Blog: Recent Posts
Bistro Vendome – Denver
A pleasant French style bistro, located in a courtyard just off the busy downtown pedestrian street, this restaurant offers simple and familiar French cuisine made with fresh local ingredients. As their website claims, “This is purposefully a bistro, not a café nor a brasserie. The selection of the name “Bistro Vendôme” reflects our desired image in the community: a local favorite in a downtown rich with history that offers an exceptional dining experience in a charming, neighborhood setting.” They feature an...
read moreMeritage – St Paul
An up-scale French Brasserie in St Paul Minnesota, Meritage has won numerous awards for its French cuisine and James Beard nominations for French trained Owner/Chef Russell Klein. Featuring an oyster bar, specialties such as Duck a la Presse, patio seating in the summer, and an extensive wine list, the restaurant mirrors popular brasseries in France. Chef Klein and wife Desta have researched restaurants in France and elsewhere in Europe, providing a continental flair to their offering. In July and August, special menus are offered...
read moreRestaurant Excelsior – Nancy, France
A French Brasserie in the grand style! This restaurant thrives in an art nouveau former hotel building, dating to 1911. It is now part of the Brasserie Flo group of restaurants in France, but maintains a distinct character of its own. Featuring a typical brasserie menu and oyster-seafood bar plus excellent service, it is a great place to enjoy lunch or dinner…and people watch. Learn more...
read moreTGV de l’est
The French Train Grand Vitesse – TGV – has been the mainstay of the French rail network, with routes from Paris to the Southwest, Southeast and North. Howerver, it is only recently that the “TGV of the East” from Paris to Strasbourg was completed. While previous routes traversed mainly rolling countryside, the TGV de l’est needed to traverse the Vosges mountains. The line was built in two phases, the first phase inaugurated in 2010 and the second in 2016. Eventually the lice will become part of the high...
read moreFAST TRAINS – WHY NOT HERE?
The French have had a network of fast trains since the 80’s. The Spanish, Italians Belgians, Germans…essentially all of Western Europe have followed with 200 mph trains cris-crossing the continent. High speed trains run the length of the Japanese main island. The Chinese have surpassed them all with over 13,000 miles of high speed rail, and plans for a high speed line linking China to Europe. In the United States, some Amtrak trains in the Northeast Corridor run at 140 mph between Boston, New York, and Washington DC. In the...
read moreCarbon Steel vs Stainless Steel Chef’s Knives – are you cooking or looking?
We recently discovered a set of knives we love…sharp…durable,,,big handles…and best of all inexpensive. Many of us remember the kitchen knives grandma used daily…not pretty but sharp as a razor…worn from years of hard use and multiple re-sharpening. But, they still outperformed the newer stainless steel knives for edge sharpness and holding. So we went on a search for “old fashioned” carbon steel knives, understanding that good looks were not the objective. Another issue presented itself. A...
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