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Continue with the story of the 10th day of our French Vacation: our plan for the night was to leave the kids back at the villa with the au pair while the adults enjoy a fancy dinner in Monte Carlo. Since we encountered traffic jam on the way back from Saint-Tropez, there was no way we could make the 20:00 dinner reservation. My friends called the restaurant and fortunately they were able to move the time back for us. Still we had to rush through getting ready. The place was kinda formal, so I had to put on makeups, which took a lot of time. But the drive to Monte Carlo was very smooth, and we got there before 21:00.
The restaurant is located inside the elegant Metropole hotel. It's called Robuchon, ran by master chef Joël Robuchon. It has a Michelin 2-star rating. The service there was impeccable, and the food was scrumptious. Before the meal started, we were served with this blackish mixture in little shot glasses (I guess to prepare our palates.) Turned out it was made with black tomatoes. Before this night, I had only known tomatoes come in red, green, and yellow, but never black!
We ordered both Champagne and red wines. I don't remember the labels any more but suffice to say they were both very good, especially the red wine. For appetizer, I went for the "house special" ham which surprised Geoff since I was not a big meat eater. I couldn't resist ordering something the waiter highly recommended. It turned out pretty good. But I also found the mashed potato side that came with Geoff's appetizer (he had Quail) to be even better! I would even say it was the best mashed potato I've ever tasted--melted right in the mouth!
Our waiter was very nice. He scooped a spoonful of the "sinfully" delicious mashed potato on everyone's plate as a side for our main entrées. Geoff also made him bring us a plateful of grilled asparagus as an additional side because he overheard other patrons in the restaurant saying it being especially fresh and good there. When we told our waiter we like to visit Saint-Tropez, he even gave us tips on where to go--according to him, Nikki Beach and Le Club 55 were the places to be!
For the main course, I ordered their nightly special "Langouste." The waiter explained to us a langouste is not really a lobster. When I heard it's a local crustacean, I had to try it. Turned out it was similar to but smaller than a lobster--I'd say it's a large crawfish. It tasted delicious. By the time I finished with it, there literally were only shells left! I think I scared my friends a "little" with my tenacity in getting the meat off the shells. ;-|
We were all stuffed by the time we finished our main courses so we decided to forgo the dessert. But on our way out of the restaurant, there was a little surprise for us--each couple were handed a bag with a large Brioche inside. The hostess told us the breads were baked in their kitchen and were meant as our breakfast for tomorrow. I was thrilled because I had "fallen in love" with this sweet buttery bread on this trip!
After the meal, we wandered the streets to walk off some of the food. Probably because the Grand Prix was underway, we saw many Mercedes-McLaren and Ferrari sports cars parked alongside the streets. I looked at these cars--it was mind boggling that each of them could cost more than someone's house! I took out the camera and snapped pictures of the guys with the Ferrari's, and I had Geoff took pictures of me with the Mercedes! Tacky, I know, but what the heck--It's not everyday I saw so many beautiful cars!
Then we went into a casino where there were a couple of people with big cameras hanging around outside. One of my friend had always wanted to try her hand at a casino in Monte Carlo. So we had to do that at least once on this trip. With the lesson learned on our first night in Cannes, we made sure we all brought our passports with us this time. We got into the casino without any problem. But in our haste to get ready for the night, my friend and I had both left our money back at the villa! ::hit head:: The only thing I had on me was an ATM card. However, it wouldn't allow me to withdraw more than €100 at a time. Oh well... ::shrug::
IMO, the casino was very different from the ones in Las Vegas. For one thing, it used to be a palace. I guess the royal family ran out of money in the old days so they turned their palace into a gaminghell hall to raise funds. But the most difference between this casino and those in Vegas lies in the atmosphere--in this place, I felt an aloofness with the people working here. Oh, and I almost forgot--cameras and cellphones were strictly forbidden here also--definitely not the "family friendly places" like the casinos in Vegas are turning out to be! Also, perhaps due to Monte Carlo's neighbor having a big film festival, the casino was practically empty. Despite it has a hall full of slot machines, the place was relatively quiet because only one or two people were playing at those noisy "one-armed bandits." The center of the casino is a room with gaming tables. It was in this room I saw most people gathered around a blackjack table. One of my friend told me my other friend was there watching Beyoncé play! Really?! I went and joined the on lookers around that table, and sure enough--there was Beyoncé with her boyfriend Jay Z playing blackjack! Or, I should say more accurately--Beyoncé was there quietly watching her boyfriend playing the €5000 minimum blackjack! She was fairly easy to spot because of her trademark "big hair" (she wore it down and curly.) Instead of being dressed up, Beyoncé wore a pair of Jeans and a white cotton shirt. She also had a black Pashmina to keep her warm. Even though she didn't appear to wear lots of makeups, she was still very pretty! I wish I could've snapped a picture. It was then I realized why there were people with big cameras waiting outside the casino!
