picaman

I'm aware the table is yours for the night. We had ours from 8:15 to at least 11:00 : ) To clarify, I was just wondering if they really do just bite the bullet and eat the cost for the night in all instances. After all it is a business. Seems to me a well-dressed personable couple could get lucky occasionally.

Had a great dinner at L'Astrance on 1/11/11 (my 11th anniversary...): pictures here. Menu L'Astrance, with wine pairings and truffle supplement. Amazing evening. I was very surprised to see an empty 4-top, though...upstairs on the left as you look toward the door. What's the scoop on this? Do restaurants at this level just hold the table all night? Or could someone have theoretically have shown up at, say, 9:00pm or so and gotten seated without a res? Jamie

Going back to Paris January 7-15, and thought I'd revive my old thread with a bit of current research, and ask for suggestions. Here's the original outline of what we were looking for: Let's generally stick to that price range and ignore the effect of inflation. Here are some currently interesting places I've found researching here and elsewhere: La Régalade Saint Honoré 123 Rue St Honoré 75001 Paris, France 01 42 21 92 40 Le Chateaubriand 129 av. Parmentier, 11e, Paris 01-43-57-45-95 Restaurant L'Agrume 15 Rue des Fossés Saint-Marcel 75005 Paris, France 01 43 31 86 48 L'Ami Louis 32 rue du Vertbois, 3e, Paris 01-48-87-77-48 La Cordonnerie 20, rue St.-Roch, Paris, 75001 At rue Saint-Honore 01-42-60-17-42 Le Gaigne 12 rue Pecquay, 4e, Paris, 75004 01-44-59-86-72 Ze Kitchen Galerie 4 rue des Grands-Augustins, 6e, Paris 01-44-32-00-32 Chez Grenouille 52 Rue Blanche 75009 Paris, France 01 42 81 34 07 Saturne 17 Rue Notre Dame des Victoires 75002 Paris, France +33 1 42 60 31 90 L'Agape 51 Rue Jouffroy d'Abbans 75017 Paris, France 01 42 27 20 18 Le Mini-Palais Grand Palais Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt 75008 Paris, France 01 42 56 42 42 Le Concert de Cuisine 14 Rue Nélaton 75015 Paris, France 01 40 58 10 15 Chez Adrienne 37 Rue Arbre Sec 75001 Paris, France 01 42 60 15 78 Moustache 3 Rue Sainte-Beuve 75006 Paris, France +33 1 42 22 56 65 Edit: forgot these two which looked interesting to my partner Kirk: Chez Lena et Mimile 32 Rue Tournefort 75005 Paris, France 01 47 07 72 47 Le Bistro-T 17 bis, Rue Campagne Première 75014 Paris, France +33 1 43 20 79 27 Please feel free to comment on these, add your own suggestions, or provide updates for any of the old original restaurants listed here (2004 list) and here (2006 list). Many thanks in advance, Jamie ‎

No Southside Market sausage? You're killing me! That said, I did buy my fast pass...if you have an AMEX they are on sale now. Haven't missed a block party yet : )

At the risk of being libelous or just flat-out incorrect, I could have sworn that these beans tasted like Liquid Smoke. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I hope I am. For me there was that distinct aftertaste. Another vote for that. It wasn't the same without the snoot. I liked the Brunswick stew, though it always tastes better with squirrel I've been to all of the block parties, and this was by far the most pleasurable. I actually got to eat everything I wanted to without returning on Sunday, which was great for my day-planning but hell on my digestion. Props to Southside brisket and sausage, Big Bob Gibson cole slaw, Mitchell's whole hog, and 17th St. beans. Shoulda had that Blue Smoke chicken, I guess. Jamie

Thanks for checking. Hope all is well with him. Jamie

John, if you can, please find out what happened to Jean-Marie Robin. Or is he the "personable front man" to whom Laidback is referring? It's good news, in any case, if the ship is righting itself. Le Cottage Marcadet is very close to the hotel (Ermitage) where we stay in Paris. Our last visit (April 2005) was markedly worse than our earlier good experiences. Jamie

Hey--no one said eating in Paris was easy Thanks for the excellent feedback, John. For what it's worth, I've eaten at two restaurants on these lists--Le Violon d'Ingres and Au C'Amelot, both of which I thought were excellent. I also ate at Clos des Gourmets (16, av Rapp 75007 01 45 51 75 61) which I liked quite a bit, enough to take home a jar of their incredibly good fennel preserves. So I can't get anywhere close to a list of 10, or even five. Other favorite restaurants of mine (not on the lists, but I mentioned them earlier in the thread) are Au Petit Tonneau (20, Rue de Surcouf, 75007 01 47 05 09 01) and La Galoche d'Aurillac (41, Rue de Lappe, 75011 01 47 00 77 15). Jamie

