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Restaurant Le Fleury
15 Place Fleury, Beaune ✆ 03-80-22-35-50
Hours: 12:00 to 14:30 & 19:00 to 21:30, Open daily
Average Price: €40 per person All major credit cards accepted

With the outward appearance of a rather run of the mill brasserie, this is a place I had passed by on numerous occasions without much thought. Big mistake. When I finally sat down and tried it, it turned out to be one of my best meals in France.

While I looked over the menu, the waiter recommended a glass of nice rosé wine as an aperitif. I'm not normally a big rosé fan, but he gave it very high marks -- something quite exceptional were his words -- and since it was quite hot out, a chilled wine sounded nice. I gave him the go ahead and was not disappointed. It was a harbinger of things to come.

The menu has enough Burgundian classics to satisfy the first-time visitor to Burgundy, along with some foreign elements like pastas and risotto. Having eaten my fair share of Boeuf Bourguignon, I opted to go "foreign" with a starter of gazpacho, followed by risotto with spring vegetables, and tiramisu for dessert. I also ordered a glass of chablis, to follow when I was done with the rosé.

My gazpacho arrived quickly. Not just a lazy bowl of red soup with some crusty bread, it was a work of art and included a few greens dressed in olive oil and balsamic, plus a crispy wafer of baked parmesan cheese. The gazpacho was perfect. Fresh tomato taste, nice texture and just enough garlic to give it some bite without being overwhelming.

Next up was the risotto. I had by now finished off the rosé, and the glass had been cleared away, but my chablis was no where in sight. The waiter who brought the risotto was not the one who had originally taken my order -- common in European restaurants, where they're not working for tips and nobody "owns" a table. The system works wonderfully if you have a well-trained staff and diligent management, but can quickly fall apart if someone gets lazy and expects "the other guy" to pick up the slack. Pretty soon they're all lazy, and there's no "other guy" left.

After setting down the risotto the waiter spun off to another table before I could say anything about the wine, but not ten seconds later the original waiter glanced at my table from half-way across the restaurant, crinkled his brow, and then dashed out of sight. He soon appeared at my table with the glass of chablis. I hadn't needed to say a word, and Le Fleury was quickly winning my heart.

The risotto was a revelation. Creamy, with just enough tooth. Each of the vegetables, though they all would require different cooking times, were fresh and tender. Nothing mushy or over done.

Last of all the tiramisu. I fear ordering tiramisu in a restaurant I don't know, even in Italy, because so many restaurants put out a slab of semi-thawed, store bought mush on a plate, figuring most patrons are over stuffed and half drunk by this point and will never know the difference. Fortunately, this was not the case at Le Fleury. It wasn't exactly a classic tiramisu -- more of a tiramisu and berry parfait, but obviously from scratch. And it was delicious.

Everything was beautifully presented and brilliantly prepared, but the service was what really won me over. Top notch attention, without being intrusive.

The restaurant has a large indoor dining room, plus a small terrace when the weather is nice. A definite keeper.

Casare's Restaurant
Isabel la Católica 1, Segovia ✆ 921-461-751
Hours: 11:00 to 23:30
Average Price: €30 per person All major credit cards accepted
Finding it: Located in the Infanta Isabel hotel, right on Plaza Mayor

Attached to the Infanta Isabel hotel, Casare’s has a small bar-cafeteria where you can get tapas and light snacks any time of day, as well as a more formal restaurant. The restaurant serves classic roast suckling pig, Segovia's signature dish, but also has many nouvelle Spanish choices.

After roast suckling pig the previous night, I was definitely looking for something on the lighter side. The day had been quite warm, so something cool and refreshing to start with. Gazpacho was listed on the menu as a special seasonal item, and would be just the thing. The soup arrived promptly, as I would expect (all you have to do is take the batch from the refrigerator and ladle a little into a bowl). Casare's dishes are always served with a little flair and style, even for something as mundane as gazpacho. It arrived with the goes-intos (diced cucumber, diced red pepper, diced onion and croutons) presented on little curved spoons on a separate plate. Sorry, I had already dumped them into the bowl before I thought to take a picture.

The veggies were fresh, and the croutons obviously homemade. The soup was perfect, smooth, creamy, with a fresh tomato flavor, and not overpowered by the garlic.

For my main course I chose Pasta Satchels with Pear and Cheese, served in a spinach sauce. I had expected the satchels to be something like tortellini, but when the dish arrived they were actually little satchels (just like the menu said). Like a leather bag, with a drawstring pulled tight to keep the contents in. Clearly hand made pasta, and quite inventive. Perfectly cooked, too, a delicate thing with pasta like this. You have to find the right balance between it being too chewy, or so soft that it falls apart and loses the contents.

They may have looked like leather satchels, but they didn't taste like them. The combination of pureed pear and cheese inside the pasta was very nice, but the poor little satchels were left in the lurch by the sauce. It was a cream sauce with finely chopped spinach and carrots, but lacking any real flavor other than the cream. Still, it was good enough that I ate every bite and would order it again.

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Osteria Oliva Nera
Castello 3417
Venezia
tel. 041-522-2170
Hours: 12:00 to 15:00 & 19:00 to 22:00
Average Price: €70 per person. All major credit cards accepted.
Finding it: Located in a residential area, midway between the Bridge of Sighs and the Arsenal. Head down the waterfront, then turn left at Calle dei Pieta, just before the Metropol Hotel. Go straight for about four blocks, and the restaurant will be on a corner to your right.

Firmly focused on quality over quantity, Oliva Nera is a gourmet delight in what is otherwise a pretty bleak restaurant landscape. They are especially known for their zucchini flowers, stuffed with cheese and fried, the best I’ve ever had. The rest of the menu changes throughout the year. I’ve enjoyed the breaded shrimp with cold cauliflower cream sauce, and the ricotta and orange ravioli with tomato.