Our main objective in the casino was to play a hand or two, but I'm a total "idiot" when it comes to gambling, so I begged Geoff to play for me instead. There were only 5 blackjack tables in the house: they each require a minimum of €50, €100, €1000, €2000, and €5000 per bet! Geoff and my friend went and sat at the lowest minimum table. I on the other hand was feeling sleepy so I went to look for my friends' hubbies who were getting coffees for us.
When I found them in another room, they indeed got us the coffee we needed--with a lot of trouble: when they went to the coffee bar and ordered "Lattes," the barista rolled his eyes and grumbled: "Americans... want only warm milk!" My friends' hubbies clarified they did want coffee IN the milk, the barista shot back "You want Cappuccino then!" "Uhm, no, we want Latte!" the guys insisted. "But that's warm milk!" the barista countered. Finially, I think the guys gave up and ordered warm milk with extra shots of espressos to make the latte themselves!
As I sat there drinking the "hard-to-get" latte, Geoff and my friends came by. I guess €100 couldn't last them very long at the table! Turned out Geoff did have a couple of blackjacks in the beginning, but the "luck" ran out as quickly as she came. So they were wiped out within 5 minutes. Maybe it's a good thing that we left our money back at the villa!
Since we weren't going to gamble any more for the night, we left the casino after we finished drinking our coffees. My friends suggested we go check out the Sass Cafe. They were told it is one of THE places to hang out at night in Monte Carlo. Despite its name, the place is really a night club. Compared to the casino, it was positively lively! We hung out there for some time, ordered drinks and danced a little.
It was already the wee hours, and we were all getting really tired. So we decided to head back. But after we got into the car, Geoff had another idea--he suggested we should check out the Palace museum area our friends missed seeing the other day. It turned out to be a good suggestion. The nightly view of the place was stunning. Unfortunately it was too dark for our camera to take good pictures. But the scenery left a deep impression on our minds. The "detour" was well worth the time and trouble. However, by the time we got back to the villa, it was around 5:00 in the morning!
The restaurant is located inside the elegant Metropole hotel. It's called Robuchon, ran by master chef Joël Robuchon. It has a Michelin 2-star rating. The service there was impeccable, and the food was scrumptious. Before the meal started, we were served with this blackish mixture in little shot glasses (I guess to prepare our palates.) Turned out it was made with black tomatoes. Before this night, I had only known tomatoes come in red, green, and yellow, but never black!
We ordered both Champagne and red wines. I don't remember the labels any more but suffice to say they were both very good, especially the red wine. For appetizer, I went for the "house special" ham which surprised Geoff since I was not a big meat eater. I couldn't resist ordering something the waiter highly recommended. It turned out pretty good. But I also found the mashed potato side that came with Geoff's appetizer (he had Quail) to be even better! I would even say it was the best mashed potato I've ever tasted--melted right in the mouth!
Our waiter was very nice. He scooped a spoonful of the "sinfully" delicious mashed potato on everyone's plate as a side for our main entrées. Geoff also made him bring us a plateful of grilled asparagus as an additional side because he overheard other patrons in the restaurant saying it being especially fresh and good there. When we told our waiter we like to visit Saint-Tropez, he even gave us tips on where to go--according to him, Nikki Beach and Le Club 55 were the places to be!
