robyn
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Posts posted by robyn
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...Given actual retail prices for good Bresse chicken and the difficulty of sourcing them, I actually think that starred restaurants offering often offer relatively good value (as some do for truffle and other really hard to find ingredients), even if prices are scary. In Paris, I am indeed not aware of anyohne offering better Bresse than Fréchon at le Bristol. Heading south east and not mentioning Blanc...
Why not mention Blanc? We had the most wonderful chicken there - albeit a *very* long time ago. I understand the place has changed a lot since then - perhaps not for the better - but why not mention it?
BTW - I think many prices in a lot of major cities these days are scary. But - especially if you are traveling long distances to go somewhere - I would splurge on at least some things - especially food in France. And - if on a budget - try to compensate for the splurge by finding relatively inexpensive fun things. There is nothing worse than spending a lot of money on a mediocre restaurant (it is very easy to do that in the United States - and I am sure it is even easier to do that in Paris). One suggestion for US travelers in terms of saving a few dollars is get a credit card that does not tack on an extra 2-4% for converting foreign currencies into US dollars. Robyn
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I am partial to Legal Seafoods (small chain - but really good grilled fish). There's one at the Town Center Mall in Boca - and one at City Place in West Palm Beach - so take your pick. Apart from places to buy food - the only somewhat unusual (for the east Coast) place where I like to browse is Sur La Table (in Palm Beach Gardens). Robyn
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I live in Florida - have a reservation in July - and figured out what I told you from looking at the web site. So I don't have a clue! Robyn
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can wait to go here next friday night.
but, can someone explain the wine list? cold, hot,land, sea?? i don't get it.
The food menu is divided into cold - hot - land - sea - and the wines have been picked to go with various parts of the food menu. Robyn
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When I went - perhaps the gossip columnists had re-discovered him - but a lot of diners had not. Robyn
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I called Spring early this morning (from US) and talked woith Daniel!!
I knew he was serving lunch on Thursdays this time of the year, but needed October 9th to introduce a friend to Spring. We have a tentative reservation for that day. Get enough of followers out there and there will be liunch on Oct. 9th!!
I also asked him to pick an evening for me, as I would be there for a month. So, I have September 19th for dinner!
Joan
I have now called Gerard Besson, La Regalade and l'Epigramme for some lunch/dinner reservations for October!
I am not sure what "Get enough of followers out there and there will be lunch on October 9" means. But if it means getting a group together for lunch - I note that October 9 is kind of inconvenient for some of us (it's Yom Kippur and I will not be eating - it will also be an interesting exercise to find a synagogue in Paris). It seems that the only days the restaurant is open for lunch are Thursdays and Fridays. Any possibility of 10/2 or 10/3? Robyn
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I heard that it was scheduled to open on June 3. Don't know if that schedule was met. Robyn
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It really isn't so much a matter of money as deciding what my husband and I would like best (which basically consists of reading a whole lot and then throwing darts
). I've already decided on the following - Le Cinq because we very much want to try Chef Briffard's cuisine (doesn't hurt that we are staying at the hotel and the reservation is easy). L'Ambroisie because - of all the 3 stars - it sounds like the one we would like the best. Who knows if we can get that reservation? If we can't - then I will have to come up with a plan B. Senderens because I have eaten at Archestrate and Lucas Carton. I want to see the final act of what I think is a 3 act play produced by one of the best chefs of my generation. Other than that - I am kind of filling in the gaps with perhaps another meal (probably lunch) at a higher end place. As between Arpege and other places - I would probably prefer a place like Gerard Besson - because I yearn for game more than I yearn for vegetables. The mileage of other people may vary. Otherwise - we will be eating light during the rest of our 8 day stay. And a couple of nights in our hotel room with great cheese - bread - fruit and wine and some French TV isn't out of the question. I haven't been able to eat raw epoisses in the US for a few years now - and I could dine on that alone (although October is kind of early for epoisses).I would note in general that if I were traveling in France in the spring - Arpege might hold a greater attraction for me - because there is nothing quite like the best vegetables of early spring (I don't know how much spargel I had in Germany last year - but it was an awful lot - prepared every which way at all kinds of restaurants). But fall is game season in Europe - and - since I love game - that is probably the way for me to go. Robyn
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I guess Tom Aikens has been 100% discovered (it was still quite new when we dined there in 2004 - not even full on a weekday night).
