Category Archives: Restaurants

Mercato Del Suffragio

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So one good thing about moving to Milano is there is an abundance of wine and good Italian food. And I have many friends that give good tips. This was one of them. Mercato del Suffragio. Here you will find four corners with delicious fresh food. You can sit down and eat, buy “take away” or just buy the fresh ingredients.

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One corner has freshly baked bread, pizza, foccacia and coffee. The second corner has fresh fruits and vegetables, juices and salads. Third corner has fish and seafood. And fourth corner, my favorite, has cheese, salumi and wine. You can pick from each of the corners and sit down and enjoy the meal there, or take the meal home. The atmosphere is relaxed, the staff is very  friendly and the food is very good! I am definitely coming back here. Especially for the Ice Cream.

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It was Daniela, the wife of Mauro Veglio, that told me about this place. They know the owner, Willy, who is very nice! His real passion is Ice Cream, and he let me try some. The nocciola is to die for! The brand is Cool, and their idea is to make natural ice cream with fresh ingredients. They even have ice cream without Lactose for those who are intolerant.

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Signorvino

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Near the Duomo in Milano, there is a restaurant called Signorvino. It is also a wine shop, so you can either sit and have a meal or just buy a bottle (or 10) of wine. I think I will probably just buy the wine from now on. They have an ok selection of wines from Piemonte. Many different Vietti wines, some Ciglitui and Oddero, also some Ettore Germano.

The wine shop is pretty good, but I was not a big fan of the restaurant. Poor serivice, bad wine list (which is weird since they have a good selection of wines), the food was not great and the music a little loud. I thought it was weird that they were unable to tweak a dish to suit my needs. I wanted proscuttio crudo instead of the cotto and it was very hard for them to change it. I also just wanted a piece of the robiola but to get the robiola I had to order the whole cheese plate. And I had to ask for water 3 times before it arrived. I am not impressed. But I am used to the service at More e Macine or Osteria Vignaiolo. Maybe I have to get used to the service in Milano….

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I ended up with a bottle of Perbacco (not on the wine list) and Prosciutto crudo with my dish. So in the end it worked out (ish). I will be coming back to buy wine, so they have not lost a customer =)

Caves Madeleine

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Caves Madeleine has always been a go to restaurant for our family when we are in Bourgogne, and this time was no different. However, since the owner changed the food has become a lot better. It is one of the best meals I have eaten in a very long time. We all wished we could eat non stop to be able to try the whole menu. Maybe next time.

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The restaurant is located just outside the Beaune circle, and the small space seats about 25 people. The menu is scribbled on a black board in french, so we all had a little bit of trouble understanding the menu at first. Thankfully the staff spoke english very well and helped us figure out what we wanted to eat. The picture below is just a sneak peak of what we ate.

When it came to choosing the wine, we first tried to order something new. When the wine arrived, we all thought it was very strange and did not care for it very much. The waiter was extremely kind and let us chose another bottle. The service over all was incredible. I am very excited to go back again next time I am in Bourgogne.

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Cru

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Cru has quickly become one of my favorite places to go. It’s basically next door, the wine list is impressive and food incredible.

Cru is divided in two: the wine bar and the restaurant. Upstairs is the restaurant, a slightly fancy setting, with a set menu 3 or 5 courses. Downstairs is the wine bar, very casual with a menu of small courses, many are the same as upstairs. This setup makes it a perfect place for all kinds of occasions. I think my favorite part is the wine bar, enjoying the delicious food in a very relaxing atmosphere, ordering one plate and then maybe another.

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Cauliflower soup

They change the menu once in a while, adding new interesting dishes. They try to use ingredients grown locally and focus on honest food. And their philosophy shows in their food. I love trying their new additions to the menu. However, I also have some favorites. Their lobster bisque is one of my favorites, but recently the Caulilflower soup may have knocked it off the top of my list. My god it’s good! Definitely coming back for more.

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Terragon gnocchi with sunroot purré

Perfect place to spend a day off

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As always, Cru was nothing but excellent. I think this is one of my favorite places in the city. They recently changed the menu so I had the opportunity to try some new dishes. And I was pleasantly surprised. I tried the cauliflower soup and terragon gnocchi. And I think I will have it again the next time I go. It was incredible.

