John Talbott

Tuesday’s Le Figaro had an article about a book called Vacances Gourmands by Astrid Latapie about classes throughout France (Albin Michel, 10 €), from a medieval meal in Vienne to a vegan one in the Ariege to studying with Ducasse and Bocusse.

Tuesday’s Le Figaro had an article about a book called Vacances Gourmands by Astrid Latapie about finding stages throughout France (Albin Michel, 10 €).

Our new "Eating, Shopping, Staying" pinned thread has this under "Cities, Towns, etc" - Cote d’Azur and Picnic in Provence. I agree with John about Barcelona but better check with the folks over there.

The Week of April 10th, 2006 Tuesday, A Nous Paris’s Jerome Berger reviewed the Italian place l’Altro and Philippe Toinard gave 4/5 blocks to the recently-starred Jean (apparently because it changed its name from Chez Jean last December), 8, rue St Lazare in the 9th, 01.48.78.62.73, menus from 36-78, a la carte 49-67 €, serving tete de veau, leeks vinaigrette and baba as well as an interesting sounding surf (rouget) and turf (andouillette). Francois Lemarie had an article in the same issue on the move of French cuisine from gastronomy through bistronomy to fooding and lists as Parisian bistronomic places: La Cerisaie, Le Temps au Temps, Fogon St-Julien, Le Comptoir du Relais St German + Ripaille as well as these outside the City of Light(s): Jouni, Le Café des Epices, En mets fais ce qu’il te plait, Les Magnolias, Auberge de Chavannes + Une Auberge en Gascogne. Wednesday’s Zurban featured the return of Sebastien Demorand to the “Tables” Section. His primary space was devoted to the new “resthotel” Kub, 1-5, passage Ruelle in the 18th, 01.42.05.20.00, open everyday 7 PM to midnight, with a menu at 39 €. {Most of my comments have to be editorial: it’s the place with the ice bar that appears to be a Murano knock-off but is sure located in a strange part of town, indeed on my running route and sounds horrid.} Demorand’s subtitles are “Finger Food….ou Junk Food?” and one of his typical dishes is “bubblegum 2 tomato mozzarella.” {Had enough?} His “casserole” contains a Lebanese place Le Cedre d’Or, a Mauritian one Comme sur une ile and another chic & cher place Black Calavados, 40, ave Pierre 1e de Serbie in the 16th, closed Sundays, a la carte about 80 €, run by a fashionista, where Russian is spoken by razor thin women and jelly-haired men, serving foie gras “popcorn,” jellied vodka and a cheeseburger of Kobe beef. Also featured was an article by Pierrick Jegu on brunch places. Wednesday, in Figaroscope’s C’est nouveau, Emmanuel Rubin gave two stars each to three places: the “neo-bistrot” Hier & Aujourd’hui, 145, Rue Saussure in the 17th, 01.42.27.35.55, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, formula = 17 at lunch, menu 26 and a la carte 35 € {which looks and whose name is kinda cool} run by ex-Guy Savoy chef serving hot sausage {sounds terrible in translation}, scallops and chocolate crème brulee; the “refreshing” bistro Dalva, 48, rue d’Argout in the 2nd, 01. 42.36.02.11, closed {you guessed it} Saturday lunch and Sundays, with lunch formulas at 14 and 18 € and 40 a la carte, serving escargots with watercress, langoutine raviolis, scallops and a Charlotte with a “rare” wine for dessert but/with “impish” service – {huh?