36H8RqahQesUzGn1VIJ9wjX6m8RPo5KUgBrKk7o7kGnNzbED1SGgGrPzlCkLdrb9AG3nu6x306pmaNkn/s320/El+Quim+menu.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">El Quim Menu</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The tapas menu has all the standard fare but at a hightened level of excellence. I will definitely try the breakfast next time. Add 2 fried eggs to anything and it's better, Right?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Patatas Bravas</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I love potatoes and order this dish whenever I see it. El Quim made the best I've ever had. Perfect potatoes in a just right spicy sauce. Yum! Yum! Yum!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuagapDwgVgTvlrrY8ppe2IQfRAtOjU9tE4oENk_R4Qm1BRIT6k2BywqQy2p7FVONxbH8Z0b9syvhWwEeJllCqmG7QlNITSpsPlN2CWX2hiBjnc2D8HnacVeIMEQSyVX7sWi2RZb46Uys/s1600/Prawns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuagapDwgVgTvlrrY8ppe2IQfRAtOjU9tE4oENk_R4Qm1BRIT6k2BywqQy2p7FVONxbH8Z0b9syvhWwEeJllCqmG7QlNITSpsPlN2CWX2hiBjnc2D8HnacVeIMEQSyVX7sWi2RZb46Uys/s320/Prawns.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Prawns and garlic</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Last but not least. I'm sure these prawns were in the sea less than 24 hrs ago. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">El Quim is a great experience that is fun, easy on your wallet and doesn't need reservations 3 months in advance. I highly recommend it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Back outside on La Rambla be sure to notice the Joan Miro Mosaic under your feet and the funky seed packages at the flower stalls.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXTfTju_zzT7T-0sJXwY5aG11oJdDqS1z-O1Sq1gYntPa2mHhkp7Xo8dKmIVUbC0LO7b6Ox47D0gtQlEi5K1urH4p_AxNJGwtXoCDoizaptz_QA8OmTsJm5YZy_z05hsR_FdupJhzoOWm/s1600/Seeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXTfTju_zzT7T-0sJXwY5aG11oJdDqS1z-O1Sq1gYntPa2mHhkp7Xo8dKmIVUbC0LO7b6Ox47D0gtQlEi5K1urH4p_AxNJGwtXoCDoizaptz_QA8OmTsJm5YZy_z05hsR_FdupJhzoOWm/s320/Seeds.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Hot Seeds on La Rambla</b></span></td></tr>
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-26560557617714872582016-07-19T10:33:00.000-07:002016-07-19T10:33:32.749-07:00Our 3rd time in Barcelona wins our hearts and we can't wait to go again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Our recent trip to Europe started in
Barcelona with 2 nights at the H10
Montcada on Via Laietana. We really
enjoyed this hotel, from check in with a glass of cava; the comfortable room with
a view of the cathedral and Nespresso machine; the rooftop bar with city view
to the great breakfast with 2 double commercial Nespresso machines. Combined with the great location a block
from the cathedral and we have a new favourite hotel.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>David enjoying a Filo Munich at El Vaso de Oro</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After a drink on the rooftop to get our
bearings we headed out to explore the Gothic Quarter while following David’s
beer nose to </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Cerveceria El Vaso do Oro</b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">,
a tapas bar on the edge of La Barceloneta specializing in beer.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Vaso Vino - very drinkable for only 2.50 EUR </b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tuna salad on a Grande scale</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Salted Tuna was new for us. Really great with beer.</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We loved El Vaso with the long polished bar, beautiful beer steins and great food well prepared and presented. Full of happy people, both sides of the bar. </span></div>
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-33857828767032374812015-12-14T11:31:00.000-08:002015-12-14T11:31:18.542-08:00Chef @Blaine_Wetzel tasting menu @willowinn is the perfect expression of time and placeI was bettered prepared for our second visit to Willows Inn. Sometimes it's nice to know what to anticipate. We started our evening at the cozy corner table in the bar, right next to the kitchen where I could keep my eye on the kitchen in all it's beautiful harmony. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The bar at Willows Inn</b><br /></td></tr>
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In the dining room we moved through 21 plates with 5 wine and 1 cider pairing. <div>
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My top pick was the crab with pine nuts and pine nut milk. This dish couldn't have tasted any fresher. The crab was sweet and the nut milk a creamy compliment without being too rich.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Crab with pine nut milk </b></td></tr>
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David's favourite dish was the Black Cod doughnut. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Black Cod Doughnuts</b></td></tr>
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Roasted sunflower root with sweet onion puree really knocked it out of the park form me. I think we'll try to reproduce this one at home. The picture doesn't do it justice. The exterior was crisp and a little bit sticky with a melt in your mouth interior. I could put the sweet onion puree on just about anything and love it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgeE_1kFBSenfqWIkiPAr-ytMdGAcEiQ7TpSU-X3DqhbmNdQCs8SyVWgjFydaAcY8sp4ko09CaVPSrHm6eikplwOtM-3lTFGxwf6Qr_N-iiN5oKzvWxAk5TukZeFScX7zv6i7HaPCpj6k/s1600/2015-12-12+19.21.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgeE_1kFBSenfqWIkiPAr-ytMdGAcEiQ7TpSU-X3DqhbmNdQCs8SyVWgjFydaAcY8sp4ko09CaVPSrHm6eikplwOtM-3lTFGxwf6Qr_N-iiN5oKzvWxAk5TukZeFScX7zv6i7HaPCpj6k/s320/2015-12-12+19.21.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sunflower root and sweet onion puree</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Oysters pickled in sauerkraut was every bit as good as it looks. Firm and briny.<div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkD49ryllXzf63uV8PyLOL30Dky0zzoYbpRwZMu8VO3PIThj6wOSq4Cep72m1y1IiGd6SmZaiYyA32R2OM6iBgqIg4GtiDxg3M5eD3ggIAHWbGVM_i50GirIZ0V5LN_9ZctNtn-wJqFK0/s1600/2015-12-12+19.55.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkD49ryllXzf63uV8PyLOL30Dky0zzoYbpRwZMu8VO3PIThj6wOSq4Cep72m1y1IiGd6SmZaiYyA32R2OM6iBgqIg4GtiDxg3M5eD3ggIAHWbGVM_i50GirIZ0V5LN_9ZctNtn-wJqFK0/s320/2015-12-12+19.55.47.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pickled Oysters</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A turnip broth took me by surprise. I didn't love it but it reminded me of childhood and was an excellent pallet cleanser.</div>
