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Archive for May, 2011

Four-star Gourmet Food In Paris – Part III

By Phil Chavanne

If there’s one thing the French know how to do well it’s food. Food is more of an art and for some a quasi religion in France and so I knew I would be remiss in my duties to readers of pariseiffeltowernews.com if I did not go and seek out Paris’s finest gastronomic glories for you. Sampling the following is not an option it’s a must!!!

Now in this third part as icing on the cake no pun intended I’ve uncovered two more Parisian gastronomic wonders including for dessert Berthillon’s simply outstanding range of ice creams and sorbets on the charming StLouis island.

BE Tasty and Classy

Boulangpicier or ‘BE’ for short is owned by two of Paris’s most famed and respected chef and baker: Alain Ducasse and Eric Keyser respectively.

BE’s name and concept result of the fusion of ‘boulanger’ baker and ‘picier’ grocer. Its culinary creations are inspired by simple traditional French recipes.

BE is housed in a smart typically Parisian building located not too far from the Arc de Triomphe and close to the Parc Monceau. This makes it an ideal spot for a takeaway lunch near one of Paris’s loveliest green expanse.

On sale is a carefully selected range of fine products and a tempting selection of sandwiches homemade soups and fresh salads as well as pastries and desserts whether to take away or eat in there is a seating area that takes about ten.

On the grocery front BE sells a range of gourmet goods unusual spices condiments jams chocolate candy pasta etc. and a small selection of organic produce and dairy products.

On the bakery front they sell Mr. Keyser’s renowned breads made on the premises whether as a loaf to take home or in the mouthwatering array of readymade sandwiches. I had never actually tasted Keyser bread and was genuinely surprised to find that it was far superior to almost anything I tried from other Parisian bakeries including the famous Paujauran bread.

The array of breads is carefully displayed; they are made from various combinations of highquality ingredients and are all at once tasty crusty fresh and moist a welcome break from the ubiquitous massproduced chewy white bread.

I was particularly intrigued by their concept of ‘Sandwich Brochettes’ an assortment of minisandwiches on skewers. After much deliberation I went for the ‘Brochette Riviera’ which was comprised of little buns of black olive bread filled with tapenade olive paste and slices of fresh goat cheese; tomato buns filled with tomato ‘caviar’ and basil turkey; and then basil buns filled with pesto and sundried tomatoes. Wise choice.

I washed down the lot with a bottle of Orezza a sparking mineral water sourced from springs near Rappagio in Corsica. I’d never tasted it before and had expected to find the more common French mineral water brands such as Chateldon and Badoit but it was a pleasant surprise Orezza has a fine flinty aftertaste and delicate levels of natural gas.

Naturally this ‘designer food’ isn’t the cheapest: sandwiches start at 5 euros and my Brochette Riviera set me back 7.5 euros. But it was worth every cent.

Tuck into BE’s tasty and classy food on the go or to take away at 73 boulevard de Courcelles 75008 Paris

And Now for a Spot of Dessert…

I think it’s safe to say that Berthillon sets the standard for ice cream and sorbet… Not only in Paris but all of France and quite possibly the world.

Berthillon’s typically Parisian ice cream parlor is located right in the middle of the Ile StLouis a small island on the Seine River which is itself a major tourist attraction. The St Louis Island is a charming little miniature Paris with quaint restaurants and hotels. In the early 20th century its inhabitants fancied their specificity and ‘seceded’ from France to become the ‘Republic of the St Louis Island’. One of those French loopy ideas!

Most of the food stores tea parlors and restaurants on the StLouis Island advertise that they stock Berthillon ice cream. Yet there’s only one Berthillon tea parlor. The company is owned and operated by the Chauvin family descendants of the eponymous Monsieur Berthillon who opened the first shop in 1954. The parlor is smart woodpaneled inside and out an elegant version of Friendly’s in America.

Berthillon sells its ice cream in bulk and by the scoop from its parlor but many other retailers in Paris sell their ice cream in cones and cups and some grocers sell larger amounts.

