John Talbott

Game season is upon us. Already some restaurants are serving the earliest offerings, e.g. Scottish grouse, but other waterfowl and migratory bird seasons have opened. In the near future, everything will be available in Paris. So, anticipating questions on where to go, here’s a list from prior years. Note: As usual, I don’t dwell on the big guys, eg Ducasse, Frechon, Savoy, Besson who will have game but at pricey prices. Most of the following places are affordable (the classic example was le Biche au Bois, which before the turnover of equipe, was the best buy in the town with the old Chez Catherine a close second. Across the street from Biche is Le Quincy which is also affordable but tends to have only one game dish, usually a fowl, as a special of the day and is usually quite good and of course Bobosse’s (Michel Bosshard) Cote de Boeuf is legendary. A part ca, on trouve: Bon Acceuil Chez Michel La Grange Bateliere Le Repaire de Cartouche La Regalade Le Petit Bougnat, where I’ve not been and Le Petit Columbier, which can get pricey. I hope others will add to the list and I will provide the lists from Figaroscope and perhaps Zurban when they appear. Also, aficionados should consider the reviews in Emmanuel Rubin (he of Figaroscope)'s Le Paris des Envies gourmands: 1 plat, 1 adresse 2002 published in August 2001 or its English version Gourmet Paris: What to Eat Where, Dish by Dish published in November 2001.

You know Bux, I almost put that caution in the post but then thought it might be churlish; maybe the suits really do just drink spicy tomato juice,

As for Christmas, Bux is of course correct, but things sometimes get dicey, esp. for those with small kids and families in la France profond. My habit has been to ask places directly their closing dates when I eat there in late November-early December, because by then they know. A confounding but pleasant variable is that some places adhere to their weekly schedules, holidays or not; thus some but not all places are open on say Mondays or Fridays even if the national (eg bank) holidays are celebrated those days. In addition, beware New Year's Eve day lunches, when places are gearing up for the St. Sylvestre blowout dinner. Finally, while Bux has confidence in Michelin, there are mistakes in all the guides and articles and they are repeated by others; case in point, last week, Sot l'y laisse's Madame told me at Saturday lunch they WERE open Saturay night despite the press listings and the restaurant at the Hotel Lancaster continues to be listed with a 40 E lunch which they do NOT have. Second item; first, recall that I'm fickle, spoiled and restless; places that were fabulous 6 months ago have dropped off the list because too many other new ones are my "flavor of the month." Second, I drop places if I'm faced with the same menu and the season has changed but the products do not reflect that. And third, there's just too little time (misquoting Winston Churchill) to waste on places that Colette and/or I and/or friends are not wild about returning to. So, those caveat's aside, the following have dropped off that old list: L'Epi Dupin Au Pays de Cocogne L'Ebauchoir excepting their ris au lait which Colette makes me go get, ziplock bag in hand, to pick up to take out. And thank you for the "thank you." Eating should be fun and why not share it?

Here's another list from Figaroscope in last's week's Digest of restaurants around 30 E: "Le Temps au Temps Le Sot-l’y-laisse Le Bistrot des soupirs Le Vin dans les Voiles Le Timbre Vieux Chêne Le Duc de Richelieu Frugier L’Ami Marcel Restaurant du Marché" (NB I'd take L'Ami Marcel off it; likewise Duc unless you are a carnivore's carnivore, Le Vin was just ramping up the first week it opened and had too few selections at lunch but maybe fuller now, and I've not yet gotten to Le Bistrot des soupirs or Frugier, altho' Zurban has I recall) There’s also a small box that give some tricks to avoid traps in these places; (1) Go at lunch for the bargains. (2) The menus are a better bargain than the cartes. (3) The 15th is cheaper than the 8th. (4) The carafe is a better deal than the bottle. (5) The glass of wine is even better priced."

Oh that list. It's changed; now including La Cerisaie, Vieux Chene, L'Abadeche, Point Bar, Regalade, + Fables of Fontaine. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi Plus game season is looming!

I see lots of businessmen ordering tomato juice in a nice place.

Well, again, I'm the dissenter. I've been there twice and cannot figure out what the fuss is all about; it's not disgraceful food but it's not terrific either. For me the service was OK, level of noise fine but food without redeeming qualities.

