If you visit Toulouse, the ville rose, you don’t want to miss the breathtaking sunset view across the Garonne river. The panoramic splash of colors across the expansive sky and its perfect reflection on the glassy water surface change almost every minute as the sun sets beyond the Pont St. Pierre and Pont des Catalans bridges. After watching this romantic and magnificent sunset, we took a lazy stroll around the cobblestone backstreets of Place Saint-Pierre and sniffed our way to rue Blanchers. Rue Blanchers is a small restaurant row of sorts with numerous cafés and restaurants offering international and local cuisine. 
Restaurant Georges was one of the first places we came upon and we knew immediately that it was the right place to dine. We didn’t have to walk down the remaining stretch of rue Blanchers to check out our other options- the menu sounded tempting and the place was brimming with locals. Georges’ menu represented Southwestern French regional cuisine with a modern twist, at reasonable prices. Here you can order a Formule for 21 Euros (entrée + plat, plat + dessert, or 2 entrées + 1 dessert), or a Menu for 26 Euros (entrée + plat + dessert).
The atmosphere at Georges was friendly and casual, and happy diners filled the numerous tables that were tucked into every crevice of the small restaurant space. Old paintings and antique photos adorned the brick exposed walls, and small stained glass lamps added to the rustic feel of the restaurant. There was a tight narrow staircase that led to the downstairs cave and mini dining area that was stocked full of French wines.
Charlotte de Saint Jacques au coulis de crustacés – Molded shellfish coulis prepared in a cream sauce. This dish was a modern twist on the traditional French dish of coquilles Saint Jacques, which is made with scallops in a white wine and mushroom cream sauce served on a coquille, or shell. The soft and warm soufflé of delicious shellfish essence that stood proudly on a porcelain scallop shell dish was just as good as any seared scallop I’ve ever had.
Forestière d’escargots en cassolette et son feuilleté à l’ail confit – Warm cassolette of escargots in a mushroom cream sauce accompanied by a delicious flaky slice of bread with garlic confit. The cassolette was full of succulent meaty pieces of escargot that were even more delicious on top of the garlic bread, and the intense woodsy aroma of mushrooms filled the air.
Tartiflette au magret fumé- a hearty gratin of potatoes, cheese and smoked duck. A tartiflette is a warm winter dish that originated in the Savoie region of the French Alps, and is particularly popular in keeping skiiers warm at ski resorts. Although a true tartiflette should be made with Reblochon cheese and smoky bacon, modern versions can be made with any type of melty cheese and other hearty meats. Indeed, this tartiflette was very hearty and had enough power to keep a whole family warm during any winter chill.
Emincé de boeuf au coulis de foie gras – Beef sirloin tips served with a foie gras sauce. These cuts of meat were slightly tough, though the rich savory foie gras sauce almost made up for it.
Tartare de saumon a la crème d’herbes fraîches – Salmon tartare tossed with herbs and cream, was quite delicious. The minced cuts of salmon were fatty and marvelous, perfectly enhanced by the zing of fresh parsley and chives.
Le Régal des Capitouls: foie gras de canard mi-cuit, magrets sec et fumé, gesiers confits, saucisse au pot, mesclun de salade, confiture de figues, marrons, noix et sel guerande - this was a classic Toulouse dish that showcased all of the beautiful duck delicacies of the region. Toulouse is particularly famous for its foie gras and sausages. Cuts of foie gras mi-cuit, slices of smoked duck breast, gizzard confit and cuts of smoked sausages were served with preserved figs, chestnuts and walnuts. I loved every tender and flavorful morself of duck on this amazing plate, especially the smoked gizzards that had more texture than the other cuts. The more I chewed on the gizzards, the more these smokey flavors permeated my taste buds.
Fondant au chocolat - chocolate cake with a somewhat molten center was decadent. The exterior was ever so slightly flaky, adding a textural contrast to the silken interior.
Crème brûlée aux framboises fraîches - crème brûlée with whole raspberries inside was quite flavorful, and the four of us finished it very quickly.
Our dinner at Georges was a fantastic experience, and it was a perfect treat to succeed the amazing sunset that we saw over the Garonne river. Gratifying rustic French cuisine served by honest caring hosts at Georges is an experience not be missed on your next trip to Toulouse. Michel Sarran, with 2 Michelin stars, is perhaps the most famous restaurant in Toulouse, but I also recommend Georges if you and your wallet want to take a break and keep it casual and homey.
