Lefty's: April 2011

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Travels with Chris: Paris

Paris is the most beautiful city I've ever seen. It is filled with generations of independent family-owned restaurants, cafes, and historical culinary landmarks.

Au Lapin Agile in Montmartre

Hanging out at Rodin's house

The heart and soul of France is the art of food and wine. I feel at home anyplace that has the same passion for dining as my family and I do.

Shopping at J. Dupeyron, specializing in Vintage Armagnac since the 1700's

We stayed for a while in a country house with a garden not far from Champagne. I loved visiting the villages, shopping for local wine and cheese, getting recipes and advice from the butcher, and smelling the fresh baked bread and pastries from a family bakery.

A friend's dog - Farfel- takes me on a tour of the village.

Bringing our bounty home, picking vegetables in the garden still warm from the sun, cooking boeuf a la bourguignonne and.....

fresh apple Tarte Tatin and dining outdoors as the French countryside turns from day to night -

It doesn't get any better than that.

It's good to be King.

Photos (c) Chris Papageorge All Rights Reserved

Friday, April 1, 2011

Travels With Chris: Mexico

Everyone in my family loves to travel and as a restaurant family we travel to eat. My wife and I have always preferred the warmth of a house or apartment over that of a hotel...and having access to a kitchen enriches our travel experience tenfold.

Lunch on our rooftop

For some travelers cooking is a chore they'd rather leave behind...but for us it's a way to immerse ourselves in another culture and interract with the locals.

To spend an afternoon in the market of any foreign town or village is to feel all of your senses come alive with the true essence of that particular place...just what traveling is all about.

And, of course, we love the street food and discovering great restaurants, too.

Here are a few photos from one of our many visits to central Colonial Mexico.