<div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfp0V8dBzq2j6IIPj0TzfN9BD-nQvlhSK4LNBzRJixK7LW8Jtghmi9fMCyl8VC3KfXAEHbRcvJtC5IDvFjaymeo6vdjKkLCLTFAu_T532-sA9Ctn6MJgD0HSK2LoUwl-IlkU4sMlMKqAD9/s1600/2015-12-12+19.37.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfp0V8dBzq2j6IIPj0TzfN9BD-nQvlhSK4LNBzRJixK7LW8Jtghmi9fMCyl8VC3KfXAEHbRcvJtC5IDvFjaymeo6vdjKkLCLTFAu_T532-sA9Ctn6MJgD0HSK2LoUwl-IlkU4sMlMKqAD9/s320/2015-12-12+19.37.26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Turnip Broth</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
Salt-cured beets with gin flavoured yogurt was another of my top picks. Shaved thin slices with a toasted grain topping. Mine was bright red and David's bright yellow.</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXEShGwwdUBDsL6msu7tcL_pNIP223-mHwb9XmRjXpCXEiZ8T0YepHU6M4X5b-BeU9EvxeUA2GhqBv3IpQL9Y-GxTSlUkzm7cdCDTQmQEcoCgz7beVMFR97g2zRMZVYvIBfi66GU21NJL/s1600/2015-12-12+20.03.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXEShGwwdUBDsL6msu7tcL_pNIP223-mHwb9XmRjXpCXEiZ8T0YepHU6M4X5b-BeU9EvxeUA2GhqBv3IpQL9Y-GxTSlUkzm7cdCDTQmQEcoCgz7beVMFR97g2zRMZVYvIBfi66GU21NJL/s320/2015-12-12+20.03.42.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Salt-Cured Beet</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />One of my favourite plates last year was the halibut skins stuffed with clams. It was the only real duplicaton this year and it fell a little flat. Check the difference in presentation. </div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheA7EmD1jzDj1MsQCwbntrA208aWwp0FFVeSwLes7hS068xoZLjW0xEjSl9PpYI61qqSGbJKclP5Il4yCgFHL-Pe-msKpp5IdfIw6gbj96p3AF30DXAPzaNzvykExFiN8z1zumZvEOKlQP/s1600/2014-12-13+18.42.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheA7EmD1jzDj1MsQCwbntrA208aWwp0FFVeSwLes7hS068xoZLjW0xEjSl9PpYI61qqSGbJKclP5Il4yCgFHL-Pe-msKpp5IdfIw6gbj96p3AF30DXAPzaNzvykExFiN8z1zumZvEOKlQP/s320/2014-12-13+18.42.46.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Crispy Halibut Skins 2014</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVvpKgXsdOxWqTTHMUqmngTSTXeayIL9Xv3BWjdjPS0NOXItPFdaJ9QtFQlxJQiojKs2LGn9ooE4C3oVwWqYV5KCT6KzFY2EA7kE578gwl16e0QSKxXtTPM2rbhAvCRw5znQywZRGn7Y4/s1600/2015-12-12+19.45.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVvpKgXsdOxWqTTHMUqmngTSTXeayIL9Xv3BWjdjPS0NOXItPFdaJ9QtFQlxJQiojKs2LGn9ooE4C3oVwWqYV5KCT6KzFY2EA7kE578gwl16e0QSKxXtTPM2rbhAvCRw5znQywZRGn7Y4/s320/2015-12-12+19.45.32.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Crispy Halibut Skins 2015</b><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also loved the grilled salmon in caraflex cabbage. The cabbage was cooked just enough to yield nicely but not enough to become bitter, the salmon was rich and both were especially great with a Walter Scott "Curee Ruth" Pinot Noir.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPtu6sEFOPeFZUnSqWppgZdo3XvcJBeZeEtcBAmDRY_h4v1n0jPzWXTJihA9RcMS-chrqskFDATDSga9lAKjyw9g3uwKQFbJ5BXXrFIMTHBNAj7uLoJcz28Ko2bf1iu0Egp3ZT56wa48O/s1600/2015-12-12+20.59.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPtu6sEFOPeFZUnSqWppgZdo3XvcJBeZeEtcBAmDRY_h4v1n0jPzWXTJihA9RcMS-chrqskFDATDSga9lAKjyw9g3uwKQFbJ5BXXrFIMTHBNAj7uLoJcz28Ko2bf1iu0Egp3ZT56wa48O/s400/2015-12-12+20.59.08.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Grilled Salmon in Caraflex Cabbage</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The savory dishes ended with fresh bread from heirloom wheat and local butter and salt. A loaf wrapped in brown paper is given to each guest at the end of dinner. It made great toast for breakfast.<div>
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<div>
I was surprised by a birch tea. The flavour and aroma was refreshing and set the stage for dessert, a delicious piece of sweet and salted pumpkin with pumpkin seed praline and raw pumpkin seeds. A little bit sweet and savory. My favourite kind of dessert.</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7OEtQxqshLpwPYPk5vylH3yojSO3hTTNRfKWaaMforvoc9pH_BGacu5vEUCVNJTdFF0NVzGwSptD_Mnl2dqJc__mHAVSYc72W_Bw2s3BHbzdQ4SKJkup2Un7HQRN9jBRNK4-OeouxWP5/s1600/2015-12-12+21.56.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7OEtQxqshLpwPYPk5vylH3yojSO3hTTNRfKWaaMforvoc9pH_BGacu5vEUCVNJTdFF0NVzGwSptD_Mnl2dqJc__mHAVSYc72W_Bw2s3BHbzdQ4SKJkup2Un7HQRN9jBRNK4-OeouxWP5/s400/2015-12-12+21.56.11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cinderella Pumpkin</b><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I know the food preparation isn't simple but it tastes that way. Simply delicious. We booked for October next year. <br /><div>
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-81167984986421635432015-12-02T14:47:00.000-08:002015-12-02T16:26:26.974-08:00I've been converted to a river cruise fan by a week in Bordeaux with Uniworld on the Vineyards and Chateaux tour<div class="MsoNormal">
We spent a week in <b>Bordeaux </b>in November on the Uniworld River Royale and I'm now a river cruising fan. The food, wine and experiences on shore were beyond my expectations. I really liked docking in the little towns and being able to get off the ship in the mornings and evenings for some exploring. <br />
<br />
We boarded in the pretty city of <b>Bordeaux </b>and
settled in for a week of adventures in gastronomy. The next day we headed north on the <b>Garonne
</b>River to the <b>Gironde </b>Estuary and our port of <b>Pauillac </b>and the <b>Medoc </b>peninsula,
home of some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon dominated, red wine blends in the
world. Our 1st winery of the trip was to be a surprise destination.
