ann

We had a superb lunch several years ago at Stephane Derbord, a Michelin one-star which offers a 25€ lunch. From the comments on the Michelin web site, I would guess that the quality hasn't slipped.

Fairfranco, thanks so much for your mouth-watering review. For those who might be reading this in the future, I read in another forum that the club menu with accompanying drinks, while mentioned on the Rostang web site, is not on the menu at the restaurant but is graciously offered if requested. I don't know if this is true or not. Glad you were able to make it home despite the aftermath of the volcano.

Thank you again, 42390, for the added info and the photos. With res. here and at Frenchie and Ribouldingue, I think our May trip is off to a good start already. Some of our favorite meals in Paris, though, have come from the market at Maubert Mutualité, a block or so from the apartment we rent, where the fishmonger will shuck our oysters while we finish shopping, and the cheese from Laurent Dubois is superb.

I also appreciate the detailed report since we have res. in May and plan to have the club menu. Hope your legs recover soon, Fairfranco, and thank you too for starting this topic.

Thanks to all for the help -- it will be difficult to choose just a few among all the available choices. Wish we had more than a week!

Great photos of the market, Vinotas! Of course we plan to cook some - that's why we always rent apartments with kitchens, like this one in Pommard. And thanks for the restaurant list with comments. BTW, the place I mentioned in Levernois is not the more famous Relais et Chateaux property there, which might be the one you're thinking about. Have you been to Les Tontons enough to know if it's fairly consistent -- I've read really varied comments about it? Thanks again!

Thanks for the clarification, Muichoi. I'm not looking for a "gourmet" experience -- if I wanted that, we'd go to Lameloise. But the prospect of well-prepared regional food and a fairly-priced wine list sounds perfect. Do you have any other favorites in/near Beaune?

Here are a few: Burghound Cellar Tracker Burgundy Eye Bergman's Bourgogne Burgundy Report Location Burgundy

We're spending the first week of October in Pommard, and I've read several negative reports lately about Ma Cuisine in Beaune -- and glowing reports about La Ciboulette (a Michelin Bib Gourmand), Le Caveau des Arches (perhaps a bit touristy??), and Le P'tit Paradis, all in Beaune. Can anyone report on recent experiences at any of these? I'd also like to know if anyone has been to La Garaudiere, another Bib Gourmand, in Levernois, or Les Roches in Saint-Romain -- or any other small, reasonably-priced local-style restaurant/bistro in the area. BTW, these are recommendations from web sites devoted mostly to wine, from people who live in the area. Thanks for the help.

Katie, was the place by the small canal by chance Il Refolo? It would be great for kids -- the address is Campiello del Piovan 1459, behind the Church of San Giacomo dell’Orio, in Santa Croce. And a third vote for da Alberto, in Cannaregio. The further you get from San Marco, the more reasonably -- and better -- you eat. as a general rule.

I wouldn't miss Volpetti, located at Via Marmorata 47, between Via A.Volta & Via Aldo Manunzio. Nor would I miss lunch or dinner at La Piazzetta, vicolo del Buon Consiglio 23a, 06 6991640, a short walk from the Forum. I first read about it in a NYT article by Ms. Fant about 5 years, and it's become our favorite restaurant in Rome.

I'd recommend the town of Tuscania in NW Lazio (west of Viterbo). It's charming and has a wonderful hotel/restaurant, Al Gallo.

I'm not Doc, but I can recommend Sant'Antonio near Montepulciano without reservation. It's in our favorite part of Tuscany, and the hospitality offered by Nico is superb. We also love the Piedmont, especially the area known as Le Langhe, but for a first-timer, I'd suggest Sant'Antonio -- near Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino, Cortona, and Siena. As Dale suggested, you'll find an incredible amount of info at SlowTrav, including numerous reviews of Sant'Antonio.

Divina is right about L'Osteria di Giovanni -- we had our best dinner in Florence there, at the end of April. You could email them to see if they'll be open in August. I also wouldn't miss the wine bar Le Volpe e L'Uva, Piazza de' Rossi 1r, just across the Ponte Vecchio in the Oltrarno - a wonderful assortment of wines by the glass (and bottles for purchase too) with terrific snacks. Have a great trip!

Since the new restaurant is to be called Les Cocottes de Christian Constant, I think your supposition is correct.

In response to a question a friend recently asked Catherine Comment, Ms. Comment answered: "I can categorically say that none of our restaurants are closed. All three of them, Les Fables de la Fontaine, Le Violon d’Ingres and Le Café Constant are open as usual. I think what might be leading to the confusion is a FOURTH new restaurant that we are in the process of constructing is next door to the Violon d’Ingres.This is due to open around the end of May and will be called Les Cocottes de Christian Constant. (a cocotte is a small casserole dish that we are going to use to serve all the dishes in—its also a word for a girlfiend like ‘a chick’ it’s a bit old fashioned)." Excuse me if this news has been posted before.

Can someone please confirm whether the dinner menu is priced the same as the lunch menu. The web site of Le Violin d'Ingres does not include prices. Thanks very much for the help.

Megan, we're also going to Cerny Kohout, aka the Black Rooster, based on Mark's recommendation. I wonder if anyone has eaten at U Modré Kachnicky fairly recently - a friend recommended it highly, but Mark did not - and I've come to trust his recs so much that I'd love more recent input. Also wonder about U Patrona and V Zatisi, which my friend also recommended??? Thanks in advance for the help.

My husband and I and friends from London are celebrating my birthday in early October at David Restaurant, which comes highly recommended here and elsewhere.

Try this wonderful house about 15 minutes' walk along the coast from the town of Hvar. Whatever you do, do it NOW -- as Mark says, July and August are peak season and it will only get harder to find a place as time goes by. Enjoy Croatia - it's wonderful!

We spent the month of May in Croatia last year and LOVED it. We used Mark's trip reports, esp. for Hvar -- it's an island I don't think you should miss. Rovinj is the nicest town in Istria -- the food (and the architecture) make you think you're in an Italian seaside town. I think we esp. enjoyed a restaurant named Scuba. And Trogir does make a much nicer base than Split. Be aware that just "wandering" in August will be difficult since Croatia is jammed with (mostly Italian) vacationers and finding a place to stay on the spur of the moment can be difficult. I would book now if at all possible. You will love Croatia too, I'm sure.

We're spending most of May in La Rochelle, Saintes, and Poitiers, ending up with a week near Montrichard, south of Amboise. We have reservations at Richard Coutanceau and Les 4 Sergents in La Rochelle, Le Cheval Blanc in Bléré, and Le Bon Laboureur in Chenonceaux. I would love any recommendations for dining in this region of France, and I'll report back when I return. Thanks for the help.

I wonder if "Le 7" is 7 Place St-Sernin, of the same address (05 62 30 05 30), near the Basilica. We had such a good dinner there several years ago that we returned twice more. Very good value for the money.

Margaret, I had a rotten day, salvaged only by your kind words. Many many thanks. My interpretation, BTW, is that cooked, sealed and labeled poultry products are the ONLY kind of meat/pork/poutry meat allowed to be brought in from France. I too would love others' interpretations.

I finally found the Matrix referred to above: Animal Product Manual, in Appendix A, which is the Guide to Entry Status of Animal Products in Passenger Baggage or Mail. The Matrix on page A15 indicates that only cooked poultry products can be brought in from France, and the definition of "cooked" is on A3. I hope this helps, since so far APHIS and the National Center for Import and Export (NCIE) have referred me to the other agency for a definitive answer.