}; and a nouvelle cuisine place Les Chineurs {don’t bother to look it up – Andre Malraux, whose memorial service in the court of the Louvre I stumbled on in 1976 – was described as a chineur = one who “roots around in the brocantes looking for stuff”}, 55, rue de Bretagne in the 3rd, 01.42.78.64.50, closed Mondays, costing “ouch” {sic} 50 € for milk fed pork, sole, St Pierre and tiramisu with fruit (“too complicated” they say). Then they review and give one heart to the Cafe des Roses, 1 rue de Vintmille in the 9th, no telephone, serving everyday til midnight with a formula at 5,90 € (Wow, cf above), musical brunch 13,90 and a la carte 10-25 for a tartare terrine, herrings with potatoes etc and roasted camembert, and Le Drapeau, 10, rue du Temple in the 4th, 01.42.72.02.88 also open everyday, costing 15-25 € for an Auvergnat “pie,” beef with carrots and strawberry tarte {sounds OK to me, why did he/they hate it so?} Here is the “Dossier” this week, {a bit strange but hey}, all about grains, that’s right, cereals, fiber, etc: Semolina Waly Fay Corn soup Sens par la Compagnie des comptoirs Coconut milk polenta Angl’Opera Wheat couscous Wally le Saharien Bulgar wheat Liza Barley couscous Mansouria Sauteed rice noodles (pasta) Le Petit Thiou Tuna steak with four cereals Bioboa Sprout Salad Spoon A cereal bowl Murano Black wheat Sarrasin And of course, Francois Simon chimes in on the theme and reviews Biotifull {which no self-respecting American will ever go to, because of the dreadful name, despite the great food (they tell me)} where he ate a mache salad, the quinoa (which he notes is not a grain but a plant), a lemon chicken and three papales {whatever they are} for 50,50 € for 2; the answer to “Should One Go” is “Nobody is Perfect.” {Oouf!} Wednesday, in Le Monde, Jean Claude Ribaut wrote a sad article about the Tour d’Argent and its history of the numbered ducks, periodic gains and losses of stars, including the current destabilization and stroke suffered by Claude Terrail and calls it the Musée Grevin of Paris Restaurants. Thursday, Gilles Pudlowski in Le Point, favorably reviews La Cambuse in Strasbourg, Bruno Cirino’s Hostellerie Jerome in La Turbie, Le Central in Cap-Ferret and Il Lago in Geneva as well as the following in Paris: two new places: the franco-transalpine Café Buci and the Indian Old Jawad, as well and noting that two established places are in good shape – Montparnasse 25 + La Closserie des Lilas. His products of the week are Coquilles St Jacques from Erquy, available by law in France from only May 15th to the end of September (but you can get them from Scotland and Ireland then) and as usual he gives a recipe, this time for scallops in cider. Thursday in l’Express Jean Luc Petitrenaud covers his usual two places in and outside Paris respectively: Le Bis de Severo, coordinates given before, which he says succeeds and La Bastide de Saint Tropez in Saint Tropez. Friday, Jean Louis Galesnes in Les Echos wrote of restaurants in the Basque Country, specifically in Bayonne: L'Auberge du Cheval Blanc + François Miura, in Anglet: La Concha, in Bidart: La Table des Frères Ibarboure, and in Biarritz: La Maison Blanche, Les Platanes + Sissinou. In the Saturday-Sunday Figaro, dated April 1-2, the food page was devoted to cocktails/bars in Paris. Alexandra Michot wrote an article suggesting several, best found here. Then are listed the top five of these: Dokhan’s, Vino’s, Bar du restaurant Apicius, Le Murano + Le Bar Hemingway. In addition, she talks of the feminization of cocktails by making them pink-rose. Also, Francois Simon in his “Croque Notes,” writes that several diners complained (on his private line 01.57.08.55.19) about Marc Meneau’s resto in Vezeley and his (Meneau’s) retort on his blog that such folks should stick to bistros rather than frequent three-star restaurants; he then goes on to say that some chefs remain interesting and are in no way boring, citing Pierre Gagnaire, especially for his bar de ligne for 90 €; and finally he provides his response to a chef or owner’s plaint that Simon hadn’t reviewed Machon, 16, rue Commines in the 4th, 01.42.74.57.09, lunch