John Talbott

Good point. I'll keep brevity in mind. The link issue is interesting. Just recently I tried a Figaro link from a while ago and it had been recycled, eg the link took me to a more recent review rather than the original. Also, Le Monde puts stuff into its archives fairly rapidly, at which point one must pay to see it.

Pierre - Thanks and you raise an interesting point. Colette and I are especially baffled by the Figaro group's differentiation between a 2 and 3 heart rating and have liked many 2 hearts and hated some 3 hearts. I'm more in accord with their 1 and 4 heart reviews. As for promotion, both Simon and Pudlowski's books and my conversation with another Parisian food writer make me think that to some extent one of the French food critics' goals is to encourage folks to eat out, experiment and seek new horizons (fusion, Asian, Italian food and New World wines), especially those younger ones whom we see more and more take shorter and shorter lunches, eat sandwiches on the Metro and otherwise demonstrate less devotion to the food standards and habits of yore.

I would like to thank everyone who’s written me by whatever means to comment on the Digest. Year’s end is traditionally a time of appraisal and I would welcome any feedback on the Digest on this thread or if you wish on a PM or email. Recall that I set several parameters on my contributions when I started: Do you have any comments about: 1. Publications covered? At the suggestion of readers, I’ve added Where + A Nous Paris. 2. Information provided? I give the restaurants’ coordinates at the first mention or if they’ve been out of the limelight for a while, but usually not those in guidebooks or food guides. And I give prices and closing days. 3. Level of detail? For instance, not giving every dish mentioned in reviews. 4. Length: too long, too short, just right? 5. Keeping my own opinions to a minimum and then indicated with {}’s? Rather, I’ve tried putting them in my new restaurant threads. 6. Coverage? Largely new, French restaurants, mainly in Paris, or notable oldies. 7. Links to sources? They often go dead or are updated to make finding original articles useless months later. Thank you. I and the Digest wish you the happiest of seasons and hope for a delicious New Year.

I'm away from my Patricia Well's "Food Lovers Guide to France" which lists days and seasons for markets but one of the Bayonne websites list four markets: in the center, Saint Esprit, Hauts de Sainte Croix and Polo Beyris with times and days.

A couple of thoughts: Figaroscope yesterday gave a bunch of cabarets etc to go to. Zurban next Wednesday will list some places to eat at that will not break the bank. The Paris Tourism site suggests stuff like Christmas tree creations at the Pompidou and skating at the Eiffel Tower (resumed after high winds closed it a few days ago) The Ile de France website lists special concerts such as the one at the Madeleine (a magnificent place to hear music) by Bernard Thomas, etc of Vivaldi, Gloria Magnificat, Mozart, Ave Verum, Handel, and the "Hallelujah" plus a jazz one and one devoted to the old floating barge dancehalls outside Paris (Nogent) - the guinguettes.

I have eaten Arnaud's food at the mothership - the Hotel de France in Auch - when he was cooking under the guidance of his father Andre, who is now head of the French Restaurateur's syndicat. It was glorious. He trained in both France and Washington DC. I second Bux's idea. We also ate at a place Gault and Millau rated relatively low (12-13) which had an impenetrably un-understandable Basque name but I can't put my finger on it yet. It had very good local fare. Edited by John Talbott for clarity.

Last week, December 11th, in Le Figaro’s “Propos de Table,” Jean Miot wrote up L’Ami Jean, 27 rue Malar in the 7th, 01.47.05.86.89, closed Sundays and Mondays, menu at 28 €, a la carte = 35 €; which has an all game menu at 48 €. I have eaten there not altogether felicitously but others have done much better and this review tempts me to try again.

December 11th, Alexandra Michot had an article in Le Figaro on places to learn to cook lighter fare. They included places in Paris, Biarritz, Courchevel, Eugenie-les-Bains, Strasbourg and various Chateaux et Hotels de France and Relais and Chateaux.

