Treats For The Armchair Traveler

The weak dollar discouraged many an American in Paris this summer. If your wallet won out over your wanderlust, take heart (and stomach): you can enjoy some of Europe's most famous treats without leaving your apartment! (That is, if you're willing to shell out for shipping.)

• Vienna's most famous chocolate cake, the apricot-jam-filled sacher torte, can be yours in just a few mouseclicks. Although you can't order the 8-foot-wide version that made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1998, there are four (much smaller) sizes available. (I have a dark-chocolate-coated "Size 1" cake sitting right next to my computer right now.)


• I have no idea why these ultra-buttery cookies are called "punishments" (if these are punishments, what is the reward?), but world-famous bakery Poilane will ship you two boxes for... 74 euros. (Hey, it's less than the price of a hotel room!) They don't ship their lovely apple tarts, but you can order currant bread, rye bread, delectable hearty walnut-studded boules, and sourdough so tasty it needs no butter. And if all you want is a half-loaf of Poilane sourdough, you can find it much closer to home at Agata & Valentina (1505 First Ave., 212-452-0690).

Lounge 47

Lounge 47, a Long Island City neighborhood favorite, pleases everyone from the hard drinker to the health nut. $3 draughts draw the happy-hour crowd, while the menu offers such diverse options as burgers and vegan wheat-free strawberry shortcake. The decor is reminiscent of what you find in Williamsburg - mustard and olive-colored chairs and a backyard patio adorned with logoed parasols.

The bar food is sophisticated. There are samosas, onion pakoras, fish 'n' chips, cod puttanesca, Carolina pulled pork sandwiches, and a curry - chicken or vegetable - served with your choice of rice or fries. (How often do you get to order fries with your curry?) Today's special was Sicilian eggplant layered with ground beef and tomatoes, but I decided to order the "grown-up" macaroni and cheese. Although I usually prefer it browned, bubbly, and super-cheesy, I did enjoy Lounge 147's subtle, creamy version; tender elbows were sprinkled with breadcrumbs and rosemary, and the sauce was lightly cheddary with a hint of onion. According to the waitress, there was goat cheese in there too, but I couldn't detect it. I also ordered the fried calamari (I can never order just one thing), which were terrific: the ample portion was cornmeal-crusted and greaseless, and came with chipotle mayo and hot marinara sauce.

Then it was time for dessert, of course! While I sipped my French press coffee, I debated between the "cheesecake-tiramisu" (what is that?) and the fruit crumble. Finally I decided on that vegan, gluten-free strawberry shortcake. The waitress warned me that it might have a unique texture, and it was a slice of cake, not the usual strawberries and cream in a biscuit. Still, it was full of berries, and I don't know how they made the layer of icing, but it was convincing!

Lounge 47: 4710 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City, (718) 937-2044.

Kurumazushi

Enter the narrow corridor and walk past the security guard. Cram into the tiny elevator, take it to the second floor, and turn around, as the opposite door will open... into the deceptively unassuming surroundings of Kurumazushi. You're now in a Michelin-starred sushi bar which will thrill you, the sushi purist, to the bone.

Last night, I arrived there early, and sat right in front of Chef Toshihiro Uezu. It was a delight to watch him slash and score the various fish (and obviously even more of a delight to consume it). I requested a sashimi and sushi omakase, and Mr. Uezu said he would start with sashimi. Two pieces of rosy pink fish appeared on my plate. "O-toro," he announced. I couldn't help myself and ate them in about half a second. "Finished already?"

Feeling slightly guilty, as this was an experience to be savored, I resolved to slow down! Mr. Uezu's next offering was a selection of cream-colored belly of yellowjack, lean yellowtail and rich yellowtail. Then there were two glistening pieces of red-edged bream, anointed with sudachi (Japanese lime) juice. "Marvelous!" was my reaction. "There's only sushi here," explained Mr. Uezu. "Some other places that serve sushi also serve tempura, noodles..."

My ceramic plates were changed up, and the second act - sushi - began. Larger pieces of o-toro, oh my! Silver-edged Spanish mackerel melted in my mouth on contact. Kimedai, an iridescent pink fish which I'd never eaten before, came next, and then there were two mini-sculptures of white fluke topped with green scallion and orange spicy radish.

