John Talbott

Yes it's less formal; more tapas type stuff and easier chairs but I have not been at night. I do believe Le Zouave and Felice and I'll bet Ptitpois have though.

Packed to the rafters with cool folk? Not when I've been there. But I'm not the right guy to ask.

FYI there are at least two threads elsewhere on the Pacojet - here and here.

These kind of places are not my thing. ← Me either. Thus I hesitate to suggest anything but I am told by much younger folk that The Kildare, 6 bis, rue du Quatre Septembre in the 2nd, an Irish bar with a mixed Anglo-Franco clientele, really hops at night. (I have only been inside during the daytime so this is not a personal endorsement but secondhand info). I have, however, been inside the pub just north of the Opera Bastille on the place de la Bastille between acts and while I cannot find its name, it is packed and hopping too. The place I've been that had the unholiest, if there is such a construction, of dins of music and voices was the Totem in the Palais de Chaillot that I thought had closed and been rebranded but see still listed on the web. But I agree with Felice that others with vastly more experience with boites should join in here.

For our gentle membership who consult the France Forum frequently, I just wanted to say that a number of us have been mangling Inaki Aizpitarte's name and I have tried to fix those I could see so as to make his name more searchable. If others find errors in titles, alert me; if errors in text, alert the poster. Thanks and apologies to M. Aizpitarte. John

