John Talbott

A Nous Paris published one more school in addition to some of those in my previous post: Ecole Lenôtre Monday-Saturday 9-1 PM, 2-6 PM 4 hours is 105€; the full day is 200€ 01.42.65.97.68 They also published the website for the Atelier des Chefs: www.atelierdeschefs.com and Saveurs in November had a 2-page spread that made it look like everyone was having fun. Edited for grammar. 19h05 23-11-04

I agree; it's because it's always been that way.

Plea: Please buy these guides from your friendly local bookshop and use this summary as a prod to do so; they cost only 15 E and 18 E respectively and give full details. Rules: I’ll not list every restaurant but rather those that are listed as new and/or notable, (and I’ll give their coordinates only for those French restos not mentioned in the Digest or threads) noting if they are new to: P=Pudlo and merit his /∕ = knife and fork or ◘ = plate and/or ♥ = coup de coeur or L=Lebey and merit his Д Eiffel Tower, e.g. = star-macaron-heart ¢=good price/quality ratio,; 1st – Bistrot Victoires, 6, rue La Vrillière, 01.42.61.43.78 P ∕∕ Cirio, 17 rue des Petits-Champs, 01.42.96.47.54 L P ∕∕ ¢ L’Emile L L’Histoire Gourmande, 46, rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs, 01.42.60.25.54 L Kong P ∕∕ Lo Suchi Samaritaine P ∕∕ ¢ Oki P ∕∕ Pinxo L Д; P ∕∕ ∕∕ ◘ Il Poeta P ∕∕ Le Point Bar L, P ∕∕ Le Ragueneau, 202 rue St-Honoré, 01.42.60.29.20 P ∕∕ Rouge Tomate P ∕∕ La Tourelle, 2, rue de la Vrillière, angle 43, rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs, 01.42.61.35.41 P ∕∕ ¢ Willi’s Wine Bar P ♥ Zimmer L P ∕∕ ∕∕ but a broken ◘ 2nd – Les Alchimistes, 16 rue Favart, 01.42.96.69.86 L P ∕∕ Angl’Opera L ; P ∕∕ ∕∕ Bizan L P ∕∕ Café Baci P ∕∕ Le Café Press L P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ Domaine de Lintillac P Koetsu P ∕∕ Aux Lyonnais L Д Mai Thaï P ∕∕ but a broken ◘ Le Mesturet L Le Park P ∕∕ ∕∕ ∕∕ 3rd – A Deux Pas du Trois, 101, rue Vielle-du-Temple, 01.42.77.10.52 P ∕∕ ∕∕ ¢ ♥ Murano Urban Resort Paris R’Aliment, 57, rue Charlot, 01.48.04.88.28 P ∕∕ 4th – Baya P ∕∕ Chiaro di Luna, 8, rue de Jouy, 01.42.78.38.66 L Д Mon Vieil Ami L Д P ∕∕ ◘ & Bistrot of the Year 5th – L’Estrapade, 15, rue de l’Estrapade, 01.43.25.72.58 L P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ Léna et Mimile, 32, rue Tournefort, 01.47.07.72.47 P ∕∕ Maresco, 5, rue de Pontoise, 01.43.26.56.81 P ∕∕ Papilles Refuge du Passé, 32, rue du Fer-à-Moulin, 01.47.07.29.91 P ∕∕ Le Relais Lagrange, 17, rue Lagrange, 01.43.54.14.65 P ∕∕ La Table Corse, 8, rue Tournefort, 01.43.31.15.00 P ∕∕ Au Vieux Moulin P ∕∕ ¢ Watt, 3, rue de Cluny, 01.43.54.99.85 P ∕∕ 6th – City Zen Café P ∕∕ ¢ Fernand, 9, rue Christine, 01.43.25.18.55 P ∕∕ Gattopardo Caffé P ∕∕ Au Gourmand P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ Au Jardin, 10,rue Gît-le-Coeur, 01.43.26.29.44 P ∕∕ Paso Palo P ∕∕ Le Petit Verdot, 75, rue du Cherche-Midi, 01.42.22.38.27 P ∕∕ Sumai’s Café L P ∕∕ 7th – L’Auvergne Gourmande, 127, rue St-Dominique, 01.47.05.60.79 P ∕∕ ¢ Le Bamboche L P ∕∕ ∕∕ Café Constant P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ (PS Lebey listed it in his 2004 Guide so it’s not new to him) Le Caffé Minotti Д P ∕∕ ∕∕ Concerto P ∕∕ ∕∕ Delicabar P ∕∕ Les Fables de la Fontaine L P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ Lei P ∕∕ Les Ormes Д P ∕∕ ∕∕ ◘ Pasco, 74, bd de la Tour-Maubourg, 01.44.18.33.26 P ∕∕ Le Walt P ∕∕ ∕∕ 8th – Apicius P ∕∕ ∕∕ ∕∕ ∕∕ ◘◘ (Lebey listed it in 2004 Guide so it’s not new to him) Atelier Renault P ∕∕ Comptoir de Thiou L P ∕∕ ∕∕ but a broken ◘ Copenhague L Drugstore Publicis Champs-Élysées L Évasion, 7, place Saint-Augustin, 01.45.22.66.20 L Fromages &Affinités, 58, rue des Mathurins, 01.40.06.96.18 P ∕∕ Ginger, 11, rue de la Trémoille, 01.47.23.37.32 L Kaïten Libre Sens, 33, rue Marbeuf, 01.53.96.00.72 P ∕∕ ∕∕ La Maison Scandinave P ∕∕ ∕∕ Marcel, Drugstore Publicis, 133 ave des Champs-Élysées, 01.44.43.66.63 L Д La Poêle D’Or, 37, rue de Miromesnil, 01.42.65.78.60 P ∕∕ ∕∕ ◘ Pomze P ∕∕ Le P’tit Bouco, 17, rue de Constantinople, 01.44.70.00.72 P ∕∕ ¢ Royal Madeleine, 11, rue du Chavalier-St-George, 01.42.60.14.36 L P ∕∕ Le Safran L Table du Lancaster L P ∕∕ ∕∕ ◘ Terre de Truffes P ∕∕ Zen Garden P ∕∕ ∕∕ 9th – A Tavola P ∕∕ Auberge & Compagnie, 23 rue Clauzel, 01.48.78.74.40 P ∕∕ Café Guitry L Dell’Orto, 45, rue St-Georges, 01.48.78.40.30 L Fuxia P ∕∕ Georgette P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ Momoka P ∕∕ L’Oenothèque, 20, rue St-Lazare, 01.48.78.08.76 P ∕∕ ∕∕ Patiko, 11, rue Rougemont, 01.47.70.78.93 P ∕∕ ¢ Table d’Anvers P ∕∕ ∕∕ La Tradition, 2, rue de Budapest, 01.48.74.37.33 P ∕∕ La Vin Vignon, 20 rue Vignon, 01.40.06.02.64 10th – Bonza P ∕∕ Café Panique, 12, rue des Messageries, 01.47.70.06.84 Chez Casimir P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ L’Hermitage L Le Jemmapes, 82, quai de Jemmapes, 01.40.40.02.35 P ∕∕ Martel Le Petit Café, 14, bd de Stasbourg, 01.42.01.81.61 P ∕∕ ¢ Le Sporting, 3, rue de Récollets, 01.46.07.02.00 P ∕∕ 11th – L’Aiguière, 37 bis, rue de Montreuil, 01.43.72.42.32, L Д L’Armagnac, 104 rue de Charonne, 01.43.71.49.43 P ∕∕ Casa Vigata P ∕∕ Gusto, 58, avenue de la République, 01.43.55.88.20 L Il Pirata P ∕∕ La Muse Vin L P ∕∕ ¢ L’Osteria Delle’Anima, 37, rue Oberkampf, 01.43.38.40.03 L Chez Raymonde P ∕∕ Au Vieux Chêne L Le Vin de Zinc, 25, avenue Oberkampf, 01.48.06.28.23 L P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ 12th – Le Chalet du Lac, Orée du Bois de Vincennes, 01.43.28.09.89 P ∕∕ La Connivence, 1, rue Cotte, 01.46.28.46.17 P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ Le Duc de Richelieu P ∕∕ ¢ Les Jardins de Mandchourie P ∕∕ ¢ Kashiwaski P ∕∕ Le Petit Porcheron, 3, rue de Prague, 01.43.47.39.47 P ∕∕ Le Saint-Pourçain, 234, rue du Faubourg-St-Antoine, 01.43.70.83.22 P ∕∕ Trattoria del Siciliano P ∕∕ 13th – Bioart P ∕∕ Café Bibliothèque L Djoon L P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ L’Ourcine L Д P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ Pearl, 53 bis, bd Arago, 01.47.07.58.57 P ∕∕ ∕∕ 14th – De Bouche à Oreille, 34, rue Gassendi, 01.43.27.73.14 P ∕∕ ∕∕ La Cerisaie P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ (rated in Lebey in 2004) Chez Papa, 6, rue Gassendi, 01.43.22.41.19 P ∕∕ ¢ Da Gigli la Romana P ∕∕ Les Tontons, 38, rue Raymond-Losserand, 01.43.21.69.45 P ∕∕ 15th – L’Alchimie L P ∕∕ ¢ L’Amaryllis, 13, bd Garibaldi, 01.47.34.05.98 P ∕∕ L’Ami Marcel L L’Astuce, 138, rue de Vaugirard, 01.47.83.29.52 P ∕∕ ¢ L’Authentic, 81, av de Ségur, 01.43.06.20.20 P ∕∕ Autour du Mont, 58, rue Vasco-de-Gama, 01.42.50.55.63 L (was in Pudlo before) L’Avel, 65, bd Pasteur, 01.43.20.21.22 P ∕∕ ∕∕ Le Banyan, 24, place Étienne-Pernet, 01.40.60.09.31 L P ∕∕ Le Bayadère, 51, rue du Thèâtre, 01.45.77.08.18 P ∕∕ Le Bistrot d’en face P ∕∕ La Cabane à Huîtres P ∕∕ Café LeNôtre L Chez Charles Victor, 19, rue Duranton, 01.45.58.43.17 P ∕∕ Da Andrea P ∕∕ Le Dix-Vins L (was in Pudlo before) L’Enclos des Temps, 31, av du Maine, 01.45.44.52.38 P ∕∕ Fontanarosa, 28, boulevard