Wine, Delivered

Life in Arlington, Virginia is good.  I live in a safe, walkable neighborhood filled with shops and restaurants. I have easy access to multiple forms of public transportation, plenty of green spaces, and all the excitement of our nation's capitol.  Oh, and I have representation in Congress.

Despite all that, I occasionally find myself wishing I lived in Washington, DC proper.  Discovering a DC wine shop that delivers - in the District only - is one of those times.

It's true: DCWineGuy.com will now fulfill your order of beer, wine, or spirits by bringing your purchases to you.  Simply order online, select a delivery window, and remember to be home so you can sign for the delivery.  There are a few hitches - $50 minimum, no deliveries on Sunday - but really, there's little to complain about when the Bordeaux you've been craving magically appears at your doorstep. 

Unless, of course, you live on the other side of the Potomac.  

How to Make Gratin Dauphinois

Thursday was the perfect day for making and eating Gratin Dauphinois: Rainy, cold, miserable.  On days like that, when all you want to do is stay under the covers reading a good book, few things are as comforting as a warm bowl of cheesy, creamy potatoes.

Gratin Dauphinois is a French specialty that originated in the southern part of the French Alps.  I've read conflicting things about the area of its origin, but what I can cobble together is that it used to be known as the Dauphine region (Grenoble was its main city), and is now roughly encompassed by the departments of Hautes-Alpes, Isère, and Drôme.   The dish is a frequent accompaniment to meats, and you might see it offered as a side with the plat du jour next time you're in France.  In fact, the best gratin I ever had was served alongside a half roast chicken at an otherwise unremarkable brasserie in Burgundy.  I like my homemade version as well, which I've adapted from the cookbook At Home with the French Classics.

The good news is that Gratin Dauphinois is easy to make and sinfully delicious.  The bad news is that this dish doesn’t do well as leftovers.  I’ve found that reheating makes the potatoes too mushy and turns the cream into an unrecognizable oily substance.  Beurk.  But the other good news is that Gratin Dauphinois is so sinfully delicious you won’t have to worry about leftovers.

To make your own Gratin Dauphinois you'll need:
4 pounds large potatoes (about 8), cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
Grated cheese to sprinkle on top.  The cookbook recommends Gruyère or Emmenthaler.  I've had luck with Parmesan.

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Butter a large baking dish.
2.  Layer the sliced potatoes in the baking dish and sprinkle with the garlic, salt, and pepper.
3.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and cream and bring to a boil.  Pour over the layered potatoes.
4.  Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top.
5.  Bake in the middle of the over until the potatoes are brown and tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

Red Wing, Minnesota

October weather in Minnesota is simply not predictable. It can be cool, cold, sunny, rainy, cloudy, windy, or even blizzardy (see, 1991) all within the span of a few hours. What is generally isn’t, is warm. So, when I set out to pack my suitcase for a Columbus Day weekend trip home I was sure to include plenty of sweaters, socks, and long-sleeve T-shirts. Then I checked the weather forecast – 80s and sunny! Into the bag went tank tops and flip flops. Cue an I-love-warm-weather happy dance.

I spent Saturday and Sunday visiting Red Wing, Minnesota, which is a small town on the Mississippi River known for its durable shoes and pottery. It’s the perfect place for a day trip from the Twin Cities (about one hour's drive south), or for an overnight in the historic St. James Hotel. We opted for the much less expensive casino hotel nearby, whose penny slots made for a fun late night after a fun full day of boutique browsing and photo ops with brightly changing leaves.

Are You a Niqabitch?

Two anonymous female university students in France protested the country's newly passed "burqa ban" by wandering the streets of Paris wearing a face-covering veil...and hot pants.  They call themselves Niqabitch (an obvious play on the word "niqab"), and they got quite a bit of attention during their ban-mocking stroll.

Here's the video.  I think it's genius. 

French Culture vs. Gym Culture

It's official: The French do not like using gyms to stay fit.  Recent news reports have highlighted lagging gym membership numbers in France despite the best efforts of large companies like Club Med Gym and Fitness First. 

Am I surprised?  Non.  Running on a treadmill or lifting weights or partaking in a group pilates class are simply not activities I associate with the French.  But I love going to the gym, and was constantly frustrated by the lack of modern, affordable facilities in France.  Working up a sweat helps me reduce stress, stay healthy, and sleep better at night. 

Then again, so does a glass of red wine. 

My Grandparents Visit Paris

A lot of the travel advice out there is aimed at the young.  We hear that should travel when we're young because that's when we have enough energy, when we don’t yet have responsibilities, when we're still in good health.  It won't be the same when you're older, they say.  Tell that to my 70-something grandparents.