menu = 12 €, saying as a result he hopped in a cab and tried the “jolly-good” gratin of ecrevisses, correctly cooked fish and tiramisu that disappeared in 12 spoonfuls. A week later (April 8-9,) Francois Simon wrote an almost full-page article on “What chefs and we should keep and what everyone should toss.” He suggests keeping: the Michelin but improving it to pare down some of the interchangeable starred places and include foreign places and bistrots; the crazy chefs who push the envelope with nutty stuff which occasionally astonishes; new trends such as Fooding, Slow Food and Gen C; the bistro spirit where it’s really happening with lively, simple and good fare; the trends coming from elsewhere, e.g. Mori from Venice, but also influences from Osaka, Ho Chi Minh City, Yunan, Milan and Sardinia; and finally lighter food that allows one to keep fit. As for what to chuck, he suggests: complicated desserts; multiple seatings; sycophantic reviews; the deluge of amuse bouches justifying elevated prices; pre-desserts; the “absurd” checks that in some places run 2-3 times what they did 15 years ago when they were just 800 FF (=121 € = $150); the price of bottled water running to 7.60 € for a bottle of Chateldon at a brasserie in Clermont-Ferrand and the raised eyebrows of waiters when one orders a simple carafe of water; and smoking, so you don’t leave restos with your clothing stinking. In his accompanying “Croque Notes” Simon relates a reader’s complaint of a lamentable business meal at Gagnaire and his (Simon’s) dislike for his (Gagnaire’s) piling on extra dishes – his rule - eat only what one orders, a starter, main & dessert; his observation is that businessmen from the table-top up are dignified but underneath are twisted up and constantly-twitching; and finally his recommendation to try La Dinee in the 15th where he loved the asparagus, pigeon and l’os a moelle. In this issue they also printed an announcement of an exhibition of Doisneau’s gourmet photos of things food related in Monaco and three mini-book-reviews of: the historic Dictionnaire universal de cuisine practique by Joseph Favre (Editions Omnibus, 32 €), first published a century ago, the playful Mots de Cuisine by Emmanuelle Maisonneuve and Jean Claude Renard (Editions Buchet Chastel, 24 €) and the technical Le Dictionnaire des mots de la cuisine by Guy Martin of Grand Vefour (Editions de Seuil, 18,90 €). And this week, Alexandra Michot did a piece on female chefs, largely in France but from Norway, South Africa and Spain as well. She notes that the two books on them are now one and two years old respectively: Michele Duby’s Les Femmes Chefs and Gilles Pudlowski’s Elles sont chefs. The list is pretty well-known; it included: Helene Darroze, Roughi Dia of Petrossian, Hermance Carro, star of TV’s M6 Tuesdays at 8:50 PM (sort of a daughter of Cyril Lignac’s “Oui Chef”), Caroline Rostang of l’Absinthe + Jarrasse, Fumiko Kono of Fauchon, Celia Jiminez of Chez Lafayette Gourmet, the women writers who make Cordon Bleu recipes available to those cooking at home – Julie Andrieu, Sophie Dudemaine & Trish Deseign {where pray tell is our own Ptit Pois aka Sophie Brissaud?}, Anne Sophie Pic, Chez Catherine Guerraz, Mari Tanaka at Alain Ducasse, Gabrielle Jones - young chef winner of the 2006 award, Flora Mikula, and Reine Sammut of the cooking school Le Passage. Tucked into the bottom of the page is the news that Nadege Varigly, ex-La Regalade, opens his new place le Ri Boul Dingue, 10, rue St Julien le Pauvre in the 5th; menu carte at 25 €, at the end of April. {I’m not sure what Ri Boul Dingue means, but ribouldingue means binge; maybe the message is it’s a binge in three courses?