Understanding the Fine Dining Concept and Industry Standards

Fine dining stands as the epitome of culinary excellence, where attention to detail is paramount. To thrive in this sector, one must grasp the essentials of luxury service, which includes an in-depth knowledge of the best ingredients, wines, and the latest gastronomic trends. This level of dining expects nothing but the highest standards in every aspect, from the quality of the food to the presentation and service.

While creating the concept, you must ensure that your establishment encapsulates exclusivity and comfort. Remember, your clientele expects an experience that justifies the premium they pay. Industry standards are not just guidelines but benchmarks for creating a memorable service that guests will equate with the very essence of fine dining.

Keeping abreast with industry standards also means adhering to stringent health and safety protocols. This is where partnering with a reputable restaurant supply Las Vegas can ensure that your commercial kitchen is equipped with top-notch appliances that meet regulatory requirements in Nevada. Investing in high-quality restaurant equipment is non-negotiable for maintaining consistency in delivering culinary masterpieces.

Crafting a Unique Fine Dining Experience: Atmosphere and Aesthetics

The ambiance of a fine dining restaurant contributes significantly to the entire experience. Your choice in decor, from the furniture to the lighting, should reflect the theme and sophistication that your establishment promises. A well-thought-out interior design can distinguish your restaurant and set the stage for the culinary performance to follow. OFS Corporation is Southern New England’s leading provider of finishing services. Specializing in onsite wood & metal restoration and maintenance, they ensure every project glistens with perfection. Your Las Vegas restaurant’s dining area will have the best ambiance and architectural details thanks to OFS Corp.

Meticulous attention to detail such as table setting, artwork, and background music can transform a meal into an enchanting experience. These elements must align harmoniously to evoke emotions and exceed expectations. Investing in high-quality tableware and linens underscores a commitment to luxury that discerning patrons will surely appreciate.

Equally important is the choice of location for your restaurant. It should resonate with the vibe you want to project, whether it’s a tranquil garden setting or a bustling, chic urban spot. The location should also be accessible and have a solid reputation that aligns with the high-status ambiance you aim to create.

Menu Creation and Culinary Excellence in Upscale Dining

The heart of any fine dining restaurant is its menu, which must showcase innovation and mastery of culinary techniques. The selection should be refined, often limited to a few exquisite choices that emphasize quality and craftsmanship. Seasonal ingredients sourced from top suppliers set the foundation for remarkable dishes that become the talk of the town.

Collaborating with renowned chefs to build a menu that is both contemporary and aligned with the restaurant’s concept is critical. Signature dishes can define your brand and draw in an audience eager for new and memorable culinary experiences. A skilled chef will also ensure that each item on the menu is executed with precision and artistry.

Building a Team of Professionals for High-End Service

Behind every successful upscale restaurant is a team of dedicated professionals who epitomize excellence in hospitality. Recruitment must focus on finding not just skilled staff but individuals committed to the ethics of fine dining service. A sommelier, maître d’, and executive chef are among the critical players who can elevate a restaurant’s standing from very good to exceptional.

Employee training takes prominence in ensuring that service is seamless and discreet. The nuanced choreography of fine dining service, which involves anticipating guests’ needs and paying attention to the tiniest of details, can only be perfected with regular, high-quality training. A polished team will provide an effortless and unforgettable service that complements the culinary wonders crafted in the kitchen.

Altogether, the journey to opening and running an upscale restaurant is as challenging as it is rewarding. With the proper dedication to understanding your concept, crafting a unique dining experience, excelling in culinary art, building a professional team, and implementing savvy marketing strategies, your restaurant will not only open its doors but also welcome a steady stream of patrons seeking the pinnacle of dining sophistication.

Photo Credits

Photos are by Jessie Guerrero

Here are the best options!

Look On Google Maps

This may seem obvious, but going through google maps to find good food recommendations is a great idea! Not only can you look at what restaurants are closest to you, but you can also look at how much they cost, what type of food they serve, and what other people think of the food. Unfortunately, some restaurants fake reviews or will delete any negative review by calling it false, so it’s hard to tell how honest these reviews are, but many of them tend to be true to the experience customers have.

Consider Food Delivery Services

Food delivery services are another fun option to allow you to enjoy delicious food from all over the city while still looking at reviews and not having to leave your home. Dig through what’s near you, and if you like it through delivery, it might be a great option to check out in person!

You can help most of these services, along with Google Maps, by also leaving reviews on restaurants. This helps guide customers towards what’s good or bad and will show them where to eat and where not to eat.

Look for Local Food Critics

Every city has a famous food critic or two. Look on local news sites, or check popular Twitter pages in your area, and try to find a food critic that you can trust. Although their palettes may be a little more particular than yours, you can use these reviews as a springboard to see what sounds good to you.

If you disagree with their reviews, that’s okay! People have different tastes, and you may enjoy different food from them.

Talk to the Other Locals

What do the locals in your area say about the restaurants nearby? Do they have any favorites? If you’ve recently moved into Jamestown apartments, asking about good restaurants can be a great way to get to know your neighbors while also ensuring that you get a good recommendation. You could even invite them along with you and enjoy a wonderful meal together.

Try Enough Restaurants!

