Brasserie Lipp Geneva: a model for all brasseries

The Brasserie Lipp in Geneva even tops the one in Paris. Some may say that’s not difficult to do in a sleepy, provincial town like Geneva, but it is not so simple as that.

It’s l’ensemble, the “package” with all its details, that makes it work to perfection: the top-notch French-style service, the professionalism, the decor, the reliability of the food, the atmosphere, its late opening hours, even on Sunday.

You can watch them in action on their site!

I love their site, which gives you a glimpse of all the qualities above through a short video.

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Le 3 Rive Gauche, Grand Rue 3, 1204 Geneva

This reliable bistro is a real gem in the midst of the vieille ville, which is in dire need of more good but affordable restaurants.

It is beautifully decorated, the servers are pleasant, fast and efficient, and the food is reliably good. They offer a daily lunch special for CHF 20 or a 2-course daily menu for CHF 32.

After our conference on the history of Geneva today at the Société de Lecture, we hopped down the street and had a plat du jour, which consisted of a thick, perfectly cooked slab of salmon trout, steamed potatoes cooked to perfection, and steamed spinach.

They also have great baguette, which is another thing that is hard to find in local restaurants. Definitely an address to save in your telephone memory.

Opening hours: Monday through Friday, 12:00 to 14:00 and from 18:30 to 22:30. Tel. +41 022 810 29 29. Site. (Please note that the hours listed on the site are not correct.)

L’Office, rue Richer 3, 75009 Paris

Refined, modern, light cuisine for around 30 euros a head for a 3-course meal. Red bell pepper velouté with foie gras, duo of sea bass and scallops with a frothy, light cream sauce, and a to-die-for chocolate moelleux. Can purchase foie gras, onion jam, and other homemade goodies to take home with you. Short but sweet wine list.

Opening hours: closed Sundays and Mondays. Open for lunch on Thursday and Friday from mid-day – 2.30pm. Open for dinner from Tuesday – Saturday from 8 – 10.30pm. Tel. +33 01 47 70 67 31.  Metro Cadet (line 7) or Bonne Nouvelle (lines 8 & 9).

Le Soupçon, place du Bourg-de-Four 8, 1204 Geneva

Modern, light cuisine. Best steak tartare and homemade shoe-string French fries/chips in Geneva. Of late, the chef has been more inventive than ever, but his creative tricks are not always a success. Wide selection of wines by the glass, rather in the style of a wine bar.

Opening hours: closed Sundays. Open for lunch Monday through Saturday 12:00 PM to 14:00 PM and for dinner 19:00 H to 22:00 PM. Tel. +41 022 318 37 37. Parking St Antoine, tram/bus stop Rive (lines 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 12, 16, 17, 20, 33, 36, A, E and G). Site.

Counterpoint: Suggested to two friends that we have lunch there today, and they both immediately said that it was a victim of its own success and flatly refused to go.

La Famiglia, rue du Faubourg Poissonnière 71, 75009 Paris

The pizza crust is reliably good. Steer clearly away from meat dishes, which are heavy and old fashioned. We ordered the antipasti, which didn’t have much to do with true Italian antipasti, apart from the oil-laden, over-salted eggplant/aubergines. The owner strongly recommended the daily special, spaghetti alle vongole, and practically forced us to order it. The 8 or 10 clams were fresh enough and edible, but the pasta was so salty that we just left it. Good place for a pizza, but don’t venture any farther afield. The owner is a friendly, pleasant guy, but nice is just not enough when it comes to what’s on my plate.

Opening hours: closed Sundays. Open for lunch Monday through Saturday 12:00 PM to 14:00 PM and for dinner 19:00 H to 22:00/22:30 PM. Tel. +33 022 318 37 37. Métro Poissonière.

Invention through sloth: a recipe for lazy people who really would like to eat a healthy breakfast but can’t manage it

Cappuccino oats.