} Sunday, in the JDD, Chef Eric Maio of the Auberge des Fontaines d’Aragon in Montauroux chose as his two favorite, affordable restos in Paris the Italian Deitaly and Les Fils de la Ferme , coordinates already given. In addition, they had a front page story on Ferran Adria’s being voted best chef of the year by the British publication Restaurant. See also what eGullet members had to say here. Also, Astrid de T’Serclaes had two reviews the their magazine Femina; one of the now well-publicized Italian place Mori Venice Bar, the other of the deli-restaurant Il Giramondo, also Italian. Finally Sunday, Bonjour Paris had an article by Margaret Kemp entitled “10 Top Chocolate Makers Buzz” and one by John Talbott entitled “The Hot New Quarters – 4th and 16th.” Issue #24 of Omnivore arrived this week and was largely devoted to OFF, the (Omnivore Food Festival 2006 {in English no less}) held in Le Havre the 20-21 February. The cover photo pretty much says it all, showing Omnivore’s favorites: Thierry Marx of Cordellian-Bages, Veronique Abadie of l’Amphitryon {who had a really frightening hair day), Gilles Choukroun of Angl’Opera, Alain Ducasse, Fulvio Pierangelini of Gambero Rosso, Jacques Maximin of the Table d’Amis, Michel Bras and Ferran Adria of El Bulli. Inside are a ton of terrific photos largely by Luc Dubanchet (Editor) and descriptions of cooking demos with miked chefs, adoring crowds, smiling chefs (Jouni Tormanen, Pascal Barbet of l’Astrance, Jean Francois Piege of Les Ambassadeurs, David Zuddas of L'Auberge de La Charme, Flora Mikula, Michel Portos of Hauterive Saint-James , Antoine Westerman & Anthony Clemot of Drouant + Mon Vieil Ami, Pierre Hermé, Alexandre Bourdas of Sa.Qua.Na, Jean Marie Baudic of Le Youpala and Nicolas Pourcheresse of the Auberge des Chavannes. {Now, some of this sounded a bit over the top, like Adria’s cooking a mussel in three seconds or the Pacoclean/Pacojet demo featuring a cuttlefish “hot dog,” but the fact that the first listed wine-maker is Catherine Breton, one of my favorites, convinced me it’s not all outré.} Then there is the inevitable “Manifesto,” this from Adria himself {that in truth doesn’t sound much different from what Alice Waters or Thomas Keller would espouse.} Four young chefs are featured: Samuel Desjobert of Rive Gauche, Gregory Rodriguez of Gimm Traiteur, Maximin Hellio of La Voile d’Or and Christophe of Une Table. Villeroy & Boch’s Young Chefs of the Month were the Brothers Kouros of Le Verger des Kouros. Finally, there was little story of an ad appearing in the Michelin Red Guide this year {of his chapeautude Marc Veyrat.} Amber Garrison in her Postcards from Paris discusses brunch places, including the luxury ones – Durand Dupont in Neuilly Sur Seine and the Café at the Musée Jacquemart-André, the spicy Restaurant 404, the classic Ladurée and the “more down to earth” L’Estaminet. April’s Where had several contributions by Alexander Lobrano. The principal one concerned classic brasseries. Also, he wrote of the opening of the Caviar House & Prunier next to Caviar Kaspia, around the Madeleine, the successful take-over of l’Escargot Montogueil by a chef-owner Laurent Couegnas (PS he loved it, snails and other-than), wrote about the three new bistros in the Batignolles area: Ripaille, Bistral + l’Abadache {all three of which are (1) worth visiting and (2) quite a renaissance for the sleepy 17th}, and the awarding of Michelin stars to two of his favorites – Stella Maris + Chez Jean. And then there are the photo/blurb inserts {which one is never sure if he (like Demorand) or his editor chose} that include: Ze Kitchen Galerie, Cinq Mars, Il Cortile, Benoit + Chiberta. Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