Felice, I must respectfully disagree after three meals at La Famille. The first the week after it opened was terrific for myself alone and I was offered many things to try; the second time I took a friend from Geneva and we both thought the food a bit precious but OK; but the third time with best friend from downstairs and spouses (thus 4 dishes per course) showed they pushed the envelope too much. Maybe you've had better experience than I; certainly Zurban continues to like and list it but it's off my list (too many other new ones).

Yes, for a quick alpha listing; never for reviews, days closed, etc.

Here’s the ideal example of a secret place that illustrates that it’s OK to tell others, because no one will schlep up to the 18th to eat there. 2 pièces cuisine, 65 rue Ruisseau, 01.42.23.31.23 opened last Wednesday in a place I thought was cursed, that is, it’s seen 5 restaurants in as many years come and go, each worse than the next, and as my downstairs’ friend says, the next should have been a Karaoke bar. But it’s not, it’s an innovative French restaurant with a great young chef, a friendly attentive staff and appealing décor and art (in the 18th, I stress!) Anyway, Colette and I went Saturday night; I had a wonderful cabillaud tartare with tomato ice cream (don’t snort), a good laquered duck with agrumes and a fine nougat glacé; Colette had only an entrée of scallops in a crispy envelope, followed by a chocolate fondant. The bill was 59 E and we will be back. And here’s a second, La Cerisaie, 70, bvd Edgar-Quintet in the 14th, 01.43.20.98.98, although it’s no secret, having been written up in Les Echos November 2003, Le Figaro in February and March of 2004 and Zurban last week in the article comparing it with the best bistros in town. And I concur; it’s terrific, it’s southwestern food at its best and it’s a gem. My wife Colette had no starter but a main of a wood pigeon with foie gras and girolles with a very dark rich sauce and intense herb flavors. Her dessert was a fondant of chocolate. The crust was a rich, crisp chocolate base for a fantastic ‘filling’. It was firm but soft enough so we could taste the sweet grains of sugar together with the intense dark chocolate; unusual and very very good. I had a warm rabbit “paté” in crust with cherries soaked in vinegar, followed by a thin lobe of sautéed foie gras with a cake of corn and ended with warm mirabelles and nougat glacé. All this plus a great Langedoc and coffee for 84.40 E, wonderful charming service by Madam (Maryse) and cooking that is as good as I’ve had for a long time. Chef Cyril Lalanne is happy here with fewer than 20 covers (which leads them to have a no smoking policy), saying that his last experience at Au Bascou convinced him small was good . Unfortunately, our #3 special find (to at least one friend), L’Ami Marcel, 33, rue Georges-Pitard in the 15th, 01.48,56.62.06, turned out to be standard, OK food but not great. It had also been written up by both Zurban + Figaroscope by the time we showed up. We wanted so much to like it; because its chef came from Lucas-Carton, because the hosts were so welcoming, because the price was right (70 E) and because it’s so far off the beaten path. But while my terrine of canard and foie gras and Colette’s escargots were good, our mains of venison “grand veneur” had no dazzle and our desserts of chocolate fondant and warm fig were what most places turn out. We tried. At Au Vieux Chêne, 7 rue Dahomey in the 11th, 01.43.71.67.69, however, we succeeded again, wonderfully! Colette had “cigars” of langoustines fried in Philo dough, red mullet on a bed of spinach and tomatoes and a chocolate sable and I had a plate of house charcuterie, pigeon with cabbage and a rhubarb dessert – all great and costing 97 E. I’m hardly giving the meal the space it deserves – it was a great send-off as we headed to the Gare de Lyon and Dijon.