Figaroscope's November 15th issue seconds Zouave's suggestion for La Muse Vin for bio wines and food.

More: Friday/Saturday in Le Monde’s Toques en Pointe”, Jean-Claude Ribaut reviewed three more restaurants for New Year’s Eve:Le Celadon at the Hotel Westminster for 290 € without liquids (normally menus are 48 € and 62 €, with wine at lunch, and a la carte is 110 €. Michel Rostang, 300 € without wine (normally the lunch menu is 65 €, others 175 € and 230 € a la carte = 150 €. Les Elysees du Vernet, 295 € without drinks or 395 € (with champagne and great wines), normallt it’s 60 € for lunch and a la carte, about 120 €.

The Week of December 13th, 2004 In the Figaro Magazine last weekend, Maurice Beaudoin and Francois Simon with Sebastien Lapaque and Alain Sarraute wrote an article entitled “These restaurants are worth a detour.” In it, they list: Le Cafe d’Angel, 16, rue Brey in the 17th, 01.47.54.03.33, closed Saturdays and Sundays with menus at 19 and 22 Euros for lunch and 38 for the menu-carte at dinner, a la carte 38. They subtitle the review “the waltz of flavors," and note that the chef Jean-Marc Gorsy, is a "magician," Les Trois Salons in Uzes Jouni Jouni in Nice {it may just be Jouni} L’Envers du decor in Saint-Emilion A l’Abordage in Saint-Malo In an article in the New York Times Sunday Travel Section entitled ”Boutiques and Cafes Where Chocolatiers Raise the Bar”, already posted by SethG, Jonathan Hayes lists top chocolate places in Paris: Jean-Paul Hevin in the 1st Angelina in the 1st La Charlotte de l'Isle in the 4th Pierre Hermé in the 6th Christian Constant in the 6th Michel Chaudun on the 7th La Maison du Chocolat in the 9th Octave in the 5th Le Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat a “shadowy….invitation-only” club. Monday, in what I assume to be a bizarre mistake, Figaro posted a “Croque Notes” by Francois Simon dated November 12th which has got to be new. In any case, he discusses several places he thinks reveal sparkling new talent:l’Auberge de l'Esplan in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux near to Valence in the Drome, 04.75.96.64.64, under its new young chef Cedric Denaux; Musichall, 63, avenue Frankin-D.-Roosevelt in the 8th, 01.45.61.03.63; Metro Saint-Philippe-du-Roule, where despite the sound (noise really) and clientele the food was very 8th Arrondissement-ish and desserts by Yvan Lepape were inventive yet humble; Apicius under Jean-Pierre Vigato, whose removal to a maison particulaire owned by Luc Besson at 20, rue d'Artois in the 8th near the Champs-Elysees, was a “total success,” and; Herve Thys about whom a thread is currently running, whose “constructive cuisine” combats “deconstruction.” Also Monday, “A Nous Paris,” now speed-rabbited to the “Digest” by Felice, reviewed La Can Tin’h an Asian place in Boulogne as well as publishing a tribute to Eric Frechon of the Bristol, ex from the deepest 19th entitled “The man who’s worth three stars”. As Felice reported already, the awards were: Best bistro Mon Vieil Ami Best cellar to eat in Les Papilles Best quicky canteen Les Vivres Best public fooding place L’Ourcine Best interior Ploum Best of the best Les Ambassadeurs au Crillon Wednesday December 15th, Sebastien Demorand in Zurban also enthusiastically reviewed Music Hall, see above, a “brand-new, hip” place with dishes the likes of crab with coconut, veal-tuna tartare, tempura of lotte and duck with cocoa. If that’s not enough, he says if you’re tired of the likes of moelleux of chocolate, try the funny “destructured” desserts here. It’s closed Sundays and Mondays and the lunch formula is 21€; the lunch menu = 27€; and a la carte is about 60€. In his three “Casseroles” he reviews