Tag: Canada

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FLW and Saarinen, Too

Part IV – Road Trip Endings

We left Canada in the morning and headed back into Michigan. We had tickets for a tour to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Smith house, the Cranbrook House and Gardens, and Eliel Saarinen’s art deco house on the Cranbrook Academy campus the following day.

Problem was that since staying more than one night in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, (where the Cranbrook Academy is located) would be prohibitively expensive, we decided to stay further away. Which is how we ended up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a town we had never been to.

Gerald Ford Presidential Museum

We got there later in the afternoon than planned (border crossings, traffic and a lackluster fast food lunch contributed to the delay) but ended up at the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum with just enough time left to tour the museum.

Was it coincidental that we ended up there exactly 50 years to the day (August 9) that he took office? Perhaps. What was particularly interesting for me is that since I was living in Munich at the time (and a teenager), there was a lot of American history and goings-on that I didn’t know about. I mean, yes, I knew about Vietnam, Watergate, and Nixon, but not much more than that. Consequently, I thought the museum was fascinating and they even recreated the oval office. Plus, they also had the famous needle nose pliers, and the screwdriver used to break into Watergate on display.

Both Gerald Ford and his wife Elizabeth (Betty) are buried on the property and there are statues of them, too.

Downtown Grand Rapids

After the museum we drove through downtown Grand Rapids. There were quite a few people walking around and some sort of downtown festival. What we noticed, however, were the stores and the restaurants! Apparently, we had stumbled back into civilization; that was the good part of the afternoon. The bad part was we checked into a Homewood Suites that occupied a certain number of floors of an old building. We have stayed at properties like this before and I find it disconcerting not knowing where to check in or park your car.

After finding the “front desk,” we were upgraded to a bigger suite with a window and a view of the downtown. We started to unpack and as I went to pee, I found out that the toilet wouldn’t flush. So, we called downstairs and one of the managers came up with a key to a different room on the same floor. This room had one window that looked at the interior of the parking garage and nothing else. The room was dark and depressing. I decided to ignore the situation and figured I would just politely complain in the morning.

Dinner at Leo’s

There has been a trend lately of restaurants texting me nearly 30 minutes before a reservation to tell me my table is “ready.” If I made a dinner reservation at 7:30, why would I possibly want to show up 30 minutes earlier? This has a profound negative effect on my mood before I’m even there. Primarily because it signals to me that 1) the restaurant is not crowded (bad sign, especially if it’s a Friday or Saturday night), and 2) the kitchen wants to close so everyone can go home.

We arrived at Leo’s at exactly 7:31. The place was not crowded and the interior of the restaurant left something to be desired. (Think hotel dining room anywhere in the world). I had picked Leo’s because it was known for its seafood. Even though we had spent the last four days eating fish, when you are as land-locked as we are now living up in the Mohawk Valley of Upstate NY, you eat as much fish as you can when traveling.

It technically wasn’t warm enough to have soup (I’m finicky that way about seasons and soup eating), but for some reason the salmon chowder that was on the menu appealed to me. A combination of both smoked and fresh salmon with chunks of potatoes and some corn, this chowder was really good. It doesn’t look like much here, but it was tasty.

Mussels were next. The tomato broth was really fresh and tomatoey, but I was so captivated by the beautiful plate it was on that when I was done, I actually turned it over to see if I could find out where it was made. (No clue.) And finally, another round of perch. We had two more days left in Michigan and I knew that tonight would be the last fish we’d eat on the trip. Sigh. The perch was just okay. And we passed on dessert.

Calder Plaza

Afterwards we walked around downtown Grand Rapids a bit – primarily to see if we could see the Alexander Calder sculpture, “La Grand Vitesse,” which we did. I also liked the way the town had renovated some of the old buildings but kept a few interesting architectural elements. (Think gas lighting.) It was a fun walk after our meal.

Back on the Road

Before we left the hotel in the morning, I did mention how unhappy I was about the room and the parking and the toilet situation. We must have gotten lucky because the general manager was actually working the desk and comped us not only the room, but the parking as well. Thank you for that!

Our architectural tour started at 1 p.m. and would last roughly four hours. I really dislike any event that interrupts a meal but figured we could grab something for a quick, early lunch somewhere.

We drove about two hours southeast and reached Bloomfield Hills. If anyone has ever visited Bloomfield Hills, do you know what’s missing? SIDEWALKS! We headed towards the commercial strip first and got a turkey wrap to go. And since I was adamant that I couldn’t leave Michigan without having a slice of cherry pie, we just happened to find a pie store. Did you know pie stores even existed? I didn’t. Fortunately, they did have slices of cherry pie. Was it the best pie I’ve ever had. No, but that’s not the point.

Cranbrook Art Museum

We met in the courtyard of the academy to check in at the Cranbrook Art Museum and to get our bearings. Founded by George Booth in 1927, he was instrumental in starting the arts and crafts movement in the U.S. and teamed up with Eliel Saarinen (father of more famous architect Eero Saarinen) to develop plans for the campus. The museum was completed in 1942, and unfortunately, we didn’t have time to walk through the exhibition. But I loved the gardens and all the fountains.

A Three House Tour: Cranbrook First

We started by seeing the Cranbrook house first. While it was grandiose (think Tudor) on the outside and had some interesting features, I’ve come to dislike this kind of architecture and furnishings. Everything seems old and musty. I did like their library, and they had an interesting German wood carving that reminded me of Munich. Also, some painted ceilings that gave the place a European je ne sais quoi. When I looked through my photographs, it seemed that I took more pictures of the exterior of the house (grounds, etc.) than inside.

The Saarinen House

Eliel Saarinen designed a house on campus where he and his wife Loja, lived for over 20 years (1930-1950). The Cranbrook Art Museum’s website describes it as a “beloved architectural treasure,” and I couldn’t agree more. This house appealed to all my senses – the clean lines, the modern furniture, even the paint colors they chose for the walls, as well as the floor coverings.

