The Blissful Glutton

After France, we took a short flight to Bilbao and immediately made our way to check out the Guggenheim before before driving a little over an hour to La Rioja, the wine region of Spain. The architecture of the building (designed by the fabulous, Frank Gehry) was unbelievable. The Spanish love (and respect) architecture and it is not uncommon to see the architect's name on a plaque outside the buildings they have designed. I like that.

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Upon arriving in Rioja, we drove up the winding streets to Laguardia, an enclosed village on a hill, for a quick bite and some exploring.

The streets of Laguardia

Every "block" has a bunch of restaurants and bars, so we just popped into the first one we saw and grabbed a couple of tapas and a glass of wine.

Assortment of tapas

Hams and sausage

After checking into our hotel and grabbing a quick siesta, we made our way to Meson Chuchi in Fuenmayor for some dinner. Chuchi is a typical asador or restaurant where many items--like the baby goat my parents shared--are cooked in fire.

Fried chorizo

Mushrooms with parsley and garlic (OMG)

Shrimp cooked on the plancha (I can never resist whole shrimp)

I crashed hard that first night. I guess I did not realize how tired I was from all the traveling. After ordering a strong pot of coffee, I opened my curtains to this view:

A lovely start to a relaxing day centered around winery tours and serene scenery.

Winery#1: Viña Real

The winery

One of the caves built into the side of a mountain

Some of the barrels located underneath this glass floor:

Great winery and I was a fan of the Imperial Grand Reserva.
It was time for lunch, so we drove to Logroño for a little walk and some tapas.

One of the side streets

Assortment of tapas

Chorizo on toast

Winery#2: Viña Tondonia



This was my favorite winery because of the knowledgeable tour guide who guided us through the mold-lined walls of the old caves. It was kind of dark and creepy (I expected Bella Lugosi to emerge from the shadows at any time), but I learned so much.

Barrels

Wine bottles covered in mold (they are only cleaned with a damp cloth before being sold)

Our guide serving us wine during the tasting portion

Manchego and Marcona almonds (I could live off both)

Winery #3: Marqués de Riscal

The hotel (designed by Gehry) located on the same land as the winery

Just a shot of this crazy pollen that was falling from the sky during our entire visit. It looked like it was snowing. So bizarre.

A view from the town of Laguardia where we went for dinner that night.

Jamón ibérico

Spinach and shrimp croquetas

Pochos: a mixture of white beans, chorizo and pork fat. Delicious!

Winery#4: Muga (the final tour)




A little of this might have made its way back in my suitcase...


Our final meal for the trip was at another asador in Fuenmayor, Alameda. I had left my camera at home to give my family a break from all the picture taking and just let them enjoy. But (of course), my sister insisted I take pictures with my mother's camera because the meal was so impressive. The executive chef was a seriously talented older lady accompanied by a grill master. This was my hands down favorite meal of 2008. Simple, clean and so flavorful food in a modest setting. Here are some highlights:

Smooth gazpacho with a crisp piece of chorizo

Perfect croquetas

My parents and I chose a bone-in ribe eye which the chef told us was aged 10 years. Not sure if something was lost in translation (even though we were speaking Spanish), but the steak was seriously the size of a something you'd see on the "Flinstones" and the best steak I have ever eaten in my life. The chef cut it from this large block of meat before slowly (and, I mean slowly) cooking it on a gentle fire so all the fat would melt off. No salt or seasoning was added until the very end.

This was the end result:

Like butter. I will dream of this steak for a very long time.

Well, I am home now and still catching up on the work I missed when I was gone. But, it was a great trip overall. I am just so thankful my family is able to take these trips together even though we are all grown up and have our separate lives. I don't know what I would do without them or the memories. Until next time...

~Bliss~

Every year my family and I try to take a trip together in May. Being the world traveler that he is, challenging my Dad when it comes to locations has become a little a game for us. So, this year, I jokingly suggested we got to Cannes for the film festival thinking there was no way in hell he was going to pull it off. I am a huge film fan so going to the festival has always been a dream of mine. Instead of a "yeah right," he replied to my email with "I'll get back to you." I did not know what to think. A month later, he forwards me an email confirming tickets for the 4 of us for some of the showings. I was shocked and so excited.