Le Pot Lisson a less than adequate Lyonnais place in the 17th, the well-known Beurre Noisette and the one more couscous/tajine place Elamar. Figaroscope’s “C’est nouveau" has three two-hearters; L’Autobus Imperial, 14, av Mondetour in the 1st, 01.42.36.00.18 open everyday, Metro Les Halles, featuring a young chef from the Christian Constant empire, formulas at lunch for 12,5, 14,5 and 16,5 € and a la carte=25 €; Le Square, 227 bis, rue Marcadet in the 18th, 01.53.11.08.41, open everyday, Metro Guy-Moquet with a “youthful” menu at lunch for 13 €, a la carte 35 €, and Phenicia a Lebanese place at 97, av. de Villiers in the 17th, 01.44.40.45.10, open everyday, Metro Pereire. {Reader beware, “everyday” sometimes means every week day in Le Figaro.} One heart went to Le Resto, 10, rue Castellane in the 8th, 01.40.07.99.99, open everyday but Sundays, Metro Madeleine, running 30-40 € {which sounds like iut got only one heart due to the bad décor not bad food} and L’Attimo a pizza/pasta place at 105, rue de Prony in the 17th, 01.44.40.05.88, open everyday, Metro Pereire. In Figaroscope’s Dossier this week, they listed places to go for New Year’s Eve, aka Les Reveillons de St-Sylvestre; Less than 100 €: Le Pavillon des Princes La Bleuetière Le Cafe Moderne 100-200 €: Bon Mon Vieil Ami La Cuisine Chez Clement Blue Elephant Cafe de la Paix Les Ormes Le Cafe du Commerce Le Cabaret Park Hyatt Madeleine La Suite 200-300 €: Goumard Helene Darroze Les Elysees du Vernet Meridien Etoile 300-400 €: La Table du Lancaster Pre Catalan Le Bristol More than 400 €: Murano Urban Resort Hotel de Crillon Le Ritz Friday/Saturday in Le Monde’s Toques en Pointe,” Jean-Claude Ribaut reviewed three more restaurants for New Year’s Eve: Le Celadon at the Hotel Westminster for 290 € without liquids (normally menus are 48 € and 62 €, with wine at lunch, and a la carte is 110 €. Michel Rostang, 300 € without wine (normally the lunch menu is 65 €, others 175 € and 230 € a la carte = 150 €. Les Elysees du Vernet, 295 € without drinks or 395 € (with champagne and great wines), normally it’s 60 € for lunch and a la carte, about 120 €. Back to Le Figarocope Wednesday, where Francois Simon’s ”Hache Menu” is along the same line with a rapturous review of Le Jardin at the Hôtel Royal Monceau, 35, av. Hoche in the 8th, 01.42.99.88.00 with a New Year’s menu of 400 € without liquid items. Finally, Figaroscope’s Quartier this week was Asnieres in Department 92 for those interested in paying for such info. Jean-Claude Ribaut in “Gouts” in Le Monde Thursday-Friday, wrote a piece entitled “The Stars of Santa Claus” in which he specifically lauded two restaurants, Jean-Pierre Vigato’s Apicius + Michel Chabran in Pont-de-l'Isère. In addition he mentions the “fooding” awards already posted by Felice, notably the “Prize of Excellence” which went to Jean-François Piege, the chef at les Ambassadeurs at the Crillon. Please post comments here and not in the digest thread.

By George, I agree, my, that's what they're called; after all these years I have an answer. Question: will I remember it tomorrow?

There are several restaurants around France with this name, but I assume: - Restaurant l'Ecurie, 68 av. Charles de Gaulle 95700 Roissy-en-France tel: (0)1 34 29 85 28 Call 'em up. ← Or email them at restaurantlecurie@minitel.net I'd be interested in your experience if you eat there and you should post it on the thread started by Scotsaute. I'm always looking for places out there. Their website has a nice map too. I like their menu - e.g. ray with brie, but the fact that the prices are in francs means either that they've neglected to update it or it's out of business. In any case, let us know the followup.

