Been There, Tasted That!

Having been in the food and wine business for a number of years (So many I no longer count them because I don't need to get depressed), I constantly get asked, when you go out to eat, where do you go? 

When I was younger, I went all over this country eating at great and innovative restaurants. I also hit a lot of local favorites. You don't have to be cutting edge to be great. It was an educational thing for me. I didn't go to culinary school, so I used other chefs and restaurants as my vocational instruction. I was exposed to the latest trends, techniques and products. I was also exposed to some traditional regional cuisine. I am lucky in that I can look at a dish, taste it and then can pretty much replicate that dish. I didn't always hit it 100% but I got close and being a cook, I would tweek a thing or two to make it mine. 

Of course, I always recommended these restaurants and food spots to my friends and customers who were looking for a good spot in a particular area. I have been to restaurants all over this country from Jeremiah Tower's Stars in San Francisco to Il Vagabondo with its inside bocce court in New York City and from Louie's Backyard in Key West to the roaring fireplace at The Shed in Stowe, Vermont. I love food and I love cooking so I was more than happy to share where I've been and what I had eaten when I was there. Sadly, some of these places no longer exist.

I have retired from the food and wine business. I don't go out as much nor travel as much but I still get people asking where I eat when I do go out, either locally or in another city in this country or abroad. I kept getting asked about certain cities so much, I started making what I called Food Lists. With the invention of the internet, it's easy to research cities. With websites like Yelp and Tripadvisor, you get real pictures of the food not food magazine styled pictures of the food. These pictures give you a feel for the food and atmosphere of these restaurants without all the gloss you get from food and travel magazines' pictures. 

In these Food Lists, I include some of the notable restaurants and food places. I highlight the places I've been in a certain color background and list the things the place is noted for. With another color background, I highlight the places that look really interesting that I would like to visit. I keep these lists on my computer and when someone asks about a certain city or area I send them the list. That is, after I have updated it to be sure no one has closed or gone out of business. The food and wine business is tricky and things happen. I have about 25 of these lists.

Of course the majority of the people ask me about restaurants in my local area. I live in the Tampa Bay region, across the Skyway Bridge in Bradenton, Florida. At one time I was selling wine in Tampa Bay, so I have a list of all the top restaurants and wine shops. With Microsoft Excel's filtering tools, I am able to make lists of the top restaurants in all the different geographical areas to suit just about anyone. These too have to be brought up-to-date to keep them current. Places open and close for a variety of reasons. There is always a new guy on the block to take the place of one that closes. It seems everyone wants to own and run a restaurant. i don't think they realize how difficult it is in this day and age.

For the last few years, I have been on a fixed income, so I don't go out as much as I used to. It's not just the money. I know it sounds narcissistic, but I can prepare anything on the menu of any restaurant just as good as they do. The only exceptions are when a specific piece of equipment is needed like a wok range to get the necessary heat for a correct stir fry, or if something requires multiple hard to get ingredients like several different kinds of fresh raw fish for sushi or sashimi. 

I had the same problem with pizza until I acquired the Lodge Cast Iron Pizza Pan and the recipe for the 00 flour pizza dough from Roberta's Pizza in Brooklyn, New York. I now craft a pizza that would make a Neapolitan or New Yorker proud. 

The fact of the matter is, I would rather take the money I would spend at a nice restaurant and buy a prime cut of beef, a rack of lamb, or some jumbo lump crabmeat (All expensive items) and cook at home. I know not supporting local independent restaurants is odd for someone who was in the restaurant business for as long as I was, but I'm old and have paid my dues. 

I sometimes take the extra money and invest in a really nice bottle of wine (Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Mayacamas Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chateau Haut Brion are favorites) or an expensive bottle of liquor (Calvados Boulard VSOP, The Macallan 12 Year Old, and Remy Martin VSOP Cognac are favorites). All of which with restaurant pricing would be cost prohibitive. 

My problem is that early in my food and wine career, friends, customers (who became friends), or particular jobs exposed me to high quality food and drink. I was lucky. I got to experience some of the best in the world. Once you get that exposure, you can't pretend to not be able to tell the difference between the good stuff and the really good stuff. At least, I can't. 