The excitement was building as we pulled up to Chateau Rauzan-Segla in
the Margaux region.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaOrc9KQWCiwsRFWDZ5nq6Sz3chAzQWJ1TfeSGddSlofrdXV6U_yOllSQ_qistRjv77L9C3iIlsbSOb5KIDVRLPCDpV5Sy2tMwgJBXdd1AbqdYbC-tsx-viRhMqJvd0nPzbFXDmkAT22E/s1600/2015-11-09+08.28.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaOrc9KQWCiwsRFWDZ5nq6Sz3chAzQWJ1TfeSGddSlofrdXV6U_yOllSQ_qistRjv77L9C3iIlsbSOb5KIDVRLPCDpV5Sy2tMwgJBXdd1AbqdYbC-tsx-viRhMqJvd0nPzbFXDmkAT22E/s320/2015-11-09+08.28.04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A tour of the winery showed an attention to detail in
the way they painted the middle of the barrels with wine so there was never any
drip marks. <o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ifH5NnBTsNYTNgVtxbBKtptr4ATH0CDdZ5gXFiNnKFZ1PUmdtDt6A_IFPtbfDgt8QH3wghF1CUKYO_NgNgONA74Czwx4A3N3rHWdZkfu-l8xvUg6KhggIsRpt569SJ1mFwn-jSZ2NTnc/s1600/2015-11-09+07.50.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ifH5NnBTsNYTNgVtxbBKtptr4ATH0CDdZ5gXFiNnKFZ1PUmdtDt6A_IFPtbfDgt8QH3wghF1CUKYO_NgNgONA74Czwx4A3N3rHWdZkfu-l8xvUg6KhggIsRpt569SJ1mFwn-jSZ2NTnc/s320/2015-11-09+07.50.50.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Barrels at Chateau Rauzan-Segla</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
The elegant tasting room was on the second floor, up a
circular staircase.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5KTue1Bg3EmcxgahA9ow92tCbdtWSOMBDllZZOM0WO22T__SU2gC4AvoMIIJyVwSTv5W40hYGcGhz8yzBMgFbR1kDDoDIDUzrpbK2iiV2EvtJ-8fMio9DN6bTGK5PYFd2zqnrmyxeBFC/s1600/2015-11-09+07.13.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5KTue1Bg3EmcxgahA9ow92tCbdtWSOMBDllZZOM0WO22T__SU2gC4AvoMIIJyVwSTv5W40hYGcGhz8yzBMgFbR1kDDoDIDUzrpbK2iiV2EvtJ-8fMio9DN6bTGK5PYFd2zqnrmyxeBFC/s320/2015-11-09+07.13.50.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tasting room at Chateau Rauzan-Segla</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were treated to their
<b>Grand Cru Classe, Rauzan-Segla</b>, from the exceptional 2005 vintage and Segla,
the 2<sup>nd</sup> tier wine from 2009, another good vintage. Both wines were delicious but the difference
was reflected in the 100EUR price discrepancy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ItRNTPrnbiYD6T0I7qtASXQ-q7lx_N4V3UFQ2HUd8GPgGhXoq3CnlDN0AgmQqiXn9PSxfKHdP8Hi0JkGZlEPYZ3K49jxvQtMfaYtYeI_P5FLPP3Kxj33KkqoyTXKHgWqhOYwiVbGFE1I/s1600/2015-11-09+08.24.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ItRNTPrnbiYD6T0I7qtASXQ-q7lx_N4V3UFQ2HUd8GPgGhXoq3CnlDN0AgmQqiXn9PSxfKHdP8Hi0JkGZlEPYZ3K49jxvQtMfaYtYeI_P5FLPP3Kxj33KkqoyTXKHgWqhOYwiVbGFE1I/s320/2015-11-09+08.24.17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chateua Rauzan-Segla Grand Cru Classe Margaux 2005</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The atmosphere on board that night was electric. It had been an excellent start to the trip.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPV4oXtXsXav0E-iQww_nnJJqhxdCDSeTd0BgdNV5JRA8epn24RQToyRleFJ4HoDHp-29hp-3puov6z3lgCn6A4fz4DBd30-B43w70Mn-DWXntlfRz3fDfxVIs7J3zFLTN5wTeMplrpca/s1600/2015-11-10+11.33.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPV4oXtXsXav0E-iQww_nnJJqhxdCDSeTd0BgdNV5JRA8epn24RQToyRleFJ4HoDHp-29hp-3puov6z3lgCn6A4fz4DBd30-B43w70Mn-DWXntlfRz3fDfxVIs7J3zFLTN5wTeMplrpca/s320/2015-11-10+11.33.13.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hard not to imagine Steve Martin as Cyrano</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our 2nd day we were docked in <b>Bourg </b>and drove to <b>Bergerac </b>for the weekly market and a tasting of delicious duck confit and fois gras and a delightful lunch at L'Imparfait, a lovely little restaurant in the centre of town. Charming service and good value. We had the daily menu. I'd never had fish and chips for a starter. The picture doesn't do justice to the delicious piece of cod fish.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhO8lS4W4Gvp_3V_bpHCPsikajxMo1WM2P7aA4MZLaZfHtPoyQpAwzR0oswbUHLSGSpEIxA9SPCKpD6FZmytxICqcVoPsRt4ZB-cxSZCt0RyJOY54pCdX2f971y8HnQCLx-bp82B4lDLj/s1600/2015-11-10+13.09.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhO8lS4W4Gvp_3V_bpHCPsikajxMo1WM2P7aA4MZLaZfHtPoyQpAwzR0oswbUHLSGSpEIxA9SPCKpD6FZmytxICqcVoPsRt4ZB-cxSZCt0RyJOY54pCdX2f971y8HnQCLx-bp82B4lDLj/s200/2015-11-10+13.09.18.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fish n Chips appetizer at L'Imparfait</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The cod fish in the Bay of Biscay is fantastic, probably comes from Newfoundland ;-) so I didn't hesitate to have the cod entree as well. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dcbgj0mSYR34jc_C8owLout8ZsRXwJAkyxGTq0eFFjLvt18SCXkrYvhFojJPvhtjd1V9jjbL7-opYFmvEqlqQOHnx_I4N9w1aa8fGcMaKYf-YNCuoop9zRKSaSOunxm7DnM8SUpXUSq-/s1600/2015-11-10+13.24.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dcbgj0mSYR34jc_C8owLout8ZsRXwJAkyxGTq0eFFjLvt18SCXkrYvhFojJPvhtjd1V9jjbL7-opYFmvEqlqQOHnx_I4N9w1aa8fGcMaKYf-YNCuoop9zRKSaSOunxm7DnM8SUpXUSq-/s320/2015-11-10+13.24.10.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cod at L'Imparfait</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The manager was quite particular choosing a red wine for us to have with fish. The <b>Chateau de la Jaubertie</b> was a good choice.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-k4_dEq6NC9QCCFsoHiM4KJArRmy3ILuSP_8zhjkX3eNAo9d1OLCjeg9hq8yxT-bWXZYxBoogwDOXpHFg3xEhrCFR-yjX17fU9q5Gdi-X7ABdeLVRy9PW7RKSpeBHtgf1o-Bc01SyhTfc/s1600/2015-11-10+12.48.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-k4_dEq6NC9QCCFsoHiM4KJArRmy3ILuSP_8zhjkX3eNAo9d1OLCjeg9hq8yxT-bWXZYxBoogwDOXpHFg3xEhrCFR-yjX17fU9q5Gdi-X7ABdeLVRy9PW7RKSpeBHtgf1o-Bc01SyhTfc/s320/2015-11-10+12.48.06.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chateau de la Jaubertie from Bergerac</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In <b>Saint-Emilion </b>we enjoyed a tour and tasting at <b>Chateua de Ferrand</b>. I have a couple of bottles aging in my cellar now.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZyvRc0DLPzwaWl06qpT6jYghARfJkvsJPp4rbfDk3htBCFIBqCnhlQekcl89cTAf8F-2rtxbUv4rHizSFW80dAmuygCjoCzXbcEuJ0R71WCcHDBhJHz9mJgv4mDuUzEp_2-m4pa0hhv3/s1600/2015-11-11+03.35.