The Busy Day Gourmet

Trinacria Ristorante & Pizzeria

August 27, 2022August 9, 2022 by The Busy Day Gourmet

Trinacria is an excellent restaurant in Kempen offering Sicilian style pizzas and pastas. They make their own pizza dough on-site. Their spaghetti and tagliatelle is also self-made on-site. I think their pizza dough is very delicious and I’ve ordered pizzas here many times. This is always a good choice. I have also tried their spagehetti and tagliatelle dishes several times; which are also very good. It´s not often that you find an authentic Italian restaurant that makes their pizza dough and pasta on-site. This is very time consuming for the chef, but results in a really special treat for the guests.

Trinacria has some very good Sicilian appetizers on the menu. One speciality is L’Arancina. This is a large stuffed rice ball that has been breaded, deep fried and served with tomato sauce. Delicious! The Arancina is quite large, so this is a good appetizer to share. The other appetizer that I really like is their Sicilian bruschetta. This is made with their home-made bread and topped with a Sicilian ratatouille. Their regular bruschetta is also very good, but I prefer their Sicilian version.

I have dined here many times over the past few months and I enjoy their pizzas very much. Their dough is so, so good. The pizzas arrive with just the right amount of leoparding around the crust. The center of the pizza is thin, and this may not be to some people´s liking, but I find the creamy center just perfect for my taste.

As I said, the spaghetti and tagliatelle are made by the chef on-site. I´ve had the spaghetti bolognese a couple of times and one or two tagliatelle dishes. I have been very satisfied everytime. Believe me when I say, there is nothing like homemade pasta. Excellent.

For those of you with a sweet tooth, they offer some very nice Sicilian desserts. I recommend the orange tiramisu. It is very special and a refreshing change from the traditional preparation.

Trinacria offers a nice selection of Italian wines and beers to accompany your meal as well as before dinner aperitifs and after dinner digestifs. Let Chef / Owner Alessio Parrino make a special Sicilian style meal for you. I think you will be very pleased with your experience at Trinacria.

Trinacria

Peterstraße 18

47906 Kempen

Telephone: +49-2152-898-7777

Website: TRINACRIA – Italienisch Restaurant in Kempen (trinacria-kempen.de)

DuQu Lounge Sushi & More

August 7, 2020August 7, 2020 by The Busy Day Gourmet

The DuQu Lounge is an excellent restaurant in Kempen, Germany offering sushi, curries and other Asian dishes. The restaurant offers indoor and outside seating. They are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Friends of ours had visited this restaurant shortly after it opened and told us how good the sushi was. We made a plan to go back to the restaurant together. The sushi is excellent. We also ordered some summer rolls with their homemade seiden tofu. Wow, were they ever good – very fresh and served with a nice dipping sauce. The homemade seiden tofu is delicious.

We liked it so much we decided to order two sushi dinners as take-out the following week. Everything was very fresh and the sushi was beautifully prepared. The following week we opted for take-out once again. This time we ordered two different curry dishes and an order of summer rolls with their homemade seiden tofu. Both of the curry dishes were really delicious with their rich and savory sauces.

A few weeks later, my wife suggested that we go there for lunch. Their lunch menu has many delicious options. We both decided on the same curry dish which was served with jasmine rice. It was excellent and the portion size was perfect for a lunch time meal.

I highly recommend the DuQu Lounge if you are visiting Kempen, Germany. Their friendly staff will greet you with a smile and provide you with excellent service. Their chefs will delight your pallet with their beautifully prepared sushi, curries and other Asian dishes.

DuQu Lounge Sushi & More

Buttermarkt 9

47906 Kempen

Germany

Telephone: +49 2152 994 8343

Hours: Monday to Saturday 12:00 – 15:00, 17:00 – 22:00, Sundays & Holidays 12:00 – 21:00

Website: http://www.du-qu-de

Yabase

February 23, 2020 by The Busy Day Gourmet

Are you looking for a good Japanese Sushi restaurant in Düsseldorf, then give Yabase a try. My friend and I enjoy both Sushi and Sashimi. We have been to other Japanese restaurants in Düsseldorf and we are always looking for something new. So we thought we would give Yabase a try. The food here is excellent. The Sushi and Sashimi are very fresh. The restaurant has a nice selection of Sake (both warm and cold) to accompany your meal. We both started off with a Sashimi plate. There was a nice selection of Sashimi on our plates and with more variety than I’ve seen at other restaurants in the area. Next we ordered mixed Sushi plates. I prefer mostly salmon and my friend likes a mix of various Nigiri Sushi. Both plates were excellent. Everything was very fresh and very tasty. More Sake please! Reservations made several days in advance are an absolute must!

