More info on the following photos to come...
Showing posts with label Marseille. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marseille. Show all posts
Sunday, January 18, 2009
La Côte Bleue ~ Marseille's Harbor by Boat (10/09)
After lunch, too full to walk around, we decided to cruise around the Côte Bleue aboard the Cézanne Bateau. We had seen much of Marseiile on foot, and it was nice to see it from a different perspective. Our two hour cruise of the harbor was navigated by someone who bore a striking resemblance to Ringo Starr.
More info on the following photos to come...
More info on the following photos to come...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Lunch at Restaurant Miramar in Marseille (10/09)
The pièce de résistance of our day in Marseille was lunch at the renowned Restaurant Miramar, whom are famous for their most authentic bouillabaisse. Situated overlooking the harbor, it was the ideal place to sit outdoors for lunch while soaking up the atmosphere of Marseille. We were entertained by several street performers, my favorite was very reminiscent of Django Reinhardt.
The "main attraction" to le Miramar is most definitely the bouillabaisse which is served in the traditional fashion: fish and shellfish served on a platter with the broth in a separate bowl. This is all served with a rounds of bread spread with rouille (a mayonnaise like sauce with garlic, chili, and saffron). When ordering the bouillabaisse, you are presented with a selection of sea creatures to choose from. This is one occasion that I really wished I could have seafood. The ceremony of having bouillabaisse in the place that is argued to have the most authentic in the world would have been a badge of honor I would have proudly worn.
We opted for a few land roaming choices and were treated to this leisurely, very enjoyable meal...
We were first treated to a slice of black truffle on toast. While I've had many things that were "truffle flavored", this was my first experience indulging in an actual, non-dried truffle. It was divine. The first bite was a little strange. It had a musty, pungent flavor, but the more I ate, the more I liked it. The second bite definitely had more of a mushroom/beefy tone. To completely savor the experience, I took little bites to optimize this course.
This was then followed by a small glass of chopped seafood in a soup very similar to gazpacho. I sadly had to pass, but I did enjoy the zucchini/olive bread that was served with it. It was yeast free and had the texture of a "quick bread". It would have also gone nicely with an olive or artichoke spread. Perhaps even a hummus.
We were feeling completely spoilt and relaxed by the time our main course arrived: potato galette - on top of filet de boeuf- on top of polenta with a drizzle of au jus and olive oil.
For dessert I opted for the selection of strawberry treats. There was a strawberry crème brûlée, strawberry milk shake (no ice cream involved, more like whipped strawberry milk), strawberry sorbet with a strawberry wafer (looks a bit like salami now) and in the center a few stewed strawberries, marinated strawberries, and the skewer on top a very interesting, chewy strawberry candy. The presentation was fantastic, and not to be outdone by the other courses, before you are even served your first, the pastry chef comes out with a separate dessert menu to take your order. I was very sad that all of this was coming to an end, and then came our coffee...
Our coffee was served with this delightful platter of sweets. Now this is a place I could get used to!
Le Miramar
12, quai du Port
13002 Marseille
Tél. : 04 91 91 10 40 - 04 91 91 41 09
Fax : 04 91 56 64 31
Email : contact@bouillabaisse.com
View Larger Map
The "main attraction" to le Miramar is most definitely the bouillabaisse which is served in the traditional fashion: fish and shellfish served on a platter with the broth in a separate bowl. This is all served with a rounds of bread spread with rouille (a mayonnaise like sauce with garlic, chili, and saffron). When ordering the bouillabaisse, you are presented with a selection of sea creatures to choose from. This is one occasion that I really wished I could have seafood. The ceremony of having bouillabaisse in the place that is argued to have the most authentic in the world would have been a badge of honor I would have proudly worn.
We opted for a few land roaming choices and were treated to this leisurely, very enjoyable meal...
We were first treated to a slice of black truffle on toast. While I've had many things that were "truffle flavored", this was my first experience indulging in an actual, non-dried truffle. It was divine. The first bite was a little strange. It had a musty, pungent flavor, but the more I ate, the more I liked it. The second bite definitely had more of a mushroom/beefy tone. To completely savor the experience, I took little bites to optimize this course.
This was then followed by a small glass of chopped seafood in a soup very similar to gazpacho. I sadly had to pass, but I did enjoy the zucchini/olive bread that was served with it. It was yeast free and had the texture of a "quick bread". It would have also gone nicely with an olive or artichoke spread. Perhaps even a hummus.
