Time for fat!
It’s THAT time of the year, when we have to eat a lot of sugar and oil because we are pros and we are dedicated to the local production. Yeah, it’s Carnival time on the Riviera, and you have to taste the season doughnuts called “bugnes” or “ganses” or “oreillettes” or “chiaccere” in italian. Whatever...
Ali Baba’s Wine Cellar
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to have an unexpected visit to a magical place: The wine cellars of Monaco’s historic Hôtel de Paris. Jean-Marc Ayme, the Food and Beverage Manager, kindly offered me the thrill of spending a half hour in the underground caverns beneath the Hotel de Paris and the Hermitage hotels in Monte-Carlo....
San Remo’s tasty “La Bionda”
Looking for a family restaurant that is cheap, good and warm for your Saturday nights? Here is “La Bionda” (meaning literally “the blond girl” in Italian), just at the entrance of the charming San Remo, on the side of the road, when you are coming from France. Have you ever heard of a good margarita...
Around the world in a lemon
Every year we look forward the Lemon Festival in Menton, France. An historic event here on the Côte d’Azur, La fête du Citron initally made me laugh when i first heard of it, but I am now a staunch supporter. Who cares if the lemons are now secretly imported from Spain, and if the dancers...
Café Restaurant de la Bourse in Nice
Let’s be clear, this is not a fancy address, this is A TOP address in Nice. A genuine, family, old place “dans son jus” as we said here, not a tourist magnet! Homemade raviolis, gnocchis, stuffed cabbage, pissaladière of course, aïoli (a garlic mayonnaise famous in the south of France, watch your breath), and every...
Vignerons independants: A label to look for
Last Saturday we visited the Wine Exhibition of Independent Winegrowers (Salon des Vignerons Independants) that took place in Nice. The guys up at Le Coin du Fromager had reminded us of this label and we were intrigued to attend this event and discover some new wines. Members of this network adhere to a charter of...
Whiskey Mandarin
We spent the weekend in Ramatuelle getting our kitchen touched up for another season of cooking this summer. The good thing about having to clean out all your cabinets is that you come across forgotten ingredients and utensils that can conjure up inspiration. Surprisingly enough, we were moved by a forgotten cocktail shaker. This poor...
Cheese in the corner
We are having a rainy and cold week here on the Riviera, making for a dreary January! What better way to cheer things up than with some French cheese! Sego missed out on her favourite dish this weekend, when Joshua and I headed up to La Turbie to visit a new gourmet cheese venue that has...