May 2006 – Ribouldingue, La Fontaine Fiacre, La Table de Claire, Le Stade, La Bonne Table, Chateaubriand, Dalva, Les Bonnes Soeurs, La Cocotte, Les Magnolias. 8 – Ribouldingue, 10, rue St Julien le Pauvre in the 5th, 01.46.33.98.80, closed Sat lunch and Sundays, with a menu-carte at 25 €, a la carte 30-35 €. Boy this ex-second of Camdeborde’s at Le Comptoir knows how to pick and cook good product. Best of show for the year 2006 - by me anyway! Wow, double wow! And the prices, two of us were out at 72 € and that’s with coffee and a calva. Not muchofa place from the outside or on entering – recall the old Fogon – this is it. Some goofola handpaintings of persons dancing crazily (ribouldingue means binge.) The carte is definitely divided between abats, fish and light stuff. I went for the abats, but there were a lot of salads, terrines, etc., as well as bar, salmon and other fish. The amuse bouche was a huge artichoke served with AOC vinegar and olive oil – a very good idea. For firsts we had the best sautéed cervelles I’ve had this decade, served with sautéed new potatoes and lettuce hearts and sliced cold tongue with salad. Mains were a veal kidney served with (again) the best gratinéed potatoes of the year and a boudin noir smashed in a cocotte with parmentier on top with an accompaniment of more lettuce hearts. For desserts we shared a fluffy brebis cheese thing with “tart” rather than sweet honey and a very, very good tarte tatin. The wines run from 12-80 € - our very cheapo Bordeaux was superb. Coffee was not Illy but very good. Anything amiss? Well, my French neighbor, who eats out with me monthly, declared that this place was less exciting than Petrossian or Mori – I disagree. This is not tricky cooking, it’s just honest, good if not great, bistrot fare. And, we missed ordering the cow teats or pig snout, but hey, you can’t do it all in a day. Also, they were out of their Basque tripes, the substitution seemed pale – a stuffed tomato. Editorial note: how can Rubin, Demorand, et al, put Inaki Aizpitarte’s Chateaubriand on the same level as Chef Claver’s Ribouldingue – BTW everyone calls him just Clavel – maybe like Barbara, Cher and Bono – that’s it. 6.0 - La Fontaine Fiacre, 8, rue Hippolyte Lebas in the 9th, 01.53.20.88.70, closed Sat lunch and Sunday nite but open Sunday for “brunch.” A total surprise! I went expecting nothing, or at least with very low expectations and what a revelation. OK, here’s the deal. You get out of the ND de la Lorette metro and go north past Chez Jean and Velly, go to the corner of Hippolyte Lebas and Milton, where the awning says Au Huit and enter a totally new place that jars you with the juxtaposition of chic chairs and tables versus the bottles of bizarre beer and Pago orange drink on the counter. But fear not, all will be well, This is indeed La Fontaine Fiacre, they’re awaiting the new awning, and three guys are running a super place that has already attracted a fascinating crowd; eclectic, international (no, not Anglophonic, although they said that the “Americans had discovered it”) and of all ages. They have a 12.50 € lunch menu where you choose from 14 items – brochettes, salads, tarts and desserts – a bargain. But most folks were having what I did - the 27 € entrée and plat (21 for plat & dessert) from among the 6 firsts, 6 mains and 5 desserts (plus 6 specials of the Chef (Alexandre)) plus a tad of wine – I had a super 20 € Petit Chablis (for the first time in years) but they have lots of reasonable wines from producers they know, including stuff by the glass and carafe. OK, the food. I had a soup really, of broth with wonderfully roasted rougets and finely (I mean finely) chopped peppers of various colors, in it; followed by cod with a confited orange sauce with fresh spring veggies (beans, turnips and zuccini along with fried parsley) that was just the tops. Strangely the orange itself was off-putting but its sauce was perfect (and yes, this time I told them). The music was also eclectic varying from “Hearts of Space” stuff to jazz; the front-man cut the quite good bread with scissors and the coffee was Illy and made ristretto/serré. Their preparations also are inventive – the croque monsieur is that only in name, it looked like sliced beef Wellington. The place reminded me a lot of Les Vivres or Les Papilles (they too have a big (he told me it fit 60, but I saw it and don’t believe him) basement room.) Would I go from the edge of the 15th here for a meal? probably not; but for me just 5 subways stops away, it’s a slam-dunk. 5-6 NNN* La Table de Claire, 30, rue Emile Lepeu in the 11th, 01.43.70.59.84, closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (at night). Here’s another budget-friendly and people-friendly place that if I lived nearby I’d frequent. It’s got a diner-look, that is, formica tables, wooden chairs and napkins; everything’s on the blackboard