Bordeaux City for Foodies & Wine-Knows

                 The city has pulled out all stops over the last 10 yrs to attract food & wine lovers
 

Bordeaux, in the not too distant past, was a culinary wasteland.   But, the city is now worthy of being the gateway to one of the most famous wine districts of the world.  Bordeaux has become a food lover’s paradise with a plethora of Michelin star restaurants, food-trucks, a cooking school for professional gourmet chefs, organic food stores, wine bars, craft beer pubs, and fusion foods.

Below are my suggestions for what not to miss:

Capuchin Market---Best Farmer's Market

                       If you're here at lunch-time, there are several spots to snag a bite to eat.

Conveniently located near the center of the city, Bordeaux’s biggest daily market is something every visiting foodie should visit.  You could spend hours strolling through the aisles of just-plucked-from-the-sea oysters, the splendor of Southwest France’s gastronomic produce, or a plethora of duck products from the nearby Dordogne Valley. 

 

L’Intendant Grands Vins de Bordeaux---Best Wine Shop

                                   As one proceeds up the stairs prices escalate with each floor

Located near the Opera House, this is nothing short of mind-blowing.  Looking for hard to find vintages or special bottles?  Look no further.

Canelé---Best Sweet Bite

                                          Every pastry shop in the city makes canelé

One simply cannot leave Bordeaux without at least one of the city’s hallmark sweets.  Canelé are carmelized treats like no other you’ll ever find.  They come in small sizes (about the size of a wine cork) so that you can have a taste without feeling guilty.  Or, if you’ve walked 10,000 steps you might want to consider the larger size of this culinary piece of Bordeaux’s history.  Developed 500 years ago by the Catholic nuns, these are a near religious experience.    Consider purchasing  one at either Baillardran or La Toque Cuivree, both known as among the best in the city.

Au Petrin Mossagais---Best Historical Spot for Foodies

               Baking bread since the mid 18th century, this is truly a step back in gastronomic time

This boulangerie’s ovens were first fired up during the reign of Louis XV and the same recipes are used today.    Located between the Opera House and the Cite du Vin, Bordeaux’s oldest boulangerie is an historical institution worth a visit for the smells alone coming from their wood-fired ovens.   (Check with your Concierge to see if the boulangerie is still open....I've heard it may have closed.)

Cite du Vin---Best for Modern Architecture

    There are inside exhibitions, a cafeteria & a wonderful view of Bordeaux from its top floor

It’s a very long walk from the downtown along the waterfront, so one of Bordeaux’s snazzy trams are suggested.  "The City of Wine” is the Guggenheim of wine.  Built by Frank Gehry, it’s worth going if nothing more than viewing its architecture up close.  Wine tasting was lame when I visited, but go and enjoy the architecture.

The Wine-Knows' tour to Bordeaux this September is sold out with a waiting list but we still have 2-3 openings next year for the Truffle Festival & Lake Como. 

Truffle Itinerary – Wine-Knows Travel 

Michelin Stars: A Changing Galaxy

 
           Bordeaux's 2 star Michelin restaurant, Lalique, offers a myriad of luxurious trappings

A Michelin-starred restaurant probably brings to mind linen tablecloths, fine  china, sumptuously upholstered chairs, extensive wine lists, as well as exorbitant prices, but the Michelin galaxy has shifted on its axis.   While luxurious trappings once appeared to be part of Michelin’s criteria, the gastronomic behemoth has altered its measures to focus solely on quality of food. 

In short, The Michelin Guide now awards its stars to chefs offering outstanding cooking.   While the identity of Michelin judges granting these stars is a deeply guarded secret, the company openly states they now take into account the following criteria:

          ~ Quality of ingredients

          ~ Harmony of flavors

          ~ Mastery of food preparation techniques

          ~ Personality of the chef as expressed through his/her cuisine

          ~ Consistency of the food

          ~ Value for the money

                  A Michelin star taco stand in Mexico City serves its meals on plastic plates

Forget the crystal chandeliers, over-the-top floral arrangements, impeccable service, extravagant artwork and disregard the term “restaurant.”  Although Michelin stars are indeed still granted to opulently appointed restaurants offering astronomically priced food and wines, the above new measures based solely on food quality has ushered in a once unthinkable cadre of intergalactic VIPs.   Michelin has granted a coveted star to a street food vendor in Thailand, a food stall in a Singaporean mall where meals are served on plastic plates, a ramen noodle joint in Tokyo, and even a taco truck in Mexico. Better yet, two Michelin stars have been given to a simple dim sum restaurant in China.  

A new stellar landscape has been birthed.   How exciting to see what a different orbit in our global culinary world will bring.  May the force be with us.

Vietnam’s Coffee is an Art Form

            This Vietnamese coffee mogul's company has grown to nearly $350 Million US
 

After a long international flight followed by an iffy night’s sleep in Hanoi, I remember heading down to the hotel’s breakfast room where I found my three girlfriends guzzling pots of coffee.  This was more than a decade ago but I still remember they were all raving about the terrific coffee.  I’m very picky about coffee but I was hooked at first sip.

When breakfast was over I asked the server what brand the coffee was and where I could buy it.   Seems the coffee Gods were looking down on me as the hotel agreed to actually sell me a bag.  The only issue was that it came in large commercial packaging.  No problem.  I bought the equivalent of ten pounds and carried them throughout Vietnam, then on to Australia, and back to the US.  I never regretted lugging a single coffee bean.  This stuff was the bomb!

           Wine-Knows will stop for a coffee in Hanoi at one of the city's original coffee houses

There is something very different about Vietnamese coffee.  When I first tasted it I remember being surprised by nuances of chocolate and even nuttiness.  (BTW:  I’m not one for any type of flavored coffee.)   I’ve since learned that there is a miniscule amount of chocolate but the real difference is that Vietnam grows an entirely different bean.  Most American coffee uses the Arabica bean, Brazil’s Holy Grail.  Vietnam, however, uses the more earth flavored Robusta bean.  (Italian espresso often contains Robusta in the mixture of beans to provide a full-bodied drink.)   Furthermore, Vietnam roasts its beans at very low temperatures over a long period of time, allowing it to develop complex flavors.

Coffee was brought to Vietnam in the 1800’s by the French who colonized it until the 1950’s.  Today, Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee on the planet, surpassed only by Brazil.   Walk around downtown Saigon and you’ll notice immediately that coffee is big business:  sleek modern coffee houses abound and are loaded with upmarket crowds.  Even retail shops selling everything from clothing to electronics have large displays of packaged coffee for sale.

                                   Coffee is sold in nearly every type of store in Vietnam

Thankfully Vietnamese coffee is now available in the US---seems I’m not the only one who is hooked.  Amazon now offers more than 20 brands of Vietnamese coffee.  Furthermore, many American coffee brands have added a “Vietnamese-style” coffee to their offerings.

Wine-Knows’ 2026 tour to Vietnam sold out on the first day of marketing, but we are accepting folks on a wait list.  In the meanwhile, you can still get your Vietnamese morning Joe fix by ordering online, or looking for Vietnamese-style coffee at a local spot.