La Crepe Nanou - A little promotion of an adorable restaurant outside of the Quarter

I started this post ages ago, too. Like after dining there... So much for being on the ball. I bring it to you now.

We were delightfully surprised with the find at 1410 Robert Street in New Orleans. We will go back in a New York minute. I have absolutely no recollection of what I ate, but I was delighted. The atmosphere was charming and the service attentive.

La Crêpe Nanou is a romantic neighborhood
French Bistro and Crêperie established in 1983 and voted best French Bistro by New Orleans Magazine.
Our notable menu items include:
Crêpes (savory and sweet!), PEI Moules Frites,
Escargot and Local Whole Grilled Fish, Grilled Lamb Chops
Brunch Highlights: Crêpe Lorraine,
Omelette au Crabe, Croque Monsieur and Madame.
Additionally, we offer vegetarian, dairy-free and
gluten-free choices; as well as numerous Specials du Jour.

Just putting it out in the Universe about this bistro.

Cappadocia Cave Hotel & Resort, Cappadocia, Turkey - A Review

Not sure why I didn't post this when I wrote in back in June....

I have to say it, but I was disappointed with the Cappadocia Cave Hotel & Resort. I wanted so much to be really impressed, but I would suggest trying your luck elsewhere. I feel like an ingrate saying it, but that is the case... The view is beautiful, but the same view can be had at other hotels. (Click here to find the review on TripAdvisor... TripAdvisor claims it to be #70 out of 160 hotels in Cappadocia... or #12 of 22 in Uchisar, so right in the middle of the pack... which means others might be better.)

We bought some local sparkling wine at a vineyard just outside of town and for ice and 2 glasses to enjoy the wine, they charged us 10 Euros. And it wasn't an ice bucket for wine, it was a few cubes. I tipped the young lady 7.50 Euros as she seemed to understand the problem, but she never came back with a real ice bucket...

There was no stopper for the sink - which you would not think about normally, but I had a few of my delicates to wash as we have been traveling for 35 days... I asked for a stopper, which didn't quite work. So, rather than a soak, they got a rinse... Also, the first thing we had to have the hotel do was to fix the faucet which I couldn't turn off after washing my hands upon arrival. They came quickly, 'tis true... but I wouldn't say they fixed it... solved the problem, but not a fix.

Also, more small things... like broken hardware... miss-matched furniture.... exposed cut-off wires. It just wasn't there. They claim to be a 7 star - and I don't know what that means - but I'd say it just doesn't quite measure up.

I had to laugh because we were told we had a superior room.... aaaahhhh, superior room is their lowest room. Now, the room is plenty big, no complaint there. But no dresser and no desk - so as I write this I have a very hot laptop singing my thighs.

Service - eh, though they did ask us several times if we were enjoying our stay, just that the follow through wasn't there
Ambiance - very cool concept, but similar at other hotels in and around town....
Cleanliness - no issue
View/Balcony - small balcony, but fabulous view
Room Number - 260

Toiletries - yes, had everything we might need
Coffee & Tea in the room - yes
Robes & slippers - yes
Hairdryer - yes
mini frig - yes
wi fi - free
space - plenty
restaurant - a few options... and `a la carte, which is great
breakfast - was included in the room rate
Pool - yes, though I didn't see it
Fitness Center - not sure
Spa - I think they are well regarded for it, though I haven't seen it; I was here for the landscape

Hallway from the room

Looking towards the balcony and the beds

Very large space - no tub, though

Looking back towards the entrance

Partial View from balcony

Key Hotel, Izmir, Turkey - a Review

Loving this little hotel.

It is a former bank building right on the harbor. The inside is all grays & blacks, hard surfaces and reflective materials. Perhaps you would think it unwelcoming, by the colors, but in fact the atmosphere feels great.

Room 308 is lovely with all the amenities - huge, harbor view, coffee, minibar, desk space, couch, huge bed, motorized black-out blinds, strong wifi.... all the good things.

The service is very attentive and kind. Top notch.

The breakfast was quite an elegant looking spread of both European and Turkish breakfast foods. Dinner was excellent with exceptional service. I had a wonderful conversation with the bartender about the local wines and he even exposed me to some new grape varietals.

The one downside I can see so far is the lack of a driveway and obvious entrance. Very strange - we drove around the hotel several times looking for the entrance. We finally had to ask for directions and cross our fingers.