and it’s light food while being serious. I started with parsleyed ham (with, I swear, parsley so fresh it must have been just pressed), followed by a jarret of veal (osso bucco) with a gremolata (parsley, garlic and lemon zest) sauce atop parsnips and carrots – delicious and terminating in espresso, mandarin and myrtille ices. There were about 6 items per course: as firsts (6.50-10), they also had two soups, ratatouille, etc; for mains (15-22), two fish, foie gras and a risotto of veggies; and cheese and spiced pear for desserts (5-6 €). Wines came by bottle carafe and glass. And what is it about the Illy coffee salesman; they’re all over, bless them, even here. My bill was 42.50 € but you oughta know that the lunch formulas are 13 (for main & dessert) and 16 (for first and main). 5.5 Le Stade, 20, ave de la Porte de Saint Cloud in the 16th, (inside the Stadium Geo-Andre and 100 feet from the Parc des Princes,) 01.40.71.22.22, open for lunch Monday-Saturday; dinner Thursday-Saturday, with a menu at 21 €, a la carte 30-50 €. Finding this place is a tad challenging ; it’s just around the corner from the « Go-Sport » emporium, within a sports stadium (the second floor resto has basketball courts out one window and a « short track » out the other.) But it’s a genuine fine restaurant, not your New York/LA gym juice bar with supplements to bulk you up. Anyway you come in and are struck by the mixed crowd ; 1/3 executives from toney companies in St Cloud/Boulogne/etc ; 1/3 freshly showered athletes ; and 1/3 local residents. It’s been open three years but to my awareness has only been reported on by Francois Simon (although Pudlo has listed it rather low-toned.) Simon’s recent review implied it was all food from the Auvergne and wine from South Africa, neither of which is bad, but it’s much more. It’s very good healthy food with lots of veggies and fruits but enough protein to satisfy the carnivore. I turned down the menu (although I was tempted by the cappucino of mushrooms, duck and fondant of chocolate) for a vol-au-vent overflowing with sliced petits gris and teeny, tiny mushrooms ; a rack of undercooked lamb with tons of teeny, tiny veggies ; and a moelleux of chocolate with orange slices. Everything was good product and well-prepared. The wines ran from 12.80-104 €. The other stuff looked yummy too – eg the gazpacho (5.50 €); duck (10 €) and fish. Only in France would you see smoking in a gym/health club, but to be fair, there was only one of the non-sportive males in the resto area smoking (those thin cigarettes normally associated with elderly women), however there were two young women in the adjacent Sports Bar-type room who were smoking and sipping non-stop and looked like they weren’t there for a Pilates class. 5.37 La Bonne Table, 94, rue des Martyrs in the 18th, 01.46.06.50.73, open for dinner Monday, Wednesday-Sunday, Saturday and Sunday lunch; formula (2 courses) = 19.50 €, a la carte about 45 €. Ever go to a place expecting nothing and get it all on a platter, so to speak. Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. It’s one subway stop from me now (don’t ask) and in the midst of Montmartre Tourist Central. On entering it you wouldn’t be able to differentiate it from a hundred such places on the Butte (except that I’ll give you the clues – there’s a sign outside saying under new management, the “menu” may look cheap but the wines are not -16 € a half liter pot, 23 and up a bottle - and they have 8 ice cream specials that are clearly artisanal.) I ordered the cassolette of moules and mushies and it arrived looking like Campbell’s mushroom soup made with milk; ah, but no, the mushrooms were crunchy not soggy, the moules fresh and good product. It was delicious; forget the memory trace. Then I had the cassoulet facon chef, which also arrived to my internal groans: huge; lotsa stuff, pale sauce, gotta be awful – no again. So I figure I can’t go wrong and order my second dessert of the day (a personal best) – a Trou Normand – it had the most complex apple favored ice cream of my life with a hit of Calva, bien sur, and was simply splendid. My bill = 44.50 €. It reminded me a lot of Bouclard in the great old days. Oh yah, they had jerky flashing lights over the bar but real palm like plants in the room. The clientele? Largely local but one threesome who were clearly from the provinces and sang along with the 1940’s music (quite nicely I must say). If you’re stuck in Montmartre, don’t go to one of the thousands of awful places – go here. 5.25 Le Chateaubriand, 129, ave Parmentier in the 11th, 01.43.57.45.95, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, lunch formulas 13 € for 2 courses (tabouli of red cabbage or terrine of pork and brandade that is huge and frou-frou desserts like a banana milk-shake – ah, Inaki’s up to his old tricks) but a la carte is 25-35 € and they have about 6 tapas