Paris – Le Relais de l’Entrecôte

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http://www.relaisentrecote.fr/

There are various locations through-out Paris and one in Geneva, Switzerland. We always ate at the location closest to the Arc de Triomphe. My colleagues and I called their one dish “steak and green gravy” and we love it. You can only order this one dish with fries. It’s the millions of amazing deserts (both in appearance and taste) that you go there for if you want variety.

This is a super popular joint as well so get there early if you want to eat.

Staff: Busy, friendly enough (used to tourists but still Parisien).

Language: French. I never tried speaking English though I went with English speaking friends a few times. I honestly don’t remember speaking English there but I’m sure their English is excellent with the amount of tourists they encounter.

Category: Casual / Relaxed Dining (Only one dish: steak and green gravy with fries but the upside is it’s all you can eat). Make a reservation or expect to most likely not get in and preferably make it days before. Or alternately – get there as soon as they open and hog the table all night as Europeans often love to do.

Paris – l’Auberge Dab

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http://www.auberge-dab.com/

161, Avenue Malakoff
75116 Paris
+33 1 45 00 32 22
restaurant@auberge-dab.com

I cannot thank my colleague and friend Joëlle enough for taking me to this restaurant. It became a favourite place for me to go with both her and many other friends/colleagues during the year I lived there (as well as during any subsequent travels).

I have to admit I’m a bit of a Dab junkie and have to get my seafood fix every time I am in the city. The food is excellent, the service is top-notch and I just can’t praise it enough. It is upper class though so expect the prices and attitudes to match. If you go in expecting a nice evening in that type of setting you will be fine. This is not your run of the mill – casual dining American chain so don’t expect that – otherwise you might go away thinking “rude Parisians”.

Staff: Busy, extremely knowledgeable, friendly in a French way (used to tourists but still Parisien).

Language: French and English (spoken and Menu). I never tried speaking English though I went with English speaking friends a few times.

Category: Upscale / Fine Dining (Sea Food). Make a reservation or expect to most likely not get in and preferably make it days before. Reservations can be made online so you can avoid having to speak French on the phone (and thus have no excuse for showing up unannounced).

Tscherms – Ferienwohnung Peilerhof (Bed and Breakfast)

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http://www.peilerhof.com/

Owner: Franz Unterthurner (speaks German and Italian)

Familie Unterthurner
Raffeinweg 25
I-39010 Tscherms

Tel. u. Fax +39 0473 562350
Mobiltel. +39 349 8705510
peilerhof@gmail.com

We LOVE this place. Herr Kaulmann was born in Lana and his parents, who lived there for five years in the 1970s, found this gem of a place to stay a few years back. The owners are some of the nicest, best people you’d ever want to meet and we feel somehow like a part of the Unterthurner family. We recommend this place as the price is great and the service is tip-top (as the Germans like to say). The price is really reasonable and the view is outta this world. Plus just up the way is a great little eatery (and as soon as I get the details – I will post it as well). The only negative thing we could say is it is pretty high up and the roads/paths are really steep, so you’ll want a car. (if not: you’d better stop by the apothecary and buy some Pferdebalsam [horse balm] for your soon to be aching calves).

Lörrach-Tüllingen – Schnägge-Straussi

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http://www.schnaeggestraussi.de/

Dorfstrasse 27
D-79539 Lörrach-Tüllingen
Tel.+Fax-Straussi: 07621-45544
Tel.+Fax-Privat: 07621-43792
Mobil: 0172-7694498

This has become one of our all time – forever favourites. Ms. Greiner (the owner) is a big, gruff Momma bear type and we adore her. The food is fantastic and the price is right. The only complaint we have is that the place is not open year round. Because it is a “Besenwirtschaft” (you can read what that is here or here) it can only be open 4 months out of the year. Of course, the flip (read: positive) side of that is two fold: only fresh, in season, locally grown ingredients and you always want to eat there because it’s not always open. Yes, basically psychology. This place is ALWAYS hoppin’ so you’d better get there early if you want a seat. People tend to stay and occupy tables long after they are done eating. Also, there is live music in the famous German polka style so if it’s winter months be prepared for things to get a little rowdy inside. So suffice to say the atmosphere is cozy and fun (provided you can understand the strong Alemanisch dialect or you go with someone else who can).