Since we were going to be in Cannes, we decided to add on some days and see the whole Côte d'Azur/French Riviera because my sister and I had never been to this part of France. We chose a hotel set in on the picturesque hillsides of Tourrettes (about 35 minutes from Cannes) and planned on seeing as many neighboring towns as possible. We have only been here for a few days but have already gotten plenty in. Let’s just say, I know where I am going to retire.

The first night, we went to Restaurant de Bacon, a little place renowned for its bouillabaisse. Not only was the view beautiful, but the food was just plain amazing. Best bouillabaisse I have ever had in my life and the rest of the meal was gorgeous too.

View from the restaurant


Brandade

Crostini and rouille for bouillabaisse


Bib the placed on my Dad for his supper.


Bouillabaisse with langouste.


Mille-feuille with fraise des boise.


Fraise des boise.

View from our room.

We woke up the next morning pretty tired from out trip from Marrakech but tried to rally as best as we could to get out the door and see some of the neighboring towns before returning home to get ready for the festival that night. We just drove around the countryside (amazing) and stopped in Fayence for some lunch at a little cafe.

Town sign.


Frites


Niçoise salad.


My Mom's steak tartare

Just some scenery from our walk around town after lunch:






That night, we headed to the festival and I was an absolute bundle of nerves. I am such a klutz and had the sick feeling I was going to trip over my gown on the red carpet in front of all the celebrities and press. This is what was waiting for me when I got out of the car:

I don't know how the celebs do this all the time. I got out of the car and made my way trying to look as normal and composed as possible. And...

...I actually made it to the top without tripping! Since beggars can't be choosers, we took whatever tickets we could get and ended up with "Kung Fu Panda" for the first night. Moon, who gave me a "pass" if I happened to meet John Cusack (some crushes never die), got a really kick out of that and texted me, "You traveled all the way to Cannes to see that? Classic!!"

Art film or not, the whole experience was very surreal and it was crazy to be standing next to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (who both look amazingly normal in real life). I have never been much of a celebrity whore, but I have to admit I was the tiniest bit starstruck at the sight of them. It was also very strange to be sitting in the same theater as them, Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Liu and all the other cast members while watching the movie they acted in (even though it was animated). I cannot imagine how it will be when we are watching a regular flick in the coming days.

After the movie, we headed to a seafood restaurant near the water where I had some amazing belon oysters and loup de mer baked in a salt crust while fireworks blasted over the waterfront.

Oysters


Loup de mer.

I am so in love with this place. We had an even crazier day today, but you'll just have to tune in later for that report. I am beat and hitting the sack.
~Bliss~

Finally able to get into my account! Seems the Blogger website is not accessible in Morocco. Perhaps it was banned like Youtube once was? Aside from that minor annoyance, my visit was extremely enjoyable and full of such contrasts. The Moroccan people are quite possibly the most hospitable and accommodating people I have met on any of my trips and the food, oh the food. I took lots of great photos and saw many of the sites—yes, I actually do things aside from eat on my trips! A shocker, I know. So, I’ll pepper this post with a few of my favorite sites, but you can see my full album HERE. Let’s start from the beginning.


Driving from the airport.

After arriving early in the morning, we visited a Hammam to have treatments—a recommended activity as it really helped me loosen up after the long flight. When I say this was the best spa experience ever (and, I consider myself a bit of a junkie), believe me. After sipping on some strong fresh peppermint tea (the first of many glasses), my sister and I were led into a steamy blue tiled room with fountains overflowing with pink rose petals. After relaxing on some towels for a few minutes, two women entered and washed us with black soap (Savon noir) before scrubbing the heck out of us with these little mitts. After the scrub we were covered in a special mud and left to dry. The treatment finished with a good wash in some Argan oil-laced hot water and a relaxing massage with rose oil. It was absolute heaven and we came out with glowing skin smelling like rose petals.

After the Hammam, we jumped in taxi to go check out a spot in the Medina recommended a local. He referred to it as a “meat boutique” and informed me there are many of these around Morocco. Any mention of lamb and grilling to my father and we are there. The way it works is you choose your meat and then they go grill it over charcoal. There is a small glass case filled with freshly butchered cuts, but we just chose the mix of merguez sausage (my favorite sausage in the world), ground lamb patties and lamb chops. While the meat is being cooked, the waiter arrives with bowls of freshly ground cumin, crunchy salt, an assortment of local olives, some small tomato salads and loaves of slightly sweet bread.

