Medieval town of Gruyeres

Most of you know about gruyère, a hard yellow Swiss cheese, whose flavor lingers with an earthy complexity of nuts, cream, salt and mystery. Which came first, though? The cheese or the town after which it is named? In fact, the origins of Gruyères, its inhabitants and its name lie still in mystery. 

I’d read a little about this charming village and castle already. The 1500 inhabitants of the tiny medieval village of Gruyères live atop a hill (801 m above sea level) that commands a magnificent view of the fertile valley of Gruyère and the Préalpe Massifs of Moléson, Dent du Broc, du Chamois and du Bourgoz. Celtic tombs were unearthed at the foot of the hill; and, below the borough of St. Germain, near the rectory of the village, coins and statue fragments prove that the Romans had been there too. According to the historian Henri Naef, the Gruyères family received its title and power from the Carolingian kings.

Reason enough to visit Gruyères, I thought. Excited by our mission — to eat, and drink, and discover history — Jacques and I set out from Aigle on Highway 11 through the Vaudois Alps. 

La Lecherette ski resort

We didn’t realize as we negotiated the winding snow-covered roads that we were following the narrow corridor of the crane’s migration. It was snowing heavily this day in early January as my ToulouseMobile “skied” through world-famous resort villages like La Lecherette, les Mosses  and Leysin, all covered in knee-deep fresh snow and alive with ski and boarding frenzy. Along this same general route some thirty thousand cranes migrate every fall and spring as part of a longer trek between Scandinavia and North Africa.

Gruyeres coat of arms

You may well ask: how is this lovely bird connected to our journey to Gruyères? I thought you’d never ask! You see, the crane (“grue” in French) is the town’s heraldic emblem and the coat of arms of Gruyères since 1221. Some relate that Gruerius, the legendary founder of Gruyères, captured a crane and chose it as his heraldic in 436 AD, inspiring the name Gruyères. It is an apt symbol for this enduring and charming place as the crane symbolizes vigilance, long life and eternity. Its heraldic form (rising argent crane on a field of gules) can be found all over the castle grounds, particularly in the stained glass windows and outer lanterns.

Gruyeres castle watch tower

We descended the alpine pass and emerged from a winter maelstrom into the stillness of the snow-dusted valley of Gruyère. I spotted the hilltop castle and medieval town, rising like a beacon over the pastoral landscape, long before we reached Pringy. The signs led us up the hill and I parked outside the pedestrian-only medieval village (no vehicles allowed in the village!).

Medieval Gruyères:

We entered through Chavonne Gate, which opened onto the wide cobbled main street lined with 15^th to 17^th Century houses and shops. Jacques and I stood next to the central fountain (dated 1805) in the village’s lower borough, taking stock. The wide street wasn’t crowded. Given that Château de Gruyères is the second most visited fortress in Switzerland (only after the Castle of Chillon on Lake Geneva), I concluded that winter was a good time to visit this village to experience it in its more natural state.  Up the hill toward the castle, St. Germain Gate divides the village into upper and lower boroughs. The gate is actually part of the smaller St. Germain castle, which now houses the HR Giger museum (Giger, who was born in Chur, is best known for his fantastical artwork for the SF movie “Alien”). 

We didn’t make it out of the Lower Borough that day…

Toulouse warms himself over the raclette

scraping the melted raclette onto potatoes

My hollow stomach growled; it was already past lunchtime. Jacques pointed to several restaurants that serve food specialties from the Gruyere region: Swiss fondue, raclette and deserts made with double cream cheese. “Or what about Roesti served with veal in a delicious mushroom cream sauce?” Jacques teased me with another signature Swiss meal. I surrendered and we entered l’Hotel de Ville, a rustic eating establishment, where we shared a raclette meal. Raclette is a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese that originated in the alpine region of the Valais. It is traditionally served with potatoes, pickled onions, gherkins and dried meat like jambon cru and viande des Grisons. Kirsch (cherry liqueur), herbal tea or Fendant (local white wine) are traditionally drunk with the meal. I chose a Pinot Gris, which complemented the meal nicely. We scraped the melted cheese off its heated coupelle in a table-top “grill” onto our plates of potatoes and our little stuffed tummies thanked us. The term raclette comes from the French word racler, meaning “to scrape”.

St. Germain Gate and "Le Chalet"

Feeling rather satisfied with tummies appeased, we proceeded

raspberries and cream

 on our tour toward the castle, climbing up the road past the antique grain measures and the Calvary. Alas! Yet another distraction conspired against our attempts to get beyond the Lower Borough that day: a sign at the door of Le Chalet de Gruyères that simply said: “framboises et crème” (raspberries and cream). And this was no ordinary cream; it was Gruyère double cream, made from milk of cows that had pastured in the local alps. Jacques cocked one brow and gave me a sliding smile. We hadn’t had desert.

Toulouse's cafe creme

We entered the cozy traditional café and sat by a window that overlooked St. Germain courtyard. I ordered a café crème with the raspberries and cream that we shared between us. The server, in traditional Swiss folk dress, handed me my café crème along with a chocolate tub of double cream! Bonus! By the time we left the café, dusk had fallen and we decided to return the next day to devote our time to the Upper Borough and the castle.

Castle Gruyères:      

Town of Gruyeres seen from the castle

We returned the next day and this time we climbed the cobbled road directly through St. Germain Gate, past the H.R. Giger Museum and the Tibetan museum, straight to the castle.

St. Germain Gate and stronghold

Seen in the winter light and dusted with snow, the castle stood in quiet dress, showing its unequivocal face.  Only a few tourists wandered the premises and I felt like I had the place to myself. From watch tower to spiral staircase and keep, the castle ambience transported me as I walked through eight centuries of architecture, history and culture. The castle and its grounds enthralled: from the 12^th century outer ramparts to the 15^th century leaded butzenscheibenfenster (crown-glass or bottle glass windows) of richly furnished baroque halls, and 19^th century sculptured garden in the outer bailey.

French garden and ramparts

Highlights of my castle tour included the walk along the 15^th century wooden-roofed ramparts of the inner and outer baileys with the jardin à la française, a beautifully sculpted French geometrical-style garden created by the Balland family in the late 19^th century at the back of the castle courtyard.

Outer castle rampart

The vaulted kitchen contained a fireplace big enough to cook an entire ox. Jacques pointed out the 17^th century sandstone oven and kindly informed me that in medieval times it was used to bake tarts, galantines, and pies. I think he was still hungry (it wasn’t my fault that he ate slowly and I got the lion’s share of the raspberries and cream… :-3 )

Salle des Chevaliers

The Salle des Chevaliers (Knights room) was another highlight of the castle interior. Painted in the mid-1800s with richly evocative scenes, the elegant room decorated in 19^th century furniture conjured meetings of knights before battle. Paintings on the walls celebrate the colorful character of the counts and townspeople in an interesting mix of historical events and

Inner Bailey

 legend: one depicts when enemies attempted to seize the town of Gruyères in 1100 AD but were forced back by the townswomen (after the men had all left to join the crusade) — the women tied lighted candles to the horns of their goats to frighten the enemy soldiers; another panel depicts how Count Rudolph III seized the castle of Rue in 1227 to rescue a noblewoman held prisoner there.

Cut to the Cheese:

“Desalpe” is a traditional mountain festival in the fall when cows make their way down to the plain after more than four months of grazing in alpine pastures. Armaillis (cowherders of Vaud and Fribourg) dressed in bredzons (traditional workclothes) lead the cows with brightly flowered headdresses and huge 400 lb bells hanging from their necks in a procession toward the valley fields below where a festival of food, drink and song await.

La Maison du Gruyere is a working dairy in Pringy, below the village, where visitors can watch the famous local cheese being made. Besides touring the larger mechanized cheese production, La Maison gives a demonstration of the artesian method of cheese making using a large copper pot over a wood fire. 

wrapping and pressing gruyere curds

The Gruyères cheese festival occurs every year in the early summer including demonstrations of artisan cheese preparation in the centre of the village, alphorn concerts in the St. Germain courtyard and flag throwing.  

