John Talbott

For past info on the Salon, please see here.

Bars in Paris This is one of a series of compendia that seeks to provide information available in prior threads on eGullet. Please feel free to add links to additional threads or posts or to add suggestions. Favorite spot for an apero Cool bars Plaza Athenee

Expatica has a description this week of several "cool bars" in Paris. They include: 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 Ice Bar 1-5 passage Ruelle in the 18th Le Bar Ourcq 68, Quai de la Loire in the 19th

Easy walking distance, if you order sagely at lunch is Drouant, Casaluna is kinda fun too as is Un jour a Peyrassol, a truffle-lover's heaven. I also like Alice Bardet's Le Point Bar in the Marche St Honore.

I agree with Paga. As to Chez Les Anges, it's OK but not regionally intereting like Cerisaie

I believe this is a new mention: May's FRANCE magazine wrote up a place called Aromes et Saveurs that purposefully mixes French folk and foreigners. It's at 181, rue Vercingetorix in the 14th, 06.80.52.44.26. Their website is in French, English and Italian.

I went a bit over a year ago

Eating with Children This is one of a series of compendia that seeks to provide information available in prior topics on eGullet. Please feel free to add links to additional topics or posts or to add suggestions. Lunch with children 3 1/2 and 6 9 year old Kids in restaurants Provence, Cote d’Azur One Year old Dining with a 15 month old in Brittany

