Pizzeria YELLOW: Dull name, Super pizza, good value!

The pizzeria Yellow (fire roasted) is centrally located in Florence, easy to find and close to Piazza della Signoria .  For such a lackluster name, this restaurant serves up a terrific pizza (pastas, appetizers and desserts).  It’s packed at lunch and dinner so regulate your watch and chose hours either before or after the queues.  It’s a casual eaterie so come as you are.

It’s a cavernous establishment, yet light, bright, modern and pleasant.  Very good service, with humor and a smile, even at peak hours.  Pizzas are made with thin crusts and come in all combinations.  House wine comes in liters and smaller.  The white is slightly frizzante, a cold and wonderful combo in the summer of Florentine heat.

More should be said about Yellow, but good pizza is simply good pizza.  No more to be said. I wouldn’t waste my time experimenting or wasting precious euros, when Yellow has the best.    There is  value for the Euro here as well.

Pizzeria Yellow, via del Proconsolo 39, Firenze. Open Wednesdays to Monday.  Tel 055 211 766.

L’Assiette, Paris, 14th arrondisement. Lulu is gone.

Alas, in composing this blog, I am remembering restaurants and eats that have turned my head and taught me lessons about good eating.  Finding the way to one’s own taste preferences is a matter of education, lots of eating, trying, tasting, stretching and making a hobby (obsession?) of food and flavor combinations.  My first big step into this world began at L’Assiette as I, like so many others, were taken by the cuisine (and personality) of the then very thin, plucky Lulu Rosseau, owner/chef . 

As years went by (about 25 years of them) both Lulu and I rounded.  She never lost her pluckiness.  Her food never lost its punch.  She paid attention to flavors that exploded in your mouth.  She succeeded in this by carefully selecting quality products delivering utmost freshness.  Preparation and presentation were impeccable.  Her menu  steadied the course and was consistently great from one year to the last. 

For the next 25 years, I kept returning to L’Assiette, in particular for the boudin noir parmentier, blood sausage buried in a heap of creamy mashed potatoes. In the beginning Lulu prepared nearly an entire kilo of blood sausage (or so it seemed), so much 2 persons could (but didn’t) share.  With it came a huge snappy, green salad full of piss and vinegar…tastes chez Lulu were never dull.  As the years went by, the copious portion of boudin was replaced by “just the right amount,” enough for one person.  Flavors, product and presentation however remained just as exciting. 

In attempting to locate her address and telp number, I discovered Lulu had sold L’Assiette, in the 14th Arrondisement of Paris.  Lulu was always on the pricey side, but she delivered.  Her special flare and temperament were renowned, so over the years she attracted the well-heeled and better recognized names in Paris.  Watching her grow  was a process in motion and good eating the piece de resistance et raison d’etre.

Perhaps it’s worth returning to L’Assiette under new ownership.  It appears prices have remained high and of course the menu changed.  Ambiance wise, it is a tasteful, classy, interesting little place.  Anyone whose tried L’Assiette under new ownership, please tell us about it.

Redfish Restaurant: Port Orford, OREGON! Worth a side trip.

The Redfish restaurant, located near Port Orford on the Southern Oregon coast, is simply put: stunning.  It is the brain-child of Chris Hawthorne and his beautiful wife/sculptress Julie.  Their Hawthorne Gallery (equally impressive is steps next door). 

Make the Hawthorne Gallery either dessert or starter to round-out and complete an excellent Redfish meal.  Neither gallery nor restaurant should be missed.  Both are designed by artists with a keen, refined aesthetic eye and culinary taste.  

If location, location, location is  key to business success, this restaurant has found it,perched on a small jet of land above the breath-taking and wild Pacific ocean.  Views in all directions, almost detract from the quality of food, if that is possible.  The restaurant looks over Battle Rock, until the sun dips into the ocean. 

As for eating, the menu presents solid offerings, not cheap, but with food this refined, cheap is relative.  Redfish advertises as both American and French.  Having lived and eaten my way through much of France (for better and worse), the restaurant correctly qualifies for a few of those French stars. 