Let the gentle tinkling of cow bells lull you to sleep when you stay at La Ferme du Bourgoz, an authentic farmhouse Bed and Breakfast located at the foot of Gruyères.

making butter at La Ferme Bourgoz

 Elaine and Jacques Murith provide a cozy working farm and serve an authentic farm breakfast made from local products, including fresh bread, family-made cheese and butter and exquisite jam. The farm is a five minute hike from the town.  

 

Castle Historical Facts:

The town of Gruyeres at night

Constructed around 1270, the Château de Gruyères was continuously lived in by the counts of Gruyere (nineteen of them) until the mid-16^th century. The richly furnished castle, rebuilt after a fire in 1493. The last of the Gruyères counts, Michel, went bankrupt in 1554 and died in exile. The castle then became residence to the bailiffs and then to the prefects sent by Fribourg. In 1849 John Bovy bought the castle from the Fribourg government, which planned to demolish it. His brother-in-law Emile Balland restored the rampart walks and put in running water. John’s  brother, Daniel, an invalid after a bout of rheumatism, went to live at the castle and decided to restore it; he  invited some of the best artists to be his guests, including French landscape artist Corot. The castle was then bought back by the canton of Fribourg in 1938, made into a museum and opened to the public.

Contacts:

Chateau de Gruyeres: tel 026 921 21 02; www.chateau-gruyeres.ch

La Maison du Gruyere: tel 026 921 84 00; www.lamaisondugruyere.ch

La Ferme du Bourgoz: Jacques and Eliane Murith; info@lafermedubourgoz.ch/; tel.+41 (0)26 921 26 23 +41 (0) 26 921 26 23; http://www.lafermedubourgoz.ch/

Hauptgasse in Murten

As I got off the plane in Zurich Airport, “tardis” in paw, something told me to go west, so I unpacked my sturdy ToulouseMobile and took the Freeway toward Bern and Neuchâtel. I was heading for Romandie, the predominantly French-speaking part of Switzerland, with its rolling hills, great cities and atmospheric medieval towns, small villages and ancient churches. A place whose strong French-Swiss cultural identity embraces the shores of Lake Geneva, on whose banks lie Geneva, Lausanne, Vevey and Montreux.

Medieval walls of Murten

I stopped short of Neuchatel, at the medieval walled town of Murten (Morat in French). This charming village lies on the eastern shore of the Murten See (Lac de Morat) and is steeped in history. In 1476 the Swiss Confederation thwarted the onslaught of the army of overly ambitious Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. Was it their impeccable sense of timing? The world-famous watch-making industry of the Swiss originated right here, after all, in western Switzerland.   

street in Murten

The town was founded by the Zähringer dynasty in the 12^th century and is still encircled by walls dating from the 12^th to the 15^th centuries. Hauptgasse, the main street through the old town, is lined with 16^th century arcaded houses with overhanging eaves. The rampart walk, reached from several points along Deutsche Kirchgasse, offers views of the Murtensee, the castle and the old town’s brown-tiled houses. The courtyard of the 13^th century castle commands a great view of the lake. The Berntor (Porte de Berne) with its baroque gatehouse and clock dating from 1712 forms an attractive entrance to this charming medieval village.

After driving through the gate, I parked in front of the 14^th Century Adler Hotel — which

flammkuchen on New Year's Eve at the Adler

 had been the guesthouse to various historic figures such as Goethe, Casanova, and the dukes of Savoy, among others — and took a room there. It was New Year’s Eve; so, close to midnight, I descended to the Irish pub below and enjoyed several beers accompanied by several pieces of flammkuchen (a kind of Swiss pizza made with bread dough rolled out very thin in the shape of a rectangle and covered with fromage blanc, thinly sliced onions, and in this case vegetables, mushrooms (forestière) and gratinée with added gruyère cheese. Flammkuchen—or Tarte flambée—is actually an Alsatian dish and cooked in a wood-fire oven.

It wasn’t long before a strange looking black “bear” with a red and white toque approached me. I caught his straying glances at my rather large flammkuchen. His incredulous expression spoke the obvious: you’re going to eat that whole thing???

Monnier Tea Room arcade

Instead, he asked in a strong French accent, “May I join you?”

I tried not to stare at his toque whose design was the Canadian flag. He introduced himself as Jacques from Granby Québec and informed me that he was hitching rides across Switzerland (in the winter?!?) and was heading to Zermatt to do a little skiing. I thought: another crazy Canadian! And invited him to sit with me. It was, after all, lots to eat and the New Year not quite upon us…

Monnier Tea Room bustles on New Year's Day

We cheerfully saw-in the New Year and then met the following day for a late lunch. Hardly anything was open, being New Year’s Day. The streets appeared abandoned except for the odd sightseeing tourist and wandering local.

pastries to dream of...

Smartly deciding to follow a couple of well-dressed locals, Jacques led us to an inviting place beneath the arcade of Hauptgasse:  La Confiserie Monniere, a stylish tea-house in the tradition of a confiserie /patisserie / boulangerie / traiteur. It was open! We entered the bustling place and realized that this was where the town had ended up! We were instantly surrounded by exotic daily-made pastries and breads, fine artisanal chocolates, and

eye-catching quiches

 gourmet lunch treats—as customers crowded the counters in search of a gastronomic feast. We stood in a swirling aromatic sea of seductive fragrances. As I peered over their diverse chocolates, a friendly server informed me that one of their popular chocolate specialties is the plum praline, dried plums filled with delicious chocolate cream, coated with the finest chocolate and a dusting of unsweetened cocoa. Magical!

Monnier's elegant Tea Room

Jacques and I took a table in the tea-room in the back and the friendly waitress brought us a lovely gourmet sandwich followed by Black Forest cake and café crème.

I sat back and enjoyed the moment. Jacques had agreed to join me on my trip, since both our destinations were eventually the alpine resort town of Zermatt.

All in all, not a bad way to greet the first day of the New Year, I thought.  Hello, 2012! Hello, café crème! Hello, Swiss pastry! Hello, Magic!

Ce sera un an merveilleux! Bonne Année!

Strada Smardan in the Lipscani District

Thanks to my Romanian friend SF writer Nina Munteanu, I found myself flying into Henri Coanda International Airport in Bucharest last week. We came to attend the Gaudeamus Book Fair at Romexpo where Editura Paralela 45 was launching the Romanian version of Nina’s writing guidebook The Fiction Writer (Scriitorul de Fictiune).

Dr. Florin Munteanu, respected scientist in Complexity Theory, picked us up at the airport and took us to the Phoenicia Grand Hotel, a rather posh spacious hotel that lived up to its name. We relaxed in the lounge, discussing fractal geometry and the Fibonacci Golden Ratio over café crèmes. It was a very civilized introduction to this eclectic “city of joy” (bucurie means joy in Romanian) and I felt strangely at home.

Lobby of the Phoenicia Grand Hotel

Alexander Lobrano of the New York Times heralded Bucharest as “one of the last European cities that hasn’t been pasteurized by gentrification or lost its soul to mass tourism. It’s an odd but lively mutt of a city—one that’s clearly seen better days but where something is also suddenly stirring. The locals love to have a good time, and the Romanian economy is chugging along pretty nicely.” I’m not sure I agree with calling Bucharest a “mutt of a city”; although Bucharest does exude eccentricity in style and form, spanning the baroque to neo-gothic style of the Lipscani District to the eclectic opulence of the CEC Bank building to the insane self-indulgent extravagance of

Palace of Parliament in Bucharest

Ceausescu’s Casa Popurului (House of the People). The Parisianne-inspired Arcul de Triumf and the Odean Theatre are reasons why Bucharest is sometimes referred to as Little Paris of the East. The historic Lipscani District in Old Town Bucharest (in the heart of the city), provides an authentic medieval setting — complete with pedestrian cobbled lanes — that includes stunning baroque, renaissance and neo-classical architecture dating back to medieval times. It is all that remains of a previously vibrant commercial centre (much of which was destroyed during Ceausescu’s reign).

Long before the official founding of the city of Bucharest in 1459, the Lipscani area was

Arcul de Triumf in Bucharest

 already an important commercial centre. It got its name from the German town of Leipzig, because during the 1600s and 1700s many traders from Leipzig came to sell their wares to the locals and the Turks. Lipscani flourished in the 1600s after Vlad Tepes (the Turk impaler) chose it for his Princely Court. Craftsmen and merchants from all over settled there and many of Lipscani’s streets still retain the names of these trades. The diverse mix of Romanian, Greek, Bulgarian, Serbian, Armenian, Jewish, Albanian and Austrians mingled and clashed in a vibrant mix of culture and contrast.

