Gotham Gal

La Gazetta

La Gazzetta is located in the Bastille area of Paris.  We went there for dinner this evening.  A small bistro owned by the same people that own Le Fumoir and China Club.  Le Fumoir I would definitely not recommend for eating but La Gazzetta has been getting good reviews based on a young Swede in the kitchen. 

There are a few options on the menu.  Either prix fixe for four courses, six courses or a la carte.  Fred and I went with the four courses and the kids went a la carte.  Nice warm friendly bistro.  The four course is 37 euro which is quite the deal. 

The girls started with salad d'hiver which is greens and thinly sliced root vegetables.  Simple and nothing to write home about.  Josh began with a ravioli dish.  6 small raviolis stuffed with ricotta and carrots over a vegetable bouillon broth.  A bit on the sour side but interesting.  Fred and I began with a puree of cabbage with a mixture of long slices of calamari, tiny peas and herbs running through it.  Think mashed potatoes with calamari.  It was ok but certainly creative. 

Next course out was my favorite, hands down.   Crispy skinned cod that had been cooked in a buttery hazel nut sauce with roasted leeks over the top.  The fish was perfect.  The nut butter added a whole other flavor that was simple and layered.  Really good.

Em had the roasted caramelized scallops and cauliflower with a foamy sauce over the top.  Foam is obviously the latest thing straight from El Bulli.  I say to all chefs...lose the foam.  Jess went with the white fish that had rich sauce with a little bit of pistachios.  The girls gave both a thumbs down.  I tasted the scallops and didn't love them either.  Josh went with the pizza.  Had no chance to even try it.  He obviously liked it.  Fred and I were served the lamb.  A tad too cold.  One piece was of the liver.  The other was of the chop, cut and served as a thick round piece with no bone and with thinly sliced poached celery and a puree of potatoes.  It was good.

Fred and I, as part of our tasting, got a dessert.  Out came a brownie which was  actually like a fruit chocolate pudding, soft fruit bread.  Not my thing that came with a scoop of creme caramel sorbet.  The other dessert ( two for the price of one) was thinly sliced pineapple that had been baked almost to a crisp with a scoop of meringue and a few chopped up toasted pistachios. All creative but not my thing.

I didn't love La Gazzette but did like the vibe and think it is probably one of those places that if you go on a night when you love the menu, you are psyched, but other times it isn't what you were hoping for. 

My favorite part was coming home on the metro.  I was sitting next to Josh and took pictures of Fred, Jess and Em texting away.  Like father, like children. 

First day in Paris

First thing I did this morning was order a doctor for Josh.  Josh has been complaining about a sore throat.  Started about a week before we left.  But Josh, like his father, is a bit of a hypochondriac.  I have definitely let Josh stay home when not necessary and taken him to the doctor to find out nothing was wrong.  So, this time I went with the same hunch.  Wrong.  Doctor came and he has tonsillitis and possibly strep.  Fantastic.  They love meds in Europe so Josh is in taking 3 meds...one being a Z pack which I am a big fan of.  Jess and I have both gone through one each during this trip.  Kicked whatever we had right out of our system.  I hate when you go to the doctor and they say it is viral.  Just give me a Z pack...how bad can a serious amount of antibiotics running through your system when you have a virus be? 

Fred and I had a day to ourselves.  Emily and Josh went for breakfast and a day in the Marais.  Jess had her own day planned and so it was just us.  We started out at the Jeu de Paume.  An interesting exhibit on the photographer Lee Miller.  Then we hopped on the metro and went over to Fred's favorite lunch place, Cuisine de Bar.  Owned and next to Pollaine bakery.  Love this place.  The kitchen is six open toasters (tiny broilers) and an espresso machine.  Lunch is one of the sandwiches (open-faced) which comes with a small salad.  Grainy mustard dressing with greens and a handful of dark pinto beans.  The sandwiches range from jambon to tuna fish to roasted tomatoes with goat cheese on, of course, on a slice of toasted Pollaine bread.  Delicious.

Next we went back to where we were staying, picked up a book.  Running low on the reading supply and then and met up with Jessica.  She was making her way around Palais Royale.  Fred soon cut out and we ended up at Colette.  Colette has gone through a renovation since this summer.  Didn't love what they did.  There was something incredibly sophisticated and omigod about Collete which is missing now.  They still have an incredible selection of merchandise but there are many things I have seen other places and they aren't looking as fresh as they did the first time around.

Back to the hotel for a little R and R before heading out for the night.  BTW, freezing in Paris. 