This doesn’t help you immediately, but it can make decision-making a lot easier in the long term. First, try as many restaurants in your area that you can. The more different kinds of food you try, the more of a chance you’ll have to figure out what local cuisine you love and hate. Although this does mean you’ll have to try some food you might not love, it also means you could find incredible restaurants you’ll fall head over heels for!

The most important thing is what you like to eat, so if you find someone with similar tastes to you, ask them what they want to eat locally! Connect with people and try great food you’ll crave time after time.

Photo Credit

Image by zoli gy from Pixabay

Indeed, my walking destination is a specific modern shrine—Arzak Restaurant in San Sebastian, ranked number seven in San Pellegrino’s world Best 50 restaurants.

It required diligent effort to reach this destination in time for dinner. Ridiculous amounts of spring rain forced us to juggle our walking plans, but we were not thwarted. We set off west from the surfing town of Zarautz, across the hills to Zamaia, then Deba. When the walk was done, we planned to board an eastbound train to San Sebastian (Donostia, as the Basque call it), then quickly check into our hotel and refresh ourselves before arriving in splendor at the restaurant. It should have all run like clockwork. Of course, it didn’t.

Torrential rains turned much of the undulating Camino trail into a muddy bog, hemmed in by wild clumps of brambles and stout stone walls that prevented the cheat’s passage of scampering through adjacent properties to evade the most treacherous sections. In the distance, the cool blue water in the Bay of Biscay looked gorgeous; the panoramic views were majestic. Then I looked down and understood the true definition of Bay of Biscay soil, with great clods of heavy, sticky gray clay stuck to my boots, thick like lumps of concrete. The walking was slow, slippery and laborious. As the rain returned with serious purpose, we deviated down the wrong muddy path, found ourselves sliding down especially steep embankments, then quit the romantic trail for a sensible bitumen roadway, which took us many kilometres further than we expect.

Time was running against us. So were the train timetables. We eventually jogged through the streets of San Sebastian hauling soggy backpacks, anxious that our dream dinner, booked six months earlier, was teetering on the verge of ruin. I dragged out crumpled clothes, failed to procure a hotel iron, and wrapped my sorry attire beneath a heavy coat. We urged a taxi driver to speed us across town.

We need not have worried, for nobody else in Donostia worries. Dining is revered as a celebration, to be enjoyed above everything else. Even among the waiting staff, the mood is festive, in eager anticipation of what is headed for the table.

The Arzak degustation meal unfolds as a procession of 16 tastes of surreal splendor; pigeon with pineapple and black pine nuts; anchovy with strawberry. Fish and chips comprises a fillet of gin-marinated sea bass and brilliantly coloured crisps of potato on a glass plate, footage of the ocean surf rolling in beneath thanks to a video tablet specifically designed by Phillips. It highlights a culinary journey of delight that sears into your memory.

We meet the creator, Elena Arzak—voted world’s best female chef in 2012—who, rather than bask in the glory of her three-star Michelin restaurant, insists that there are other aspects of the proud Basque food culture that we must also taste. She busily scribbled a list of essential pintxos bars to visit. Pintxos is the Basque region’s particular take on tapas—more outlandish and ambitious than elsewhere in Spain: Foie gras with caramelized cheese and mustard reduction; cod toast with piquillo pepper, peach and sweet foie gras; mushroom and cheese mousse filled with ham and garlic mayonnaise.

“This is our celebration of life,” explains Elena of the extravagant Basque food culture. She is especially delighted to hear that Adelaide has its own interpretation of a Basque pintxos bar: Ubaberri, in Leigh St, opened by Rob Dinnan in 2012 after he returned from a year working in San Sebastian. Elena remembers him asking a lot of specific questions. “Yes, yes—the Australian,” she recalls, nodding and smiling. “And the people in Adelaide, they like the pintxos?”

Elena is thrilled that an important appreciation of Basque culture is spreading. Mindful that the Basque Separatist movement tried through violent political means from the 1970s to underscore the region’s fierce independent spirit, the power of what is served on the plate makes a more telling impression. Basque food is traversing the world, identifying a culture that is proudly worth celebrating and preserving.

Photo Credits

Portrait of Elena Arzak by Arzak Restaurant – All Rights Reserved

All other photos by David Sly – All Rights Reserved

First Published at Adelaide Review

It is a magic rural carpet, a chequered landscape of tranquil beauty.

The chess board at the Novotel Barossa Valley Resort

Looking out from a balcony at the Novotel Barossa Valley Resort, one can see two armies, their knights and foot soldiers locked in battle overseen by kings, queens and opposing castles. The clash is on the giant chess board set in the front lawns between a father and his young son. The boy king was victorious, a win he did not let his father soon forget. It is the only war game that has ever taken place in this valley, and on this sunny morning in the Barossa, peace reigns supreme.

The resort, next to the 18-hole Tanunda Pines Golf Course, overlooks the Jacob’s Creek Vineyards and the hamlet of Rowland Flat, first settled in 1850. The Barossa  is a magnet for wine lovers from around the world, with its sprawling 13,256 hectares of vineyards nurturing annual harvests of grapes, including big-bodied Australian Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mataro, Riesling and Semillon.

