Perfect Mussels

 A hearty helping of steamed mussels nestled in a bowl of savory broth is one of my favorite meals when dining out. I have enjoyed this succulent repast in restaurants in San Diego, New York City, Boston and other cities whenever possible.  In Paris I usually find my way to one of the many Léon de Bruxelles locations or a local bistro that has it on its menu.   After enjoying many, many such delicious bowlfuls of these tender morsels of the sea I can safely say that I have now found perfectly prepared mussels in Providence, Rhode Island. 

To achieve their optimum taste consistency mussels should be steamed in wine or broth to the point of “just cooked”, or about medium rare.  Cooking them beyond this point toughens the mussels and they become chewy; losing the delicate juices that otherwise titillates our palates.   Prepared to the point of “near-done” they are always moist and tender, transforming a simple bowl of unpretentious seafood into a memorable taste experience. 

Steamed PEI Mussels

Without exceptions, one of the finest examples of perfectly prepared mussels is thankfully right here in Providence Rhode Island at the Waterman Grille. I have relished their offering of steamed mussels on several occasions now.  Each and every time they are cooked to absolute perfection—tender and juicy!  Not only are their mussels a delight to savor, the presentation is as appealing as they are delicious.  Carefully arranged on a white oval platter, the black shells with their shimmering morsels exposed lay waiting to be savored. Topped with grilled herb bread to absorb the succulent white wine-butter broth, the Waterman Grille’s steamed mussels are a joy to behold.   

Chef Kevin

This is not to say that only the steamed mussels at the Waterman Grille are perfectly prepared.  Quite the contrary; their crispy calamari, tender Hanger Steak, the flavor-rich Waterman Burger and all of their offerings are always consistently prepared to perfection and presented in an attractive, appetizing fashion.  Our many visits to the Waterman Grille have spoiled us to the point that we now expect perfection every time we dine there and we have never been disappointed.

Waterman Grille

Four Richmond Square

Providence, RI 02906

 (401) 521-9229

www.watermangrille.com

 

Hollywood in Virginia

Just for the fun of it let us see if anyone can guess what city or state this restaurant is located in from the offerings on their menu:

●Blackened Tilapia with pineapple salsa ● Fried Oysters

● Bubba’s Shrimp Creole

 ● Fried Catfish

If your choice was New Orleans or Louisiana it would be logical but unfortunately not correct.  I will offer up some more menu items that may help:

●Coco Loco Chicken● Black Beans and Rice

● White Bean Chicken Chili Nachos

 ●Chipotle Wrap

The restaurant has to be located in the southwest, maybe New Mexico…right? Sorry, wrong answer.  Two more menu items and then I will stop:  

●Catfish Matrimony

● Hollywood’s Famous Crab Cakes

Give up?

     These enticing dishes that one would expect to find in restaurants in Louisiana or the Southwest are served in Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery in Roanoke Virginia.  Along with other Louisiana and Southwestern inspired recipes, this delightful bustling eatery also serves such mouthwatering southern fare as tender, meat falling off the bone baby backed ribs basted in a flavorful North Carolina barbecue sauce.  There is also Molasses and Coffee Pork Chops, Grit Cakes laced with a creamy roasted jalapeno pepper sauce  and Lone Star Chicken, a tender grilled chicken breast topped with savory house-made honey ginger barbecue sauce and a plethora of other  tempting dishes too numerous to mention.

      We went to Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery at the recommendation of the desk clerk at the Hampton Inn in Roanoke Virginia, where we stayed the night in-route from Arizona to Rhode Island.  With so many appetizing entrees to choose from we hardly knew what to order.  After painfully eliminating a whole host of tantalizing possibilities Linda opted for the Fried Oysters and I ordered the Catfish Matrimony.  We were not disappointed.  Our choices were every bit as good as we could have hoped for.  Linda’s generous portion of fried oysters was cooked to perfection.  Each plump oyster was batter coated, deep fried to the point of crunchy on the outside and warm and tender in the center.  My Catfish Matrimony was a scrumptious medley of tender pan-fried slices of catfish covered in a velvety smooth pink sauce loaded with tasty slices of Andouille sausages and shrimp. 

      Rarely have we been treated to such fine creative fare in what can only be described as a friendly “local” restaurant.  It is no wonder that Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery is jam packed every night with local residents and visitors.  If your travels take you to Roanoke Virginia, stop in and say hello to Mark “Hollywood” Henderson or Chris Henderson, the friendly owners of Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery in Roanoke Virginia!