Any guilt you may feel at indulging can be laid to rest because Berthillon’s fame derives in part from its use of natural ingredients. Their sweets contain absolutely no chemical preservatives sweeteners or stabilizers. The ice cream is made with nothing else than milk cream and eggs and the flavorings are natural: cocoa vanilla fruit etc.

In terms of flavor we go way beyond ‘Chunky Monkey’ and ‘Fish Food’. Get ready for something altogether more refined and in the final analysis much more tantalizing for the old taste buds which should be stimulated rather than assaulted. We’re talking pear sorbet that tastes to me more of pear than an actual pear does; green apple; wild strawberry “fraise des bois”; coffee; honey nougat; prune Armagnac… All to die for.

Keep in mind that the French don’t scoff they ‘dguste’ savor with relish so if you’re expecting large Ben Jerry’s portions like you get in the US you’ll be disillusioned. But then again that may not be so bad as far as our waistlines are concerned…

Unfortunately Berthillon’s excellence is no secret. There is always a long line of eager customers no matter when you go and it’s even worse during hot weather. Trust me though the trip is worth it.

I do like their hours though open from 10 am with a late 8 pm closing time I know my evening cravings will be catered for well at least from Wednesday to Sunday as sadly they are closed the rest of the week. Also much to my chagrin I found out the place is not opened for business during a large part of the summer holidays a relatively common occurrence in France. Yet all is not lost since we can always get our Berthillon fix from the other ice cream shops and tea parlors on the Island!

For a taste of Bertillon’s habitforming gourmet glories get onto Ile SaintLouis: walk down the left side of Notre Dame; at the back of the Cathedral cross the bridge to your left onto Ile SaintLouis; then hang a right on Rue StLouis en l’Ile and go to number 31 on the right side of the street. Or go by Metro and get off at the Pont Marie station and cross the bridge. When you get to the central street of the island make a hard left and the shop stands right there on the opposite sidewalk.

About the writer:  A known expert of the French capital Phil Chavanne shares his inside knowledge of Paris at ParisEiffelTowerNews.com a free guide offering useful advices on Paris hotels restaurants and landmarks to the traveler on his way to France.

Five Ways To Reduce The Cost Of Your Airline Ticket

Availability of a vast array of airline ticket prices is one that is perplexing to most airline travelers. Only a handful of people who control the complex formulas that go into the science and art of Revenue Management inside the caverns of todays airlines understand it. To both the seasoned and occasional traveler alike getting the best value in an airfare is the elusive dream that is difficult to consistently achieve.

However there are some time proven axioms that one can follow to put the odds on your side in helping you to reduce the cost of your air travel:

1 Change the Time You Travel

Dont be rigid on the time of day you want to travel. Going between New York and Los Angeles for example may have one airline offering as many as seven or eight flights on a particular day. If you want to leave in the morning investigate the three or four departures offered during that time period. Moving your departure time by just one hour on your departure or return may save you a significant portion of the ticket price.

2 Change the Day You Travel

Even if you require traveling on a particular airline or time of day look at moving your desired departure or return day by one or two days. It is often the case that a particular flight may be cheaper on a Tuesday than a Wednesday or a Saturday instead of a Sunday. The side benefit of this might be a free oneday vacation as the savings in airfare can more than offset the additional cost of a hotel room and meals.

3 Change the Route You Travel

Yes we all like to travel directly from where we are to our destination as quickly as possible and without changing planes. But how much is this worth to you? Airlines often make connecting flights from your origin to destination less expensive than their nonstop flights. It may add a couple of hours to travel time but it may be worth the hundreds of dollars you might be saving. Airline websites unfortunately are designed to show you the most direct and shortest time between the cities you request. If they have an option to search by fare use that option with maximum number of results possible and drill down deep in the results to make sure you see all the fares available.

4 Change the Airline You Use to Travel

Competition is a wonderful thing! Many routes are highly competitive and it can force an airline with traditional dominance in a market to drop its airfares sometimes dramatically in response to a new competitor or fare sale from other competing airlines. Often times these sales will happen on a moments notice and may only last for a few days. If you have a favorite airline you wish to use subscribe to their email alerts for your favorite cities so you can be kept up to date on any fare changes. But dont limit yourself to just one airline. Do it for all the airlines in your market.