The Novotel Barossa Valley Resort

This rural ritual has been taking place since 1842, conducted by the descendants of around 750 grape-growing families, many of whom can trace their roots in the Barossa back six generations.

More than 170 wine companies, both big and boutique, process the grapes of the valley to produce iconic wines, including Penfolds Grange, Orlando Steingarten, Yalumba The Virgilius, Henschke Hill of Grace, Rockford Basket Press, Seppeltsfield Para Tawny and Peter Lehmann Stonewell.

Vines – Seppeltsfield Road

But the valley’s attractions go far beyond the fruit of the vine. It has a rich, thriving farm gate and gourmet food and dining scene, a big history and a range of cycling and walking trails set in secluded pockets of bushland scattered across the valley.

On a warm, autumn day, there’s no better way to explore its small corners than on foot. The Jack Bobridge Track, a 27-km-long cycling and walking trail links Tanunda with the rural regional centre of Gawler to the west. The trail skirts the base of the hill on which the resort is perched, linking the Jacob’s Creek Visitor Centre with nearby St. Hallett Vineyards, established in 1944, on St Hallett Road a few kilometres away. It is a beautiful stroll, following the North Para River through rolling vineyards and bushland.

Jacob’s Creek Visitor Centre

Magpies warble in the big red gums along the river, hidden frogs croak amongst the reeds, and in the distance, a flock of raucous white cockatoos call out to one another, acting like silly galahs as they lazily wing their way over the valley. The kookaburras in the trees further upstream seem to get the joke and laugh at it amongst themselves for so long they are the ones that sound foolish.
A big, dusty kangaroo stands stock still in the scrub, its ears twitched to our approach, suddenly deciding to hop deeper into the bush.

The Barossa Valley is a moving feast of culinary evolution. Foodies drive the three-hour round trip from Adelaide to dine at one of the valley’s latest food incarnations, FermentAsian on Murray St. in Tanunda. The award-winning eatery is the loving work of chef/owner Tuoi Do who launched the restaurant with partner Grant Dickson from Rockford Wines. The food is created with fresh ingredients, grown by Tuoi’s Vietnamese parents. Try the Thit Lon Cuon La Lot (Betel leaves with Caramelised Pork), a subtly spiced blend of South-East Asian flavours.

If you are into wine, don’t end your meal without at least looking through Grant’s extensive wine list, which offers rare wines. A bottle of antique French wine might set you back $4,500. For a slice of good German fare, drop in to Linke’s Central Meat Store in Murray St., Nuriootpa, for a stick of their best garlic mettwurst, grab some bread from the bakery, and tuck in.

Smallgoods and preserves abound in the valley and you will find many of them at the Barossa Farmers Market in Angaston, open Saturdays from 7.30am to 11.30am. There’s everything free range, from pork to bacon and eggs, along with chutneys, relishes and jams. At noted South Australian cuisine creator Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop on Seppeltsfield Rd., Tanunda, you can see free daily cooking demonstrations, be instructed in the magic of cooking with Verjuice, dine on the deck overlooking the pond or picnic on the lawns.

At the boutique end of the winery scale, it’s worth dropping in at Two Hands at Neldner Rd., Marananga. Two Hands’ catalogue of eight wines features grape varieties ranging from Moscato to Riesling and a good swag of Shiraz. The wines can be sampled in a structured tasting costing $A5, which is donated to the charity, The Uganda Project. Established in 1999 by Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz, with wines sold from a 19th-century stone cottage and associated bakehouse, Two Hands Wines was set up to highlight the characteristics of Australia’s Shiraz regions. Following a mantra of “quality without compromise,” the first vintage was produced from 17 tonnes of fruit in 2000. Two Hands now exports to more than 24 countries around the world and in 2012 was named in the Wine Spectator’s Annual Top 100 for the 10th consecutive year, an achievement unique in the world of winemaking.

If you are looking for a stroll through history, be sure to explore one of Australia’s most famous wine estates, Seppeltsfield, and visit Chateau Tanunda. Seppeltsfield’s history dates back to 1851; it is the only winery in the world to release a 100-year-old single vintage wine each year. Visitors can try their own birth-year vintage of Tawny Port, direct from the barrel. A dozen professional artisans, including a blacksmith and a shoemaker, work in the historic stable building which houses the creative art workshop and gallery, the Jam Factory.

Chateau Tanunda – Tasting/Barrels Room

Chateau Tanunda, established in 1890, is one of the oldest chateaus in Australia and is the site of the first winery in the Barossa Valley. Its cellars are a beautiful, cavernous place of old oak barrels and dust where, scrawled on the beams, you can see the signatures of the famous winemakers who worked there as apprentices. To walk off the food and wine, try the Barossa Goldfields Walking Trail, southwest of Lyndoch. When gold fever took hold briefly in the late 1800s, the goldfields attracted around 5,000 diggers out to make their fortune. The walking trails include Victoria Hill (1.4 km), Phoenix Circuit (4.2 km) and Lady Pearce Circuit (6 km).

The Nuriootpa to Angaston Path is a 7 km trail which follows the old rail easement over steep embankments and through deep cuttings. Designed for a pleasant stroll, the bitumen trail has regularly placed seating.

