Slathered with sweeet butter (jam optional)
(click restaurant name or point of interest)
Although I have had many wonderful adventures on the road since I last noted them down here, I will try and recollect a few of the outstanding ones. To start with the freshest, Fifi and I spent two weeks in Japan in late May. The breakfasts at Donpa in Tokyo and Le Bouchon in Kyoto — were just as delicious as last year. We had, however, to make a special deal at Le Bouchon, since they decided that their breakfast business did not merit their serving it regularly. If we wished they would make it just for us at 8 each morning. So, of course, we each had to eat 2 croissants and a half baguette (both hot out of the oven) slathered with sweeet butter (jam optional), a pot of hot whole milk and one cup of thick black coffee every day we were there (6). Even without the beer I drank every night, the breakfasts were responsible for at least 5 pounds.
We returned to some of our favorite restaurants— Katsukura (in Kyoto and Tokyo), Yokocho and Totoshin in Kyoto — and discovered a lovely new one in Tokyo: Tsuki-no Niwa in Nishi Azabu. Beautiful garden in the middle of the city, fine bar and delicious food. We also went to a Korean restaurant called Tokai-tei (Eastern Sea Pavilion) in the same neighborhood (this one is diagonally across the street and slightly North of Hobsons).
Hot oily snack crachers were delicious at Mamegen in Azabu Juban in Tokyo. Don’t eat too many before dinner. We also had a meal at Olives in the new Roppongi Hills development. Delicious food, horrible music.
As for food elsewhere this Spring, we ate at Obelisk in Washington DC. Very nice, but I cannot remember what I ate. We also tried Ceiba, very similar to Cafe Atlantico. Tasty and fresh food. In California, we revisited AOC in LA, which was excellent and perfectly suited our taste for fresh and varied bites.
Trying to remember NY, I think we had two ice cream desserts in NYC in one night , dinner at Pearl Oyster Bar (again), and more meals at Etats Unis and its wine bar. I had a drink in the lobby-bar at the new Mandarin Oriental with a delicious bar snack (quesadillas?) and grand view and then shopped at Whole Foods in the basement. I discovered that one can order a bowl of ice-cream in the Bar at the Mark if all the best places are closed after the opera (cheaper than room service). The chopped liver at EAT is the best in the world. At the rate I obsess about dinner, I need to walk there and back wherever it is in the city. The grandest dinner of the spring was at Danube where I was invited. It is a jewel box with a inventive and delicious food, comfortable seating, and quiet.
Finally, in Chicago we discovered Avec. We went twice, even though it was very noisy, because the food was delicious.
Next trip is to Santa Fe. More later.