In my golden years, I realize I don't need to drive a BMW or a Mercedes Benz. I get by with a nice year old Hyundai Tucson. I don't need to live by the water on Captiva or Tierra Verde (flood and hurricane insurance is crazy). I can live inland a bit where it's dry and more protected. I don't have to live in a million dollar house. One that sells for much less than that but built like Sally and I wanted is perfect. Besides my home is wherever Sally is. The building itself is not as important as being home. 

I have learned that money and what it buys is not going to make me happy. Sally makes me happy. I still prepare meals with my Wusthof and Global knives and my All-Clad and Bourgeat pots and pans. I have them so why not use them? I have been to a lot of restaurants, food shops, wine shops and wineries, so I have experienced and tasted a lot of what they offer. So when people ask about places and dishes, if I've been there I tell them, I've been there and tasted that. I also tell them I was very lucky for the chance to do that.   

Roberta's Pizza Dough

    1 – Cup + 1 Tbsp 00* Flour          1 – Cup + 2 Tbsp AP Flour

    1 – Tsp Fine Sea Salt                  ¾ - Tsp Active Dry Yeast

    1 – Tsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil      1 – Cup Warm Water

In a large mixing bowl, combine flours and salt.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together 1 cup lukewarm tap water, the yeast and the olive oil, (I sometimes add a bit of sugar to aid the yeast action) then pour it into flour mixture. Knead with your hands until well combined, approximately 3 minutes, then let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.

Knead rested dough for 3 minutes. Cut into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Place on a heavily floured surface, cover with dampened cloth, and let rest and rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (If you refrigerate the dough, remove it 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza.)

*00 Flour can be found in a specialty grocery or online.

     

 

A Great Cheese From Buzzard Bay?

Cheese is a part of the diet of most people. We are exposed to it at an early age. Think about your first grilled cheese sandwich, or your first bowl of mac and cheese. A lot of time these first exposures were to "Processed Cheese Products", not real cheese. I'm talking about good old Velveeta and Kraft Singles. I'm always suspicious of cheese that doesn't need refrigeration. Of course, nothing melts quite as well on a hamburger as a good old slice of American cheese, nor taste quite the same. You have to love those old sensory memories. 

Being a normal child in the United States, I progressed through to the usual cheese selections, starting with domestic versions of cheeses that had gained their fame in other countries, like cheddar, Swiss, parmesan, and provolone. I then moved into the consumption of the real cheese from its country of origin.  

When I started my culinary career, I got a chance to taste hard to find varieties. For the most part, I enjoyed all these cheeses. There were some of the smellier ones I never grew an appreciation for but I tried them. The smell of Limburger, Vieux Boulogne and similar cheeses just turn me off to any pleasure I might enjoy in eating them. I know I'm not alone in this feeling. There are close to 2000 different cheeses in the world, so I have never run out of new possibilities. The fromageries and food markets in France have given me the opportunity to taste a lot of different cheeses because they are always willing to give you a sample. 

When I opened my own restaurants, I started out using the best cheeses I could find, like Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy, and Roquefort and Chèvre from France. I grew to have an appreciation for the flavor and texture of these cheeses. My customers did as well. 

As my cooking knowledge expanded, I moved into an American mindset. I started cooking dishes more intune with American Regional cuisine. I started thinking about using only American products. When I opened the Greenhouse in Captiva, I went with a totally American wine list, which was unconventional at the time (Early 1980's). I also started using only American ingredients in my menu items. This included using only American cheeses.

On one of my trips to California, I visited the Vella Cheese Company in the town of Sonoma. I had read about it in a couple of food magazines. It was on a quiet street a few blocks from Sonoma Plaza. I met a man by the name of Ignazio Vella. He was a pleasant man and extremely passionate about his cheeses. 

Monterey Jack is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. Cheesemaking in California started with the Spanish missionaries in the 1700's. In the mid-1800's a Monterey businessman named David Jack started selling a cheese made from cow's milk that he called Monterey Jack. Most people don't credit him with inventing this cheese but he made several advancements in the production and marketing. Naming it Monterey Jack certainly helped get the word out. Other producers copied him and a new American cheese was born.

Gaetano (Tom) Vella, Ignazio's father started the Vella Cheese Company in 1931. Now there are 3rd and 4th generations involved in the company. They produce several types of Monterey Jack including Traditional Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, and Dry Jack.

