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A taste for TRAVEL The
FOODIE INSIDER ’S
Europe
Paris OFF THE BEATEN PALATE
For those ready to venture beyond the Eiffel Tower, Paris offers more than its share of hidden treasures (culinary and otherwise). Here, our Star Chefs reveal some of the haunts, tastes and travel secrets that make them feel like locals.
Monumental Meal
A culinary treasure unknown to most Parisians hides right beneath one of its most visible monuments– Napoleon’s Temple. Accessed through a church’s small side door, Le Foyer de la Madeleine is a former sleeping quarters for visiting priests that now wakes taste buds with dazzling classic French dishes and surprising wines. The equally unassuming exterior of Le Chocolate Alain Ducasse (40 Rue de la Roquette) makes it easy to miss–but don’t! Its lightly gritty, unconched chocolate is “the only one made from bean to bar in the city limits,” notes Alton Brown, who calls its Caramel Ganache, “a study in perfection.”
BEST COCKTAIL: “You’ll still find as many Parisians as tourists at LE BAR at the George V,” marvels Mario Batali, who returns for its Belle Epoch interiors and the Good Night & Good Luck– a blend of Vodka, Manzana apple liquor, Rosemary liquor and lime. 31 Avenue George V
Let Them Eat (Kouglof) Cake
Vandermeersch (278 Avenue Daumesnil) is so far off the tourist path, locals don’t worry about outof-towners finding it. And it’s a good thing… as the line for its moist, buttery Kouglof cake often wraps around the block!
“Vandermeersch’s Kouglof cake is only baked Fridays and Saturdays– get there by 8AM or they’ll be sold out.” – Ina Garten
DON’T-MISS SHOP: Top pastry chefs swear by M O R A for its unrivaled selection of whisks, spatulas, tart, cake and chocolate molds. 13 Rue Montmartre.
BEST FOOD MARKET:
Located in the suburbs just a stone’s throw from the 17th, LE MARCHÉ HENRI- BARBUSSE has become a social gathering spot favored by locals for its butchers, breads, cheeses and fresh oysters–eaten on the counter with a glass of wine! Place Henri Barbusse, 92300 Levallois-Perret.
Cinematic Escape
Invented by the Lumière brothers in 1895, cinema holds a special place in the heart of the French–and so does L'Entrepôt (91 Place de Catalogne) With three art house cinemas, a gallery and tranquil garden restaurant, it’s worth the detour, says Mario Batali.
“After the movie, L'Entrepôt’s chocolate mousse is a must”. – Mario Batali A MESSAGE FROM
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FAVORITE IN-FLIGHT MEAL: Dining at 3,000 feet has never been the same, says Alton Brown of AMERICAN AIRLINES’ premium class offerings that include chef Richard Sandoval’s halibut with sweet potato puree and corn salsa.
ROME THE
LESS TRAVELED
While Rome is Europe’s third most visited city, it’s also one of the most maze-like–which explains why many stick close to well-known landmarks. “But a city that’s been around for two and a half thousand years offers just as many surprises,” notes Guy Fieri. You just have to know where to look.
Hipster Hideaways
Few tourists venture into Pigneto (Rome’s new SOHO) where the littleknown 60’s-themed diner, Bar Necci dal 1924 (68 Via Fanfulla da Lodi) uses fresh seasonal ingredients to give classic dishes a twist.
Another throwback is The Jerry Thomas Project (30 Vicolo Cellini). With its bouncer AND password (which can be found on the bar’s website), this speakeasy features skilled bartenders shaking and stirring cocktails crafted from its own gin and vermouth.
“The brilliant owners of The Jerry Thomas Project are focused on rediscovering forgotten Italian spirits.” – Guy Fieri.
The Ultimate Picnic
With its art by Bernini and Diego Velasquez overlooked by tourists and Romans alike, the lovely 16th-century Pallazo Doria Pamphilj (305 Via del Corso) seems miles from Rome’s bustle. It’s “a haven of refreshingly thin crowds”, says Giada De Larentiis–who enjoys the best green space in the city with an organic picnic basket picked up at the villa’s ViVi Bistrot.