The week of September 27, 2004 Monday, François Simon, in Le Figaro Entreprises, reviewed L'Ourcine, already well-noted above and in other threads. He felt he had a solid and lively meal, awarded it 3/5 stars for the cuisine and 4/5 stars for the quality/price ratio and ranks it with L'Avant Gout as one of the best places in the area. Meanwhile, Monday, in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard gave Le Point Bar, also already well-covered above, 5/5 blocks, commenting that many locals eat the 15 E lunch with a main, glass of wine and coffee, that chefesse Alice Bardet makes miraculous food and that the menu changes weekly according to the market - except for a few items. Jérôme Berger’s review in the same paper, of the well-known restaurant Le Bamboche, under its new team (Serge Arce and Philippe Fabert replacing Claude and Chantal Colliot), notes that they’re turning the heads of both the Americans and locals who frequent the place with dishes in both the new and old style; e.g. ”hamburger” vs. shredded duck with Sichuan pepper, and awards it a 4/5 blocks; menu =35 E, now only closed for Sunday lunch. I neglected to note that in the September 6-12 issue, he also reviewed the Italian restaurant Fuxia, 69 place du Docteur-Felix-Lobligeois in the 17th, Metro Rome and awarded it 3/5 blocks; it’s open 7/7 for lunch and dinner. Wednesday’s Figaroscope “C’est nouveau” gave 2 hearts to: La Lorraine AKA Brasserie Lorraine, 2, place des Ternes in the 8th, 01.56.21.22.00 open 7/7 and newly renovated, where they noted their oysters and crépes suzettes and formulas at 45 and 55 E. Chez Eux, 13, rue Denis-Poisson in the 17th (M Argentine), closed Saturday lunch and Sunday, with 20 and 26 E formulas which has a new chef and offers raviolis of cèpes, sirloin a la plancha and brioche of French toast. Chapeau Melon (trans=bowler hat), 92, rue Rébeval in the 19th, 01.42.02.68.60 who has a passionate selection of wines and serious collection of European charcuteries – Cost = 15-25 E depending on your appetite and which wine you select. They also awarded one heart each to: EK Odeon, 10 rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie in the 6th,, 01.43.25.71.60, open 7/7. EK=Eric Kayser, “Wonder boy (sic) de la baguette,” who opened this resto-boulangerie serving tapas and sandwiches; menu = 30 E, formula 16.5 E. Curieux, 14, rue Saint-Merri in the 4th, 01.42.72.75.97, a flower of the Marais, rock ‘n roll restaurant with spaghetti & meat balls (sic), cost 15-25 E. François Simon in his “Haché menu review of La Régalade, coordinates well-known, who entitles the piece “Ooof, it’s still good!,” says it’s one of the “best surprises of the rentrée” and that at 30 E, the menu-carte is impeccable. Given all the words posted on eGullet on it, I’ll not say more. Finally, in their “Dossier” in Figaroscope, the team gives it’s annual list (with short reviews) of restaurants around 30 E. Most are new (over the last two years), well-reviewed, etc., so I’ll just list them: Le Temps au Temps Le Sot-l’y-laisse Le Bistrot des soupirs Le Vin dans les Voiles Le Timbre Vieux Chêne Le Duc de Richelieu Frugier L’Ami Marcel Restaurant du Marché There’s a small box that give some tricks to avoid traps in these places; (1) Go at lunch for the bargains. (2) The menus are a better bargain than the cartes. (3) The 15th is cheaper than the 8th. (4) The carafe is a better deal than the bottle. (5) The glass of wine is even better priced. Also Wednesday, Sébastien Demorand in Zurban reviewed Radis Roses, 68, rue Rodier in the 9th (Metro Anvers), 01.48.78.03.20, a place featuring “now” food and that of the Drôme region (minced pork and green veggie sausage, local goat cheese and syrah) open only Tuesday-Sunday evenings. While he had a false start, he went back several days later and liked the meal, albeit labeling it for “Bobos.” In his “Casseroles” section, he reviewed two well-known French restos: L’Ardoise in the 1st where he notes that the chalkboard choices are so numerous that it would take you 8 days to work through them and Chez Michel in the 10th, which he notes one must revisit from time to time plus Dan Bau, a Vietnamese place in the 18th already covered here. Saturday in Le Figaro, François Simon in “Croque Notes” mentions that J-P Vigato will quit Apicius around November 10th but has already taken up residence at a hotel particulier on the rue Artois in the 8th which is arguably the “great new thing of the Fall.” He also touts the Amboise restaurant Le Pavillion des Lys, which joins le Château de Choiseul + le Manoir des Minimes as places to go to there. He also says that Michel del Burgo has finally settled on going to Moscow and that there is a serious guide to Japanese restos in Paris by Jiloshi Gracamoto (15 E) that likes two valuable places: Kinugawa + Azabu and several others: Simon’s favorite Isami and Hyotan, Tagawa, Akai, Totoya, Zenzen + Tsukizi. In the same issue, Alexandra Michot wrote about the 2nd annual Festival of Food, initiated by Guy Martin of Grand Véfour and taking place in several cities until Sunday night – more here. Also, in “Toques” she interviewed Michel Trama of the Loges des L’Aubergade in Puymirol who was named chef of the year by Le Chef.