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZyvRc0DLPzwaWl06qpT6jYghARfJkvsJPp4rbfDk3htBCFIBqCnhlQekcl89cTAf8F-2rtxbUv4rHizSFW80dAmuygCjoCzXbcEuJ0R71WCcHDBhJHz9mJgv4mDuUzEp_2-m4pa0hhv3/s320/2015-11-11+03.35.38.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chateau de Ferrand all in wooden boxes</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Beautiful barrel storage at Chateau de Ferrand</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the highlights of our trip was an optional tour to <b>Remy Martin</b>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT10tBFpzT_B-S2d_w4RxjaSq-uJF1IOE9bl0-XWDKaskgnnQNbAokejzxQn-ilWXpIwZhJle5rFKF6c8oUmaIYweqGTEO2zNKuIetvVRKPKjzkroxp1aYjqIDyHKUrK_EUI0xKn33vYij/s1600/2015-11-12+02.02.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT10tBFpzT_B-S2d_w4RxjaSq-uJF1IOE9bl0-XWDKaskgnnQNbAokejzxQn-ilWXpIwZhJle5rFKF6c8oUmaIYweqGTEO2zNKuIetvVRKPKjzkroxp1aYjqIDyHKUrK_EUI0xKn33vYij/s320/2015-11-12+02.02.06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjpoqvOgmVbzdbnImgERq-RYeSZ6ZIvBRrhk99Kojq05K1svaYzvIQqipDOT44uH0V4YSJQgS4ihFm_sAO5ysklFDaItzJO9IvlhxsZ3Z666AZye4SWJ8m70mv2IKNpJNmP7XwQpYGL8L/s1600/2015-11-12+02.00.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjpoqvOgmVbzdbnImgERq-RYeSZ6ZIvBRrhk99Kojq05K1svaYzvIQqipDOT44uH0V4YSJQgS4ihFm_sAO5ysklFDaItzJO9IvlhxsZ3Z666AZye4SWJ8m70mv2IKNpJNmP7XwQpYGL8L/s320/2015-11-12+02.00.40.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The highlight was the barrel room where the light was blocked from the windows by spider webs. They will never kill one or destroy their webs. Some barrels are over 100 years old with wooden hoops. No photos allowed in the storage room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The cognac tasting was matched with exquisite small bites. We tried a VSOP straight up and on ice as well as an XO Excellence. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate and XO Excellence won my heart</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A bottle of VSOP made it into my suitcase. I'm resisting opening it because I know it will become a regular night cap until I finish it. I'll have to start sometime. Today seems good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had mixed feelings about the <b>Sauternes </b>visit. I don't like sweet wines but it turned out to be a great day. On the way to Chateau d'Arche for lunch we stopped to taste some grapes with noble rot. I never thought I'd volunteer to eat moldy grapes but they were delicious.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Grapes with Botrytis Cinerea</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At Chateau d'Arche we had lunch paired with the sweet white wines. Startimg with smoked salmon.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Smoked salmon, creamy centre, horseradish and Yuzu vinaigrette</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKycYJR5jxhMBwRbym2UWkjjfwtgsueX7u8yLClWuRkCPrS9qp4kTCX-ZQ2DcrzcWYlVR_8NhCpb0eyQKBPtwakOCpWtwRCxKG_J_wZ814yl6e5vnlLZsCvjonn5L1FHbkOi5rx4wqjdG/s1600/2015-11-13+04.47.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKycYJR5jxhMBwRbym2UWkjjfwtgsueX7u8yLClWuRkCPrS9qp4kTCX-ZQ2DcrzcWYlVR_8NhCpb0eyQKBPtwakOCpWtwRCxKG_J_wZ814yl6e5vnlLZsCvjonn5L1FHbkOi5rx4wqjdG/s320/2015-11-13+04.47.10.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chateau La Bouade 2010 - Cuvee Coccinelle</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The menu was designed with Cilantro carmelized hen as an entree but they accommodated us with fish and mushroom pastry.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rCRCACH6MHpGNANgDU9k6XwvO8ZeD_aBbNOEaeU9GHP1k9rJo6bp-kKN8lQcxIWl4oV9D7vxO9fIDMxv3IP5A0o2k9Ah6HW3JWmVwhapwUeUKTt0pbdL2eybVAO1rSguonZNmzXY8Tll/s1600/2015-11-13+05.17.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rCRCACH6MHpGNANgDU9k6XwvO8ZeD_aBbNOEaeU9GHP1k9rJo6bp-kKN8lQcxIWl4oV9D7vxO9fIDMxv3IP5A0o2k9Ah6HW3JWmVwhapwUeUKTt0pbdL2eybVAO1rSguonZNmzXY8Tll/s320/2015-11-13+05.17.23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fish entree with mushroom pastry and asparagus</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAy43xW47WqxV4W-mgHKBgAUCkmcXZoIrzQrAIunb0u3bDQJnaAlmWKJEpfTnpDgefSO3nFa1ujap8JdUQNIiXOv_LeMIdMIQa7_sz_q4fgj7PKjcvm0Ugj3JftvGa_lWxXJkuTV36m2hG/s1600/2015-11-13+05.11.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAy43xW47WqxV4W-mgHKBgAUCkmcXZoIrzQrAIunb0u3bDQJnaAlmWKJEpfTnpDgefSO3nFa1ujap8JdUQNIiXOv_LeMIdMIQa7_sz_q4fgj7PKjcvm0Ugj3JftvGa_lWxXJkuTV36m2hG/s320/2015-11-13+05.11.09.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chateau Filhot 2003</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Peach melba with crunchy praline, roasted peaches, vanilla whipped cream and chocolate drizzle definitely paired with it's match.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Peach Melba</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chateau Lamourette 2002</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lunch was thoughtfully prepared and presented and we were all ready for some fresh air afterward. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A walk around the estate surrounding the beautiful Chateau Filhot was just the ticket. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSVKXlW6xV-HXI83fH9WOlJEQPmv8w1FpVCyPc8DEI3ozY9E-iOBDRAqPKvppF-OoajUw76-CP_w61G4g989u_Pd1pMtpR4ZIXeHzLTYey0BDDoIexwBUS6_6Q_h6iVC5C6l8oGvrL4JZ/s1600/2015-11-13+07.26.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSVKXlW6xV-HXI83fH9WOlJEQPmv8w1FpVCyPc8DEI3ozY9E-iOBDRAqPKvppF-OoajUw76-CP_w61G4g989u_Pd1pMtpR4ZIXeHzLTYey0BDDoIexwBUS6_6Q_h6iVC5C6l8oGvrL4JZ/s320/2015-11-13+07.26.01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chateau Filhot</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The vineyards were planted from 1630 to 1650 and the chateau built in 1709. Still family owned, the proprietor guided us around the estate. When you have this much potential vineyards devoted to parkland, it's obvious how grand the estate really is.