And don’t even get me started on the furniture. Look at this photograph of a bedroom with the original womb chair and ottoman designed by Eero Saarinen. Notice anything that kind of looks Ikea-like? Yep, he was the guy who did it first. And a closet with pull out shelves? (I had a version of this when I was in Munich; it’s very practical.)

I couldn’t resist sharing this photograph of our tour group, all wearing booties, and extremely enthusiastic about the houses and the architecture.

Finally, Frank

I wanted to like this Frank Lloyd Wright house, but I found it underwhelming and cluttered. What I did love about it was the back story. Melvyn and Sara Smith met Frank Lloyd Wright in 1941 and commissioned him to design a house. Frank, in his customarily dismissive attitude when potential clients would approach him, told them to find property first and come back when they found it. Apparently, even though Melvyn and Sara had absolutely no money and were earning paltry salaries as teachers, if you split a hot dog for dinner with your spouse and save every last penny that you earn, you too, can buy land. This property eventually became a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian house that the Smith’s then had to build themselves. (And I thought renovating the Red House was difficult…)

In true FLW fashion, this kitchen is compact and designed for people who don’t cook. And look at the twin beds and the ugly green bathroom!

There was also an extension that was added on at some point. I did like the dining room and thought the chairs were fun.

After the Smith’s built the house, they also became avid collectors of things. (Think borderline hoarders.) That’s why the house felt cluttered to me because there was a lot more stuff in this FLW house than others we’ve seen. I guess the moral of the story is to be careful what you wish for. You might end up with it.

The Town With No Sidewalks

We spent the night at a Hilton in the town with no sidewalks. When I inquired from the front desk clerk about this strange phenomenon, it was explained that the residents wanted to make sure that people who weren’t supposed to be there weren’t walking around making themselves “feel at home.” I assumed he meant people of color and since he himself was black, I took this to heart.

However, since we were having dinner across the street, we wondered, how would we actually get across the street? With all the traffic? And no crosswalks or lights? Answer: very carefully. We had our last dinner of the trip at an old school steak restaurant where I was so relaxed that I didn’t take a single picture of our meal! And that’s okay. We were heading home tomorrow, an 8 hour plus drive back to New York.

In case anyone is curious, my most recent short story on Substack was inspired by the visit to Cranbrook and the town with no sidewalks. Here’s the link if you haven’t read the first part of the two-part story.

The Town With No Sidewalks – by Julie McCoy (substack.com)

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.

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The Last Great Lake to Visit

Traveling to Lake Superior – Part I

Lake Superior was the only great lake we had never seen. We weren’t planning on going to see the “last one” this summer, but when I researched going back to Maine and the Eastern Townships area of Quebec, those areas proved to be prohibitively expensive. So, a trip to Ontario, and the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan seemed a more affordable option.

Since I was celebrating a birthday and didn’t want to spend all day driving on my birthday, we decided to leave the day before. This way (we hoped) we’d have no issues crossing over the border into Ontario in the morning. Why was I so considered about border traffic? Because I had a lunch reservation at a winery that I didn’t want to miss.

Old School Cafe, Naples, NY

Our first stop though was lunch in Naples, NY. The Old School Cafe, right on the main road, had been on my “to do” list for a while, and it didn’t disappoint. But has anyone ever seen me post a picture of a waffle? The answer to that is NO. Even my daughter, Rachel, was alarmed that my first meal of our trip was something I never make, order, or eat. I just don’t eat waffles.

I’m not sure what possessed me that afternoon, but suddenly I wanted something different. Something sweet and something savory. Therefore, The Old School Cafe’s special that day, a buttermilk waffle topped with Korean spicy chicken, was definitely a hit.

On the way from Naples to Medina (where we were staying for the night), Lynn happened to mention a Louis Kahn church in Rochester that he had visited once in college. Could we detour he asked? Of course, I said yes, and luckily, it wasn’t even a detour, but a mere two minutes from the highway we were already on.

Louis Kahn in Rochester

The First Unitarian Church of Rochester was completed in 1962. The building was closed so we weren’t able to get inside, but we did walk around the entire structure. Was it the ugliest building I’ve ever seen? No. Here’s a photograph of it anyway.

Medina, New York

We had been to Medina a few years ago and had stopped for lunch. It seemed like a quirky town with a couple of decent restaurants and even some boutique-type hotels. Since Medina is only an hour away from the Canadian border, it seemed like a good choice since there was a restaurant there that I had my eye on, too.

Downtown Medina is small. You can walk both sides of the street in under 10 minutes and find yourself wondering what else to do. We came across a plaque, commemorating a speech Frederick Douglass gave. Was it coincidental that it just happened to be the same day (August 3), but 155 years later? Perhaps. (This also happened to us on another occasion on the trip.)

After walking around the downtown area, we decided to try and see Medina Falls. Unfortunately, the pathway overlooking the falls was crumbling and thus, a bit scary. Plus, there were so many trees and bushes overlooking the falls, that I couldn’t really get a decent view. Actually, had I not heard the sound of the water rushing (plus a dog barking whose owner somehow had managed to get down closer to the falls), I wouldn’t have known that the falls even existed.

After the lackluster viewing of the falls, I drove to see The Culvert Road. I knew that it was the only road under the Erie Canal, but didn’t know the “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” connection. Apparently, we had missed it the last time we were in town, and since we were the only car on the road, it obviously wasn’t a trendy tourist thing to do. (Since I now live near the Erie Canal, most fun facts about the canal pique my interest.)

The Hart House Hotel

Now that we can travel any day of the week, we generally try to avoid Friday or Saturday nights because it’s always more expensive to stay on those days. Unfortunately, this time we didn’t have a choice, and luckily, the Hart House Hotel had one room available. I loved this quirky hotel and admired all the hard work the owners put into restoring it. It features a contactless check-in, and I’m glad they like to rave on their website that they now have an elevator since our room was on the third floor and the stairs were steep. And no, we didn’t sleep on the couch. Our room was quite large (hence the sitting area) and named after John Jacob Astor.