McBride’s Irish Pub - An Unexpected Culinary Delight

Every so often I am treated to superb food from an unexpected source.  In this instance the surprisingly great fare was in an Irish Pub in our new home city of Providence, Rhode Island. Over the years I have enjoyed very good basic food in Irish Pubs, English Pubs and in bars without a particular theme. That is what tickled me so; a culinary delight from such a surprising source. Go figure, a bowl of steamed mussels in an Irish Pub that were better than any I enjoyed in Paris, where moules and frites (mussels and fries) have become a national obsession.   They were also better than any mussels I have cooked myself using fresh mussels purchased in a mercat in Barcelona Spain. Such is my regard for the exceptional quality of the steamed mussels I savored in McBride’s Irish Pub on Wayland Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island.

After driving for five days from Amado Arizona to Providence Rhode Island, Linda and I found ourselves in a very familiar situation, tired and hungry.  We unpacked the car, left our belongings in boxes strewn all over the floor in our apartment and went searching for food in our new neighborhood.  After passing up several more trendy places to eat such as a sushi bar and a gourmet cheese shop  serving an assortment of savory delicacies we strolled into McBride’s for a pint of draft beer and some basic pub fare.   Linda chose the grilled salmon and I could not resist trying mussels, steamed in white wine and herbs.  Our decision to have our first meal in our new neighborhood at McBride’s was quickly rewarded.  Linda’s salmon was cooked to perfection, firm on the outside and moist and tender on the inside, served over a bed of crisp salad greens.  My steamed mussels were plump and tender with a taste of the sea in every bite—simply the best mussels I ever had.

 McBride’s is not your ordinary Irish Pub as far as food is concerned.  Their menu includes such creative offerings as Lamb Sliders, three juicy ground lamb patties brushed with a delicious fig sauce, lettuce and tomatoes served individually on small hamburger buns or their Irish Nachos, a tasty mélange of house-made chips (small wedges of fried pita bread) covered with a generous portion of ground lamb, topped with melted Irish Cheddar Cheese, sour cream and spring onions.  There is also an assortment of thin crusted individual size pizzas and other inspired recipes to compliment such standard pub fare as Shepherd’s Pie, Corned Beef and Cabbage and more.  Befitting any fine Irish Pub there is a large assortment of beers and ales on tap and in bottles from all over the world to satisfy the most discriminating beer drinker.

Go figure, the best steamed mussels I ever had are in an Irish Pub in Providence Rhode Island. 

Part Three - Éclairs, Tarts and Ice Cream…Oh My!

      Our final quest for the “best…in Paris” is the holy grail of desserts—ice cream.  At its best ice cream is a silky smooth, joyful marriage of milk, cream, sugar and eggs with other natural flavorings such as vanilla beans, chocolate, fresh fruit or nuts; then lovingly stirred and reduced in temperature to varying degrees of consistency.  In a city renowned for opulent desserts ice cream is the pinnacle of its culinary decadence— the higher the fat content the richer and smoother the taste sensation.
     Pascal Le Glacier’s ice cream is described by Paris Notes as “nothing short of spectacular”. Located in the charming upscale section of Passy, the western most section of Paris within the city limits, we again started our journey on foot.  Walking past the Eifel Tower, the Champs-Elysèe and the Palais de Chaillot we finally came to Pascal Le Glacier on 17 Rue Bois-le-Vent, nearly 7 kilometers (4 miles) from our flat on rue Petit Pont.  Much to our surprise and dismay Pascal Combette’s highly touted ice cream parlor was closed for vacation!  Not to be thwarted for a taste of the best ice cream in Paris we trudged back to our flat, consoled ourselves with a glass of wine and forged a new plan.  After sorting through the myriad of reviews on the internet we created list of ice cream makers highly touted by others. 

    

For three days we walked to points north, south, east and west tasting a variety of creamy mélanges that others deemed the “the best ice cream in Paris” on the internet.  Thankfully, we finally discovered La Maison Berthillon on the Isle Saint Louis.  No sooner did we taste a mouthful of their luscious mango ice cream we knew we found what we were looking for— the best ice cream in Paris!  Each mouthful delighted our taste buds with the richness of milk, cream, sugar and eggs.  As we savored the creamy smooth texture of their glacer la crème, flavored with tender morsels of ripe mango, the disappointment of Pascal Le Glacier being closed after such a long walk evanesced into the sunset.  Our quest for the best ice cream in Paris was now fulfilled on the picturesque Isle Saint Louis with one scoop of Berthillon’s scrumptious ice cream.  