When the mouth begins to water, over at least 4 different menu-offerings, you’ve arrived.  The prices are matched by the quality of preparation, freshness, inventiveness and finally taste.  Both fish/shell fish and beef are on the menu, which changes so log on to their website for latest offerings. On this occasion amongst the dishes were a venison bourguigonne, caramalized scallops, fresh oysters, clams, beef tenderloin and more.  Main dishes range from $15-$28.  Starters $8-$15.  An extensive, well-chosen wine list offers mid-range to expensive, good, wines. 

It was St Patrick’s day on our stop, so corn-beef and cabbage were presented as the plat du jour.  Grass fed beef, potatoes mashed with yummy lumps generously mixed with the a smooth, creamy, buttery puree and carefully prepared sauteed cabbage…fabulous.  Only a true chef can trill  such a basic dish to magic.  And trill they did.

Sorry I can’t describe the dessert menu, as there was no room left.  Merci et ca suffit.  One of us however did try the bread pudding.  It didn’t match the rest of the meal for my sweet tooth.  But that should not deter dessert fanatics.  Surely the sweets also match the rest of an otherwise gourmet meal.   Try them yourself and let me know what you think.

The Redfish restaurant is on HWY 101, 25 miles South of Bandon, with Port Orford as it’s address: 517 Jefferson Street.  Tel 541-366-2200. It is open Wednesday-Friday 11:00AM to 9PM, Saturday+Sunday 9AM-9PM.  On Saturdays, live music is sometimes offered.  There is a fully stocked bar, tastefully designed in keeping with the restaurant, making it tempting to just swing in for a drink, sunset…views and gallery visit.

VERSOIX, GENEVA: CARTIER, not the watch, the baker/chef!!

Located near Geneve, Switzerland, in the village of Versoix, smack dab on Lac Leman is the cafe/restaurant/bakery CARTIER.  It takes it’s name from the owners whose ability to turn out the best baked goods in Geneva honors the “other” Cartier.  A jewel to be sure.

My favorite time at Cartier is on an early, still, sunny Swiss morning when Lac Leman is at its best.  Here you can see across to France as well as down to Geneva’s jet d’eau, all heralding the day.  It’s at moments like this, when Cartier’s cozy corner location (and food), leaves one feeling  ”all is right with the world.”  Occasionally, the old paddle wheel tour boat launching downstream from Geneva, makes a stop on the dock just outside Cartier’s back door adding a touch of romance to the magic.

To round out this stunning backdrop,  Mr et Mme Cartier produce some of the finest breads as well as panier, tartes, quiches, cakes, croissants (real ones) and pain au chocolat in the region.  Inside the various bun size breakfast sandwiches, are ingredients like salami (on lightly butter pretzel bread), tuna, cheeses, tomatoes and ham with dabs of various dressings to subtly liven them up.  Fresh out of the early morning oven , brimming with flavor and with so many choices, one just has to return again and again to test them all. 

It is not easy to find genuine, carefully, traditionally made croissants.  But here they are, flaky, fresh layers of pastry, made with real butter, melting in your mouth.  Imagine if you will, the finest swiss chocolate added et voila…pain au chocolat (double barrel) is simply to die for. 

Several decades ago, on a trip to France, I decided to ”discover” croissants, hoping to unlock the secret of these quintessentially French delights.  I was equally determined to find the best bakers making them.  An insiders tip sent me to a bakery near Paris’s Marais.  While this bakery long ago locked its shutters,  the tastes, smells and joy of that discovery still linger.  First the nose catches the early morning smell of freshly baking croissants and the mouth begins to water…where’s the espresso?  Well before laying eyes on the bakery itself, it is as if the nose insists you listen and follow.  Nearly with eyes closed, the destination at last arrives.  And you, with a content nose and watering mouth,  find yourself at end of  the croissant queue spilling and overflowing into the street and down the block.  There is something about a crowd of people waiting quietly and patiently for a magic treasure.  Perhaps it makes the treasure greater than it actually is.  But perhaps not.  And yes, those croissants set the bar high:  flaky, warm, buttery layers of delicate pastry, with just a tiny tiny hint of sugar glaze.  The nose never forgets, nor do the taste buds.  There is no such thing as “faint praise” when Cartier croissants are mentioned in the same breath as this Paris experience, a long history in the making. 

 Additionally at breakfast, Mr Cartier makes two different types of quiche and several sweet tarts/pies to go with a piping hot, well-made “renverser” (Swiss cafe au lait).  There are many a bakery to be found along Lac Leman, but none that compare to the quality, variety, perfection and tastiness of Cartier.  Baker superieure et sublime. 