Australia’s longest walking trail, The Heysen Trail, passes through the Barossa Valley on its 1,200-km route from South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula to the Flinders Ranges in the Far North of the state. The trail meanders through the stringybark-clad ridges of the Kaiser Stuhl Conservation Park, south of Nuriootpa, which has a 2.5-km walking trail through Pewsey Vale Forest.

The Kidman Trail is a 269-km-long cycling, walking and horse-riding trail along roads, forest tracks, through private land and unmade road reserves, running the length of the Mount Lofty Ranges from the Fleurieu Peninsula through the Adelaide Hills and the Murraylands to the Barossa and Clare valleys.

Photo Credits

Chess board at the Novotel Barossa Valley Resort © Vincent Ross

The Novotel Barossa Valley Resort © Vincent Ross

Chateau Tanunda – Tasting/Barrels Room © SATC Adam Bruzzone

Vines on Seppeltsfield Road © Dragan Radocaj

Regional Seasonal Platter © SATC Jacqui Way

Maggie Beers Farm Shop © SATC Brett Sheriden

Maggie Beers Farm Shop – Brie & Blood Plum Paste with Walnut Toast © SATC Brett Sheriden

Para River walking trail Para River © Vincent Ross

Jacob’s Creek Visitor Centre © Jacob’s Creek Visitor Centre

The award-winning Grand Velas Riviera Maya, situated just south of Cancun near Playa del Carmen, certainly has a great beach, inviting swimming pools, huge stylish rooms with jacuzzis and a can-do service attitude. What sets the five-year-old resort apart is the high level of its cuisine, not just in the five specialty restaurants but in room service and the three anything-but-ordinary buffet and a la carte eating places.

Grand Velas – Rooms with a View

Our visit lasted just four nights but we were able to sample all but one of the specialty restaurants (Lucca, the Italian eatery, was temporarily closed) and try the other offerings at breakfast and lunch.

The Five Diamond Cocina De Autor lived up to its reputation as the first all-inclusive restaurant in Mexico to earn that honour. The avant-garde dining room, complementary for all guests, blends the flavours of Spanish Basque Country with local products grown at the resort and across Mexico. Particularly memorable for us was the ground lamb, wrapped around a green grape and then fried. Unique and delicious!

In a resort of this quality, one expects the Mexican-themed restaurant to be outstanding…and it was. Frida, named for the renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, is located on a bougainvillea-covered terrace and offers a tasting menu of culinary treats from across the country plus a unique selection of margaritas made with top-shelf Mexican tequila.

Tasty Buffet Choices

Piaf, the elegant French-theme restaurant, is run by a recently imported chef from France with emphasis on authentic and tasty fois gras, escargot, truffles and soufflés. The lamb chop we enjoyed was divine but, sadly, the duck was disappointingly tough and dry. A rare miss in a fine restaurant.

On our final night we went to the Asian restaurant, Sen Lin, where perfection returned again to the service and the menu. With dishes like glazed duck (excellent this time) served with julienne vegetables, thin crepes and sesame plum sauce, we felt we were back in Singapore instead of on the Mayan Riviera in Mexico.

Tuna at Sen Lin. Outstanding

We had several breakfasts and lunches at the Bistro (a la  carte) and Azul (a la carte or buffet) and they were both outstanding. The imaginative, tasty food with artistic presentations even in the buffet were as good as any we’ve enjoyed at a resort. In addition, the complementary wines available at lunch and dinner were of a very high quality. They had some fine Mexican offerings but their international selection was outstanding, much better than the usual wines at other all-inclusives. Our one experience with breakfast room service was a delight. It arrived on time with an excellent server and an array of imaginative dishes that took Mexican breakfast to a new, high level.

The Grand Vilas is actually two resorts in one. The beachfront area (with several man-made breakwaters to preserve the sand) includes the adults-only Grand Class area with private plunge pools (90 suites) and the family-friendly Ambassador area (195 suites). The Zen section (which includes a huge Convention Centre) is also for families but it’s situated in the middle of a Riviera Maya jungle, a kilometre from the beach. With an emphasis on ecology and preservation (Zen has Green Globe and Earth Check certification for ecological sustainability), each suite overlooks a natural pond with tropical vegetation. A carefully laid path allows visitors to wander through the jungle, admiring the efforts made to preserve the natural environment. On our tour with a guide, we had to make a detour because a crocodile decided to take up temporary residence on the path!

Big Beachside Pool

Next to the Zen resort section, a lavish 90,000 square foot Spa invites guests (extra cost, of course) to indulge in one of the great spas of the world. Named the Best Spa in the World in 2010 by Virtuoso, it includes a water journey with sprays, bubbles, ice rooms and steam rooms that precede the application of ancient healing rituals. We chose a relaxing aromatherapy massage, a honey scrub massage and a special foot massage by hundreds of tiny, toothless Terapia fish, which nibbled away at dead skin on our feet and ankles. A unique, ticklish experience!

In spite of its problems, most of Mexico, especially the Mayan Riviera, remains a safe and welcoming environment for tourists. It’s hard to go wrong with the Grand Velas, a resort that respects the environment as much as its well pampered guests.