Caru cu Bere on Str. Stavropoleos in the Lipscani District

The general decay of the historic centre after successive bombings by the Allies and the Luftwaffe during World War II, followed by a devastating earthquake in 1977, rendered it vulnerable to communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu’s maniacal vision of a concrete, communist Utopia. Ceausescu ordered Bucharest’s historic centre demolished to make way for his Civic Centre project, which included the massive Palace of Parliament, and replaced a section of the historic district larger than New York’s Central Park with unimaginative grotesque imitations of palatial elegance. Somehow, the Lipscani District managed to survive to see the 1989 Romanian Revolution and Ceausescu’s execution.

George Kudor, one of Dr. Munteanu’s brilliant students, took me to the Lipsani District where we wandered the

Dr. Florin Munteanu and George Kudor of the Complexity Centre

 pedestrian cobbled streets, along Strada Smardan, the first street to be completely repaved and renovated. We passed sushi bars, shops, Irish pubs, nightclubs and cafes like the Dutch-owned Grand Café Van Gogh, which according to Lobrano serves awesome coffee.   

Stavropoleos monastery

We also wandered down Stavropoleos Street. George led me to an old monastery built in the Brancovenesc style where he said he often came to listen to the Byzantine music of the small choir. The church holds the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania. Built in 1724, the Stavropoleos monastery was dedicated to St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The name Stavropoleos is a Romanian rendition of a Greek word (Stauropolis), which means “the city of the Cross”.

Neo-gothic interior of Caru cu Bere

We continued down Str. Stavropoleos with a view of the CEC Palace Romanian Savings Bank, an eclectic building with a monumental central dome and entrance archway supported by pillars. We walked along neo-gothic facades to one of Lipscani’s best known and popular restaurants, Caru’ cu Bere (cart of beer), which brews its own beer in a stunning Bell Epoque cathedral-like setting of high vaulted ceilings with painted ceilings, balconies, chandeliers, stained glass, and frescoes and ornate woodwork. One patron from London remarked, “It was like having a meal at Cardiff Castle!” The decadently opulent neo-gothic interior was designed by the Austrian architect Zigrid

happy hostesses of Caru cu Bere

 Kofczinsky in 1875 as a beer hall (they certainly had interesting ideas of what a beer hall should look like then!). The service has apparently vastly improved from its former Sovietsky days. Our waitress was friendly and prompt. Caru’ cu Bere has a menu the size of a newspaper and celebrates a diversity of traditional Romanian food like mamaliga (polenta-like dish), carnati si fasole (sausage and beans), dovlecei umpluti cu carne (squash stuffed with minced meat), varza acra calita cu carnati bine afumati (sauerkraut with smoked sausage) and sarmale (cabbage rolls) to a juicy T-bone steak. The banner outside the restaurant proclaims in English: “Possibly the Best Restaurant in Town.” For its combination of atmosphere, good local food and price, they might be right.

Macca-Villacrosse Passage in Lipscani District

George then took me through the Macca-Villacrosse Passage, an odd little U-shaped passageway linking Streets Lipscani and Eugen Carada with Calea Victoriei. This jewel of 19^th century architecture is a year-round haven for coffee drinkers and shoppers beneath amber-tinted glass roof. Named “Valley of the Kings”, the passage was renovated in 1989 and contains small stores, a bistro, Chinese restaurant and cafes. Among them is the Cafenea Egipleana, an Egyptian-themed café and hookah lounge, where patrons share shisha or flavored tobacco from a communal hookah or nargile, placed at each table.

Cafenea Egipleana in Lipscani District

After meeting Dr. Munteanu at the Centre for Complexity on Jean-Louis Calderan, we walked to Burebista Vanatoresc (Str. Batistei) a local medieval-themed restaurant where we enjoyed another hearty traditional Romanian meal (Romanians like to eat—my kind of people!) to the piano music of a local artist. I saw dishes like carnati de oaie (mutton sausages) and mititei (grilled links of mixed ground meat seasoned with garlic, thyme and anise). Specialties include bear paws and civet; spicy crispy pork ribs, filet of wild boar in red wine and brandy sauce. I had ciorba de perisoare (meatball soup), which came with hearty bread and a bracing Romanian beer.  

Burebisa Vanatoresc in Bucharest

Bucharest is Europe’s sixth largest city and a three-hour flight from most western European capitals, adds Lobrano. I saw obvious influences of western (particularly North American) consumerism and pop culture (e.g., apparel, modern architecture, fast-food places like KFC, Pizza Hut; English spoken everywhere)—no doubt a visceral reaction of a culture emerging from the oppressive Ceausescu reign. I also recognized the influence of the east in the foods, dress, Byzantine architecture, music and comportment of the locals.

Toulouse lingers over his daily cafe creme at the Phoenicia Grand

Florin Munteanu said it perfectly: “Romania is the corpus callosum of the world,” where east and west converge, mingle and learn. It’s no wonder that Romania is one of the leading countries in work on complexity theory, a science that embraces the “collision” of different “worlds” to create more than the sum of its parts. I look forward to coming back to this vibrant city and its countryside. When I return I will make sure to visit Bucharest’s excellent museums, particularly the Muzeul Taranului Roman (Peasant Museum) and the Muzeul National al Satului Diminitrie Gusti (Village Museum). Both are not far from the Lipscani District.

And, of course, there are the mountains and the sea!

For a unique, exotic and genuine holiday in a city that offers something different, I highly recommend Bucharest. Stay at the Phoenicia Grand Hotel. Eat a 100-course breakfast then walk it all off. Wander the streets. Mingle and get to know the locals. Romanians are friendly, articulate, extremely well-read and curious. You’ll come away not having spent too much and far richer. 

Tell them Toulouse sent you! Multumesc, Bucharest!

Place Jacques Cartier in Old Montreal

I was so happy to be back in Montreal, visiting with my old friend and writer Nina Munteanu and new friend, Vanessa Rottner (Pigcat’s companion in Toronto). We were in Montreal to participate in Con*Cept, Montreal’s annual science-fiction and fantasy convention, where Nina was launching her newest book, Outer Diverse (the first book of The Splintered Universe Trilogy, a space thriller) and Ness was launching her new jewelry line, The Rhea Hawke Collection (inspired by the gifted detective in the book).

The launch was FAB and we wanted to celebrate. I suggested Old Montreal (Vieux Montréal), a historical enclave by the water, whose architecture, cobbled streets and horse-drawn carriages basked with the charm of the earliest days of settlement.

Horse-drawn caleches in Old Montreal

Vieux Montréal is a major tourist attraction and one of the oldest urban areas in North America. Some of its buildings date to the 17th century. As you stroll along the cobbled streets of the eastern part of the old city (near Place Jacques-Cartier), look for notable buildings with historic architecture like the Hotel de Ville, Bonsecours Market and Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, as well as preserved colonial mansions such as the Château Ramezay and the Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site of Canada.

Place Jacques Cartier in 1900

Our driver dropped us off on the top of Place Jacques Cartier, smack in the middle of Vieux Montréal. The tree lined square’s broad divided street slopes steeply downhill from the majestic Hotel de Ville on Rue Notre Dame to Rue de la Commune and the waterfront of Vieux Port, Montreal’s old port on the Saint-Laurence River. The square is named after the French explorer Jacques Cartier, who explored Canada hundreds of years ago. A panoply of street artists and kiosks normally fill the square in the summer. This autumn evening, as the deep indigos of dusk fell upon us, we wandered the less than crowded square surrounded by the festive amber lights of restaurants, cafes and shops. Casement windows of old Victorian buildings glowed like warm embers in the deepening shades of night, spilling their warmth onto the cobbles. Like a moth to light, Ness fell prey to a cheerful souvenir shop and disappeared inside.

