Les Papilles, Paris (6th arr)

Les Papilles is an old wine shop that has been converted into a bistro and grocery store in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, steps away from the Luxembourg Gardens. It's the kind of place where you go to enjoy a three hour meal and a few bottles of wine, while making friends with the diners at the next table. 

Passage 53, Paris (9th arr)

Out of all the restaurants I dined at in Paris, and there were many, Passage 53 was by far one of my favorites. From hand pulled noodles in China town to falafels in Marais, savory crepes in Montparnasse and the chef's tastings at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Frenchie and more, few meals came close to what I experienced at Passage 53. 

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Saint-Germain Paris (6th arr)

When I planned my first trip to Paris, there were a handful of restaurants on the must visit list and towards the very top of that list was the original L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Saint-Germain-Des-Prés.

Taste of Mexico 12/4/10

Taste of Mexico is this Saturday from 5-10 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Vibianais. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to taste authentic cuisine from various regions of Mexico. This event was put together by the Taste of Mexico Association created by four restaurants: La Monarca Bakery, Guelaguetza, La Casitas Mexicana, and Frida Mexican Cuisine. The restaurants share a passion for promoting authentic Mexican cuisine and created this organization to enhance the experience and quality of Mexican cuisine.

This event will celebrate regional Mexican cuisine as well as benefit Heal the Bay. The organizers chose Heal the Bay because restaurants are the number one consumers of disposables. To bring awareness to this fact and to set an example, the association is committed to being more environmentally conscious and La Monarca Bakery has committed to only using bakery boxes made from recyclables.

I had the opportunity to sample some of the menu items at Friday Mexican Cuisine in Glendale. I didn't get a chance to taste everything in the photos below, but the ones I did taste were very good and I can only imagine how much better the food will be on Saturday.

La Monarca Bakery


- Tres leches cake with Veracruz Vanilla Bean Frosting
- Cane Sugar Caramel Flan
- Vanilla Bean & Chocolate Seashells (conchitas)
- Traditional cookies, cinnamon (hojarascas) and sugar (polvorones)

Guelaguetza


- Black mole with chicken tamales, wrapped in banana leaf.


- Tlayudas de Chapulin

Frida Mexican Cuisine


- Tuna toastadas and shrimp toastadas
- Quesadillas
- Sopas
- Fluantas

La Casitas Mexicana


- Tamales with vanilla cheese and hultlacoche (corn smut)
- Tamales with cactus
- Tequila guacamole
- Green ceviche made with pollock fish

Good food and a good cause. What more do you need? To purchase tickets, go to Taste of Mexico.