Yabase

Klosterstraße 70

40211 Düsseldorf

Germany

Telephone: +49 211 362677

Hours: 12:00 – 14:00, 18:30 – 22:00, Monday closed

Telephone: +49 211 362677

Website: http://yabase-ddf.com

Landgasthaus Wolters

August 11, 2019 by The Busy Day Gourmet

Here is a great restaurant and hotel located in Nieukerk. Nieukerk is a small town in Nordrhein-Westfalen which is part of the larger area of Kerken and is also home to the “Die Whiskybotschaft” (for the whisky lovers out there). Friends of ours invited us to dinner the other night and suggested that we try Landgasthaus Wolters. Good choice!

The restaurant and hotel are located just a short distance from the train station. The restaurant has a very friendly staff and offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The international menu offers lots of good appetisers and main courses. For the burger lovers out there, they offer the “Wolters Kirsch BBQ burger.” This all beef hamburger is topped with their very own cherry BBQ sauce, caramelised onions, bacon and cheddar cheese. One of our friends ordered the burger which I got to taste and I must say, it was excellent.

I wanted to try the Argentine Rump steak served with french fries and a salad. My wife ordered the baked potato with a salad and sautéed mushrooms. We were both very impressed with our meals. My steak was cooked perfectly and my wife’s bake potato and salad were beautifully prepared. Both dishes were very impressive plates of food.

Wolters offers a selection of beers and wines to accompany your meal. The service was spot on and the atmosphere very relaxing and conducive to enjoying the wonderful food.

If you’re ever in the area northwest of Düsseldorf, please give the restaurant Landgasthaus Wolters a try. Reservations are recommended as they offer weekly specials and the restaurant can be quite full.

Landgasthaus Wolters

Sevelener Str. 15

47647 Kerken

Germany

Telephone: +49 02833 2206

Hours: Mo. – Sat. 17:00 – 22:00, So. Lunch 12:00 – 15:00, Dinner 17:00 – 22:00

Website: http://www.landgasthaus-wolters.de

Cabillaud

February 17, 2019 by The Busy Day Gourmet

My wife had been wanting to try this restaurant in Venlo, The Netherlands for some time. We decided to book a reservation for Valentines Day.

The restaurant offered a special Valentines menu for the evening, but my wife is a vegan, so the menu was not suitable for her. Fortunately the Sous Chef was more than able to prepare an excellent vegan four-course menu for my wife.

The evening was absolutely spectacular. The Sous Chef came out with every course and explained to both of us what they had prepared. I have to say that this restaurant is on a Michelin Star level. The food was absolutely spectacular, the wine pairings were spot on and the service was absolutely first rate.

If you get the chance to visit the charming town of Venlo, The Netherlands please give this restaurant a try. I believe you will be very pleased.

Cabillaud

Oude Markt 30

5911 HH Venlo

The Netherlands

Telephone: +31 77 320 7234

Hours: Open Thursday & Friday from 16:00 to midnight and Saturday & Sunday from 12:00 to midnight, closed Monday through Wednesday

Website: www.maasport.nl/eten-drinken-cabillaud

Wine Restaurant Mes Amis in Maastricht

January 28, 2020January 8, 2019 by The Busy Day Gourmet

Maastricht is a city in the Netherlands not far from the border with Germany. It’s a very beautiful city with lots of charming places to visit, lots of city squares lined with excellent restaurants and brasseries, good shopping and fabulous dining experiences. We found a charming restaurant called Wine Restaurant Mes Amis. So far we’ve been there twice and both times we’ve had a fabulous meal and a great dining experience. What I like about this restaurant is of course the gourmet food.

But I also like that they offer a nice selection of wines from the surrounding area. Wines from the Netherlands – yes, they are quite good. The other thing I like about this restaurant is the fixed menu; but you can also have the menu prepared with vegan options. This you don’t find very often, but I must say that they do an excellent job with the vegan option menu. You may select a menu with 4, 5, 6 or even 7 courses!

The service is impeccable. The owner of the restaurant is often there to greet the guests and the servers are very attentive and professional.

We started with a couple of glasses of sparkling wine. The restaurant offered us an amuse bouche which went quite well with our sparkling wine. The dinner can be served with wine flights to perfectly accompany each course. Each course is an absolute delight and the presentations are very elegant. Here are a few photos from our last trip there. The owner and the staff are very friendly and do everything possible to make your dining experience enjoyable. We are very happy to have found this gourmet restaurant in Maastricht. If you are visiting Maastricht, I highly recommend that you give this restaurant a try. Reservations are absolutely necessary.

Wijnrestaurant Mes Amis

Tongersestraat 5

6211 LL Maastricht

The Netherlands/address>

Telephone: +31 43 325 7866

Hours: Lunch 12:00 – 14:00 Wednesday to Saturday, Dinner from 17:30 – 22:00 Wednesday to Monday, Closed on Tuesday

Website: http://www.mesamis.nl/en/

Cafe de Turin

December 23, 2017 by The Busy Day Gourmet

If you are looking for an excellent seafood restaurant in Nice, France, this is the place. All of the seafood was very fresh and it all looked great. Here is the place to get fresh steamed mussels, fresh oysters on the half shell or my favourite “Plateau de fruits de mer” or fruits of the sea. We were together with a friend visiting Nice and we decided to order a big platter of oysters on the half shell. Fabulous. Fresh, juicy, sweet, a real taste of the sea. Simply delicious. We are definitely going back for more!