Le Jardin Nelson on Place Jacques Cartier

Nina shrugged at me and smiled. Ness was a true shopper. As we waited for her to reappear with her prizes, we wandered the square, looking for a place to eat. Restaurants lined both sides of Place Saint-Jacques, including the cheerfully posh Jardin Nelson, a-bustle with the laughter of al fresco diners beneath the hue of its signature blue-lit windows. I was drawn to Rue Saint-Paul, a windy cobbled street with promises of excellent culinary surprises. Nina touched my paw and pointed to a horse-drawn calèche ambling below us on Rue de la Commune.

Le Sauvagine in Old Montreal

To our surprise, Ness soon emerged with just a small parcel. I guessed that she was as hungry as we were. Led by a mission to fine dine, we struck east on Rue Saint-Paul. I’m told that it is Montreal’s oldest street and for many years served as its main thoroughfare. The street was laid out by François Dollier de Casson, where a path had bordered a former fort. Paved in 1672 with cobblestones, it was named after Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, who founded Montreal, and built his house there in 1650.

Ness at the entrace of Le Papillon on Rue Saint-Paul

We followed the winding narrow street, making note of several attractive restaurants until Ness jumped with glee and pointed to Le Papillon (a namesake for her). After a quick glance at the menu, I concurred and we entered through a grand antique doorway up a stairway.

The stairway led us into a spacious several-tiered restaurant, with clean lines, tiffany lamps and walls decorated with stained glass art. The same proprietor had owned the place for 25 years, which had started as an ice-cream parlor. It had evolved into a pizza restaurant and grew into the current establishment, which serves a range of authentic Italian and French food.   

Inside Le Papillon

Wishing to eat lightly for the continued walk ahead, we chose an appetizer and salad accompanied by a French merlot, a Hob Nob by Georges Duboeuf.

Toulouse savors the escargots au gratin

Simiane, our vivacious young server, recommended the Escargots a l’Ail Gratins and I thought it a wonderful choice. The escargots were pleasantly firm and flavorful, and the baked cheese topping added a mild complexity and texture. I thanked the little snails, bathed in delicious herbed garlic butter, and lapped up the remains of the herbed garlic butter with fresh bread.

Papillon Salad!

The salad was a surprising bouquet of hidden treasure: a spinach salad ensconced beneath a splash of colour. Cantelope, honeydew, tomato and orange topped with blue cheese and olives and a refreshing savory salad dressing of pine nuts in olive oil. C’etait vraiment magnifique!

“You enjoy with your eyes, with your mouth, with everything,” said Simiane to my rapt expression. I had to smile at her wisdom and she whisked me into her hands to give me a little squeeze and a kiss. I think she liked me… :-3

I might have blushed but my lovely silver fur coat disguised it.

Simiane and Toulouse

We decided to be decadent and ended the meal with a flavorful French coffee and chocolate mousse pie for dessert. I thanked Simiane for a lovely meal and for her friendly hospitality and we headed out for more adventure on the streets of Vieux Montreal.

Ness enjoys the mousse

Montreal’s history dates back from when Canada was first formed. Its roots lie in a rich and vibrant French culture, giving it a charm unlike any other city in Canada.  The merchants and clerks were friendly, cheerful and kind, with a healthy sense of humor. And they know how to make an incredible espresso!

Come in the summer, fall or winter and tell them Toulouse sent you!

roasted garlic with cloves out

The Bard said it himself: “I’d rather live with cheese and garlic in a windmill, than feed on cakes…”

When Shakespeare wrote that line, was he tapping into an age-old alchemy wisdom or was he just being ornery about the habits of the aristocracy? Either way, I must agree with him. Which is why I was at the Hot House Café on Church and Front Streets in Toronto a few days ago. They are celebrating the Garlic Festival there until the end of the month and if you are a garlic lover or a Romanian like my friend Nina (which is the same thing), then you will wish to mosey over there for a real treat!

Just don’t play a game of squash right after—unless you intend to win by default, that is, you stinker! (meow)…

The HotHouse Cafe outside patio

The café features a varied menu of exotic dishes enriched with garlic. Dishes include, among others:

• Fusilli Salsicce: tender fusilli, tossed with Italian garlic sausage, leek, rapini, roasted garlic, sundried tomato and roasted garlic tomato basil sauce.
• Roasted Garlic Penne: fresh cremini mushrooms, green peas, and prosciutto simmered with roasted garlic and rich Alfredo suase then tossed with penne and topped with parmesan.
• Grilled Garlic Sirloin “Rubio”: 8 oz New York, char-grilled to order, marinated in garlic and pepper, topped with a sauce of sliced garlic, butter, fresh oregano and basil, and served with a medley of steamed vegetables and your choice of HotHouse fries, baked potato, rice pilaf or leek and chive mashed.
• Barramundi: lightly floured and pan seared barramundi filet topped with a roasted garlic Bernaise butter, served with steamed vegetables and choice of HotHouse fries, baked potato, rice pilaf or leek and chive mashed.
• Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic: supreme of chicken baked with garlic and finished on the grill. Topped with  a roasted garlic, tarragon, white wine and cream reduction. Served with steamed vegetables and your choice of HotHouse fries, baked potato, rice pilaf or leek and chive mashed.

roasted garlic with olive oil

Each dish comes with a whole bulb of roasted garlic cloves. These are exquisite! And simple to make: the tops of the cloves are exposed by cutting their tops, then lathered with olive oil and baked under tin foil for half an hour in a 400 degree oven. Voila! You then simply pop the cloves out of their little skins with a gentle squeeze of the paw and enjoy a truly sensual delight!

So, what is it about garlic that impels poets, philosophers and artists alike to extol its virtues? Gustave Coquiot wrote of garlic: “Garlic all powerful, marvelous seasoning, you impel, you cheer, you are the only condiment, you are the glorious one!” Those are strong sentiments, indeed!

Along with leeks and shallots, Garlic (Allium sativum) is a member of the onion family and one of the world’s most ancient cultivated plants. It was known in China over 6,000 years ago. The ancient Egyptians used it for pregnancy tests and to cure headaches and the builders of the ancient pyramids ate garlic daily for enhanced endurance and strength. The Romans considered garlic an antidote to poisons which were very popular in certain political circles of the time. Garlic was used by some as a love potion and by others as the opposite. The god Mercury gave Ulysses wild garlic to keep his men safe from the feminine charms and wiles of Circe. Garlic was used for centuries as protection against evil and was hung in doorways to ward off the demons and the dead. It figures centrally in ghost and vampire mythology. It’s name in Sanskrit means “Slayer of Monsters”.

Fantastic history aside, this powerful herb is now proven as a natural antibiotic. It promotes the well-being of the heart and immune systems with antioxidant properties and helps maintain healthy blood circulation by lowering blood pressure. Garlic can also enhance the body’s immune cell activity. It reduces cholesterol and helps regulate blood sugar levels. And it’s packed with vitamins and nutrients.

Garlic is one of the ten superstars for cancer-prevention, sharing this distinguished position with berries and citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables, onions, green tea, omega 3 essential fatty acids, olive oil, tomatoes, soy products, red wine and dark chocolate. Meow! I like that list!

For some cool and surprising garlic home remedies go to this site.

Oh by the way … if you are a cat or dog NOT of the stuffed variety, don’t partake: garlic and onions are toxic to cats and dogs.

Kew Beach in The Beaches

It was a splendid September Sunday morning and I felt rather peckish for a fine brunch. Winking at me rather roguishly, Pigcat said, “I know just the place, Toulouse! Besides, ‘Life’s the Beaches’.”

“You mean ‘Life’s a Beach’,” I corrected her, stressing the singular.

“No, I mean THE BEACHES,” she returned—rather forcefully, I thought. “Come on, you’ll see,” she added and grabbed the ignition crystal to my ToulouseMobile. She dropped it in my paw. “Let’s go!”

I guess she was feeling peckish too. I grabbed my beret and sunglasses.

Never argue with a hungry cat.

Lion on the Beach at The Beaches

The drive down Toronto’s Queen Street is itself a sight-seeing trip. This commercial street runs east-west through many ethnic neighbourhoods, reflecting international influences of funk and glam with old and new architecture and original niche-style shops and cafes. We headed east on Queen through Leslieville then eventually into ‘The Beaches’. Where I had a little epiphany. Ah…. THE BEACHES… meow…

Whitlock's Restaurant

The Beaches is, in fact, a bohemian-style neighbourhood in Toronto’s East end. Dominated by tree-lined streets and turn of the Century Victorian/Edwardian houses turned into cafes and shops, The Beaches is a popular destination for locals and tourists like me. It gets its name from the expansive sandy beaches that line Lake Ontario just south of Queen Street.