Dry Jack came about by accident in 1915, when D. F. DeBernardi, a San Francisco cheese wholesaler re-discovered a forgotten batch of fresh Monterey Jack. It had aged into a rich, nutty cheese that could replace the imported hard cheeses that weren't available during World War I.  

During World War II, when imported hard cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano again became hard to get, Gaetano Vella adapted by aging wheels of Jack cheese 7-10 months or longer and coating them with a mixture of cocoa powder, oil, and black pepper. 

This Dry Vella Jack was similar in taste and texture to Parmigiano Reggiano. I tasted it and really like it. I started using it in my Caesar Salad and for pasta dishes on my menus. 

Another imported cheese I used was fresh Chèvre (goat cheese) from France. I used it as warm breadcrumb coated discs in a salad and in an appetizer with a whole roasted head of garlic. In California at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse, I saw that she was using a fresh goat cheese from Laura Chenel out of Sonoma. I tried it and became a fan, so I started using it too. 

Laura Chenel established her goat cheese business in 1979, becoming the first commercial producer of goat cheese in the United States. She started with a small herd of goats, trying to replicate the creamy, tangy chèvres she had tasted in France. She succeeded a thousand times over by creating a benchmark for other aspiring artisan cheese-makers in the United States. She introduced the American dining public to the goat cheese salad and things haven't been the same since.

I also used Camembert cheese on my menus as an appetizer, dipped in beer batter, deep fried and served with fresh fruit. Camembert is made with cow's milk in the Normandy region of France. True AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) Camembert is not available in the United States because it uses raw milk. The French producers make a pasteurized version for export to countries who won't allow the raw milk version. 

The AOC version has a more complex, earthy, and rich taste due to the raw milk and the traditional methods required by the government regulations. I've tasted both and actually prefer the pasteurized version. The pasteurized versions also have a longer shelf life. A lot of the french producers mention serving it baked with fruit and toasted baguette slices. They would probably be upset to hear I dipped it in beer batter and fried it. 

There are several companies that produce pasteurized Camembert in the United States like Président and La Bonne Vie. I started using the French brand Ile de France and easily moved over to the U. S. produced version. I couldn't taste any difference in the French and domestic pasteurized versions. 

The cheese I had the biggest problem with was Roquefort. During the Age of Enlightenment, French philosopher Denis Diderot called Roquefort the "King Of Cheeses". That label has stuck. I used it to top salads and steaks. There are lots of blue cheeses in the world markets but none quite like Roquefort. 

AOC Roquefort is made exclusively with the raw milk of Lacaune sheep. There are only seven producers. To get AOC status, these sheep must be raised in a certain area, the milk must be treated in the traditional manner, and the cheeses must be aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in southern France. 

Roquefort has a creamy yet crumbly texture and a tangy, sharp, and savory flavor with a hint of earthiness due to the blue-green mold of Penicillium Roqueforti fungus that is used to inoculate the cheese. Some people find the smell too strong but I think it is perfect. I have been a fan for a long time.

Most of the seven producers have a bakery adjacent to the cheese making area to produce a special type of rye bread that after aging develops the spores of the fungus. The loaves are aged in the same caves as the cheese. Once fully moldy the bread is dried and then ground into a fine powder. This powder is added during the cheesemaking process. With the EU involved these days, I wouldn't be surprised to find they are currently using a more scientific method to inoculate the fungus, but this is their story currently.

The cheese is formed into cylindrical wheels with flat bottoms and tops. They weigh about 5.5 to 6.5 pounds and are about 8 inches across and 4 inches tall. They are salted and pierced with needles all the way through the wheel. The needling allows oxygen inside the wheel to produce the blue veins of mold. 

They are then aged in the Combalou caves for over 60 days. This long ageing process is what allows the raw milk AOC Roquefort to be imported into the United States whereas the short time ageing of the AOC Camembert prohibits it. 

There are several blue cheeses produced in the United States but none tasted quite as good as Roquefort until I came across Maytag Blue. It was being used in several restaurants in California, so I had a chance to sample it. 