Freckles - I know you've already gone, but for the record another place was reviewed in Figaroscope this morning, p 10 - Chapeau Melon; 2 hearts; I'll cover coordinates, etc in the Digest of this week but if you don't have it already you may want to buy.

I live in the 18th and have been an on and off participant for 20 years. It's a hoot. True, the wine stinks (they sell it at the Mairie of the 18th) but that's not why one goes. There are stands with wine (not from the vineyard), sausages, etc, the "Mayor" of Montmartre usually is driven in an open car leading folks in regional (wine region) dress and my downstairs neighbor (68) marches with a group of local women in costume. Some years there's tecno music booming from a built up platform on the vineyard itself. There's no true grape gathering that day, it's mainly symbolic. But it's fun and everyone on and near the Butte turns out. Go!

I'm not sure if it's important but Bonjour Paris announced it open on May 12th; Jean-Claude Ribault of Le Monde discussed it as part of a book review that week and Figaroscope reviewed it June 2nd. I assume Bux is counting how long it took to get an award. Pretty fast.

I'd second that; we go about once a year and it's without flaws (our experience with the service has been better, however). In the summer or nice fall/spring weather, the terasse is terrific with very little traffic.

Quite right; in writing, I conflated the two, he was indeed (1) a protegé of Thierry Breton at Chez Michel and (2) chef at Chez Casimir next door on the rue du Belzunce. Sorry for the misleading info. And I'm delighted the meal was great; my one try at the new location just after it opened must have been aberrant.