Atelier Joel de Robuchon Paris

We got into Paris this afternoon.  How we love Paris.  We started the night out at our favorite restaurant of last summer, Atelier Joel de Robuchon.  Unfortunately for me, I am feeling a little under the weather but the food here is so spectacular that you can never go wrong. 

Everyone ordered something different.  I really enjoyed watching the people next to me eat their way through the tasting menu.  Small portions with exquisite combinations.  I am not going to go through what everyone ate because I am exhausted but I will highlight 2 things.  Fred had pounded raw scallops with dollops of fresh sea urchin which was pretty spectacular.  I went with  the chicken.  It was actually capon.  Crispy skin and juicy piece of the breast with the wing attacked.  Then a slice of toasted baguette and pan fried fois gras over the top with a little sprig of rosemary stuck in it.  Layed across the middle were cold pieces of romaine salad that had been shaken with a light vinaigrette over it.  You didn't see the vinaigrette until you cut into it.  Then around the side of the plate was crispy small buttery potatoes with lots of peppers.  Beautiful and delicious.  I took a picture of that.

Then, we strolled home past the Louvre and watched the ferris wheel rotate with its blinding lights.  We also saw Karl Lagerfeld drive by us in his hummer which sent Jessica into a tizzy.  Couldn't get better than that. 

Grill Royal, last night in Berlin

Grill Royal was recommended to me as a place to eat.  The trendy new restaurant that is big with the art crowd.  That would not be for the starving artist.  I asked my concierge about Grill Royal and she said to stick with what we have.  She was concerned about our culinary experience vs the scene.  Then, someone Fred knows who is a VC in Berlin came by the hotel with his girlfriend and they both said that we must go to the Grill Royal.  I wasn't thoroughly convinced yet but we gave it some thought.  Then the next day, Jessica and I were doing a little shopping at the Corner.  She bought something and the guy who ran the store was checking us out.  We asked where Vau was since we were having dinner there that particular evening.  He told it us where it was an then asked, "have you been to Grill Royal"?  He asked us with a deep French accent speaking English.  We said we had not.  He says "Vau is so fucking boring, if you are in Berlin, you must go to Grill Royal!".  Well, that was it.  Jessica and I kept repeating what he said over and over for the next day.  So fucking boring!  Go to the Grill Royal.  And so we did.

The story behind the Grill Royal is this.  The guy who owns is it collects emerging artists.  He has never sold a piece and everything has gone up in value.  He decided to sell one piece and with that amount he was able to open Grill Royal.  The restaurant contains work from his collection. 

The restaurants vibe reminded me a little bit of Los Angeles but on the water.  Big booths, open grill kitchen.  Probably really nice in the summer months.  The food is nothing to write home about but the vibe is good.  Everyone enjoyed their food from salads to steak to fish.  Simple and easy.

Last night in Berlin.  Josh got a big kiss from Jess.  Love the city.  Hope to be back in warmer days.

Last day in Berlin

Everything is closed on Sunday in Berlin except for museums and restaurants.  Fred and Josh went to Chaos Communication Congress.  A hackers conference.  Nerd central.  Josh got a kick out of the whole thing.  Fred posted the pictures and they are priceless.  Jess, Em and I went to the Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Pergamon Museum.  Very different adventures today. 

The museum underneath the memorial is quite incredible.  The memorial was open to the public 2 days after the 60th anniversary of VE Day in 2005.  The architect, Peter Eisenman, was chosen from a pool of applicants to create the memorial.  Made of concrete slabs put into a maze that is confusing on one hand but orderly on the other.  To me, it was all about the museum.

The beginning ot the museum basically gives the history between 1933 to 1945 from the development of the Holocaust to the extermination of European Jews.  I didn't spend that much time in this area because I am quite familiar with the history. 

The second room is a dark room with illuminated squares that give written down personal accounts through postcards, letters and found papers of about the persecution.  There is the translation, the actually writing and some background information on the person who wrote the piece. 

Room of families is next.  This room gives a history of fifteen Jewish families that represent the diversity of European Jewish culture prior to the Holocaust.  Each document the families before, during and after the Holocaust.  There are photographs and personal information.  Out of all 15 families, parents, children, spouses, etc., very few survived.

The next room is a large dark room with square seating in the middle.  Each wall  highlights one persons name on all four walls at once and then a curator tells the information on that person in German and then English.  The format that is used to read aloud the names and biographies of each of the victims presented in this room would take six years, seven months and 27 days.  Think about that.  Every one of those names were killed during the Holocaust.