Garibaldi, 01.45.66.97.84 L Le Grand Venise, 171, rue de la Convention, 01.45.32.49.71 L Д Le Lucas, 1, place Étienne-Pernet, 01.48.28.06.06 L P ∕∕ Le Marquis P ∕∕ Le Pétel, 4, rue Pétel, 01.45.32.58.76 L R, 6-8, rue de la Cavalerie, 01.45.67.06.85 P ∕∕ La Scuderia P ∕∕ La Table du Maroc P ∕∕ Uitr L 16th – 182 RD Bistrot L Aéro-Club de France, 6, rue Galilée, 01.47.20.88.04 P ∕∕ ∕∕ L’Aventure, 4, av Victor-Hugo, 01.45.00.45.11 P ∕∕ ∕∕ ∕∕ Le Bigorneau, 71, av Paul-Doumer, 01.45.04.12.81 P ∕∕ ∕∕ Chez Genia P ∕∕ Corner Café L Cristal Room Baccarat P ∕∕ Dropping Zone, 6, rue Georges-Bizet, 01.49.52.02.06 P ∕∕ Le Relais du Bois P ∕∕ Il Sardo L Д P ∕∕ ◘ La Table de Joël Robuchon P ∕∕ ∕∕ ◘◘ Table Lauriston, 129, rue Lauriston, 01.47.27.00.07 L Д La Terrasse Mirabeau, 5, place de Barcelone, 01.42.24.41.51 L Д Tokyo Eat P ∕∕ Le Vin dans les Voiles L P ∕∕ 17th – Abadache L P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ L’Astrée P ∕∕ ∕∕ ◘ Ballon & Coquillages P ∕∕ Le Bistral, 80, rue Lemercier, 01.42.63.59.61 P ∕∕ Le Bistrot d’Antoine et Charlotte, 14, pass Geoffrey-Didelot, 01.43.87.28.10 P ∕∕ La Bleuetière, 68, av des Ternes, 01.44.09.70.07 P ∕∕ La Cabine L P ∕∕ Caius L Д P ∕∕ ∕∕ Le Cercle P ∕∕ Chez L, 13, rue Denis-Poisson, 01.44.09.03.30 P ∕∕ Da Franco, 21, rue Ruhmkorff, 01.45.72.41.20 L L’Improviste, 21, rue Médéric, 01.42.27.86.67 P ∕∕ Zenzan P ∕∕ 18th – Le Bateau Lavoir, 8, rue Gareau, 01.42.54.23.92 P ∕∕ Il Caffé del Gattopardo P ∕∕ Chez Grisette, 14, rue Houdon, 01.42.62.04.80 P ∕∕ La Divette du Moulin, 98, rue Lepic, 01.46.06.34.84 P ∕∕ Le Restaurant, 32, rue Véron, 01.42.23.06.22 L Sale e Pepe P ∕∕ ¢ La Table d’Hélène P ∕∕ Le Village Kabyle P ∕∕ ∕∕ ¢ ♥ 19th – Au Rendez-Vous de la Marine, 14, quai de la Loire, 01.42.49.33.40 P ∕∕ ¢ Hermès L Lao Siam L Nagagawa P ∕∕ ¢ Zoe Bouillon, 66, rue Rébeval, 01.42.02.02.83 P ∕∕ ¢ 20th – Aux Tables du Père Lachaise, 44, bd de Ménilmontant, 01. 47.97.51.52 P∕∕ ∕∕ La Villa Le Zéphyr, 1, rue du Jourdain, 01.46.36.65.81 P ∕∕ ¢ ♥ Via Curti P ∕∕ 77th – Méli-Mélo, 7, cours de Danube, 01.64.63.32.32 P ∕∕ 78th – Le Chien qui Fume, 72, rue de la Paroisse, 01.39.53.14.56 P ∕∕ ∕∕ Essaouira P ∕∕ ¢ Maison de Tokyo P ∕∕ Le Mandelay P ∕∕ 91st – Le Relais Soligny, 2, rue Gometz, 01.60.21.06.49 P ∕∕ 92nd – L’Auberge L La Barriere de Clichy P ∕∕ ∕∕ ◘ La Blanchisserie L P ∕∕ Chez Gérard, 10, rue Montrosier, 01.46.24.86.37 P ∕∕ Il Punto P ∕∕ L’Instinct, 1, rue Voltaire, 01.56.83.82.82 P ∕∕ Jarasse P ∕∕ ∕∕ La Maison de Nanou, 11, pl des Victoires, 01.47.93.21.61 P ∕∕ La Rôtisserie de Neuilly, 12, avenue de Madrid, 01.46.24.14.80 L P ∕∕ Le Rouge est Mis, 16, rue de Commandant-Pilot, 01.46.24.72.36 P ∕∕ Samaya P ∕∕ Zinc Zinc, 209 ter, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle, 01.40.88.36.06 L 93rd – La Pantomine, 26, rue Hoche, 01.48.40.87.00 P ∕∕ La Réserve, 45, rue Jules-Affret, 01.48.45.88.04 P ∕∕ Villa 9 Trois, 28, rue Colbert, 01.48.58.17.37 P ∕∕ ∕∕ ∕∕ 94th – La Table de Tounet, 16, av Jean-Jaurès, 01.48.83.05.44 95th – Pavillon du Lac P ∕∕ Pudlo’s Biggies Chefs of the Year – Yannick Alleno Le Meurice; Eric Fréchon Le Bristol Event of the Year – Joël Robuchon’s Table de Joël Robuchon Foreign Resto of the Year –Raymond Haddad La Boule Rouge Bistrot of the Year – Anthony Clémot Mon Vieil Ami Restauteurs of the Year – Patrick and Christine Nayrolles Les Colonnes in Issy Best price/quality ratio – Yann Piton and Emma Hause L’Abadache Artisans of the Year – Dominique Saibron Boulanger de Monge; Pierre Thilloux Fournée d’Augustine