I really like it's look and menu but haven't been.

First off, don't forget that eGullet member Kate Hill, who runs a cooking school and knows all about Gascony, can be consulted. Second, and we're into vieux schnoque=alta cocker=old fart territory here. While I realize that Andre Daguin sold the Hotel de France in Auch in 1997, after launching daughter Ariane to NY/NJ and Arnaud to Washington, London, esteemed French kitchens and now the Basque country, his place was a glorious place to stay and eat (they had all all duck meal meal, at least in 1985).

That's very kind, Laidback, but one of the benefits of doing the weekly Digest, aside from improving one's typing and translation skills, is triangulating critics' "finds" and going quickly (plus, one of my non-critic food-finders alerts me early on). It's the big boys - Simon, Demorand, Rubin, etc., we should thank for going to the five places that open each week and sacrificing their bodies for us. A brief comment on Drouant's fixation on 4's. A friend/wise man/food critic/buddy warned me to order but a few things and I'd be most satisfied, and indeed, I find the menu or special with a little bit else to be sufficient (recall that I had oysters at Gerry & Carole's place across the street before I went for the first time because I was so fearful of the possible prices). Simmental, I believe, is a Swiss breed now grown all over. Where yours came from I have no idea. And the wine prices are astonishing, as you say, like Dominique Bouchet who feels no need to fleece the customer versus say Petrossian, Prunier/Seafood Bar + La Dinee where you have to order glasses or die.

For those interested, Renaud Dutreil, Minister of Big, Little and come to think of it, all Commerce, announced Thursday (vide Le Monde + Le Figaro) that while the French were unable to get the EU to lower the TVA aka VAT for hotels & restos from 20% to 5.5%, as it is for fast-food (read McDo's) places (will someone explain that to me), the government would "lighten" their social and fiscal burden. 1. I am waiting with baited breath to see how the governmental System "D" works. 2. You should not wait for 14.5% reductions.

Yes, I went just a bit back. Great. My review is here. Daniel, take caution this weekend; the city is empty til Tuesday d/t Easter. Le Baratin is normally open Tuesday lunch thru Saturday dinner except Saturday lunch.

Yes, Regis Douysset is ex of Grande Cascade but no it's not in the current station although its name derives from the partially carbonized coal bits that escape the locomotive. It's out the North exit and oh 100 feet west just past the car parking area. Very, very close. Might have been the station once upon a time but looks more like an old Auberge that was by the station. I didn't ask, I was too charmed.

Just to give this old thread some legs, today’s Figaro had an article and Top Five devoted to women chefs and among those not mentioned above were: Hermance Carro, on TV’s M6 Tuesdays at 8:50 PM (sort of a daughter of Cyril Lignac’s “Oui Chef") Celia Jiminez of Chez Lafayette Gourmet Sophie Dudemaine & Trish Deseign, who make Cordon Bleu-level recipes available to those cooking at home Anne Sophie Pic Mari Tanaka at Alain Ducasse, Gabrielle Jones - young chef winner of the 2006 award, Reine Sammut of the cooking school Le Passage In addition, while if you click on Charles's link you'll read about Sarah Peronnet of Le Vieux Bistrot, but she deserves to be listed here as well. Also mentioned was Michele Duby’s book Les Femmes Chefs.

Great report Laidback. As for in our eating foursome we have one soul who is only happy drinking it but my experience is that it's not so much a marker of "cut above" as a more expensive place.Then of course we have F. Simon last weekend writing his "what's good and what's not" diatribe about French food/restos using as his examples of outrageous prices being charged 7.60 € for a bottle of Chateldon at a brasserie in Clermont-Ferrand. As the big boys say - Oouf!

Liza Minelli famously sang “Start spreading the news” and I’m here to do just that. A lot of folks on this Forum, whom I respect, have debated whether or not to reveal one’s wonderful secret places. Well, here’s my secret of the month – a place called l’Escarbille, 8, rue de Velizy in Dept. 92 (Meudon), 01.45.34.12.03, closed Saturday lunch and Sunday night and Mondays. You’ll have to await my traditional monthly summary of new places for details but I’m here to tell you (after the critics already have, of course) that this place is well worth the 12 minute schlep from Montparnasse on the Transilien.