An Open Letter to My Editor

Dear Harlan,

     It finally happened.  I am sure you had your doubts just as I did all these years; but it really did happen. I actually found a reasonably priced restaurant here in Southern Arizona that has both good food and attentive service. Not only is the food good and worth the money but it is very good. The same holds true for the wait staff.  Aside from being attentive they are also friendly and knowledgeable.  Ironically, this find comes at a time when we will soon be relocating to Providence, Rhode Island—oh well, better late than never. 

     The restaurant is Pizzeria Vivace.  It is located in a non-descript stucco building with professional offices and retail shops in Tucson.  The only thing notable about the building’s exterior is the name Pizzeria Vivace on a wall that can be seen from the road.  For whatever reason, I felt it just may be worth trying.  I really can’t say what piqued my curiosity.  Whatever the reason though, we went there for lunch about a month ago and were impressed.  So much so that we put it to the “acid test”—a return visit.  It seems to be a common malady of the restaurants here that the quality of the food and service is never quite the same from visit to visit.  At times the food is good and the service is not or visa-versa. Somehow getting both the food and the service right, at the same time is just something they are incapable of doing.  As a result of this affliction we have been sorely disappointed many times in the past when we returned to other restaurants that we initially enjoyed.  Thankfully, this was not the case when we returned to Pizzeria Vivace.  The food was every bit as good as the first time we were there and the service was still just as attentive and energetic as before.

     On both occasions we had their Pizzetta for lunch, a six inch thin crusted pizza served with a very generous salad of chopped romaine lettuce, topped with a delicious house made vinaigrette dressing.  So far we have tried several toppings with equal success. My most recent Pizzetta  was topped with tender slices of pepperoni along with fresh Mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce; Linda’s pie came with thin slices of eggplant, zucchini, roasted red peppers, tomato sauce, a little pesto and two cheeses: Mozzarella and Trugole.  Naturally, we tasted each other’s pie and I would be hard pressed to choose one over the other.  My pepperonis were pleasantly spicy, moist and tender—very tasty.  The combination of the fresh vegetables with two cheeses and some pesto on Linda’s pie was wonderful.

     I realize that I am going on and on about a pizzeria as if it is a four or five star restaurant. However, considering our inability to find a restaurant here with both good food and good service for such a long time, my enthusiasm for Vivace’s is not surprising. Other than that there is not much else happening that is noteworthy.  We will be in Providence soon and we are looking forward to exploring the restaurants in the city and the rest of the State.  So get ready for my missives about the gastronomic fare in Rhode Island.

Linda sends her best to your lovely wife Margo and your beautiful daughters, Helen and Cara.       

 Regards,

Bernard

Part Two - Éclairs, Tarts and Ice Cream…Oh My!

Magical Tarts from Les Petits Mitrons Patisserie

     With our successful journey to Stohrer’s Patisserie behind us we were avidly looking forward to tasting what Paris Notes lauds as “the best tarts” in Paris.  As I have stated before, I am usually skeptical of the “best of” or the “best I ever had” pronouncements by others. These are relative judgments usually expressed by someone with little or no basis for comparison to make such a statement. The writers for Paris Notes, which unfortunately is discontinued, were different.   They were expatriates or Parisians who have tasted their way through this city of epicurean treasures for many years. As such my high esteem for their opinion of what constitutes the best of anything is based upon their many years of sampling the great fare Paris has to offer.

     After our morning coffee in our flat we embarked on our new food quest carrying croissants purchased from our favorite boulangerie on Boulevard Saint Germain, which I might add have the best croissants and baguettes I ever had.  While savoring our flaky croissants with a moist, chewy center we once more crossed over the Seine, turned left onto rue du Rivoli, passed the historic Bourse du Commerce and the Column Medici, adjacent to the verdant Jardin des Halle and the ornate Église St-Eustache, to the rue du Louvre where we turned right or north according to my internal compass.  We continued along the rue du Louvre to rue Montmartre, a street that would change names more than once while we strolled through the storied section of Montmartre, home to the racey Place Pigalle and the legendary Moulin Rouge until we came to the end of our journey. Below the hilltop Basilica of Sacre Coeur, regally presiding over Paris, we arrived at the blue and pink storefront of Les Petits Mitrons, Patisserie Artisanal on rue Lepic.  Tired and more than a little hungry we entered this quaint little shop brimming with a dazzling array of multi-colored fruit tarts.  Everywhere our eyes turned we were greeted with a cornucopia of shimmering fruit covering tarts of all sizes. Linda was in dessert heaven!   