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27pAe6uwxJDmsYJ0aTtkLLITzRH1ALYVeOWTFAlkTHblTIa-wYfHJYhjuB3hsu-VOy-NBI0B4UsrFGVqSUQDMN9lHECXxUaJwBLu942vVkvEgcOxJjGdzIepX0AzmzIt3M7gx8HDslajF/s1600/2015-11-13+07.27.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27pAe6uwxJDmsYJ0aTtkLLITzRH1ALYVeOWTFAlkTHblTIa-wYfHJYhjuB3hsu-VOy-NBI0B4UsrFGVqSUQDMN9lHECXxUaJwBLu942vVkvEgcOxJjGdzIepX0AzmzIt3M7gx8HDslajF/s320/2015-11-13+07.27.06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Park at Chateau Filhot</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On our final day in Bordeaux we did a walking, eating and drinking tour. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkdOE5YLv_GDRYXC_6cUVdOursvhikAPuZOI8A3A-cP6_b8wVlgQqSPCYv7nyJLBiGU13v7UqbgwsHcF0uzs-iGe8x-mPjN-ft7H5HPx5E__5eqYGPvd2Y7-M614tmNOBYeA3NL9-vCQ7/s1600/2015-11-14+03.33.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkdOE5YLv_GDRYXC_6cUVdOursvhikAPuZOI8A3A-cP6_b8wVlgQqSPCYv7nyJLBiGU13v7UqbgwsHcF0uzs-iGe8x-mPjN-ft7H5HPx5E__5eqYGPvd2Y7-M614tmNOBYeA3NL9-vCQ7/s320/2015-11-14+03.33.04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Way of Saint James takes you through the heard of Bordeaux</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We visited the 100 year old La Maison Darricau for some exceptional chocolate. Same family proudly producing chocolate all these years. You can count on it being fantastic.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51zIdkWJLm0iMS7c_MmOwyjz7PJb3DOfcpCgmg1x6n1rZGlrDa-jReFi_JM1nVjx15vLz6b3pf72N3yyqGowv0dtkVTc4BbaeT0zyFpe576Y2eGoMW6-msnAiUPCfiLQdLFa01BSSJqfA/s1600/2015-11-14+02.51.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51zIdkWJLm0iMS7c_MmOwyjz7PJb3DOfcpCgmg1x6n1rZGlrDa-jReFi_JM1nVjx15vLz6b3pf72N3yyqGowv0dtkVTc4BbaeT0zyFpe576Y2eGoMW6-msnAiUPCfiLQdLFa01BSSJqfA/s320/2015-11-14+02.51.17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate La Maison Darricau</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next stop was Caneles Baillardran to try the Caneles de Bordeaux, a little fluted cake with a thin caramelized exterior and rich rum and vanilla interior.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1lEgU6OOU3TY2Vx-m8i3LC_BMu30XsoECs4DTFJ2VnSDykXwhjehywOAh7yzLojQv8BQy0lKPGwDduuBhGwqhDS2JpUD0USiFzfCWZlqxs5h1lCyVVuovs2NVIw6i45kH4z3gFnvACHO/s1600/2015-11-13+05.58.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1lEgU6OOU3TY2Vx-m8i3LC_BMu30XsoECs4DTFJ2VnSDykXwhjehywOAh7yzLojQv8BQy0lKPGwDduuBhGwqhDS2JpUD0USiFzfCWZlqxs5h1lCyVVuovs2NVIw6i45kH4z3gFnvACHO/s320/2015-11-13+05.58.21.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Caneles de Bordeaux</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally we stopped at David's in the Place des Grand Hommes to try the famous Dunes, cream puff extraordinaire.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcaV_ggunqoCUtW6_Iwcv6bRR9Boh0cfvxvp2b64les99stfi1nh4RypQ0lZnun6c0knjqvHv4Pt6GWLBcWkOJ4_GH4l5yfwF0RldDo8GM_l82qiNug0XQLSRha-lgEAiPBH8GUE0Nkk0/s1600/2015-11-14+11.52.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcaV_ggunqoCUtW6_Iwcv6bRR9Boh0cfvxvp2b64les99stfi1nh4RypQ0lZnun6c0knjqvHv4Pt6GWLBcWkOJ4_GH4l5yfwF0RldDo8GM_l82qiNug0XQLSRha-lgEAiPBH8GUE0Nkk0/s320/2015-11-14+11.52.52.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The famous Dunes by David</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By now we needed a drink so our last stop was Maximitas Bordeaux, where you buy a prepaid card and can merrily taste wines from the enoteca dispensers. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXc29L5cX_WW4Mgg0iUUaq-0hma85CmkPTTpEdwxP_KGBnJUnh0OoFe4Clzl_slgVL1VZGX8cvjeRJuNIGhvH67AA1DY_h3a-wWbUjbyzi1GMzcHrD4SuxsFhT6pQhcu2ZnZU7LJ4MVWk_/s1600/2015-11-14+07.57.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXc29L5cX_WW4Mgg0iUUaq-0hma85CmkPTTpEdwxP_KGBnJUnh0OoFe4Clzl_slgVL1VZGX8cvjeRJuNIGhvH67AA1DY_h3a-wWbUjbyzi1GMzcHrD4SuxsFhT6pQhcu2ZnZU7LJ4MVWk_/s320/2015-11-14+07.57.51.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Look up at Max Bordeaux</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With prices ranging from 2 to 30 EUR per tasting , we spent an hour trying wine after wine ending with a Mouton Rothschild at 30EUR a taste. Drinking can make you extravagant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are just the highlights of our fabulous trip to Bordeaux. The lovely dinners on board our ship created by Chef Frank and his team were outstanding. Chef Frank is a deft hand with mussels and I'll crave his mussels in tomato and cognac forever. The wine selection changed daily and was always regional and interesting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can now enthusiastically recommend <b>Uniworld River Cruises</b> and the city of <b>Bordeaux</b>.</span><br />
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-19421377285788176972015-11-25T14:09:00.003-08:002015-11-25T14:09:55.454-08:00London stopover makes for a great date night of art, dinner, theatre and a good walk about. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I love to stop over in London. One of my favourite evenings starts at Trafalgar Square. It never gets old
for me, I love the embassies, tourists, busy
Londoners and the protesters. There’s a feeling of immediacy that appeals to me. We headed there as soon as we dumped our
luggage. Overlooking the square, The
National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery both offer free admission. I especially like the Photographs Collection
at The Portrait Gallery with iconic photos of the most interesting people. Dinner on top at the <b>Portrait Restaurant</b> is good value for a great table with an amazing
view overlooking the city with Big Ben front and centre. We booked a table for 5:30 but went up early and
scored a table at the window and relaxed over a bottle of Tempranillo from
Quinta Milu Ribera del Duero. They have
an excellent wine list with a large selection of wines by the glass in 125ml
and 250ml pours. The cured salmon
starter was an exceptional part of the Pre Theatre 2 course dinner at £19.5. We still had lots of time to find our theatre