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Terragon gnocchi with sunroot purré

Our server, Kim, was great as always. He has almost become our regular, not that we are at Cru that often. Kim is very friendly and very knowledgeable about the food and wine. He is always entertaining, not to mention good at his job. I always hope he will be in charge of our table whenever we go, and I was not disappointed today.

I’ll write more about Cru later.

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Beijing Palace Oslo

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A few months ago I discovered this gem with my parents. Hidden away in Oslo, is a truly fascinating Asian restaurant. They have a wide variety of dim sum, good sushi and other asian dinner dishes. The food is very good, which is hard to come by outside of Asia. But the best part about this place is not the food, it’s the wine list.

In a funny plot twist, they have two different wine lists. The one on the menu and a separate one with a larger selection. The second, secret list, has wines you never would have guessed, like Comte Liger Belair, G Roumier and Comtes Lafon. Absolutely incredible! And almost no mark up. If you are interested in wines and find yourself in Oslo, Beijing Palace is a must!

Check out their menu here: http://www.beijingpalace.org/meny/ 

PS: If you’re on intsagram, check out hongwat, he is the guy to talk to about the wines.

Top 5 restaurants in Barolo

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  1. Mangè
  2. Centro Storico
  3. More e Macine
  4. Osteria Veglio
  5. Osteria dei Vignaiolo

 

Mangè

At Mangè you will find Maria Kristina and her husband. Maria is the chef, and her food is out of this world. The atmosphere at Mangè is friendly and you feel like you are surrounded by family and friends. You can come here for lunch or dinner, but also if you just want a glass of wine, a snack or a gin tonic. They have a little patio outside, where you have a view of the barolo hills and can catch the action of La Morra. Since the restaurant is located in the middle of La Morra, you are sure to witness the local life at its best.

Centro Storico

At Centro Storico, a small restaurant hidden in Serralunga d’Alba, you will find the best Champagne list outside of Champagne. You will also find Ciccio. Ciccio, which means little fat, is the owner. He, alongside his wife, make incredible food, and will serve it to you at one of the 8 tables they have. It may be small, but it’s a can’t miss if you are in the Piemonte region.

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More e Macine

Located in La Morra, Ito and his crew will serve you good food and wine in a fantastic atmosphere. If you look around, it is almost guarenteed one of the winemakers in the area will sit at one of the tables, drinking coffee or wine, chatting with their friends.

Osteria Veglio

You can find Osteria Veglio along the widning road leading up to La Morra, in Annunizata. The restauarant recently changed chefs, and it has become a *must* when we are in the Barolo area. The food is incredible, and if you’re lucky, the terrace has room so that you can eat with a view.

Osteria dei Vignaiolo

This little gem can be found at a crossroads in Santa Maria. Weather permitting, sitting outside is a treat! The food is very good, but I go for the Panacotta! Truly amazing. I haven’t found panacotta that good anywhere else.

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More e Macine

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If you are staying in the Barolo area, More e Macine is a must! The restaurant is located in La Morra, along the “main road” (if there is such a thing in La Morra…)

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Do not be fooled by the rather “simple” look, the food is great, wine list superb and staff incredible! Ito, the main man, is hilarious, a die hard juventus fan and a big champagne drinker. You can come to More e Macine for coffee, an aperitivo, lunch, dinner, or just to say hi! There is no occasion unfit for More e Macine.

You will also most likely run into the local winemakers, as it is a popular place for them to get a glass of champagne and hang out.

My brother leaving More e Macine with a bottle of Marengo

Burger and Burgundy

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IMG_4860B&B is located on Houston st in New York City. This “normal looking” burger joint is actually a wine destination in disguise. The wine list is quite impressive, with excellent white and red burgundies and some good Piemonte choices as well.

IMG_4865Accompanying our burgers was a 1976 Gevrey-Chambertin by Camille Giroud. A strange choice maybe, but a surprisingly ok pairing. The burger also happens to be their award winning burger.

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B&B was started by John McDonald and Chef Josh Capon, as an American pub with a world class wine list. On Wednesdays they have dinners with wine pairings where they try to introduce interesting winemakers. Check out their website here: http://www.burgerandbarrel.com/

Mercer Street Hospitality have other venues in the area, including El Toro Blanco and Lure Fish Bar. I’ll be trying one of those next time I find myself in NYC.