LOCAL FLAVOR:
“Buying some good bread and strolling through the PI AZZ A C A MP O D E ’ F I O R I ,” is Michelle Bernstein’s secret for sampling the endless olive oils at Central Rome’s only outdoor market.
MOST MEMORABLE LUNCH:
A Fairytale Walk
While MERCATO D I CIRCO MASSIMO is renowned for its olives, artichokes and other produce, “it was the porchetta sandwich that blew me away,” says Ina Garten. “Layered with rosemary and an abundance of crackly skin, it was as good as good gets!” 74 Via di S. Teodoro
Strolling through Quartiere Coppedè (Piazza Buenos Aires near via Tagliamento), is “like entering a storybook”, says Ina Garten–who returns often for its fantastical façades adorned with paintings, sculptures, columns and balconies.
“Don’t leave the quarter without stopping at a kiosk to sample its famously refreshing limoncoco.” – Ina Garten
BEST PIZZA: FARNI N È is a seriously minimal pizzeria. Five strict selections (using hyper-fresh ingredients) per night. No substitutions, exceptions or decisions–other than “beer or wine?” Via degli Aurunci
A MESSAGE FROM
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A WHOLE NEW
Barcelona While perfect tapas are hardly ordinary, it’s Barcelona’s less-obvious offerings that delight most. Here, our Star Chefs share their most memorable (yet unheralded) finds.
Philosophically Speaking
While sandwiches at Casa Pagès (22 Carrer de Mozart) bear names like Kant, and Freud, you don’t have to be Socrates to understand its appeal to locals. “One bite of the T-bone steak for two, fish collarbones, and artichoke hearts with ham and roasted red peppers will change your life,” offers Guy Fieri.
MOST LIVELY NEIGHBORHOOD: With its small-village feel and narrow alleys, GRÀCIA offers a day’s-worth of coffee shops, quirky stores and a melting pot of ethnic flavors along Verdi Street,” declares Anne Burrell.
Antoni Gaudi’s first residential commission, Güell Pavilion (7 Av. Pedralbes) is lesser known. But the vast gardens, gatehouses with his hallmark ceramic shapes, and remarkable wrought-iron “dragon” gate are not forgotten.
“Explore the narrow streets that slope down from Güell Pavilion to the city center– where Bar Tomàs serves up the best patatas bravas in town!” – Bobby Flay
Drink In The City’s History
Dark, and anonymous on popular La Rambia Street, the country’s first cocktail bar, Coctelería Boadas (1 Carrer dels Tallers) retains the sophistication cultivated by Miguel Boadas, who learned his trade mixing daiquiris for Hemingway in Havana.
“Boadas’ bar staff keeps all 680 cocktail recipes in their heads–offering potent lessons in cocktail history.” – Bobby Flay
MOST DECADENT MASSAGE:
Immerse yourself in A QU A U R B A N S PA’ S indulgent chocolate (chocolaterapia) and wine (vinoterapia) massages. 7 Gran de Gràcia
BEST PLACE TO GET LOST:
Few locals make it as far as the PARC D EL LABIRINT–losing themselves in the intricate 18th century hedge maze first. (Don’t worry, it’s the perfect spot for savoring some market-fresh olives and wine.) Passeig dels Castanyers 1
Culinary Escape
Two hours away–in the heart of Spain’s most exclusive wine region–stands Catacurian (43737 Gratallops, Tarragona). This privately-owned, boutique cooking hotel is “perfect for a single day excursion,” notes Alton Brown,” or a week-long immersion into authentic Catalan cooking.” Feel like walking? Stroll past the photogenic architecture of the Sant Pere neighborhood to find Santa Caterina Market. (Av. de Francesc Cambó) It’s THE stop for Catalonians looking for fresh produce, flowers and fish.
“Hotel Catacurian lets you savor local wines in utter peace—it only holds 6 people!" – Alton Brown A MESSAGE FROM
FAVORITE VIEW:
Seen from the Barcelona Cathedral, the producecolored roof of S A N TA C ATE R I N A M A R K E T looks like an abstract work of art.
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