La Cote, Kalkbreitestrasse, Zurich

Aubergine

Steinpilze

Charbonnade

La Cote used to be located at the Lagerstrasse but has moved on to Kalkbreite- strasse. Interior is rather classic old eatery, with white tablecloths. Again not a place for vegans but for meat connaisseurs. Not much action happening on Monday a night, save for a guy walking in to the place and sitting at “his” table, getting an already opened bottle of “his” red wine and two dogs lying under the table. Dogs have no place in a dining room and I never understand why restaurants allow people to bring their pets to the establishment. The amuse-bouche at this place is always an Aubergine, excessivley sour and void of any salt. I never got through to understanding this part of the meal, but they’ve been insisting on it for years, so I put it behind me as quickly as I could. As an appetizer I chose some porcini (Steinpilze), lightly caramelized, a bit of oil and ample serving, all in all a very nice plate. The fun at la Cote is always the Charbonnade. You get a hot small barbeque with hot coals put on the table in front of you. Meat, fries and sauces are served as much as you like. The sauces are homemade, the fries are decent and the meat is good. The only down side is, that it is so much fun grilling your own meat, that at the end of the meal your stomach is so full you really feel like rolling over into your bed and going to sleep. Since my bed is not next to table at La Cote I had to settle for a spirit to kick my mentabolism into high gear. The Charbonnade sets you back 52 CHF (plus drinks)