Le Café de Turin
5, place Garibaldi • 06300 Nice

Tel.+33 (0)4 93 62 29 52

Email: contact@cafedeturin.fr

Le Séjour Café

November 19, 2017November 14, 2017 by The Busy Day Gourmet

Excellent French cuisine at a reasonable price. Great atmosphere, great wines, great desserts and the service – impeccable. We met friends here for dinner and we were very impressed with both the food and the service at this restaurant. Everything was very delicious and came to the table with a great presentation.

We selected a very nice bottle of Rosé to go with our dinners. The kitchen was in plain view and it was fun watching the chef plate everything. The service was excellent – very attentive, accommodating and friendly. I chose the fish of the day which was served with potatoes, mushrooms and root vegetables. My wife selected a medley of mushrooms over mashed potatoes. Both dishes were very tasty.

The presentations on the desserts were amazing. I had the Tarte au Citron (citrus cream tart) with a lemon sorbet. Wow. Very light but also very delicious. A perfect dessert for me.

Apparently this restaurant is next to another very excellent restaurant in Nice – Mon Petit Café Nice. The brother runs one and the sister runs the other. We’re looking forward to trying the Mon Petit Café the next time we are in Nice. I highly recommend the Le Séjour Café if you are visiting Nice. Reservations are recommended.

Le Séjour Café

11, Rue Grimaldi

06000 Nice

France

Telephone: +33 4 97 20 55 35

Hours: 12:00 – 13:45, 19:30 – 21:45

Bar des Oiseaux

October 22, 2017 by The Busy Day Gourmet

We had the chance to meet some friends in Nice, France and we were searching for a restaurant in Nice’s old town. After a little research, we decided on Le Bar des Oiseaux. Excellent choice!

The restaurant met my expectations in every way. A great location, a creative chef, a small menu made from fresh ingredients of the day, great desserts, a good selection of French wines and impeccable service. Everyone at the restaurant was very friendly and did everything possible to make our dining experience enjoyable.

We shared a starter of tuna and swordfish ceviche. It was delicious. I selected the fish of the day for my main course. It was Monkfish with carrots, potatoes and charcuterie with an artichoke sauce. The fish was very fresh and very tasty. We selected a bottle of rosé from a local vintner to accompany our meal. We decided to have dessert and our waiter indicated that the chocolate mousse was one of his favourites so we decided to ordert it. Wow. It was very light and creamy; like eating a chocolate cloud!

We went back a second time together with our friends. I tried a pasta dish made with several types of seafood. This was definitely the dish of the night! The pasta was excellent and the seafood was very fresh and very delicious. We shared a dessert made of lemon cream on ginger crust. It was heavenly.

The restaurant has an open kitchen and the head chef checks every dish personally before it is served. I highly recommend this restaurant if you’re visiting Nice. I believe you will have a very enjoyable and memorable dining experience. Reservations are recommended.

Bar des Oiseaux

5, Rue Saint Vincent

06300 Nice

France

Telephone: +33 4 93 80 27 33

Hours: 12:00 – 14:00, 19:00 – 22:00

Osteria Campunni

July 3, 2017June 25, 2017 by The Busy Day Gourmet

A piece of Italy in the heart of Kempen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

Osteria Campunni is an authentic Italian restaurant in the Altstadt in Kempen. The Siani family prepares excellent Italian cuisine with great service and a fine selection of Italian wines. I really like their pasta dishes. One of my favorites is the Taglierini with Black Truffles and Parmesan cheese. Buonissimo!

They offer a large selection of pizzas with a variety of toppings which are also very good. One of my favorites is Pizza Andrea which is topped with fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced potatoes and zucchini, tunafish, shallots, parmesan cheese and garlic. Now that’s a delicious pizza! I often order the “Insalata Mista” as a starter. Their salads are very tasty,

made with the freshest ingredients and topped with a nice vinaigrette dressing.

The last time I was there, I had a beautiful fish dish, Sea Robin with saffron risotto and asparagus cream. Wow – now that was really good.

They offer a nice selection of wines to compliment your meal with many of the wines coming from the Puglia region in Italy. I can recommend a bottle of Otre if you’re looking for a nice Primitivo from Puglia. And if you still have room for something sweet, they have a very nice dessert menu. Try the Panna Cotta, the Zabaione or the Tiramisu. Finish off your meal with an aperitif such as Grappa, Limoncello or Averna. Then you’ll be certain to be “Tutto bene!”

Osteria Campunni is one of my favorite restaurants in Kempen and one of my all time favorite Italian restaurants. I highly recommend that you give them a try if you are looking for a very authentic Italian restaurant experience. Reservations are recommended.

Osteria Campunni

Kirchstrasse 6

47906 Kempen

Germany

Telephone: +49 2152 89 69 59

Website: www.osteria-campunni.de