For the record and future searches, today's Figaroscope's Dossier is on New Year's Eve places from under 100 Euros to over 400 Euros. I just realized that the link above will not work in a year so I'd better list the New Year's places fully. They are: Less than 100 €: Le Pavillon des Princes La Bleuetière Le Cafe Moderne 100-200 €: Bon Mon Vieil Ami La Cuisine Chez Clement Blue Elephant Cafe de la Paix Les Ormes Le Cafe du Commerce Le Cabaret Park Hyatt Madeleine La Suite 200-300 €: Goumard Helene Darroze Les Elysees du Vernet Meridien Etoile 300-400 €: La Table du Lancaster Pre Catalan Le Bristol More than 400 €: Murano Urban Resort Hotel de Crillon Le Ritz

For completeness' sake and for those searching the site for restaurants in the area, the Figaroscope of 18 Feb 2004 has ideas; you must pay but it may be worth it.

Understandable; as you know I loved it when I ate there December 2nd. For those who might conduct a search of the site and want more ideas about restos in the area, the Figaroscope of 18 Feb 2004 has ideas; you must pay but it may be worth it.

It is unavailable in English or in French right now. This from Amazon.fr "Actuellement indisponible" But I did a Book note on it in English here and a couple of others by Pudlowski and Remy if you wish to read them. I'll let others come up with a reading list; that would be very useful to readers I think.

There is a Paris Wine Bar thread now running that gives some excellent wine bars; but I agree with Lucy, almost any place is glad to have you linger and talk.

Figaroscope's long Dossier of changes of 15 September says she'll resurface in 2005.

It is silly, I looked at it with an eye to buying but certainly did not. As for Les Vivres, Rosa Jackson wrote a glowing report of the mothership Petrelle which I referenced some weeks ago in the Digest and then we ate there and loved it as well, see 9 New etc.... and while there checked out Les Vivres; where

I think it's about as perfect a brasserie setting as you can find with good but not spectacular brasserie fare.