The next room is the Room of Sites.  This room shows film and photos of the extermination areas including routes and death marches.  There is a map of Europe in that room that has yellow squares on each site where Jews were exterminated.  As much as I have read and thought I knew about the Holocaust, I had didn't realize that there were 220 sites where killings took place.  They are described in this room in detail.  This room really shook me up. 

The last room is the Holocaust Memorial database.  There are a bunch of computers where you can access people (if you know someone who was in the Holocaust). 

The amount of research to document this museum is mind boggling.  People were killed so randomly and in mass and so much was destroyed that to put this together ( there is a museum in Israel that is dedicated to preserving all of the history ) is almost overwhelming to take in. 

After, we walked over to the Pergamon Museum.  Every says it is a must see.  The large altar in the first room you walk in to is pretty cool but as a whole, I am really not into the antiquities of ancient times.  A quick walk through and we left.

Walked by the markets, again, and got that last sausage.  It was a must. 

Vau

Jessica really wanted to go to Vau for dinner.  Another top chef place.  An ever changing seasonal menu, deconstructed plates, warm atmosphere.  The architecture is really beautiful.  Although the feel is elegant, the design is modern and casual. 

The menu is a bit out there.  Hard to find something that actually appealed to anyone.  Also, the service was beyond slow.  Perhaps European but there is a way to read a table.  We had been there 2 1/2 hours before they offered us the last course of dessert.  We all passed and begged for a check.  Also, these type of places always bring dessert even if you don't order it.  The kids know the drill at this point and just said let's just have the petit fours and chocolates they bring. 

Josh and Fred began with the pheasant.  I can't quite describe it but one part of the plate was a small cup of boiled down thick sauce that came back to haunt Fred for awhile.  Super rich.  It was like eating a cup of bone marrow with a little foie gras stirred in as an extra bonus.  Jess had the scallops, Em had a fish and I was adventurous.  I loved what I had.  Frog legs with foie gras and spinach.  2 of the frog legs were crispy and the other 2 had been roasted.  Spinach that had been flash fried and shaved pieces of fois gras that was rolled up ( small ) over a pureed vegetable.  It was fantastic.  An interesting combo...yes, frog legs taste like chicken. 

Next out was main courses.  Jessica and Fred had a white fish that had been poached in a red wine sauce that they both enjoyed.  Emily had a crispy perch with pumpkin puree and red cabbage.  Josh had a soup which was a huge thumbs down and he ended up eating mine which was fine.  I had the venison.  Rare venison breast, venison that had also been cooked for hours like brisket and chopped brussel sprouts with pine nuts.  It was rich and between the breads (which are excellent here) and my frog legs...I was done.

I was impressed with the attention to detail and the food in Berlin.  I was told that the food was nothing to write home about but so far, pretty good. 

Today, we shopped

Today was hit up the stores and galleries.  Unfortunately the majority of galleries are closed.  Honestly, if I owned a gallery, now would be the time that I went on vacation.  Alas.  I have already committed to myself to get back to Berlin much sooner than later so I am ok with missing things because I will be back.  I might try and get myself back here this summer.  I really like this city.

We began the morning at KaDeWe which is the largest department store in Europe ( supposedly ).  It is quite large.  An entire block.  The sixth floor is the gourmet department.  It is impressive.  We had coffee and pastries at one of the counters and then made our way through the floor.  The sausage section makes me think of Germany.  When I was a kid, my father used to buy us landjager sausage.  They had a small bag of 6 attached sausages for 3 euros.  I love that they sell it like salami here.  I bought a box and had some with Josh later.  He is the only one of our kids that likes the exact same things as me.

We went all over Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg.  It was fun to see the stores, get a vibe for the neighborhoods.  I do wish it was a tad warmer but that is why I want to return this summer. 

Warmer weather, bicycle rides and gallery hopping. 

A la carte

Last nights dinner was a total bust but in the end, it all worked out.  It was really beautiful walking over to the first restaurant.  That was probably the highlight first time around. 

During the holiday season, most restaurants have a set menu.  It is easier since the staff is smaller than the norm. After a few nights without getting to make a decision, it gets annoying.

We had reservations at San Nicci.  The place was pretty much empty except for a few tables.  The dinner was fixed.  Heavy food, either 3, 4 or 5 courses.  Your choice of that only.  No other options.  We all looked at each other and left.  I think I would have rather had a sausage at the ice skating rink before sitting down for another heavy duty meal where they make the decisions for you.

We walked back to the hotel and regrouped.  Shiro i Shiro had tables open so we went over.  Sushi.  The restaurant was also pretty empty.  I think most people stay home on the 26th for dinner.  We had drinks earlier with a woman from Berlin and she said the city is not any less busy than normal...which btw is not that busy but the restaurants were empty last night.