Cheap Eats All the restos listed below have meals or menus under 30 Euros and I can attest to the quality of each, with the exception of the one marked *, where I’ve not yet eaten but which was highly rated by Sébastien Demorand of Zurban and ** which Joël Robuchon called the quintessential bistrot (details of all these and much longer lists of under 30 Euro places can be found in Lebey 2005 and/or Pudlo Paris

Cheap Eats All the restos listed below have meals or menus under 30 Euros and I can attest to the quality of each, with the exception of the one marked *, where I’ve not yet eaten but which was highly rated by Sébastien Demorand of Zurban and ** which Joël Robuchon called the quintessential bistrot (details of all these and much longer lists of under 30 Euro places can be found in Lebey 2005 and/or Pudlo Paris 2005): L’Ardoise Le Café Press or Press Café* Petit Theatre Dôme du Marais L’Equitable Les Papilles Pré Verre Reminet Chez René Maison du Jardin Ze Kitchen Galerie Bon Acceuil Café Constant Le P’tit Troquet** Chez Casimir Au C’Amelot L’Ecallier du Bistrot Repaire de Cartouche La Cerisaie O a la Bouche Regalade Dix Vins Grand Rue Le Troquet L’Abadache Books about Cheap Eats Guide Petit Futé : 1001 meilleurs restaurants à moins de 20 € Guide Petit Futé -- Broché Les meilleures tables de Paris à moins de 30 € L. Fourneau – Broché Sandra Gustafson's Cheap Eats in Paris: A Traveler's Guide to the Best-Kept Secrets Sandra Gustafson – Broché

It's Temps au Temps and 3 of us ate there 4 weeks ago for 114 Euros (but we'd had 40 Euros worth of oysters at L'Ecalier across the street for a starter). And it's very good.

Welcome! Christmas is the best and worst of times (misquoting Dickens). It can be magical - eg the Christmas eve service at Notre Dame, but empty - everyone's on "Winter Sports." Many restaurants are closed and you should check everyone by calling. There are new Lebey, Pudlo (Pudlowski) and Bottin Guides for 2005 out now but I hate to say it but their info on closed dates is not always accurate. The big brasseries (Marty, Terminus Nord) are always in business as are places like the Bistrot du Dome. As for bargains, that's my turf; Pudlo has two categories; meals less than 30 Euros and good price/quality ratio but Figaroscope and Zurban should have end of the year issues coming out mid-December that (1) sum up the year and (2) tell you what's up over the holidays and I'll try to post them in the Digest ASAP. And yes, the dollar is in the toilet; that's a fact and it's not going to change right soon. But you can eat just fine for 100 E for 2. I have a list of cheap eats which I'll be delighted to share if you'll send me a PM or if there's a public clamour I'll post it when I update it. Final recommendation; come with lots of layers of clothing; it can be mild or bittingly chilly; never snow on the ground and sometimes sunshine, but usually not. Again, welcome, bienvenue.

Right you are. Indeed, I live in a very ordinary working class neighborhood on the North side of Montmartre where a French friend who was born on the street tells me more people who were born there still live there than in other quartiers. Yet it is a "market street" which encompasses the rue du Poteau, place Charles Bernard and rue Duhesme and has 2 horsemeat stores (another recently closed), two cheese shops (down 2 from 1990; and one #9, fairly well known), three wine shops, at least three boulangeries, three butchers and whatever else one needs. (The only downside is that as the cremeries and horsemeat stores close, women's underwear and eyeglass places take over.) But everyone knows everyone and despite its realness, the markets and stalls flowing out from the buildings makes it magical from 6 AM til 8 PM. I say this not to get into a "whose neighborhood is best food fight" but to point out that working class and foodie streets are not mutually exclusive.