In addition to the light bright cafe with windows all around allowing full vistas of Lac Leman, is a take out bakery.  Here all the breads, small breakfast sandwiches and baked goods can be purchased, including the excellent baguettes and ficelle.  The bakery hums with customers and if you arrive late, what a shame…the favorites are long gone.    

 Cartier serves lunches and the offerings of the day are presented on a blackboard as you enter the restaurant.  Admittedly, I have never managed beyond breakfast at Cartier, but the lunch menu and plates passing by make me wish there had been room for more.

Prices are standard.  About 3-4 CHF for a renverser, 5 to 6 CHF for baked goods, tartes and quiches.  It is located on the route du Lac, direction Versoix, on the right hand side passing through the village of Versoix at the first stop light and cross walk .  The cafe is closes one day in the week as does the bakery.  Fortunately they alternate days so one or the other is ususally open.

WASHINGTON DC: Pasta Mia. Do it.

In America’s political capital, eating seems to play like a fourth chair trombone in the junior high orchestra.  Washington DC remember, is a city with an ever-rotating population, depending on who is in and who is out, a landscape partially consisting of transient inhabitants, many of whom come from America’s culinary hinterlands, not necessarily folks most interested in eating…or let’s say…eating well.  This is not to say that genuine locals lack taste buds or that transients are culinary deadbeats, perhaps instead a population who may be engaged in activities other than cuisine.  This being said, let’s look at eateries both with good, solid cooking at fair prices.  And begin with Pasta Mia as the lead.

One of the best values for dollar with truly good, decently made  Italian pasta is the Pasta Mia restaurant located near the noisy corner of 18th NW and Columbia NW in the trendy, lively Adams Morgan district.  There is nothing “normal” about this restaurant.  Nothing that puts a smile on your face, at least in the beginning.  In fact, it’s a bit like being in a  hurdle race and you’d better like hurdles.  Don’t bother with reservations, there are none.  Remember to bring cash, it’s cash only.  And minimum per person charge of $15.   Stand in line, yes a LONG line, meet up at 5:45 and stand in rain, snow or sweltering DC  heat (under no cover, in the absence of a hard yet alone cushy chairs and certainly no “beverages served” or offered to pass the wait);  just so you can grab a table for the first seating when doors open at 6:30 PM.   If you are not number 35 in line forget it, best find another place to eat, or return around 8:30 as the first tables free up.  And no saving places…if you are 4 persons, be there, all 4 of you, or back to the end of the line! 

One day in the depth of DC’s winter snow of 2010, I bumped into the chef/owner as he hacked away in front of his restaurant.  It was a wicked winter and ice had piled stubbornly deep, but I thought to myself, an equal match to the determination behind this furrowed and somewhat humorless brow.  In the end, like the food in this simple restaurant, the hard shoveling had been expertly turned out.  A very clean and safe sidewalk readied for the lines sure to return that night. 

The owner/chef and his wife, the maitre d’,  are not reputed to be the most welcoming, but after many a repeated visit, one begins to appreciate the subtleties behind this exterior.  Lovely people indeed, who play second fiddle to their food, letting it speak for itself with no special bugles or unnecessary fanfare.  Their unique welcome somehow suits this little rarity…whose brilliance would be hard to duplicate.  Waiters do their job, mostly well-enough but always pleasantly. 

When the food finally arrives, is when and where rubber meet the road.  And when it arrives, it arrives steaming hot, in heaps and mounds, excellent and varied enough to meet any pasta aficionado’s tastes.   Hand made Tortellin and ravioli (which would put a frown on any chef’s face) along with all the usual dried pasta forms: capellini, tagliolini, paparadella, gnochi, fusili, ravioli and with many different sauces.  The red piquante sauces are hot as the menu warns.  Other choices are plentiful ranging from vegetarian saucesto clam sauces as well as cream base sauces (Spinach fettucine with a cream sauce of porcinini mushrooms is fab) .  Equally enormous salads:  The mixed green house at $6 is utterly fresh with a snappy, garlicky vinagrette that makes you sit up straight; the caesar is also $6, equally good;  several side orders (mozzarella and tomatoes, $13, prosciutto/mozarella 15, etc) lead the way and always enough to share. 

