Vins i Licors Grau Could Just Be the Greatest Wine Store in the World

I spent about four days in Girona province, about an hour and a half north of Barcelona during my honeymoon in September.  We had a car, so we covered lots of little towns from La Bisbal d’Emporda (the home of porcelain manufacturers), Palamos (where we finally found some decent gelato), Begur, Pals, Regencos, Fornells and Aiguafreda.  However, it was Palafrugell, where we stumbled across Vins i Licors Grau that blew us away.

Coming from Ontario where we are stuck with the LCBO (love hate relationship with this monopoly), I thought I died and went to heaven when I set foot in this family run wine and liquor business, which dates back to 1951 and apparently carries 9000 products.  How could something so modern, with so much choice and so well organized (on the inside) exist in this tiny little area in Spain?  Was I missing something?  Why are we being punished in Ontario when something so magical can exist? I live in Prague for goodness sake where the entire city seems to revolve around alcohol and beer and I can’t think of one store that is as impressive as this.

Vins i Licors is so large that it posts its own maps on signs around the store so you can navigate your way around and find what you are looking for and has special zones dedicated to each geographic origin of wine, with boards providing information and explanations of what you are looking at.

Not only did they have the largest selection of Spanish wine and cava that I have ever seen (of course) in full and half bottles, they also had a great international wine section, plus interesting liquors, plus olive oil, plus wine glasses, plus coffee table and cook books, plus a tasting bar, plus sommeliers, plus, plus, plus!

Photo Source: 2

I hope you don’t read this thinking I am an alcoholic.  I guess I am just easily impressed by modern, well organized, retail environments that bring together selection, education and pleasure together.

To tell you the truth, I was so overwhelmed and sick of drinking wine by the time I arrived to Spain after just over a week in France that I purchased a small, half bottle of cava at Vins i Licors Grau and didn’t even drink it!  However, I could only imaging, living within close proximity to a place like that, you could learn and taste some interesting wines from that store.

Just in case you happen to find yourself in that part of the world….

Vins i Licors Grau can be found at Torroella, 163 · 17200 Palafrugell · Girona Spain

Cafe Mokxa

We started our honeymoon in Lyon where we walked this well known gastronomic city from top to bottom.  While wandering around one of the more artsier parts of the city, we found an adorable cafe in Lyon, France called Cafe Mokxa.

It was profiled on Beanhunter as the best cup of coffee in the city and you know what?  It is the best cup of coffee in the city because it is run by an Australian couple who gets coffee, roasting and brewing.  None of this espresso based, bitter, overly roasted stuff.  Cafe Mokxa is putting a bit of love and flavour back into Lyon’s undrinkable brews.

You know the cafe is going to be good when it carries a wide array of v60s, siphons, french presses and grinders.  Not to mention some delicious looking cookies, carrot cake and lots of coffee!

If you should find yourself in Lyon and did not bring your own grinder and beans on your travels, don’t worry, there is a spot in the city where you can breathe in sweet coffee aromas and give a sigh of relief.

Creme Caramel LA

Monday!  How did you arrive so fast? I have been entertaining for two weekends straight.  I love having guests come to visit me in Prague because I get to spend quality time with people I don’t often see.  It gives me a good excuse to cook, and menu plan and bake.  While thinking about things to make… I stumbled upon Creme Caramel LA, a tab I’ve had open on my browser for one week!

I don’t know why, but creme caramel and bread pudding are two polarized desserts when it comes to people’s opinions.  People either love it or hate it.   While both have a “mushy” texture, to me, bread pudding has more substance than creme caramel and for that reason I am quick to pass over a custardy-cream dessert when I am presented with the choice.  I much prefer bread pudding to creme caramel.

Creme caramel is not so unusual and often pops up on restaurant menus from time to time.  Bread pudding, on the other hand, is not so easy to find.  My first taste of bread pudding occurred in London at Ottolenghi in 2010.  I was in love with this new dessert. What’s not to like about a sweet, sticky, warm bread like dessert? Sold!

I typically associate both desserts with winter, so don’t ask me what got me searching for creme caramel or how I discovered Creme Caramel LA, but I am glad I did.  Creme Caramel LA is a Los Angeles based dessert company who is “cutting through the clutter” of all the cupcakes and fro-yo that seems to be saturating the market.  Why not do two thing very well?!  I love it.

Photo Source: Creme Caramel LA Blog

I have not tried any of Creme Caramel’s products as I my location puts me slightly out of reach of the farmers markets and festivals they sell at but they are on my list!

If you are into either dessert, you can find the traditional flavours of creme caramel and bread pudding from Creme Caramel LA, but its their progressive and interesting flavour combinations that piqued my curiosity.  Just take a gander…..

Creme caramel: Green Tea White Chocolate, Ube (Purple Yam), Buko Pandan (Young Coconut Pandan), Thai Tea, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Lemon Blueberry, Rootbeer Float, and Mint Chocolate

Bread pudding: Pumpkin White Chocolate, White Chocolate Cookie Butter, Apple Cobbler, Crackberry (Blackberries (when in season) & White Chocolate), Upside Down Pineapple, Chocolate Caramel Cup and Caramel Bacon (YES BACON!).