For the main course, I ordered their nightly special "Langouste." The waiter explained to us a langouste is not really a lobster. When I heard it's a local crustacean, I had to try it. Turned out it was similar to but smaller than a lobster--I'd say it's a large crawfish. It tasted delicious. By the time I finished with it, there literally were only shells left! I think I scared my friends a "little" with my tenacity in getting the meat off the shells. ;-|
We were all stuffed by the time we finished our main courses so we decided to forgo the dessert. But on our way out of the restaurant, there was a little surprise for us--each couple were handed a bag with a large Brioche inside. The hostess told us the breads were baked in their kitchen and were meant as our breakfast for tomorrow. I was thrilled because I had "fallen in love" with this sweet buttery bread on this trip!
After the meal, we wandered the streets to walk off some of the food. Probably because the Grand Prix was underway, we saw many Mercedes-McLaren and Ferrari sports cars parked alongside the streets. I looked at these cars--it was mind boggling that each of them could cost more than someone's house! I took out the camera and snapped pictures of the guys with the Ferrari's, and I had Geoff took pictures of me with the Mercedes! Tacky, I know, but what the heck--It's not everyday I saw so many beautiful cars!
Then we went into a casino where there were a couple of people with big cameras hanging around outside. One of my friend had always wanted to try her hand at a casino in Monte Carlo. So we had to do that at least once on this trip. With the lesson learned on our first night in Cannes, we made sure we all brought our passports with us this time. We got into the casino without any problem. But in our haste to get ready for the night, my friend and I had both left our money back at the villa! ::hit head:: The only thing I had on me was an ATM card. However, it wouldn't allow me to withdraw more than €100 at a time. Oh well... ::shrug::
IMO, the casino was very different from the ones in Las Vegas. For one thing, it used to be a palace. I guess the royal family ran out of money in the old days so they turned their palace into a gaming
Our main objective in the casino was to play a hand or two, but I'm a total "idiot" when it comes to gambling, so I begged Geoff to play for me instead. There were only 5 blackjack tables in the house: they each require a minimum of €50, €100, €1000, €2000, and €5000 per bet! Geoff and my friend went and sat at the lowest minimum table. I on the other hand was feeling sleepy so I went to look for my friends' hubbies who were getting coffees for us.
When I found them in another room, they indeed got us the coffee we needed--with a lot of trouble: when they went to the coffee bar and ordered "Lattes," the barista rolled his eyes and grumbled: "Americans... want only warm milk!" My friends' hubbies clarified they did want coffee IN the milk, the barista shot back "You want Cappuccino then!" "Uhm, no, we want Latte!" the guys insisted. "But that's warm milk!" the barista countered. Finially, I think the guys gave up and ordered warm milk with extra shots of espressos to make the latte themselves!
As I sat there drinking the "hard-to-get" latte, Geoff and my friends came by. I guess €100 couldn't last them very long at the table! Turned out Geoff did have a couple of blackjacks in the beginning, but the "luck" ran out as quickly as she came. So they were wiped out within 5 minutes. Maybe it's a good thing that we left our money back at the villa!
Since we weren't going to gamble any more for the night, we left the casino after we finished drinking our coffees. My friends suggested we go check out the Sass Cafe. They were told it is one of THE places to hang out at night in Monte Carlo. Despite its name, the place is really a night club. Compared to the casino, it was positively lively! We hung out there for some time, ordered drinks and danced a little.
It was already the wee hours, and we were all getting really tired. So we decided to head back. But after we got into the car, Geoff had another idea--he suggested we should check out the Palace museum area our friends missed seeing the other day. It turned out to be a good suggestion. The nightly view of the place was stunning. Unfortunately it was too dark for our camera to take good pictures. But the scenery left a deep impression on our minds. The "detour" was well worth the time and trouble. However, by the time we got back to the villa, it was around 5:00 in the morning!
From: (Anonymous)
no subject
Sounds like you guys had a blast, and you look so good! Love the pics with the cars, and I laughed at the latte story!!!
mick
From:
no subject
We had a load of fun that night. Although it was a little disappointing for my friend that the Casino there didn't crack up to be what she had expected. The food in that restaurant was really good, I'm still drooling every time I think about it!