I met up with Grams and Gramps recently when they were passing through the DC area after a trip to Paris.  They told me about getting caught up in French protests, learning the Métro by heart, day trips to Normandy and Versailles, and their conversations with retired French soldiers using the only common language they had: gesturing.  When they visited the Arc de Triomphe, a man asked “Madame” if she would like to use the elevator to get to the top.  Non, merci!  They climbed the arc's nearly 300 steps instead.

As I wrap up a decade of traveling in my 20s, I hope I’ll still be going strong in my 70s.  Welcome back, Grandma and Grandpa!  Where are you off to next?

Eau Potable

Free sparkling water, anyone?  That's what you'll now find flowing out of a public drinking fountain in Paris' Jardin de Reuilly.  Eau de Paris, the city's water company installed a machine that takes regular eau from the tap, makes it "gazeuse," and then dispenses it to the bubbly-loving public.  It's just the most recent in a long line of attempts to get Parisians to give up their cherished bottled water and start reaching for the tap instead.  Bottoms up!

Paris in Florida

I just got back from a long weekend in Orlando, Florida where I spent two days gleefully running around Walt Disney World.   It was my sister’s idea, which she got from the numerous happy family vacations we took to WDW starting when she and I were just two and five years old, respectively.  She reserved a cabin at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, I booked a surprisingly cheap flight from Washington, DC, two others joined us, and we set out to discover what it’s like to visit Disney as adults.  Answer:  Just as much fun as when you’re a kid, except with alcohol.

One of our must-sees at the resort is Epcot's World Showcase.  Here you can visit 11 countries in the time it takes you to walk around the small lake each themed pavilion surrounds. In just a few short hours you can eat bratwurst in "Germany," watch belly dancers perform in "Morocco," and relax amongst ponds and bamboo groves in "China."  Disney even hires foreigners from each of the countries represented to work for them, which I took full advantage of by chatting up some of the Frenchmen and Frenchwomen in “France.”  Ahhh, it felt so good to order my glass of rosé en français…

Here is a photo of Disney's faux Paris.  What do you think?

The New York Baguette Search: Results

I had high hopes for my New York City baguette search.  Armed with Internet research and recommendations from seasoned New Yorkers I hoped to test a solid half-dozen or so loaves in an attempt to find an acceptable stateside version of France's daily bread.  But as so often happens when I move to a new city, I thought I had all the time in the world to explore everything, only to remember, much too late, that time flies.  Especially when you’re having fun.  Before I knew it, moving had begun and my exploring had come to an end.  I did, however, manage to sneak in a taste-test of two baguettes.

Baguette # 1 - The Greenmarket Baguette

Who says France has all the best outdoor markets?  New York City’s Greenmarket organization has put together an impressive multi-borough schedule of farm fresh produce, humanely-raised meat, and all manner of locally-sourced/crafted/raised products.  The best Greenmarket of all is at Union Square, where the Saturday morning selection (and crowd) is impressive.  One stand promised “French-style baguettes,” so I swung by to make a purchase. But the minute I felt that dense-yet-soft stick of bread I knew they were imposters.  Sure enough, a tasting back at home revealed a total lack of flavor, an overly chewy interior, and absolutely none of that satisfying crunch you find with a true French baguette.  I didn’t eat more than a couple of bites before tossing this faux French bread into the trash where it belonged.  Beurk!


Baguette #2 - The Murray's Cheese Shop Baguette

Murray’s Cheese Shop is a swanky fromagerie located in the heart of the West Village.  I headed over there after work one evening with a mad craving for a simple dinner of charcuterie and cheese on a baguette.  It didn’t disappoint: The salami and Cremeux de Bourgogne were expensive but delicious.  The baguette?  It was good.  Not airy-and-light good, but rather airy-and-heavy (yes, that’s possible) good.  In fact, I wouldn’t call this “baguette” a baguette at all. It’s more like a “tradition,” which is one of the many varieties of long sticks of bread one finds in a French boulangerie.  A “ficelle” is another example.  When I lived in Paris I used to order “une tradi” on a regular basis to go with dinner, so I enjoyed sampling a version of this bread in New York City.  But I wasn’t able to find a true French baguette in the Big Apple.  Any suggestions for next time?

If you go:

Union Square Greenmarket
Runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
Union Square West, New York City
Subway: Union Square 14th Street

Murray’s Cheese
254 Bleecker St., second location at 43rd and Lexington
Blissfully un-French in that it's open seven days a week!

Sharing Bikes in Minneapolis

Vélib-style biking has come to the City of Lakes!  It's called Nice Ride (a play on "Minnesota Nice?") and it will get you from Uptown to Downtown to Dinkytown for the price of a $5 day pass or a $60 annual pass.  This bike share is seasonal, operating from April to November, so don't expect to be able to bike around town in a blizzard.  Then again, we're talking about Minnesota, where snowstorms can strike at any time (The epic Halloween blizzard of '91 comes to mind).  In other words, don't leave home without your scarf...and boots, and hat, and hand-warmers, and...