Room 308

So many windows!

On to the nitty gritty -

Toiletries - everything and displayed beautifully in a box
Coffee & Tea - nescafe and powdered creamer
Robes & slippers - yes
Hairdryer - yes

I would highly recommend the Key Hotel in Izmir.

The Marmara, Antalya, Turkey - A Review

Though a bit crazy looking, we thought The Marmara Antalya was quite nice. You can see from the rooms that it is decorated like nothing you might have seen before....  Green and blue strips on some walls, pink sponge treatment on another wall, beach furniture in the room... hot pink and orange paper thin shower curtain...

Looking from the entrance - no balcony at a seaside hotel....

Two sinks - which was nice, and a crazy door which closed two spaces at once, the toilet and the bathroom

Turquoise day bed.... that was my dresser, as no dresser in the room, though tons of hooks

Service - at night it was attentive in the dining room
Ambiance - crazy, unlike anything I have seen r expected
Cleanliness - no issue
View/Balcony - no balcony, but nice view of the pool and the sea
Room Number - 1907

Toiletries - yes
Coffee & Tea - yes
Robes & slippers - can't recall
Hairdryer - pretty sure there was one....
mini frig - yes
wi fi - yes, free
space - plenty of space
restaurant - just the one, and 'international' buffet for dinner
Pool - large, but without personality
Fitness Center - yes... in those floors between 6 (the dining room) and 1 (sea access)
Spa - yes, though didn't see it

We had a nice conversation with a waiter on our last night and he steered us towards a nice wine and told us a little about his life and his time in the US. Some people might not appreciate hearing about his life, but we welcomed it. We thought it was interesting to hear a young person's perspective on things - and current events.

Great desk space to share - a nice feature, so that I don't have to wrestle for space with my honey

No drawers in those bedside tables....

View of the pool and the sea... the round building was supposed to rotate, but I wasn't aware of that happening

Dining room, game room, reading room, bar

Two story dining room

Bar area

Access to the sea

Spa Hotel Colossae Thermal Pumakkale, Turkey - A Review

Our friend indicated that this was the best hotel in Pumakkale.... Perhaps one could go to Pumakkale and then head to another site and stay near there...

The reason why we found ourselves at this hotel

It was fine.... It is huge. There was no real choice for where to go for dinner other than at the 'International Buffet', which, of course is a cattle call. We all know that tourists from other countries are inherently like ourselves - curious and have money to spend on this kind of adventure, but we still do not necessarily understand their ways and their manners, so it can make us a little cross.... Dinning in such a manner is not really conducive to good digestion....

After the tour buses had left in the morning - but look at the size of the place, it goes on forever 

The room - #260 - was a haul away, up several flights and no elevators... the poor bell men! It was certainly large, though no balcony. Thank goodness, though, our windows did not look out to an interior courtyard. We had had a long day, so we really just went to bed, but had we wanted to open the curtains, it would have been fine.

The internet did not work - though the hotel claimed to give it to us for free - but imagine our surprise when the buses of tourists pulled out early in the morning the internet worked.

The Colassae Hotel does have a spa, though we did not use it. We tried to make reservations ahead of time via email, but they were never very responsive. Our friend also indicated that we might be happier at the spa at some other hotels... We were glad to have dodged that bullet.

I did have an opportunity to soak in some mineral pools behind the main pool. I was by myself and the tiny pools looked like they could have used some attention, so it didn't feel really luxurious.... Which is a shame given what they have. One would think the hotel ownership could really profit from the location and the mineral springs.

I guess I was not impressed by their pool, as I did not take any photographs of it.

They did offer a belly-dancing show at the pool bar... The idea of belly dancing is always fun, if you can manage to see around your fellow guests who are angling to get a photo and don't mind elbowing you in the process.... It's kinda weird when you focus all your attention on someone's body between their boobs and their crotch... But, man, those artists can move their bodies in ways one can't even contemplate - as illustrated by the volunteers who try to do it with the dancers.

Looking towards the bed

Coffee stand - though please call management at extension 124  if you want any coffee or tea....