Cumin and salt


Bread and tomato sauce


Olives


Meat

When the main comes, you grab the meat with the bread—your utensil—although I saw many people using their fingers, which were subsequently covered in hot lamb fat. This is a meal that definitely brings the out your inner carnivore, because I abandoned the bread halfway through.

To ensure we did not fall into a meat coma, we headed to the Djemaa el Fna, a market around the corner. This market is know for being a foodie's paradise after dark and Bourdain hit it on his TV show, but we had other plans every night. Instead, we walked around the maze of vendor-lined alleys after buying a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice at one of the stands in the main square. The juices in Morocco are insane and we actually had a couple of orange trees outside our bedroom window.

Street leading to the market


Citrus at the juice stand


Glass of orange juice


Spices for sale


Dried flowers


You can't see it but there were honey bees that seemed trained to hover over these type of stands. Really amazing to see and the sweets were very good.


Dates

Upon returning to the hotel with my tagine in hand (if you do go and want to buy one, make sure you don't get talked into one that is for decor only. Look for unadorned ones with a heavy feel), we plopped down on the couches in the bar for some afternoon tea and sweets.


Tea with my father, the hand model.


Assorted sweets

That night we went for a diffa, or a multi-course feast, at Le Tobsil. After arriving to the area where the restaurant is located, a representative greets you and leads your party down a long abandoned alley. My family and I nervously smiled at each other, but I know they were all thinking, "what the hell has Jennifer gotten us into this time?" All of sudden, we reached a large wooden door and it creaked opened. A smiling woman peered out and greeted us as she opened the door to a gorgeous old house decorated in warm yellows and reds.

A pair of musicians played in the corner and rose petals were strewn everywhere. I had done good. You don't place an order at this type of restaurant, so we just sat down a sipped on our fresh fruit juice spiked with a little vodka.

After a bit, our waiter brought us a large assortment of salads and bread.

Next came the first tagine, a lemon and chicken variety, that was so tender and full of flavor.

After the chicken, we were treated to a lamb and fig tagine which was out this world. There are no words to describe this.

A massive bowl of couscous (the best I have ever had) covered in vegetables came next. It also had a small bowl of light gravy to drizzle on top.

To finish, we were given a poached pear and some of that wonderful Moroccan mint tea. I am addicted and will be replicating this at home as soon as I get a proper pot.

Our check came in a small box filled with rose petals (I was told the more silver the better).

The next day was our day with a guide when we went to see the city's many sites. On our way to one of the locations, I spied an open door to the fires beneath a Hammam. Locals bring their tagines to such places and leave them to cook all day before picking them up. See the cluster of them in the corner? The smell of cooking meat and fire was unreal.



Bags of goodies on the side of the street.

One of the most beautful places we visited was the Ben Youssef Madrassa, an old Islamic College. The architecture was gorgeous. Here are some pics.







For lunch, we headed to Al Fassia, a place I'd found in my guide book (Time Out puts out such great travel books). The restaurant is run by sisters and an all woman staff. They source their ingredients from small producers rather than large distributors and the flavor was definitely there. Such a quaint little place and excellent service.


Pastilla with pigeon.


Lamb kebabs


Couscous with braised lamb and vegetables.


Lamb tagine with eggplant.


Lamb tagine with prunes.

Just a few more pics of some of the sites, I promise...

At doorway at the Majorelle Gardens

Some random architecture:






When we saw this little patisserie and had to stop inside and grab a few treats for later.






We had a great trip and it was nice to finally see Morocco after wanting to all these years. Just beautiful, but four days was more than enough because it is an intense place (even for me). Stay tuned for my next stop. You'll just have to wait to find out where.

~Bliss~

The past couple of weeks have been sheer madness. I have been so busy and I don't know how I've gotten any sleep. So, to add to the craziness, I jammed in a 3-day trip to New York City with my father for a wine shindig--my pops knows his wine and I couldn't pass the opportunity to have some father/daughter time. If I got my passion for food and wine from anyone, it is him. As supportive as my Dad is when it comes to the blog, he hates me taking photographs at dinner. So, I cut him some slack and left the big gun back in Atlanta.

