Nikkilooch

I had never heard about Laduree until I started researching what to eat in Paris.  This pastry shop kept popping up again and again.  Apparently it’s world famous?  It has even graced the sliver screen of Gossip Girl.  A show I’ve never seen.  I’m not sure about why these macaroons were on the show but I do know why they are world famous.  Delicate and delicious.  I didn’t buy a whole box because I didn’t want to take out collateral on my husband, but I did get 5 different flavors: milk chocolate, pistachio, coffee, rose petal and orange blossom.

Before the match we needed some fuel to help keep us warm and get us to dinner.  A crepe stand next to the metro entrance offered crepes with egg, chicken, cheese and mushrooms.  Yes, please!  Hot, filling, crispy and mobile. Perfect.

The morning we left it was snowing. My response was, “It’s snowing! How magical and romantic.” My husband’s response was more along the lines of, “It had to be f-ing snowing when we’re trying to leave.” After pulling my wheely suitcase along behind me in the snow for a few meters I tended to agree with his school of thought. It’s amazing how a warm croissant and a hot cafe can change your outlook back to magical and romantic.

I’ve been a follower David Lebovitz’s blog for a long time.  In researching the eating portion of our weekend trip my first stop was David’s My Paris section of his blog.

Le Trumilou hit all the criterion I had set for a restaurant for this trip:

1. Near the sights we wanted to see.
2. Classic french bistro.
3. No pretense.
4. Delicious.
5. Reasonably priced.
6. Open 7 days a week.

I chose the fixed menu, which is very common in Europe.  What it basically means is that for a set price (20 euro in my case) you can choose 3 courses from a menu with 3 choices for each course.  In general, these menus are the best choice for fresh good food.  They are constantly changing depending on what the restaurant has.

I started with artichoke. It was cold, which threw me for a loop at first since I’ve never had a whole artichoke served cold before. But it didn’t detract from its artichokey goodness. Plus they served it with a tangy mayonnaise based dipping sauce that made my initial surprise melt away quickly.

Next came beef bourguignon. I ordered this dish for 2 reasons: I could read and understand it from the french menu and I was freezing cold in desperate need of warming up. The beef was fork tender and the broth not too salty. Everything I look for in a dish like this.

Finally, I finished with cafe. While I like a lot of things about Germany, I haven’t been able to find a good cup of coffee since I moved here 2 weeks ago. Le Trumilou answered a question I didn’t know I was even asking with this espresso. Superb.

We ended with a very happy table.

As soon as we landed in Germany and got our bags sorted, we headed straight to the restaurants.

White sausage and a pretzel with sweet mustard for me.
Sausage and french fries for him.

Germany, I think it’s gonna be love.

Last night my husband and in-laws went to see Jersey Boys that the National Theater.  I’ve been singing “Oh What a Night” ever since.

But before the show, we ate at Old Ebbitt Grill in DC which has been around since 1856.

Presidents hang out and eat here.

It was just a few blocks from the theater.

We started with fried calamari.

I’ve only had fried calamari twice since leaving Italy: once in Seattle and then last night. Both were excellent.

I ordered the veggie sandwich.

Instead of bread, fried eggplant kept the insides together. Genius.

My mother-in-law got crab cakes:

My father-in-law got jambalaya:

And my husband got blackened chicken salad:

After dinner we headed over to the show and wouldn’t you know it… my mother’s-in-law crab cakes were there in the playbill.

The night was a gift from my in-laws to us for Christmas.  We asked for no gifts for Christmas this year because we’re currently living out of suitcases until we fly out for Germany.  This was perfect.  Experiences trump possessions every time.

Thanks Mom and Dad.