I would have liked to talk about the dinner we had that night in Medina because it was another reason we had decided to stay there. Alas, it turned out to be the most expensive meal of the trip, and disappointing, too. I rarely post a negative review of a restaurant I’ve been to, primarily because I don’t want anyone to lose their livelihood. I also understand the power of negative reviews on Tripadvisor and Google that can potentially turn people away. The few times I’ve had an issue with a meal, I’ve sent a note afterwards to the manager just as a heads-up and expect nothing in return. My silence about this particular restaurant will be enough.

On To Canada (But Lake Ontario First)

In the morning, we had time to kill before a 1:30 lunch reservation at Trius, a winery/restaurant we had been to before in Niagara-on-the-Lake. So, we decided to take the long way on Route 18 which runs along Lake Ontario. The weather that day was gorgeous, and we got to see a new lighthouse, Three Mile Point, as well as what looked like a laid-back summer town of Olcott. One takeaway from this ride were the gorgeous flowers (particularly sunflowers) that I saw blooming in everyone’s garden! For the birthday girl, it made her day!

Niagara-On-The-Lake

We have been to this area of Ontario many times and it’s still one of our favorite places to visit. Luckily, the border crossing was quick, and although we did end up driving through the town of NOL to see what was “new,” we just made it in time for our lunch reservation.

We sat outside and looked at the grapes still hanging on the vines. After discussing the hot weather we’ve had with our server, we learned that their harvest might be brought in about three weeks earlier this year. Since I know nothing about harvesting grapes, I just filed this away under something “good to know.” Followed by, yes, climate change is real!

Back to lunch. We had wine flights, and we had a tomato and nectarine salad. Then we had a cold smoked salmon plate with fingerling potatoes and poached shrimp. We split a slice of apricot cake with mousse that was frosted with a white chocolate ganache and whipped cream. We ordered more wine to go with dessert, and thinking about this lunch now makes me very hungry.

Most importantly, look how happy we are after this amazing meal!

London (Ontario that is)

Somehow, I had confused London, Ontario, with a town I thought we had been to and remembered as “charming.” This was not the same town. However, I specifically wanted to stay overnight there because of a restaurant that was on my “foodie radar.” I will mention how much I LOVE traveling through Canada, but how much I HATE the 401, the 405, the 403, and any other major highway that reminds me of being on Long Island. Unfortunately, to get anywhere quickly in Canada, these highways are your only option. Traffic is always bumper-to-bumper. But there aren’t any tolls, and there are “ONroute” rest areas every so often if you need to pee or a get a cup of coffee.

So, after getting off the 401, we made sure the restaurant we were going to was within walking distance of our hotel, and that there were sidewalks. (More on the latter later.) I had forgotten that the next business day was a civic holiday, which meant downtown London was pretty empty. Most people, I’m assuming, having departed for some sort of vacation or camping adventure elsewhere.

Dinner at Grace

Grace offers a CA$65 4-course prix fixe menu that you can’t beat. The Executive Chef, Angie Murphy, also has a sense of humor in that she has named many of her dishes. Case in point: the new potato and pickled cucumber dish that you see below, called “Velvet Underground,” is such an unassuming dish on the menu that I wasn’t sure if I should order it. However, this one totally wowed me. The potatoes and the cucumbers were so smooth (hence the velvet description, I assume) that I could have ordered another plate of that one dish alone. Next up: “Gold Bar” – polenta with eggplant, tomatoes, compressed zucchini, parmesan and basil in a thick tomato sauce. Lynn had a duck breast as an entree (not shown), but I went for something a bit unusual.

Titled “Doctor, Doctor” (put the lime in the coconut and call me in the morning), it featured Ube gnocchi with mushrooms, tofu, and cilantro in a hot coconut sour sauce. I did check with our server to make sure I knew about “Ube.” (It’s similar to a sweet potato, but actually a yam with a gorgeous purple color.) Finally, last but not least, dessert was a “Chocolate Mirage.” Also known as chocolate mousse on a stick with a sour cherry sorbet, the dish was fun and delicious. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the “stick” in question was actually a biscuit that was made to look like a stick and totally edible.

A Bit of Bavaria in Frankenmuth, Michigan

After leaving London in the morning, we crossed back over the border, and suddenly were in Michigan. Frankenmuth was a surprise to me. I was looking for a place to stop for lunch and didn’t know anything about this German-themed town near Saginaw, but still about three hours from our Mackinaw City destination.

Luckily, I had already scoped out the lunch possibilities and settled on Prost, a wine bar/restaurant that specialized in charcuterie. How could we resist that? It was very crowded, but we managed to get a seat at the bar. Since we knew we had a big dinner ahead of us, we decided to share a “German Heritage” board with a couple of beers. I was already feeling a bit elitist (having lived in Munich for so long) that I didn’t think the kitchen would be able to pull off a decent rendition, but they did.

Our board had some summer sausage, liver pate, black forest ham (the only cold cut that I wasn’t particularly fond of), as well as a mild “Butterkäse” cheese along with sauerkraut, pickles and bread. We drank Paulaner out of a can, and I was pleasantly surprised that the food was so good.

Afterwards we walked around town, and I tried to think I was in Bavaria – somewhere. I took a lot of pictures. There were murals, there were tons of flowers, and even a little Glockenspiel with dancing figurines. On the way out of town we even got to drive under an “Auf Wiedersehen” arch.

Mackinaw City Here We Come

I love to look at maps and would frequently look at a map of Michigan. (I know, I know, boring.) But looking at a map fuels my desire to travel and plan trips to see things I haven’t seen before. I had always wondered about Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge which crosses the Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

I had booked the cheapest hotel I could find for Mackinaw City in August. This meant we were staying at a Holiday Inn right near the bridge. The good news: we had a small balcony and even had a glimpse of the water. The bad news: if you sat outside on the balcony, you were accosted by never-ending traffic (including heavy trucks), so the noise level was pretty high. Luckily, the hotel was on the newer side (or renovated, I’m not exactly sure), and someone had the brains to not only put in room darkening shades in our room, but also install windows that kept all the noise outside.