I have been obsessed with Daniel Boulud's show "After Hours" since "Mike" posted I could download them from Amazon.com. I have to agree the NYC season is way better compared to the Los Angeles season, but he is just so sweet and knowledgeable that even bad Boulud is good Boulud to me. He had featured a Tuscan restaurant, Maremma, where the chef made a roasted baby goat and casually hacked it up at the table for the special dinner. I like the man's style and put it on our list when my Dad requested Italian since we have done Babbo and Il Mulino plenty. The chef raises his own pigs and everything on the menu with pork uses his swine. I got a sick starter of some homemade sausages over white beans and my dad got a fresh pasta with a meat sauce so uniquely spiced there are no words to describe it. My main of wild bour ragu tossed with fresh ribbons of pasta was just gorgeous and I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing. My Dad's pork chop was the first (the chef told him in Italian) of his new hybrid pig and so amazing. He had sliced the meat of the chop into small slices, but it was still juicy somehow. Unbelievable.

My Dad's pasta

Being the good daughter that I am (or like to think I am), I went to Balthazar's bakery in the morning to grab some sweets for my Dad's nightly craving. I bought some beautiful baby caneles and a petit four for myself. Such a great little bakery with so much to choose from!

Maybe just one bite of a NYC "dirty water dog" for old time's sake....

And, Lunch happened. My favorite pie in NYC: Lombardi's plain and simple. Need I really say more? Here are a couple of shots of that beautiful pie.

We are a family that loves their food shopping and we started our pre-shopping ritual for a pre-flight scrimmage through NYC's stores. First stop was Dean and Deluca to check out the fresh mushrooms. I am so getting some porcinis for dinner this weekend.

Next, was Yonah Schimmel's for some of the famous knishes, pickles, latkes and kugel. I can't wait to pick these bad boys up on Friday. I saw Katz's down the street and cursed my newfound self-control. The old Bliss would have been down there for a second lunch...

Just a lovely little stack of pretzels on the side of the street.

We then went to Russ and Daughters for some fish. Oh, I just adore this place. Caviar cream cheese, sturgeon, chocolate babka, chopped liver, endless rows of smoked fish and great customer service. A true NYC institution. All we need is a stop at H&H bagels and our shopping will be complete.

Dinner that night: BLT Steak. Stay tuned for photos on this and the rest of my trip when I get home. The streets are calling and I am not staying in my room. Ciao!

After our quick trip to Dallas, I headed to visit the folks in South Beach with my man, Moon, for a few days. Moon had never been to South Beach/Miami so I wanted to give him a taste of my favorite hangouts. After picking him up from the airport, we headed over to meet my sis at Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House--a Miami mainstay tucked away near the Orthodox community. The place is an absolute scene and home to many displaced New Yorkers. There have been rumors that it will be closing soon, so get there before it does. Moon had foolishly indulged in Tasty China the night before so went easy and got egg whites with salami. I did no such thing and got the Reuben. My sister got the corned beef hash after her usual 10-minute meditation over the menu. Each meal starts with a few sweets, pickles, rolls and coleslaw. You have to be careful or you'll get full before your real meal arrives.

The prune rugelach


Half-sour pickle: the perfect snack food


The coleslaw


Moon's egg whites with salami


My Reuben sammie


Corned beef hash


Our latkes--we all opted for these instead of the other sides available

Dinner that night was with my family at Macaluso's in South Beach for some Italian food. The owner is from Staten Island and it shows. Is the food here great? No. But, the shit-talking servers and long list of rules on what you can and cannot do has a certain cache I like. The meatballs set on top of marina and ricotta and garlicky salads are pretty damn good though. They don't take reservations and there is no menu. It is worth doing once if you are visiting.

The next day was all about Cuban food. I took Moon to Versailles Restaurant which (I believe) is one of the oldest Cuban restaurants in the country. The place is a compound broken up into a cafe, a bakery and a restaurant. We headed over to the bakery for some nibbles and coffees first.

Locals starting their days with a Cuban coffee and conversation


Multi-layered prosciutto sammies in the case


Our spread of nibbles and the first of many, many Cuban coffees (cortaditos--a sweet 75/25 espresso and milk concoction--to be specific) on the trip


The money shot--this stuff is like crack cocaine


A pressed chorizo and cheese sandwich


Yucca and ham croquettas alongside a meat empanada


Cuban sweets, like guava filled pastries, in the case. The place has so many things to choose from...

