-
Posts
4,370 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Everything posted by John Talbott
-
I have not been in quite a while but was never disappointed. Yes, there are two and again they are buried back in some prior threads. I'll try to locate next week.
-
I'm not sure who cares about such details, but ever since they redesigned the Figaro website, the Saturday/Sunday Figaro articles on food and wine actually appear in the Section III - "Et vous" of the newspaper but are posted on their website as if they are in Figaro Madame. Thus if you click on Cuisine you are directed to all these MAD addresses. I've complained to no avail.
-
John Did they give an address for Pain et Passion? I just looked on pagesjaunes and didn't find anything. I have to buy a galette today, so maybe I'll try it. ← Yup, thot I put up the link, sorry, it's 117 avenue d'Italie in the 13th
-
Wednesday/Thursday, Le Monde’s Jean-Claude Ribaut wrote two articles, one entitled “Intimate Service” about catered meals at home that featured: Ghislane Arabian, now head of “production” of Passion Traiteur, 145, bvd de Valmy in Colombes, 01.46.49.45.50 who has 50 cooks and 40 pastry chefs under her.
-
Today, Le Figaro’s Alexandra Michot and Francois Simon rated four aspects (appearance, flakiness, interior and taste of it all), of galettes purchased everywhere from Pierre Herme (40 E for 6) to Monoprix (4.95 E for 6). Their findings (20 being a perfect score): Pain et Passion 18 G. Mulot 15.5 P. Herme 15 Lenotre 15 Hediard 13.5 Fauchon 12.5 Rollet-Pradier 12.5 Kayser 12 Stohrer 12 Grande Epicerie 11.5 Vandermeersch 11.5 A. Delmontel 10.5 Dalloyau 10 Laduree 9 Paul 8 Monoprix 6 Edited by John Talbott Saturday afternoon 16:25 to add link to Figaro article for coordinates.
-
OK, the Michelin Red has a whole page of them; unfortunately they do not seem to be at viaMichelin (their online resource.) However the ones I can recommend are: le Meurice, Goumard, Ambassade d'Auvergne, Bofinger, Papilles, Bastide Odeon, Mediterranee, Maison des Polytechniciens, Maison de l'Amerique Latine, Tante Marguerite, Grande Cascade, Pre Catelan + Petit Colombier. As to size, you'll have to email or telephone, I know some (like Les Papilles + Petit Colombier) have rooms but they are too small for 30. Good luck and please report back.
-
There's no middle ground here - say a red Loire or a white St Joseph? It's not like you can take the two unfinished bottles to the next place.
-
Well, buried in the threads for La Regalade, is a post from me, that says that a year plus ago, when I ordered but did not finish a bottle, they offered to cork it. I eat alone often in Paris and I'd say in the last year (since the new alcohol limits have been enforced and radar cameras have been installed on the highways) that it is possible but not automatic. Francois Simon, crack (no pun intended) food critic for Figaro/Figaroscope noted in an article how pleasant it was to be offered an unfinished bottle in a "doggie-bag" and how much he enjoyed it on reaching his destination.
-
Both follonica and Felice have good points; indeed taking over a restaurant is a super idea; also, as my friend Paga reminded me tonite, any "Palace" hotel will have private rooms with excellent food. Another thought, I've been to receptions/dinners at places like the Opera Garnier and the Hotel de Ville where their catered food was first rate.
-
Have you done a search yet? There was a thread about eating places for 6-12 people that got several posts about places with private rooms. One of the guidebooks also lists private rooms but I cannot recall which one.
-
Are you taking the Roissybus from Opera or the RER from the Gare du Nord? If the former, there are the Garnier + Mollard at 111 and 115 Rue St Lazare respectively; if the latter, the Terminus Nord (across the street) is ideal. I don't know opening times tho but you should be able to Google them.
-
Expatica has an article entitled “Hot and bothered in the French kitchen” that I believe fits in this discussion. I’ll largely paraphrase two quotes from a conference on “New Culinary Trends” in Tours in December by Pierre Combris and Luc Dubanchet to avoid copyright issues: the former says that food consumption has been stable in Europe for 10-15 years, thus “anything new replaces” something in existence; the latter, that in French cooking “tradition and creation” are “in opposition.”
-
Yesterday, le Figaroscope published a “Dossier” of vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly places that included: B.A.M. Lena et Mimile Les Vivres Zoe bouillon Naked Biotifull Place Café Guitry Lood Juice Bar And also Bioboa, Colette Au Water Bar, Rose Bakery, Mon Vieil Ami, le Montalembart & Relais du parc.