We don’t stop hearing about oats — they’re full of fiber so they’re good for your digestion and your bowels, they contain beta-glucans that help cut cholesterol and spread the rise in blood sugar over a long period of time, they make you feel full for longer so they encourage weight loss, they are anticarcinogenic thanks to their phytochemicals — and the list goes on.

Confession to my mother and request for forgiveness

I try and eat my oats every day, really I do. It has always been one of my mother’s Golden Rules of Healthy Eating. But Mom, I have to tell you: sometimes I just don’t, because I’m absolutely, unequivocally not a morning person and I just can’t get it together to cook the oats the good old-fashioned Scottish way we might all prefer.

So Mom, to relieve this deep guilt I have lived with my entire adult life, I found the solution, though I admit more by sloth than by wit. It was one of those days when no one was to speak to me before noon. I decided to pour some dry steel-cut oats into a bowl and eat them dry, in order to avoid the risk of pouring milk all over the stovetop instead of into the pan it was meant for, and then adding oats and other necessary ingredients into the milk that was already running down the front of the kitchen cabinets (I have already experienced this and it is not a good way to start the day). I was absolutely incapable of giving them the loving care they so deserve.

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Guide to luxury London on a budget

My husband Peter is a wonder when it comes to finding luxury bargains as he hops around the globe.

This weekend, London was our destination, and there’s no better place to spend Halloween. The recession is still going strong in Britain, so it is also a good time to take advantage of the multitude of deals to be had.

Hotel

Photo courtesy of MyHotel.

We usually prefer classic English-style hotels, because the English really do know how to let you feel part of what is the best in the British lifestyle, but this time, Peter selected a boutique hotel, MyHotel Bloomsbury on Bayley Street just off Bedford Square.

MyHotel is entirely Feng Shui, minimalist and has a wonderful fitness center. The rooms are quiet and impeccably clean, the staff is pleasant and efficient and they speak very good English (which one cannot count on in London), it does indeed have a good feel about it, and the location is remarkably central.

Unfortunately, the hotel is the victim of British regulations regarding fire doors, so despite all the effort they had made to make it Feng Shui and calming, the fire doors ruined it all. Even the bathroom door slammed loudly. The clientele was extremely civilized, despite the fact that it was Halloween weekend, and the management was so conscious of maintaining the calm atmosphere, that they closed the bar on Halloween night.

Restaurants

In the UK, Top Table is an excellent site for booking fine restaurants at a nice price. With the credit crunch still alive and kicking, there is an abundance of choices, many offering forty and fifty percent off menu prices. Please note that the discounts do not usually apply to wine, supplements and service charge, and are sometimes limited to a limited number of people, but it can still significantly reduce the price of a meal.

Dining room of The Landau, photo courtesy of Top Table.

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Rambling ’round France: Chartres Cathedral, a Gothic wonder

Chartres makes for an easy, affordable weekend jaunt. There is no lack of things to do.

The Gothic cathedral is of course, the main thing to see, and you can spend 2 days just exploring that.

The cathedral itself, both inside and out, is truly one of the wonders of the world. The crypt includes a Romanesque church on top of which the cathedral was built, Roman ruins, an old Druid well, and a gallery that was probably used by the Druids to worship Bellissima, and later converted into a chapel dedicated to the Mother and Child of Chartres (it is said that the Druid goddess Bellissima also held a baby in her arms, although in a different position from the classic Christian manner).

The tower gives wonderful views of the medieval town, as well as the sculptures, buttresses and framework of the cathedral itself. My neighbor Eric Vivien gives extremely detailed explanations in his tours. Don’t forget to look for the labyrinth in the middle floor of the cathedral as well. On certain days, they clear away the chairs, and let pilgrims walk around it.