The week of November 15th, 2004 François Simon in “Croque Notes” in the November 12th Figaro reviewed two places: le Bistrot des Saveurs in Obernai, Alsace and the fairly well-known and by no means new Stella Maris where he bemoans its under-appreciation by Michelin despite its food: e.g. a game tart with duck stuffing, pheasant, venison and sweet potato and chestnut purée; lunch menu = 39 E. Monday’s A Nous Paris reviewed two restaurants which are not really new but have new chefs: the Café Moderne around for about a year, badly reviewed initially {I agreed} but recently taken over by an ex-Rostang/Savoy chef has shot to a 4/5 boxes rating; given its price (26 and 30 E menus) and location (40 rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires) maybe we all should give it another shot; and La Cuisine 4 years old, also originally pretty unremarkable, now under new management by a “brilliant” new chef, shot to 5/5 boxes; and with its menus at 29 E for lunch at 49-70 Euros for dinner may be equally worth a revisit. In “Zurban” this Wednesday, the day before the Beaujolais Nouveau was released, Sébastien Demorand devoted his major review titled “Il est arrive-é-é,” to a place where the patron who grew up in Beaujolais, returns one day every week. It’s called Les Coteaux in Saint Mandé, 8, rue Jeanne d’Arc {Digester’s note: 4 long blocks or a few stops on the #86 bus from the #1 St Mandé Tourelle Metro stop} 01 48 08 74 81. Note that the resto was previously on the boulevard Garibaldi in the 15th. He liked the selection of wines: Chiroubles, Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, Fleurie and Chénas as well as the food: sausages, cheese, head cheese, “polka terrine,” calf’s head like an andouillette with Mâcon-villages, which he posits puts 7000 calories in your belly bank toute de suite. The formulas are 24€ at lunch to 32€ with wine included; the menu-carte is 28€. It’s a great enthusiastic review. The first of his three “Casseroles” is Au Petit Riche 25, rue Le Peltier in the 9th, 01 47 70 68 68 M° Richelieu-Drouot, which he calls a historic monument. It’s closed Sundays and has formulas at 22,50-25,50€ for lunch and a menu-carte at 28,50€; a la carte is about 50€. However, except for the oysters and red Loires, the rest sounds simply horrible. The second place is Lao Viet which serves 50-50 Laotian and Vietnamese dishes and the third is a “néo-rétro” type strictly local café L’Ange gardien, 189, rue des Pyrénées in the 20th, 01 43 58 59 97 M° Gambetta, closed Sundays with a carte running about 20€ which serves chopped steak, oysters, pureed sausage, camembert and chocky mousse. If he thinks it’s such a “no big deal” place, why does he make it sound so yummy? On Wednesday Figaroscope’s “C’est nouveau” awarded 3 hearts and featured La Table Lauriston , 129, rue Lauriston in the 16th, 01.47.27.00.07, open daily except Saturday lunch and Sundays, Metro Trocadero, “dietetically incorrect” with a rabelaisian terrine of game with girolles, a virile entrecote with bone marrow, and an ENORMOUS baba au rhum. The menu is 25 E, a la carte 40-50 E. {Caution for those trying to find it on the Figaroscope website - there is a computer/composition glitch in that they omit La Table Lauriston and double list Madame Tomate.} Figaroscope also awarded one star each to Les Crâneuses, 72 bis, rue Jean-Pierre- Timbaud in the 11th, 01.47.00.37.59, open every day but Sundays, Métro : Parmentier; Madame Tomate, 78, rue de Bagnolet in the 20th, 01.53.27.00.25, open every day but Sundays, Métro : Porte de Bagnolet; Autour D’un Verre, 21, rue de Trévise in the 9th, 01.48.24.43.74, open everyday but Saturday lunch and Sundays, Métro : Grands-Boulevards or Cadet and Qin, 20, rue Quentin-Bauchart in the 8th, 01.40.70.19.17, open everyday until 2 AM. Métro : George-V. Figaroscope’s “Dossier’ this week is all about Beaujolais Nouveau. Its major section lists 10 with one-paragraph descriptions of each followed by their pluses and minuses, etc. They are: La Taverne Henri-IV Le Casier à Vin Les Coteaux Chapeau melon Le Zinc des Cavistes La Muse vin Au Nouveau Nez Pierre Le Poisson Rouge Cercle Rouge Then they suggest places to go to celebrate the appearance of the BN: La Cloche des Halles, 28, rue Coquillière in the 1st Juvenile’s 47, rue de Richelieu in the 1st Willi’s Wine bar, 13, rue des Petits-Champs in the 1st Le Rubis, 10, rue du Marché-Saint-Honoré in the 1st Les Enfants Rouges, 9, rue de Beauce in the 3rd Le Mauzac, 7, rue de l’Abbé-de-l’Epée in the 5th Le Café de la Nouvelle Mairie, 19, rue Saint-Jacques in the 5th Cave Drouot, 8, rue Drouot in the 9th Mélac, 42, rue Léon-Frot in the 11th Au Vin des Rues, 21, rue Boulard in the 14th Le Baratin, 3, rue Jouye-Rouve in the 20th And finally, they give a list of their “top ten” with descriptors of their best features: Les Coteaux for Beaujolais and Lyonnais wines La Muse Vin for bio wines and food Le Casier à vins for potential and pleasantness Pierre for rock-bottom prices Chapeau Melon for selection, originality and forceful food In addition, François Simon’s “Hache Menu” reviews Wine & Bubbles, 3, rue Française in the 1st, 01.44.76.88.84 where his bill was 15,50 Euros and the cheese was a bit too cold, the wine a bit too warm and the clients smoking like firemen. He omits his standard question: “Should one go?” I suspect because it’s pretty obvious after those zingers. This week’s “Quartier” section is on the area around the Porte Maillot in the 16th. The restos mentioned are: Concord Lafayette Le Ballon des Ternes Congrès L’Orénoc Chez Clément Le Relais de Venise Le Sud Taïra Le Pergolèse Les Béatilles Bistrot de l’Etoile Niel Graindorge La Maison de Charly Sormani Last week’s Figaroscope’s “C’est nouveau” awarded 2 hearts each to the following: L’Ampère, 1 rue Ampère in the 17th, 0147.63.72.05, an “old” restaurant, with a new but well-known “ex wonder boy” chef, Philippe Detourbe, he of the fluffy sauces. It’s open every day but Saturday lunch and Sundays and costs 40-50 Euros a la carte and lacks a little something. It serve fried kippers, filet of beef with morilles and peanut crème brulée. Giufeli, 129, rue du Château in the 14th, 01.43.27.32.56, a half-bistrot, half-trattoria with 15 and 20 Euro menus. Open every day but Sundays. The plates they list are a duck cooked two ways and tarragon crème brulée. Music Hall, 63, Ave Franklin-Roosevelt in the 8th, 01.45.61.03.63 open every day but Saturday lunch and Sundays with a dance hall dining room in a bar-restaurant-lounge-something-or-other, thing-a-majig. It offers a 21 E lunch menu; à la carte = 40 E. They serve oven-glazed eggs, duck with cocoa and a mint-cocoa feuilléte. They also give one heart to Trendy’s a salad/sandwich place in the 17th and a broken heart to La Cabane D‘Erable, the Québécois place “Zurban” reviewed last week. Last week’s “Dossier” in Figaroscope was devoted to SNCF/RER Railroad Station Restaurants, with their stations - e.g. le Gare de: Le Train Bleu - Lyon L’Ostréade - Montparnasse Café Terminus – St-Lazare Le Flandrin – Petite Ceinture ave Henri-Martin La Gare - Muette Tsé – Petite Ceinture Porte d’Auteil Apollo – Denfert-Rochereau Musée d’Orsay - obvious And places near stations: Le Terminus Nord, Chez Michel & Alsaco – Nord Le Soleil d’Austerlitz, Au Coco de Mer & Le Quincy – d’Austerlitz L’Européen, Au Duc de Richelieu & La Biche au Bois – Lyon Le Sporting & Flo – Est Garnier & À Toutes Vapeurs – St-Lazare Le Montparnasse 25, Ty Breiz & La Cerisaie – Montparnasse François Simon, in the same spirit, reviews Chez Françoise in the Aerogare des Invalides. He says the tuna was over-cooked and had to be sent back and the wait-staff rough and yet in typical Simon-speak he answers his “Should you go?’ question: “Bah? Bof… moui,” or “Oh, well, I suppose so.” The “Quartier” section is on Orsay, which I figure few eGulleteers will ever visit, but if you wish to see it, you can pay per view in the Figaro website. Back to this Wednesday, again; Adrian Leeds’ Parler Paris newsletter had another long list (24) of places to go for Beaujolais Nouveau in her issue called “A Lip-Smacking, Pleasure-Provoking Beaujolais Nouveau.” Due to eGullet’s policies and copyright laws, I will not list them but urge you to go to her website if interested. Thursday-Friday, Jean-Claude Ribaut’s “Toques en Pointe” in Le Monde covered three boutique qua restaurants serving quite similar Russian products (usually caviar, blinis, salmon and vodka): Petrossian with a lunch menu at 38€, dinner at 48€ and a la carte 90 €, closed Sunsays and Mondays Maxoff with a lunch menu at 22€, a la carte 25 €, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays Daru with lunch menu at 29, 30 and 34€, dinner is 50-60€, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays. Saturday, in his “Croque Notes” in Le Figaro, François Simon write of the new Hiramatsu about which much has already been written. Although he uses words and phrases such as prodigious, elegant, clever, opportunistic, mixing Japanese & French, excellent service; he arrives at the end with the note = 286 Euros/2 which he calls bitter. In ”En bref,” the column of changes and news, they announce the reopening of the avenue Suffren Vin & Marée, closed due to a fire. Sunday in the JDD’s “Version Femina,” Astrid De T’Serclaes reviewed La Cerisaie with a headline suggesting that you’d better reserve table and a review of Bioboa touting it as healthy, beautiful and good. In the body of the paper there is a page devoted to Joël Robuchon that gives his favorite restaurants (other than his own), a list; specifically Le P’tit Troquet, Le Passy Mandarin + Le Stresa.