We were feeling completely spoilt and relaxed by the time our main course arrived: potato galette - on top of filet de boeuf- on top of polenta with a drizzle of au jus and olive oil.
For dessert I opted for the selection of strawberry treats. There was a strawberry crème brûlée, strawberry milk shake (no ice cream involved, more like whipped strawberry milk), strawberry sorbet with a strawberry wafer (looks a bit like salami now) and in the center a few stewed strawberries, marinated strawberries, and the skewer on top a very interesting, chewy strawberry candy. The presentation was fantastic, and not to be outdone by the other courses, before you are even served your first, the pastry chef comes out with a separate dessert menu to take your order. I was very sad that all of this was coming to an end, and then came our coffee...
Le Miramar
12, quai du Port
13002 Marseille
Tél. : 04 91 91 10 40 - 04 91 91 41 09
Fax : 04 91 56 64 31
Email : contact@bouillabaisse.com
View Larger Map
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Le Quai des Belges Daily Fish Market ~ Marseille (10/09)
As you would expect from a large city on the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille boasts an amazing daily fish market which starts about 8:00 in the morning, lasting until some time around 1:00 in the afternoon.
While I'm not a seafood fan, I've had an intolerance all of my life, I could appreciate the beauty, value and history of this market. You know what you are looking at was just caught hours before from the Mediterranean. This isn't only a way of life for the fishermen (and women), it is part of the culture of Marseille, and has been for years. You have not only generations of families going out to sea to make a living, but generations of people that have been relying on them for fresh fish. This truly gives meaning to the term "buying local". There was such an energizing atmosphere that I was able to overlook the smell that usually sends me looking for a bucket to soak up the experience. I mean, I'm in Marseille!!! I've seen this market in many travel and cook books, and I was actually there. It was such an exhilarating experience, and I'm so glad that I was able to go.
Each vendor has a blue table with sides to contain the mess (for lack of better term) which are also marked with their vendor code and in most cases their name.
This was the first Rascasse Rouge (brown sea scorpion) I had ever seen in the flesh, so to speak. This is a staple ingredient in making an authentic bouillabaisse. 
"GU MA861363" looked very familiar to me, and I later discovered that he was familiar because his photo is in several of my travel and cook books. I didn't know that there was going to be some celeb siting at this market! 
With lovely views of the harbor, weather permitting, I'd say every day is a "good day at the office".
This sign reads "Soupe 10€ kg". It was just a melange of sea creatures, but obviously bouillabaisse comes to mind. What also comes to mind is a show that I used to watch in England called Ready, Steady, Cook. I think that there may have been a US version on the Food Channel as Ready, Set, Cook. Anyway, each episode an audience member was give an allowance to go and buy a bag of random groceries to present to the dueling Celeb Chefs. Dueling chefs aside, I would love to see what Lisa from Heart & Thistle would come up with. She has some of the most amazing looking seafood dishes I've seen prepared at home.
The market adds such a strong presence to the square that it is so bare and sort of sad when they are gone. There is comfort in the knowledge that tomorrow is another day, and the market will be back with their catch du jour.
While I'm not a seafood fan, I've had an intolerance all of my life, I could appreciate the beauty, value and history of this market. You know what you are looking at was just caught hours before from the Mediterranean. This isn't only a way of life for the fishermen (and women), it is part of the culture of Marseille, and has been for years. You have not only generations of families going out to sea to make a living, but generations of people that have been relying on them for fresh fish. This truly gives meaning to the term "buying local". There was such an energizing atmosphere that I was able to overlook the smell that usually sends me looking for a bucket to soak up the experience. I mean, I'm in Marseille!!! I've seen this market in many travel and cook books, and I was actually there. It was such an exhilarating experience, and I'm so glad that I was able to go.
Each vendor has a blue table with sides to contain the mess (for lack of better term) which are also marked with their vendor code and in most cases their name.
This was the first Rascasse Rouge (brown sea scorpion) I had ever seen in the flesh, so to speak. This is a staple ingredient in making an authentic bouillabaisse. 
"GU MA861363" looked very familiar to me, and I later discovered that he was familiar because his photo is in several of my travel and cook books. I didn't know that there was going to be some celeb siting at this market! 
With lovely views of the harbor, weather permitting, I'd say every day is a "good day at the office".