for 4-8 € (I assume they’re Basque altho’ they have Spanish names.) They have a lot of wines and other beverages on the blackboard; wines come by the glass, pitcher or bottle. It’s a lot like the Marsigny down the block; that is, informal, simple décor and tables, open to the street and relaxed. I started with the herring over potatoes in oil, quite classic and quite fine. Then I had two adequate sized slices of saddle of lamb, undercooked to my perfection. They were tough as hell to cut, but tender as can be to chew, so I decided they need a knife-sharpener not a better purveyor. You’re offered either smashed potatoes or a salad and I opted for the huge salad that was again perfectly dressed. So why aren’t I raving about it? Well, it’s not like his ground-breaking cooking at the Café des Delices or even his early days at La Famille or Transversal, it’s more like a return to basics, as his compatriots did at Refectoire, OK but not dazzling; the Café des Delices, that was head-snapping. This is just “OK, could go again if in the neighborhood.” The price is certainly right; my bill was 29 €. BTW, it was full and they don’t take reservations at lunch. If you think the lunch/dinner and reservations/no reservations sounds like Le Comptoir, apparently he had that in mind when planning the place. For those who cannot stand hearing English spoken, go now; once the NYT + Gourmet write it up, it’s all over. Coffee? Need you ask, the Illy man’s been here too. 4.75 Dalva, 48, rue d’Argout in the 2nd, 01.42.36.02.11, closed Sat lunch and Sundays. This place doesn’t look all that different from its predecessor Iode except the fish is fresh and the two classy ladies running it look less like the former “Belles de Jour” ones. There’s lots of fish and veggies and a lot of women customers but they have chipirons and kidneys and hearty stuff too. I started with raviolis of veggies and ricotta in a tomato sauce that was simply without character; but the chipirons Basque-style were as good as they get – so the guy can do it when he puts his mind to it. My bill was 30 € with a 10 € pot of Cheverny so what’m I complaining about? Well, the up and down nature makes me arrive at the old Scots’ verdict – “Not proven,” e.g. they haven’t yet proven themselves to me. 3NNN*Les Bonnes Soeurs, 8, rue de la Mule in the 3rd, 01.42.74.55.80, open everyday, running one 30-35 € with beverages or 19 € Saturdays and Sundays for brunch. Calling all “French in Action” fans!; here’s a place actually called the Les Bonnes Soeurs and there the pictures of them are right up on the walls. This is an ideal place to plotz if you’re female and “doing” the Place des Vosges; bright, airy, light food, delightful staff, wide range of food. Ordinary? Yup! Inventive? Not terribly! Focused? Ah, here’s the rub. The French-Italian chef Nino Ferrer, hasn’t decided what he wants to provide here, so he’s hedged his bets, providing: “burgers” and club sandwiches for the Amuricans, salads and soups for the ladies, pasta and risotto for the French and traditional French fare (entrecote and bar) for the international crowd. I had a cold red tuna half-cooked on crisp shredded fennel which was not bad, a bar on what he called polenta with tomatoes in it that was innovative (the bar was not old or smelly but wasn’t the best he could have got at Rungis) and the best moelleux of chocolate of the year, served with chantilly sauce. The day I was there everyone looked American (by their dress) but they were all French. This place is not Gagnaire and he should stop trying to be all things to all people and follow Morteau’s law (that is, go to a culinary wasteland, cook inventively and charge more reasonable prices - firsts were 9-15, mains 13-16 and desserts 7-10. Bottom line; am I sorry I went despite my French food critic friend’s caution? Nope! This is the real Paris folks. It was too pricey for ordinary fare, but he’ll learn, he’s young. 1 La Cocotte, 93, rue de Duhesme, 01.42.54.58.56, open everyday for lunch and dinner, 1 dish = 13, formula (2) = 18 €. Nice lady all alone welcoming, taking orders, cooking, clearing, dishwashing, making bill, running VISA. Decent product (ecravisses with remoulade and pineapple; veal stew), not disgraceful; I was having a crise de foie so just wanted a nabe place; it did the job. Bill = 28 €. NB. Just to show that I’m not letting the grass grow too fast between my toes, I returned in May to Les Magnolias in Les Perreux and as far as I’m concerned, Chef Chauvel sets the standard by which all folk trying complicated dishes with complex tastes (I mean you Inaki Aizpitarte, pay attention!), should attend. Incredible food; incomparable tastes; inadequate time in three hours to appreciate it all. Edited by John Talbott to correct two errors pointed out by alert and careful readers, Felice & Laidback as well as translation of groin = snout (Felice).

