Freckles

Thanks. I'm now actually quite curious to go and check it out. My Pudlo 2004 gives it great reviews...

Sorry... I can`t do the 20th for this dinner. Has to be the 19th. In our dinner group, we really do try to push ourselves to explore areas of Paris which mightn`t always be top of our lists at other times. But, anywhere in the 19th will work...

Bonjour, Tous. Another question for you... I'm organizing a dinner in Paris on the 22nd of September. My friends and I want to go somewhere in the 19th (Why, you ask? I started a "girls'" dinner group and once a month we go to a restaurant in a different Arr. to force us out of our usual dining comfort zones; the 6th, the 3rd, etc. It's been a terrific experience and it's made us look for -- and find! -- interesting restaurants in neighbourhoods which we might never have otherwise explored) Anyway, I am trying to find somewhere that we might enjoy in the 19th. I had read one review a while back that suggested Marc Singer's place could be good but Egulleters quickly disabused me of that notion. It doesn't have to be fancy: even a good but inexpensive ethnic restaurant would work well for us. Surely, the entire 19th cannot be a culinary wasteland! If you have any thoughts, please share. Thank you!

Yes, it could be a group thing. But I eat out in groups quite frequently; sometimes with men, sometimes with women only. I have noticed that waiters have seemed to be more unpleasant when the group is girls-only. It is true, though, that in my girl-only groups we tend to have more constant flow of conversation than when I`m out with, say, my boyfriend and his friends. So, perhaps it is the dynamic of people who are busy talking all through dinner vs. people who do not talk so much, and therefore are better at communicating with waiters. In any case, I am happy to frequent restaurants where my friends and I are treated nicely, whether owned by women or men. Which brings me to another question... but I'll start another post for that. Please keep thoughts coming about this thread, since I'm very curious. THANK you for your thoughtful and helpful responses!

Thanks. It doesn`t sound particularly appealing. To answer the question of `why does it matter with whom I eat...` I am in charge of picking a restaurant for my friends and I, and of course wish to select an establishment that will treat us well. I have found that when I patronize some Parisian restaurants in a woman-only group, we receive mediocre -- and sometimes even unpleasant -- service. At first, I thought it was just the rudeness that some waiters exhibit to all customers, regardless of gender. But, sadly, I now have a statistically significant number of French meals under my belt and can definitively state that some restaurants will give bad service to a group of women; others will not. Hence my question.

Bonjour, Egulleters... I`m hoping to go to La Cave Gourmande, in the 19th, for dinner in September. Have any of you been? What are your thoughts? Would it be a good place for a group of 8 women to have a meal together? How are the prices? Thanks!

Thanks. I did happen to stumble across Les Enfants Rouge this weekend by pure coincidence. On your recommendation, Zoave, I sat and had a quick drink (It was just lovely. Very cute and cozy and relaxed. Will return with friends. One down, 9 to go!

I`m sorry... what is Lebey, svp?

Well, sadly my life in Paris will draw to a close in a few months: otherwise, I would happy to visit 11 -- or more.

So, if I just want to meet up with some friends for an after work drink and chat, and maybe a few snacks, could I do that at Caves Petrissan or will we be expected to partake of a full meal?

Thanks for all these wonderful suggestions. My goal for the fall has now become to try TEN NEW WINE BARS (any of you Egulleters in Paris wanna join me?) So please keep the ideas coming. The Couleurs de Vigne is tiny and wonderful. The walls are green and there are only about 6 small tables in the whole place. It`s run by a guy who used to be a banker then retired and started this place for the joy of it. He is chatty, welcoming, relaxed and very helpful. It`s not 2 minutes on foot from the Cordon Bleu. The menu is very limited but tasty. This is what egulleter LKL Chu wrote about it last spring in this forum ``It's a fairly new, beautiful little wine cafe/shop. The owner's a retired banker who decided to bring some of his country house life to the city. He's so cool - always totally patient with our rowdy crowds.`` To read a bit more and get the address, check out this link. http://parisvoice.com/03/nov/html/food/fooddrink.cfm Thanks!!!

Have any of you tried Les Caves Petrissans in the 17th? Can one go there just for drinks and snacks, or must one order a full meal?

Hello, everyone. Autumn is just around the corner and I`m excited to see my friends upon la Rentree. Would like to meet up with or 5 girlfriends and swap summer stories over a few glasses of good wine. Is there anywhere you`d recommend? I love Les Couleurs de Vignes in the 15th (discovered it on the recommendation of a fellow egulleter) but would like to try somewhere different. What is your personal favourite, please?