Pigcat directed us to Whitlocks Restaurant on the south side of the street, just across from a very inviting pub-style bistro called Lion on the Beach (I took note for another time).

Whitlock's patio dining

Whitlocks invited with its pet-friendly side patio dining and original historical turn of the century storefront. Wood-framed windows opened up Italian-style to the breeze, providing indoor-eating with an intimate link to the outdoors. One set of windows had been converted into a buffet-style serving area for an elaborate brunch. Two chefs prepared savory custom omelets to a bevy of customers milling on the street and holding out their plates in anticipation.

Kunam flips a savory omelet

We entered and seated ourselves in the outdoor patio beneath the blue and white awning, where Jose our friendly and attentive waiter took our order. He directed us through the restaurant to where the buffet spread out all the way to the front. There, we stepped back onto the street to order our custom omelets from Kunam and Suthan through the window. Kunam was pretty handy with the pan as he flipped his freshly made omelet into the air for a customer with the panache of a seasoned chef (I think he was showing off in front of Pigcat)…

Whitlocks serves its Sunday Harvest Brunch Buffet between 9 and 3 pm. For $20 you get all you can eat (kids half price), which includes a rich variety of delicious savories, meats, egg dishes and sweets that vary from week to week. Today Whitlocks offered: shepherd’s pie, eggs Benedict and eggs Florentine, custom omelet, roast beef, mussels, mixed vegetable rice, sausage, pancakes, tasty home fries, and renowned waffles, complete with fruit sauces and real whipped cream. And that was just the beginning! They also served Greek salad, chick pea salad, potato salad, coleslaw, fresh fruit, aromatic fresh-baked brownies, banana bread, and oh-so-exquisite tiramisu. Juice and coffee were included.  The food was tastefully cooked to perfection. And it filled my little belly to perfection too!

One awesome omelet coming up!

Jose takes Toulouse on a tour of the buffet

Sitting in the patio (ignoring the two dogs parked beside the next table), I leaned back and drank the richly brewed coffee over my Tiramisu and watched the trees rustle in the vigorating wind. Within a few minutes, it began to rain. A typical Toronto thunderstorm was brewing. The rain swiftly turned into a deluge and pelted down hard, pounding the awning and umbrellas like a drum roll. The wind gusted and the rain decided to fall sideways, soaking patrons who laughed gleefully—we were in The Beaches, after all! Jose ushered us inside out of the misbehaving rain. Pigcat giggled and pointed to one young couple, who were crawling inside through the open window, plates of food precariously balanced in their outstretched hands.

Inside Whitlocks

We rescued our desserts and settled inside with a view of the refreshing downpour, and glad to be dry. The wood and brick walls and funky 1960’s lamps of Whitlock’s high ceilings provides a relaxed and cozy atmosphere inviting friendly chats over coffee or a main meal.

The building remains close to its original form when Philip Whitelocks, a clergyman from England, constructed it in 1891. The clergyman ran a grocery store and post office in the front and a Baptist church in the back. In 1925 it became the first Black Diamond Cheese Factory.

Happy brunch buffet

Then in 1985 it grew a “Famous Nose” and ten years later it drew the attention of Dimitri Panayiotou, son of master chef Yianni, of the late King Farouk. The current owner, Radha from Sri Lanka, is also Whitlock’s main chef (“The Peoples Chef”), cooking up a storm of wonderful international dishes to an equally international clientele. During the short time that I was there, I recognized French, German and Italian, among more exotic languages spoken among the patrons. Whitlock’s serves quality food and drink with an international menu of soups, appetizers and main dishes, complete with friendly service and a relaxed cosmopolitan atmosphere, conducive to lingering.

Kunam and Suthan, the awesome Brunch Team

I was reminded of Ramsis Café on the World in Louisville, KY, another bistro-style restaurant that showcases international cuisine of impeccable quality.

Whitlocks: go for the brunch; linger for the dinner.

Contact: 1961 Queen Street East, The Beaches (Toronto); 647-260-0604; http://www.whitlocks.ca/

This site is powered by donations. For your reading pleasure I do not clutter it with advertizing; nor do I charge any of these fine establishments, events, places or people for my reviews. If you are a patron who enjoys my articles or at the receiving end of one of my reviews you can show your appreciation with a donation (see right top sidebar).

If you want Toulouse to write up your place or activity, contact us at nina.sfgirl@gmail.com with your information.

Patio of the Main Street Inn

As part of our adventure in the environs of Toronto, Pigcat and I had been invited by one of Nina’s relatives to join her in Georgetown for lunch.  We whizzed in my ToulouseMobile onto the 401 toward the village, where I’d enjoyed one of the best espressos I’ve had the pleasure to sip with a view of an authentic Elektra coffee machine.  When we met Cheryl, she recommended the Main Street Inn for lunch. She met my inquisitive appraisal with a confident twinkle of her green eyes and a knowing smile. I was hooked. We were in for a treat.

Like Alice entering wonderland, she seemed a bit reluctant at first about entering my tiny ToulouseMobile (it appeared the ideal size for two stuffed animals, after all), but upon entering, Cheryl marveled at its spaciousness.

The Main Street Inn

“How?…” she began and I recognized that she was not well-versed in the magic and science of inter-dimensional space and travel. I winked at Pigcat. The good Doctor isn’t the only one with a “Tardis”… (I must have given Cheryl my Cheshire cat-grin in response to her startled Alice-look). In keeping with her stature as a consummate adventurer, Cheryl swiftly regained her equanimity with a quip, “nicely decorated. I like the brocade,” and made herself comfortable in the luxurious seat behind me.

Toulouse savors exquisite carrot soup

In no time we were whizzing down a country road to the village centre. Cheryl stretched back and found the champagne.

The Main Street Inn is located in the heart of historic Georgetown, nestled among mature ash, maple and chestnut trees. The converted Victorian home was built in 1855 near the forks of the Credit River, a stone’s throw from the Bruce Trail and a walk away from the farmer’s market and eclectic shops and cafés (see my earlier post on the best coffee in Southern Ontario, the Silvercreek Café).

My friends and I entered the foyer and were seated in one of the parlor rooms, rich and attractive with the bright paintings of local artists. The owners, Brian and Sharon Flood, have an eye for beautiful ambience, which included well lit rooms, fine sheers on the windows and fresh spring flowers on each table.

Then comes the pasta

I began with the soup of the day, which was a delightful carrot orange and fennel cream soup. It tickled my little pink tongue with subtle notes of licorice and orange.

For my main course, I selected the Pasta of the Day, the daily creation of Chefs John Zollewski and Dave Shandelmeir. Today’s pasta dish consisted of penne with Pacific salmon and primavera vegetables in an asparagus cheddar cream sauce. The pasta was done to perfection and the sauce tasty but subtle enough to draw out the festive marriage of ocean and earth. The ocean taste of salmon mingled pleasantly with the indefinable earthiness of asparagus, broccoli and red pepper.

Lemon cheesecake

I finished with the Inn’s cheesecake of the day, a lemon cinnamon honey cheesecake with a berry coulis and served with a vanilla and field berry sauce. Its creamy texture filled my palate with subtle notes of lemon and cinnamon. Bold yet subtle, confident in its character. The distinct edge of cheese, spiced with the zest of berry, captured my tongue and won my heart. Cheryl had wisely chosen the same as I. Pigcat ordered the Warm Boca Negra, a chocolate and brandy brownie served with French ice cream and a vanilla and field berry sauce. The brownie was as exquisitely smooth as it was soft and warm. She hesitated to share, which wasn’t in character—until I managed a bite. Then I knew why (giant smile).

Warm boca negra

The Main Street Inn, as its name implies, provides quaint accommodation in addition to brunch, lunch and dinner service. Georgetown lies northwest of Toronto, about a 40 minute drive from downtown. Next time you’re caught up in the mindless rush—or incessant crawl—of the 401, veer north on Winston Churchill Blvd. Amble along the pastoral country roads, toward the village, and breathe in the green. Then stop and energize your soul with the elegance of another time and place.