The Week of May 15th, 2006 The Le Fooding website revealed what our own Felice has already informed us of, the ephemeral event at the Grand Palais featuring chefs such as Inaki Aizpitarte, Yves Camdeborde, Jean Francois Piege, Pascal Bardot, William Ledeuil, Jean Chauvenel, Flora Mikula, Nicolas Pourcheresse and Thierry Marx. Monday, Le Figaro had an article on Pierre Herme about his apprenticing with the Lenotre establishment at age 14 {that I found interesting, but unfortunately, it is available for reading only in their pay for view archives}. Monday, as well, A Nous Paris reviewed two places, giving both 3/5 blocks: Rue Balzac, 8, rue Lord Byron in the 8th, 01.53.89.90.91, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, a la carte 41-83 € where one can eat Johnny Halliday food such as crunchy langoustines (38 €), thin Johnny pasta with green olives (14 €) and baba au rhum and l’Atelier des Comperes, 56, rue Galilee in the 8th, 01.47.20.75.56, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, formula at 33 €, menu 40 € for white asparagus, monkfish and an apple tart. Wednesday, Sebastien Demorand in Zurban, devoted his lead review to the Chateaubriand, coordinates given before, where he too is admiring of Aizpitarte’s current cooking {I’ll issue a dissent soon.} Then he reviews the new Indian place – Old Jawad in the 2nd, the Asian Mood in the 8th and {the place I reviewed last month and agree 100% with Demorand on} Les Chineurs, 55, rue de Bretagne in the 3rd, 01.42.78.64.50, closed Sunday lunch and Mondays, lunch formulas = 22-28, degustation menu 49, a la carte about 50 € where he commented positively on the bread, competent waitstaff and delicious sandre. Wednesday as well, Emmanuel Rubin in Le Figaroscope gave two hearts each to the Hotel d’Amour, 8, rue de Navarin in the 9th, 01.48.78.31.80, open everyday, serving salads, cheeseburgers and cheese macaroni for 20-25 € and the Bistro Volnay, 8 rue Volney {there’s a misspelling here somewhere} in the 2nd, 01.42.61.06.65, closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Mondays serving langoustines, poached egg forestiere and monkfish American {whatever that is,} for 35-40 € a la carte but menus at 24 and 32 €. There were also three one hearts: to an Italian place Les Amis de Messina in the 6th, a fastfood place Café Be in the 9th and an all rice place So Rice in the 15th. This week’s “Dossier” was devoted to potatoes: Gratin Dauphinois Le Café des Musees Pommes Gaufrette Le Refectoire Pommes Boulangere Le Café de Commerce Pureed Potatoes Le Pere Claude Gnocchi of Potatoes Lombardi Truffade Le Petit Champerret Pommes Paillasson La Rotisserie du Beaujolais Fries Le Gavroche Mashed Baptiste Allumettes Relais de Venise Radish salad and potatoes Mon Viel Ami that Westermann had lost interest in Fish & Chips l’Alcazar Pigs feet and puree Comptoir And then, Francois Simon chimed in with a review of l’Ambassade d’Auvergne, coordinates well known, for their “admirable” aligot; with a sausage and two confits de canard running him 105 € for two; he says – Go. Thursday, Gilles Pudlowski in Le Point covered: the Boucherie Roulière, 24, rue des Canettes in the 6th, 01.43.26.25.70, where a la carte is 35-40 € for classic stuff such as terrine of pork head, grilled tuna with veggies and a marquise praline with caramel; the Table de Fabrice Deverly (ex of Robuchon), 13, quai de la Tournelle in the 5th, 01.44.07.17.57, with menus at 28 for lunch and 40 € at dinner for risotto with truffles, mille-feuille of crab and tiramisu with raspberries ; declares Taillevent + Gastroquet in good shape; and raves about Eric Chavot at The Capitol in London. Friday, Jean Louis Galesnes in Les Echos, wrote of a bunch of places around the Marche des Enfants Rouges in the third: they were: L'Estaminet, Taéko, Il Filio del Stagioni, Les Don Juan + Le Pamphlet. Alexander Lobrano in this month’s Where featured the following: Mori Venice Bar, Spoon Food and Wine for the American chef Angelo Sosa’s appearance, Petrossian, Caviar House & Prunier, La Tour Montlhery + La Cantine du Faubourg, 105, rue du Faubourg Saint Honore in the 8th, 01.42.56.22.22 where he describes the crowd as more important than the food. New From France, the free newsletter published by the French Embassy in Washington, had two articler of note: one about French pastries linked to religious holidays (the beignet, galette des Rois, Buche de Noel, Canele de Bordeaux and Kougelhopf) and another on the “Sweet Evolution of French pastries." Paris Notes announced that the winner of the Grand Prix de la Baguette was Jean Pierre Cohier, 270, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th. It’s also here. Finally Sunday, Bonjour Paris had an article by Margaret Kemp entitled “Pearl Divers Buzz” about the new restaurant Pearl in the 13th and one by John Talbott entitled “The Hot New Quarters: the 5th and the 17th.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