And good grief - 600 pounds - almost $1200 - for 2 - we didn't pay anything like that. Did that dinner include at least a bottle or two of "big" wine?
Anyway - assuming the restaurant is worth what it costs now - I recommend my usual routine - either dinner on a weekday - or - in the case of an impossible dinner reservation - lunch (don't know if they serve lunch). We had a lovely lunch at Gordon Ramsay RHR (impossible dinner reservation) on our last trip. Robyn
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I have a friend who orders bread from Poilane. And you're right - you are definitely not coming to a third world country - or even a strange first world one (I once wanted to buy Pepto Bismol in France and couldn't because it was by prescription only!).
And just think - you can spend the next year or so learning to make traditional southern dishes - like hoppin' john and greens and cornbread for New Year's Day.
Here is the restaurant information:
BAMBOO CREEK ASIAN BISTRO
This bistro offers authentic Asian cuisine including fresh seafood, duck, beef, pork, lobster and a dim sum lounge. Take-out. C/M, F/B. L & D, daily. 9734 Deer Lake Court, Ste. 11. 997-7688. $$
Dim sum with carts is only at lunch (12-1 lunch - when office workers go out to eat). Robyn
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Just wanted to add that GE is now on Opentable (we have made a reservation there for our trip to Chicago in July). Robyn
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I didn't mean to imply that our humble southern veggies (even those I cook myself) compare to those sold at Arpege. But I do believe there is such a thing as relative value - and $200 for a vegetarian lunch is a bit much for me. Perhaps I am just not overwhelmed by the prospect of "all vegetables" at that price level. Note that John was apparently looking at the same menu I was looking at - I didn't see a fowl/fish course.
(As an aside - what makes most southern veggies wonderful is pork - they're cooked in/with all kinds of pork. Does Arpege use any pork when cooking vegetables - I doubt it - but am curious?).
I did hear back from Guy Savoy about lunch. They said to email in September for an October reservation. That is kind of inconvenient. I will see how our other plans look by September - and decide what to do. FWIW - I don't understand why restaurants can't take at least some reservations far in advance - especially during high season. And we will be in Paris during high season (Fashion Week - Paris Auto Show - etc.). If we waited until September to make our air/hotel/etc. plans - we would find everything sold out. Anyway - we will be in Paris - not Peoria - and I am sure we will eat well no matter what.
Julian - Just my opinion. Paris - like other large cities - has restaurants that are "in" and those that are "out" - at least among people who talk a lot about food. They are not always the "best" restaurants - or the restaurants people enjoy the most - simply the trendiest restaurants. But there is not necessarily a correlation between getting the most press coverage and one's favorite meals. Although I have not dined at Les Ambassadeurs - I respect your opinon of it. Julot may disagree with your opinion based on his last write-up - but I get the impression he doesn't care as much for Astrance as most people do. So I say to each his own. If we all tried at eat at the same 3 restaurants - we would never be able to get reservations - and many worthy restaurants would go out of business.
By the way - I reached my "overload" point on Paris restaurant information this week. So I am on to other projects. In some respects - dining in a place like Japan is more fun than dining in Paris. So little information is available in English about dining in Japan that almost everything is a surprise (you just have to cross your fingers and hope that the concierge makes good choices for you if you want to reserve a meal in advance). And I like surprises. Robyn
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I am planning our larger meals in Paris now. And - as I have mentioned before - I have to pace them. No way I can eat large meals every night we're there. Although we'll be in Paris for a little over a week - it is very difficult planning because many higher end restaurants are closed at least 2 days a week - or sometimes 3 (a combination of Saturdays/Sundays/Mondays are most common - although some restaurants are closed all 3 days).