The Holiday Inn was adequate for our two-night stay. But what we didn’t realize is that although we could almost see the restaurant we had booked that night from our hotel, we weren’t sure how to get there because of the bridge and the traffic. Luckily, we found a road that went under both. When given the option of walking to dinner, we usually prefer that over driving.

Audie’s for Dinner

Billed as a restaurant with both a “Family Room” and “Chippewa Room,” of course we walked into the family side by mistake. I will take a moment to comment on families that let their children 1) run around, 2) make a lot of noise and generally behave badly at the table, and 3) order off a kid’s menu when they are old enough to eat “real” food. I just can’t fathom having children who would behave like that in any restaurant and immediately feel hostile towards parents who don’t do anything to change their children’s behavior. End of rant.

Once we found the correct entrance, two things caught my eye on Audie’s menu. Perch and Whitefish. The last time I had eaten perch was when my grandmother, Theresa, was still alive. She lived in Whiting, Indiana, a mere 29 minutes from downtown Chicago, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Occasionally when I’d visit, I remembered many “all you can eat perch” meals at a place called Phil Smidt. Before they went out of business, I even found a retro-looking postcard that I’m particularly fond of. I even put the postcard in a small frame to remind me that their sauteed perch in butter sauce was the best I’ve ever eaten!

I was hoping Audie’s would be up for the challenge. While their perch was decent, it wasn’t the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth goodness I was looking for. Still, the menu was fun. We had some Oysters Rockefeller to start, followed by the perch, and apparently, someone had told them it was my birthday week, so we split some homemade vanilla maple ice cream for dessert.

And if anyone wants to see the glimpse of water from our little balcony and the bridge at night, I have photographs of that, too.

Tomorrow we’ll take the ferry over to Mackinac Island. You’ll be able to read about it on my next post.

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.

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Get In The Car

My new book, available on Amazon (2/2021) in both paperback and Kindle version, is a food and travel memoir. Written in 2008 (and just published this year), it’s the story of traveling with my husband, Lynn and two children. Canada, California and numerous European countries are some of the places we visit. Join us for the ride.

Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/GET-CAR-Food-Travel-Memoir/dp/B08WZFTWDM/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=julie+mccoy+get+in+the+car&qid=1614963641&sr=8-2#reader_B08WZFTWDM

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Twelve Courses: Backhouse

We had been to Backhouse in Niagara-on-the-Lake for lunch last fall. The restaurant, set in a non-descript row of shops away from the main tourist scene, was a definite find. We enjoyed our lunch so much that October afternoon that I was determined to return for dinner, and so we did two weeks ago.

Backhouse, with Chef Ryan Crawford at the helm, focuses primarily on wood-fired cooking. This means if you have the opportunity to sit at the “kitchen bar” you will get a first-hand look at everything that is being prepared, sliced, roasted, grilled and plated. It’s basically like getting a front row seat to see your favorite rock band.

Cooking on the line that night was a young woman who answered by the name of Chef Ashley. She was very busy making pasta, checking to make sure the fire in front of us was at the right temperature and adding more chunks of wood when it wasn’t. She was also stirring soups, tasting the dishes she was preparing and plating, too! It was fun watching her focus so intently on her craft.

The Beginning

I will admit I do read TripAdvisor reviews before I visit a restaurant. I also discount the ones that many people write when they complain about portions being small, a menu being “weird” and dishes too expensive. I figure those people shouldn’t be at that restaurant in the first place. (I will confess I am both a restaurant and food snob.)

After we had decided we were going to do the chef’s tasting menu of yes, twelve courses, two gorgeous silk cutlery rolls were placed before us.

The fact that we were given numerous utensils to choose from (big and small spoons, knifes, forks and even chopsticks) made such incredible sense to me. Not only could we, as diners, choose how we wanted to eat a certain dish, but it freed up the servers from having to run back and forth to replace our silverware after every course.

While some people I have read complained about this “gimmick,” I actually thought it was brilliant. Plus I loved the Asian feel of the roll and I can’t say that I’ve ever eaten with brass-colored silverware!

First Course

We started with an amuse bouche of a single gougère stuffed with duck liver mousse. Not only was this bite a delicious savory treat but I loved the vessel it was served in. Look at the feet!

Second Course

Lynn had eaten this dish before – a creamy egg mousse concoction nestled in an eggshell and topped with gorgeous hunter green kale “pearls.” It was a melt in your mouth treat and we both wanted more of it.

See what good eaters we are?

In between courses we got to look around at the restaurant decor. There was lots of wood. And wine. And the roaring fire in front of us.

And there were knives!

Third Course

This course amused me. It was essentially a potato on a plate with some spicy crumbled sausage on the side. In concept it looked like a variation of a hasselback potato but these were cut in the shape of a mille feuille. Hence, when you cut into it, you could see the very thin layers of this perfectly cooked potato. I took two shots of this dish; the first one as it was served to us. The second one I tore apart briefly with my fork to show you the layers.

Fourth Course

Next up was bread and butter. Now normally this isn’t even considered a “course” in most restaurants since most places will bring a basket of bread to the table once you’ve sat down. But at Backhouse both the bread and the butter are homemade and of course baked in the wood oven. I think we ate ALL of the sourdough bread before I remembered to take a picture. Luckily, I managed to snap a photograph of the three butters served that evening before being devoured as well.

Fifth Course

I love soup. I especially love root vegetable purées. Tonight’s featured soup special was a squash purée that was topped with some crispy prosciutto, a few cubes of roasted squash and what looked like a sage leaf but might have been a piece of crispy kale. The fact that we watched one of the chefs slice the prosciutto on a handy Italian slicer, then crisp it in a pan to be used in the soup was mouth-watering. (I also on occasion have fried up some prosciutto for breakfast instead of bacon. I prefer the taste and try to tell myself it’s a “healthier” option.)