With a name like Maytag you would think they should be making washing machines and that's exactly where the family money came from. Frederick Louis Maytag I founded the company that would eventually become the Maytag Corporation in the 1890's in Newton, Iowa. His son Frederick Louis (Fritz) Maytag II branched out and formed the Maytag Dairy Farms in 1941 just outside of Newton. 

He and other family members had tasted Roquefort cheese in France and wanted to make an American version. He worked with Iowa State University researchers to develop a process to make blue cheese using homogenized cow's milk instead of sheep's milk. They did use the Penicillium Roqueforti but in a more scientific manner than rye bread. They were scientist afterall. 

Even in France the majority of blue cheeses are made with cow's milk. In the rest of Europe most of the blue cheeses are made with cow's milk too, like Stilton from England and Gorgonzola from Italy. Sheep's milk is more expensive and less abundant because they produce less milk than cows. It is also more labor intensive and requires specific conditions like those in the Roquefort region. 

Maytag also aged their cheese for 2 - 4 months in hand-dug limestone caves with cool temperatures and high humidity like in Roquefort. Maytag has always been a small batch production with everything done by hand. For the most part all the advertising is done by word of mouth especially among chefs.

I started using it at the Greenhouse in Captiva and never had anything but compliments. It is a great cheese and an beautiful American substitute for Roquefort. 

When I married Sally and moved to Atlanta, I found a new use for Maytag Blue, melted on freshly fried potato chips. This was a dish I first experienced at the Buckhead Diner. They topped theirs with a cream sauce with melted Maytag Blue cheese in it and then added crumbles melted on top. I used just the crumbles melted on top. It's more expensive that way because you end up using more cheese but I think it taste better. When I opened the Crazy Conch Cafe, it was a customer favorite. So much so they wouldn't let me take it off the menu. 

Over the course of the next few years, I kept hearing chef chatter about a new American Blue Cheese from Buzzard Bay, MA. It was named Great Hill Blue. I called them on the phone and had an interesting conversation. They sent me a sample and I was sold. This cheese was different and more to my liking than Maytag Blue, so I started using it. It always comes down to the taste.

Tim Stone began making cheese in 1997 as a way to sustain the family-owned Great Hill Dairy. The property has been in the Stone  family since 1909. He inherited the property and quickly realized that traditional dairy farming alone was not financially viable. He decided on blue cheese because it was a unique niche in the market especially in the eastern United States. Few dairies at that time were making an artisan blue cheese. He liked the flavor profile, aging potential and popularity among chefs and cheese aficionados. 

There are several high quality milk producers around him, Guernsey cow milk producers. These farms are environmentally conscious and where animal welfare is a priority. Great Hill Farm no longer raises cows and Tim converted the old barn and facilities for cheese production. He uses non-homogenized, raw milk which gives his cheese a creamy, rich, and complex flavor. He follows the traditional steps of other blue cheese producers. Everything is small scale and hands on which ensures high quality and consistency. Tim is involved in every part of the production and that is important to him. He has about 10 employees, which is good for the area. 

None of my suppliers had heard of Great Hill Dairy Blue Cheese so Mr. Stone ship the cheese to me directly, overnight express. Doing this economically as possible meant I had to buy 6 wheels at a time, 6 pounds each with all the necessary dry ice and packaging. That was expensive but I felt it was worth it. This was special. 

Great Hill Blue is aged for at least 120 days and made without excess salt. All the elements of the production of this cheese make it a blue cheese people who don't like blue cheese like, especially when it is melted on top of freshly fried potato chips. 

Every week 600 six-pound wheels of blue cheese are made and packaged at Great Hill Farm sitting on the shore of Buzzard Bay. If you can't find it locally, you can order it from Great Hill Dairy directly, by phone or online. 

To answer my own question, yes, a great cheese can come from Buzzard Bay, a fantastically great blue cheese. It also comes from equally fantastic people. As is usually the case, it takes a great man to make a great cheese.

Great Hill Dairy Farm

160 Delano Road

Marion, MA 02738

508-748-2208

Order Line: 888-748-2282

www.greathillblue.com

    

 

Bistro, Café, Restaurant, Brasserie?

 What Is It?

