Milan: Paper Moon

August 22, 2013 | Design & Culture by Ed

Paper Moon is a restaurant in Milan, that in reality is not doing anything special- it’s simply delicious and all products are fresh and hand made! The famous Italian dish made of beef slices in Tuna sauce was so good, I was like it’s best thing I ever ate! And the Pizza? Again best in the world. The dough was so delicate, and the cheese so dissolving in mouth! The taglioni with beefragout are in my dreams till today! This restaurant with dozens of film posters of biggest super stars like Johnny Depp and Marilyn Monroe is, again, best restaurant in Milan!

Tuscany: Villa Sant Michele

August 19, 2013August 20, 2013 | Design & Culture by Ed

There is this bad type of restaurants, where you pay more for the view and exclusive fog, than for the taste of food. This is all about the Villa Sant Michele’s restaurant that is located on the top of the hill. You walk in, the place is beautiful. But, a closer look, it feels a bit cheap. Then the veranda, so the restaurant. The view is AMAZING. Whole Florence seen in one place. So it’s all kind of OK. Until the food… First dish is a catastrophe! A warm tartar of scampi… Disgusting. Then meat tagliata. Looks like shit on the plate, isn’t it? And the most horrifying thing- peach semifredo. It was the biggest minus. It tasted like the cheapest one from a super market! No, this place is a big mistake, with it’s “REAL TUSCAN” atmosphere. Eeuuu.

Tuscany: Manganice Dinner

August 12, 2013February 2, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Living in Villa Manganice is like visiting a paradise. Everything here is perfect and beautiful. So, no wonder, the restaurant Manganice has a unforgettable taste with it’s traditional Tuscan dishes! Of course accompanied with the wine from hotel winery, the beef tatar and the filet Mignon with truffle fondue tastes very delicate and smooth. Everything is very fresh and totally hand-made! So no pasta from a shop or olive oil with chemical toxins. The dessert is of course the classical chocolate sufflet… Nothing better in the world!

Tuscany: Villa Mangiacane

August 12, 2013February 2, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Derived from its ancient name meaning “great dog”, the Mangiacane Estate has been producing wine for centuries, and making the visitors feel like in paradise for years! Here I am for some vacations in warm Tuscany in Italy! The Villa Mangiacane is located in a small town 20 minutes away from Florence, in an amazing place, from where you see even the Basilica of St. Peter! From my huge, huge, huge balcony I see a large Italian forest, whole olive farm and grape orchard, that are used everyday in producing best quality olive oil and wine! Of course the very local wine can be tasted in the Villa’s restaurant and I assure you- it’s delicious.
This magnificent hotel has two beautiful pools, one in a Byzantine style, and other much more modern; there is the main building and the second, one much more beautiful and luxurious, the Villa, that contains of around 10 suites and few penthouses… It’s all a real Dolce Vita, having in mind that you have Portofino, Sienna, Florence and Bologna all in your are!

Biarritz: Harotzen Costa

July 5, 2013August 30, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Located in Guethary that’s between Biarritz and St. Jean-de-Luz, Harotzen Costa is a port restaurant full of Basque culinary secrets. The interior is very raw- the tables where made from sterilised stone and wood that gave a minimalistic and sharp feeling. With a mind blowing view on the coastline of Pays Basque, Bidart and Barritz were both seen.
The cuisine is typical basque on with a Asian fusion twist- like for example a dorade tartar with soya sauce and nori salad. But, if talking of the main courses a highlight you won’t forget for a long time, is the Cote de Boeuf by Goya. Why Goya? Because it’s the best farm family who produce the best beef in whole Basque territory! And the 48h written under the title doesn’t mean it was marinated for this period of time… It means, that after the cow was killed, it traveled to the restaurant for two days! How complicated is that?
The meat was the best quality but didn’t taste as good as they were saying- it was like eating a raw beef without any sauce nor authentic taste- very natural. Or maybe too natural? The desserts were fine but a bit over done. This a restaurant just for one time, but it’s still worth a visit!