Toulouse shares with Cheryl and Ness

Contact Informtion: 126 Main Street, South, Georgetown, Ontario; Tel. no. 905-702-5411; mainstreetinn@bellnet.ca.

The French pear martini

After experiencing the French Pear martini at Ramsi’s Café on the World, I shared with my friend Sparky (with whom I’d recently had great success replicating the Kentucky Derby’s signature mint julep) that I was eager to share this latest find with my old friend Pigcat in Toronto, Canada. Bidding my good whippet friend Sparky adieu, I set off in my ToulouseMobile, eager for more adventure. The ToulouseMobile got me there in … well, good time (“Toulouse time”…meow).

Happy to see me and intrigued by my description, Pigcat cheerfully obliged in obtaining the key ingredients for our elixirs at the nearest LCBO (e.g., the Liquor Control Board of Ontario).

The French Pear Martini oozes elegance and conjures a fragrant summer breeze under the shade of a Paris café. Why not? Its ingredients, like Paris, are sensually elegant and subtly complex: Grey Goose La Poire vodka and St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur.

I believe that every adventure conceals a hidden treasure for us to unravel and discover for ourselves. It’s usually not what we expect. For me it was St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur. And here’s why…

Why I  Love St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

First of all, this refined artisanal French liqueur is made from 100% fresh handpicked elderflowers. Like Paris, it is a mélange curieux of flavors, styles and influences with a taste as rare as the first days of spring. Its subtle yet complex bouquet hints at pear, lychee and melon with a lingering aftertaste of honeysuckle. Its low sugar content, being roughly half of most liqueurs, also draws out its subtle and delicate expression. The statuesque Belle Epoch bottle reminds me of a noble Fritz Lang movie, tall and faceted with alluring art deco lines.

Picking the elderflower blossoms

I had to contain a knowing meow when I discovered that this “Cadillac” of liqueurs is the creation of Robert Cooper, third generation distiller and former owner of Chambord liqueur (my other favorite liqueur). Using his considerable talents in the production of fine French liqueurs, Cooper created the world’s first elderflower liqueur in 2001. Since its launch in 2007, this beautiful elixor has won numerous awards including Monde Selections God Medal in 2007, 2008, and 2009. In 2009, the drink and its creator Robert Cooper were awarded one of the Hot 10 by The Bon Appétit Magazine “for giving innovative artisanal ‘flower power’ to the home bar.” Florence Fabricant, the Food editor of The New York Times, found it transporting: “… St-Germain elderflower liqueur is as compelling as the vial on the table in Alice in Wonderland. With its elegant belle époque bottle, its musky-sweet aroma hinting of Meyer lemon and its mouth-filling honeyed pear flavor, it is hard to resist.” Better than the blue pill…

The elderflower blossom

Cooper refused to settle for cultivated, freeze dried or frozen blossoms, which is what the non-alcoholic cordials use; instead, he relied on 100% wild elderflowers to create a superior liqueur. This is in itself remarkable considering the ephemeral nature of the fragile elderflower blossoms; like most wildflowers, they lose their delicate fragrance and flavor within hours of being picked.

Bohemian picking the elderflowers

Then there is the matter of their availability. Over a fleeting few weeks in spring when the elderflower blossoms peak, 40 to 50 bohemian farmers gather wild blossoms on the foothills of the Alps and transport them by bicycle to depots and private homes and then to the distillery (within hours of being picked) to make the St-Germain liqueur for that year. St-Germain is made in the traditional French style, a process which has been used by the finest liqueurs for centuries. This starts with a daily maceration using a secret technique to extract the delicate flavor of the elderflower without bruising them then marrying the elderflower maceration with eau de vie as artisanal distillers have done over three generations since 1884.  Finally, the essence is then blended with citrus and cane sugar for the end result. Because of the collection methods, St-Germain is available in limited quantities, and each bottle is individually numbered, reflecting the year in which the flowers were harvested.

Bohemian farmer brings the elderflower to the distiller

The elder tree is steeped in folk lore and history. Every part of the elder tree was used in traditional societies. Hippocrates and Pliny the Elder relied on it. The elder was an important part of every monastery, garden or farm. The Druids thought it able to ward off spirits and threats of death and destruction. The White Goddess protected the elder. In Anglo-Saxon legend, if you fell asleep under the heavy scent of an elder in full bloom, you were carried off to the world of the fairies and protected from evil spirits.

Making…and Drinking…and Enjoying the French Pear Martini

The French Pear martini has been around a long time. If James Bond had been less fickle about his relationships with the fairer aspects of life, this might have been his signature drink…shaken, not stirred of course. The recipe for the pear martini varies a bit, depending on the bartender’s own biases, but the main ingredients remain the same: vodka, St-Germain and something else. So, Pigcat and I made our choices and proceeded to create our drinks.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Pear Vodka (we used Grey Goose La Poire Vodka, a high quality vodka with essence of Anjou pears)
• 2 oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• Top with lemon juice OR Champagne OR real Ginger Ale (which we chose for the ginger zest)
• Super-fine sugar for rimming (I opted out of this one—I’m sweet enough!)

Toulouse chills the martini glasses

Preparation:

Step 1: chill the martini glass with ice. Some bartenders suggest sugaring the rim of the glass but it really doesn’t need it and I prefer the clean floral nose of this cocktail with hints of pear, peach and grapefruit zest.

Step 2: fill a tall glass or shaker with ice (preferably large cubes—less apt to melt) then pour the pear vodka in, followed by the St-Germain liqueur.  Cover and shake vigorously (the best technique resembles the Ochs or Vom Tag guards in Medieval longsword fencing. Really).

Step 3: dump the ice from the martini glass (never use ice over again) and pour the cocktail through a strainer into the chilled glass.

Step 4: add either real Ginger Ale (ginger goes so well with pear), Champagne or dry sparkling wine (for a more tart

Toulouse pours the St-Germain

 and elegant but fizzy taste).

Step 5: garnish with either an edible flower or a slice of lemon.

Step 6: drink slowly, breath in daydreams of La Belle Epoche and lounging with Parisian artists in an outdoor café under the fragrant shade of a pear tree.

As we sat beneath our own pear tree, sipping our cocktail, Pigcat pointed to our bottle of St-Germain liqueur. It was marked “P00506-10”; which meant that they’d harvested these elderflowers the same spring I was roaming the Alps of Switzerland and drinking café crème with SF writer Nina Munteanu — bonus! Oh, by the way, because St-Germain liqueur has no preservatives, it should be consumed within 6 months of opening. Pigcat and I agreed that this was just another bonus!

Toulouse and Pigcat share their first martini

Because of its versatility, bartenders call St-Germain their “bartender’s salt”. Try marrying it with champagne or any good sparkling wine, dry white wine, or sauvignon blanc. With varied notes of pear, grapefruit zest the lingering aftertaste of honeysuckle and cherry blossom give it an all-round appeal. The St-Germain team suggest their own signature cocktail: 

• 2 parts Brut Champagne or Dry Sparkling Wine
• 1 ½ parts St.Germain
• 2 parts Club Soda or Sparkling Water 

Stir ingredients in a Collins glass and mix completely. Think of Paris circa 1947. Garnish with lemon twist, squeezing essential oils from the outer peel into the glass. Think of Sartre circa 1947. Be the lemon twist.

Feeling very good after a few...

Tips for Making the Perfect Cocktail (from St-Germain)

1. The world’s finest bartenders always measure each ingredient in their drinks, and we recommend you do so as well.

2. Unless a recipe specifically calls for crushed ice, always use large cubes of fresh, solid ice. Toujours, toujours, toujours. Small cubes or slivers melt too quickly and result in a diluted, watery drink. The same is true of the hollow, tubular variety. Wet ice that has begun to thaw is an equally bad choice. Comprenez-vous? Bien.

3. When a recipe does call for crushed ice, here is what to do: Place a scoop of ice on a clean bar towel and wrap it up. Crush by hammering vigorously with a wooden rolling pin or muddler. Trade the demonic glint in your eye for a look of calm satisfaction. Continue with your recipe.