Toiletries - yes
Coffee & Tea - not quite
Robes & slippers - don't remember seeing them
Hairdryer - probably
mini frig - don't recall
wi fi - ahh, mentioned above
space - it was a very reasonable sized room
restaurant - international cattle call
Pool - pretty big
Fitness Center - I believe they do
Spa - yes

Eresin Crown Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey - a Review

One couldn't beat the location of the Eresin Crown Hotel for the major Ottoman sites in Istanbul - just a short walk away.

And the view from the roof top restaurant/bar is fabulous. Unfortunately while we stayed there, they claimed it was too cold to be open - in late May - so we took a beer up there and enjoyed the sun-set on our own.

The Blue Mosque - right behind our hotel

We were still getting our bearings in the city after flying so many hours, but the service was attentive. It seems I did not take any photos of the room, which is a shame. We had a suite on an upper floor. Though jet-lagged, we slept well and I was not aware of any street noise.

I thought the room and restaurant were clean and I did not see any required maintenance issues.

No balcony at our room.

We also got a nice fruit basket in our room.

Toiletries - yes
Coffee & Tea - yes
Robes & slippers - yes
Hairdryer - yes
mini frig - yes
wi fi - yes
space - it wasa suite we were in, though I don't recall our room number
restaurant - not fabulous, but fine and very nice
Pool - nope
Fitness Center - if there was, I didn't look for it
Spa - again, didn't look for it

I would stay there again if I wanted to see the major sites... though the next time I stayed in Istanbul I stayed on the Taksim Square side of the city.

Korumar Hotel, Kusadasi, Turkey - A Review

What does All-Inclusive say to you?

Budget conscious, perhaps? Families? Past its prime? I'm trying to figure it out.

The concept here is wonderful. The location is fabulous. The infrastructure is spectacular. The hotel is built on the steep side of a cliff down to the ocean. The water is blue and clear. The pool huge and a fun shape with a lovely protection from the evil eye mosaic.



There seems to be plenty of chairs - though one always finds people saving chairs at both the pool and the seaside. I believe the hotel has tried to manage that process by handing out towel cards at check-in. The cards are taken from you when you get a towel - one each - and then returned to you when you return the towel. That way one can not leave a towel on many chairs. BUT, I noticed that there are many additional towels drying on balconies and thrown over chairs without any other beach detritus to indicate current occupancy.

Though not mentioned to us during booking, our dinner was also included. We expected breakfast, but not a dinner buffet. And they offered an incredible variety of foods - which makes for a lot of choice, but not a very wonderful combination of flavors on the plate. The first night I piled my plate with sushi, shrimp chips, tzatziki, salad, Peking/roast duck, Böreği and feta cheese. I think I would have preferred choosing from a menu to have had a regional uniformity of flavors on my plate. I have read that Turkish food ranks up with French and Chinese as a leading developed and varied cuisine within its own borders. I believe it, but I assume that the guests at this establishment would prefer their own cuisine and this is satisfied by the linear footage of chafing dishes.

So far, my experience has been a delight on my Turkish travels - this is the first hotel where I have experienced snarky staff. Within less than 24 hours and only a few interactions, I have had two snarky staff members. Not everyone, of course. Our beverage waiter last night was very cute and eager to please, but incredibly inexperienced. The poor guy was baffled by a bottle of sparkling wine and the supervisor who was educating him also managed to send wine shooting out when opening the bottle and overflowing both glasses when he poured it for us. I guess they don't sell many bottles of sparkling wine.... What does that say about the clientele?

The Korumar Hotel is rated as 5 stars.... I'd say it is definitely showing it's age, - splattered paint, mold, chips in the stone and porcelain - though, it does have:

robes
slippers
coffee & tea in the room
toiletries - in this case it is gym soap on the wall, so, soap which can be used for both hair and body
safe
mini frig, with one bottle of free water

Sunset over the pool

Looking up at the hotel from the pool area

Swimming Pier

Protected swimming area with snack bar in the background

Protected swimming area

Beach area with scuba shop 

Kempinski Hotel, Bodrum, Turkey - a Review

I thought the hotel/resort was great, but I am writing this review after I have left and spent several weeks on a 42' sailboat.

We were in room 3608, I believe. We had a lovely large balcony, though it did overlook some roofs before one could see the sea, so perhaps ask for something on a lower floor... we were on the 6th floor. I was able to look beyond the roofs of lower floors....

'Green roof' looking left

Intentionally looking down to illustrate the roofs in front of the balcony

'Green roof' looking right

We dined both nights in their Asian-themed restaurant and were pleased both nights. Our service was excellent and we had a lovely local wine.