Look at this gorgeous slicer! It’s sharp! It’s red! There was a trend in Munich in the 1970’s where it was considered perfectly normal to have a meat slicer in your home kitchen. There you could buy large quantities of smoked meats (salami, ham, bologna) and slice them up to feed cold cuts to your family. Since Germans ate a lot of cold cuts this struck me as being both practical and economical. We never had a meat slicer but it was probably a good kitchen gadget to have if one was so inclined to eat that way.

Sixth Course

A play on words describes our next course which was a salad. In “Leaf it to Ashley,” the chef noted above who was cooking for us that evening, it contained some greens (including frisée which I love), croutons, more prosciutto and a couple of other items that are beyond my description.

I need to divert here a bit and talk about the greenhouses in this area of Ontario. Crossing over the border near Buffalo and/or Niagara Falls we see a lot of land and trees. Once however we drive closer to St. Catherine and Hamilton, we see greenhouses. Massive greenhouses. The bulk of many of the vegetables I’m buying these days seem to come from these big greenhouses. Case in point, at my local Price Chopper, a good 75% of the produce (Boston lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, green onions and tomatoes) have a “Product of Canada” sticker on them. Since we are closer to Canada now, I actually prefer buying these food items rather than an avocado that comes from California or an orange from Costa Rica.

Seventh Course

Before this course was served to us, we got to observe another chef who was rolling out dough to make what looked like handmade penne. I won’t have to tell you that pasta is one of my favorite things to eat – macaroni and cheese in particular. (And yes, I do believe it’s a cardinal sin to bake said dish in the oven and top it with breadcrumbs!)

Imagine my delight then when we were served some thick rigatoni-like noodles tossed in a kale and walnut pesto with some shards of cheese on top. While I’m not a big kale fan (I find the stuff tasteless and cardboard-like), this absolutely worked in this dish. I know kale is supposed to be healthy, but hey, a girl can’t like everything!

Eighth Course

Even though it was a prix fixe set menu, our server let me switch out the guinea hen course (aka “chicken”) and have the spring trout instead. Lynn’s chicken, I mean guinea hen, came with some lovely beets. It was perfectly roasted but truthfully my trout with more kale (!) and some grainy mustard and horseradish was better.

Ninth Course

I’m tired of seeing “pork belly” on a menu. First of all, you can swear up and down about how good eating “fat” is. It’s not. Perhaps it’s because I grew up with more than the occasional fatty piece of meat at the dinner table that I could barely choke down and inevitably would try to get rid of whatever I was chewing by doing the cough-in-the-napkin-thing. This is why to this day I always prefer to order fish rather than meat when dining out. This was the only course so far that was just okay. Don’t get me wrong I love pork and ham and anything pork-like that is pulled or barbecued. It’s just that me and pork belly, well, I just don’t get it..

Tenth Course

And then when asked what type of cheese was available, I was told they had over 25 varieties! We were brought out a selection of three firm cheeses (including an amazing cheddar) and one soft. Where’s the cheese you ask? Apparently I forgot to take a photograph BEFORE we started to dig in and all that was left were a few slices of sourdough walnut and raisin bread and the remnants of the cheese slate.

Eleventh Course

In this part of Ontario, ice wine is a big deal. Since I detest sweet wines (and any type of dessert wine for that matter), ice wine and I are never going to be a couple. The ice wine “float” that they brought to the counter reminded me of the old school lemon sorbets certain “fancy” restaurants used to bring to you between courses. This was supposed to “cleanse your palate” – or prepare it so to speak – for the next course. Luckily, this “float” wasn’t terribly sweet, and I loved the bit of fun this course brought to the bar.

Ice wine was poured into a champagne glass holding a dollop of sorbet and some carbonated water was spritzed out of a soda siphon into the glass right in front of you. It worked.

Twelfth and Final Courses!

Beet Cake and Roasted Squash Crumble

Besides switching out my entree, I was also allowed to choose a different dessert. I usually get away with this because I say something along the lines of “wow, I’ve never had (insert name of dish here) before and I would really like to try it.” This kind of menu enthusiasm has never failed me.

Let me talk about one review about the beet cake that I read on TripAdvisor. Someone absolutely hated it which is why I so desperately wanted to try it. In fairness, you have to like beets and be okay with the fact that sometimes dessert doesn’t have to be sugary, sweet or have chocolate in it. The beet cake they brought out that evening had the consistency of a pound cake but with an intense savory beet topping. Was it the best dessert I’ve ever had? No. Was it the most creative? Yes.

Lynn’s dessert was a slice of roasted squash with some crumble and a mousse-like cream. I had some of his, too.

Finally, we are not gluttons. Each of the twelve plates served was truly a small plate, think tapas. It takes a long time to get through this meal (3 hours!) but it doesn’t drag on. There’s a lot to take in visually since the chefs are working right in front of you. Plus, there’s lots and lots of good Niagara escarpment wine to drink. And to that we say Cheers!

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A First Time Visit to Prince Edward Island

Although we had traveled to Nova Scotia nearly 30 years ago, we had never visited Prince Edward Island. On the itinerary for last summers road trip adventures, it seemed like a logical place to visit since it would save us airfare. And now that we live permanently in upstate New York, it really is easier to travel places that used to take 8+ hours to get to. Particularly when one has to get off the “Isle of Long” first. (Shout out to Larry The Duck on SiriusXM’s First Wave station for getting me through the morning commute and his endearing giggle when he invariably describes Long Island that way.)

My initial impression of PEI was wow! That’s a really really long bridge you have to take to even get to the island. Case in point: The bridge, known as the Confederation Bridge, is the longest bridge in the world crossing ice-covered water. I’m not sure what exactly that means since there was no ice the day we crossed but that’s what a Google search revealed. It’s also really expensive. CA$47.75 to cross a bridge? Granted, it’s only a one-way toll (you pay on the way back) but still!

So once we got off the bridge, we stopped the car and walked around a tourist-filled rest area and then decided to grab a couple of lobster rolls for lunch.