When you go to France, you notice they have a large selection of places devoted to food. It seems to be an obsession with them. There are shops for cheese, fresh meats, cured meats, seafood, bread, pastry, wine, chocolate, tea, coffee, and gourmet groceries. Also, there are specialty food shops for olive oil, vinegar, spices, and even mustard. Then there are the open-air markets selling seasonal fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats, and flowers. Food sights, smells, sounds, and tastes are all around you. You can't escape.  

There are a mind boggling number of places to eat. It is a bit confusing. There are restaurants, bistros, brasseries, café, crêperies, auberges, salon de thé, bouchons, rôtisseries, bar à vin, and traiteurs. Some of these places are obvious as to what they serve. A crêperie serves crepes, savory and sweet. An auberge is a rustic restaurant out in the countryside. A salon de thé serves tea. Bouchons are rustic places only found in the city of Lyon. Rôtisseries serve meats cooked on a spit. A bar à vin showcases wine as the main experience rather than just an accompaniment to food. A traiteur serves meals to go. It is a good place to acquire picnic items for an outdoor adventure or a prepared meal to eat in your hotel room or your home. 

What is confusing is the differences between restaurants, bistros, brasseries, and cafés. Not every restaurant is a bistro, café, or brasserie, but every bistro, cafe and brasserie is a restaurant. 

Restaurant is an all encompassing term. Restaurants range from casual neighborhood spots to haute cuisine. Classic French "Haute Cuisine" restaurants have refined decor, subdued lighting and intimate settings. They usually offer multi-course meals with seasonal ingredients and formal service. This type of formal restaurant is a quiet and slow dining experience, taking 3 to 4 hours. 

There are 30 Michelin 3 star restaurants in France, 10 in Paris. These would be the top of the haute cuisine experience and exceedingly expensive. There are a total of 639 starred restaurants in France, ranking 1, 2, or 3 stars. Please note the distance between the tables and the decor in the Michelin 3 star Pierre Gagnaire below. 

I have eaten in some of these starred places and the food, ambiance, and service have always been spectacular, but at a price, in euros and  pretentiousness. In my old age, I have started looking for less formal, more affordable places. I am not alone. Some of these places were started by the talented young apprentices of the haute cuisine masters. These young people have the knowledge and talent to cooking at the haut cuisine level. Most important, they know the growers and suppliers of the very best produce and ingredients. When they venture out to open their own places they usually choose the bistro route.

The French Bistro originated in Paris in the early 1800's as a small modest restaurant or café that served simple, affordable meals and drinks. They were cozy neighborhood places, often family run,  serving satisfying food, usually dishes from the regions where the owners originated. They became a staple of Parisian life, serving Steak Frites, Coq au Vin, Cassoulet, Salade Nicoise, Duck Confit, Boeuf Bourguignon, and other homestyle classic dishes. 

In the early 1990's, a chef by the name of Yves Camdeborde arrived on the scene. He had trained and worked in several Michelin starred restaurants in Paris and had a mentor, Chef Christian Constant. He saw a need for high-quality yet affordable cuisine in a relaxed setting. Quality food for everyday people, not just the rich, in a casual environment that didn't take 3 to 4 hours to experience. This was his vision. He opened a small restaurant in the 14th arrondissement and did exactly that. It was called La Régalade. 

He became the godfather of the Bistronomy Movement, which takes humble bistro dishes and enfuses them with the gastronomic techniques of fine dining. They also have one other element that makes them unique, a complete lack of greed. They don't need to make a million euros to be happy. They just want to create good food, perhaps with a bit of genius. 

Yves Camdeborde's concept was soon pursued by several other early "bistronomy" stars, like Stéphane Jégo at Chez L'Ami Jean, Thierry Breton at Chez Michel, Thierry Faucher at L'Os à Moelle, Iñaki Aizpitarte at Le Chateaubriand, Bertrand Grébaut at Septime, and William Ledeuil at Ze Kitchen Galerie. The focus always on seasonal, local ingredients, innovative techniques with traditional recipes, and relaxed dining environments making this cuisine more accessible. Although, this movement started in the early 1990's, it wasn't until 2004 that food writer Sébastien Demorand gave it the name "Bistronomy".

