Tag: restaurant reviews

Postcard from Montpellier, France: Fishing for where to eat

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A postage stamp featuring a detailed illustration of a pike fish, labeled 'Esoc lucius' and 'Brochet', with a green background showcasing aquatic vegetation, and marked with a value of '5,00'.

Above: Red mullet stuffed with diced celery root atop zuccchini puree at IKAL.

The first stop of our spring trip was Montpellier in the southwest of France, and we had no trouble scoring the seafood we craved. Here’s an alphabetical list of spots we sampled for you.

Spaces under the arcades of the 18th-century Saint-Clement aqueduct are known for their vibrant food market, but we were not wandering around picturesque streets in search of produce to cook. The neighborhood’s Bistrot des Arceaux welcomed us with dishes prepared in what the owners refer to as “a modern home kitchen.” Artistic plating is not the kitchen’s specialty, but it knows how to turn out a plateful of flavor.

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Postcard from Guadalajara, Mexico: No need to gobble tacos on a stoop

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A vintage stamp from Mexico featuring three green bottles labeled 'Tequila' with agave plants, indicating a value of $10 and marked as 'Exportado'.

Above: Open kitchen at Birrieria Las 9 Esquinas

My days of wanting to stand in line to grab a meal at the street-corner taco stand, even when fresh tortillas and tantalizing smells rising from the grill are at their most seductive, are gone. I love street food, but I want to enjoy the experience…. At a table. Preferably with a shaken margarita and a beer or two alongside.

Guadalajara was heaven for me. Great ceviches and tacos in colorful, contemporary, relaxed settings. I have never eaten such a high concentration of tacos in a two-week period as I did there. I promise Lamar and I did not consume all of the food pictured below ourselves. There usually were four at our table, close enough friends and relatives for sharing freely, and we went to several of these spots multiple times.

As I start this alphabetical list to help you in your restaurant decisions, I realize that the first one, with white-shirted, black-aproned servers, is perhaps the most formal of all we frequented. In other words, you need not read any farther if you are seeking romantic white-tableclothed candlelit restaurants, or ones with any table coverings at all. Although two, Birrieria Las 9 Esquinas and Palreal, are recognized in Michelin’s new 2026 Guide.

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Postcard from Madrid, Spain: Savoring international sabores

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A Spanish postage stamp featuring green olives and the text 'D.O.P. Aceite de Madrid', highlighting the gastronomy of the region.

Above: Ceviche verde nortena with avocado ice cream at Tampu Restaurante

By now, readers know we rarely stick to the traditional foods of the country we are visiting. The main reason is that we are slow travelers; we tend to hang out in a city for a while. Bearing that in mind, here is an alphabetical listing of places we tried that you might want to experience.

Al-Mounia is probably the swellest Moroccan restaurant we’ve eaten in. An impressive amuse-bouche consisted of filo cigars of feta and lamb accompanied by a rich side of fried eggplant and roasted tomatoes. Our starter was a chicken and almond pastilla accented with powdered sugar. The lamb tajine with apricots, prunes, almonds and pine nuts that we split was absolutely luscious.

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