Shiro i Shiro had really good sushi.  Very trendy and mostly white enamel.  A large communal table down the middle so you can watch the chefs prepare the food and then another small area where there are tables.  It was a nice break from the German food.  Who would have thought that you could get an excellent piece of hamachi in the middle of Berlin.

Hamburger Banhoff

Emily and Josh decided to roll over and sleep in so Fred hung back and waited for them to rise.  Jess and I got up and started our day at Hamburger Banhoff.  A cutting edge modern art museum. 

 There were a few exhibits and the permanent installation.  The museum is housed in an old train station.  Architecturally, like everything else in Berlin, very cool.  The center of the museum has a long dome down the middle.  Off to the left, is where the permanent exhibition is installed.  It feels like a garage that goes on forever.  If I hadn't walked the whole thing I would have thought that there were mirrors at the end of the hallway to make the place appear bigger than it was.

The first exhibit we went to see was a special exhibit called Celebrities, Andy Warhol und Die Stars.  Really well curated.  Early drawings Warhol did when he was doing stuff for magazines.  Quotes on his on the wall.  A movie room.  Photos he captured of himself and others.  Original Interview Magazine covers. Life magazine cover of Jacqueline Kennedy with Caroline and John and then Warhol's paintings of her. Then of course some large paintings at the end, Mao being the last room.  Warhol was just a man way before his time.  Sheer genius.  My favorite photo in the exhibit was of Warhol sitting at a table with a bunch of celebrities, black and white, and he is taking a picture at the photographer who is taking a picture of him and the table.  Very Warhol.  He was part of the scene but he was more the curator than he was the star. 

We then went over to the permanent exhibit.  The long hall way is what all the different rooms jut off of.  The hallway had 72 paintings down it done by 43 different artists.  Each basically a painting of one color.  Smart curator. 

Our other favorites was a neon piece by Richard Jackson that connected to a room that was linked to the neon piece.  The neon piece said Beer or Deer depending on when you looked at it.  The B and P kept changing. Then in the next room were deer and beer.  Supposedly the artists favorite things.  The floor had been completely cut up like a puzzle and put back together.  The walls and all the way around had been shot like they had been in a paint-ball game and then packs of beer over deers that had been shot and cut up.  Sounds weird but it was brilliant. 

We also loved the works of Martin Kippenberger.  A play on mixed media.  Obviously influenced from Warhol.  Bruce Nauman was good too.   Particularly liked the drawing of clown taking a shit. 

After we took it all in, we went over to Kafer restaurant to meet the rest of the gang.  The key is making reservations at Kafer so that you get to the top of the Reichstag (Parliament House) without having to wait in line.  The line was long today and can probably get much longer in the summer.  The views are beautiful, it is not about the food, it is about not standing in line.  The top of the Reichstag has great views but the structure that is built on top of the building is modern and exquisite.  A must see.  Here are the kids huddled inside/outside.

After the late lunch, we went over to Helmut Newton Foundation.  Really well done.  Photographs from early on to the final days of his life.  Notes that he wrote, letters he sent, letters sent to his wife (alias Alice Springs) after he died from people all over the world, clothes that he wore, etc.  Glad we saw it.  An interesting man who lead a helluva a life. 

Borchardt, Berlin

Borchardt was on every list for places to eat in Berlin.  Fred said he thought it would be like the Balthazar of Berlin.  He was spot on.

We went after the ballet last night.  The menus the last few days have been limited due to Christmas but we did all manage to order off the a la carte menu.  We weren't prepared for another 5 course meal.  Ugh.

Fred and I began with oysters which were from Brittany.  Delicious, briny, plump and tasty.  Jess has a simple tomato salad, Em went with a plate of brussel sprouts and Josh had the raw tuna plate.  The girls went with the raw tuna plate for their main courses.  Pieces of raw marinated tuna with a wasabi vinaigrette and chopped avocado and a small fried ginger cookie in the middle.  Quite good and not what I'd expect in Germany.  Josh, Fred and I went with the Weiner Schnitzel.  You could either get the mans size portion or the ladies size portion.  Josh went with the man size and Fred and I opted for the smaller option.  Fred got major ribbing from the kids over ordering the ladies plate. 

Pounded veal, deep fried and served over a warm potato salad loaded with bacon.  The potato salad was not my thing but the schnitzel was really delicious.  A traditional entree which you have to do at least once when in Berlin.

Definitely a place to go to either for lunch, dinner or a drink when in Berlin.