The public embracement of this concept has forced the 3 star haute cuisine masters to look at making more casual, less expensive gastronomic adventures. Chef Christian Constant, who mentored several of these "young turks", was one of the first masters to move to this new style with his Café Constant. Joël Robuchon, who Gault & Millau called the "Chef of the Century", created a hybrid of this concept with his L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. His "workshop" featured an open kitchen with diners sitting around a counter directly interacting with chefs. The open kitchen concept was not new but its use by a Michelin 3 star chef was. 

I have always been a fan of the bistro concept. I like it, the old form and new. In my travels, I have unwittingly fallen into some of these bistronomy locations, like Café Constant, Chez L'Ami Jean and Le Comptoir, to name a few. 

There is a lot to be said for old school places like, Bistrot Paul Bert, Allard, Chez Robert & Louise and Lescure. They sometimes call themselves restaurants but I classify them as bistros. They have close seating, small kitchens, noisy ambiance, serve traditional French cuisine, and are usually open for lunch and dinner. 

Cafés are different. On my first trip to Paris, on the first morning, we fell into Le Nemrod. It was a block from the apartment where we were staying. We were there just about every day on that trip at some time or the other. The fact they serve Poilâne sourdough bread and Berthillon ice cream was a definite plus. 

Paris has a plethora of cafés. There is one on just about every corner. Cafés are open from about 7:00 AM to 10:00 to 11:00 PM serving beverages and light fare. Cafés are more than just what they serve. They are a cultural experience, a welcoming space for social interaction and people watching. They all have outside dining with the small tables and chairs facing outward. Throughout history they have attracted famous and not so famous  writers, artists and thinkers. 

Most cafés are charming picturesque places to rest, refuel, or pass the time. Sometimes the food is good, sometimes it's not, but that's not the point. It is close by, there is always a warm greeting, the coffee is strong and the wine is drinkable.  

Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore are perhaps the two most famous cafés in France. Both are in Paris. Both date back to the 1800's. Both have a history of attracting famous artist, avant-garde thinkers, writers and philosophers, as well as people who want to be around them. They are both on corners of Boulevard Saint-Germain in the 6th arrondissement within a stone's throw of each other. I have walked past them hundreds of times, never once sitting down. Today, they are the definition of tourist magnet. Les Deux Magots recently did a study and found that 66% of their business was with international tourists. I don't need that even though I'm a tourist too. 

It's the reason I have never ventured into Chez L'Ami Louis, the most famous bistro in the world. There are other places I would like to spend my money and time. These places are nice to look at but I prefer to have my feathers plucked in less traveled places. 

Cafés focus on beverages, hot and cold, as well as light fare like pastries, salads, sandwiches, omelets, charcuterie, croque monsieurs, soups, cheeses, desserts and occasionally some heavier dishes like steak frites. Le Nemrod had all these and on our first trip to Paris, was a great spot to stop on the way back to our apartment for a late night café and Calvados (Apple Brandy from Normandy). Ah, I love those sensory memories.

Brasseries are different in a lot of respects than other restaurants. They started out as beer halls opened by Alsatians known for their beer-brewing traditions and hearty regional food. "Brasserie" is from the French word brasser meaning "to brew". They have evolved into more formal establishments serving a wide variety of food all day and late into the night. They serve a wide assortment of dishes, seafood, especially oysters, choucroute garnie (sauerkraut with pork and sausages), cheeses, salads, steak frites, roast chicken, confit, and other hearty fare. Their food options are more numerous and diverse than bistros or cafés. They also now have extensive wine lists and liquors.

In the past, they like the cafés attracted a group of famous writers, artists, and thinkers. Their decor moved more upscale. The service wasn't quite as formal as the top restaurants but they did have old established waiters who knew their local customers. Today some of them are tourist magnets too.  

La Coupole, Le Dome, Brasserie Lipp and Le Select are the most famous of the old school French brasseries. My favorite is La Brasserie de I'Isle Saint-Louis. I fondly remember a dinner outside under the awning in the rain a few years ago. It was nice. That's the way it is with me. I remember the meal in a particular restaurant, not just the restaurant. 

 

The problem with all these dining options in France and elsewhere is time and change. They change ownership, chefs retire, leases expire, landlords get greedy, chefs die, pandemics happen, and all the other things that occur over time. Sometimes if they are still there, they are not like they were when you first encountered them. That's sad but it happens and you have to move on to your next gastronomic memory. In France, there is always another one.