Portions are small, with a subtle blending of flavors not often found in the tourist mills so common in Venice. Each person should expect to eat two or three courses, at €15 to €20 per course. Service is warm, yet prompt and professional.

Reservations recommended.

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Restaurante Arrayanes
Cuesta Marañas 4, Granada
✆ 958-228-401
Open: 13:00 to 16:30 & 19:30 to 23:30
Closed: Tuesdays
Average Price: €20 per person

Granada, Spain was the last Moorish stronghold in Europe, a center of Islamic culture for almost 800 years. It wasn't until 1492, fairly recent by European standards, that the Moors were driven back across the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco. Today, tens of thousands of people flock to see the Alhambra, the most visible remains of this time. When you visit Granada indulge your sense of taste, as well as you sight, with a visit to Restaurante Arrayanes.

Up a steep, narrow alley behind Plaza Nueva, Arrayanes serves excellent Moroccan cuisine (tajines, couscous, pastel) with superb service. Try the tasting salad (babaganoush, hummus, sweet peppers, onions). The tajine of beef kafta is very tasty as a main course. No alcohol served, but the lemonade (mixed with a little mint) is very refreshing. It's a very popular place, so arrive early or make reservations.

L’écailleur
1 rue de la République
14600 Honfleur
Tel: 02-31-89-93-34
Open: 12:00 to 14:00 & 19:00 to 21:00
Closed: Wednesdays and Thursdays
Average Price: €40 per person


L'Ecailleur (scaler, as in fish scaler) is one of my favorite stops in all of France. To start with, the location is marvelous. The restaurant occupies the ground floor of a small building on a corner of the Enclosure area, with views of the old harbor. The interior is smart and modern, with little to distract you from the view and the food.

I have always been greeted warmly and graciously at the door, even when they have had to inform me that -- malheureusement -- they are fully booked for the night. Make a reservation, so that doesn't happen to you. Once seated, you'll find a few items listed on their a la carte menu, but you're far better off considering one of their fixed price menus. At €27 to €39, a meal here is not cheap, but it's good value. The four-course meal includes an appetizer, main course, cheese plate and dessert.

Once you've ordered, and while you're enjoying the view, a little amuse-bouche will arrive. Literally a "mouth amusement", this will be a small and always interesting something to tickle your palate and keep you busy while your appetizer is being prepared. It won't be long, though, before your courses begin to arrive. The presentation is a work of art, and you may feel like it's just too pretty to eat. Fortunately they pay as much attention to the quality and flavor as they do to the visuals.

Le Bistrot du 7eme
56 Blvd de La Tour Maubourg
Paris
Tel: 01-45-51-93-08
Open: 12:00 to 14:30 & 19:30 to 23:00, every day.
Average Price: €25 per person

Last night I took my group to one of my favorite Parisian bistros. I've been visiting Bistrot du 7eme for the past 10 or 12 years and, other than some slight price increases, I don't think it's changed a bit in all that time. I first happened upon the restaurant the way I find many of my recommendations: while out wandering around during lunch I passed by, and the place was packed. Not a single person seated at the tables was speaking English. I consider that a good sign in any local restaurant, so I made a note and came back to try it for dinner that night.

Bistrot du 7eme is a classic bistro, with red walls, black wooden accents, a few framed prints on the walls and one or two 19th century advertising posters. Plain wooden tables with low-backed chairs are packed tightly together, a few spilling out onto the sidewalk in front. They have a couple of a la carte items listed on the menu, but the bulk is occupied by the fixed price meal. Currently priced at €22, this gives you a three-course meal -- starter, main course and dessert -- with a list of a dozen or so options to choose from for each course. They have a modest selection of wines, all very fairly priced.

Starters include a variety of soups, salads and, of course, escargots. I especially like the Salad Auvergnate, a mix of greens, toasted walnuts, sliced apples and cubes of Roquefort cheese. Main courses range from steak and fries to duck confit. I'm fond of the veal, and have it from reliable sources that the salmon is excellent. For dessert: creme brulée, chocolate mousse, or a dozen other choices.

La Dolça Herminia
Magdalenes 27, Barcelona
Tel. 933-170-676
www.ladolcaherminia.com
Hours: 13:00 to 15:30 & 20:30 to 23:30
Open Daily
Average Price: €20 per person

Excellent Mediterranean food at reasonable prices, in a very nice setting. Popular with locals but not a lot of tourists have found it yet. Located between the cathedral and Palau de la Musica Catalana. An outstanding value at lunch, when they have a fixed price menu for around €10.
No reservations accepted, and it’s always packed, so arrive early.

Il Barroccio
Via della Vigna Vecchia 31/r, Firenze
Tel. 055-211-503
Open: 12:00 to 14:00 & 19:00 to 21:00
Closed: Wednesdays
Average Price: €18 per person

I visit this restaurant every time I'm in Florence, which is usually four or five times a year. It's in the heart of Florence, near the Bargello Museum and just down the street from the much more trendy restaurant Acqua al 2. While people are lined up out the door at Acqua, Il Barroccio can be virtually empty -- and the funny thing is, the food at Il Barroccio is MUCH better, and less expensive.

While the decor here is basic and the service sometimes painfully slow, the food is worth it. This is as close to home cooking as you’ll come anywhere in Italy. Try the mixed first courses, which gives you a sampling of the restaurants four best dishes. The Tagliata Chianino, thinly sliced local beef with your choice of sauce, is also very good.

Friendly, English-speaking Gianni is doing it all, from taking your order to cooking in the back, so be patient, relax and enjoy.

Tell Gianni I sent you.