But make room for the pasta as it does take center stage and averages $15-18 a plate.  Plates large enough to split, 3 ways depending on how much your ordered as starters.  Dessert is generally limited to tiramisu, but large enough to feed 2 or 3 and just a delicious as everything else that appears.  One liter of ouse wine is a mere $15, 1/2 liter just half and comes in white or red.  Last year, both red and white were surprisingly good and bang for your buck.  Most recently however, the red fell flat, while the white stood its ground.  Keep in mind these are table wines and from year to year quality changes depending on the growing season.  Even Copolla’s (amongst my favorite american reds, dependable old world flavors) generic Rosso took a back slide this year.  Bread and olive oil are the free extras as you wait.  And you will wait.

Make sure and catch the chef single-handedly at work in his 2×4 kitchen.  It makes the food taste even better.  The ambiance is simple, but as with any place that serves  good basic food at reasonable prices, the ambiance begins to warm and grow on you.  By the time dinner ends, any remaining grumbling dissipates. Smiles all around.  Standing in line wasn’t so bad after all and $17-18 for a huge plate of fine tasting pasta is worth 90 degree heat, 100% humidity and no cold beer at the bar.  In fact, it all seems a very worthwhile bargain.  Somehow all the oddities work together here and transform into novelties that compliment the meal and create a unique evening out .

This is a place full of 30 somethings and college kids, but mixed with oldies looking for a good value meal.  Simplicity is the key here, simple, huge helpings and all of it good.  Sauces are abundant, perhaps too abundant for anyone raised in Italy, but this is not a distraction, more an observation and perhaps Americanization of Italian tastes.

Pasta Mia is located at 1790 Columbia NW, closed Sunday and Monday, open 6:30-10PM.  Tel 202-328-9119.

TUSCANY and its BEST-EVER “SALVADONICA BORGO del CHIANTI”

Situated on an idyllic knoll propped up by vineyards in all directions, is the Salvadonica.  This gem is part of the Italian agro-tourism group, run by sisters with so much taste it makes the head roll.  The Borgo is a perfect, yet simple combination of rustic, never overdone, always subtle, as nature takes center stage augmented only by the sister’s Florentine sense of beauty.   As with most Italian lodging labelled Agro-tourism, it is a fully functioning farm complete with its own wines and olive oils, all for sale on the property.  

As one sits atop this Tuscan hill, it feels like owning a small slice of this world for a luxurious split second.  Guests are presented with a pallet… a natural patchwork of vineyards, cypress trees, glimpses of far off farm houses, all set amidst sprawling, manicured lawns, as if a painting had effortlessly and personally presented itself.   In the quiet still of sunset or sunrise, guests at the Borgo are privileged to catch the long shadows and brilliant colors as the sun darts and dips its way on its path,  with each shift a new version of this special magical painting.  

Rooms are simple, no frills and at home in the Borgo setting.  There are double rooms and two larger bungalows. Rooms are equipped with a small refrigerator and 2 burner stove, kitchen sink and enough pots/pans and tableware to cook  and eat “at home.” Floors are cool, simple, flat burnished red tiles, showers in the bathroom, with country furnishings as the primary room decor.  Ceiling fans cool the rooms and there is no A/C.

The expansive lawns have been landscaped and equipped with smaller, comfortable, private nooks, crannies and coves allowing guests to find privacy amongst the hum of guests arriving and departing.  There is a more public room adjacent to the reception, where guests gather for wine and small bites at sunset.  The breakfast room reflects the same ambiance, peaceful, tasteful and with both indoor and outdoor tables.  Breakfast itself is a mix of fresh fruits, cereals and Italian baked goods, a smattering of cold cuts, juice, milk, yoghurt, coffee and tea. 

A fairly sized swimming pool overlooks the surrounding countryside.  Comfortable lawn chairs and small tables dot the landscape, enough for everyone to catch the views and relax.  On a hot day, this is a virtual oasis.  And another place to catch sunsets.

A car is necessary.  It takes just 25 minutes to drive to the center of Firenze.  A host of popular Tuscan excursions are equally close.  It is a great launching point for most of the greater and lesser known villages of Tuscany. 