I'm afraid I didn't take photographs of the room and I don't recall if we had the toiletries, hairdryer, coffee & tea, etc. I believe they gave us a large bottle of water, though. And I remember it being clean.

Too many elevators - no straight shot from the sea to the rooms... it was labyrinthine; we needed to be escorted to find the restaurant - both nights. The restaurant by the beach was wonderful and the waiters there very good, though one needs to take a shuttle or walk to the beach.

I wish I had a picture of their spa, because that was wonderful. They have a gym, personal trainer, indoor pool and wonderful Hammam facilities.

Pool

Stretched out aspect of the hotel

Decked area at the sea

Part of the pool

I would recommend the Kempinski Barbaros Bay in Bodrum.

Hanimeli Kapadokya Restaurant, Mustafapaşa, Turkey - A Review

What a fun experience to be in someone's home and have someone personally teach you to make the indigenous cuisine. Even my husband was delighted with the experience - and he does not cook. (He does enjoy eating well, though!)



Perhaps we helped make tomorrow's dolmas for the restaurant... if they were well made, at least. (Perhaps the ones I made went to the family's dinner....)

On a genealogical note, my friend indicated I was a natural at rolling the grape leaves.... we decided it was because I have a great, great grandfather on the Kirkpatrick side who was a cigar maker in the 1800s. I somehow acquired the skill. :)

After learning we enjoyed a wonderful lunch on the terrace. I would recommend this restaurant/home to other visitors if they feel comfortable.

BTW, we learned that the owners were a family effected by the 'population exchange' in the 1920s. You can learn more about this event in Turkish and Greek history here. The upheaval is pretty incredible to contemplate, and I don't think I had ever heard about it until this trip.

Our delightful hostess

Location Bias in Restaurant Reviews

So, I heard an interesting story about on-line review sites on the radio the other day. Apparently, if seeking reviews on restaurants one should place more weight on a local's review than a visitor's review. And why? Because a visitor might be more 'forgiving' of shortcomings because the visitor is in a new place and may think that deficiencies are just local variations and different in this town than where they are from. Failings in service or quality might be a local novelty rather than a shortcoming.

Hmmm. Perhaps I should include more reviews of my local restaurants, because I can absolutely say that sometimes, when traveling, it is the entire experience that gets wrapped up in the review. For example, I have no memory of the food I ate at one restaurant, but check out this view. You know I was enchanted as I dined. (Oh, except for that incredibly loud family that showed up after our appetizers and proceeded to punch each other and giggle and bellow about how the kabobs are better at home. Suddenly my meal wasn't as appetizing, but that is not the fault of the restaurant.)

Sunset and a storm - our view at dinner in Cappadokia.

Sira Restaurant, Uçhisar, Turkey - A Review

I wish I had taken some photographs of the restaurant. I just didn't expect it to be so nice. It was especially nice after the previous dinners we had had at another nearby restaurant where we were surrounded by large touring groups. Some of the other guests at the other hotel restaurant seemed to have trouble keeping their voices down, which meant that we could not even hear ourselves think! Tough for a romantic dinner that way.

But Şira was lovely and small, with no huge round tables where the guests shout at one another from across the table.

The manager, Kâmil Koparal, asked us our names when we entered and then continued to address us by them all evening... which was unsettling... He has an eidetic memory. Unsettling in an interesting way... we felt like idiots not remembering his name. Another table asked him his name and we latched on to it.

Anyway, we enjoyed our dinner very much and would recommend the restaurant to others. It was too cool to eat outside, but the dining room was intimate with only a few tables. They do wine tastings at the hotel, so we found some nice local wines on the wine list and found a nice one to accompany our dinner.

I'd go again if in Uçhisar.

Happy Independence Day!

Basin Seafood & Spirits - A Review

My husband and I just found ourselves here - no one having mentioned the restaurant to us. The restaurant seems to have a very unassuming presence on Magazine Street - almost to the point that it would be very easy to over look.
I am very glad we did not overlook it, because we were delighted enough to dine on Saturday night and return on Sunday for brunch. I thought the Octopus Ceviche - Orange and Lime Juice, Habanero, Avocado, Red Onions, Cilantro, Jicama Slaw - and Smoked Snapper Dip served with Crostinis - were fabulous. Well worth the trip. The next day I dined on the Fried Green Tomatoes Benedict. The brunch portion did seem small, but they made up for it with bottomless mimosas at something like $14. (But, I had things to do, so I had to limit myself on those!)