OK, Daniel et al, here’s a place where you won’t hear either English or Parisian French spoken – no tourists here, despite the rave reviews for the last month. Why? Gosh, it’s 12 minutes from Montparnasse, on that nasty 50 year-old aluminum train (yes, the same one folks go on, all the time to Versailles; go figure!) So Yanks and Brits won’t go. And as we know, the French go where they ate at University or around the corner from where they live and certainly don’t follow Simon, Demorand, Rubin, Pudlowski, Ribaut, Petitrenaud, etc. Anyway it’s l’Escarbille, 8, rue de Velizy in Dept. 92 (Meudon), 01.45.34.12.03, closed Saturday lunch and Sunday night and Mondays (perfect for a lunch on Sunday before your trip to Rambouillet a few stops farther along), at lunch 1sts are 21 €, mains 22 and desserts 8 but the menu = just 36; it’s just up the quai from the Bellevue station, a hundred feet on the north side. I will be writing it up in my traditional monthly summary at the end of April, but I wanted to alert our loyal readers/members coming to Paris from now on, that this is the Magnolias of 2006; the place everybody talks about but nobody goes to because it’s where? ……. Meudon….. A shame.

Since no one answered this part of your query, I'll start. My experience is that save school vacations (when a young couple who run a place take the kids to Mom's) restos adhere to their weekly schedule - even on July 14th. That said, double check, call and confirm. Once I was told they'd be open, I think it was on Ascension Day, and the day before I discovered they'd be closed. That's why God made brasseries.

Yah and let us know how it turns out. I second the request to ViveManger too.

When I was much younger (don't ask) and in France much less (alas), I used to assiduously clip and store articles like this and those from Gourmet and the New York Times, etc and try and triangulate recommendations with the Red Michelin + GaultMillau, etc. Well, sure, now we have eGullet, bless Steve and Jason and the crew, but I still (as Bux figured out when he asked me to do the Digest) read, print out, clip and collect articles and reviews and prioritize where I'm going next. For those who come to Paris or Barcelona or Bruxelles or wherever once every few years, why not? Newspapers and magazines are in business after all to sell and readership surveys show that polls such as these are read and used. Besides, for those of us far superior to those who slavishly follow fashion, it's amusing to watch. N'est pas?

Phrederic - First off and very tardily, let me express my gratitude to you for joining the France Forum with such verve, informed opinions and intelligence. Second, let me apologize for dropping the ball on your query which I think is a great idea - to come up with questions for some "Paris restaurant owners." From personal experience, before I blurred my photo for reasons that some have figured out, I was approached by at least three owner-chefs commenting on something I'd said on eGullet - so yes, while seeming not to be fluent in English, they are paying attention to what's going on here. Finally, why don't you start a thread and "get a list of good questions for Paris restaurant owners" and the good Dr. Talbott, aka John, will be glad to try and get some answers. Next, Daniel - I agree with Felice/Phyllis. I'm not sure I've ever encountered this in a respectable place save for brunch or at three-stars where rich Yankies doing the "ten three-stars in five day" tours cluster. I recall seeing the menu in the window at Le Reminet shortly after they opened and shuddered to see that each dish was translated into English - but I've been happily eating there ever since (it's a rare non-brasserie Sunday lunch place) and am not overly impressed that it's touristy, it is opposite Notre Dame in the 5th by the Seine after all, which is almost Tourist Central - but as someone said upthread - "So what?"

I know everyone is kidding around here but Francois Simon is really a pretty informed guy, enough to write the aforementioned book poking fun at himself and other critics. Lately, he’s taken a somewhat contrarian turn and his French is usually beyond me, but he’s never dull, stupid or inaccurate. On another matter, I’m surprised that no one has questioned the high score for Gagnaire and presence of Bocuse.

In April's Where Alexander Lobrano gives descriptions and coordinates for several of Paris's classic brasseries: Le Terminus Nord - his first brasserie experience Au Pied de Cochon - open all night long Le Stella - "some of the best brasserie fare in town" Le Suffren - also very good La Coupole - Art Deco & to "see and be seen" Bofinger - "gorgeous...and see and be seen" Le Train Bleu - "opulent" Belle Epoque Le Vaudeville - Art Deco Julien - Art Nouveau Montparnasse 1900 - "stunning" Art Nouveau Alcazar - Terence Conran's "edgy, contemporary" "sexy decor"