This sign reads "Soupe 10€ kg". It was just a melange of sea creatures, but obviously bouillabaisse comes to mind. What also comes to mind is a show that I used to watch in England called Ready, Steady, Cook. I think that there may have been a US version on the Food Channel as Ready, Set, Cook. Anyway, each episode an audience member was give an allowance to go and buy a bag of random groceries to present to the dueling Celeb Chefs. Dueling chefs aside, I would love to see what Lisa from Heart & Thistle would come up with. She has some of the most amazing looking seafood dishes I've seen prepared at home.
The market adds such a strong presence to the square that it is so bare and sort of sad when they are gone. There is comfort in the knowledge that tomorrow is another day, and the market will be back with their catch du jour.Cappuccino Freddo in Marseille (10/09)
As we are huge fans of Luc Besson's Taxi films, we were completely ecstatic to be on our way to Marseille. Driving in was an absolute thrill as we recognized so many locations that had been used in the films. Just as we were approaching the parking garage, it was beginning to rain. Once parked, we came out of the underground parking to this first view of the Old Port on foot.
It was still quite early and we hadn't had a proper breakfast before we left, let alone a proper cup of coffee, so it seemed obvious what our first priority was going to be. Walking along the Quai Port, we found a very trendy looking restaurant/bar that looked inviting so made our way in with three things on our mind: coffee, croissant, and pain au chocolat. I had this lovely Cappuccino Freddo that was an absolute treat.
It felt so indulgent sitting there when we should have been at work, eating a nice leisurely breakfast in Marseille at this trendy spot with dance music blaring at 10:00AM. Ten in the morning is usually a little early for me for that type of music, but it just seemed so appropriate at the time. The staff were very friendly and one told us about the filming of Taxi 3, in which the area around was blocked off for the amazing car scenes. In case you didn't know, Sylvester Stallone makes a brilliant appearance in the opening scene. In my opinion he is a total star for appearing in a French film, speaking French. If you haven't seen any of the Taxi films, I would highly recommend them. They are very funny (to my sense of humor at least) and have some amazing driving scenes. We had a Peugeot 406 during the time the first 2 films were made, but ours didn't do nearly as much as Daniel's did!
It was still quite early and we hadn't had a proper breakfast before we left, let alone a proper cup of coffee, so it seemed obvious what our first priority was going to be. Walking along the Quai Port, we found a very trendy looking restaurant/bar that looked inviting so made our way in with three things on our mind: coffee, croissant, and pain au chocolat. I had this lovely Cappuccino Freddo that was an absolute treat.
It felt so indulgent sitting there when we should have been at work, eating a nice leisurely breakfast in Marseille at this trendy spot with dance music blaring at 10:00AM. Ten in the morning is usually a little early for me for that type of music, but it just seemed so appropriate at the time. The staff were very friendly and one told us about the filming of Taxi 3, in which the area around was blocked off for the amazing car scenes. In case you didn't know, Sylvester Stallone makes a brilliant appearance in the opening scene. In my opinion he is a total star for appearing in a French film, speaking French. If you haven't seen any of the Taxi films, I would highly recommend them. They are very funny (to my sense of humor at least) and have some amazing driving scenes. We had a Peugeot 406 during the time the first 2 films were made, but ours didn't do nearly as much as Daniel's did!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Coming Soon to a Cinema Near You: Transporter 3
While I have serious issues with there being a Transporter 3, I am happy to see it coming to the big screen on November 26. You see, for several years now, I have fancied myself as Transporter 3. I completely envision myself driving through (mostly) France in a black Audi - complete with my own theme song picked out. The news was broken to me this evening that they have gone behind my back and have made another one. As much is it hurts me, sniff-sniff, I will put on a brave face and support the competition. Besides, I'm sure people would rather watch Jason Statham fight the evils and unjust than to watch me. Only by a few though, certainly. The fact that it starts out in Marseilles is a small saving grace since I was just there last month. That has spurred me on to sort out some more of my photos. Speaking of which, I took over 200 in Marseilles. What can I say? I saw a helicopter in the Mediterranean and I got a little too excited and started snapping away. To my defence, it was hovering over a boat and people were abseiling down - not unlike something that could have featured Sylvester Stallone in Taxi 3!!! Did I mention that 3 was my favorite number? So maybe I will like the new film after all, once I finish nursing my bruised ego...
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