They describe themselves thusly:

The idea for Basin began several years ago when Chef and Owner of Baru, Edgar Caro, returned from a fishing trip with his friends. He caught a snapper and made it into a dockside ceviche. His friends said it was one of the best fish preparations they had ever tasted.
​
​Along with his friend Antonio Mata, they decided to open Basin, a seafood restaurant serving modernized, lighter versions of traditional Louisiana dishes. Basin sources the best possible ingredients from local sources, highlighting seasonal vegetables and Gulf fish in our daily specials.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Basin offers sidewalk seating along the busiest sector of Magazine Street. We also have a lush courtyard for additional seating and a relaxing escape from the city.

Basin located at 3222 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA 70115 504.302.7391
And they are open Monday - Thursday 1130am to 10pm Friday - Saturday 1130am to 10pm Sunday 1130am to 9pm
HAPPY HOUR Weekdays 3pm to 7pm - One day I will have to go to a happy hour when they serve Local Craft Drafts $3, Happy Hour Food Items $4, House Wines by the glass $5 and Cocktail of the Day $5

Coquette - New Orleans (Bread to die for!) - A Review

We thought Coquette was a real find - though it is well known to New Orleanians.

We had the tasting menu so we had no idea what would come out of the kitchen - but all ingredients are purchased pretty much locally and is in season.

5 COURSE BLIND TASTING $70

OPTIONAL WINE PAIRING $30

The blind tasting reflects what the chef wants to highlight that moment and is customized for guests.

We started with house-made sopressata and jalapeno mustard, which was not too hot, and very good. Then they brought out a smoked catfish spread with cilantro and seeds. I gobbled that right up. Next came fingerling sweet potatoes in a Greek yogurt and curry sauce, then red snapper with sunchokes, a beet sorbet on a small block of ice, then beef tenderloin with kale, roasted potato squares and a parsley sauce. All very nice and very filling. Dessert was amazing, but of course I can't recall what it actually was because too much time has passed and I tossed the receipt like a dope.

The waitress asked my husband what was his favorite and he indicated the red snapper... Now, my husband is not inclined towards fish.... and that was his favorite. The meal was wonderful.

Taken from their web site... seems that the chef is from Maryland.... And worked at August - a restaurant that my husband and I really enjoyed.

OUR STORY

Michael Stoltzfus and Lillian Hubbard opened Coquette on the corner of Washington Ave. and Magazine Street in December 2008. The Garden District building was built in the late 1880’s and has been among other things a residence, grocery store, auto parts store and a number of restaurants. With dining rooms on two floors and a 14 seat bar, Coquette offers innovative southern cuisine with an emphasis on locally sourced product. Featuring an accessible international wine list, classic and creative New Orleans cocktails and a well-traveled beer list.

---

MICHAEL STOLTZFUS

Chef / Owner

Although he grew up on a 140 acre working dairy farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and enjoyed the freshest products available, Stoltzfus never imagined a career in the culinary industry.

Fate or perhaps his mother’s intuition steered him in a fortuitous direction, when a couple of weeks before he was to begin college, his mother decided to open a bakery and enlisted Stoltzfus’ help in running it. Although he knew little more than how to scramble an egg, Stoltzfus found himself cooking breakfast and lunch at the family owned restaurant.

While working at the family bakery, Stoltzfus embarked on his personal culinary adventure, purchasing a variety of cookbooks and began cooking and experimenting at home. At 25 years old, after working at a few restaurants in Maryland, his talents were evident and he was hired to work at New Orleans’ esteemed Restaurant August, where six months later he was promoted to Sous Chef.

His entrepreneurial spirit flared, and in December of 2008, he opened Coquette in a gorgeous two-story Garden District building. Stoltzfus looks at Coquette as a culinary playground where he thrives on designing personalized tastings menus for guests and creating a menu that changes daily. His inspired cooking earned his restaurant a four bean rating from New Orleans’ Times Picayune, a Star Chef’s “Rising Star” Award and most recently Stoltzfus was named a semi-finalist in the prestigious 2013 James Beard “Best Chef in the South,” award