-
Chufi, these are great and helpful suggestions and along with other threads are terrific. Since we get plenty of French food in Paris, your thoughts on (1) Indonesian (2) Seafood, (3) Indian and (4) Southeast Asian places in Amsterdam would also be welcome. My wife Colette will be in Amsterdam for a week doing art stuff and staying at the Sofitel and thus for lunch she wants places a reasonable distance from the museums in Central Amsterdam but in the evening can use her trans pass to go anywhere there is good fare. Thanks, John
-
Sorry Fresh A, A. Cammas is not A. Camus, I've corrected.
-
Well, I'm not sure, but I was cautioned to carry something to beat back the alligators from the sewers under the Metro. Our "remasseur" yesterday spirited back a Mont D'Or, Epoisses and smelly, runny chevre on the train without being arrested.
-
Interesting points, Petit, especially about training. And of course, who knows whether this "Manifesto" is but one more in a long list of good-intentioned statements or will do something substantive; the old rubber hitting the road problem. While I don't want to be too grandiose, my recollection is that the "Slow Food" movement and manifesto started off amid much skepticism too and if not earth-shaking today, has had a significant impact. And to slide off the topic a bit farther, the French wine industry, now spending oddles of energy bemoaning over-production, low prices, unfair competition from South of the equator, insufficient government support, antique labels and inadequate marketing, might look at what the Italian wine industry did to modernize, or closer to home, Cahors, which in 30 years went from a specialized beverage closer to crankcase oil to a sophistocated wine.
-
That's wonderful Kate and your post reminds those of us who are Paris-centricly-minded that there are great places out there, in Gascony and elsewhere, from which you cannot see Paris.
-
John, far be it for me to criticize my hosts here, but I do think that while most folk did not read reports or the original New York Times article about Spanish cuisine surpassing French cooking or the news of the Fat Duck being rated the best resto in the world - the message has been received.
-
The Week of December 26th, 2005 Two Thursdays ago, Paris Vendu’s Pierre Charles wrote an extended piece on where to get your ingredients for the various end of the year festivities, that included: For foie gras: Petrossian Sapidus Comtess du Barry Wine: La Garde Robe Les Crus du Soleil Champagne: Nicolas Feuillatte Bread: Eric Kayser Le Coquelicot Barthelemy Yves Desgranges For Buches de Noel: Pierre Marcolini Jean-Paul Hevin For chocolates: Patrice Chapon La Maison du Chocolat Desserts: Pierre Herme {I try to keep my editorial voice muted in this Digest but sometimes it is difficult; example:} In last week’s Paris Match, pages 68-71 were devoted to an article/interview by Irene Vacher with three photos of Helene Darroze on her bed, dressed in pink, turquoise and black negligees {that would be suitable for a Victoria’s Secret catalog: are we to surmise that cheesecake fills seats at her eponymous resto or that she’s a trend-setter and we will soon see photo-montages of Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse et al in jockey shorts?} Francois Simon’s “Croque Notes” in last Saturday-Sunday’s Figaro wrote an essay whose title translates “Damnation” or “Damn me” about the tension between the edge-pushing chefs of Omnivore’s “Generation C” and the “Big Boys” who say “French cuisine is not dead.” But he notes, the Japanese born chef who runs Stella Maris makes a better game tart {than the others,} despite not having garnered a Michelin star. Taking a swipe at airplane food (where the French flag is at half mast,) he says it’s good to come back to earth and find a good “small address” in the 6th – La Boissonnerie, aka Fish La Boissonnerie, 69, rue de Seine, 01.43.54.34.69, where the fish and wine were superb and where the owners and clients were well-brought-up Anglophones. Bonjour Paris appeared a bit late this week. In it are an article by Margaret Kemp entitled “We are all fou” about Alain Ducasse’s latest effort to promote young chefs called “Fou de France,” which recently involved Fabrice Biasolo preparing lunch for M. Ducasse. In the same issue was an article by John Talbott entitled “Parsing French Restaurant Reviews.” {Reading the complete versions of both require Premium Subscription-ship, if there is such a word.