I know this is nothing new - but why is this the case? Certainly it is not unusual where I live for a restaurant to be closed 1 day a week (usually Sunday) - 2 is very unusual - and 3 is unheard of. BTW - this is a great reason to buy a restaurant guide like Michelin or Zagat's or both (both have listings of restaurants open on certain days of the week).
Also - in terms of higher end restaurants - is there any time of the week when it's better to eat than others (e.g., Tuesday versus Saturday etc.). Robyn
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After reading about dozens and dozens of restaurants in lots of places - we decided on a few (assuming we can get reservations). One is Guy Savoy for the 100 euro lunch. Since it is an "internet" special - I requested the booking on the internet. I will see what happens.
I like a game a lot. Not all of it (I once had wild swan in the UK and that was not to my taste). But most of it. So I was looking at Gerard Besson. I read one review where the writer was really turned off because he was dining on a Friday night with a bus load of tourists. That would be a turn off to me! Is this common at that restaurant (and if it is - I assume it would be more of problem at dinner than lunch).
I was also looking at the lunch menu for Arpege (which is a "bargain" at 130 euros
- but only compared to dinner). My husband is still working hard on his French - and I am working a bit on restaurant French. The website is only in French - and it seems to me that the sample lunch menu is all (spring)vegetables. Could someone who reads French take a look at it - and tell me if I'm reading it correctly? 130 euros seems like an awful lot just for vegetables (no matter how good they are - we can get a really good southern veggie plate here for about $6!).The lunch menu at Astrance also seems like a relative bargain at 70 euros. But both the lunch and dinner menus seem to be "surprise menus" of the day. Am I right about that? There are certain things I can't eat - and I hate to get into discussions about substitutions - so I simply avoid restaurants with fixed menus. Thanks. Robyn
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The Sony Center isn't like what you're find in most of Japan (small enclosed multi-story buildings with lots of restaurants on various floors with signs I can't read
). It's a big tall building built around a large open (although I suspect the roof can be closed in the winter) central courtyard - and many of the restaurants have patios/terraces in the courtyard. Has a large multiplex movie theater. Guess the idea is to catch diners before and after the movie. Great food - no. Fun - yes. And the price is right. Robyn -
Going kind of backwards. Red Chilies is on Baymeadows. I think it's pretty good. Our dentist's wife (who is from India) prefers Cilantro in Mandarin - but that is really far away from us (and not near any places where we have to run errands).
Ethnic specialty stores - Indian - east Asian - central and south American - etc. - are scattered all over the greater JAX area. They are mostly stores that cater to average people - not "gourmet stores" ("tiendas" - not Dean & DeLuca). So you will find ingredients that average people use in average ethnic cooking. Whatever you can't find here - you can buy on line. And your choice of stores will depend on where you work/live (for example - there's a relatively large east Asian grocery store on Southside just a mile or so north of where you'll be working). You don't want to spend $10 worth of gas for something that costs $1.99!
Publix will be your "go to" grocery store for everyday shopping (what it carries in terms of more unusual stuff depends on the neighborhood - it's easier to get a "Jewish" brisket in some - fresh bok choy in others - since there is a Publix on every corner - the stores tend to cater to the specific demographics of the neighborhoods where they're located). Fresh Market has - until recently - had much better meat - but now Publix (at least in certain stores) is fighting back with a higher end meat department. I don't eat much beef - so I am not the best person to give opinions about this (I do tend to prefer Fresh Market for what little beef I buy). Don't expect to find "prime beef" anywhere here. There is a small local butcher shop in Mandarin - forget the name (went there once - it is not worth the 50 mile round trip for me). Whole Foods hasn't opened yet (is supposed to open later this year) - and the store will be about 25 miles from where I live. I don't know how much shopping I'll be doing there.