On To Charlottetown

I was a bit disappointed with Charlottetown I have to say. A) It was a lot smaller than I expected and B) There wasn’t really a lot to do there. Yes, we could have gone to see “Anne of Green Gables: The Musical” (just kidding!) since it has been playing annually in Charlottetown since 1965! But since I was already dragging Lynn to see the author’s house the next day, I decided to spare him anything else related to “Anne.” Besides we were already being bombarded by Anne of Green Gables souvenirs and even “‘Anne” chocolates everywhere we looked.

Thing is, I never read Anne of Green Gables growing up. I actually went to my local library this summer before we set out on this adventure, and truth be told, I liked the book and the character. (And knowing how I was as a young teenager girl, I probably would have tossed the book in the garbage because back then I liked reading books by D.H. Lawrence.)

I’m really glad I read the book this past summer since so much of Prince Edward Island is wrapped up in the many stories that author Lucy Montgomery wrote. She managed way back then to create characters that one can emphasize with and the near fairy tale setting of her books on the island only adds to their appeal.

So our first morning in PEI we went to visit the very modest family house where she was born and where she eventually married, too.

Followed by a further drive down the road to see a “heritage place” museum that showcased many of her books and the inspiration for writing them.

Driving between these two places, we would catch glimpses of the water and marvel at the beauty of the countryside. I also didn’t know there were so many farms on Prince Edward Island. Or that their primary crop was potatoes. And why was the soil so incredibly red?

It turns out there’s a lot of iron in this soil and although it looked like “sand” similar to what we had seen in the deep red stones of Sedona, Arizona, this soil was lush and fertile. I stopped more than once to pull over to try and capture the deep color of the earth but the camera just didn’t do it justice.

We continued to drive a bit around the island when suddenly I saw a sign for “Malpeque.” Could it be the same Malpeque that was famous for its oysters? We journeyed on to find out.

Even though it was not even noon, we decided to have an early “snack” of some just-harvested Malpeque oysters, “from the source,” so to speak at the Malpeque Oyster Barn. Now that I’ve had the “real thing,” it’s very difficult to order fresh oysters anywhere else and expect them to be even passable.

Fresh and only slightly briny, they needed just a simple squeeze of lemon as shown here although the Migonette sauce and fresh horseradish were a nice touch, too.

Afterwards we walked around the dock area and looked at all the oyster/lobster traps so artfully displayed.

And then we went to find a lighthouse nearly an hour and a half away on the other side of the island.

Point Prim Lighthouse

When we drove down a sandy beach road looking for the Point Prim Lighthouse, we didn’t expect to find a long line of cars parked on the side of the road. We realized the real reason people were there was to eat at the Point Prim Chowder House.

Even though we didn’t have a reservation, they found a table outside for us. I have to say the view was delicious! The food was decent. And the mosquitoes! Boy, they loved my ankles that day!

So back to the view.

With these pretty white curtains (that they tried to tie back since they had a tendency to billow in the wind), I felt I was in a fancy Caribbean resort rather than PEI.

We had a bowl of chowder and two lobster rolls but genuinely had a hard time thinking who was enjoying their “feast” more – Lynn and I or the mosquitoes nibbling on us.

We ate quickly and then made our way over to the lighthouse where (drum roll) we were one of only two visitors.

After lunch, we decided a visit to the beach (and being able to dig our toes into that incredible red sand) would be just the thing to do.

We had packed bathing suits and borrowed some towels from the hotel (but boy do I hate changing in a toilet stall!) and then indulged in a beautiful afternoon at Brackley Beach.

They have dunes! They have crystal clear water! They have soft red sand! Really, it was very relaxing.

Dinner both nights in Charlottetown was pretty uninspiring but I have to assume that’s because the town was filled with tourists looking for a cheap hamburger and a beer. We did have some fantastic chowder at Brickhouse Kitchen and Bar. Loaded with fresh seafood (at least four different kinds from what I could tell) plus potatoes and cream, it was really good! I went back to check their website, pulled up their menu and this chowder is actually a winner! Named the 2018 PEI Potato and Shellfish Chowder Champion, this one dish has lobster, haddock, scallops, mussels, smoked bacon and PEI potatoes.

Don’t you just want to dive into that dish? I do!

PEI Potatoes and Charlottetown’s Farmer’s Market

Speaking of PEI potatoes, well here we go. Okay, so as I mentioned before, I was trespassing on farmland trying to take pictures of the soil and the abundance of potato plants when I thought well, I have to buy some. Luckily, we were in town for the weekend and Saturday mornings is where all the action is at the Charlottetown’s Farmers’ market. Unfortunately, we had already eaten a (mediocre) breakfast at the hotel, but we walked around the stalls and marveled at all the goodness that was being displayed.

Potatoes right from the earth!

Lettuce and scallions and squash, too!

Wait, are those just-picked Shiitakes?

And lots of different varieties of fresh baked bread?

Are you hungry yet? Because I am!

Needless to say, only three things would bring me back to PEI. The oysters, the farmer’s market and the beach!

Oh yeah, on the way home, guess what I bought?

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.

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A Trip To Maine and New Brunswick, Canada (And Random Thoughts About Breakfast, Too)

It was nearly 29 years ago when we first traveled from Long Island to Maine and New Brunswick with our then 1-year-old son strapped in a car seat in the smallest car I think Chevrolet ever made (the Sprint). It was actually so small (I’m pretty tall and Lynn is too) that we even nicknamed the Sprint “Sprint Junior” just to make fun of its tiny size.

This time we started out from upstate New York (already saving us probably at least 3 hours) avoiding that awful stretch of I-95 going through Connecticut. Our first stop was in Essex, MA, for amazing lobster rolls at an old school joint called Essex Seafood. I mean look at this handwritten menu tacked onto the wall!

The lobster was sweet, minimally dressed and the side order of onion rings were pretty decent, too. I’d also like to personally thank many of my Instagram foodies who shared that find with me!

Overnight in Portland, Maine

We hadn’t been to Portland in at least 20 years and frankly, we didn’t remember a single thing. We walked around near the harbor area but weren’t that impressed.