4. Never use ice in a cocktail shaker twice, even to mix the same recipe. Empty it and begin again with fresh ice.

...Visiting the fairies of the White Goddess...

5. When filling ice cube trays, use bottled or filtered water to avoid off flavors.

6. When serving a drink over ice, always fill the glass with ice – all the way to the top. This makes the drink colder, thus avoiding unwanted dilution.

7. When a recipe calls for wine or Champagne, as in the case of The St-Germain Cocktail, pour the wine first and then add the liqueur. This will aid the mixing of the two as the liqueur sinks and melds with the wine. If you pour the St-Germain first, it will tend to sit under the wine rather than mix. Which the wine may find rather rude, especially if it’s a good vintage.

8. When prepareing a shaken cocktail, always fill your shaker two-thirds full of fresh ice. This will provide just the right amount of dilution. Once you’ve added all the right ingredients, shake for 20 seconds. Not 10. Not 17. Twenty. Maybe even 30 if you tend to count fast. Then strain into a proper glass, preferably the chilled variety.

9. Remember never to shake fizzy ingredients. Unless you’re making a comedic film about bartenders. Then by all means.

10. A twist, while undoubtedly handsome, provides much more than good looks to your drink. It is an essential ingredient. To make the perfect twist, simply cut a quarter-sized disc of lemon peel. Then squeeze the disc into drink, peel side down, thereby emitting a lovely spritz of lemon oil. Finish by dropping the peel into the glass. Formidable.

Awesome food at Ramsis Cafe

Picture that image of the world with cutouts of people from all races, sex, color and age standing on top and you have an idea of Ramsi’s Café on the World. Situated in one of the funkiest parts of one of the funkiest streets in Louisville, Kentucky—Bardstown Road— Ramsi’s is definitely on top of the world. “If America is truly the melting pot of the globe,” said reviewer Jessica Elliott, “then Ramsi’s Café on the World should be our national eatery.” The restaurant features late hours and a menu of international foods that includes a sampling of every sort of cuisine imaginable— 103 different items, I’m told.

When  I got there at midnight, they were still hopping with customers: a diverse and eclectic mix of diners, forming a boiling pot of cultures stirred into a fun cocktail of lively discussion and laughter over great food and drink.

The cool library of Ramsi's Cafe

My new friend Manni would explain that this is because Ramsi’s has something for everyone. Owner Ramsi, a native of Jerusalem, is an engineer by trade but his love for food and his vision for a multicultural meeting place with affordable food for everyone translated into a café with incredible ambience.

The café offers a richly visual interior decorated with an eclectic mixture of fine art, sculptures, bookshelves and artifacts from all over the world.  My friend Snoopf said that the inside looked as though “a team of National Geographic photographers and world explorers had a day off and decided they would try out interior design.” The café also provides a classic European-style courtyard garden, complete with large overhanging plants, sculptures and a trickling fountain.

Patio dining at Ramsi's Cafe

After seating me in the garden patio, the waitress suggested Ramsi’s evening finger-food platter—a kind of antipasto— and I agreed, realizing that I felt quite peckish after my long walk in the Highlands.

While I waited for the food, I ordered a Ginger Pear Martini. My first sip surprised me with midnight sunshine and my whiskers trembled. This elegant yet zesty cocktail tasted of “summer love”. Made with fresh pear and ginger and Grey Goose La Poire vodka, it scintillated like an exquisite aria.  I shall have to make this drink for a good friend, I thought to myself.

Toulouse meets Magician Manni at Ramsi's

I leaned back and enjoyed the frisson of sipping an elegant drink in a cultured setting. My whiskers quivered as I hummed Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, when a distinguished looking gentleman approached me with a curious smile. No doubt, he recognized a classy cat when he saw one. He introduced himself as Manni the Magician in a pleasant NYC drawl. I invited him to join me and he happily took the seat opposite me. Manni explained to me that Ramsi had hired him to do magic tricks weekend evenings to entertain the crowd that packed his café pretty most every evening. Manni came to Louisville from New York in 1972. Using typical NYC vernacular, Manni told me about Ramsi’s. “You can go to anyone on the street,” Manni said to me, “and touch them on the shoulder and say, ‘do you know where Ramsi’s is?’ and they will say ‘that’s my favorite restaurant!’ ”

Manny and waitress Alyson enjoy Toulouse's stories

Manni  reiterated my observation in his New York way: “Ramsi’s attracts every color, every income, every ethnicity, and every hairdo…”

I curbed a saucy grin and ran my paw briskly through my unruly fur coat.

The platter arrived and I devoured with gusto a variety of color, texture and taste with complex aroma. I helped myself alternatively to banana peppers, tomato and cucumber relish, feta, portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, falafel, calamata olives with baba ganoush and humus.

Despite my invitation to join in, Manni just watched me devour the assorted treats and talked. He informed me that Ramsi’s wife, Rhona, is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and involved in every aspect of the restaurant, particularly menu development. Ramsi’s twin brother Ramzi , who’s been involved with the restaurant since its inception, also helps with quality control in the kitchen as their head chef.

Ramsi's Cafe looking like the set on Casablanca

Ramsi’s Café on the World is one of the most unique and likely one of the most vegan-friendly establishments in Louisville. Some of the more popular dishes include the roasted vegetable Panini – portabello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, yellow squash and red onions topped with crispy fried onions served on homemade Cuban bread. Try pairing this with a mojito or Ramsi’s signature Island Cooler to complete the vegan experience.

fountain in Ramsi's outdoor patio

Ramsi’s is located fortuitously right next to Carmichael’s Bookstore. Why is this fortuitous? According to writer Jessica Elliott, this lets you browse there as you wait for a table—the only downside of Ramsi’s is it takes a while to get a table sometimes. Manni confided that some patrons come often enough to merit their own table place tags.

Cherokee Road in the Highlands

Aside from its elegant tree-lined residences (like the one Sparky lives in), the Highlands is best known for three things: its eccentric stores, its funky bars, and its diverse selection of restaurants and cafés. Many of the very best restaurants can be found on Bardstown Road, like Avalon, the Bristol Bar & Grill, Kashmir Indian Restaurant, Le Gallo Rosso and Palermo Viejo. What makes Ramsi’s Cafe on the World unique is that its menu features not just one type of cuisine; it features popular dishes from all over the world. And the clientele to go along with it.

Contact Information: 1293 Bardstown Rd., Louisville, Kentucky 40204; Phone Number: (502) 451-0700; Website: ramsiscafe.com

Sparky "sleepwalking"...

p.s. Perhaps you’re wondering where my good friend Sparky the show dog whippet was during my little outing… he was at home in bed, getting his beauty sleep, of course!… Or was he???

This site is powered by donations. For your reading pleasure I do not clutter it with advertizing; nor do I charge any of these fine establishments, events, places or people for my reviews. If you are a patron who enjoys my articles or at the receiving end of one of my reviews you can show your appreciation with a donation (see right top sidebar).

If you want Toulouse to write up your place or activity, contact us at nina.sfgirl@gmail.com with your information.

The Historic Distillery District

“The pleasant aroma of baked food seemed to permeate my soul“–InOntario

I wasn’t long in Toronto, when Pigcat—who understood my penchant for fine dining, great coffee and culture in unusual settings—took me to the historic Distillery District, just blocks from her apartment in downtown Toronto.

Set on 13 acres in the heart of downtown Toronto, The Distillery District is the single largest collection of Victorian Industrial architecture in North America and one of Toronto’s hottest “gastrozones”. I was in COOL Travel Cat Heaven. Wonderfully restored to retain its funky retro-industrial setting, The Distillery features a wide and eclectic tapestry of shops, cafés, restaurants and galleries including: chocolatiers who produce artisan chocolate directly from the cocoa bean itself; cafés that micro-roast Fairtrade beans; Canadian fine cuisine in industrial chic settings; and galleries and shops that embrace original funk-chic.

