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B&B, Burgundy, France, French Food, Wine

CASTEL DE TRES GIRARD

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CASTEL DE TRES GIRARD 7, rue de Très Girard 21220 MOREY SAINT DENIS Tel : +33 (0)3 80 34 33 09 Fax : +33 (0)3 80 51 81 92 www.castel-tres-girard.com

We where driving around Burgundy one afternoon when we discovered this magnificent B&B and restaurant. The seafood was fresh and prepared to perfection. The chefs presentations where breathtaking. I still can recall the exciting taste of the apple pastry and carrot galace’. It was locate in the heart of Burgundy so you can imagine how good the wine list was. This was truly a fine dining experience in a very romanic setting.

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B&B, Hudson Valley, Upstate New York

Buttermilk Falls INN, Milton, NY

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Buttermilk Falls INN, Milton, NY

220 North Road, Milton, New York (NY) 12547

In the car escaping the hurricanes a few years ago, we discovered the ButterMilk Falls Inn and SPA.   As you can tell from the photos we were lucky enough to catch the fall foliage in it’s glory.  The Inn offer a nice breakfast as well as a full service SPA.  The main attraction for us, is the beautiful ground and water falls. The Inn is locate on many acres, with a view of the majestic Hudson River.  Rooms at the in vary from small queen size rooms, larger suite and cabins.  Although the service was friendly, they lack some of the finer touches that are present at the more professionally run establishments.  We have visited the in more than once which is Lori’s highest recommendation, if she returns the town should rejoice because this does not happen often.


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Italian, Italy, restaurant, Tuscan

Trattoria al Vecchio Forno, Tuscany, San Quirico d’Orcia, Italy

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Trattoria al Vecchio Forno, Tuscany, San Quirico d’Orcia, Italy

Owned by same owners of the Palazzo del Capitano in San Quirico d’Orcia, This charming ristorante feaures truly authentic Tuscan food. Wonderfully simple dishes of tuscan beans teased and pleased our palettes.  Fresh tri-color pasta was tossed with cheese and  candy like tomatoes. The wine list include some of my local favorites like Biondi-Santi. All this is just a short walk around the corner from the hotel so have a second bottle of wine.

http://www.palazzodelcapitano.com/ristorante.php

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Hudson Valley, restaurant, Tuscan, Upstate New York

Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici; Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY

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Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici “Italy’s Authentic Flavors in a Magnificent Tuscan Villa Setting”

I have been to Italy about 150 times visiting Tuscany many of those, basically I know a good  authentic Tuscan meal when I have one. Unfortunately the most authentic part was it’s name,  Caterina did not live up to it’s claim.  The ambience was wonderful however the food was lacking.  The Hudson River Valley is know for it’s outstanding food. Spotted with excellent restaurants, Caterina has not been worth a second visit.  We did enjoy the enthusiastic service of the students and the meal although not what it claimed to be was still enjoyable. It’s been a while since our visit, so one can only hope that it has improved.   If anybody has been there recently, I’d appreciate their input.

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Italian, Italy, restaurant, Tuscan

La Bucaccia, Cortona, Tuscany, Italy

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In the Famous hilltop village of Cortona, La Bucaccia is conveniently located near the center of town. The owner and manager, Romano personally greets all of his guest with his unique style of humor. The menu is traditional Tuscan with some excellent specialities of the day. La Bucaccia’s wine cellar is Ramano’s pride and joy. He will gladly give you a guided tour and help you select a fine choice to accompany your dinner.  Romano loves to play with the guest cameras and has perfected this technique of photographing them through a wine glass.  We have dined there several times and have always enjoyed our meal. This evening we were accompanied by our dearest friends Bianca and  Enzo.

I would certainly recommend that you visit La Bucaccia for an enjoyable meal and entertaining evening.

BTW: The bottle of 1995 Avignonesi Vin Santo was not in the cellar, We acquired it elsewhere and shared some with Romano… This bottle is hard to find and is a heavenly experience.

Link to La Bucaccia

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Dundee Manor, Oregon

Dundee Bistro, Dundee, Oregon , USA

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Located in the heart of the Willamette Valley this causal bistro owned by the Ponzi wine family offers some creative fare.  The wine list features their own marvelous wines from the Ponzi vineyard (this is Pinot country). The spectacular presentations get your mouth watering for some fantastic food however you will be disappointed. The plate design is much better than the execution. I’d recommend a relaxing afternoon sipping some of their wonderful Ponzi Pinot Noir and snacking on some cheese.