I'll be in Paris for a week. That's a great idea. How about everyone's top five, culled from both the old list and the new one? Or ten, if you just can't stop. Jamie

For the sake of expediency, I omitted mention of anything that was in the original list, even though it might continue to get good notices. That's certainly the case with Violon d'Ingres. I've eaten there twice and will return on this trip. I always go at lunchtime for the current deal, and end up splurging for the full tasting menu anyway. It's wonderful, and certainly an outstanding value no matter how much you spend there. Jamie

Nearly three years ago (wow...time flies...) I compiled the list of restaurants at the beginning of this thread. At the time, I defined the "good value" in the thread's title as: Since I'm returning to Paris this January, I thought this would be a good exercise for me to repeat. I've gone through the 2006 threads, and compiled the following list of restaurants that seemed to have "good buzz" from respected sources. I've also added address and contact info. Please comment on the list, feel free to add anything you think I've missed, and especially let me know what you think should rise to the top, or be deleted for whatever reason. To account for inflation, I'll pry my wallet open and increase the target to 125 euros plus or minus 25 euros (or so) for a typical dinner for two described above. Less than that, of course, is fine too! Here's the list: By arrondisement: Casaluna 6, rue de Beaujolais 75001 - 01 42 60 05 11 Au Crus de Bourgogne 3 rue Bachaumont Paris 2 - 01 42 33 48 24 Drouant, 16-18, place Gaillon in the 2nd, 01.42.65.15.16 Le Petit Pamphlet 15, r St Gilles 75003 Paris, France - 01 42 71 22 21 Les Enfants Rouges, 90 rue des Archives 75003- 01 48 87 80 61 Le Buisson Ardent 25, r Jussieu 75005 Paris, France 01 43 54 93 02 Les Papilles 30, rue Gay-Lussac - 75005 Paris - Tel : 01 43 25 20 79 Ribouldingue, 10, rue St Julien le Pauvre in the 5th, 01.46.33.98.80 La Bastide Odéon 7 rue Corneille 75006 - 01-43-26-03-65 La Ferrandaise 8, r Vaugirard 75006 Paris, France - 01 43 26 36 36 Le Comptoir 9, Carrefour de l'Odéon 75006 Paris 01 43 29 12 05 Le Timbre 3, rue Sainte-Beuve Paris 6 Tel: 01 45 49 10 40 Maison du Jardin 27, rue de Vaugirard 75006 Paris 01 45 48 22 31 Sensing 19, rue Bréa, 75006, Paris,01 43 27 08 80 Wadja 10, r Grande Chaumière 75006 Paris, France - 01 46 33 02 02 Ze Kitchen Galerie 4, rue des Grands Augustins Paris 6 Tel: 01 44 32 00 32 Gaya 44, rue du Bac 75007 Paris 01 45 44 73 73 Le Florimond 19, Avenue de la Motte Piquet. 75007 Tel. : +(33) 1 45 55 40 38 Les Anges 54 Boulevard de La Tour Maubourg Paris 7 Telephone: 01 47 05 89 86 l’Ami Jean 27, r Malar, 75007 Paris - 01 47 05 86 89 Dominique Bouchet 11 rue Treillard, Paris 8 - 01 45 61 09 46 Le Cou de la Girafe, 7, rue Paul-Baudry in the 8th, 01.56.88.29.55 Maxan 37 rue de Miromesnil in the 8th, 01.42.65.78.60 Senderens 9, Place De La Madeline / 75008 - 01 42 65 22 90 Carte Blanche, 6 rue lamartine, 75009 Paris - 01 48 78 12 20 Chartier 7 rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 9e 01-47-70-86-29 Le Charlain 23 rue Clauzel Paris 9 - 01 48 78 74 40 Le Jardinier 5, rue Richer - 9ème Tel : 01-48-24-79-79 Les Zingots 12, rue de la Fidélité 75010 PARIS - 01 47 70 19 34 Terminus Nord 23, rue de Dunkerque 75010 Paris Tél:33.(0)1.42.85.05.15 Astier 44 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Phone: 01-43-57-16-35 Bistro Paul Bert in the 11th at 18 Rue Paul Bert (01.43.72.24.01) Le Temps au Temps 13, r Paul Bert, 75011 Paris - 01 43 79 63 40 Biche au Bois 45, Avenue Ledru Rollin. 75012 Tel. : +(33) 1 43 43 34 38 La Gazzetta 29, r De Cotte 75012 Paris, France - 01 43 47 47 05 l’Avant Gout 26, Rue Bobillot 75013 Paris Tel : 01 53 80 24 00 l’Ourcine 92, r Broca, 75013 Paris - 01 47 07 13 65 Bis de Severo 16 rue des Plantes Paris 14 - Quartier Montparnasse tél. : 01 40 44 73 09 Giufeli 129 rue du Chateau, 75014 Paris 01 43 27 32 56 La Cerisaie 70, bd Edgar Quinet, 75014 Paris - 01 43 20 98 98 Beurre Noisette 68, Rue Vasco de Gama, 75015 Paris - 01 48 56 82 49 Dix vins 57, rue Falguière 75015 Tel: 01-43-20-91-77 Le Troquet 21, rue François-Bonvin, 15th (01.45.66.89.00) Minzingue 5, pl Etienne Pernet 75015 Paris, France - 01 45 32 48 54 Le Pergolese aka Gaboriaule Pergolese, 40, rue Pergolese in the 16th, 01.45.00.21.40 Goupil le Bistro 4 rue Claude-Debussy 75017 - 01 45 74 83 25 Le Bistral, 80 rue Lemercier in the 17th, 01.42.63.59.61 Le Baratin 3, Rue Jouye-rouve 75020 Paris Téléphone : 08 99 78 21 40 Other areas: Les Magnolias 48, avenue de Bry, Le Perreux-sur-Marne; (33-1) 48.72.47.43 l’Escarbille, 8, rue de Velizy in Dept. 92 (Meudon @ the Bellevue train stop on the Rambouillet/Mantes line from Montparnasse – 4.10 € RT), 01.45.34.12.03 For reference, here's the original list, copied from the start of the thread: Fish - 69, rue du Seine (6th) Aux Lyonnaise - 32, rue St. Marc (2nd) La Régalade - 49, avenue Jean-Moulin (14th) Au C'Amelot - 50, rue Amelot (11th) La Chope de la Marie - 88, rue Ordener (18th) L'Occitanie - 96, rue Oberkampf (11th) Clown Bar - 114, rue Amelot (11th) Jacques Melac - 42, rue Leon-Frot (11th) L'as du Fallafel - 34, rue du Rosiers (4th) Cafe Constant - 139, rue Saint-Dominique (7th) Au Bon Acceuil - 14, rue Monttessuy (7th) Violon d'Ingres - 135, rue Saint Dominique (7th) La Fontaine de Mars - 129, rue Saint-Dominique (7th) Au Dauphin - 167, rue Saint-Honoré (1st) Chez Michel - 10, Rue de Belzunce (10th) Philippe Detourbe - 8, rue Nicolas Charlet (15th) Bistrot du Dôme - 1 rue Delambre (14th) La Cave de l'Os a Moelle - 181, rue de Lourmel (15th); and L'Os a Moelle - 3, rue Vasco de Gama (15th) Le Repaire de Cartouche - 99, rue Amelot (11th) Aux Negociants - 27, rue Lambert (18th) Calixte - 64, rue Saint-Louis en L'Ile (Patissierie - 4th) Benoit - 20, rue Saint-Martin (4th) Le Pré Verre - 8, rue Thenard (5th) L'Estrapade - 15, rue de l'Estrapade (5th) Le Dome due Marais - 53, rue des Francs-Bourgeois (4th) OK then--fire away! Thanks in advance for your input. Jamie