The Potter's Shed

Founded in 1832 by brothers-in-law William Gooderham and James Worts, the Gooderham and Worts Distillery grew into the largest distillery in the world. They exported spirits and whiskey to ports around the world from New York to Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo. After 153 years of continuous production, the plant distilled its last drop of rum in 1990. Resident beer gardens, wine bars, an award-winning microbrewery (Mill Street Brewery) and even a sake distillery (which opened a few months ago) have amply filled the gap. The Ontario Spring Water Sake Company is the first and only sake brewery in Ontario. It’s prepared in the “Junmai” (pure rice) style, freshly pressed, unpasteurized and unfiltered. They have a lovely tasting room and several sakes to try along with Japanese food.

Old meets new in the Distillery District

The Distillery was restored and developed into a pedestrian-only cultural “Victorian Industrial chic village”, opening in May 2003 as Toronto’s new centre for Art, Culture and Entertainment. Pigcat and I strolled along the brick lined promenades and European piazza-style squares in what the Globe and Mail calls “a picture postcard draw”. Where ever I turned, a paradox of hip sophistication and retro-industrial funk greeted me. I was reminded a little of Soho in New York

Behar serves a customer at the Potter's Shed

 as my senses feasted on a range of motion, color, texture and fragrance: an old roadster parked in an alley overlooking the industrial punk sculpture of Dennis Oppenheim;  a collection of clay pots, dried lavender and ferns adding colorful texture to a red brick road.   As we strolled past eclectic shops and avant-garde galleries—once a distillery complex, flour mills and cooper shop—I inhaled the pleasant aroma of baked food and freshly roasted coffee. The Distillery, like a fine distilled spirit, is a feast of the senses. If Hemmingway was a Torontonian, he might have reserved his famous quote for this place.

The sake distillery

Pigcat took me to Soma, where we savored a provocatively delicious Mayan hot chocolate over a Sparky chocolate (named after my good friend, Sparky, no doubt! LOL!)—a dark chocolate “half-moon” covering a “genache” of gianduja laced with paprocks. Eugenia served us our Mayan hot chocolate, made with ginger, Madagascar vanilla, orange peel, and their secret blend of spices. HA! I know that chili is one of them. The hot chocolate ran smooth over my tongue, rich with chocolate and a little heat.

Soma's fleur de sel caramel chocolate

Soma is one of the few artisan chocolatiers in North America who make small batch chocolates directly from the cocoa bean (which they get from plantations around the world including the Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Costa Rica and Panama—with a preference for Fairtrade, Organic and flavor grade. You can see them making their chocolates in their micro-chocolate factory through the display window! Toronto Life Magazine and Now Magazine voted Soma chocolates as the best in town. And why not? Their exquisite chocolates are lovingly made by dedicated and friendly staff (probably intoxicated with chocolate-induced endorphins). You can’t go wrong with names and elegant ingredients like fleur de sel caramels, almond cluster dark Peruvian, Arbequina Spanish olive oil, cherry bomb, Gooderham and Worts Whiskey, Douglas Fir and Bergamot. Veni, vidi, vici!

Enjoying the gelato at Soma's!

Soma’s gelatos and sorbettos are also extremely popular. We returned later to savor one of their 14 flavors.

We stopped for lunch at the Mill Street Brew Pub, a place to eat with character and its own micro-brewery. Mill Street Brewery is East Toronto’s first commercial brewery to open in more than 100 years, home to Ontario’s first certified organic lager, producing handcrafted beers and ales in historic Corktown area of the city. The pub was built around their open-concept brewery beneath 18 foot ceilings and huge skylights, successfully preserving the character and ambience of the century-old distillery district.

Toulouse enjoys his Coffee Porter

We sat in their patio facing Tank House Lane. Pigcat decided on their English Tea Beer and I asked Natalie, our friendly waitress, for their Coffee Porter. The Coffee Porter features roasted beans from Balzac Coffee, down the street, and delights the palate with complex lingering flavors of nuts. With 100% certified ingredients in their stock ales, tank house ales, and porters, who can go wrong?

The Brew Pub opened in 2006, serving exceptional pub-style food that use the Mill Street brews, brewed on site. I ordered a Drunken Butter Chicken (the name somehow appealed)—an organic lager marinated chicken simmered in the Mill’s own butter sauce and served with basmati rice and naan bread. I found large chicken pieces bathed in a delicate “rose” sauce with complex flavors that lingered with a mild heat.  Along with their cob salad, which Pigcat smartly chose, and their signature fish and chips, it is a favorite among Brew Pub patrons.  

Scrumptious Cobb Salad

Then it was time to exercise some of that butter chicken away. A little ways down Tank House Lane we felt drawn to the magic realism of The Potter’s Shed, whose earthy artworks looked like they’d spilled out from the tiny shop in artful chaos among the brick pavestones. Clay pots and gardening implements lay scattered among dizzying sprays of lavender, hydrangeas, and ferns.  Inside, Behar, in her rainbow sarong, added to a setting out of a classic fiction novel. When we finally stepped back into the sun, Pigcat asked me if I’d seen all the ferries sitting among the pots.

We ambled farther, poking inside eclectic shops, and ended up on Trinity Street. I highly recommend Cube Works Gallery, a fun shop that features original works created from Rubik’s cubes.

Enjoying an espresso outside Balzac's

We followed our discerning noses to Balzac’s Coffee, the very establishment whose roasted beans provided the basis for my Coffee Porter at the Mill Street Brew Pub. The inside looked like the set of an old Bogart movie, with tall mirror, high ceiling, chandelier, staircases that lead nowhere and—what convinced me that this was a serious coffee establishment—an original nickel Elektra espresso maker, complete with soaring eagle. Although it was no longer used for espresso-making, according to the barista (they only used it now for frothing milk), its presence on the counter signified serious coffee intent. I wasn’t surprised when my single-shot espresso tasted exquisite, with a deep coffee nose and an attractive natural crema. We sat outside the coffee shop in the square that featured a kind of space-retro-industrial punk sculpture by Dennis Oppenheim. Called “Still Dancing” Oppenheim described it as “a combination of sculpture, architecture and theatre.”

The acclaimed Pure Spirits patio

Ben and Toulouse discuss oysters and "Toulouse"

It was Tuesday May 31^st and Pure Spirits was launching its “Topshuck Patio” shucking contest at 6pm. Of course, we stayed and watched them shuck their little hearts out—well, actually their little oysters out …hehe… It turned out that all of Toronto’s best had come to compete for money and a huge bottle of Sky vodka. Contestants from Rodney’s Oyster House, Oyster Boy, Big Daddy’s, and Starfish (to name a few quality establishments) shucked as we gorged on oysters (Pure Spirits donated the shucked oysters to its patrons. Bonus!). Head chef Tim Miles put on the shindig.

Toulouse and Pigcat about to devour the oysters

 He timed contestants on their ability to successfully shuck a dozen oysters. The fastest shuck against the least demerit points for quality won. Tim and his assistant Carlier Morejon (the “Cuban Missile”) judged each shuck. They added to the time if: the oyster wasn’t severed, the gut was still in the oyster, the shell was broken, the meat was out of shell, it was a bad oyster, it was scrambled, and the count was wrong. We didn’t leave until very late that night and we had actually had our fill of oysters. We felt a little like the “Walrus and the Carpenter” as we ambled home, bellies stuffed and happy.

Luis from Pure Springs shucks against the clock

With more patio space than any other Toronto location, The Distillery is a favorite hangout among thirsty locals in search of a little bit of European flair. I was told that The Distillery District is destined to become the epicenter of the largest waterfront redevelopment in North America. The Pan Am Games athletes village is currently being constructed just east of the Distillery with accommodation for 6,000 athletes. Right after the games in 2015 they will be transformed into residential units along with others in the West Don Lands. Old Corktown and The Old City environs between St. Laurence Market and The Distillery are being revitalized in the old heritage vision that has made The Distillery District so chic.

Judging the oyster shucks

World-class theatre and entertainment thrive in The Distillery District. I noted that several theatre companies have made The Distillery their home, including The Soulpepper Theatre Company and George Brown’s Theatre School, housed in the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. The Toronto Star calls it “Toronto’s new cultural hotspot.”

Filming the day Toulouse was in the Distillery District

Pigcat informed me that over 1000 movies, television shows, commercials and music videos were shot in The Distillery District; some include X-Men, Chicago, Long Kiss Goodnight, The Recruit and Cinderella Man.

The Potter's Shed

The Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill Street, Toronto, ON, Canada; 416-364-1177

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