Prices are fair for the offerings here, but not necessarily cheap.  There is a long list of returning guests, so during high season, reservations are important.  It is a frequently reviewed destination by a variety of travel sources, attesting to its overall popularity and quality of services.  Pets are welcome along with the sister’s own Jack Russell Terriers.

Make sure and lunch in the tiny enclave of Volpaia, a bit of a distance from the village of Panzano (in Chianti) and on the back road to Greve.  Here you can purchase outstanding vinegars, red/white and herb flavored, plus olive oil of the same name, while lunching at the simple cafe serving the best ever bruschetta and small bites just adjacent.  Make sure to take in the family photos decorating the inside of this eaterie and enjoy the proprietress who makes it a joyful stop.  There is also a lovely restaurant in Volpaia operated by the same family.  A very friendly place, and one of those out-of-the-way treats.

Last of all kudos’ to this creative sister-duo who know their business and are perfectly suited to it.   A winning combo in every regard.  SALVADONICA BORGO del CHIANIT is located at via Grevignana 82-5002.  Tel 39 055 821 8039.  Francesca and Beatrice have a website, showing their fun and lively sides for reservations.

CH Bailey House: Roseburg Oregon B&B

The C.H. Bailey house, located off I-5 running North and South through Washington and Oregon into California is a stop worth making whether just “passing through” Roseburg OR as a destination in and of itself.

The B&B is owned and operated by Sherry and Jay, a young couple with just the right skills that combine to welcome guests.  Jay tends the house and grounds while Sherry adds the soft, warm, tasteful and tasty interior extras.  Hard work, polish and pride ooze from every corner.  Nothing is overlooked.  The couple understands the importance of labor+ love in this demanding  service business and it shows from perfectly tended (expansive) grounds to each nook and cranny, bedroom and public room in the house. 

The setting is most special, difficult to find (so follow their website instructions, NOT google maps) yet once on Melton Road, leading to the B&B, it feels like a million miles from the busy I-5 corridor, a small idyllic corner sliced out of the quiet, peaceful, green, rolling countryside and farmlands surrounding it. 

The grounds surrounding the B&B are vast, and beautifully manicured.  Once arrived, city services are a bit of a drive.  But why anyone would want to leave is the question, so come with whatever bits and bobs needed so you can simply sit, walk or enjoy the surroundings and home that welcomes you. 

There are just 4 rooms on the second floor, two of which offer ensuite bathrooms with showers, the third ensuite bath with tub.  Rooms with showers offer sitting rooms overlooking the countryside and all three come with comfy furniture where guests can relax in private.   Each room is tastefully furnished, with lovely linens, each exquisitely tended and maintained. 

On the second floor just outside the rooms, Sherry places coffee and tea in the morning so guests can help themselves at leisure.  Upon arrival she offers complimentary wine from the Roseburg area both white and red.  Inside the refrigerator on the second floor landing, guests can help themselves to bottled water and a selection of soft drinks as well.

The public living and dining room are decorated with attention to taste and detail.  It is not overly done, rather comfortable, cozy decor in keeping with the age and style of the house.  Objets d’arts are plentiful and catch they eye of knowing collectors.  A gas fireplace in the living room helps warm up those chilly rainy days.  While on the wide front porch is a swing for sunnier days and in back an expansive mown lawn-like area complete with places to relax offering privacy for each and every guest.

Sherry and Jay are “foodies” so the breakfast is always a treat and tempts even those who aren’t breakfast fanciers.  For example, breakfast starts with fresh juice and is followed by a fresh fruit starter, on this day a perfectly ripened, sweet pear with just a drizzle of caramel sauce and mint leaf.  As the main attraction, two perfecly poached eggs under which lies prosciutto, all atop perfectly crunchy, toasted ciabatta.  By its side a warm orange pecan muffin.  This is the kind of breakfast that leaves one wanting and sends guests off with a warm, satisfied smile.

Dogs are welcome, another special extra here. 

The C.H. Bailey Houe is located at 121 Melton Road just slightly outside Roseburg.  The telp is 541-672-1500.  As said, follow the innkeeper’s directions which will get you directly to their house.  Otherwise it is indeed difficult to find.  Once at the B&B, Roseburg restaurants are some distance.  I recommend bringing take-out dinner and enjoying it at the B&B, although the innkeepers are well-equipped to recommend eateries in Roseburg if that is more to one’s liking.