Plachutta – Vienna, Austria

4.5 Lizards.

Pictured: Filet Tips in a Chanterelle Cream Sauce, Two Types of Tafelspitz, Cranberry Kombucha.

Plachutta is famous for their Tafelspitz, or boiled beef (I know it may sound gross but I promise, it’s really very good). They also put emphasis on their use of Chanterelle mushrooms.

It’s definitely a new and unique dining experience. They serve the food in copper pots, and place them on heated metallic plates on your table. They serve you the broth from the beef first, as a “soupetizer” if you will. It’s really well seasoned and differs based on the cut of beef you choose. They then come by again and serve you the tender beef with to-die-for fried potatoes, just like Grandpa used to make. It’s very filling with large portions and very delicious.

Next, my order finally came…the filet tips in a creamy mushroom sauce with a side of buttered noodles. The cream was a perfect consistency of creamy without being overly heavy. There were an abundance of whole mushrooms in the sauce, which was a really nice surprise. The tips were cooked well: soft and tendon-less. It was really just a beautiful combination – a piece of beef in creamy mushroom goodness on top of a forkful of noodles. It doesn’t get much better than that. My cranberry kombucha was a nice, crisp, refreshing palette-cleansing addition to the meal.

The only downside? They served the boiled beef dishes significantly before the tips, as the tips took longer to cook. I ended up basically sitting there for about 15-20 minutes before my food came. I wish they had waited to serve the “soupetizer” until the tips were about 10 minutes away from being done. My family was essentially finishing their meal by the time I got mine. Otherwise, great food, friendly staff, beautiful summer garden, and they all spoke English well!

If you find yourself hungry in Vienna, check out Plachutta! But you will need a reservation unless you’re avoiding busy times or want to sit outside in 100 degree weather.

Le Tastevin – Ile de St. Louis, Paris, France

5 Lizards!!

Pictured: Escargots in butter and garlic sauce, 2013 Beaujolais, veal in mushroom sauce, flank steak in mustard sauce

Yes, my first official 5 Lizard rating. I heard stories of the fantastic food in France and all of the food I had eaten up until this point was fantastic. But no one told me there were restaurants that were going to make me feel like if I died right then and there, I would be mostly okay with that. If heart attacks caused by happiness were possible, I think that’s what I was having.

The restaurant itself is lovely. It’s dimly lit with candles on each table, nicely decorated and gives off a very romantic aura.

As an appetizer, my family and I all had escargots. Now, I had never tried escargots before Paris, but I’m adventurous. I decided to eat some snails. Oooh man, they’re good. They kind of just taste like any other meat, but when they’re soaked in that delicious, bubbling, buttery garlic sauce, it’s a foodgasm and a half. This place has been rated to have the best escargots in Paris, and now I see why. Perfection. We paired our meal with a nice 2013 Beaujolais that was light, fruity and had a beautiful crimson color to it.

For the main course, things got real. My parents ordered the veal ribs in mushroom sauce, and my brother and I – the flank steak in mustard sauce. The waitstaff was great and attentive, trying to speak as much English as they could while we spoke as much French as we could.

A woman who looked like the owner of the restaurant took our order. When my brother and I were ordering our steaks, we wanted to get them medium rare, but she said that because of the kind of meat it is, it’s best to get them rare. Points to Gryffindor on that one. Didn’t have to tell us twice – of course we’re going to listen and trust the restaurant to prepare the steak in its best form.

Long story short, the steaks were impeccable. My mom cried a little when she tried it. It was THAT good. The sauce was creamy and had mustard seeds in it, but it didn’t taste overly “mustardy”. The veal was also cooked to a perfect medium and had actual mushrooms atop the meat with the mushroom sauce poured over it. It was just stellar.

Overall, this place was pricier but 100% worth it. Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life. And I’ve eaten A LOT of food.