Found this from John Talbott in my browsing this afternoon--can't get much more romantic than a picnic in a beautiful spot. Here's a list of great picnic spots he posted: Thursday, ParuVendu listed great places in which to have a picnic and listed the: Esplanade du Champs de Mars in the 7th, Port de l’Arsenal in the 4th, Parc de Bercy and Bois de Vincennes in the 12th, Cite Universite and Parc Monsouris in the 14th, Iles aux Cygnes, Parc Andre Citroen and Parc Georges Brassens in the 15th, Bois de Boulogne in the 16th, Square de la Butte du Chapeau Rouge, Parc des Buttes Chaumont and Parc de la Villette in the 19th. I'd add Parc Monceau in the 8th. Jamie

I'm going back to Paris in January, and am beginning the process of scanning the threads for updates to my restaurant list. This thread caught my eye in the process--I have a feeling that my process will be slow as I respond to this and that I'll throw in here for Le Train Bleu in the Gare de Lyon--the gorgeous Belle Epoque setting really takes you to another place and time. The food is good enough, and the atmosphere is absolutely spectacular. Jamie

Here's a link to my write-up of Le Cottage Marcadet, buried in a stray eGullet thread: Le Cottage Marcadet I returned in 2005 and thought it just as good. Jamie

Excellent story--thanks for the followup. It was a bit grating to hear it mispronounced so much all weekend. Jamie