And today's Zurban brings yet another list of brunch places from 13 (La Petite Porte) to 39 (Le Murano) Euros: Aerial - Kong in the 1st Lebanese - Liza in the 2nd Friends x2 - l'Estaminet d'aromes et cepages in the 3rd Snobby - Le Murano in the 4th Trendy - Curieux Spaghetti Bar in the 4th Truly Italian - Nonna Ines in the 5th Antipodial - Kiwi Corner in the 6th 100% Cheese - La Litote in the 7th Top - Flora Danica in the 8th Unifier - La Petite Porte in the 10th Cool - Waly Fay in the 11th Multicultural - l'Entrepot in the 14th Informed - Le Kiosque in the 16th Village-y - Cinnamon in the 17th Medieval - Troubadour Coffee House in the 20th

In the Saturday-Sunday Figaro dated April 1-2, the page was devoted to cocktails/bars in Paris, Alexandra Michot suggesting the following, each has proposals for what to drink: To conclude an affair - the English bar at l’hôtel Raphaël, le Duke’s at the Hôtel Westminster, le Dokhan’s + le Bar Hemingway at the Ritz or le bar at the Park Hyatt Vendome. For seduction – le Fumoir, Gérard au Café du Passage, le Jaipur, the bar at the Hotel Vernet, Le Bar 30 at the Hotel Le Faubourg, or Le China Club. To be seen – Pershing Lounge, le bar at the Plaza Athenee, or le Murano. To hide – L’Echelle de Jacob + Vino’s. To celebrate - Mathis + Baron. To begin again – La Mascotte. The top 5 bars were listed as : Le Dokhan’s, Vino’s, Apicius, Le Murano + Le Bar Hemingway du Ritz.

Six hundred “professionals” surveyed by the Brit pub Restaurant in partnership with Le Figaro, rated the best restaurants in the world and after El Bulli + the Fat Duck came Pierre Gagniare #3, Michel Bras #6, Louis XV #7, Alain Ducasse #15, Le Cinq #17, l’Astrance #22, Troisgros #24, l’Atelier de Joel Robuchon #25, l’Ambrosie #40, Bocuse #43 and l’Arpege #44. By the bye, for those following the NYT contention that Spain is where it’s at, it garnered 6 top ones versus 11 from France.

Today, Amber Garrison in her Postcards from Paris, discusses brunch places, including the luxury ones – Durand Dupont in Neuilly Sur Seine and the Café at the Musée Jacquemart-André, the spicy Restaurant 404, the classic Ladurée and the “more down to earth” L’Estaminet.