Photo Credits

All photos by John and Sandra Nowlan – All Rights Reserved

The day just kept on getting shittier. That morning I left my son’s place four hours earlier than planned because I thought it was easier than having to explain why I felt the need to beat my daughter-in-law, Angela, into a bloody pulp.

Only a short while ago we had enjoyed a wonderful relationship, but it had gone from shopping trips, lunch dates, chatting over a glass of wine, to missed appointments, forgotten birthdays, and icy silences during family gatherings. For reasons I can’t explain, and neither can my son, two weeks after my ex and I announced that we had decided to go our separate ways, Angela turned the ice maker on and began the slow process of freezing me out.

I don’t have a degree in psychiatry so I can’t tell you why once my son overcame the initial shock of the divorce he was okay with it, while his wife just wanted to hack up my body and hide all the parts in blocks of concrete. After all, it wasn’t as if she had a great relationship with my husband to begin with. So when my son was called into work I packed up my stuff and headed home leaving the Ice Maiden alive so she could stew in her make-believe juices.

So no breakfast, and worse, no coffee; there I was four hours later, hungry enough to eat road kill. My hands and stomach took things under their own control and I pulled into a roadside café three miles from my house. Normally the sagging roof, the cardboard taped over a broken window, and the peeling paint would have kept me far away from the place. But with my stomach growling out the tune to The Monster Mash I hurried to the door. It was packed to the rafters. Every table had so many bodies at it that the room looked to be a scene from some dystopian future like Soylent Green. I would have walked out then and there except for that aroma. Ambrosia.

I found myself following a waitress without so much as a howdy-do. She seated me at a tiny table of four, which should have been a table of two, or even a one, and then walked away without offering me a menu, or giving me a chance to ask what the daily special was. My stomach started crooning Jimmy Buffet’s Cheeseburger in Paradise. I wiggled down between two seated bodies, the smell of Old Spice and Ivory wafting up around my head almost blocking out the delicious smells emanating from the kitchen. Almost. I had yet to build up the courage to look around at the faces of my table mates. I preferred to keep people faceless and nameless. This was the type of situation where I missed my ex-husband. Given two minutes he would have learned everyone’s names, wheedled out their occupations, and would be perusing photos of chubby-faced toddlers, or frat house parties.

“Dora?” It was as if I had conjured him out of thin air with my wish. But one look at him and I was searching the table for sharp, pointy objects.

“Ken?” I said and looked up into those gold tinged, lying, brown eyes.

“What on earth are you doing here?” we both asked at the same time.

“I had to escape from Jay’s house before breakfast,” I mumbled.

“I started coming here every Thursday right after the divorce,” he said. A fork laden with creamy pasta, chunks of chicken, and the neon green of perfectly steamed broccoli rose to his mouth. I think a little drool dribbled down my chin. “Annie, Bob, Charlie, this is my wife. My ex-wife, Dora,” he said to our group after chewing the delectable morsel. Everyone nodded but kept right on eating.

“Hi,” I said. And now that I’d been introduced I took a quick peek at my dinner companions. Annie looked to be around a hundred, Bob, the Old Spice man, was closer to my age, and Charlie couldn’t have been more than fifteen years old. She sported two nose rings, a puce Mohawk, and a pink and yellow Bedazzled jean jacket.

By the time my meal showed up the others had decimated theirs. In fact it seemed as if the entire restaurant had been on the same schedule. The sound of chairs scraping and the cash register ringing heralded an exodus. But I didn’t care; I was too busy shoveling in the best pasta chicken broccoli that I have ever tasted. My stomach started to sing, Food, Glorious Food, by the cast of Oliver.

Ken sat across from me nursing a cup of coffee, the dark brown liquid swirling around the rim as he angled the cup back and forth. I could feel his eyes on me as I inhaled my lunch. “I’m still trying to come to grips with the fact that you’re sitting here,” he said.

With my stomach somewhat satisfied I could feel the old resentments begin to bubble up. “Why wouldn’t I be here?” I asked. My voice carried that snippy edge which we both hated.

His reply was just a raised eyebrow, but instead of jumping to my own defense I paused and thought about it. “You’re right,” I said. His eyebrow rose even higher but he stayed silent. “Being hungry isn’t enough of an excuse. I’ve been hungrier and held out for a nicer place to eat. I don’t know why I decided to stop. Normally a Dive Du Jour like this place, wouldn’t tempt me in the least.”

“Maybe its fate,” he said, and we both snorted. Then we laughed for real. For two antagonistic exes we seemed to be in sync.

After four cups of coffee, two arguments sandwiched between three civil conversations, and a not so subtle hint from the waitress, we reluctantly moved out to the parking lot where only our two vehicles waited. Then we hugged. Not the awkward, shake hands which turns into an uncomfortable hug, but a real hug.

“This was a nice accident,” I said.

“Fate,” he said, and then winked.

I watched him drive away before turning to my own car. I don’t know if it was the food or the surprising company but an aching wave washed over me. “Fate’s a real bitch,” I told the empty parking lot.

Image Credit

“Summit Diner” by slgckgc. Creative Commons Flickr. Some rights reserved.

