Forno a Legna - penne du patron

There is something about combining eggplant, pasta, marinara and ricotta that makes for a unique, incredibly palate-pleasing experience.

Lion d'Or - Carouge

Risotto Milanese at Carouge's Lion D'or...

Table du 9

A recent trip to the Old Town was the perfect opportunity to pay La Table du 9 another visit. And it didn't disappoint! The service was excellent, the atmosphere welcoming and the food simply exquisite!

Pictured below: a tender veal hanger steak with a side of gratin dauphinois.

La Broche

La Broche is a French restaurant located in Plainpalais. When the restaurant first opened, a number of years ago, a meal there essentially consisted of either lamb or chicken, but over the years, the menu has grown to include beef, various salads and vegetarian dishes in addition to its original choices. Overall the food is very good (the lamb with a side of pommes charlottes is definitely worth trying) and the atmosphere is quite pleasant.

Pictured below: an excellent pine nut and parmesan salad followed by grilled lamb and mashed potatoes.

Le Phenix

For some reason, finding decent Chinese food in Geneva, seems to be something of a challenge. There are a number of Chinese restaurants in the area, but their food often leaves something to be desired. You'd think an international city like Geneva would offer quality food from all over the world, but somehow, more often than not, it misses the mark when it comes to Chinese food.

Nevertheless, a number of establishments do seem to get positive reviews on a regular basis. Le Phenix, located in Eaux-Vives is one such restaurant. A recent visit was the perfect opportunity to see for ourselves if the food and service actually lived up to the hype. For the most part we were rather satisfied with the experience. The food was good and fresh and the service was excellent.

Pictured below: A selection of steamed dumplings followed by Peking duck served with pancakes.

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio is an Italian restaurant located in Plainpalais. Their food is good, the staff is friendly and their menu boasts a number of pizzas, pasta dishes as well as many other house specialties. The pasta is pretty amazing, and while this is clearly no Luigia, even the pizza is quite good. Definitely worth a visit!

Pictured below: Penne Carbonara, Tortellini alla Pana, Pizza Margherita, Tagliatelle al Gorgonzola and Gnocchi al Gorgonzola.

Camilo's Place

Even though I never got a chance to sample their food myself, I've been hearing about Espresso Club and their pizza for quite a while. I would still like to pay them a visit but in the meantime, I was recently able to visit their other restaurant, Camilo's Place, located in Rue du Stand. They make an interesting pizza, though I wouldn't rank the crust as my favorite. Furthermore, at CHF 18.- the margherita is a little more expensive than it probably should be. On the other hand, the restaurant is rather conveniently located, the staff is nice, and the menu is absolutely huge! Definitely more pizzas to choose from than most other Geneva joints.

Pictured below: a margherita pizza

Happy New Year (and more dishes from Luigia)!

Is it already 2011? Yes it apparently is -- time certainly does fly when you're trying to review the city's best spots!

Anyway, to kick things off this year, I figured I'd pay a visit to a 2010 favorite, Luigia's. Nothing new to report, the restaurant was packed and the service was quick (though I was unfashionably late)...

Pictured below: calamari, margherita and vesuvio pizzas and Linguine alle vongole.

What are some of your favorite comfort foods?

Please add comfort foods not listed to the comments below. Why are these your favorite comfort foods? Are they generally available in the Geneva area (or wherever you happen to live)?

I look forward to reading your stories!

Another visit to Phuket's

The Thai restaurant located by the UNHCR continues to be a favorite among the expat community.

Pictured below: complimentary Thai chips, Tom Kha Kai soup, Pad Thai noodles, and a coconut sticky rice and mango dessert.