5 First Class Cheaper Than Coach?

No discussion of airfares would be complete without talking about the new currency for airfares: the frequent flyer mile. More and more of us are accumulating these frequent flyer miles that pay for airline tickets. Our first inclination when trying to redeem these miles is to seek out a coach seat using the lowest amount of miles typically around 25000 miles. However it is usually the case that the airline does not have any seats at the lowest mileage redemption level when you would like to travel but may have them if you use twice the miles. Before giving in to this requirement ask about business or first class awards. You may be surprised how many times discounted business or first class awards may be available to and from your destination for the same or less or slightly more miles than for double mileage coach awards. The extra comfort and perks are the icing on the cake!

Be flexible keep current on airfares explore all your routing options and look at all the ways frequent flyer miles can be redeemed.

About the Author

John Lopinto is Partner and cofounder of Expert Travel Services LLC which owns and operates ExpertFlyer.com the leading online information service for frequent flyers. A 100000 mile a year frequent flyer Mr. Lopinto travels extensively throughout Asia Europe and North America to bring his unique perspective to the travel industry for the frequent flyer. As a toptier elite member for an international airline and alliance Mr. Lopinto has first hand knowledge of life as an air traveler at all levels of service and experiences.

Mr. Lopinto also is President of a manufacturer of fiber optic transmission systems and highperformance computervideo interface products. Mr. Lopinto previously held various technical and managerial positions in the Broadcast Satellite and Cable TV industries.

Mr. Lopinto holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree. His professional affiliations include the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and the International Communications Industries Association.

To learn more about how you can travel cheaper and smarter log onto to http://www.expertflyer.com

About the writer:  Jenn Lim is the writer and webmaster of a peddlar.eu offering travel reviews and tips. Click here formore travel tips and reviews

Explore The Quieter Side Of The Ibiza Nightlife With Cheap Holiday Deals To Santa Eulalia

Cheap holiday deals to Santa Eulalia offer a quieter nightlife than those to Ibiza Town or San Antonio even though it’s the third largest resort on the island. The quieter side of Ibiza island nightlife is an excellent location for family holidays to remember. This resort is widely recognized as the best place on the island to enjoy exciting dining options as well as the opportunity to soak up a little bit of the local culture.

You will find art galleries shopping and the finest restaurants on the island in Santa Eulalia. This is not the resort of choice for budget holiday travel though finding cheap holiday deals to Santa Eulalia can leave a little extra money in your pockets to spend while you are there.

There is enough of a nightlife in Santa Eulalia that it still manages to appeal to those looking for 18 30′s holidays. It is nothing like you will find in Ibiza Town or San Antonio though. This resort is also popular with another holiday groupthose looking for romantic holidays.

Whether you are looking for couples holidays a romantic escape or the opportunity to spice things up a bit there are plenty of opportunities to find romance in Santa Eulalia. Moonlit strolls on the beach sunrise breakfast in bed and many excellent romantic cafes and restaurants in between make this a popular escape for couples.

Families enjoy package holidays to Santa Eulalia that include tickets for admission to popular attractions and tours an opportunity to explore the countryside or simply enjoying the best that the local beaches have to offer.

If you want to see how the other half really live make sure you take in the shopping and stop by the marina. The yachts you will find in the marina are stunning in their own right and a walk around the marina is a great way to enjoy spending an afternoon away from the beach.

When spending the day at the beach you can enjoy these exciting water sports: sailing water skiing diving pedaloes swimming and banana boats. The water is shallow and inviting for families with children though the beaches may be a little crowded they are a great way to spend the day without going over budget. You can even find great last minute holidays to Santa Eulalia while you are looking for the best cheap holiday deals to Santa Eulalia so be sure to check them out and compare prices.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;More Holidays at search4sun.comCheap holiday dealsWayne Bromiley