} Wednesday, in Zurban, Sebastien Demorand, was imagining what he would do on New Year’s Eve, saying that if he did not go to a “normal” restaurant serving “reasonably-priced” food, such as le Baratin, figured out what he would have if eating a picnic or at home and from where (Galeries Lafayette for Bellotta-Bellotta, Coteaux du 9e for wine and Fauchon for desserts). In his “Restos a la Cassserole” he wrote up one wine bar that has fine pork dishes - La Garde a Manger, 41, rue de l’Arbre Sec in the 1st, 01.49.26.90.60, open everyday with a formula at 8.50 E and a la carte about 10-30 E, where he loved the cochonnailles and oysters; the increasingly-well-reviewed but imitative US Steak house - Steak and Lobster, coordinates above; and the pizza/pasta/trattoria La Pizzetta in the 9th. In Wednesday’s Zurban as well, Antoine Besse gave a whole list of places to go for New Year’s Eve that were not quite as dear as the list I digested December 12th from Figaroscope. It included several restaurants: Le Troisieme Lieu, Bouillion Racine, Mezzanine de l’Alcazar, Hotel Montalembart, Music Hall, Chalet du Lac, l’Entrepot, Au Noailles + Curieux Spaghetti Bar. In the year-end Figaroscope pull-out supplement (graciously supplied by Felice) they list the “best of 2005” places that I have posted elsewhere on the ”Best of” thread. In addition, however, Emmanuel Rubin wrote an article on what we can expect in 2006. Example: Triple-star chef Antoine Westerman “orchestrates” the new menu and décor at Drouant; Michel del Burgo finally assumes direction of Jamin; Inaki Aiziparte, now at Transversal, takes control of the Chateaubriand; Thierry Faucher, l’Os a Moelle’s owner, opens a new tapas place in the 15th; Caviar & House Prunier open a “seafood bar” on the second floor; l’Apollo changes its concept; Taste Monde of Issy-les-Moulineaux opens a new place in the 7th; Vin & Maree changes hands; and Gilles Choukroun of l’Angl’Opera, opens a new place at the new Museum of Arts Deco in September. Wednesday/Thursday, in Le Monde’s Jean-Claude Ribaut had an article on sweet natural wines (vin doux naturel or VDN, such as Rivesaltes, Banyuls and Beaumes-de-Venise) that go with everything from game to chocolate as well as one on with what to serve them and where to buy ones for New Year’s Eve. Saturday/Sunday, Alexandra Michot devoted a entire page in Le Figaro to the celebration of Fauchon’s 120th birthday with a history of its life to date accompanied by photos of gold and silver wrapped éclairs, exotic fruit, a Pierre Herme creation as well as their cooking stars – Fukimo Kono and Christophe Adam. Omnivore, the relatively new publication dedicated to “advancing” French cuisine beyond its current limitations and passionate advocate of “Generation C” chefs {about which I’ll have more to say in a new thread}, published a full and detailed review/explication/treatise by its editorial director, Luc Dubanchet, on Transvзrsal, coordinates given before, that shows how in many ways, this place {my take on it is here} is its iconographic restaurant. The remainder of the publication provides a fascinating compendium of: news items, stories about TV cooking shows, recipes, book reviews and reports of close encounters with other food cultures. And just in time for the New Year’s Eve celebration, thanks to Felice, I’ve learned of Le Fooding’s new bulletins, this one has listed six spots to go tonight: Lei, Ploum, Flora, Senderens, Ramulaud + Chez Jean. The reasons can be found at their website. Happy New Year! __________________________________________________________________ It is traditional at the end of the year to thank others who have been particularly helpful to folks in the preceding year. This Digest could not happen without the help of numerous people. First off, I’m grateful to Steve Shaw and Jason Perlow for giving us all the opportunity to be members of the eGullet community; it’s rare to have any activity that has such high standards, active participation and incredible enthusiasm as eGullet. Second, I’m thankful to Robert Buxbaum for encouraging me to develop this late life second career and to the team on the French Forum: Lucy Vanel, our Manager and Phyllis Flick, our Events Specialist. Third, I could not do this without people collecting the raw data from which I work, from Phyllis to Luc Dubanchet, who faithfully deliver respectively “A Nous Paris” and “Omnivore” to my doorstep/fax machine, as well as my sources for new experiences – Paga, Felice, Pierre45, Zouave, John Whiting and so many others who write me with suggestions. And fourth, thanks to the readers of the Digest who provide wonderful notes of encouragement; I’m not able to answer each one but I appreciate them – thanks to you Laidback, Carlsbad, Margaret Pilgrim, Raisab, weinoo, Eatmywords, Images, markk, molto e, Zeitoun, follonica2, OAKGLEN, Sachsmo and mzimbeck. Finally, funnily enough, thanks to the chefs, young and old, in Paris (who read this Forum more carefully than any of us realize) for producing the terrific stuff we can write about. And I must conclude by thanking my wife, Colette, who puts up with the quality and quantity of this craziness; which she aids and abets through gifts such as Dianne Jacob’s Will Write for Food, Marlowe & Co, NY, 2005. That’s about it for 2005; Happy New Year! 2006 is afoot, let’s go! ___________________________________________________________________ Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.