Another neighbor, Englishman Malcolm Miller, who fell in love with the stained glass windows in Chartres decades ago, is the great specialist on the Chartres’ stained glass windows, considered by most to be the most beautiful and well preserved in the world. He gives regular tours at 12 and 14H25 except on Sundays. It is best to contact the tourist office at the end of the cathedral esplanade just to make sure. Please note that his tours are private, and not associated to those organized by the tourist office.

Another interesting stopoff is the Loir family stained glass store to the left as you face the cathedral. The Loir family has been making stained glass for generations, and continue to provide cathedrals all over the world with stained glass windows. The shop includes restored as well as contemporary stained glass, and has rotating exhibitions of contemporary artists.

A walk around the medieval city is also breathtaking if you are interested in architecture. During the Middle Ages, the town is said to have had over 120 churches. Some people say the very ground is telluric, meaning that it is full of good (and perhaps holy) energy. That might be one of the reasons that people have been making pilgramages there for at least 5,000 if not 6,000 years, well before Christ was born. Suggestion: get a good map from the tourist office before you start getting lost in the “labyrinth” of the city.

How to get there

easyJet lands at Orly Sud and from there you walk across the street and pick up a car at Sixt. If you rent online well ahead of time, you can take advantage of their Sixti deal for as low as 5 euros a day.

Accommodations

For true pilgrims, there is plenty of lodging at the Maison St Yves. For lovers of luxury, choose the Hôtel Grand Monarque, a Chartres institution where many of the grand bourgeoisie celebrate weddings, baptisms, birthdays and anniversaries. If you are celebrating something special, you can download the program of special dinners and weekend packages from their site.

Otherwise check out the Chartres tourist site for all other types of B & Bs, inns, furnished apartments and hotels.

Restaurants

The Grand Monarque is great for special occasions, and they have a bistro that is open late, but my favorite restaurant is the Restaurant St-Hilaire in the rue St-Hilaire, right off the St-Pierre Church square at the bottom of the hill. They offer both traditional dishes from the region, and a number of more modern (and delightful) ones, and use only products from the region. Chartres is in the Beauce, the Iowa of France, so you’ll find wheat incorporated into some surprising dishes, such as wheat risotto, wheat crème caramel, and, of course, the bread, which they make themselves. All the cheeses on the cheese board are from the Beauce region.

The owner, Mr. Brémont, is the former sommelier of the Grand Monarque, and he always has new and delicious wines on offer. Take his advice. He knows, boy does he know. I always discover some new wine or producer, so each time I go, it’s a new adventure. In Chartres, they consider the Loire Valley wines to be “local”, since the beginning of the Loire Valley is only half an hour away, and Mr. Brémont is from the heart of the Loire Valley.

They offers several menus, one based entirely on products and traditional dishes from the Beauce. They start at 26 euros and go up to around 50. Somehow, I always end up choosing the 26 euro one. It’s about the best quality for the money I know, and changes with the seasons.

NOTE: Reservations are absolutely necessary, and I would suggest calling well in advance.

The downtown Geneva location of the Ecole-Club Migros will be giving a gourmet cooking class in English on 24 October 2009. They plan to add more classes during the year, in both the Balexert and downtown Geneva locations.

The class starts at 14 H (2 p.m.) and lasts until 17 H (5 p.m.).

Students will prepare a 3-course gourmet meal, learning both traditional and modern cooking methods.

You can sign up in their offices, by phone or on the Internet.

NOTE: Lausanne is offering classes in Italian and Spanish, but is considering classes in English if they have enough requests. So if you are interested, give them a call and express your interest.

Ecole-Club Migros:
Genève-centre (downtown), Rue du Prince 5, 1204 Geneva, tel. 022 319 61 61, offices open 8:30 H to 20:30 H Monday through Thursday, 8:30 to 17 H on Fridays, and from 9:00 H to 12:30 on Saturday.

Website: www.ecole-club.ch

Tomato and courgette salad

Try this easy zucchini and tomato recipe. If you make a big batch, you can even two meals out of it.