The Week of December 6th, 2004 Wednesday December 8th, Sebastien Demorand in Zurban reviewed Le Square, 227 bis, rue Marcadet in the 18th, 01.53.11.08.41 Metro Guy-Môquet. The formula at lunch is 13€; the menu 17€; a la carte = 35€. It’s a new neighborhood “neo-bistro,” where he loved the magret de canard with parsley roots and the other dishes sound interesting: a galette of chestnuts with Serrano ham, shallots and pancetta “tatin” and chopped pork with white raisins. His other reviews were of the quite well-established restaurants Flora + L’Ebauchoir as well as the wine shop/restaurant/take away/epicerie Autour du vin, 21 rue de Trévise in the 9th, 01.48.24.43.74 at Metro Grands-Boulevards or Cadet; closed Sundays; the carte is about 15€ for “lovely wines, charcuterie and cheese.” Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin et al, in Figaroscope’s “C’est nouveau,” awarded two hearts to 123, 123, avenue de Wagram in the 17th, 01.42.27.61.50, open everyday at Metro Wagram serving such fare as warm oysters with sorrel sauce, lobster raviolis (which were too salty) and vacherin (which was bourgeois). If that’s not enough, they charge 38 € for the lunch menu, 70 € a la carte and 8 € to park your car. They also gave one heart each, for reasons that vary; not enough cooked in the first case, too much olive oil and sauce in the second, to two bistrots: Cinq Mars 51, rue de Verneuil in the 7th, 01.45.44.69.13 open everyday but Saturday lunch and Sundays at Metro Rue-du-Bac and Honore 13, rue Bosio in the 16th, 01.42.88.12.12, open everyday at Metro Michel-Ange-Auteuil as well as one heart each to two ethnic places: Shri Ganesh 1, rue Guillaume-Tell in the 17th, 01.47.66.94.98 open everyday at Metro Porte-de-Champerret and Lao Viet 24, bd. Massena in the 8th, 01.45.84.05.43 open everyday but Tuesdays at Metro Porte-d’Ivry, reviewed two weeks ago by Sebastien Demorand. Their “Dossier” this week is of a mixed bag of places offering what is essentially winter comfort food, e.g.: Chez l’Ami Jean for game Atelier de Maitre Albert for the chimney Le Roi de pot-au-feu for it’s eponymous dish La Mosquee de Paris for its hamman and couscous Les Deux Magots for mulled wine L’Ambassade d’Auvergne for aligot Le Chalet for fondue, and Andy Whaloo + Favela Chic for hot stuff Francois Simon, in the same vein, reviewed Le Coin de Verre 38, rue Sambre-et-Meuse in the 9th, 01.42.45.31.82 open from 8 PM til midnight, closed Sundays, no credit cards; costing 104 Euros for its not clear how many, wine was 6-10 Euros a glass. He suggests that at the price you can treat a bunch of friends to a plate of pork goodies and beef with onions and sit in front of a warm fire with a black & white TV as background. Figaroscope’s Quartier this week is the Place des Vosges; if interested in restaurants in the area you must pay to view. Thursday/Friday Jean-Claude Ribaut in Le Monde was very busy. In his “Toques en Pointe: Gouts,” he reviewed two brasseries: the Café du commerce, 51, rue du Commerce in the 15th, 01.45.75.03.27, open every day but Christmas, which he says is in good shape with commendable steak and frites, pot au feu of pork (21 €), country cheeses and desserts from olden days (Paris-Brest, Saint-Honore, etc.). Gourmet menu at 26 and 50 €, New Year’s Eve at 170 € with performances and a la carte, about 40 €. L’Alcazar, 62, rue Mazarine in the 6th, 01.53.10.19.99, open everyday; he singles out the Gillardeau and Marennes-Oléron oysters and their newly implemented 39 € dinner featuring a terrine of wild duck among the five entrees to choose from, bass filets or scallops, chicken or confited shoulder of lamb and a new house sausage with chestnuts and potatoes; desserts are a baba, moelleux au chocolat and crumble; the lunch menus are 17 €, 24 € and 28 € and a la carte count on 45 €. He also writes up one restaurant in Lyon: the Restaurant Nicolas Le Bec, 14, rue Grolée in the 2nd, 04.78.42.15.00, closed Sundays and Mondays. In addition, in an “Arts de vivre” article “To each his bouillabaisse,” in which he contrasts the Martigues and Marseille approach to this venerable fish soup, he uses as examples, two books that might be of interest to readers: “La Bouillabaisse. Un plat, un emblème, un art de vivre” by Brigitte Poli and Dominique Sammani. Ed. Benezet, 146 p., 42 €. (It sounds not only like a fun read but has serious stuff of an historic and ethnographic nature.) "Le Grand Livre De Cuisine D'Alain Ducasse. Méditerranée" by Alain Ducasse and Franck Cerutti. Ed. Alain Ducasse, 1 078 p., 215 €. (It has 500 recipes and is considered by Ribaut to convey an “aristocratic” approach