Paris Cooking Schools Eric Chartier Ex pastry chef at Baumann & Frères Costes 3 hours is 90€ a person. Marie-Blanche de Broglie Since 1975 5 courses of 3 hours each at 550€ Patrick Laurent at La Cornue You don’t do it, but watch. 3 hours for 80€ 01.46.33.84.74 Fréderic Chesneau The ex TV chef for a “Cook-Dating” session 60-70€ for 6 persons (3 single women and 3 single men for “heteros” or 6 men or 6 women for the “version homo”) “Trucs de chefs” (trans=chefs’ secrets) From primitive to sophisticated. 3 hours: 50€ for beginners 75€ for pretty confident 30€ for children L’Atelier des Chefs A bit different; you fix your own meal in a kitchen with experts & books as resources. 15€ - 1 course 34€ - 2 courses 51€ - 3 courses L’Atelier Suhou (Japanese) Tuesdays and Saturdays 55-75€ Italian Cultural Center (Italian) Saturdays and Sundays 25€ for 3 hours The Ritz School Tailored for beginners or experts or children Restaurant Natachef (Natalie Vigato, wife of Jean-Pierre of Apicius) Demonstrations Thursdays from 4-6 PM 50€ a course 01.42.88.10.15 Restaurant du Marché Courses from 11-1:30 Saturdays for groups of 6-8 60€ a course 01.48.28.31.55 Olivier Berté who comes to your house (I assume here in Paris only) 3-8 persons 60€ a course Everything from L’Astuces to Tours de Mains (French & other cuisine) 3 hours Tuesday to Friday: 4 hours Saturday 90€ a course Diet cooking Tuesday-Friday 11 AM – 2 PM 80€ for adults; 55€ for students and adolescents Françoise Meunier Tuesdays 2:30-5:30; Wednesdays-Saturdays 10:30-1:30 90€ a course From: ParuVendu Edited by John Talbott to add links; 10h50 24 Nov 2004

