Vendome, Germany 8/24/16

ONE DAY IN GERMANY.

As we departed from Milan to Frankfurt we were lucky enough to see some of the Swiss Alps at sunrise from our plane. 

Arrive at Frankfurt and then it's about a 2 hour drive to the city of Cologne to see the amazing Cologne Cathedral.

And of course... don't forget the selfie.

We still had some time to kill after seeing the cathedral before our reservation so we decided to go to Köhlner Zoo. I wasn't expecting much knowing that it would be a small zoo, but it was one of the best zoos I've ever seen in my life. The animals were more active and had so much more space and more natural looking habitats than other zoos I've been to.

Still wearing airport clothes in hot high 80's weather......

They had really interesting "monkey doors" where other monkeys can visit each other through wire tunnels above your head. Beware of poop!

After seeing animals we don't eat... and some we do... (we saw pigs and deer) we're off to Vendome!

About a 30 min car ride from the zoo we went straight to our destination while I changed from my sweaty airplane clothes to a new skin tight dress I had never worn in the car! From stinky sneakers to high heels, I think I cleaned up pretty nicely...

Luckily we found free street parking in front of the massive royal hotel where the restaurant is located apart of. I wouldn't say inside because they have their own private entrance towards the front. You don't have to enter through the hotel.

The slow walk up these pretty cobblestones in high heels... the things I do to eat at nice restaurants....

Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg

Just the walk up reminded me of royalty and I kind of felt like a princess for a couple seconds...

VENDOME: San Pellegrino's 35th Best Restaurant in the World 2016, 3 Michelin Stars

So for Wednesdays and Thursdays, they have an option of a special "Status Quo" menu which is 5 courses instead of the optional 10, but this also includes wine pairing and coffee at the end for 215 euros which I think is a pretty good deal. This was my first time ever doing a wine pairing (that I paid for) with my meal so I was a little nervous because I have a low tolerance for alcohol. (Sorry no pictures of wines or wine bottles because I don't care.)

 Only about the food of course:

The chef's savory version of a German toffee candy that he grew up with. Two delightful bites of foie gras caramel and Germany's own native hazelnut.

Breton Coast Sardine on rice crackers on a very interesting plate. 

"Escabeche" with Gazpacho Verde poured table side with radish and avocado. So refreshing and bright.

Can't go wrong with a fresh assortment of bread with FATTY European BUTTER! (which was from Elsass, a region close to the border of France which also used to be Germany. 

BLUE lobster but u can't tell it's blue anymore once its cooked so was it really??? With a chamomille emulsion that didn't overpower the dish and balanced well with the fennel. The crayfish soup on the side was so comforting and flavorful I wanted to steal everyone's... but controlled myself. 

Suckling pig's cheek with molten foie gras (which I got 2 pieces of because my friend doesn't like it) *BONUS POINTS* With the thin slab of smoked eel and shiso plums for some acidity. 

This Germany native trout was smoked in a cedar leaf which you could totally taste and gave it such a deep complex flavor that only smoking something to do. On the side is a little bite of salmon tartar which was sitting one edible silver "pebbles" which I knew had to be edible but my friend wouldn't believe me. Turns out they were barley seeds. (I'm always right... when it comes to food)

As you can see my wine glasses are just accumulating.... Venison 3 ways: the liver, the saddle, and the shoulder of venison. With a nice light and fresh melon salad on the side dressed in a woodruff pesto. 

This accompanied the venison on the side: cranberry foam on something... I'm sorry I was pretty drunk by this point. I'm a horrible blogger.

Red Berry Salad with yogurt ice cream and a pretty sugar feather. The "blackberries" on the plate aren't actual real blackberries. They made it themselves to look and taste like a blackberry all so you don't have to have the inconvenience of chomping on a seed. Pretty genius to me but for no reason other than to show off and amaze weird people like me. 

Curd cheese souffle with raspberry sauce.............. YUM

Because I was drunk.

Truffles of all kinds

Their mini "Magnum" ice cream bars flavored with coffee. 

Cold chocolate filled with marshmallow cream inside!

Aerated chocolate with lemongrass and mint. From a pastry cook's perspective I respected the technique that they used to achieve such a light and airy melt in your mouth texture. 

Coffee macarons... 

Assortment of citrus pate de fruites. Basically French for jelly candies coated in sugar that has scarred me in the past while making it. 

I'm glad I got to enjoy this restaurant with 4 other friends that have never been to a restaurant of this prestige in the culinary world. It was definitely an experience for all of us that I'm sure we'll always remember this entire day for the rest of our lives.

THANK YOU VENDOME!