4 rue des Blanchers
31000 Toulouse, France
+33 05 34 44 95 92
Open 7 days a week
Lunch 12 to 2pm, Dinner 8-11:30pm
Random trivia: Did you know that the scallop shell is regarded as a symbol of fertility? That’s why many paintings of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and fertility, also depict a scallop shell. Botticelli’s famous painting in Firenze’s Uffizi gallery, The Birth of Venus, shows a beautiful and serene Venus emerging from the sea on a scallop shell.
Botticelli's 'The Birth of Venus' copied from Wikipedia
lights, city of romance, city of croissants, cheese, baguettes, wine and all things nice. And of course, city of chocolates. With a city full of chocolateries, how does one go about choosing his or her favorite? 
Although he is famous for his delicate chocolates, he is also known for his amazing store window displays. Think back to that scene in ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ where the oompa loompas frolick about the flowery marshmallow meadows, and ornate gingerbread houses line the everflowing milk chocolate river. Patrick Roger creates a similar wacky display in his store using chocolate and confectionaries, only the oompa loompas have become baseball sized vegetable-themed creatures standing in front of a 4 foot tall chocolate house with an intricate roof made of thousands of round chocolate tiles. A chocolate rooster stands atop the tall steeple, looking down at the chocolate nibs road below. Foot ball sized cacao nuts made entirely of chocolate decorate a corner of the showcase, and other fun and colorful edible adornments liven up the space to create a culinary Grimm’s fairy tale fantasy world.
oo good to be true- the trouble of securing reservations at this special dinner in itself heightens the whole experience. Then we got information on the secret location. I will only tell you that it’s in a lovely part of Paris, oh about a 10 minute walk from the Louvre. As we entered the building that evening and took the tiny elevator up to the designated floor, I remember feeling a bit nervous. What is the meal going to be like? What are the other guests going to be like? Are we dressed appropriately? The hallway was quiet and we didn’t hear a sound. Were we even in the right place? We knocked on the door, and the moment those large doors swung open, we were greeted by the sounds of laughter and rolling conversation, the smell of food wafting from the kitchen, a friendly handshake from Laura, and a glass of Gratien and Meyer mimosa.
Laura was a perfect and professional hostess, never ceasing to smile and always staying cool and calm as she effortlessly functioned as sommelier and server to a table of 16. Even though we were all tourists in this beautiful city of lights, for those few magical hours that night it felt like we were hanging out with close friends back home. It’s a special feeling to be welcomed into somebody’s home, to be invited into their sacred space as guests of honor, to be fed with food cooked from the heart and straight from the oven, and to be able to say goodbye to new friends with a warm hug and a ‘let’s keep in touch!’ at the end of the night. This exclusive experience was worth every 80 Euros, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Afaria, a small French bistro tucked away on a tiny street in the 15th arrondissement, is a relative newcomer to the Paris culinary scene. We became interested in dining at Afaria after reading an alluring review on a travel magazine. Young and handsome 27 year old chef Julien Duboué worked with fellow Basque Alain Dutournier at Michelin starred Le Carré des Feuillants, then at George V, and Daniel Boulud in New York. When he decided to open his own place, it wasn’t so easy. He was turned down by 9 banks before finding funding for the restaurant. Now it’s become an important landmark for locals and a go-to place for foodie tourists in the know.
There was an elderly gentleman celebrating his birthday that night with about 10 friends and family. A few couples were holding hands and looking longingly into each other’s eyes. Next to us was a party of 8 young beautiful women, giggling and toasting to a girl’s night out. After-work Parisians were sitting around the tall communal table by the entrance, nibbling on tapas and laughing out their hard day’s work over glasses of wine. This is a warm place of gathering, where people from all walks of life come together to enjoy life, drinks and good food.
We really wanted to get the magret de canard rôti grilled duck fillet over a bed of grapevines, which is one of the house specialties, but a large party of 8 next to our table snagged the last of it. For what it’s worth, it looked and smelled amazing!
Mignon de porc ibaiona grillé, grilled pork fillet with spring vegetables in a basil sauce, with pommes gaufrettes homemade chips. The pork was moist and tender, and the basil sauce was an incredibly refreshing complement to the fresh and sweet vegetables and mozzarella cubes. It went well with the light and dry Elian Da Ros 2007 Côtes-du-marmandais red wine from Cocumont France.