After our gluttony in the bakery, we decided to hit the restaurant for an early lunch. Hey...we were already there. I got the masas de puerco (fried chunks of pork), moros and maduros--my favorite Cuban dish short of roasted chicken or sandwiches. Moon ordered the boliche, a fresh orange juice (Cuban places are known for a variety of fresh squeezed juices like papaya and mango) and yet another cortadito--I think I got him hooked.

Masas de puerco


Boliche


Moon's black beans, rice and maduros


Another cortadito

After our little exercise in gluttony, we headed to the beach to lie around like beached whales. After a quick shower, we popped over to The Shore Club Hotel for some mojitos (just okay) and then stopped into Nobu (which is in the hotel) for another drink and some nibbles. I have had great meals here, but this time was lackluster--a shocker since I normally love the place. We just grabbed some fried rock shrimp in creamy sauce and the miso cod. The best part about the experience was watching a table of three women share a salad with chopsticks while drinking tap water. Moon commented, "at least they can say they have been here!" We got a good laugh out of that one.

I went to pick up Moon the next morning and he was pissed about losing his sunglasses the night before. In an attempt to cheer him up, I took him out to Kendall to this Mike's New York Pizzeria--a place I'd read was well rated on Zagat.com. Just stay away. It was horrible. Is Zagat ever accurate? Then, in true Bliss/Rand McNally fashion, I got us hopelessly lost and stuck in traffic for 3 hours. The whole experience was an utter debacle.

On our way home, I attempted to redeem myself by heading to my family's favorite Cuban lunch spot, Las Olas Cafe. The little cafe is not much to look at, but the food is always fresh and changes up on a daily basis. My favorites here are the Cuban sandwiches (super pressed which is the key to a good one aside from the ingredients) and amazing masas de puerco. Moon was much happier with his meal.


Masas de puerco with moros and maduros


Close-up of the pork

Our last night was a visit to the dining room at the famous restaurant, Joe's Stone Crab. I always hit the to-go area, but we decided to have the full dining room experience complete with the requisite 2-hour wait (they don't take reservations). After a couple of martinis and some apps, we were seated in at a cute corner table next to a window. The place was absolutely packed, but the service was fabulous. We got some of the large claws, fried shrimp, creamed spinach with garlic and the hash browns. Everything was stellar--especially the hash browns.

RESTAURANT REVIEW:
Can someone please, please open a place like this in Atlanta? I wanted one of EVERYTHING! Just an absolutely cool concept with a great feel to the space.

Selection of fried and grilled items for combo plates/bento boxes


Pre-made bento boxes


Closeup of fried items

Choosing what to eat was very hard, but I went with the spicy burdoch root salad, a couple of fried items (pork and shrimp) and some organic miso soup (not pictured). It was just so refreshing and delicious!

If I lived in SF, I would be eating here every single day.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION:
Address: 1 Ferry Building (Marketplace Shop #4)
Phone: (415)834-0344
Website

RESTAURANT REVIEW:
If you read my Valentine's Day Gift Guide piece, you know I adore this place. This sustainable California caviar company is really giving the Russians a run for their money--especially with their award-winning California Estate Osetra ($78 per ounce). When I was a culinary student, I could obviously not afford the delectable premium stuff, but would treat myself to a tin of their truffled whitefish caviar ($18 for 2 ounces), a bag of their blinis and other accoutrements for dinner once a week. I just love the stuff.

Caviar tasting menu


Menu with caviar options


Delicious bread with a little crème fraîche and mother of pearl spoon


Beautiful flowers to look at while I nibbled on my bread


I was trying to pace myself for my Ferry Building eating extravaganza (or trust me, I would have gotten a tasting) so I just ordered the truffled scrambled egg with Osetra caviar--can I just say, "OH MY GOD?!" It was heaven on a plate.

If you'd like to take some caviar or any of their smoked fish home, you can get it packed for travel at the store (gelpacks that last 8 hours), but I suggest ordering from the website--I normally do a large order with friends to avoid big shipping costs and make it worthwhile--since current airport security regulations might cause you to leave the precious cargo at the door along with your nail scissors! I did manage to buy some mother of pearl spoons for my darling sister since bringing the caviar home was not an option.

INFORMATION:
Address: 1 Ferry Building (Marketplace Shop #12)
Phone:(415) 288-8630
Website