I couldn't agree more; we ate there October 29th and loved it. Zurban is the place to look for new finds thanks to Sebastien Demorand. PS Across the street is a great Oyster place that has incomparable Utah Beach oysters; it's the offshoot of Bistrot Paul Bert; great for a few before going to Temps au Temps - that's courtesy of eGulleteer Zouave.

Since my name was used, and very nicely, indeed, I have to plunge in here. One is never sure. You do the research, you search eGullet, the guidebooks, the newspapers, the friends, colleagues and trusted sources and still you go wrong. When Colette and I travel outside Paris, rare but true, we carry a bag of books, we ask, we try, and as our 3rd experience in Sicily (see the Circumnavigating Sicily thread) a few weeks ago ago demonstrates - you win a few, you lose a few. So I guess there's no sure thing, but whatever was? But when you hit it, isn't it great?

True, but I must say I was pleased with the "bag in box" BN I picked up last time from my local entrepot for occasional quaffing. In addition, most restos and bars in Paris don't serve DeBoeuf but that from winemakers seldom seen in the States. ← OK, confession time. I was wrong about what I stated about DeBoeuf earlier; today (1) I saw DeBoeuf signs in the window of one bar and (2) DeBoeuf adverts and bottles in my neighborhood Monoprix. Apologies to fabienpe. Also, I did try the BN, at least one - “La Reserve du Maitre de Chais” at my brand new wine merchant and without going into a parody of the WSJ type descriptions, e.g. “some frambois, just a hint of blueberry, a bit of acid but no detritus, etc,” already done better than I could do it by Paul Giamatti in ‘Sideways,” I was impressed enough to get a 5 liter bag-in-box for 25 Euros for apertif quaffing.

Just to keep the record up to date, I’m putting this also up on the “Wine Bar” thread because despite the fact that it’ll appear in the Digest much later this week, Sébastien Demorand wrote such an enthusiastic review of a bar à vins in Zurban today that it deserves to be on the list. It’s called Les Coteaux and it’s in Saint Mandé, 8, rue Jeanne d’Arc {Note: 4 long blocks South or a few stops on the #86 bus from the #1 St Mandé Tourelle Metro stop} 01 48 08 74 81 serving Chiroubles, Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, Fleurie and Chénas as well as sausages, cheese, head cheese, “polka terrine” and calf’s head like an andouillette. You may recognize the name because the patron & spouse were over on the boulevard Garibaldi in the 15th before.

Since the Digest will be up late this week, I’m posting this now so that the Beaujolais obsessed folks know that today in “Zurban,” the day before the Beaujolais Nouveau will be released, Sébastien Demorand devoted his major review titled “Il est arrive-é-é,” to a place where the patron grew up in Beaujolais and returns one day every week. It’s called Les Coteaux in Saint Mandé, 8, rue Jeanne d’Arc {Note: 4 long blocks South or a few stops on the #86 bus from the #1 St Mandé Tourelle Metro stop} 01 48 08 74 81 and it features Chiroubles, Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, Fleurie and Chénas as well as sausages, cheese, head cheese, “polka terrine,” and calf’s head like an andouillette. In addition, Figaroscope's "Dossier" today is all about Beaujolais, I'll let you go to the link to read it if you wish. Wednesday, again, Adrian Leeds’ Parler Paris newsletter had another long list (24) of places to go for Beaujolais Nouveau in her issue called “A Lip-Smacking, Pleasure-Provoking Beaujolais Nouveau.” Due to eGullet & copyright practices, I will not list them but urge you to go to her website if interested. Edited by John Talbott to add second and third paragraphs and correct Les Coteaux title from Beaujo to Il.

True, but I must say I was pleased with the "bag in box" BN I picked up last time from my local entrepot for occasional quaffing. In addition, most restos and bars in Paris don't serve DeBoeuf but that from winemakers seldom seen in the States.

These are rather prosaic questions but since I consider Eating in Italy a classic, their answers will be of great interest to me First, when do you plan on a new edition of Eating in Italy and second, do you plan on writing something on Southern Italy? Thanks.