There were a couple of restaurants and bars and the usual coffee places but there seemed to be an overwhelming number of tourist places all selling the same trinkets. Actually anything that had a lobster on it seemed to be a guaranteed sale. Lobster key rings? Check. Lobster potholders? Double check.

Dinner that night was at Fore Street – a restaurant that didn’t disappoint in its open kitchen concept as well as the incredible wood-burning smell of everything they were cooking.

The menu was very creative. Squid with eggplant and green beans followed by grilled foie gras on a slice of homemade zucchini bread! Who does that?

Second course up: Fresh blue fin tuna with peppers and grilled corn. A tasty dish but a small portion I thought for the price tag. (Yes, look at it, it was about 2 .5 bites!)

Finally, Lynn and I split a fresh berry cobbler topped with a biscuit-like dough (not my favorite but more on biscuits later) and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Doesn’t that look absolutely delicious though?

On the way out, stopping to say “thanks” to the chefs working the line in the open kitchen, I was told by a not-so-friendly wait staffer that I was “not allowed” to be there or to talk to them! What? Cooking is a thankless job but I made sure the chefs working that night heard me compliment them on their exceptional talent. And at least I got a smile out of a few of them.

Before we left Portland the next morning, we stopped to see the lighthouse. Apparently, we had missed it the first time and the weather was absolutely perfect to get a great photograph!

On To Saint John, New Brunswick

We stopped for lunch outside of Bangor, Maine, and started with a seafood “chowdah” brimming with haddock, clams, shrimp and lobster. I moved on to eat a lobster BLT with avocado and Lynn held out for a traditional lobster roll. It was pretty darn good.

We had never been to Saint John and stayed at a hotel on the rather ugly waterfront. (This apparently is turning out to be a theme on this road trip.) Here, however, at least someone had attempted to create some “artwork” along the way. I particularly liked the random fish sculptures that were scattered around the downtown area.

We walked into a park, King’s Square, and found what appeared to be a Victorian-era band stand. Although when I looked at it, it kind of reminded me of a squat version of the Chinese Tower (Chinesischer Turm) in Munich’s Englischer Garten.

I have to segue just a bit. I really wanted to find a picture of Munich’s Chinese Tower and post it here but I realized that all the pictures I probably took of it were WAY BEFORE THE CLOUD! What? And yeah, I could drag out an old CD, pop it into my laptop and then spend hours looking for that one photograph. Or, I could just walk downstairs and find the one photo album I needed and just take a picture of the darn thing.

So here it is: My own photograph of the Chinesischer Turm in Munich, Germany, shot in the winter of 1979. Pretty cool right? And if you just look at the top two “towers,” you may see the same resemblance I did. And yeah, it took me a mere 3 minutes to walk down the stairs, find the photo album, flip open the page, shoot the picture, walk back upstairs and upload the shot.

Dinner At East Coast Bistro

When I tell you we had some of the best mussels EVER for dinner that night at East Coast Bistro, I’m not exaggerating. First of all, these mussels were from the Bay of Fundy which is the closest body of water to the town of Saint John and hence the restaurant. Spiced up with an intensely flavored coconut hot sauce with leeks on top, I’m still tasting (and dreaming) about this dish today. Second course I had was a fresh halibut with asparagus, pickled onions and arugula on top.

Yummy! Finally, since I had mentioned it was my birthday week – look what they brought out for me! Lovely homemade vanilla ice cream with a lemon tart topped with meringue. Also, I got to meet Chef Kim Steele and crew which was a nice treat.

Breakfast? What Breakfast?

One of my pet peeves of traveling these days is not being able to find a decent breakfast in the morning without A) driving out of our way and B) paying way too much money. I’m also not a fan of hotel buffets (unless it’s a really decent hotel). Or standing in line to scoop lukewarm scrambled eggs out of a chafing dish and then stand in another line to toast store-bought muffins.

I also like my breakfasts to be pretty simple. Eggs are a must but I don’t particularly like sausage for breakfast. But I’m okay with bacon but only one slice! And yes, I, too, fell for the avocado on toast thing. But then I stopped eating bread at breakfast for a while and I wasn’t crazy about just eating a “naked” avocado.

Hash browns or any kind of potato actually are also a definite no-no. You’re probably thinking, wow, it seems she doesn’t even like breakfast at all! But I do, I do, it just needs to be really simple and preferably served with a little bit of fresh fruit. (But only certain fruit.) Okay, I know I’m more than a little particular about my breakfasts.

I also won’t go into how I would prefer a croissant over a biscuit any day because my Dad, Larry, is one of my best blog readers and after he reads this he will probably be sending me hourly recipes for biscuits! (Love you Dad!) If you haven’t checked out any of his books, he is a funny writer and his books make great gifts, too. Side note: he LOVES biscuits and pie!

I also won’t go into my love/hate relationship with bagels. Well, okay, if you insist. I only like plain ones (and prefer mini bagels over full-sized ones) and also only buy bagels from certain stores. Recently Lynn and I decided pizza for breakfast would be a good idea but then wimped out at the last minute and got Italian pastries and cappuccino’s instead. (This photograph was from a recent trip to Montreal.)

Consequently, the next morning in our search for a bite to eat – a coffee, a donut, a bagel, a something, we walked around downtown Saint John and came up with zilch. We ended up back at the hotel, walked into the dining room and looked at a room filled with people who were drinking coffee. My breakfast “radar” went up. I realized no one had a plate in front of them which meant they had been waiting for their breakfasts a really, really long time.

I decided to be brave, ordered a simple omelette with toast and coffee and then we proceeded to wait. We got lucky. Apparently, the chefs working the line that morning cook everything at once since everyone’s food came out at the same time. So even though we were the last ones in that morning, our food came out as well. Timing is everything.

Since I didn’t take a picture of the omelette or my lousy coffee, I will leave you with some photos of some truly great breakfasts! (Regardless of my rantings above, I really do love breakfast!)

The best omelette you will ever eat. Courtesy of Les Deux Magots in Paris.

