Restaurants @ atrulove.com

Tour D’Argent

it was to be the highlight of our trip, a dinner in a fancy Paris restaurant to mark our Anniversary. I had done my homework, and I knew that Tour was not the best restaurant in Paris, but we thought the experience would make up for any small short coming in food/service. The restaurant overlooks the river Seine and Notre Dame. Paris is called the city of lights, and to see the sun set and the cities lights flick on was a great experience. Food? The food was indeed great. I had the Foi Gra which was served like hard serve ice cream from a ceramic tub using a ice creap scooper. I am a Hoosier, and as such my Foi Gra experiences are somewhat lacking . . . this was my third, but it was my best. My wife had some kind of appetizer with lobster and caviar, pretty good stuff. My main entrée was a beef dish (Beof in French) . . .it was on par with a Ruth Chris steak, but Ruth Chris was the better price. My wife’s entrée was a lamb dish, that she enjoyed, yet the highlight of her entrée was this weird potato dish. It looked like a see through brown ball, and we had no idea what it was but when we took a bite . . .we found out it was a potato. To this day I’ve never seen a potato prepared in such a way. . . My wife and I skipped dessert because the staff set a group between the view, and our table. So we decided that we had paid enough for this experience, and without the view. . .it wasn’t worth it. My wife and I had the worst table in the restaurant, near the kitchen and far from the window. I had the feeling that they saw us coming, and new what to do with Hoosier tourists a little bit out of their league. After sitting a group between us and the window, cutting off the view of the city of lights, we decided we were done. So we headed down the stairs, out the door passing pictures and signatures of Bill Clinton, Regan, and John F Kennedy and headed deeper into the Latin Quarter for a store front crêpe.

Giessen

Giessen Germany is a town north of Frankfurt. In a way it reminds me of Bloomington/Terre Haute in Indiana. Instead of a big shopping mall, it has a large open mall area at the center of town. Giessen also has no shortage of restaurants. I have been here for 4 weeks and have not had to eat at the same place twice.

Giessen top restaurants

• Tandreas - This was one of the best experiences. The service was good, the staff being very attentive. They translated the menu for us, and constantly monitored our progress. The food, a three course meal, was great as well. The meal was artfully presented.


• Dan Michaels - Just down from the hotel this Italian place serves very American pizzas. Yet I learned the key to a Italian restaurant, bring an Italian. Not only did we get a slice of pizza but we were served a pasta sampler that was awesome. Ravoli stuffed with Proschitto, green fettuccini with porcini mushrooms. . .the best Italian meal I've had so far
  
• Veniza Cafe - turn right at theH&M and go back a little bit and you will find the Veniza cafe. Unlike the rest of the Gelatto places in Germany this one serves ice cream that captures that Gelatto experience. Huge piles of Gelatto-ice cream stand in front of you, at least 15 selections. Classic selections, in german, such as pistachio, chocolate. . .and others so beautiful but I don't know what they were. Then the ice cream. . .it was like I expected. Soft, not to cold, so that you don't feel like your eating a hard USA style ice cream. Gelatto feels like soft served, but better. . .
  
• Thai Noi - This restaurant looks cool. As I said in my interview to the local press "The Thai Noi has the largest drink menu of any restaurant I've been to". This place has stuff like Thai Grog (Nail polish per Tivi) along with popular favorites such as Mojitos etc. The food at Thai was fairly good with a decent amount of flavor. After I kicked up my food with a little spice, the inability to get "tap water" was quite distressing.
  
• La Hacienda - no Chiliqueles con Huevos, no Orchata. . .no Mexican food. NEXT
  
• Alt Giessen - Good Stuff. The first night we stopped in at Alt Giessen. This place has "classic" German food and it is all good. A reliable favorite, though with classic slow german service.
  
• Dach Cafe - The scariest elevator ride of my life. I don't know why but part of me was sure that the elevator would give out under Tivi and I's weight up to the 13th floor. The cafe overlooks giessen. The food is good, decent, German food. The dessert selection was awesome. Just make sure you know German before entering (or at least be able to read a German menu).
  
• Cafeteria - A decent salad bar and a 2 menu items a day. Sometimes they miss (ask anyone about the Calamari one Friday). Most of the time the food is good, and is at least 10xbetter then Lilly Indy. Oh and a Lot of free coffee, hot chocolate, and tea.
  
• Havana Club - great for pitchers of Cuba Libre. . .and a beautiful Espresso machine.
  
• The castle - Not worth the 1hr trip, but definitely worth the 10minute one the second time. The drive was an adventure (near collision with a bmw, several getting lost, getting directions in German)

  This castle over looks the lilly affiliate from a hill across the country. The food is good, quality, German food. I am hoping that i'm here when it is a little warm because sitting at a biergarten overlooking the countryside, at the base of a castle would be cool indeed. Though I'm just glad we didn't loose any coworkers when they went up the castle tower with only a Phone for light.