The Week of March 27th, 2006 Monday, Le Fooding, had a very drole piece this week, by Elvira Masson entitled “One frig can hide another (cf the highway signs that say ”One train can hide another”) that largely relates her waiting times for the wait-person’s ministrations, etc. in one place with cheap food (4-5 € sandwiches) and plenty of ineptitude, in the gallery of what was 20 years ago, one of Paris’ refrigerated warehouses {I guess}, now converted into artists’ studios and another place hidden behind, run by one Mariko, a Japanese woman, who can fix stuff up, if you order a day ahead. The place is L’Aiguillage, 19, rue des Frigos, Gallery open 11 AM – 7 PM, Café 12:30-3, 01.45.84.52.46 and the Maison des Frigos, Mariko, is at 01.44.23.76.20 {It sounds like one of these goofy Dans le noir experiences, but with lighting.} Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger gave 3/5 blocks to the new Italian place near the Bourse - Mori Venice Bar and Philippe Toinard gave only 1/5 to Royce, coordinates in last week’s Figaroscope, a place that serves mixed cuisine in a mixed-up way. In Wednesday’s Figaroscope’s “Dossier”, Gilles Dupuis and Colette Monsat tell you where to get twenty rare products {NB there were no “C’est nouveau” or “Hache Menu” features this week: The most glittery 239: the Costes liqueur used in cocktails – Lafayette Gourmet Tea flowers - Lafayette Gourmet Finé Japanese bottled water – Colette Edible gold – Cremant de Bourgogne AOC Lubie white Bordeaux in an aluminum bottle – La Grande Epicerie The most gourmet Pride of Thailand coffee – Cafés Verlet Red pepper – Goumanyat Princess almonds – Granterroirs Guerlande honey – Boutique de la famille Miery The most rustic Alexion drink from 52 plants – Produits des Monasteres Cosmetic cameline oil – Boutique Codina Pumpernickel – Boutique de Tante Emma Wagyu Japanese beef – J.M. Le Bourdonnec Hilds Bauer purple radishes – Joel Thiebault The craziest Haggis – Saveurs d’Irlande et d’Ecosse + The Gourmet Shoppe Merlot flavored peanuts – La Grande Epicerie Muse de France absinthe – l’Absinthe Schlenkerela smoked beer – Au Bootlegger Avocado-guacamole ice cream – Mister Ice Poil de lievre rare red wine – Crus du Soleil Ali Baba’s stores Paris Store et Tang + Comptoir Colonial To drink Champagne – Trocadero Dokhan’s Sofitel Demeure Water – Water bar Tequila – Barrio Latino To eat Eel – Nodaiwa Quenelles – Bar a soups & quenelles Lamb – J’Go Apples - Pomze Oysters – l’Ecailler du Bistrot Truffles – Terres de Truffes Tomatoes – Rouge St Honore Rabbit – Monsieur Lapin Wednesday as well, Zurban’s guest critic Pierrick Jegu reviewed only one French place – Fontaine Fiacre, 8, rue Hippolyte Lebas in the 9th, 01.53.20.88.70, formulas 12.50 (weekday lunch), 21 and 27 €; a la carte about 40 € where despite what sounds like raucous music and a banal décor the food was not bad at all – foie gras, beef cheek bourguignon and iced parfait. The other restos reviewed were the tapas and bands’ place Pena Festayre in the 19th, a US-knockoff Breakfast in America 2 in the 4th and an Italian trattoria, La Forchetta in the 14th. In Wednesday’s NYT there was an article by Melissa Clark entitled “To Lure the French, Don't Be Too Sweet” on Magrebian pastries and places to buy them in Paris, for more, please see this thread started by ludja. Wednesday-Thursday in Le Monde Jean Claude Ribaut discussed the fact that oysters rarely have etiquettes that show the date they were caught/harvested. He also had an article on a new sort of oyster (pioneered in the USA) that is consistent in firmness, etc., throughout all four seasons (esp. in July & August) and will be served in all 14 of the Flo brasseries but not at Le Divellec. Thursday in l’Express Jean Luc Petitrenaud featured the 60 year old Chez Etienne in Marseille as well as reviewing a real find - the Symples de l'os à moelle in Issy (coordinates given before), where in a tiny (no bigger than a pocket handkerchief ) table d’hote place, they serve up a panoply of hors-d'œuvres (céleri rémoulade, sliced carrot, coco beans, sausage or country terrines and potatoes with vinegar) followed by beef cut from big chucks and cheese straight from the farm, plus desserts such as crumbles, tarts and cakes. Also Thursday, in Le Point, Gilles Pudlowski served up his familiar array: he suggests following Caviar House Prunier + Les Muses at the Scribe Hotel, finds Chiberta + Lipp in good shape and touts three places in alpine ski country - L'Atelier in Megeve, Le Belvédère in Méribel and La Bouitte in St Martin de Belleville. He also notes what others have already announced – that the Relais du Parc has a menu composed by both Ducasse and Robuchon. In addition, he writes about the pates at Feyel-Artzner in Strasbourg and gives a recipe for goose foie gras in brioche. Rosa Jackson, in her “Paris Bites” in Paris Notes, in her graceful way, wrote a review of Drouant, coordinates given already, where she loved the 4-some starter, “four corners of the world” and main of crunchy pork belly; but not the chocolate desserts, and sums up saying she’ll not head back there as quickly as to Westerman’s other Parisian outpost Mon Vieil Ami {FYI my review here is a bit more enthusiastic and I have been and will be back}. For those so inclined she also gives a nice recounting of the Omnivore Food Festival, held recently in Le Havre (to read it one must subscribe here.) From Time Out Paris comes word that Alain Ducasse has asked Angelo Sosa, the American fusion chef this summer to Spoon. Amber Garrison, in her Postcards from Paris, had a piece on the Café Ventilo, near the Madeleine, upstairs from the store itself, with a formula at 25 and menu at 39 € serving lightish food such as salmon and curried chicken. The April 2006 Conde Nast Traveler had an article by Roland Tec on Cannes in which he touted the following: Da Laura, Xuan, La Cave, La Pizza, l’Escale, Taverne Lucullus, 4U, Caffé Capri + Fellini the latter three for “late night” drinks, expressi and gelatti respectively. As was reported last week in Figaroscope Gregory Couanceau has left Le Cou de la Girafe replaced by “the talented chef” Frederic Claudel, ex-Poele d’Or and according to lesrestos.com his new menu features beautiful fish and beef cheeks with carrots. The English publication GoGo Paris, supplied to me by Fresh_a, has several reviews of largely new places, specifically of Sens which delivers good quality and value, of La Famille, serving over-priced and tricky food {my views exactly}, Le Pamphlet, which served slow food at too fast a pace, the Table d’hote du Palais Royal aka Caroll Sinclair, serving organic ingredients in a romantic setting, La Cantine du Faubourg, which has revamped itself as a performance art/resto under a new chef and Cabaret, 2 pl du Palais Royal in the 1st, 01.58.62.56.25, open Tuesday-Saturday 8-10:30 PM, for mediocre and expensive food. This week Expatica featured an article by Rosa Jackson on “Le Fooding” concluding that it’s “sweeping France and replacing the formality of traditional French cooking with a more feel-good approach.” Back a ways (March 19th), the London Telegraph had an article saying “Stop kidding yourselves: France still has better restaurants, says Michel Roux” by David Harrison.” It was in part in response to the buzz that London had passed Paris (and NYC) as “the” food place. Roux, an “anglophile who describes himself as "50-50 French-English in my heart", said food in Paris was "better quality and better value for money". He said he had eaten at “at two Parisian restaurants last week, both "just below one Michelin star level", and paid €75 and €80 for two.” {Humm, like to know what they were.} He said that “French ingredients were fresher because they were produced locally and sold in markets, whereas much of the food in England has been transported for many miles.” FYI, Marcus Wareing, trained by the Roux’s and now head chef at the Savoy, added some spice to the discussion, saying "London and New York live in the modern world whereas Paris is stuck in a time warp, its restaurants are less inventive." Source: Articles about dining in France. Sunday’s New York Times had an article by Caren Osten Gerszberg on a weekend in Avignon with children that touted the following places: Le Pili, le Bistrot des Arts, La Regence + le Festival des Glaces, the latter two a café and ice cream place respectively. Finally Sunday, Bonjour Paris had an article by John Talbott entitled “The Culinary Children of Christian Constant.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