Ah then I caught you just in time. This week's "News from France," published by the French Embassy in DC says there's a new museum that just opened in Caen on - of all things - the Cold War. You could be the first on your block to see it between meals, of course, so we stay on topic.

Thank you Laidback; Carte Blanche is special. I don't think Felice mentioned Temps Au Temps and Bistral in her bistronomique list, but they're worth it too. And lesanglierrouge, you might want to check into the Le Fooding website's news section; it's following stuff pretty closely.

So I'm sitting in a restaurant today in the heart of a stadium (Geo-Andre at the Porte de St Cloud,) a few feet from the Parc des Princes, with a lot of jocks, ex-jocks and some never-jocks, having a reasonably carnivorish meal that has lots of veggies, watching delicious gazpacho, avocado and other stuff go by and I ask - could one have simply a vegetarian meal here? But of course. And maybe it's not just in a Health Club type resto where one can, but with the Joel Thibault vegetables and great product here, maybe lots of places. Anyway, for what it's worth, this was Le Stade, 20, ave de la Porte de Saint Cloud in the 16th, 01.40.71.22.22, open for lunch Monday-Saturday; dinner Thursday-Saturday, with a menu at 21 €, a la carte 30-50 €.

A heads-up. Yesterday's Figaroscope, in an article on potatoes, lamented that Antoine Westermann and Anthony Clemot were devoting their energies entirely to Drouant at the expense of Mon Vieil Ami. I haven't noticed a fall-off at the latter but the former is certainly worth trying. I'd also add Les Magnolias in Les Perreux (easily reached by either of 2 RER's or bus or walk.) It's one star and serves a 50 E menu with wines not priced out of the oxygenrich atmosphere. I also think Ze Kitchen Galerie + Ribouldingue would be musts for a chef such as yourself. Not as pricey as the above but demonstrate the range of young (compared to me anyway) chefs in Paris.

Don't think you're crazy to try. After all most of the French don't stay in hotels during their vacations; they stay at family owned homes, campgrounds, gites & so forth. A good B&B guide would be a help & of course you'll have your Logis de France book. ← Sounds familiar, except chez nous my wife gets antsy about 3 PM and insists I start telephoning Gites/B&B's/posadas/agriturismo's/etc. In decades we've never slept in the car, have rarely not found a great place and except for trips when she thinks we need a "base" from which to operate, don't get reservations ahead. Now, we carry a library with us: in addition to food guides, the Michelin, Gites of France, Karen Brown, Logis de France, etc. The problem is not one of reality but comfort level with uncertainty.

I'm with gastro on this one. Why are you ruling out hotels? After all, even tho the great chefs aren't there at breakfast, they ordered or supervised the ordering of the product, trained the staff, etc. For pastry and coffee, you certanly can't do better than at Laduree, but the C-E location is not near the Opera; Fauchon's resto and the other Laduree, are nearer. I suppose you could go to the Brasserie Lorraine that opens at 8 AM and has had an up and down (now up) history; nearer to the Opera are Mollard + Garnier but I'm not sure how early they open. The Cafe de la Paix is open for breakfast and has recently undergone some changes and is certainly beautiful; however it's technically in a hotel (the Intercontinental); however, it was recently well reviewed by Margaret Kemp in Bonjour Paris. Have you checked out our compendium thread on Brunches and Breakfasts that has lots of good ideas? It's my recollection that Felice recently went to Breakfast in America but it's over in the 5th. Finally, I do know who could answer your question in a flash - Fresh_a and I'll bet he does today.

Where I'm eating, there's lots of asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes (one huge one was served as an amuse bouche today at Ribouldingue), early potatoes (Noirmoutier), strawberries and early cherries.

Well, I’ve located my archives of our last trip to Normandy and tho’ too late to help you, I’ll put them in for the next person. Our best meal of the trip was not far (46 km) from Paris, actually, on the way out, in Cormeilles en Vexin, a place called the Maison Cagna, yes, it’s run by the son of the famous Jacques, who’s taken over the old Relais Sainte Jeanne and made it sing. Another place that was merely OK was the Petite Auberge in Le Perou. To be avoided is La Table de Roi in Thury Harcourt.