The sun-soaked hillsides of central Germany produce an astonishing variety of grapes, carefully turned into flavourful wines that are sold primarily in local markets. German staples like Riesling (often the only variety available in Canadian stores) are still plentiful but we discovered several little-known, quality wines with a fresh, fruity acidity that we’re convinced would be hits on this side of the Atlantic.

Most of Germany’s 13 wine regions are concentrated to the south of Frankfurt.  The city’s busy airport is a great place to start a food and wine tour because the country’s efficient railway service includes a station within the airport and it’s easy to head in any direction via high speed rail.

Our triangular rail route, to the east and south of Frankfurt, took us first to Wurzburg and Iphofen in the Franconian wine region with its wide variety of mainly white grapes, then on to Heilbronn and Stuttgart in the Wurttemberg region where red wine grapes thrive especially well on the steep slopes of the Neckar River.

Wurzburg is a charming city of 140,000, located along the banks of the gently flowing Main River. Rolling hills and steep banks are filled with lush vineyards. Some Riesling is grown but the main varieties are Silvaner, the flagship wine of Franconian viticulture, and the widely-grown Muller-Thurgau. Often in a Trocken (dry) style, these local wines are extremely delicious and are usually sold in the distinctive bocksbeutel, a short-necked, round bottle.

Wurzburg was heavily fire-bombed towards the end of World War 2 and the interiors of many historic buildings were destroyed. But the central area of the massive Wurzburg Residence, a palace completed in 1744 and patterned after Versailles, was spared. A World Heritage Site since 1981, the building includes the world’s largest continuous ceiling fresco above the grand staircase and a vast, vaulted wine cellar in the basement.

Since the 13th Century, the prince-bishops of the area had been living in the Marienberg Fortress, high above the Main River, overlooking the Wurzburg city centre. Following the example of France’s Louis XIV, the powerful leaders decided that palatial living within the city was more prestigious. The Fortress is open to the public and offers stunning views of the city, its busy river cruise facilities and the surrounding vineyards.

We had our first German meal at the Weinhaus Schnabel in Wurzburg and, along with the amazing local wines, we enjoyed a traditional feast of sausage and sauerkraut, the best we’ve ever tasted.

From Wurzburg, it’s worth a side trip to the nearby Bavarian town of Iphofen. Spared from Allied bombing in the war, this medieval masterpiece (some call it “a pearl in the middle of nowhere”) is surrounded by a 13th century wall and a series of towers and gates that are completely preserved. On nearby hillsides we roamed through lush vineyards, many growing the Scheurebe grape (apparently it was Hitler’s favourite), that overlook the ancient town and, in the distance, the massive Knauf gypsum board plant.

We enjoyed lunch at the Restaurant Zehntkeller with its superb, sophisticated Franconian dishes accompanied by wine from its own vineyard. We sampled pumpkin soup with suckling pig jowls, roebuck steak with sea buckthorns and celery ravioli as well as wild catfish with baked veal compote. It was a gourmet lunch in every respect.

The next day a short (and efficient) train ride took us south to Heilbronn, a thriving city of 125,000 in the Wurttenberg wine district. With evidence of human habitation dating back 30,000 years, the city was almost totally destroyed by bombing in 1944. Now rebuilt and very modern looking (except for the restoration of some historic buildings like the Town Hall) the city is surrounded by vineyards and celebrates the fact with a lively wine festival – the Heilbronner Weindorf – every year.

For several days, the town centre is filled with locals and tourists milling around the wooden stalls built by a score of local vineyards to showcase the vast array of fine wines – from ultra-dry to very sweet – for which the region is famous. German food is also plentiful, from onion cake to Bretzels (the local version of pretzels) to massive sausage-in-a-bun, advertised as being “a half metre long”!

We also met a local guide near Heilbronn who took us on a long hike around the nearby vineyards where we were able to sample some outstanding sparkling secco and excellent red wines like Lemberger and Trollinger.

Our final stop was in the industrial city of Stuttgart, a pleasant 45 minute train ride from Heilbronn. Although there’s major construction all around the train station it’s easy to find tranquil areas because two-thirds of the land within the city limits is devoted to parks, gardens and woods.

About 60% of Stuttgart was leveled during the war, but careful reconstruction has restored many buildings including the palatial Altes Schloss,  built originally in the 13th century and redone in the 16th century. Central Stuttgart also includes the state art gallery, the Staatsgalerie, with a fine collection including paintings by Picasso, Salvador Dali and  Andy Warhol. There’s also a large selection of works by Edvard Munch (“The Scream”).

Fine wines are produced close to Stuttgart. We visited the stone-terraced vineyards of Karl Haidle and tasted its superb 2011 Lemberger, an intensely flavoured red from vines pruned to only six bunches of  grapes.

Stuttgart is even better known for the superb automobiles produced in the area. The Mercedes-Benz Museum, adjacent to the sprawling car plant, is housed in a modern, round structure where visitors start at the top with the story of how Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler invented the automobile and then circle their way down to the modern era. Included are more than 160 vehicles including some of the oldest ever made (Benz was granted a patent for the internal combustion engine in 1879 and for the automobile in 1886).