The best scones you will ever eat. Courtesy of The Langham Hotel in London. (Note: we did NOT stay there because it was outrageously expensive but went once for Easter brunch.)

The best farmer’s market to enjoy some pastries (and breakfast). Courtesy of the Byward Market in Ottawa.

I mean, even riding the Eurostar between London and Paris we had a decent croissant!

Finally, my new commuting life allows me not only to photograph my sucky”breakfast” at my desk but also share it with my husband, Lynn and my readers. If you’re wondering what it is – here’s more than a clue: Pepperidge Farm white bread, a slice of Munster cheese (or if I’m feeling really adventurous Havarti), a smear of butter laced with olive oil and either green or red grapes. Followed by weak office coffee. Awesome, right?

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.

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Lunch, Dinner and Waterfalls, Too (Back to Canada)

We did a spur of the moment trip earlier this summer to the Niagara-on-the-Lake area with trips to Hamilton and St. Catherine thrown in. We had been to the area a few times before but now there are even more places to eat (and drink) so we like to go back as frequently as possible. The fact that many of the Niagara escarpment wineries remind me a little bit of the California wineries we used to visit in the early 1990’s also helps. I also love to drive around the area to see not only what the farmers are growing but what dishes the chefs are creating with all this bounty before them.

We made it over the border crossing in about 40 minutes (yeah!) and found ourselves at the amazing winery/restaurant of Two Sisters Vineyard. The problem with eating “across the border” is that it is difficult to make a lunch reservation because you never know how long the wait will be to get across! Luckily, even though the restaurant was packed, they managed to find a table for us.

We didn’t waste any time when ordering. Glasses of wine. A wood-burning stove that spit out pizzas (ours was covered with arugula and prosciutto) followed by a pasta Bolognese dish even though it was hotter than hell that day. For those who missed my last story mentioning the “Beef Strogonoff” that Lynn consumed (again on a really hot day), well, all I can say is “Bon Appetit!”

Dare I mention they brought us out the largest bowl of grated cheese I’ve ever seen? I mean it was the size of a casserole dish! Look, our server is even showing off by holding it in one hand! (Actually I asked her to hold it that way so I could take the photograph.)

After lunch we drove around the area and to kill some time before our next meal, we went to a winery, Tawse, in Vineland, Ontario, we had missed the last time around. But first, we drove down a street called Cherry Avenue. What did we find on Cherry Avenue? You betcha!

To say I was excited about seeing cherries for the first time in person, in all their cherry goodness, is beyond words.

Dinner at Quatrefoil

This had been on my list of restaurants to go to for quite some time. Housed in a lovely house in the town of Dundas, Ontario, on Thursday nights they do a 3 course prix fixe “Farmer’s Supper.” So it being Thursday, that’s what we had. For starters, I had the white asparagus vinaigrette. Now this may not seem like a special dish, after all it’s just asparagus, right? But since I grew up in Munich, we waited anxiously every year for the asparagus season to start (usually the end of April/beginning of May). White asparagus was always preferred to the green kind and once the asparagus came out it was sold in farmer’s markets and was a featured dish in nearly every restaurant. To say it was a big deal is an understatement. Now, however, when I see white asparagus in the market, it just doesn’t taste the way I remember. This asparagus with a perfect vinaigrette absolutely hit the spot though.

Next up a perfectly cooked moist piece of salmon. Now, I realize I shouldn’t be that excited about salmon, right? Trust me this was exquisite. Do I dare mention that Lynn had beef (a steak) again? And no, I’m not posting a picture of his steak. Absolutely not.

A few days prior, I had seen on Instagram that the chef de cuisine of Quatrefoil, James Bourdeau, had “acquired” lots of different fresh berries from a local farm. “Where were the berries?” I asked our server. He wasn’t sure but he would find out. Imagine my surprise (and laughter) when a plate of berries was brought out for me to try.

And then Chef Bourdeau came out to talk to us! How cool is that? Thank you Chef!

Dessert included a deconstructed chocolate cake and mousse combo with fresh mint leaves and a lovely rhubarb creme brulee (not shown here since the shot came out blurry – probably from all the excitement.) I mean fresh picked berries and white asparagus in the same meal? I thought the food was amazing, the plating stellar and the service was outstanding.

Craving Indian…Still Craving Indian

Lunch that day was a choice of Thai or Indian in St. Catherines. We chose the Indian since 1. We love Indian. 2. We can’t find decent Indian near us. 3. We hadn’t had naan or curry in a long time.

It’s always disappointing to crave ethnic food and then not have them deliver what you’re craving. While the chicken tikka masala was okay, the naan and poori breads were just not as light and fluffy as they could have been. We sucked it up and decided Thai might have been a better choice that afternoon.

Creekside Estate Winery for Dinner

We had been to Creekside Estate Winery the year before and liked their varietals very much. They pour a strong Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah, too. A chef I had been following on Instagram, Ross Midgley, was cooking that summer on the deck at this winery so of course we wanted to visit.

Friday nights at the Creekside they have a limited menu but live music. Dare I mention it was really hot that Friday night – so hot we were sweltering and of course there wasn’t even a gust of wind in sight. We sat and drank lots of cold white wine to cool off. And then ordered some pretty outstanding food.

We started with a plate of oysters! Yeah, I love oysters! Then moved on to the Mediterranean platter (grilled halloumi, pita, olives and red peppers). Look at those cute little French jam jars – one filled with hummus and the other with Greek yogurt. And finally, the lobster roll was pretty decent, too. Thank you Chef!

We also got a chance to talk to Chef Midgley which was a special treat since he only had one other person helping him in the minimalist deck “kitchen” (fridge/work counter/grill) that evening.

Waterfalls, Waterfalls

Before we left to drive home, we decided to visit a couple of waterfalls in the area. Now since we have a waterfall in our backyard (albeit one you have to hike to), we shouldn’t have been as excited about seeing these. But they were pretty and we basically had the place to ourselves. I’ll leave you with two photographs…

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.