The week of September 20th, 2004 Sébastien Demorand in Zurban starts his lead review off by asking what is the best bistrot in Paris. He suggests the list includes: le Paul-Bert, l’Ami Jean, l’Ourcine, les Papilles, le Baratin, le Repaire de Cartouche, l’Avant Goût, le Troquet, le Mesturet, Chez Georges, la Régalade. He then adds the bistrot/restaurant La Cerisaie in the 14th, 70, bvd Edgar-Quintet, 01.43.20.98.98, Metro Edgar-Quintet to the debate. He says that while its facade is nearly un-noticeable and it has only room for 20 covers, to get a good table you must be 4 and it is not a true bistro if that means serving such dishes as andouillette, but it is indeed one, by its spirit, its prices, its cave and its family ambiance; plus he(Cyril Lalanne)’s in the kitchen and she(Marysse)’s in the dining space. The market dictates the menu on the ardoise. He advises us to order the pastilla of veal sweetbreads if it’s available, great goose breast with roasted peaches or lamb flanked with purees and an interesting sounding salty-sweet chocolate tart or warm mirabelles with almond ice cream. À la carte runs 28-33 E, it’s closed Saturday lunch and Sunday. In his section called “Casseroles” he covers three other places Curieux, 14, rue Saint-Merri in the 4th, 01.42.72.75.97, which he subtitles a “spaghetti bar” but which has guacamole and gambas as well, so it sounds more fusiony to me; Le Bélisaire, 2, rue Marmontel in the “formidable” 15th, 01.48.28.62.24, which he calls a néo-bistrot, Metro Convention, and recommends the raviolis of leeks, excellent sautéed foie gras with a tartine of peaches and the crème brûlée – summarizing that if you don’t like it you must be having a bad hair day, menu=18 E, menu-carte 28 E, dégustation 35E, closed Saturday lunch and Sunday, and finally 1929, 49, rue Orfila, in the 20th, 01.46.36.73.60, which he calls a small café of the quartier where you can drop by for a coffee at 4 PM or have a not-bad-at-all and not expensive meal (formule with wine at lunch=10.50 or 15 E, à la carte 25-28 E) of terrine of chicken liver or an elaborate pureed blood sausage, Metro Gambetta. This week’s “C’est nouveau” in Figaroscope, which did not appear last week because of the lengthy “Dossier” on new restaurants, etc., gave two hearts each to: Le Pavillion des Princes, 69, ave de Porte-d’Auteuil in the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th, 01.47.43.15.15 recently taken over by Giles Epié, ex of La Petite Cour and LA and before that Miravile with menus at 25 E (lunch) and 35 E (dinner), à la carte 50 E, where they liked the shrimp and lentil velouté, veal shank and coconut ice cream, La Truffe Noire, 2, place Parmentier in Neuilly, 01.46.24.94.14 with menus at 36 E and 72 E (all truffles), à la carte 60-80 E, which features the cooking of Patrice Hardy (ex Ladurée and Korova) with “crunchy” truffles, pork breast in a casserole and truffle ice cream (the latter for truffle-nuts only), Chiberta, Savoy’s newest outpost, already much discussed above and in other threads, with a 60 E menu, à la carte 100 E, featuring crab with Granny Smiths and celery, rabbit stew with girolles and baba with rum and pineapple. They also gave one heart to Dan Bau, the place they said last week was run by a Vietnamese Mama, 18, rue des Trois-Frères (near La Famille,) which has menus at 9.5 E (lunch) and 19.5 E (dinner) and awarded a busted heart to Starcooker2 which they call a precious nothing. Figaroscope’s ”Dossier” was all about bio restaurants and included: R’Aliment Biotifull Place Rose Bakery Il Bacello Cibus Le Petit Vienne Bioart Le Jardin des fees Le Musée du Fumeur Bread & Roses Le Potager du Marais La Bonne Heure François Simon’s ”Haché Menu” was of Bioboa which he also reviewed in Figaro Entreprises three weeks ago. Saying it’s a bio cafeteria, he recommends you go see it at least once. His bill was 15.20 E. In Thursday-Friday’s Le Monde there were several articles related to restaurants. The first is on the return of Gilles Epié to France (see above) after ten years in the USA; ironically at the same time that Americans are deserting the great restaurants and turning to bistros. In this very long and detailed article, Jean-Claude Ribaut recounts the history of Las Vegas from “Bugsy” Siegel, Meier (sic) Lansky and Lucky Luciano thru Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Junior and Frank Sinatra to Alain Ducasse, Joël Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Daniel Boulud and Charlie Trotter; but you don’t want to know that; what does he think of his cooking at the Pavillion des Princes? Well, he says Epié’s first try incorporates some of his familiar dishes from Miraville, eg the thick salmon in oil à la herring, as well as new ones such as a sausage of duck with mangoes and green apples, that cast an eye toward both California and Asia. The menu-carte is 35 E; there’s a nice Crozes-Hermitage for 30 E and wines are served by carafe and glass although the cellar is still in the process of formation and the bread is by Poujauran. But you’re left in the dark about Ribaut’s opinion of his cooking. In “Toques au Pointe,” Ribault discusses several other restaurants. Under Bistrots Campagnards, he reviews two places outside Paris – Le Grand Pré in Vaison-la-Romaine and La Goccia d'olio in Cassis; under Gastronomie, he mentions what he admits is the well-known Italian restaurant Sormani and under Brasserie(s) the even better-known La Closerie des Lilas. Patricia Wells in Friday’s IHT also gets on the Chiberta bandwagon. She uses words such as “perfect,” “loved,” “luscious,” “successful,” “excellent,” “stunning,” and “honestly priced.” Who needs more? But if you do, it’s all here. Remember in the late 1960’s when we eagerly awaited news of new restaurants in the annual Gault et Millau Guide and later hung on each issue of their monthly magazine for what they judged to be wonderfully innovative places? With that in mind, it’s kind of sad to read the September-October issue of the Magazine which, buried among glossy ads and wine listings, presents three restaurants in Paris, respectively already well-reviewed (in the dailies and weeklies) and even written up (e.g. in the NYT) as well as listed in food guides (e.g. Lebey.) La Table de Joël Robuchon 15/20 La Braiserie 14/20 Le Marcande 12/20 In Saturday-Sunday’s IHT, which I’m noting here because it has an IHT not NYT copyright and thus you may not see it in the US, is Thomas Fuller’s article, ”The Grapes of Wrath” which tells an intriguing story of how 70 years ago, wine made from vines imported largely from Long Island, such as Isabella, Clinton, Noah and Jacquez varietals, was banned, supposedly because of higher levels of “toxic” methanol. Anyway, now some older wine makers want the ban lifted because they still produce decent enough wine from the vines. To be continued….