Drinking and driving certainly don’t mix but any trip to central Germany should include visits to the splendid vineyards that cover much of the country and to the area where some of the world’s finest cars are produced.

Photo Credits

Photos by John and Sandra Nowlan – All Rights Reserved

Well, thanks to the Neddie’s Harbour Inn and its Black Spruce restaurant, I’ve had to trash my pet theory. Located in Norris Point, overlooking Western Newfoundland’s Bonne Bay sits a comfortable modern inn, featuring gourmet dining and incredible views. Every table in the restaurant boasts a scenic view of the mountains and waters of Gros Morne Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Neddie’s Harbour Inn And The Black Spruce

Sit on the eastern side of the restaurant of for breakfast and see dawn-silhouetted hills overlooking Bonne Bay. In the evening enjoy supper on the western side and savor the orange rocks of the Table Lands fluorescing in the sunset.

The view from the western side of The Black Spruce.

The Swiss owned establishment features a menu laid out by Jason Lynch, a noted chef based at Le Caveau in Grand Pre Nova Scotia. Dishes incorporate fresh produce from Newfoundland’s Codroy Valley along with delectable seafood from the island’s waters such as lobster, mussels, char… some of the freshest seafood you’ll ever encounter.

My seafood chowder made with fresh cod, smoked bacon, creme fraiche and mirepoix was a mouth-watering start to a perfect meal. The Caesar salad was spectacular and the house-made Stozzapreti one of the best vegetarian pastas I’ve had. Desserts often incorporate local fruits such as bakeapples (cloudberries) and partridge berries (lingonberries). Besides being yummy they are packed with health giving anti-oxidants.

Our waitress Sheena holding our orders of house-made Strozzapreti and Cumin Crusted Cod.

Neddies Harbour Inn is great base from which to see the sights of Gros Morne National Park. Towering mountains grace the parks 1500 square kilometers along with fjords that equal those of Norway, wildlife such as moose and caribou and rivers and ponds teaming with trout and salmon. The Tablelands resemble the surface of Mars with its barren fields of red rocks, a rare example of the earth’s mantle that gushed to the surface millions of years ago and solidified.

Amanda enjoying a glass of wine and a great view!

If you overdose on hiking pristine forests, viewing moose and caribou and other wildlife and cruising the islands and bays of the park, you can always take in the cultural offerings. Quaint towns such as Woody Point have converted historic buildings for events such as the Gros Morne Writers Festival, Theatre Festival and various musical and literary offerings.

If You Go:

Neddie’s Harbour Inn

Newfoundland And Labrador

Photo Credits

All photos by George Burden – All Rights Reserved

Boranup State Forest, located near Margaret River

The town itself is located 277 kilometres south of Perth in the state’s South West and the valley in which it lies, along with the surrounding region, is well known for its vineyards, attracting around 500,000 tourists annually.

The river and associated town was named after Margaret Whicher in 1831, the cousin of the founder of the regional town of Busselton, John Garrett Bussell.

Vasse Felix vineyard, Cowaramup

Margaret River first appeared on a map in 1839. By 1850, European migrants had moved to the area and by 1870 timber logging in the region’s karri forests was underway. The town had a hotel by 1910, which conveniently also operated as the local post office.

After World War I, new settlers were encouraged to make their home in the region. The Western Australian government’s Group Settlement Scheme fostered the establishment of farms in the region and by 1922 more than 100 new settlers had moved into the district.

Vineyard in the south west

In the early 1920s regional farming was boosted with the completion of the Busselton to Margaret River Railway, with the Margaret River to Flinders Bay line opening in 1925.

Margaret River is located nine kilometres inland from the Indian Ocean, about halfway between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin.

The regional climate is humid Mediterranean, with an average annual rainfall of around 1,130 millimetres, with most falling between May and August. In summer, the weather is warm to hot, offering plenty of sunshine, offset by cool sea breezes.

Sugarloaf Rock, Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park

It is little wonder then that adventurous viticulturists established vineyards in the region, but surprisingly, it wasn’t until 1967 that the first vines were planted. The principal grapes include cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, shiraz, merlot, chenin blanc and verdelho.

Today, Margaret River is renowned internationally for the quality of its chardonnay, while it’s gravely, loam and clay soil also produces quality cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, merlot, semillon and sauvignon blanc wines.

There are more than 200 vineyards in Western Australia’s South West, which is dotted with picturesque towns including Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker, Porongurup, Pemberton, Manjimup and Albany.

Couple with wine maker at Cape Mentelle winery, near Margaret River

The excellent farm produce emerging from the region has inspired some of WA’s most prominent chefs, leading to the establishment of quality restaurants offering food that compliments the local wines, linked to cellar doors via popular food and wine trails.

Food display at the Watershed Premium Wines, located near Margaret River

Leisurely drives through the wine region can be linked to a variety of overnight stays, ranging from five-star resort to B&B, retreat, spa and caravan park accommodation, taking in everything from wineries to breweries, restaurants, art and craft galleries, olive groves and cheese makers. Margaret River is also noted for its venison, chocolate, berries, coffee, candy, fudge and ice cream.

Beyond the taste sensations, the region also boasts broad expanses of green karri forests, great ocean swells generated by the Roaring Forties which attract surfers from around the world and below ground, a cavernous wonderland of crystalline and calcium creations.