to Mediterranean cuisine.) Finally, the self-same Ribault in another “Gouts” article, entitled “A red label for good bread,” writes of the “club Le Boulanger,” which certifies the best bread products. Of interest, of the 14 millers and 103 bakeries so designated, only two are in Paris: Maitre Pain, 225, rue de Charenton in the 12th and Miss Manon, 87, rue Saint-Antoine in the 4th, plus one in Sceaux. I’m behind in picking up an review in Liberation by Vincent Noce, published November 26th, due to late posting on their website, of the restaurant La Table de Michel, 13, quai de la Tournelle in the 5th, 01.44.07.17.57 with a lunch menu at 19 € and diner one at 27 € which despite the chef’s origin from near Metz, is decidedly Italian. He also wrote about a flour mill southwest of Chartres in Perche that for two years has been perfecting a quality baguette that merits the nearby natural park’s designation, a first in France. Another catchup I think I missed before is in the October “Paris Insites” by Linda Thalman who touted Le Provencal, 94, rue des Grands-Champs in the 20th near Metro Nation, 01.46.59.23.60, lunch menu at 12 €, dinner at 19 €, closed Sundays and Mondays which has what sounds like great food (mussels, shrimp, custard) for the price. The similar sounding “Paris Insights” in the Discover Paris December newsletter has an article on pairing wine and holiday dishes, everything from birds to foie gras, cheese and Christmas log cakes. The web-based Expatica.com has an article on cyber cafes, listing: Cyber Café Latino, 13, rue de l'Ecole-Polytechnique in the 5th, Metro Maubert-Mutualité, 01/40.51.86.94, web site @cidnet Cybercafe, 15, rue Daval in the 11th, Metro Bastille, 01.43.38.32.58 web site Easyeverything, 31, boulevard de Sébastopol in the 3rd, Metro Chatelet, 01.40.41.09.10, web site Cyber Square, 1, place de la Republique (passage Vendome) in the 3rd, Metro Republique, 01.48.87.82.35, web site Web bar, 32, rue de Picardie in the 4th, Metro Filles du Calvaire, 01.42.72.66.55, web site with a brasserie and bar Jancis Robinson’s husband Nick Lander wrote about Arpege on her web site in a piece called “Prices difficult to stomach” as well as recounting the much publicized three-star Michelin chef meal last month. L’Express had an exhaustive list of restaurants in their October 2nd 2003 edition which while old is interesting: Gastronomic: Flora Chez Catherine Chez Jean Le Bourdonnais-La Cantine des gourmets Gastronomic Bistrots: La Famille Le Bistral La Table de Lucullus Cafe Constant L'Ami Jean Au fil des saisons Natacha La Cerisaie Entred'jeu Not forgetting the pioneers: La Regalade L'Avant-Gout L'Epi Dupin Le Café des delices And outside the city: Auberge des Glazicks Le Grenier a sel L'Esplanade La Cape La Cote 108 La Cabotte Le Jardin aux sources Au fin gourmet Lou Capetout Rosa Jackson’s “Paris Bites” in December-January’s Paris Notes writes a paean to Taillevent which she thinks under Alain Soliveres is better than ever. December’s Gourmet has a squib on Eric Kayser’s newest, his 8th place, Boulangerie Odeon in the 6th , a soup and salad and sandwich type place. The December 31st Wine Spectator features an article on the “next generation” of restaurants and chefs in Burgundy. They include: La Bouzerotte L’Ecusson La Cabotte Le Benaton Le Charlemagne Le Chassagne Le Gourmadin Le Jardin des Remparts The freebie airport magazine Voyages d’Affaires featured another report of L’Amphycles in the 17th as well as the restaurant of the Hotel Trianon Palace in Versailles.

For the record, Thursday/Friday Jean-Claude Ribaut in Le Monde's “Toques en Pointe: Gouts,” wrote up a place for New Year’s Eve at 170 € with performances. It is the brasserie, the Café du commerce, 51, rue du Commerce in the 15th, 01.45.75.03.27, open every day but Christmas, which he says is in good shape with commendable steak and frites, pot au feu of pork (21 €), country cheeses and desserts from olden days (Paris-Brest, Saint-Honore, etc.). Their non-New Year's Gourmet menus are 26 and 50 €, and a la carte is about 40 €.

There's another thread now running about the 8th, Ave George V, in particular, that may be helpful. I will second the thought of the Cap Vernet, I've always liked their fish & bulots and found the decor, service and price to be good. Without getting into a huge discussion about "What is a Bistrot" I do not consider the Cap to be one, except in the Bistrot du Dome/Bistrot Cote Mer sense, eg bright, blue and white, fish.

Figaroscope’s Quartier this week is the Place des Vosges; if you're interested in restaurants in the area, however, you must pay to view.