YEs, just went for the first time this summer. IT was superb: would highly recommend it. Very few tourists, lovely service, relatively inexpensive. Not the most exciting neighbourhood, but who cares?

Thank you all so much for your help! I'm on the train to Bergerac tomorrow afternoon: should be at the rental house -- with my 5 pals -- by 8PM. Any last minute thoughts always welcome... in any case, I'll let you know how it goes when I return in July. xox, Freckles a Paris

Hello. I emailed this forum about 6 months ago, requesting help in renting a house for a week this summer. Well, I found it, and will be heading down there with 5 friends on the 26th of June. We'll be in the Dordogne, about 25 km out of Bergerac and 3 km from Issigeac. We hope to eat out almost every night. Not at expensive restaurants with michelin stars, but at friendly, relaxed places where we can eat well within a mid-level price range. Do any of you have suggestions for restaurants in that part of the world? I would very much appreciate any suggestions. Freckles in Paris

Hello: I founded a dinner group here in Paris. Each month, 7 friends and I take turns trying to find a reasonably-priced, fun place to dine in a different arrondissement. (This month, we ate in the 20th at a great little local spot called La Table de Julie. Would recommend it to anyone wanting good, simple french cooking with a few glasses of wine, for a lovely price!) For June, it's my turn to find a restaurant in the 2nd. Goal is to go somewhere that main course and glass or two of wine cost less than 30 Euros. I know that there are countless such restaurants, but want to know YOUR FAVOURITES that fit this description in the 2nd. Any cuisine. Any atmosphere. Please just me what it's called and why you like it. Thanks. Serena

Hello. I'm heading down to La Croix Valmer for a long weekend this Friday. It's near St. Tropez, and is a very pretty region. I'm looking for somewhere good to eat with my beau. Location (we have a car, and therefore can drive anywhere in the area) is less important than having a relaxed atmosphere and good, simple food. Any suggestions? I have found that St. Tropez tends to have a lot of overpriced places where people-watching is great but the food leaves much to be desired. Thanks. (I guess this question could be tacked onto the post below about Nice/Provence/St. Tropez. Moderator: feel free to move it there, if you like)

You have to give PC credit, too, for really changing the way people eat in Canada. The Brand, and descriptions and recipes in the Insiders' Report, made experimenting with different flavours and foods much less "scary" to a lot of people. That wins them a lot of respect from me.

okay. parameters, eh? let's see. how about: fun people watching (whether "people" who are fellow-clients at the establishment, or pedestrians passing by)... a real restaurant or bar (not just a cafe where you can get a glass of mediocre wine or a limp salad)... mid-level price range... at least 50% of the clientele French... Most important, I'm looking for places where all of you enjoy sitting outdoors on a balmy evening, for whatever reason tickles your fancy.

Hello. We are enjoying some lovely weather here in Paris. Who knows how long it will last, since it's only March? However, the sunshine and warm breezes do serve as a reminder that summer is just around the corner, and I need to find some restaurants and bars that have especially nice outdoor dining and drinking facilities. What would you recommend, please? Thanks, Freckles.

Can you suggest anything in the 1st, please? I don't need "dirt cheap" but under 30Euros including a glass of wine is my goal. Merci

On Saturday night, Xavier and I ate at a sweet little place called "Caves Madeleine" in Beaune. The service was friendly, we enjoyed sitting at the large communal table that ran down the centre of the small restaurant, and the Beouf Bourginone (sp?) that I ate was phenomenal. Then, on Sunday, we started our leisurely drive back to Paris. Stopped in Chagny to pick up some vegetables and cheeses in Chagny, and stretch our legs before hitting the road. While walking, what should we stumble upon but Lamaloise, where I'd tried to get a reservation the night before? Asked if they had any space for lunch, and sure enough they did. We asked to be seated in the back room (we were both dressed in jeans and windbreakers, and neither of us had even showered that morning!) The meal was superb but it was definitely too much food! We hadn't eaten since the night before, yet were unable to finish the meal. A number of other diners were overheard saying the same thing. I started with a salmon plate: salmon prepared 4 different ways. Then, I had a Navarin de Coquilles St. Jacques which melted in my mouth like butter. Next: cheese plate followed by a chocolate moeulleux. In between every course there were little... um, I'm not sure what you'd call them... amuse bouches? They were delicious but again, just too much. All in all, the meal for me and my beau came to about 220 Euros.

Thank you. Went to Beaune, but didn't eat at Jardin des Ramparts. Loved the region, though! Hope to go back soon... and maybe eat there then.

Thanks, paul. I don't know that magazine. Can I find it online? Thank you.