http://www.sitebits.com/ SiteBits writers scour Madrid, Montreal, New York, Paris and Rome (and occasionally, several dozen other "nice places"), looking for "good things" that might interest you from a cultural, visual, design or culinary perspective... en Copyright &copy; 1999-2008 Gromco, Inc. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:18:22 EDT Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EDT info@sitebits.com info@sitebits.com This past weekend, we're wandering around Dumbo — that neighborhood that takes place between and beneath the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and seems comprised almost entirely of organic food marts and upscale designer baby clothes boutiques. <br/><br/> I was in the mood for a hot dog and beer, which is only a healthy meal when compared to my previous idea of a meal of ultra-rich chocolate. But there were surprisingly few hot dog vendors about the place, and in stark contrast to my own neighborhood, no guys wandering around offering to sell you a Corona for a buck fifty. However, while walking up <b>Jay Street</b>, I suddenly caught a whiff of…is that…is that taco? Yes it is. And suddenly all I wanted was tacos and beer. Luckily, <b>Pedro's Spanish American Restaurant and Bar</b> was waiting on the corner of Jay and Front Street (73 Jay St., between Front and Water) to give me exactly what I wanted. Keith http://www.sitebits.com/2008/pedros-spanish-american-restaurant.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EDT You may remember the tragic accident at Paris Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle Airport's Terminal 2E four years ago. A large part of its glass roof collapsed killing four people and injuring several others. <br/><br/> Well, it only took four years and about 150M&euro; for engineers to fix the damn roof, but they finally did it. A couple of weeks ago first scheduled flights started using the terminal... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/roissy-2e-reopens.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:05:00 EDT <b>La Giostra</b> is a fine restaurant in Florence where the flavors (and quantities) of yesterday coexist in peaceful harmony with the culinary and trends of tomorrow. <br/><br/> Just for its atmosphere, somehow combining old-school cordiality with a good-hearted laidback attitude, eating at <b>La Giostra</b> would be a worthwhile experience. The restaurant's history also makes it unusual, as does the fact that it is run by members of the Hapsburgs - a royal Austrian family. And then there's food.. Alban http://www.sitebits.com/2008/ristorante-la-giostra.html Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:30:00 EDT French architect <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/people/jean_nouvel.html">Jean Nouvel</a>, 62, received the 2008 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious award in architecture (which is often compared to the Nobel prize in science in the degree of honor it affords)... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/jean-nouvel-pritzker-prize-2008.html Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EDT <b><a href="http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montreal/restaurants/mtl-le_cartet.html">Le Cartet</a></b> (106 rue McGill, <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montreal/districts/old-montreal.html">Old Montreal</a>), a combination of a high-end grocery store (<i>boutique alimentaire</i>) and a café, reopened after winter renovation. Our reviewers will soon be dispatched to sample Le Cartet's brunch. Gromco http://www.sitebits.com/2008/le-cartet-reopens-2008.html Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EDT It's only natural that any project signed by <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/people/philippe_starck.html">Philippe Starck</a> guarantees attention to an establishment, whether it be a hotel, restaurant or a high-rise apartment tower. But now the maestro seems to be making space for another family member - his daughter <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/people/ara_starck.html">Ara</a>. <br/><br/> In the latest example, she was charged with the only truly "artistic" part of a restaurant renovation project for the <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/france/paris/hotels/par-le_meurice.html">Meurice</a> hotel, while her famous father was busy desgnining the 600+ pieces of furniture that went into the restaurant... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/starck-reality-dali-meurice.html Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:10:00 EDT When you feel like having a coffee in a classic Left Bank café setting but shudder at the thought of neighboring a group of starry-eyed tourists (which is almost inevitable if you go to either the <b>Café de Flore</b> or <b>Les Deux Magots</b>), I have an alternative suggestion. <br/><br/> A few blocks away from the two oh-so-atmospheric stalwarts of Parisian café life sits a slightly less frequented etablishment: <b>Le Rouquet</b>... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/le-rouquet-cafe.html Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:45:00 EDT Perhaps because it's more out of the way, smaller, and slightly less spectacular than the <b>Mercato Centrale</b>, the <b>Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio</b> is frequented mostly by genuine Florentines and their wannabe compatriots. <br/><br/> However, since it's only a 15-20 minute walk from the <b>Duomo</b>, it can't really be considered off-the-beaten track, and certainly such a convenient yet relatively uncrowded market deserves a gastronomic visit... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2008/mercato-di-sant-ambrogio-08.html Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EDT Going to Paris this time was a treat – and that's despite the fact that, having lived in a warm climate for a while, I didn't have anything warm to wear. (Worse, I couldn't even make myself buy anything in Europe since the local trends in men's fashion don't really inspire me to get anything… call me old-fashioned). However, I didn't let the cold or the wet winter of Paris hold me back and I made the best of my weeklong stay in the city. Let me share a few places from my latest trip... Alban http://www.sitebits.com/2008/paris_la_belle.html Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:08:00 EDT With few exceptions, I never order anything that I can cook well myself. Thai is one cuisine that I would love to wow guests with. Its distinguishing feature is the use of coconut milk, lemon grass, peanuts and chilli peppers in harmonious constellations for consumption. But sadly, I've never actually done anything about studying it, maybe because I am a regular at Restaurant Thaïlande. Let's face it, we're a lazy species, and if others can do it better, why not go to them? Andrea http://www.sitebits.com/2008/high-on-thai-restaurant-thailande.html Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:40:00 EST Whether we like it or not, we live in an age of product placement. Anyone doubting that can ask the judges of "American Idol" how they're liking their Coke. <br><br> <b>Kube Hotel</b> in Paris is an appropriately modish collaboration between Grey Goose Vodka and Murano Resort centering on the concept of cubicity (cubicality?). <br><br> Its 41 high-tech rooms are cube-shaped, as is the foyer, the elevators and the exterior spaces... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/kubic-volumes.html Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST One grey New Year's Day in Paris my sister and I decided to go for a walk. Our senses happily dulled from the night before, we wandered through Montparnasse; a high wall herded us along the sidewalk. <br><br> Suddenly, it broke into large gates: a cemetery lay beyond. We hesitated, but our curiosity was piqued, so we went in... Andrea http://www.sitebits.com/2008/rambling-about-montparnasse-cemetery.html Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:00:00 EST The Trattoria da Rocco, inside the Mercato Sant' Ambrogio is one of the rare places in Florence where you will still hear more Italian than English at mealtime. Everyone eats lunch here, from the occasional bewildered tourist to businessmen to construction workers. It's open for lunch, from about 11 to whenever they run out of food. <br><br> The market itself is wonderful and deserves a review of its own, so suffice it to say that the trattoria is the same size as the regular stalls in the market but it's the one that looks more like a greenhouse. Don't be concerned if you can't find the door, there isn't any. Simply open one of the windows/walls and slide into a booth and prepare for a cheap, simple, and simply good meal... Ree http://www.sitebits.com/2008/trattoria-da-rocco-08.html Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:50:00 EST One of the most frequently photographed sights in <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/spain/madrid/">Madrid</a> that's nevertheless completely ignored in the city guidebooks is the Tío Pepe sign in Puerta del Sol. Given the number of tourists taking pictures in front of the sign (with many opting for a silly trick where they pretend to be "holding" the giant bottle behind them... very creative, guys, but it's been done before) and consequently, given the sign's status as the city's <i>de facto</i> second emblem (at least in tourists' minds... the first still being the bear, of course), it seems almost unbelievable that no guidebook provides at least a cursory look at the sign's story. Allow me to take the onerous task upon myself.. Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/tio-pepe-sign.html Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST There are many restaurants in this town proving their worth by hiring the right chef, PR agency or interior designer, attracting the "in" crowd or serving the most "creative" (sometimes absurdly creative) nouvelle cuisine dishes. <br><br> And then there are restaurants that don't need to prove anything: as long as they stay true to their mission and character, they will be deservedly popular. <br><br> L'Express at 3927 rue St-Denis belongs to the second category. In the 20-odd years that the place existed, it slowly transformed its status from that of a "cool new thing" to that of a Montreal institution... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/l-express-way.html Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:25:00 EST If there's one place that symbolizes the quirkiness of <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/spain/madrid/">Madrid</a>'s history for me, it is the Sabatini Gardens next to the Palacio Real. <br><br> Of course, it's not the quirkiness that draws hundreds of people here every day - the gardens are beautiful and for anybody who's tired of the city's heat (in summer), or crowds (all year round) it's a perfect place to chill, relax a little bit, read or just people-watch. And did I mention the location? Quite literally in the shadow of the Palacio Real, perhaps <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/spain/madrid/">Madrid</a>'s most famous landmark: it just doesn't get more central than that. <br><br> But still, that's not the whole story. The whole story would need to mention a few quirky facts. Here's one, for example: the Sabatini Gardens are named after Italian architect Francesco Sabatini who... had nothing to do with them... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/sabatini_gardens_chilling_with_kings.html Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:30:00 EST <img ALT="Strand" class="fullill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2008/strand-inside-1.jpg"> <div class="attribution">photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/newyork808/">newyork8080</a></div> <br> I have a love and hate relationship with Strand. The "hate" part, for those interested, will be explained at the end of this posting, but let me start with the "love" one. For a hardcover-loving bibliophile rat I am, Strand is simply a great place - one of the best in the world. It's big, cavernous (they claim to offer "18 miles of books") and full of surprises... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/stranded-on-broadway.html Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:00:00 EST I am not exactly a frequent visitor at tea salons - a fact pretty much ensured by the very presence of the Y chromosome in my DNA. </p><p> Yet, since about a year ago, I regularly find myself at a place that ranks suspiciously well on the tea connoisseurs' list of Montreal cafés and restaurants. And what do I order there? Tea. And cookies... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/tea-at-nocochi.html Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:15:00 EST This particular beauty was spotted at a grocery shop (La Standa, via Pietrapiana, 42, near Piazza Cesare Beccaria). And there's more good stuff in that neighborhood (read on)... Alban http://www.sitebits.com/2008/testa-di-maiale-etc.html Mon, 07 Jan 2008 02:15:00 EST Chicago native Daniel Rose (who originally came to France intending to study philosophy) runs his 16-seat restaurant called "Spring" almost as some sort of a one-man show... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/spring-in-paris.html Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:20:00 EST The flavours for this venture are those of Florence, Italy – that famous Tuscan cooking! If you can go armed with some knowledge or at least a culinary guidebook, you'll be able to spot some of the most savoury and intriguing ingredients, which will aid you in your menu choices later on. Andrea http://www.sitebits.com/2007/gastronomy-through-the-back-door-markets-florence.html Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:15:00 EST Located a stone's throw away from the Arts & Metiers station, on Rue Turbigo, this little bistro/brasserie offers a relatively simple menu based on French and North African cuisine Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2007/absinthe_cafe_paris_2007.html Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST Cinque Terre is situated in the Ligurian coast and without exaggeration, it's one of the most beautiful places I've seen in Italy. What's more, people are nice, the food is good and the scenery is fantastic... Alban http://www.sitebits.com/2007/cinque-terre.html Wed, 21 Nov 2007 02:10:00 EST Besides the practical advantages of off-season prices and less tourists to contend with, what could be interesting about travelling in winter, other than sport, that couldn't be done with less baggage in another season? Glühwein, mulled wine. Now, does it sound more interesting? Andrea http://www.sitebits.com/2007/gluhwein_in_the_crisp_air.html Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:45:00 EST I am here to clear up the confusion and defend the merits of Habitat 67... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2007/habitat-67-2007.html Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:20:00 EST