The escabèche of chicken Landaise with artichokes and summer truffles was a surprise, as we ordered it thinking it was a hot dish. It felt a bit strange to eat a cold chicken dish, and the chicken was a bit on the dry side. The summer black truffle aroma was disappointingly absent, and the dish lacked depth and flavor.
Afaria came back strong with a fascinating and heavenly dessert dish- the Baked Alaska with cognac flambée. The torched cognac was poured onto the dessert at the table, making for an exciting and mesmerizing experience. Hidden under the flambéed white meringue layer was a wonderfully rich vanilla bean ice cream. By the time we reached the bottom crust layer, it was nicely soaked in cognac and had an intoxicating rich flavor. This was one of my favorite desserts on this Europe trip.
We followed the dessert with shots of raspberry-spiked Armagnac, a recipe said to have come from the chef’s Basque grandmother. A most ideal digestif to e
nd the meal with. By the time we finished dinner at around 1 am the restaurant had closed and we were the last customers there. The friendly staff and Chef Julien invited us over to the bar area to share a lovely bottle of 1995 vintage Billecart-Salmon champagne with them. It’s always such an extraordinary and memorable experience to get to know the people who create the food- especially over drinks and laughs (and some dancing!).
My favorite item was the miroir givré, or frosted mirror, which is a large stainless steel frame with a refrigeration system that stands at the entrance of the hotel. You can write messages, draw pictures and leave your handprint on this cold frosted surface. Such a wonderful and fun innovation!
The historical Le Meurice hotel has been a landmark since 1835, and the grand dining room of Le Meurice restaurant has kept the same interior since it opened in 1907 except for the curtains and chandeliers that have been designed by Starck. The ornate ceiling frescos and elaborate gold trimmed rococo paintings and mirrors on the marbled walls are the same as what the early 20th century bo
urgeois looked at as they dined in the same room many years ago. One step into this handsome and luxurious dining room, and you are instantly transported into a different but comfortable space of old world aristocracy. With perfectly ironed white tablecloths, Hermés leather bag stools, plush silk sofas and well crafted wooden dining chairs, large elegantly draped windows that look out onto the Jardin, elaborate handmade tiled floors, impeccably polished silverware, and flawless fresh dark red roses on each table, the dining experience itself is worthy of more than 3 stars. The uniformed dining staff are of elite class, executing perfect flow of service down to the millisecond and never allowing so much as a crumb to fall on your lap.
e started our meal with 2 canapés- the mackerel, carrot and dijon mustard canapé was light, tart, not fishy at all. The goat cheese and tomato with chopped black langoustine coral was more creamy and deep flavored.
They also served us another complimentary dish of celeriac purée with cubes of carrot and beef, legume gelée, deep fried ravioli, vinegar and mustard seeds. It was nice to get different textures from the crispy ravioli, smooth gelée and tender beef cubes. The entire dish was nicely tart and acidic.
The larded fillet of beef marinated with French seaweed jam, stuffed polenta with soft fresh cream and raw vegetable shavings. This was cut, plated, garnished and served tableside like an orchestrated symphony by a team of 3 experienced and efficient servers. It was amazing to see them working in perfect harmony to produce this beautiful and delicious plate. The beef was cooked to perfection, and extremely juicy, tender and flavorful.
From the top going clockwise: donut with raspberry filling, violette macaroon with whole raspberries, slice of green apple and vanilla bean custard, raspberry financier with a cube of beet root, lemon zest and lemon mousse, and finally a sable with salt perfume, raspberry mousse and green apple jelly heart. All of these desserts were amazing, each presenting a different yet equally delicious interpretation of the raspberry. A true feast for the eyes, and an absolute joy for the palate.
Asperges blanches au parmesan de vache rouge: 
Poilâne bakery in the 6th arr. on 8 rue Cherche-Midi is one of, if not the most famous bakery in Paris. Still standing in its original location since it opened its doors in 1932, it is adored and frequented by both locals and tourists alike. Fortunately, the bakery is still in the trusted hands of the Poilâne family, and the tradition of baking their breads with stone ground flour and Guérande sea salt in wood fired ovens carries on to this day.