The Week of April 3rd, 2006 Monday, Le Fooding, Julia Sammut announced that Jean-Luc Rabanel had left la Chassagnette to open his own restaurant Chez Rabenel in Arles. Tuesday, A Nous Paris awarded two restaurants 4/5 blocks. The first was l’Escarbille, 8, rue de Velizy in Meudon, coordinates given last week, where they price the menu-carte at 35 but note cleverly that the train adds 4,10 €. It was again judged a terrific meal with scallops, lamb and a sable. The other is well-regarded Stella Maris, coordinates in the guides, which garnered its first Michelin star this year and where they judged there to be no faults; menus are 43 (lunch), 85 and 130 €, a la carte 94-139. Wednesday, in Figaroscope’s C’est nouveau, Emmanuel Rubin gave three and two hearts respectively to two Italian places l’Altro in the 6th and Piccola Brescia in the 20th and two hearts each to the creole place La Table de Babette in the Jamin space at 32, rue de Longchamp in the 16th, 01.45.53.00.07, closed Sundays, lunch menu at 34 € and dinner 39 plus an a la carte menu costing about 50 serving creole sausage, stuffed crab and bananas flambéed; the new chef’d Au Cou de la Girafe, coordinates given before, serving crab, beef and petits pots and Le Queniau, 150 rue de Vaugirard in the 15th, 01.47.34.48.23, closed Sundays, serving a terrine with lentils, coq au vin and baba all for about 30-40 € (13.9 € lunch formula though). Figaroscope’s “Dossier” covers seafood places, some of which have recently opened. They are: Gaya Jarrasse 144 Petrossian Cap Vernet Le Saint Amour, 8, rue du Port Mahon in the 2nd, 01.47.42.63.82, closed Sundays, menu 32, entrée-main 26, main-dessert 23 € Vin & Maree Boulogne Sur Mer. In that light, Francois Simon’s “Hache Menu” reviewed Gregory Coutanceau’s new place l’Escale, coordinates given above. The bottom line – “Should you go? “Not for an insipid, bumpy 137,50 € meal. Wednesday-Thursday in Le Monde Jean Claude Ribaut announced that the 60-year-old famed resto in Baumaniere, l’Oustau has been taken over by two Pakistanis. Wednesday as well, Zurban’s guest critic Pierrick Jegu reviewed Christophe, 8, rue Descartes in the 5th, 01.43.26.72.49 open 7/7, lunch and dinner, lunch formulas at 12, 16 and 19 €, a la carte 35-40, run by a 26 year old chef M. Philippe, who serves good product such as basque pork, boudin nems, lamb shoulder, chocolate mousse; not perfect he says but worth a retry. His restos in the casserole include a fusiony (Zen cuisine a la Francaise they say) place Namiki, 46, rue Croix des Petits Champs, closed Sundays and Mondays, lunch formula at 15, a la carte 40 € where the team and food sound pretty Japanese to me, La Cave Café, 134, rue Marcadet in the 18th which has in addition to lots of wines by the half-liter from 10 € up, sardine ceviche, lamb steak and pork mignon for 20-25 € a la carte and Boulogne sur Mer coordinates given before, the seafood in Boulogne place open only at lunch that serves a superb selection of oysters and other fish. Thursday in l’Express Jean Luc Petitrenaud discussed the patisserie/tea salon La Petite Marquise, 50 avenue de la Motte-Piquet in the 15th, 01.47.34.94.03 which also serves wine, quiche, pizza and three mains (beef, chicken, veal) for 10 € ! {exclamation point his} and L'Aubergade near Clermont-Ferrand. Also Thursday, in Le Point, Gilles Pudlowski has his usual pot-pourri of stuff; in Paris, reviews of a new mezze resto on the first floor of Galeries Lafayette run by Andreas Mavromatis – Laurier, 40, bd Haussmann in the 9th, 01.48.78.54.68, a la carte = 25 € and two Italian places, La Pizetta in the 11th and Mori in the 2nd; finds Fouquet’s and the Restaurant du Marche in fine fettle and outside, reviews the fusion place Le Blue Bay in Monte Carlo, La Maison Carrier in Chamonix and La Belle en Cuisse in Val Thorens; and finally gives a recipe for kouign-amann and where (Riguidel) to get it in Quiberon. Friday, Jean Louis Galesnes in Les Echos wrote of “Boboland” in Montorgueil, discussing the established places L'Escargot Montorgueil + Aux Crus de Bourgogne, the Thai place Silk & Spice and two Italian ones, Little Italy + Il Tre. The weekend’s FT had an article by Nick Landers on Benoit, coordinates already given, essentially saying that he still likes it. Finally Sunday, Bonjour Paris had an article by Margaret Kemp entitled “A cup of tea and good gossip buzz” about the new book by Gilles Brochard called Le Guide du The a Paris and one by John Talbott entitled “The Culinary Children of Christian Constant.” May’s FRANCE magazine, the UK one, had an article on Lille that suggested l’Huitriere, La Cave aux Fioles + Flam’s. This week Expatica featured an article on “cool bars, ” mentioning: Le Mange-Disque, 58, rue de la Fontaine-au-Roi in the 11th, Rosso Cafe, 4, bis rue Neuve-Popincourt in the 11th, La Perle, 78, rue Vielle du Temple in the 3rd, the Ice Bar, 1-5 passage Ruelle in the 18th and Le Bar Ourcq, 68, Quai de la Loire in the 19th. Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.