We just can’t simply say enough good things about this place!!!

Staff: Busy but friendly

Language: German. We never tried speaking English.

Category: Casual / Relaxed Dining with Biergarten (beer garden). Inside often includes getting cosy at tables with folks you don’t know and a live polka band in the evenings.

Weil am Rhein – Chläbi

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http://www.chläbi.de/

Eisenbahnstraße 9
79576 Weil am Rhein, Germany
07621 1671144

This is another of our favourites. Some of the best salads to be had – anywhere!!!

Staff: Very friendly

Language: German. We never tried speaking English.

Category: Casual / Relaxed Dining with Biergarten (beer garden). Inside often smokey but there is a “non-smoking” separate room inside.

Paris – Bugsy’s

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15 Rue Montalivet
75008 Paris, France
01 42 68 18 44

This is a super-great find in Paris, especially for those Americans/Brits who don’t possess such adventurous palates or are missing a bit of home. I have to thank my friends/colleagues John and Dave for introducing me to it when I lived there. It’s a place I’ve also introduced to a lot of others, including my husband, and a place I definitely try to make it to when business or pleasure takes me into the big city.

Staff: Really friendly

Language: English and French

Category: Bar / Pub

Gent – De Gouden Saté

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https://www.facebook.com/pages/De-Gouden-Sat%C3%A9-bij-Julien-en-Peter/35171026164?ref=ts

Sint-Pietersplein
9000 Gent
Belgium

De Gouden Saté (a.k.a. bij Julien) is a long time favourite since my days of living in Gent, Belgium. Well actually I liked it when I first visited Europe in 1999 but it became a beloved hangout when I lived in Gent in 2006.

Staff: Super friendly – especially if you speak the local dialect

Language: Flemish – Gent Dialect. We never tried speaking English.

Category: Imbiss / Take Away.

Schopfheim – Gasthaus Sonne

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http://www.sonne-schopfheim.de/

Wallstraße 1
79650 Schopfheim
+49 (0) 76 22 – 83 48

We love this restaurant. In fact, it’s probably one of our all time favourite gasthaus restaurants. The have a wonderful biergarten outside for amiable weather conditions and a very cosy stübe type restaurant inside complete with Alemanisch (local dialect) sayings on the walls for those capable / so inclined to read them.

Staff: Friendly

Language: German. However, some of the staff can speak very good English.

Category: Casual / Relaxed Dining with Biergarten (beer garden)

So what brings you to a place like this?

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Ok, so Imbibe.net is back after a, oh I don’t know, four year hiatus. I have had this domain since 1998 and boy has the world changed since those days. Come to think of it so have I. To quote Dr. Suess, “Oh the places you’ll go”…

So leaving aside a general interest in computers: domains, blogging and such led to an online friendship with an Aussie which lead to a trip to Europe and an obligatory stop in London (one of his fav places). That led to a meet up with a few Belgians which lead to a relationship with one of them 6 years later. That led to acquiring another language which led to a job (ironically in my hometown which even more ironically led me back to Europe). First stop was Paris, where I met my current husband (a German), then onto Amsterdam and finally settling in Germany where I now reside.

My better half and I are (or were at least) rather frequent travellers and we have lots of wonderful little favourite dives (restaurants, stop and gobbles and such) in many of the countries I have lived in and/or visited. That is what we want imbibe to be about – taking in and soaking in all the good stuff life has to offer (from our perspective of course).

In addition, we’ve just had a new addition to our family. So stay tuned on adventures with baby at our other blog – www.mousemakes3.net – where we will chronicle our adventures of life with a baby and especially travelling with her. Her first trip out of Germany (at two weeks of age) was to Zurich to see my Mom off on her flight back to the US and her second major trip involved a day outing in Frankfurt (at the consulate) and a subsequent stop over at Omi and Opi’s house in a Stuttgart suburb. I think she’s gonna be a gypsy like her Momma.

So with that said – welcome to the madness and drink up!

cheers,

the kaulmanns