This is serious dessert we are talking about!  Sadly, I am also out of their shipping boundaries (only US) but next time I am in California, I am finding their market and treating myself to a bread pudding.  Sorry, I’m still not a creme caramel convert.

For more information on where to find Creme Caramel LA, check out their blog, Google Map, FB page or Twitter feed.

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Eco Olive Oil Factory

I am back from my honeymoon and in the process of playing catch up and getting back into the swing of schedules and work.

I thought I would write a quick post to say hello.  While travelling through France and Spain, I consumed olive oil daily.  It was wonderful.  I ate it on salads, on fish, with bread and cheese and even took some sips straight up at a tasting bar.  So it is only appropriate to share a photo related to olive oil.  Here it is: An eco olive oil factory located in Chile which is quite impressive from an architectural standpoint.

Believe it or not, I have visited my fair share of factories and industrial properties both in Canada and in China and I don’t recall any of the factories I visited looking like Guillermo Hevia’s design for the Almazara Olisur Olive Oil factory in Santiago, Chile.

Photo Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Is this what happens when architects get involved in industrial real estate spaces? Why don’t all factories look like this?

Happy Birthday

This is a special post to wish my husband a happy birthday today!

Photo Source: Sweetapolita

(I wish she was making a cake for him today!)

We are celebrating in Barcelona instead.

Architruc + Baltaz’art

Architruc and Baltaz’art is a very cool design store with two locations in Beziers, France.  While staying in the Languedoc region for three nights, it was recommended that we visit Beziers to dine at le Chameau Ivre, a local wine bar/store/tapas hot spot that sells and samples wines from up and coming vintners in the region.  After a lunch of salmon tartar with basil, olive oil and lemon juice and mackerel in some sort of delicious creamy sauce, we decided to take a tour of the neighbourhood and walk off lunch.

With no map, we randomly wandered up and down streets in this interesting city and stumbled across a design oasis on some street.  I didn’t realise I accidentally visited both of Architruc + Baltaz’art’s locations which are in the same neighbourhood but I am happy I did as the larger location would make any contemporary design/home design/decorator weak in the wallet.

Their second location is the larger of the two- it almost looks like a design compound with a patio and a courtyard and several rooms/buildings attached together.  Architruc + Balthaz’art carries contemporary home pieces and sculptural conversation pieces for the home from brands such as Bloom, Fermob, Alessi, Hay, Kartell, Tivoli and Parrot to name a few.

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

On a side note, it looked like at one point, Beziers was an architectural stunner.  Today, there is a lot of vacant, crumbling real estate, however there are pockets of revitalization that seems promising.  More pictures of Beziers in the next couple of weeks.

The Hotel that got Away: Moli del Mig

I am on my honeymoon right now which is why my posts have been a bit more sporadic, but thought I would write a quick post about a spectacular hotel that got away….

I love the hunt for hotels when prepping for a vacation or travel as I consider hotels to be an important component of my stay.  While I do not spend every waking hour in the building, I appreciate a well designed, well thought out space with excellent customer service, unique design touches and a solid breakfast.  Over the past week and a half, I have stayed in some pretty spectacular properties all over the spectrum ranging from mountain lodge, vineyard, castle, city hotel and rustic house.  However, while flipping through some old issues of Conde Nast Traveler, I found out about a hotel that was no more than 10 minutes away from where I am currently staying that I am disappointed I didn’t find earlier!

Moli Del Mig is a boutique hotel located in Torroella de Montgri, (Girona) Spain and was converted from a mill into a hotel in 2006.  Since it was a conversion, half of the hotel is located in the old mill that has been restored, and the other half is located in the newly built section.  The interior has a rustic, yet modern feel with a lot of exposed brick, unfinished wood beams, large glass windows looking out over the property, steel and concrete.  It is not overly dressed up with furniture or art, just simple statement pieces of furniture sporadically placed here and there.  The hotel itself is located in a rather remote feeling area.  It is located just outside the town of Torroella de Montgri in the middle of a farm area with bamboo,  corn fields and apple trees in the adjacent properties.

Moli Del Mig also has a spa and a phenomenal restaurant that my husband and I dined at for lunch.  Since it is moving into off season, we were the only ones in the restaurant for lunch today, but what a lunch it was.  I will blog about the meal in the next two weeks when I have better access to technology but I will say that the tuna I had will go down as some of the best tuna I have ever had.  In the mean time…. I would have loved to stay at this property had I known about it before when I was making my travel plans.

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Radio

Like any other passionate traveler, I have a long list of cities to cross off my wish list. One of the cities I was most looking forward to visiting while living in Europe is Copenhagen.  My husband and I planned a birthday weekend get-away in October and I am thrilled.

Since I have never been to any Scandinavian country, I can’t tell you exactly what I am attracted to, but from everything I have read and seen, Copenhagen to me represents the best of design, nature and food all rolled into one.

I am most looking forward to visiting this restaurant: Radio

The restaurant owns two acres of land where they grow vegetables for the restaurant.  The interior is modern but still reflects the natural simplicity that is associated with Scandinavian design.

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5