Well, you all beat me to it. Congrats! This was to have been my read on the story: Michelin Guides: New Chief Interviewed Le Figaro lobs him softballs In Saturday-Sunday’s Figaro, Thierry Bogaty, head of the “leisure” section and Alexandra Michot, their #3 or #4 restaurant critic, depending on how you count*, interviewed Jean-Luc Naret, new head of the Michelin Guides. One has to read between the lines (or perhaps I’m just paranoid) to see what’s in store for us. Naret’s history is almost totally one in the hotel biz, e.g. educated at the Paris hotel school, 20 years in deluxe hotels, most recently running those of the Aga Khan. Naret knows the demography of his readership: 35-65 years old professionals and the plans for the guidebooks: next French edition out March 3rd; New York one just a “project.” He defends the Michelin system’s anonymity, visiting protocol and principle that stars belong to the giver not the receiver and that nothing is carved in stone. Strangely to me and perhaps tellingly, he refers only occasionally to food, stating (in answer to a query) that desserts are integral to the assessment of the place, that everything from the amuse-bouches to coffee are “X-Ray’d” and that the guides judge the business menus on their own. He insists that all places are visited every 18 months, once a year if “starred,” sometimes up to 12 times a year (verifying what the much maligned Pascal Remy maintained about one perq of the inspectors.) Also in an attempt to refute critics’ charges, he says that the Michelin has about 15 French inspectors not 5 (as Remy suggested) and all are male – but of their 70 inspectors in Europe, 2 are women (that must have been a criticism I missed). He stresses that the guides are evolving: through Internet site access, a newsletter and a PDA version. In a companion piece on the same page, an unsigned article addresses the innovation instituted by the new Director of mailing a questionnaire to its 45,000 listées, asking, among other things, if they are content with their rating (Gosh, wonder what the responses will be?). The article also notes that ironically they receives 45,000 letters a year and wonders if the establishments might be interested in their critiques. *Why is this important, you might ask? Because, to not have Emmanuel Rubin or François Simon do the interview tells us something about Figaro, Michelin and/or the more senior food guys relationships with both.

Well last week F Simon implied the French flock to a place like Le Murano because it's "in" not because they know food, using the tataki of langoustines as an example.

On the other hand, when I'm in Greece or Germany (and German was my first language) I'm totally lost reading a menu and totally dependant on "the kindness of strangers." Are we too tough on Americans who don't know rudimentary French?

I'm not quoting anybody above but addressing the issue in general again. I think the discussion has been very good. But I still think there are several points worth taking into consideration. 1. Are we talking about reviews in the French or American press? Because most first-timers or occasional visitors to Paris read the NYT or Gourmet and usually those places have already been well reported already in the French dailies and weeklies. It's always amazed me how the French do not flood a Parisian restaurant say after a 3 or 4 heart review in Figaroscope whereas in NY, try to get a rez after the NYT. My point, as others have said, watch the French press and go promptly and don't weep if it fills up soon. 2. I suspect that Saveur's little place in the 14th run by a husband and wife was also featured #1 by Sebastien Demorand in this week's Zurban, see the Digest which I'll be posting this w/e, if it's the place with 20 not 16 couverts (and if not, it will be soon.) S.D., by the way, lists his top bistros as: le Paul-Bert, l’Ami Jean, l’Ourcine, les Papilles, le Baratin, le Repaire de Cartouche, l’Avant Goût, le Troquet, le Mesturet, Chez Georges, la Régalade, so much for secrets. 3. I agree with all the above that eGulleteers alone are not going to "ruin" a place. But I disagree that the occasional eater won't return. Even the once-a-year friends who trust me and eat at places from my list often go back, long after they've dropped off my list, and are remembered (I'd rather not know why). 4. And then there's the other side of the coin, the terrific place that's pretty empty at lunch but full at dinner (with real locals) but which needs both to do well, for example, l'Abadache, which was written up well by Zurban, Figaroscope and Pariscope but is 3 blocks from the Brochant Metro stop in the 17th, where I've eaten at twice (reported on Sept 2) and is also run by a charming couple, busy having babies and enjoying it, but wondering if at least one review was not on-target and better reviews and word-of-mouth helpfill up the lunch tables. So I'm more than willing to divulge if not promote it.