The best place for "everyday" cheese is Costco (and I don't mean large packs of Kraft singles - there's a nice cheese selection). For higher end/exotic cheeses - you need mail order (I use fromages.com - but have been disappointed lately since it is impossible to import raw cheese into the US - guess I will have to wait until we go to Paris in the fall to get some raw Epoisses). There are artisan bakeries in various parts of town. Ours here at the beaches just closed. Don't expect anything like what you'd find in New York - or La Brea bakery (not enough sales volume for the most part when it comes to bread - which is to be expected in a geographically large metro area of about a million people). OTOH - there are places I know about - but don't go to - like a place on University Blvd. that supplies a lot of high end restaurants - by the time I get myself in gear and arrive at 2 pm - they are usually sold out. We do go to Costco at least once a week - and Total Wine too (they're within "spitting distance" of one another - about a 25 mile round trip from where we live).
I think you get the general idea. There are lots of places - but some will be pretty far from where you live/work (depending on where you live/work). Really high end stuff is hard to find - or doesn't exist. OTOH - how many times have you driven to Lobel's to buy prime beef? For 99% of your cooking - you shouldn't have any problems. And for the other 1% - the internet works fine. Note that we chose to live out at the beaches - where our golf is a mile away - and non-everyday food shopping is a much longer drive. I play golf more often than I shop for food
. Robyn -
I checked - and it seems that Vau is only open until 10:30. So it probably wouldn't work.
Since you never know exactly when a performance will end - 2 things to keep in mind are that the Sony Center has a lot of (non-fancy) restaurants which are open late (so people can have meals when the movies are over) - and there are many small places in the general area of the Sony Center (around Potsdamer Platz). Those places are a somewhat longish walk (or a very short cab ride) from the theater. We enjoyed those places when we first arrived in Berlin (they were bustling and we had lots of jet lag and were eating pretty late). Wouldn't expect anything great to eat - just decent eats in a fun atmosphere. Robyn
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Yes - Opus 39 in St. Augustine. Come on up for dinner one night this summer. It's low season (except at the beaches) - and you don't have to worry about picking up a cold - no snowbirds traveling with runny noses
. Robyn -
There are not a few hills between Lyon and the Dordogne.We live in Florida - so 300-400 miles driving (unless it's on mountain roads) is kind of nothing to us. Agree about the food in the Lyon area - I just think I would run out of things to do between meals. RobynPerhaps I should raise my Lyon 'chamber of commerce' flag. I was very favorably impressed with Lyon's fashion boutiques in our quartier, spent more euros than I'd planned on the antique boulevard south of Bellecour, found treasures (and a great sausage sandwich) at the weekend flea market at Villeurbanne, didn't have enough time to scour the extraordinary Halles food market or chocolate at Bernachon. We never got close to investigating the permanent cultural installations, much less any temporary exhibits. Lyon isn't a cultural backwater.
I never said Lyon was a cultural backwater. It's just that a week is a pretty long time - at least for me - in all except the largest cities in the world. 3-4 days for a city like Lyon sounds about right IMO. Robyn
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We will be staying with my brother who lives in Lyon and who I haven't seen for eight months. He has said there is much he can show us in the city.
Visiting with family is a totally different thing than being a tourist. If nothing else - you will spend days just sitting around and eating and catching up on "family talk". I am hosting a 90th birthday party for my father in July - family and friends - many from out of town. And - although there is a lot less to do here than in Lyon - especially in the summer when it's very hot - and the food is a whole lot worse - I think people will enjoy themselves - even if they just get together and talk. Maybe I can convince my father to move to Lyon before then - much better food
. Robyn -
Well dollar/euro is a lot different than dollar/pound. And I don't chart pound/euro (no reason I should). Although - since the pound is about equal to the dollar last year or so - I have to suspect that a pound/euro chart looks about as bad as a dollar/euro chart. But not to worry - these exchange rates change all the time (I've been through 30 years of them - up and down and up and down and up and down).
The one thing I can say is that no matter what the exchange rate - there are certain cities in the world that are usually relatively expensive. In Europe - Paris and - to a lesser extent - London are the standouts. And I think a lot of Europe is probably very over-priced these days (Paris is about twice as expensive as Tokyo in terms of things tourists spend money on - property is still very expensive). Not only for those who are visitors - but for those who live there too (I've been reading a fair number of articles recently about how regular people who live in places like France who drive very fuel efficient cars are choking budget-wise on gas that costs over $8/gallon). If I weren't getting older - and more concerned about our ability to travel 3-5 years from now - I probably wouldn't be going to Paris.