after dinner. Kenneth Branagh jumping on tables in tights was fun enough to keep me awake after a long, long day. Check Branagh’s theatre company at The
Garrick for some of the best theatre ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahhSqGl2CNZbalcn2H2dVl0eRPjJm5zNtoTnWPMMGF1OTJx-lim4Wyi2vh6asKRjxbS0Chxu5tASa36fae_cK3Wd5fBy31CSZzUjTZ90rC5ZSnFHkGAgJ6Qi_OzFIU0uGx-gtAKVnWk3U/s1600/2015-11-06+12.25.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahhSqGl2CNZbalcn2H2dVl0eRPjJm5zNtoTnWPMMGF1OTJx-lim4Wyi2vh6asKRjxbS0Chxu5tASa36fae_cK3Wd5fBy31CSZzUjTZ90rC5ZSnFHkGAgJ6Qi_OzFIU0uGx-gtAKVnWk3U/s320/2015-11-06+12.25.25.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Grain Store, King's Cross, London</b></td></tr>
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We were
lucky enough to have a few days in London and started our next day with The
British Library. I loved the Beatles
stuff. Afterward we walked north past St.
Pancras and King’s Cross Station to the newly developed King’s Cross area to
find <b>Grain Store</b>, named The UK’s
Most Sustainable Restaurant and awarded menu of the year. The mushroom and cheddar croquettes were
beautifully presented and so good we were tempted to order them for dessert but were swayed by the pumpkin and chestnut tart with whiskey sauce. I'm a real sucker for a good whiskey sauce. The restaurant has a great atmosphere with
business people, families and mom’s and tots at tables. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RuhmHTpHu50APekM1JEtKnLvHwy1sGzKDG-4tCd8Vh3ivBjK795RICWj0LXhWw09qVf75VP9b2Yt8XDNQ31mqyYbQItJP84mXBV4-FHoTQ_ikA4o4rxYxgrQKz2IeAj6ps-hoehrovcK/s1600/Mushroom+croquettes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RuhmHTpHu50APekM1JEtKnLvHwy1sGzKDG-4tCd8Vh3ivBjK795RICWj0LXhWw09qVf75VP9b2Yt8XDNQ31mqyYbQItJP84mXBV4-FHoTQ_ikA4o4rxYxgrQKz2IeAj6ps-hoehrovcK/s320/Mushroom+croquettes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cheddar and Mushroom Croquettes with Truffle Salt</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEB044gPOwZVdC-riI51ShKDjp_o3r_xEkvzVeW6e5wLS_HCqkAhQm0803JMzjaydYysMZCuT4tNvpfaC8kjuZQia-t_3gBf8-a3vlppnp6eu1VdEwnn1jOSKZMtsqNII7CersEJU8tZk/s1600/2015-11-06+13.19.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEB044gPOwZVdC-riI51ShKDjp_o3r_xEkvzVeW6e5wLS_HCqkAhQm0803JMzjaydYysMZCuT4tNvpfaC8kjuZQia-t_3gBf8-a3vlppnp6eu1VdEwnn1jOSKZMtsqNII7CersEJU8tZk/s320/2015-11-06+13.19.44.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pumpkin and Chestnut Tart with Maple Syrup Whiskey Sauce</b></td></tr>
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What would a
trip to London be without a bowl of noodles at <b>Wagamama</b>. With locations all
over London, dinner at Wagamama helps bring your average cost per meal down a
bit. Cheap and cheerful it’s always a
good option. We went to the Covent
Garden location before seeing Photograph 51 with starring Nicole Kidman. Incredible story, great acting. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For our
final day we spent our morning at the Soane museum with a guided tour including
viewing Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress. If
you've never been, add this little museum on Lincoln’s Inn Fields to your list. A short walk north and we spent some time in the British Museum, also free admission. I hadn't been since the inner courtyard was transformed into the largest covered public square in Europe. It's impressive. We ate lunch
at the <b>Great Court Restaurant</b> under
the beautiful glass dome. I had the Fig and Burrata salad, a real winner that I’ll be trying to
duplicate at home. Fine coffee too. It's very popular, reservations recommended.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu271BHxA5WzMHcIdxLzL5XXH5JooUhBMNvS_5N42f8uymLL91StOEMMAgtusSD9sQApHkg0FDDXmqc4zOpbClhDSJpBcEyh0ERyaMiXjOH_YYKX1yOcDSUlyOSrYJzDAz-bKrICKuz3F7/s1600/Great+Court.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu271BHxA5WzMHcIdxLzL5XXH5JooUhBMNvS_5N42f8uymLL91StOEMMAgtusSD9sQApHkg0FDDXmqc4zOpbClhDSJpBcEyh0ERyaMiXjOH_YYKX1yOcDSUlyOSrYJzDAz-bKrICKuz3F7/s320/Great+Court.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Great Court Dome</b><br /></td></tr>
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Finally with
a day of travel ahead to Bordeaux, we
had breakfast at <b>The Ivy Market
Grill</b> in Covent Garden. We had to
try the full English Vegetarian Breakfast. Haloumi and avocados took the place of the bacon and sausage. It’s more than I could eat though so next
time I’ll order something simple. It’s a super comfortable restaurant. Nice spot all in all.</div>
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-84980178229615608902015-10-16T16:40:00.000-07:002015-10-16T16:40:25.681-07:00The oyster cage match in Tofino demanded sub categories @wolfinthefog vs @sobo<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YyYIh6jyIQqXX9vdSCKmkDqbjA3-heBSgpanan7yJsCAPqi5F324HZGOXI_DR4x6n1aU92_gazVNmCd9YIqiWf5E893IofOeegoGCo5jyuiPT0dqs4ax6MuyhDFVmFHWcZFODyh3Z4bh/s1600/2015-10-12+17.32.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YyYIh6jyIQqXX9vdSCKmkDqbjA3-heBSgpanan7yJsCAPqi5F324HZGOXI_DR4x6n1aU92_gazVNmCd9YIqiWf5E893IofOeegoGCo5jyuiPT0dqs4ax6MuyhDFVmFHWcZFODyh3Z4bh/s320/2015-10-12+17.32.14.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolf in the Fog Fried Oysters</td></tr>
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We decided that we needed 2 categories; fried oysters and baked oysters. <br />
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Wolf in the Fog wins for the fried oysters. They are incredible; a smoked oyster wrapped in Kennebec string potatoes and deep fried. They get better every time I have them and are addictive. My love to Chef Nicholas Nutting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-lbuZ-Ajg5CkJKkaDfaSp3tFsiz5JRgzRosrLP4Gt3ojrT65qUDFZs8aAXwyeaQ-bS6YWy3RyCGes1YJhsypavfni6ME-Pg4J687L5ncl-17dgafPzGCt2JEUyzg5mFRLz28n-7X6LLn/s1600/2015-10-13+12.08.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-lbuZ-Ajg5CkJKkaDfaSp3tFsiz5JRgzRosrLP4Gt3ojrT65qUDFZs8aAXwyeaQ-bS6YWy3RyCGes1YJhsypavfni6ME-Pg4J687L5ncl-17dgafPzGCt2JEUyzg5mFRLz28n-7X6LLn/s320/2015-10-13+12.08.20.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sobo Baked Oysters</td></tr>