As the whole world knows, Thursday, November 18th will see “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé” signs in tout Paris. In addition to the wine-bars listed on the French Forum here, as I noted in last week’s Digest, the website Paris Voice has published Julie Baker’s compendium of places in which to sample it. They are: Couleurs de Vigne Taverne Henri IV Aux Bons Crus Le Baron Rouge Le Sancerre La Tartine Le Rubis Cave La Bourgogne Bistrot des Augustins And in 2004 she added Juveniles

Than you should check this thread out

Welcome! If there's any restaurant info you need related to your cheese search that you cannot find on an existing thread, please let us know.

The Week of November 8th, 2004 November 5th, Jean-Claude Ribaut in Le Monde’s “Toques en Pointe” reviewed the bistro Le P’tit Bougnat, 118, bd de Courcelles in the 17th, 01-47-63-97-11 with menus at 17 €-23 €, à la carte about 35 €, offering such game as: grouse, partridge, pheasant, wild boar, rabbit - with classic sides: celery purée, pears in wine, blueberries and chestnuts. Monday, in “Croque Notes” in Le Figaro, François Simon wrote a tribute to Michel Guérard and his place near Eugénie-les-Bains, subtitled “The elegant pianist” (piano=oven), where he compares him to a jazz pianist who is precise, enchanted, melodious and yet simple and unpretentious. Monday as well, A Nous Paris printed a compendium of largely well-known, hence I’ll not give their coordinates, shellfish places, the main ones being: Ballon et Coquillages Le Cap Vernet Le Bistrot de Cancale La Cabanne a Huitres L’Ecailler du Bistrot Charlot, Roi des Coquillages and not to forget: Wepler Jarass Le Parc a Huitres Uitr La Cabane Sebastien Demorand in Zurban reviewed Tadoussac, 396, rue Saint-Honoré in the 1st, 01 42 60 12 77. M° Madeleine, Concorde, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, formulas at lunch for 10-20€; menus at lunch = 25€ and at dinner = 26-40€. It’s an oddity for Paris, being a Québécois place, serving not so bad food, however, such as salmon tartar with a kind of ketchup, duck from Lake Brome {Digester's note: which are, according to their website, world renowned} and venison steak. His smaller reviews covered the well-known brasserie Marty plus an Italian “sandwicheria” Frascati which he loved and an inexpensive Southeast Asian (e.g. Thai-Vietnamese) place in Belleville called Le Rouleau de Printemps. Playing catch-up, I should note that last week, he devoted his major space to a story about the best sommeliers in the world; the three in Paris he featured were at the following places: Le Cinq Le Bistrot du Sommelier Café Lenôtre In his “Casseroles” section, though, he reviewed 3 restaurants: Press' Café , 89, rue Montmartre in the 2nd, 01.40.26.07.30, a corner café where the menu is 12,50€ at lunch, a la carte about 25€; he notes it’s embedded in the Journalism zone; Madame Tomate, 78, rue de Bagnolet in the 20th, 01 53 27 00 25, closed Sundays, a la carte between 15 and 20€ which despite it’s being in an out-of-the-way place for Americans and a “silly so-called provençal café,” serves up some classics and new stuff: e.g. daube of bœuf, brandade, marinated anchovies, omelette à la marjoram, tomato soup with pesto and sautéed chorizo; and last and in my book, not at all least – Le Temps au Temps, 13, rue Paul-Bert in the 11th, 01 43.79.63.40, closed Sundays with formulas from 10-12€ and a menu-carte at 25 serving cepes bordelaise style, stuffed clams, and Jerusalem artichoke soup; Demorand says if you don’t like it, he’ll reimburse your costs. {He won’t be reimbursing me, though, because I had a fine meal there two weeks ago}. November 11th Jean-Claude Ribaut in Le Monde gave the ideal wines to serve with game as follows: L'Échézeaux with lièvre à la royale at Gérard Besson Grand-Échézeaux with the game at the Elysées du Vernet Romanée-Saint-Vivant with a venison or partridge prepared at the Pré Catelan Richebourg with a grand veneur sauce with say venison La Tâche with lièvre à la royale or the râble au vin rouge of Jean-Christophe Dumonet Domaine de la Romanée-Conti for the most delicate game, esp. bécasse Montrachet, the only white, with a Bresse chicken à la George Blanc. The December Food & Wine had an article on the restaurants of Courchevel: Le Cap Horn, La Saulire, Le Chabichou, Le Chai des Chartrons + Le Kalico.

Bah oui. The best example of which has been Boboss's côte de boeuf at Le Quincy in the 12th; watching the not totally-stripped bones toted back to the kitchen brought tears to my friend's eyes.

In my web meanderings I just found this review of the Dome du Marais

My favorite piece in France which when in the US I've been successful in ordering by asking the butcher to take say a standing side and leave one rib in and cut the beef to its maximum on both sides, eg up to the proximal bones, giving you an effective 2-2.5 times beef/bone ratio. Have I clarified or muddied the water?

To appear in the Digest later this week: "November 5th, Jean-Claude Ribaut in Le Monde’s “Toques en Pointe” reviewed the bistro Le P’tit Bougnat, 118, bd de Courcelles in the 17th, 01-47-63-97-11 with menus at 17 €-23 €, à la carte about 35 €, offering such game as: grouse, partridge, pheasant, wild boar, rabbit - with classic sides: celery puree, pears in wine, blueberries and chestnuts."