The Week of May 8th, 2006 Tuesday’s A Nous Paris’s had two reviews; a 3/5 blocks for Chez Corto, coordinates given before, which Jerome Berger called a cool neighborhood cantine at lunch and where he especially liked the brandade and panna cotta {my review is here. His colleague Philippe Toinard gave only 2/5 blocks to Le Queniau, 150, rue de Vaugirard in the 15th, 0147.34.48.23, closed Sundays with a 13.90 € lunch formula and 20.90 carte. Except for a terrine of salt pork and lentils, he didn’t find much surprising here. Wednesday, Sebastien Demorand in Zurban, devoted three of his reviews to foreign food places: the Chadian Chari in the 3rd, the Thai Voyage au Siam in the 11th and the Creole Table de Babette in the 16th (the former Jamin space.) His one French place was Les Bonnes Soeurs, 8, rue du Pas de la Mule in the 4th, 01.42.74.55.80, but he didn’t much like the lukewarm, banal food even for 14 € at lunch or 28 € a la carte {I’ll be posting my review later this week.}. Wednesday, in Le Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin’s C’est Nouveau reviewed and gave three hearts to Ribouldingue, the former second at Le Comptoir's new place at 10, rue St Julien le Pauvre in the 5th, 01.46.33.98.80, closed Saturday lunch, Sunday and Mondays, where chef Claver, has just reopened the Fogon space and serves a 25 € menu-carte with fare such as pig's snout, lamb’s tongue, basque tripes and lamb’s brains (yes they specialize in abats.) He gave 2 hearts to La Bonne Table, 94, rue des Martyrs in the 9th, 01.46.06.50.73, serving dinner only with a 19.50 € menu, a la carte 40 – for a fresh charlotte of goat’s cheese, stuffed tomatoes and a cote de boeuf. {I’ll be posting my reviews of both later this week.}.One heart each went to Le Carre Blanc, 62, rue Jean Jacques Rousseau in the 1st, 01.40.28.99.04, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, with luncheon formulas at 15 & 18 € and about 30 at night for only passable but huge food; as well as the cosmopolitan Djam in the 10th and Italian Urbietorbi in the 2nd. This week’s “Dossier” was devoted to Japanese places band included Zen, Kaiseki, Ploum, Aida, Azabu, Naoki, Zenzan, Kinugawa, Bizan, Sushi Kilala, + Opera Ramen and Francois Simon went to Kai. Funnily enough, Sunday, Astrid de T’Serclaes et al in the JDD had yet another list of such places. Wednesday-Thursday, in Le Monde, Jean Claude Ribaut had an article centered around the spices used by Olivier Roellinger in Cancale as well as the fish with which he pairs them. Thursday in ParuVendu Pierre Rival wrote up Mood, coordinates given last week, and says for the area (the Champs-Elysees), it has an incomparable price-quality ratio, with a lunch menu at 20 € for « international food » including sushi, wok stuff, etc. Thursday in l’Express Jean Luc Petitrenaud reviewed two places: Le Dirigeable, 37, rue d’Alleray in the 15th, 01.45.32.01.54, menu at 16 € which he describes as a family pension but which serves daring dishes like a sabodet sausage with pureed peas. He also reviewed the Château-Hôtel du Monard in Montboucher-sur-Jabron where the chef prepares dishes that are unclassifiable. Friday, Jean Louis Galesnes in Les Echos, wrote of a recent visit to Besancon, where he can only recommend l’Annexe because l’Avant Gout has changed hands and folks at Le Poker d’As were on vacation {that’s strange, they were the last time I went through too.} Saturday-Sunday’s Le Figaro had an article linked to the Fraich’Attitude event with five of the best addresses for vegetables, etc - l’Alexadrin in Lyon, Le Montalembert, Bar a manger +Biotifull Place and Les pres d’Eugenie in Eugenie les Bains. Francois Simon’s “Croque notes” concerned itself with the books written by the recently deceased Thomas Zorn and the changes in prices at places like l’Oasis in La Napoule. I missed recounting last week’s 5 best caves in restos: Le Verre Vole + Garde Robe here and Vercoquin, Crieurs de Vin + La Muse Vin in Lyon, Troyes and Brest respectively. That week’s “Croque notes” also featured an appreciation of Inaki Aziparte and Frederic Peneau’s Chateaubriand {I’ll be posting my review this week}, as well as a note of the death of Michel Picard, the creator Astier + Villaret and spiritual father of Regalade, l’Os a Moelle, Bistrot Paul Bert + Baratin. I also missed one page in my digesting last week of GoGo Paris, that reviewed Caius, coordinates in the guides, Le Reconfort, 37, rue de Poitu in the 3rd, 0.49.96.09.60, closed Saturday lunch that featured swordfish with citronelle and excellent desserts and Le Progres, 1, rue de Bretagne in the 3rd, 01.42.72.01.44, closed weekends, serving “café food at its best.” This month’s Regal had several restaurants featured: Mirazur in Menton, La Table de Claire in Paris {that I will be posting a review on this week}and Etche Ona in St Jean Pied de Port. Sunday, in JDD Thierry Marx of the Chateau Cordellian Bages revealed his two favorite reasonably priced places in Paris – Yakitori + Le Petit Verdot. Finally Sunday, Bonjour Paris had an article by Margaret Kemp entitled “The new black is black” about Frederick e.Grasser Hermé’s book “Le Noir, dix facons de le préparer” and one by John Talbott entitled “From the Tables down to Mory’s to the place where ethnic dwells” about Mori Venice bar and other non-French places. Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread. Edited by John Talbott to correct translation of groin to snout.