Pommes Frites

I recently blogged about Belgian waffles.  Today I'm blogging about Belgian fried potatoes, otherwise known as pommes frites and/or a Flemish name I can't remember.  More specifically, it's about a tiny take-out joint in New York City called Pommes Frites that sells nothing but pommes frites.  In short, heaven.

Or so I thought.

First, a little background:  Six months of living in Brussels taught me that Belgian food (and drink) is good.  The waffles!  The chocolate!  The beer!  But for my money the best of all were the frites.  The hot, crispy, served-in-a-cone, dipped-in-a-sauce frites.  I've always been a fan of salty food, especially fries, and the Belgians take this delicious treat to a whole new level.  I went to Brussels' famous Maison Antoine more times than I care to admit.

Needless to say, I was beyond excited to try New York City's own frites shop, conveniently located one block from my former apartment.  I ordered a regular sized cone with ketchup and Irish curry sauce for dipping, and tucked in for what I hoped would be a delicious afternoon snack.  Instead, I got "blah."  The frites didn't taste Belgian at all.  They were too dense, too large, and not nearly crispy enough.  I would call them "steak fries," which can be tasty, but are most definitely not what you find at a Belgian friterie. 

Three months of living in New York City taught me that Belgian food abroad is hit and miss.

Crêpes at the Fair

Last week's road from New York City to Washington, DC traveled through Minnesota and included a stop at the Minnesota State Fair.  All of my favorite fair foods were there: Corn dogs, cheese curds, french fries, and...crêpes?

Yes, crêpes.  The Great Minnesota Get-Together has been home to a crêpe stand for 16 years, but I've never paid it much attention.  It's not that I don't like crêpes - I do! -  it's just that I was never interested in eating them at a Midwestern state fair.  This year, however, I finally paid a visit to La Crêperie.  All the classic toppings are available, which you can enjoy wrapped up in a piping hot crêpe while lounging on the establishment's sizable patio listening to live music and sipping wine from their wine bar.  Vive l'été! 

Au Revoir, New York City

Surprise! I’m moving. If you’ve been following along you’ll know this is my fifth move in little more than a year (DC to Brussels, Brussels to DC, DC to Brooklyn, Brooklyn to Manhattan, Manhattan to DC), and no, it doesn’t get any easier. I have a pretty good system in place - I know how to pack light and to avoid sentimentality when purging my possessions – but the process still inspires both physical and mental stress.

I’ll miss New York. We’ve had our ups and our downs, but overall I’m leaving with a positive feeling about this city, my experiences here, and any future opportunities I might have to return. What can you say about the Big Apple? There really is nothing else like it. New Yorkers like to boast that they live in the greatest city in the world, and I’m now inclined to believe them.

The journey to DC begins today, detours in Minnesota, and ends with a flight to Reagan National Airport on September 1st. As I try to reorganize my life in the apartment I’ve rented for four years but lived in for less than two, I’m indulging in a short, end-of-summer break from blogging. After all, what self-respecting French blog doesn’t take its congés payés in August?

See you after Labor Day!

Belgian Food Truck: Wafels & Dinges

It's been tempting me for weeks: That bright, canary yellow food truck promising "Good Things Belgian" and appearing in places around the city where I'm sure to get a whiff of its wares. I had to try it before leaving New York, so when a quick Thursday call to their Waffle Hotline told me the truck was in the environs of my office building (Midtown) and that if I gave the truck operators the stink eye I could get a discount on my order, I made a beeline for Wafels & Dinges. Or, in English, Waffles & Thingamajigs.

Torn between the "brussels wafel" (light and crispy) and the "liège wafel" (soft and chewy) I opted instead for the special "throwdown wafel." A winner from the Food Network's "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," the throwdown wafel is a liège topped with speculoos spread and whipped cream.  Merci beaucoup.  With my $1 stink eye discount, that tray of sweet Belgian deliciousness was mine for only $5. And, sorry Belgium, it was better than any waffle I ever ate in Brussels.

If you go:

Wafel & Dinges
Everywhere, New York City
Truck Location Hotline: 1-866-429-7329
Twitter: @waffletruck

Top of the Rock

One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to get a bird's eye view of my surroundings.  I've climbed monuments, cathedrals, and endless flights of escalators in Paris' now-shuttered Samaritaine shopping center, all in the name of gaining a new perspective.  There's just something about taking in a city from above that always gives me a thrill.  I got that thrill today at the Top of the Rock observation deck, which is located on Rockefeller Center's soaring GE Building. 

Top of the Rock is sort of like the Arc de Triomphe in that both are overshadowed by other nearby climbable landmarks.  But what good is it to climb the Eiffel Tower only to take panoramic pictures of Paris that don't include it's most famous structure?  The same could be said for climbing the Empire State Building. It's iconic, but wouldn't you rather have it behind you in a photo than under your feet?  I would.  Here are a few shots from today's climb...including a fleur de lis!