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We've been eating at Sobo for about a dozen years and they make the best baked oysters I've ever had. Baked in a miso mayo with salmon bacon, I love them even more than Tojo's.<br />
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Choosing the best oysters meant eating quite a few, thankfully there are great beaches and hiking to help work up an appetite. I can't wait to go back and test the results again.<br />
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Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-58394989754475541192015-09-16T16:22:00.001-07:002015-09-16T16:24:14.209-07:00Advance planning turned 6th annual wine tour into a wine experience in the Okanagan. Painted Rock is my top pick in a tough competition for experience.<span style="font-size: large;">On our 6th annual Okanagan wine tour we booked several tastings in advance, using either our wine club memberships or the Visa Infinite card program. Wineries are going all out with these pre-booked special event tastings and it's well worth the planning involved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Black Hills offers it's wine club members a guided cabana tasting that is one of the best available. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Seated around the pool under the cabana we were treated to wine stories and some of the best wines made in the Okanagan. A barrel taste of Carmenere was an unexpected pleasure.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Laughing Stock Vineyards is one of the wineries that only do tastings by appointment and again the planning pays off. They have a beautiful seating area, under cover and a guided tasting of their outstanding portfolio of wines is fun and informative. They offer Visa Infinite members a private </span><span style="font-size: large;">vineyard tour but they called us the morning to let us know it would have to be an abbreviated tour because harvest had begun. Being possible the most important day in the wine business we were grateful they still let us in. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pinot Gris Harvest</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Laughing Stock has one of the nicest wine bottles I've ever seen with ticker tape information about the wine and vintage including the date of harvest and some fun facts. We tried the fresh pinot gris grapes being harvested 3 weeks earlier then 2014 vintage we started our tasting with.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3qNOQTyb-giqgR67wBKl6T210XaDuexBe-Rm0i1FsO3Ig4ea-fkA4NQAKlrUaL6oNylgmgTmDMU2YFfCMnyFnu2297iGS8anesDbv5Qd2n0E4g41u1UVC6PqcOGfchPp4XEqoiMOjR-b/s1600/2015-09-14+11.06.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3qNOQTyb-giqgR67wBKl6T210XaDuexBe-Rm0i1FsO3Ig4ea-fkA4NQAKlrUaL6oNylgmgTmDMU2YFfCMnyFnu2297iGS8anesDbv5Qd2n0E4g41u1UVC6PqcOGfchPp4XEqoiMOjR-b/s320/2015-09-14+11.06.19.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Laughing Stock Patio Tasting</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Painted Rock offers Visa Infinite members the opportunity to do a barrel tasting of the components of their flagship Red Icon. Pretty awesome. We drank a bottle of the 2007 Red Icon the night before so we were pumped to do the component tasting. This was such a unique experience that it is my top pick for wine visits this year.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDBsJ3l7lvSS1VgTtrieSS1_n5z6p-AgIE2LeOXv37AQNP7FBQ9ANF-ShFbjPhOoc3ZRxmPZJFidvOr-Ix3y_7iI-SlgDuyh_UbsT0PZI3kzTW5gXgLft9_ExotxZLPjKYrQm04AhJVr7/s1600/2015-09-14+15.41.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDBsJ3l7lvSS1VgTtrieSS1_n5z6p-AgIE2LeOXv37AQNP7FBQ9ANF-ShFbjPhOoc3ZRxmPZJFidvOr-Ix3y_7iI-SlgDuyh_UbsT0PZI3kzTW5gXgLft9_ExotxZLPjKYrQm04AhJVr7/s400/2015-09-14+15.41.34.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Wine Thief at Painted Rock</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had lunch and did a tasting at Liquidity Wines. A good addition to the limited food scene in the area it is worth a visit on many levels. The art both inside the winery and in the gardens is interesting and the views from the patio bistro are pretty fine. The flatbread, mussels and soup were all very good. We'll go back. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qFZ9-EQy0Eg50939qcEVCghcM2jRzs7qYmm2PEiTC8VIRxGSxfg8ZHZwFflDmnQpdmzHfUG8dKSw2zTsgwBTvAiwrVGBNwFJRE-oHaTEW20WNd6psCTaAW5JDzDH2kdbgWgrIF8EIAb1/s1600/2015-09-13+14.13.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qFZ9-EQy0Eg50939qcEVCghcM2jRzs7qYmm2PEiTC8VIRxGSxfg8ZHZwFflDmnQpdmzHfUG8dKSw2zTsgwBTvAiwrVGBNwFJRE-oHaTEW20WNd6psCTaAW5JDzDH2kdbgWgrIF8EIAb1/s320/2015-09-13+14.13.16.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bistro Patio at Liquidity</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We also had lunch at The Patio at Lake Breeze, my favourite lunch place in Naramata. The portobello carpaccio with dungeness crab and arugula was delicious. The mushroom bruschetta was equally good and both were a delicious match for the Lake Breeze Pinotage. One of the great things about eating at winery restaurants is getting to order wines from their library. The Pinotage was sold out but we were able to get it in the restaurant. It's a rare varietal that I have a love for.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L8AvtfiYkSI8gJPSCFLRAYo7nG9-IaKWWrNq5ZBYSdOmWDdGWR2vr_iO_cUP44Lxk11-cQq3unFAhOcIRj2t5T09B52-KITh8MuEh89CYR9-I931lW8LRWbXqSkJqIq68Mj32wPmcemX/s1600/2015-09-14+12.36.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L8AvtfiYkSI8gJPSCFLRAYo7nG9-IaKWWrNq5ZBYSdOmWDdGWR2vr_iO_cUP44Lxk11-cQq3unFAhOcIRj2t5T09B52-KITh8MuEh89CYR9-I931lW8LRWbXqSkJqIq68Mj32wPmcemX/s320/2015-09-14+12.36.42.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Lake Breeze Winery</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2011 Pinotage a rare and delicious varietal</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDCWr_W6ETDOCkcSB0A8UjigK8MZkdUdB4MPktguOboyBrVt0aj_20WVC2WKBUoRBdLAM4haaMPT3tvq0FxKs_OlvGO2E6GeUcd1pfm5iXDDEmF25faUd1ZFfZaKRem0fgfPuabvrqaM2/s1600/2015-09-14+13.35.