Cyclists on Caves Road in Boranup State Forest, near Margaret River

There are several hundred caves near Margaret River, all located within the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, with six open to the public.

The most famous is Mammoth Cave, 21km south of the town, which contains fossils dating back more than 35,000 years. The cave was first discovered by European settlers in 1850 and has been open to the public since 1904. Mammoth Cave can be explored by self-guided audio tour and offers partial disabled access.

Mammoth Cave

Other caves open to the public are Jewel Cave, Lake Cave, Ngilgi Cave, Calgardup Cave and Giants Cave.

For more information, visit:

The Trail
Margaret River
Margaret River Wine
Margaret River Farmers Market

Photo Credits

Boranup State Forest, located near Margaret River © Tourism Western Australia

Vasse Felix vineyard, Cowaramup © Vasse Felix

Vineyard in the south west © Tourism Western Australia

Sugarloaf Rock, Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park © Tourism Western Australia

Couple with wine maker at Cape Mentelle winery, near Margaret River © Tourism Western Australia

Food display at the Watershed Premium Wines, located near Margaret River © Tourism Western Australia

Cyclists on Caves Road in Boranup State Forest, near Margaret River © Tourism Western Australia

Mammoth Cave – Wikipedia Creative Commons

But food is not all there is to experience in Montreal. The province of Quebec is also renowned for the quality of the beer it produces. Year in and year out, many of its breweries leave the World’s Beer Awards with their hands full of high-status prizes. And Montreal’s master brewers own a fair share of the honors that are pouring in. Next time you are in Montreal, make sure you stop by these five awesome microbreweries.

Dieu du Ciel

Located in Le Plateau, an exciting borough of Montreal, Dieu du Ciel is a 15 year-old microbrewery with a yearly production capacity of about 700,000 litres. With a menu featuring between 15 and 20 different beers that are produced on-site, this “brewpub” will undoubtedly please any beer lover. Which ones should you absolutely try? In my opinion, you must go for Rosée d’hibiscus, a fantastic white beer that has a charming rosé tint that comes from the addition of hibiscus flowers during the brewing process. This beer is your perfect companion for the hot days of summer. Otherwise, Route des épices – a rye beer with a peppery taste – is completely delightful. But it is not only the beer that is good at Dieu du Ciel: so is the atmosphere. This sit-down place actually has its own DJ!

Les Soeurs Grises

Adjacent to Montreal’s Old Port, Les Soeurs Grises is your perfect stop for a late afternoon break (or even for dinner) after a long day spent visiting the Old Montreal area. Its game dishes will certainly please any meat lover and its beers will quench any visitor’s thirst… which sounds like a weird thing to say when you discover that the place used to be a nunnery! I enthusiastically recommend Camélia, a sencha tea-flavoured white beer, or L’Appât-Si-Noir, an oatmeal stout that is impressively light (sorry, Guinness lovers), but tasty! Reasonable prices. Awesome décor.

Benelux

Steps from the Place des Arts and the Place des Festivals is another fantastic, reasonably-priced microbrewery that offers an astonishing variety of quality beers and a menu essentially made of comfort food. Benelux is endowed with big windows and a look which is both modern and warm. If you are looking for a downtown, great microbrewery…here it is! The last beer I tried was Cigogne, which literally means the “stork”. Unsurprisingly, it was the birth of a new love for another locally-produced beer…

L’Espace Public

Although L’Espace Public is not located downtown per se, you may eventually find yourself close by as it is located in the same district as the Olympic Stadium which was built when Montreal hosted the Olympic Games in 1976. This microbrewery produces less beers than the aforementioned ones, but the ones they produce are just as good! At the moment, they are serving a refreshing ginger and Sichuan pepper witbier you really should try. Another great thing about this place is that they serve other Quebecois beers that are produced elsewhere in the province. If you ever go there and want to try a second Quebecois beer after having tasting one of L’Espace Public’s, my recommendation would go to for beer from La Barberie, a co-op microbrewery based in Quebec City.

Vices & Versa

Here is a fantastic “bistro du terroir”, or a “bistro from the Quebecois heartland”! There, local wines, terrines, pâtés, cheeses, ice ciders and beers are celebrated…at unbeatable prices. With its warm ambiance and charming terrace, Vices & Versa is an absolute must if you find yourself in Montreal’s Little Italy. Although Vices & Versa does not brew its own beer, it does serve 35 different Quebecois beers so there will be plenty of choices for your palate. I personally love Chi (a ginger white beer), that is produced by the Brasseur de Montréal. And if you realize you’ve had too much beer since your arrival in the metropolis, make sure you opt for one of Quebec’s greatest contributions to the world’s gastronomy: ice cider. The one from Domaine Pinnacle is nothing less than a sublime, golden, miraculous gift from the gods!

Photo Credits

Photos are from the Microbrewery Webpages – All Rights Reserved

Guest Author Bio

Alexandre Duval
Alexandre Duval is a freelance blogger for Tourism Montreal who offers information to travelers on Montreal’s trendiest pubs and bars, finest restaurants, festivals, attractions, hotels and more.