The Dundee Bistro at http://www.dundeebistro.com/

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Brunello, Italian, Italy, Tuscan, Wine

Biondi Santi, MONTALCINO, ITALY

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We were honored to have a private tour and tasting at Biondi-Santi the birthplace of Brunello di Montalcino. Private tours are the only type available at Biondi-Santi.  I recommend booking well in advance because they are very limited. Our tasting included a 2000 Brunello. This is the epitome of wine tasting in Montalcino.

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Italian, Italy, restaurant, Tuscan

Osteria Il Tinaio,San Quirico d’Orcia, Italy

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It was truffle season and how could we resist this small Osteria right down the block from Palazzo del Capitano. I think Lori was fascinated by the whole truffle weighing and slicing procedure. The owner personally came out to slice and weigh this delicacy, all I could do is imagine how much these cost. LOL, We really enjoyed the pasta with white truffles and a bottle of local wine.

Osteria Il Tinaio
Via Dante Alighieri 35/A
San Quirico d’Orcia (SI)
Tel./Fax 0577 898347

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Roma, Rome, Rome eats

Franchi, Roma, Italy

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Franchi is not a restaurant but more of a gourmet deli that allows you to enjoy a meal standing up at the counter.  I have not been there lately much as I used to however I always stop in to say hello to  my friends and have a bite to eat when in Rome. I have a large group of friends that always request I bring them the CHEESE that is the Parmigiano-Reggiano from Franchi.   I don’t no why but it is simply the best. I have searched the world including many other places in Italy however the CHEESE from Franchi is always the best.  Quite frankly you can’t go wrong with anything you get at Franchi!!!   They only have the best of the best of Italian foods in their shop. Yes, some people find it expensive however you get what you pay for.  Let me clue you in on the Rice Ball procedure.  Rick Steve, the budget travel writer has recommended Franchi for a quick bite. I personally wish Steve would send these tourists elsewhere however they come in droves in the summer for Rice Balls which are amazing. To accommodate all these tourists and collect their money Franchi has instituted a pay at the cashier then get your Rice Ball policy.

Via Cola di Rienzo, 204
00192 Roma (Lazio), Italy
+39 06 687 4651

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Food, New York NY

The Grand Central Oyster Bar, New York, NY

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Located in Grand Central station this NYC classic has quite an eclectic mix of patrons.   There is a large variety of fresh oysters from around the country. We found the highly touted Panroasts to be disappointing however the oysters are sublime.   This is not an establishment for haute cuisine but rather for simply prepared fresh seafood.
They have an adequate wine list and plenty of beer to wash down some of the giant oysters.   This is certainly one of the best train station dining experiences, I’ve had.

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Paris, restaurant

Le Soufflé, Paris, France

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We always stop by to have a souffle at Le Souffle at least once during our visits to Paris. Located at 36,rue du Mont Thabor,it is a little tricky to find and even the taxis have trouble at times. Although some say it’s touristy and the service is lacking. We have had nothing but lovely experiences here.

The Grand Marnier is our favorite accompanied by a bottle of Grand Marnier and encouraged by the staff to pour it on how can you go wrong.
If you desire more friendly and prompt service, I recommend bringing a beautiful women with you… the Frenchmen love them.
Vive la différence

Le Souffle
Tél. : 01 42 60 27 19
36 rue Mont Thabor
75001 Paris (France)

 

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Seattle eats

Chez Shea, Seattle, WA

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Located across the street from the Pike’s market Chez Shea is upstairs and a bit difficult to find however it is worth it. The food of Chef Benjamin Knutsen is creative and tastes as good as it looks. There are several menus available at all times including many vegetarian choices. We chose to dine in the more casual bar area. For first and second courses we chose Seared Artisan Sonoma Foie Gras( I love Foie Gras) and a stuffed artichoke. Entrees were Scallops and an interesting Purple Potato with fiddleheads. The Potato was a surprisingly nice presentation that also tasted heavenly and the scallops were seared to perfection. There was a very nice selection of local beer as well as wine. Shea Lounge provided a fine dining experience in a friendly unpretentious manner.

http://www.chezshea.com/

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Italian, Italy, restaurant, Tuscan

Ristorante di Poggio Antico, Tuscany, Italy

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The Ristorante di Poggio Antico is located on the vineyard Poggio Antico and is run independently by Roberto Minnetti is another true fine dining experience in Tuscany. We enjoyed Lori’s birthday lunch out on the patio so much we returned with Josh and Kelly the next year for dinner inside. The firsts included traditional Tuscan bread salad and a foie gras accompanied by rock candy. Pasta was made in the house and had that marvelous texture you find only in homemade pasta. Wine choices are easy being as the house wine is Poggio Antico for lunch we had the light Rosso(very nice) and for dinner my favorite Brunello(Heavenly). The pork, lamb and fish mains all received universal accolades. The Minnetti’s made us feel very welcome and we will surely return as soon as possible.