     Moments later we were sitting on the little blue bench stationed in front of Les Petits Mitrons gleefully consuming what could only be described the best fruit tarts we ever had. Each tart was filled with firm yet tender slices of fresh fruit; peach for Linda’s tart and apple in mine.  As with most of the pastries we have enjoyed in Europe the fillings in the tarts were rich and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness to stimulate our taste buds, allowing the natural fruit flavors to come through.  The tart’s shell can best be described as baked with little bit of magic.  I really have no other way to describe the mouthwatering crisp outer layer of the shell that tastes as if it is coated with caramelized brown sugar and the soft chewy inner layer, tenderly snuggling the fresh fruit.  It has to be magic! There can be no other way to explain the extraordinary taste sensation of the tart’s delicious shell.

     Sometime shortly after dinner that night a craving for one of Les Petits Mitrons’ fruit tarts came upon us.  We yearned for the taste of the glazed fresh fruit and the tart’s delicious shell to top off our meal. Were it not for the fact that Les Mitrons was certainly closed at that hour we would have been in a taxi on our way back for just one more taste of magic.   

Éclairs, Tarts and Ice Cream… Oh My!

For someone like me embarking on a food quest in Paris, France is as thrilling as Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion going to the Emerald City in the land of OZ.  As a lover fine food Paris is my magical, mystical Emerald City of culinary delights.  Hence the title “Éclairs, Tarts and Ice Cream…Oh My”.

It has become commonplace for my wife Linda and I to go off on a food quest in whatever city we are visiting. In the past we have scoured Barcelona for the best gelato and the best arroz con negro; Paris for the best baguettes, croissants, cassoulet and couscous, New Orleans for Sazerac, Rome for Spaghetti alla Carbonara and other food in other cities.  Half the fun is getting there. These food quests take us through new neighborhoods in cities we already know and sections of a city that we may not have otherwise visited. Naturally, when a reason for us to embark on one of these food odysseys presented itself for Paris France we relished the opportunity.

Before departing for Paris last year, my wife Linda scoured through our old collection of Paris Notes for little known sites and historic places to visit.  Amongst the wonderfully obscure factoids and trivia about Paris she uncovered a gold mine for her sweet tooth—Stohrer’s Patisserie Traiteur for éclairs, Les Petite Mitrons- Patisseries for tarts and Pascal, Le Glacier for ice cream.  She was hooked and I was a willing conscript to her expedition to find these patisseries and the praised glacier.  I must confess that I do not possess a sweet tooth that would compel me to make such quests.  Instead I reserve my calorie intake for food and wine.  Linda on the other hand would prefer to start her meals with desert, leaving whatever room there is left in her stomach for other food.  My reward for taking part in this expedition is reading the menus of the cafes and bistros along the way, not to mention savoring pastries and ice cream in the Emerald City of desserts. 

Day One: STOHRER - PÂTISSIER TRAITEUR

Magasin au 51 rue Montorgueil 75002 Paris

 From our studio apartment situated on Petit Ponte, on the left bank of the Seine we crossed  the Ile de la Cite, presided over by the towering edifice of Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris  to the right bank. Passing the Thearte du Chatelet we walked up along Boulevard de Sebastopol teeming with shops and strollers to rue Etienne Marcel where we turned west to rue Montorgueil.  For my part finding rue Montorgueil was in itself sufficient reward for our long walk.  The street is packed with cafes, bistros, boulangeries, fromageries, boucheriers and charcuteries on both sides for about four city blocks long.  I was in food heaven and would have happily ended our journey with this discovery.  Linda was determined to taste the éclairs from Stohrer’s and so we continued our search for number 51 rue Montorgueil.   A little further up we came upon Stohrer’s landmark yellow canopy shading the shop’s blue façade. Above the canopy between two windows adorned with planter boxes, blooming with flowers a commemorative plaque proudly declared:

Patisserie Stohrer

Maison Fondèe en 1730

 Inside the shop a cornucopia of vividly colored cakes, tarts, éclairs bombes and chocolates, all perfectly aligned on glass shelves greeted us. Wonderful aromas of chocolate, fruit and dough wafted in the air titillating our taste buds.  Our mouths watered waiting to taste the long sought after éclair.  We were not disappointed when we finally ate our éclairs strolling along rue Montorgueil.  As an aside, I had my own éclair since Linda does not share pastries, especially delicious pastries.

The Stohrer’s éclair is a decadent mélange of delicious, rich dark chocolate topping a delicate French pasty filled with a creamy light chocolate mousse stuffing.  I cannot imagine a better éclair being made anywhere in France or anywhere else for that matter. 

After savoring the éclairs we lunched al fresco in one of bistros on rue Montorgueil Linda’s way, having had dessert first.  

Check back for day two’s food quest........