And for those of you in France - come on over - and enjoy our prices. We met a cabbie in London a few years ago. He had 4 kids and came to the US every year to vacation at Disneyworld here in Florida. Bought all of his kids' clothes for the whole year at Walmart. Saved enough at Walmart to more than pay for the vacations.
FWIW - I don't know how ordinary people get by in France - even if they are dining in the French countryside. Robyn
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We'll be in Berlin in early July, our first visit. One particular question: we'll be going to a performance at the Komische Oper. What are the after-theatre options? We would want something perfectly German - nothing Italian or Japanese, or even particularly modern (for that, we shall probably dine at either Vau or 44 one evening). Thanks.
We very much enjoyed Vau (for lunch) and it is a vey short walk from the theater you'll be going to. It is 100% German with a few modern accents (both in terms of food and decor). I don't think you'll be disappointed. Robyn
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Just a brief update. We ate at Opus 39 on a Saturday night during peak holiday season end of 2007 (only time we could get together with another couple). It was kind of disappointing. Crowded - a few reservation screw-ups with large parties (one walk-in party of 8 had the same name as a party of 8 with a reservation) - and the place was clearly "in the weeds". We went again last night for my husband's birthday - and all is at peace with Opus 39 again. The food is better than ever (the fish course choices in particular - scallop and shrimp - were spectacular) - the service perfectly refined. No question it is still the best restaurant in the greater JAX area. Close to 1 Michelin star - maybe 1 star Michelin? - if the guys from Michelin ever came to JAX. Which they won't
.Guess the moral of the story is stay out of restaurants on Saturday nights during high season. And go any old day of the week in any season when you feel like it (probably good advice for any restaurant anywhere). Robyn
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We live in Florida - so 300-400 miles driving (unless it's on mountain roads) is kind of nothing to us. Agree about the food in the Lyon area - I just think I would run out of things to do between meals. Robyn
Great food at not-too-expensive prices in Paris
in France: Dining
Posted
I think what you're looking for doesn't exist. *Great food* is expensive. Even here in northeast Florida - not exactly an expensive place - the best restaurants will cost $200-300 for 2 with modest wines. I would expect to spend at least about $500 for 2 for a great meal in Paris - and that would probably be a lunch special with a glass or two of modest wine. As for dinner - you are easily talking about a lot more. Easily $750 to $1000 or more for 2 people.
Delicious food - yummy food - really nice food - that of course can be bought for less. But great food is expensive everywhere (and certainly more expensive in Paris than most other parts of the world).
OTOH - there are a lot of excellent dining opportunities in countries like France - and lots of other countries too - which are below 1-2-3 star Michelin standards - and a heck of a lot better than Olive Garden! And they change from month to month - year to year. Michelin says of "Le Regalade" - "Who hasn't heard of [it]..." Apparently relatively cheap and ok (by French standards). Well - after hearing it mentioned maybe 10,000 times - it makes me want to pu**. Why don't you put on your best walking shoes - pick a neighborhood - and walk around until you find a place with an affordable menu that looks interesting? Maybe it will be a dud - but who knows? Report back to us what you find. Unless one is willing to take risks in terms of exploring anything - including restaurants - one will not experience the "thrill of victory - or the agony of defeat". Always trying to be safe when one travels is boring IMO.
We will be doing some big deal meals in Paris - with reservations - but we will also be spending some time pounding pavement in various neighborhoods - looking for places that althogh probably not undiscovered - seem interesting and not over-hyped. FWIW - my husband is over 60 - has MS - and wears a huge leg brace to walk ok. So I double-dare you to explore Paris in a similar fashion - to get just a little off the beaten track and explore. Even if you just wind up eating fabulous cheese with fabulous bread and a drinkable bottle of wine for lunch in a park - that will be a wonderful thing. Robyn