Ristorante di Poggio Antico directly (phone/fax +39 0577 849200, email ristorantedipoggioantico@gmail.com).

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B&B, Italian, Italy, Tuscan

Palazzo del Capitano

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Located in the center of the small Tuscan town of San Quirico d’Orcia is this charming boutique hotel Palazzo dell Capitano. San Quirico is conveniently located near MONTALCINO, PIENZA, MONTEPULCIANO making it a nice hub for wine tasting. The room we stayed  in was rather large and decorated in a Tuscan fashion. In town, there are two wonderful restaurants (that I will review in a future post) one independently owned and one that is owned by the hotel.  Each morning at the hotel they put out a wonderful breakfast buffet including these awesome baked goods. I recommend after dropping your bags, parking outside of town and walking up the stairs. The Hotel did offer garage parking however it’s only large enough for a SMART car,LOL, I dented the side of our BMW trying to get it in. We both enjoyed our stay at Palazzo del Capitano and would highly recommend it to others.

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Italian, Italy, Milan

La Cadrega, Milan, Italy

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Just around the corner from the Milan Hilton by the Central Stations is this wonderful restaurant.  It is one of the few places that is open all day long which is nice for us time travelers who are in a different time zone.  Every thing from bread to desert is wonderful. I especially recommend the fresh ink pasta with seafood. They have many fresh pastas on the menu and all should be tried. The service is excellent and they really go the extra mile to make you feel at home.

 

I have recently revisited: Unfortunately, I have to report that this place has gone downhill a bit. While the food is still good, it has become a tourist trap by raising prices and charging fees to tourist that an Italian would never pay.

 

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French Food, Paris

Taillevent, Paris France

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Truly a fine dinning experience in Paris. To say we enjoyed the food and the wine is an understatement. The wine sommelier helped us select some wonderful choices. A “Michelin 3 star” restaurant for years. I will refer you to a professional food critic Andy Hayler for his review.

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Asian, Food, Long Island NY, New York NY

Nisen Sushi, Woodbury NY

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We have been to Nisen Sushi several times at both of their Long Island locations. The Woodbury is one of the most attractive sushi bars around including those in NYC. The quality and freshness is what you would expect to find in Manhattan. Now Long Islanders can enjoy this without the tolls and traffic.

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Asian, Chinese, Food, New York NY, NYC eats, restaurant

WO HOP, New York, NY

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It’s a NYC classic the food is amazing !! walk down the stairs and enter one of the City’s most famous Chinese restaurants. It won’t disappoint you. My favorites: Shrimp and Lobster sauce, Crab cantonese and Ribs

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B&B, Dundee Manor, Oregon, Uncategorized

Dundee Manor B&B, Dundee, Oregon

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The Dundee Manor

8380 NE Worden Hill Rd
Dundee, OR 97115
(503) 554.1945
(888) 262.1133

We visited the Dundee Manor while I was in Boeing school in Seattle. I had the weekends off so Lori and I decided to visit the Vineyards of Dundee in the world famous Willamette Valley. Lori selected the Dundee Manor. She had spoken to Brad on the phone and was convinced this was our kind of place. Some inn keepers run there places for money and other because they love it. Brad and Dave fall into the ladder category. They place has beautiful grounds that are meticulously maintained by the inn keepers. The rooms are all decorated lovely and kept immaculately clean.

Brad so proudly displays his culinary prowess by preparing a wonderful breakfast. They do taste as good as they look. Speaking of breakfast on our first departure I had to leave at 5am to be in school early, Dave got up early and prepared scones and coffee for us to take on the road. Lori immediately informed me not to expect this at home. I just mentioned our first departure we enjoyed ourselves so much we went back the very next weekend.

When we departed the second time, we felt like we were leaving our long lost friends behind and can’t wait to return.

We highly recommend the Dundee Manor to all.

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