Since I am one of those who touts Le Reminet for Sunday eating, I'm a bit defensive and just want to restate that I eat 99% of my "out" meals at lunch and I can assure you that there are only a scattering of non-French folks (more often Asian than Anglophonic) at that time if that's what one desires. That said, I must admit that when I first saw their menu with English translations in the window (a few years after it opened) I was sure it would now be 100% tourists (that's us folks) but no, that's not true at noon. If you want 100% francophone Sunday dinners, I'd suggest neighborhood places in the far reaches of the distant quartiers (eg the 18th, 19th and 20th). But that's for another thread.

Thanks. We were told they would not be open. JK sounds fine.

Please note Splendido is not open for lunch and closed on Monday's. This may be tough as I know many places are closed for on Monday period, regardless of the holiday. ← Yes, well, that was my query. In Paris, a place may be open (1) on a set day, eg Sunday, Monday. etc., holiday or not, (2) everyday of the year (eg brasseries or the Bistrot du Dome, for example) or (3) catering to the holiday/weekend set. I was wondering if there was a good or even reasonable place open 24/7/365 or famously for holiday lunch times. Sorry I was unspecific and/or telegraphic.

Hi, me again. This time I'm looking for a nice place downtown Toronto for 15-20 persons that would be open on Victoria Day, May 22. Price is no object; help me avoid having to eat in a dining room at the Royal York. Thanks John

Then I think we can safely say you're looking for bistros. Now that we have a handy-dandy compendium of threads you might want to check out the Bistro one and purchase Lebey's Guide to Bistrots 2006, 12,50 E and as always read John Whiting's (the King of Bistros) Bistro Guide & Writings.

Daniel, I'd be interested in what he uses as examples. Gastropub is a popular designation in the UK, but in France one mainly hears/sees gastrobistro or gastronomique or other uses of gastro as a prefix. There is no true equivalent of a pub across the channel; the closest would be a bar-café, then a brasserie, then a bistrot. Food critics are forever combining words and frankly I have trouble understanding what they're driving at. It's like a bistro outside of New York/SF; looks like no bistro decor or menu that I'm familiar with.

For those interested in the Fooding movement, there is an article by Rosa Jackson in this week’s Expatica on the subject. In addition, past threads of interest include these: 1, 2 and 3.

PLease use the Spanish forum. My experience last year was that they were most helpful and I ate like a king.

There are also these existing threads for Chablis and Dijon: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

To help others find the threads you’ve read, here are some of them: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34.

For Provence, there are also these existing threads: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21.

There are also these existing threads: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

There are also these existing threads: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

This are also these existing threads: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.

This is one of a series of compendia that seeks to provide information available in prior topics on eGullet forums. This is an evolving resource that will be updated prospectively and, time permitting, retrospectively. Currently it goes back only to January 1, 2006 and stops September 17, 2007. Aix en Provence Aix Alsace, Strasbourg, Colmar Alsace and Lorraine Annecy Aquitaine Arles Arles Avignon Avignon, Provence Ay Basque country Biarritz, Basque Bordeaux Bordeaux Bourges Burgundy, Rhone, Chablis Burgundy Burgundy, Dijon, Beaune, Vezelay, Chablis Burgundy Cantal (southern) Carcassone Catalonia Chateauneuf du Pape Champagne Champagne, Epernay, Reims Champagne Champagne Cognac Cognac, Poitou-Charentes, La Rochelle, Niort Corsica Cote d'Azur Cote d’Azur, Riviera, Cap d’Antibes, Nice, Cannes, etc Cote d'Azur, Cannes and Nice Cote d'Azur Dijon Dordogne, St Emilion Epernay, Reims Evian les Bains Gard, Ardeche the Gers Grenoble Herault/Queyras/Ubaye Ile de Re Languedoc Languedoc Loire Loire the Luberon the Luberon the Luberon Lyon, N. Rhone Lyon Lyon Lyon Lyon Marseille Megeve Montpellier Languedoc Rousillion Le Mont Saint Michel Nantes Nice Nice Nice Nice Normandy Normandy Normandy Picardie Poitou-Charentes Provence Provence, Aix, Avignon Provence, Gordes Provence, Monaco, Nice, St Tropez Provence Provence Provence: Uzes/Serviers-Labaume, Aix, Orange, Avignon, Chateauneuf, Arles, St Quentin Pyrenees Pyrenees Pyrenees, central Reims Reims Rhone Valley Avignon Chateauneuf Uzes Riviera St Cyprien Sarlat South of France South of France Strasbourg Strasbourg Toulouse Toulouse Toulouse-Carcassone Val d'Isere Villefranche sur Mer

And I just found this on Basque cooking in Paris.