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Alas, my time in Paris has come to a close, and I simply don’t have the time to review every single place I’ve been to. I’ve been picking and choosing.

Au Pied de Fouet – Saint-Germain-Des-Prés, Paris, France

4.3 Lizards.

Pictured: Fish special, lapin (rabbit) dish, duck confit, steak tartare

Well, this place is on a side street off of Saint-Germain. We found it through one of those Paris recommendation books. First good sign – there were a lot of locals eating there. This was clearly a bistro done right. Next good sign – it was very reasonably priced, especially in comparison to some of the same foods found in more touristy areas. We wanted to get a taste for some authentic French cuisine, and this place definitely did it.

After reading some other reviews, I noticed some people had issues with sitting in very close proximity to others inside. We were seated comfortably outside, so I can’t speak to that. But the street the restaurant is on is small, quaint, and charming. Street musicians come and play their accordions – it’s like the stereotypical Hollywood picture of Paris. The service was fine – our waitress was hurrying back and forth because there were more and more people coming, looking for tables. It was a little odd that she knew we spoke English, spoke English with us for a little, then switched to French, fully knowing we did not speak French. She was a little bit on the snooty side. Oh well.

My mom had the fish, dad had the rabbit, brother had the confit, and I had the beef tartare. All four dishes were great, though the fish was a little dry when there was no sauce over it. The sauce itself was delicious though. The rabbit was falling off the bone and well-seasoned. It really gave off the taste of the meat, rather than overpowering it with some sort of heavy cream sauce. The duck confit was perfectly cooked. The soft, juicy duck had a little crisp coating that kept you wanting more. Last, but not least, the beef tartare was exquisite. It is essentially raw, seasoned beef that is served cold. This one also had pickles in the mix. It’s a great flavor, and I’m glad I tried it after seeing many of the locals eating it. Tres bien!

Not pictured here, we also shared two appetizers: shrimp with a special mayonnaise and rillettes d’oie (which is sort of like a mix between pate and head cheese) and ordered the house red wine. The shrimp were nothing special, in my opinion, but the rillettes spread on a piece of baguette was divine. The bottle of wine was relatively cheap, light, and fruity.

Overall, a lovely bistro with good prices, good wine, and great food!.

Pain Vin Fromages – Marais, Paris, France

Surprise! I’m in Paris!

 4.5 Lizards.

Pictured: Goat cheese and camembert fondue, raclette, potatoes and magical cheese-melting machine

Ahh, the family and I are in Paris. The land of delicious food. Firstly, this is a small, family-owned restaurant with two nice brothers as owners. We did not come across any stereotypical French “attitude” toward Americans. We try to dabble in French some, which I think they appreciate.

I’d recommend making a reservation as it is a small place, tucked away on an unlabeled side street near the Pompidou Centre. It’s so so cute!

This place has a great vibe. We were seated downstairs in a little stone alcove that looked like a cave. It was intimate and fun. The only downside is it’s incredibly hot in there. There’s no air coming in plus the fondue pots are creating even more heat.

Other than that, everything we ate was absolutely delicious. The goat cheese and Camembert fondue was delicious – we were dipping pieces of bread and potato into there, then placing a small piece of the meat on top. I’m not a huge fan of the stinky/strong cheeses, but I gave this fondue a shot, and it was more than a cheese-lover could even dream up. It was creamy and melty with chunks of cheese in it, and not too strong. Perfect. For the meats, we had salami, prosciutto, ham, and some sort of beef. All of them were fresh and thinly sliced. Just perfect. Even when you feel full, it’s so good, you just have to keep eating.

As it is Paris, no one is hurrying. It’s normal for people to spend a couple of hours eating and drinking. Once your food is brought to you, they leave you alone unless you flag them down. If you want your check, you have to ask for it. It’s a nice change of pace from America. It’s not “bad service” like some Americans may think – it’s just a different culture. I personally love it.

Overall, this place is heaven for people who love cheese.