Ben, I apologize for not answering, but the truth is that despite the fact that Colette and I get over to Normandy once every couple of years, it's been the sights (do not miss what's called the Swiss Normand and the tapistry display and slides in Bayeux- one of the best teaching museums there is), not the food that's left an impression. Except for an incredible meal at Le Manoir d'Hastings some 21 years ago, no name sticks in my mind and my notes are in the US. One probably cannot miss at a Michelin Red Bib Gourmand, of which there are a ton in Normandy. A friend of mind will complete a tour but I won't see him til May 24 and I assume that's too late. Sorry not to have been more helpful. John

Yes, we discussed it a bit here but everything's now on this merged thread. Happy reading.

Could it also be made in a cassoulette like the one sold by Macy's?

A friend (a lawyer who'd checked the regs first) said pate was a cocktail spread; it passed. Where do potatoes fit? I was thinking of bringing over some of my incredible Bonnotte Noirmoutier ones.

Ah P'tit, maybe because Chris Hastings and Frank Fileccia call it that. Be thankful we Yanks don't call it Cassabeans.

This is an outstanding thread, thanks folks. But what strikes me is that while we (really I) go to a place for Southwest, Basque, Alsatian, even Northern cooking, I've never seen or heard someone say "let's go to the Bistro X, they've got really great Ile de France stuff." Like so many other things, is that because being in the cultural, governmental and gastronomic capital (I suppose that the Lyonnais would dispute the latter) what's here doesn't need a name, it's so maintsteam. Again, thanks all, I hope the Toronto folks are listening in.

In no way do I want my comments to be construed as diminishing David’s experience - which was insupportable – David is one of my deities. But I would like to rise to defend the French and their reputation, expressed on this Forum, many times before, for rudeness, brusqueness, unpleasantness and the like. As I’ve said before, I’ve been treated uncivilly three times in 53 years; all three times by non-French-born folk. I’m not counting blowing smoke in your direction, shoving in line, talking loudly on cell-phones or adolescents not giving up seats to the elderly or putting their feet up on Metro seats – those constitute cultural differences.Today I had an example of French politesse and customer service orientation at that most commercial and detached product place – BHV- where I’d ordered some extra bathroom cabinet shelves, one of which came 1 cm short and without the trucs you stick in to let it sit. (This is not OT, I had a coffee at their great Café Bricolo in the basement earlier). Anyway, I show up on the 4th floor (not the detaché or pickup places, but at the rayon and with the woman I’d ordered it from.) Anyway, up I sidle, explain my problem, do a little dumb-show with the demo cabinet and voila in 5 minutes I had the correct shelf and 4 new trucs. Compare that to the way I used to be treated at my Citibank branch on 94th St and Broadway, where keeping my money seemed to be such a burden.

A friend of mine who's a pensioner (thus not a lot of loose change around) had her last big birthday on/at one and apparently it was terrific. Some have better food than others; there's a thread on the matter somewhere.

Recently, I posted a question on the Toronto, etc., Forum asking for advice on taking some French pals to a "Canadian" meal. Quite appropriately and politely (as Canadians are wont to be - thanks be,) mkjr asked me and I replied (politely - hey, my grandparents were Canadian, I summered there, etc.,) OK folks, plunge in.