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDCWr_W6ETDOCkcSB0A8UjigK8MZkdUdB4MPktguOboyBrVt0aj_20WVC2WKBUoRBdLAM4haaMPT3tvq0FxKs_OlvGO2E6GeUcd1pfm5iXDDEmF25faUd1ZFfZaKRem0fgfPuabvrqaM2/s320/2015-09-14+13.35.43.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Portobello Carpaccio</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had dinner at The Vanilla Pod at Poplar Grove. We'd heard mixed reviews and perhaps our order was particularly easy because 5 out of 7 of us ordered the halibut but we enjoyed our evening there and the food was good.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8kY3SRLEgMGSx8QoRmbOOtOcpvdik4ZwrA2LhfeEGTVOrE9PpT3jXSYg3brbC0UziMWvf9Xcus5MPOUxksLWCQwJfBeTKOQvGqf3iOQaHq7TZ0O7BF-5ScgITv5xuel2CVyRcSy1isYt/s1600/2015-09-14+20.14.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8kY3SRLEgMGSx8QoRmbOOtOcpvdik4ZwrA2LhfeEGTVOrE9PpT3jXSYg3brbC0UziMWvf9Xcus5MPOUxksLWCQwJfBeTKOQvGqf3iOQaHq7TZ0O7BF-5ScgITv5xuel2CVyRcSy1isYt/s320/2015-09-14+20.14.26.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Halibut with tomato fennel ragu and pomme frites</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fall is a good time to visit wine country but keep in mind that the wineries can be extremely busy with harvest and may not have much time for you. Go with the flow and there may be some pleasant surprises. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5zXhvdIiNBpu7NRDgR2a352UMUgYOLybmZMC6I2Zg75_s8zu6WQQ98M9Mz5rlB6GC-hk1RMjjFki5lF4gjcbqucjRECrgii55iqpxq4G47BsebU-q148TxuFnlm6Zd5A5TdLM7p0o6qe/s1600/2015-09-15+10.18.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5zXhvdIiNBpu7NRDgR2a352UMUgYOLybmZMC6I2Zg75_s8zu6WQQ98M9Mz5rlB6GC-hk1RMjjFki5lF4gjcbqucjRECrgii55iqpxq4G47BsebU-q148TxuFnlm6Zd5A5TdLM7p0o6qe/s320/2015-09-15+10.18.45.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>No stealing the grapes</b></td></tr>
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<br />Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-51770205937549615382015-06-16T15:49:00.000-07:002015-06-16T15:49:38.113-07:00Beer flights go big at MicroBrasserie Saint Arnould Mont-TremblantQuebec has some great beer and on a recent trip to Mont-Tremblant we visited MicroBrasserie Saint Arnould, named after the patron saint of brewers and I think they do him proud with their offerings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Beer Selection</i></b></td></tr>
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I love to try flights of beer and they have flights of 6, 8 or 10. We tried 8 and I particularly liked the refreshing Blanche Anges, a Belgian white with orange and coriander.<br />
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The staff were friendly and informative and they had plenty of information sheets on the bar with tasting notes, alcohol content, IBUs and even the temperatures they should be served at. In fact a lot of the beer bottles in Quebec seem to have this information on the labels. I like it a lot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The bar at Microbrasserie Saint Arnould</i></b></td></tr>
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<br />Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7068204506231387867.post-77140451509208761532015-06-11T15:59:00.001-07:002015-06-11T15:59:20.154-07:004 Yums Up for Lobster Poutine and Patrick Bermand Restaurant, Mont-Tremblant At a recent conference in Mont-Tremblant we snuck away to have a quiet French dinner in the countryside. We chose Patrick Bermand for the menu and good reviews. <br />
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Sunday night in early June is a slow time in the Laurentians and we were the only people in the restaurant at 6:30. Perhaps it was just too early for the mainly French clientele. I was a little worried we may have chosen badly but our friendly waiter had plenty of time for us and gave us very good advice and service without trying to become our new best friend. When he learned that we intended to have the lobster poutine for 2 as a main course he recommended 3 starters to balance out the meal. We shared escargots, salmon gravlax and chevre chaud. It came beautifully presented on a large sharing platter. The escargots were served in individual tiny cups with mushroom duxelles and a toast top, entirely decadent and delicious. The salmon gravlax was cured in house with citrus and gin and was a real winner. The salad was a good mix of greens with a traditional chevre grilled on toast. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Escargots, salmon gravlax and chevre chaud platter for 2</i></b></td></tr>
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The lobster poutine was great. Crisp fried perfect french fries with plenty of lobster and a fish and shellfish reduction with a touch of vermouth and cream topped with cheese and grilled. We did not say a word until it was finished. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Lobster Poutine</i></b></td></tr>
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I'm often out of my league with a wine list outside of BC but once again our waiter was helpful. I had a half bottle of white Bordeaux. (I love half bottles) David started with a local beer and tried a recommended Portuguese red to finish. <br />
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1 Yum up for the beautiful presentation, especially the large sharing platter<br />
1 Yum up for the beautiful aromas, nothing fishy even with a lobster tank<br />
1 Yum up for the great balance of flavours<br />
1 Yum up for something special, our server very young but confident enough to make thoughtful recommendations<br />
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I can't give a Yum up for atmosphere. No matter how charming the restaurant, it's hard to make up for an empty room.Cathy Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15643777968798414960noreply@blogger.com0