It's now posted here.

I've been struggling for two days over how to frame what I want to say without sounding snotty or superior or blasé. First - keeping places secret. I know that most food writers (Remy, Claiborne, etc) keep one or two in their pockets that they never write up. But when I signed on to eGullet I felt that its purpose was to be helpful to others, be they experts at digging out the back-alley places or novices intent on having a good meal (recall Gault and Millau's caution that a meal is, after all is said and done, just a meal) so I've not held anything back in either the Digest or my reviews or my responses to inquiries. Second - who are we kidding?; yes, it's true that Simon says in Chapter 46 that Americans are better informed than French folk on restaurants but how many "secret places" are really secret? My experience duplicates that given by Margaret above, that often I go to the "secret or favorite or undiscovered place" of someone else and I have trouble being gracious when I'm asked "how was it," because it was inevitably not the same for me as the "finder." In addition, I'm surprised at how many "secret places" are actually places that have been listed in Lebey for years. Next, I think most abhorers of tourists, esp American tourists, are eating in well-known restaurants at night in easily findable parts of Paris. I'll repeat what I've said many times before - I could hardly get anyone to go to the 19th to eat Frechon's food after he first opened because of where it was; ditto Les Magnolias and many places in the deepest 13th or 15th. And even when a place (take L'Equitable) is written up in the NYTimes it's still all-French everytime I go. Then the bad, indeed horrible folks that Bux ran into; they must go elsewhere when I'm around, because after 50 years I can count the number of truly bad mannered tables on my hand; most of the time the foreign diners are struggling to understand the menu, the waiters are trying to be helpful, and there's little disturbance. Do I help out when the diners ask the waiter what "a la plancha" means and he turns to me for help in translating - you bet. (and sometimes afterwards I've heard the Americans say, "see the French really are nice.") Then, there's the matter of abandoning the "secret places" when written up in the US. Well, my sense is that we all have a grace period from the time a review appears in the French dailies and weeklies until the guidebooks appear in December; then it's time to move on anyway, you've tested the kitchen, you know what he/they can do - with 5 restaurants a week opening or renovated or with new chefs - there's much work to be done. Finally, regarding L'Ami Jean, I think I ate there two weeks after it was reviewed in an April 2003 Figaroscope and if Bux had written it up then, here, I would have respectfully disagreed that it was all that good - I thought that while the chipirons and crème catalane were good, that the tables were incredibly tightly fit and the confit de cuisse de canard was "watery" (and my second visit a few weeks later did not correct my first impression.) Now, maybe Bux's review would trump mine, with good reason; maybe folks who've read both our postings and figured out our differing likes & dislikes would decide whom to trust, and maybe they'd find a tie-breaker review or friend, etc. In any case, I'll go on calling 'em as I see 'em. As Mort Sahl used to say, "Is there anyone out there I haven't offended?"

As usual, Zouave is correct. In looking up the building (which I remember as more romantic looking, albeit way out there to hell and gone) I came across this cool website that has pictures not only of most of the restaurants of the 19th that we've been chattering on about above but the School. So Freckles, you've got your work cut out for you hitting them all.

It is my understanding that racheter means either "buy back" or simply "acquire" if it applies to used goods, a company or its stock. Thus, in the business pages (cf Figaro Entreprises) you often see "x rachte y cie." But a native Francophone should chime in here, I'm hardly "Mr Language."