-
Well, from reading Omnivore, viewing the photos and between the lines (there's never been a list of them published that I know of) the established guys are folks such as Ducasse, Choukroun, the Pourcels, Ledeuil, Zuddas and Mikula. Who was in Marseilles and drafted it? I don't know.As for style; none, there's no dogma that I can discern. Again, from what I get talking to food critics, reading and supposing; the thrust is to break away from Generation A (Escoffier, butter, cream); Generation B (nouvelle & minceur) to a new level which is receptive to foreign influences (Catalunia, Asia, Africa, techniques, spices, ingredients, and horrors, even the Chino brothers, the US West Coast and Alice Waters). Evidence - the recent trip of 5 or 6 of them to Japan this fall and Australia currently. At least one of their fellow travellers has even gone to Chicago recently. But John, now that Omnivore has some of their stuff online (not the 80E/yr the hard copy costs) - go look. Happy New Year All, Vivent les Generations C-Z John
-
Generation.C Manifesto: Marseilles, 2005 Recently, some of the group of chefs, known as “Generation C,” published a “Manifesto” in the December issue (# 22) of Omnivore, the monthly publication that is dedicated to advancing French cuisine. Whether this will be as important as the Slow Food Manifesto and movement, only time will tell; there are various such statements made in France every few years, most of which die a silent death. In any case, this is a summary/translation of the Manifesto, which for various copyright/etc reasons, I’ve vastly reduced from its 749 original words to 1/7th that. Generation.C represents a group of young but mature chefs who are comfortable with their culture’s traditions and cooking but are open to new directions. They are more than a group or association; they represent a new spirit and have common values. The members of this group want to train future members in a cooperative rather than competitive environment and ascribe to the following: 1. To open, share and communicate - with all in the field at whatever level or wherever they work, without mean-spiritedness, to create different food, exchange techniques, etc - to elevate our profession, promote a contemporary and active image and entice the young into our restaurants - to interact with chefs/cuisines of all countries to promote a two-way exchange of new ideas without dumbing down cuisine to a globalized practice, 2. To share and exchange information with our current collaborators as well pass on our passion and knowledge to those who are still learning; for example, by forming a bridge between practicing chefs and training programs, requiring each of us to participate personally in cooking schools through the formation of a training unit within Generation.C, Conclusion: Without second-guessing or holding preconceived ideas and while not stifling individual creativity, we are dedicated to acting collectively to advance our field towards a livelier future. Generation.C If I’ve missed any important issues, I apologize, and hope that those representing “Generation C,” and I know of at least one person who is a dedicated eGullet member, will chime in.
-
French Food Guides 2006 – Part 5 – Fooding: The Guide 2006 How does one summarize this year’s “Fooding Guide” to Paris restos? This second (in my memory) compendium, shepherded by Alexandre Cammas, lists 400 places grouped in ten categories (those that are: toooo good, bistrots, “feeling,” “terroir”-ish, not pricey, wine oriented, cafetherias [sic], foreign, where one can see and be seen and bars) with eight new/improved symbols (a sort of happy face, zippy food, where to be seen, where one can hear, spend a lot, get fresh products/veggies, sit outside and dine late.) And why bother? The Guide was published this year on November 17th as a supplement to Liberation and not sold separately; thus you couldn’t buy one today if you wanted to. I’m indebted to Felice for picking up a copy for me. Well, one reason is so you’ll be on the alert for next year’s edition or try to bum a copy off a French foodie friend. And second, because, along with its competitive sibling, Omnivore, it’s pushing towards less stuffy, more accessible and less pricey food and its picks and descriptions are indicative