Tasty Paris

Though I was a budding gourmande when I first came to Paris four years ago, my passion for food has at least quadrupled since then. Sampling as much of the local food as possible, therefore, is one of my main goals for this visit. Up until today, I have been satisfied with typical street food-type fare (crêpes, falafel, etc.), but after an uninspiring rillettes (pork pâté) sandwich yesterday, I was determined to sample some real French cooking today.

I got my fix at Le Rubis (which I discovered via David Lebovitz), a little wine bar near the Tuileries gardens that offers a small menu of classic dishes that any French home cook worth her salt would surely have in her repertoire. I had the boeuf bourguignon (pictured above), which was everything I hoped it would be. With hardly a tap of the fork, the meat fell into perfect pink shreds, and the wine-tinged sauce was so lovely that I was thankful for the otherwise mediocre bread that came with the meal--perfect for sopping! With a bottle of côtes du rhône, it was a wonderful lunch.

Le Rubis

10 rue Marché Saint-Honoré

75001 Paris

Etsy Wednesday, London Edition

Bad, bad Rachael. I forgot to share my London-inspired Etsy finds last week! I may not be in England anymore, but here are five items that would surely make anyone feel a wee bit British...

These dainty vintage pine cone teacups would certainly do
for an afternoon spot of tea.

Here's a little something for the gents: a jaunty houndstooth scarf
from London-based Etsy shop Odds and Sods (this item sold out
already, but maybe they will make more!).

This clever photo of a map of Southern England utilizes a shallow depth-of-field
to draw your attention to the country's capital.

Go ahead and be cheeky with this canvas tote featuring a
screen-printed likeness of Queen Elizabeth.

Everyone knows that it rains in London. Keep dry
with this vintage London Fog raincoat.

*****

Coming next week...Etsy picks with a French flair!

Tasty Amsterdam

In keeping with the tradition of the past few weeks, I give you Tasty Thursdays on Friday. This week, I want to share with you a traditional Dutch treat...a pancake! But not just any pancake. A pancake so big that I couldn't fit the whole thing in the picture. Dutch pancakes are thin and crispy on the outside, creamy and a bit chewy on the inside. You can order them with all sorts of fillings, both sweet and savory (and in such odd combinations as bacon and raisins). I opted for the classic ham and cheese, which was very delicious :)

Tasty London

Greetings from (Greater) London! Once again, I am a day late with my Tasty Thursday post. Oops. But I have something extra special to share with you this week--a taste of traditional British cuisine! This might not be the most appetizing food photo ever taken, but...boy, was it tasty. After coming in on the red eye (on which I did not manage to get a wink of sleep) yesterday morning, I more or less made a beeline for Spitalfields, which hosts an antiques market on Thursdays and is also home to Square Pie. As the name suggests, Square Pie specializes in pies (def. - meat and/or veggies with gravy and/or cheese baked inside of puff pastry). I opted for a small mince and cheese pie, served here with mashed potatoes and mushy peas. Put a smile on my face, and kept me full for a full day of touring around the city :)

Etsy Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, my dears! I'll be going wheels-up in just a few hours, so I thought I would bring you travel-inspired Etsy picks this week...enjoy!

I love the idea of carrying on a little vintage suitcase
rather than the standard black wheelie.

Even if you're only taking a "staycation" this year, your friends are sure
to appreciate a note on this cute hand-printed postcard.

Start saving for your next trip with this vintage tin globe bank.

Keep your iPod safe and cozy when you're on the go with this fun sleeve.

If you're like me and you collect receipts, ticket stubs, and other
little things when you travel, keep them organized in this
sleek accordian folder made from airmail envelopes.

*****

And I'm off! Stay tuned...

Winding Down

This morning I'm enjoying what remains of the lovely warm weather by breakfasting al fresco and catching up on my magazine reading. How are you making the most of the last days of summer?

A Good Pho is Hard to Find

A thousand apologies for my lax posting lately...things will probably continue to be fairly unpredictable for the next few weeks, because I am leaving for my big Europe trip on Wednesday! This week has been all about running errands and doing research in preparation for my departure, which has not left much time for blogging or eating anything interesting about which to blog. My most recent meal of note was unfortunately noteworthy for the wrong reasons.

I have been in pho withdrawal for the past few months, ever since I moved out of my apartment in Cambridge and away from my beloved Le's. At our high point, my friend Ting and I were going to Le's on a weekly basis, and I would almost always order a small #27 (vegetable pho). There is a good Vietnamese restaurant here in my home town, which I had the occasion to try when my sister had her rehearsal dinner there last year. The food was abundant and served family style, and most of the dishes I sampled were delicious. When I decided to give their pho a try yesterday, therefore, my hopes were high.

I was excited that they had pho with tofu and vegetables on the menu, because I have had one too many bad experiences with fatty meat in my pho. Though the tofu was tasty and the veggies were crisp, the rest of the soup was disappointing. The noodles were the wide, flat variety, which are common but not my favorite (I prefer the thin vermicelli noodles that Le's uses). The broth was not very flavorful, due in part to the lack of hoisin sauce on the table (I was able, however, to procure a bottle of sriracha). Next time I go back, I will probably opt for one of their vermicelli bowls. In the meantime, the quest to satisfy my pho craving continues...

Note: The photo above was taken at Ngon Restaurant in Saigon, Vietnam. This was probably the most authentic pho I have ever had, served with all of the traditional accompaniments--bean sprouts, basil, mint, a wedge of lime, hoisin sauce, sriracha, hot pepper slices, and dough sticks. Though, truth be told, I still prefer Le's :)

Etsy Wednesday

It's September and back-to-school time for my niece, as well as a few unfortunate friends who have one more year of law school. But whether or not you're bound for the classroom, this week's Etsy picks will give you a dose of schoolhouse style:

Ditch that newfangled laptop in favor of this sweet vintage typewriter
and you just might be inspired to write the great American novel.

Keep your workspace uncluttered with these vintage wire mail baskets.

Carry your laptop and books in style with this tote from Pittsburgh-based Moop.

This whimsical elephant notepad might not be as practical as a
college-ruled spiral notebook, but it is definitely more fun.

This magnetic chalkboard would be perfect for playing school
or keeping track of the grocery list.

*****

Check back next week for five travel-inspired Etsy finds!