"Anything else?" (I knew this was code for "You've reached what should be the limit for your appetite and your finances," but I just had to keep going.) "Uni?" I pleaded. "Very good!" said Mr. Uezu, obviously excited about his stock of sea urchin. He piled my seaweed-rice cylinders high with the soft orange creature. It was so creamy, cold and sweet. I was approaching fullness now, but since I'd mostly consumed fish, I wanted the various textures and tastes of shellfish. "OK," said Mr. Uezu, "I'll end with scallop, giant clam, and this special baby white shrimp from Japan." The orange giant clam was surprisingly tender. Shiro-ebi, white shrimp, were another novelty for me. They were tiny, almost transparent, and delicately sweet in flavor.

When the waiter, in a small concession to American tastes, asked if I'd like fruit or ice cream for dessert, I declined, as I didn't want to disturb the purity and beauty of these tastes.

(Of course, after I got home, I reached into my handbag and pulled out the green-tea cakes I'd bought at nearby Minamoto Kitchoan, the Japanese bakery.)

Kurumazushi: 7 East 47th St., 2nd Floor, (212) 317-2802.

Madeleine Patisserie

La famille Goupil is here from France to delight us with a rainbow of macarons at their month-old Madeleine Patisserie. These light, flaky buttercream cookie sandwiches are not to be confused with the super-sweet, leaden coconut pucks known as macaroons!

When I arrived at the bakery today, I was under the mistaken impression that the selections were limited. I saw a few berry tarts, a jar of chocolate-chip madeleines and some baskets of croissants. But in a few minutes, trays full of the brightly-colored macarons started to appear. "What is that bright purple one!" I asked. "Cassis." "Oh, and that one!" "Those are hot chocolate with coffee, pistachio, lemon chocolate..." Lemon chocolate? To me, that combination sounded unorthodox, but it was surprisingly good... smooth, tangy chocolate buttercream filling and cocoa-dusted yellow cookie. "Those pink ones with sesame, those are strawberry? Just give me 12 different flavors," I sputtered. Now either they thought I was insane and wanted me to leave, or they appreciated my interest, because they gave me an extra box of macarons - for free.

Madeleine Patisserie: 128 West 23rd St., (212) 243-2757.

Sasabune

I think I ate an entire aquarium at Sasabune, a "fish-and-nothing-but-the-fish" sushi bar. Overwhelmed with omakase, I kept asking, "This is the last plate, right?" "No, not yet," was the repeated answer.

I only had one (fish)bone to pick, and it was with the opener. The plate of albacore slices suffered from a surplus of vinegary ponzu sauce. However, everything else was extraordinary, well-presented and sparkling fresh. Most plates arrived with two complementary (alas, not complimentary) pieces of sushi, coordinated by color and taste. After the albacore, I was served the most unbelievable raw oysters, their milky flesh tender, sweet and dabbed with hot spicy radish. "Kumamotos have been inconsistent this year," remarked the server, "so these are from Canada." Now I finally see why oysters are considered an aphrodisiac.

What came next: bigeye and fatty tuna; yuzu-salted New Zealand red snapper and fluke, rich wild salmon and yellowtail; light pink live scallop and giant clam; cooked butterfish and mirin-marinated yellowtail scallion maki with nice crackly nori; ice-cold salmon roe and custardy sea urchin; vinegared kanpachi and horse mackerel; a large blue crab maki, its sweet crabmeat mixed with a bit of mayo ("Many customers come just for this," said my server, "It's like they're addicted"); and finally ("Are we there yet," I wondered) richly sauced freshwater eel. In all of these dishes, there was a great fish-to-rice ratio, and the server had a charming habit of telling me exactly which fish were to be dipped in soy sauce and which should be left alone.

After this giant repast, I was actually asked if I wanted to order anything else, but there was just no way! I smiled at the chef and staggered out the door.

Sasabune: 401 East 73rd St., (212) 249-8583.

La Bergamote

Are you tired of packing your picnic basket with PBJs? One way to liven up your lunch is to avail yourself of the sandwich selection at La Bergamote, a French bakery in Chelsea. All varieties come on a large baguette, and there's way more than the typical ham and brie! Try the garlic sausage, duck rillettes, smoked trout, chicken mousse with Blue cheese and walnuts, or the pheasant with cognac! Of course, there's always the chance that you won't be able to get past the display of pastries like Paris Brest and baba au rhum, but I can't vouch for their ability to withstand the hot August sun.

La Bergamote: 169 9th Ave., (212) 627-9010.