of where Cammus et al think the field should be headed. OK, so what’ve’we’got? (NB: I’ve heavily pared down the 400 trying to select those that members or I have been passionate about). Tooo Good‘s restaurants include: Le Comptoir, Fogon, Ze Kitchen Galerie, l’Ami Jean, Gaya, Flora, Chez Jean, Repaire de Cartouche, Villaret, Avant-Gout, Cerisaie, Regalade, Beurre Noisette, Thierry Burlot, Troquet + Les Magnolias. The Bistrots include: l’Ardoise, Chez Denise, Café des Musees, Mon Vieil Ami, Epi Dupin, Affriole, Les Anges, Bon Accueil, Carte Blanche, Georgette, Vieux Chene, l’Ourcine, Bis de Severo, Giufeli, Pere Claude, Marches du Palais, Table Lauriston + l’Entredgeu. The “Feeling” places include: Angl’Opera, Chez Omar, Les Don Juan, Les Papilles, Fish La Boissonerie, Le Timbre, Bellota-Bellota, Cinq Mars, Ambassadeurs, Senderens, Le Temps Au Temps, La Cave de l’Os a Moelle, Abadache, Chapeau Melon, Baratin + Boulangerie. The “terroir” ones include: Aux Lyonnais, Au Bascou, Baracane, Fables de la Fontaine, J’Go, Chez Michel, Cagouille+ Les Coteaux. The nicely priced places include: Le Bar a Soupes, Bouche a Oreille + Noura. Some of the wine places/bars were: Les Papilles, La Cremerie, Fish La Boissonnerie, Vin de Soif, Verre Vole, Bistrot Paul Bert, Muse Vin, Cave de l’Os a Moelle, Petrissans, Chapeau Melon, Vin Chai Moi + La Cave est Restaurant. Those included in the “Cafetheria” section: Angelina, Café Marly, Le Fumoir, Cafe de Flore, La Cuisine, Delicabar, La Cuisine, 1728, Pure Café, Café Bibliotheque + Le Sancerre. I won’t list the foreign places but fyi, the American one is: Thanksgiving. To see and be seen, consider: Le Costes, l’Ecailler de la Fontaine, l’Ami Louis, le Georges, Apicius, Market, Table de Lancaster, Grange Bateliere, Café Guitry, Hotel du Nord, Square Trousseau, Bon + Cristal Room Baccarat. And then, some of the bars are: Harry’s, Andy Wahloo, Culture Biere & Sancerre.
-
I wondered about that phrase; I originally wrote "Eurotrash jacket," but thought it too un-PC. Your question is OT, but let me bring it back to food. In the 1960's and 1970's, if you dined at say Lucas-Carton, you wore a suit, shirt and tie. Today, at its successor - Senderens - one sees black tee-shirts and black leather jackets - on the men, mind you; the women are still elegant. As the subsequent posts have said, houndstooth (as wonderfully shown in "The Family Stone") or tweed jackets work well. I have a closetful of dreadful jackets acquired over the years at places as disparate as Daffy's and C&A that Colette tries to put in the recycle box that seem to work.
-
“Best Of” - Paris 2005 Chapter 1 – le Figaroscope In the Figaroscope supplement “Restaurants: Best of 2005” graciously remassed by Felice, there was this list of good places: Alain Senderens - Restaurant of the Year, followed by: Le Comptoir du Relais Benoit Gaya Le Refectoire La Grange-Bateliere Cinq Mars Ante Prima Liza Kai Le XVe Cuisine Attitude Carte Blanche Sens par La Compagnie des Comptoirs Aida Samiin Culture Biere Hotel du Nord Le Cou de la Girafe Le Transversal Yvan au Montecristo Fogon in a special Hache Menu by Francois Simon; and also: Auguste, Vin de Soif, Vino’s, Meating, Regis, Cave est Restaurant, le nouveau Pub St-Germain, Les Anges, Chez Isse. Then there were interviews/reports of famous food personalities on several questions, including your favorite restaurant, your disappointment and your three favorite places – the experts were Alexandre Cammus (co-founder of “le Fooding”), Claude Lebey (of the Lebey guides), Vincent Ferniot (ex-Telematin food guy), Isabelle Giordano (writer/cineophile), Sophie Dudemaine (coauthor of “La Cuisine de Ducasse”), Julie Andrieu (food critic) and Jean-Luc Petitrenaud (l’Express.) In order: their favorites were l’Ami Jean, Senderens, Helene Darroze, le Bistral, l’Assiette Champignoise (in Tinqueux), Auguste, Fogon + Apicius, Mon Vieil Ami; their disappointments were: Benoit, Savoy, Poele d’Or’s closing, Comptoir, Roellinger (in Cancale), none, none; and their three favorites: Petit Café, Lao Lang Xang, Kai + Table de Lauriston, Josephine, Comptoir + Osteria, Au Bonheur de Chine, Pere Claude + Café Toscano, Pere Claude, Baratin + Spicy, Casa Bini, Quatre Chats + Café Armani, Massimo, Caves Miard + Café Mode, Café Constant and his home.