These recipes are perfect for those hot days or nights when you can’t bear the idea of turning on the oven and heating up the house, or when you know you’ll be getting home late and just want to whip up something healthy. They also make a perfect lunch on a hot summer’s day.

Ingredients

Use red juicy tomatoes — usually the big ones — that are extra-ripe.

Chop tomatoes and zucchini into medium-size chunks. Finely chop onion. Mix all with a generous helping of Balsamic vinegar and olive oil so that the vegetables can marinate in it and there is a lot of excess liquid at the bottom of your bowl. Salt and pepper generously. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Let marinate for an hour or so in the fridge, mixing frequently. Serve cold. The juice of the tomatoes blends with the vinaigrette, forming a wonderful, tomato-flavored vinaigrette. Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning again.

Variation: Zucchini and tomato pasta

Leftovers can be used to make pasta salad. Warning: Save the sauce as well as the vegetables and pour it over cooked pasta. Once again, let it marinate for an hour or two before serving. Adjust seasoning.

Variation: Zucchini and tomato salad with cheese

Add feta or mozzarella cheese to either of these recipes, and you’ve got a cool summer one-dish meal. It’s best to add it right before serving. Otherwise, it tends to get mushy.

Variation: Zucchini and tomato salad with cheese

If you still have some left over, pop it under the grill or broiler until the cheese melts and starts to brown. You might even add a little extra cheese on top to make a gratin.

The newly renovated Auberge de Pont-de-Nant we reviewed on 19 June was not able to open on 27 June 2009 as planned.

Renovations had already lasted longer than planned due to the long, snowy winter.  Then on 19 June, a fire ravaged the interior of the inn, destroying all the new installations and decor.

The Grand Muveran mountain is still there in all its majesty, with its rich botanical reserve and hiking trails, but check the restaurant site regularly for re-opening. Experts are still assessing the damage, so unfortunately, we may not be able to benefit from it this summer of 2009.

In the meantime, their catering service is still functioning normally.

Geneva’s star of stars: Chateauvieux chef Philippe Chevrier

Philippe Chevrier of none other than the exclusive Domaine de Chateauvieux in Satigny has fond memories of childhood lake cruises in steamboats. It is therefore with nostalgic pleasure that he took on the task of organizing gourmet cruises on the steamboat Savoie in Geneva, commissioned in 1914 and completely renovated to its original state between 1994 and 2006.

Set price menus or daily specials

You can eat on both daytime or evening cruises, or rent the boat for a private function such as a birthday party or a business meeting.

Chevrier’s CHF65, 3-course lunch menu and CHF39 daily special are a good way to get a reasonably priced taste of his style of cooking so cherished by the Geneva crowd. The children’s menu goes for CHF22.

There are two set menus in the evening. The 4-course one at CHF98, or the 3-course one at CHF85. And there is even a hefty sized special in the evening for CHF56.

Just to get your taste buds working, the current lunch menu starts with sea bream carpaccio with Espelette hot peppers, aubergine caviar and sweet garlic toast; followed by guinea fowl ballottine (boned, stuffed, rolled and tied in the shape of a bundle, then cooked) and wild mushrooms with Sherry sauce served with fried polenta; and a grande finale consisting of a Mara des Bois strawberry and ginger dessert served with lemon and lime sorbet.

It is a perfect way to celebrate an anniversary or birthday, or just have a romantic evening out.

Location and booking

Call the CGN at 0848 811 848 to book the cruise, and then book your table by calling 022 753 93 30 (Philippe Chevrier – Le Traiteur) or e-mailing Chevrier at info@savoie-philippe-chevrier.ch.

Look at the CGN site under Croisières Gastronimiques for details regarding times and locations of these gourmet cruises. Unfortunately, the English on the site is not complete, so you’ll have to look at the French for full details.

You can board at Genève Jardin Anglais, Genève Pâquis, Hermance or Versoix.

Dates

Chevrier’s gourmet cruises are available from 26 April to 25 October 2009.