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John Talbott

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Everything posted by John Talbott

  1. Let me return to the idea proposed by Pan and winemike; using Paris as a base. Both full years we've been in France we've used Paris as a base and taken weekends (which my wife Colette cleverly decided would exist for us Tuesday-Friday, making hotels/chambres d'hote/gites more easy to book without calling ahead) away. Granted we had a car (shipping mine cost a bit over $500 each way, which for 4 months is not economical but for a year is) and an apartment in Paris so that made things easier. But even renting or leasing works (always cheaper from stateside or via the internet). The point is, we've been able to go everywhere, stay a few days, sometimes more, and be "back home" in a few hours. We've used the car train from Bercy to Nice as well as driven it and as long as you're not leaving or returning on a Bison Futé/Code Red clogged autoroute Friday or Sunday night, it's not bad. When not in full-time residence we've been TGV'ng to a city zippity-zip, renting a very reasonably priced Avis via SCNF, and returning the car and TGV'ng back. More expensive but less hassle. As Bux says, however, it's all in what you want; to be on the move, to plotz or a bit of both.
  2. Thierry Breton's (of Chez Michel) 2nd is next door - it's Chez Casimir, 6 rue Belzunce, in the 10th, 01.48.78.28.80 and despite the defection of Phillipe Tredgeu to L'Entredgeu its prices are much less than at the Mother Ship. Check exact dates because it's closed 3 weeks in August. Also directly across from le Gare du Nord is a Brasserie, le Terminus-Nord, 23, rue de Dunkerque, 10th, 01.42.85.05.15 open all days, all year which is a tad better than the rest of the Flo group. I've eaten at both in the past year and would return if proximity to the station were a priority.
  3. I like both le Repaire de Cartouche and Au C'Amelot, for what's it's worth, and Square Trousseau, last time I was there as well.
  4. Thanks to everyone for the kind comments on the Digest and reviews. Pierre: Please don't stop reading the dailies; I'd hate to be even partly responsible for fewer sales, plus I don't want a manif in front of my place. Besides, holding the newspaper in front of you is so much more fun than looking at a screen. Paga and John Whiting: I don't want it to appear that I do all this stuff alone or am an autodidact. While I'm not as fortunate as the New York Times' reviewers who reportedly have a half-dozen staff who act as "pre-testers" and Figaroscope's Emmanuel Rubin and François Simon, who have at least four folks sharing their byline for the compendia each week, I have a pal who established the methodology of seeking out good, new restaurants and who does much of their vetting for me (e.g., 4 of the 5 mentioned in Five New/Changed Restaurants.) This guy, let's call him Steve, because he's too modest and bashful to put his thoughts on eGullet himself, starts by carefully combing through every yearly guide and daily and weekly newspaper that mentions restaurants; then as a natural-born flaneur, goes to all the promising looking ones and with tape recorder as well as pen and pencil, notes their posted cartes and menus; and finally "auditions," e.g. eats at, the most interesting ones. At this point he passes on the "best of" these to a select bunch, among which I count myself. So in a sense I am merely the Charlie McCarthy to his Edgar Bergen or Oracle of Dephi to the Gods. Bux: Just thanks.
  5. follonica2 - Thanks for what sounds like an interesting find; interesting at least to check out on foot before sacrificing the foie.
  6. Interesting that you associate short shorts with Americans; I only see those idiotic shorts on French men in Alpine or seaside resorts.
  7. Paris and Gourmet and the Ritz experience Ruth Reichl’s and Alice Steinbach’s new ones If you love Paris and Gourmet, then “Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet,” edited by Ruth Reichl (The Modern Library, New York, $16.97 from Amazon.com or 21.46E from Amazon.fr) is for you. One of the few benefits having been on earth a goodly time is that you pick up a book like this and find so many old friends, even if the minute details elude you. Reichl has gathered in this volume (as she did in “Endless Feasts: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet”), almost 50 priceless gems on Paris from Gourmet’s 60 years of publication. Written by a dozen people, from Naomi Barry through Joseph Wechsberg to (my current favorite contemporary critic) François Simon, the pieces reflect more than restaurants, e.g. perfume, haute couture, cinema, chocolate, jewelry, flowers, famous people, etc. In addition, there are many articles about the city itself, the products and places (e.g. Les Halles) and there are recipes up the gazoo (so many that cover such a comprehensive scope that it almost qualifies as a cookbook too). But the authors and chapters do discuss restaurants, from the original bistros to current favorites, from traditional cuisine through the nouvelle cuisine to fusion cooking, from restaurants long gone to those currently very hot. These include, in order of mention: La Mediterranée, Voltaire, Au Cochon de Lait, Polidor, Restaurant des Arts, Chez Vincent, Coupole, Maxim’s, Au Pied de Cochon, Grand Comptoir, Pharamond, Le Père Tranquille, L’Escargot-Montorgueil, Le Chien Qui Fume, L’Alsace aux Halles, Allard, Lasserre, La Tour d’Argent, Aux Amis du Beaujolais, Chez Pauline, Chez René, Au Petit Coq, La Chope d’Orsay, Chez Michelle et Bruno, L’Auberge de l’Argoat, Le Bistrot de Paris, Prunier, Lucas-Carton, Le Relais Plaza (Athénée), Taillevent, Le Pot au Feu, Au Pactole, Le Pré Catelan, Jamin, Tan Dinh, Chiberta, Guy Savoy, Les Élysées du Vernet, Le Vaudeville, L’Épi Dupin, L’Ardoise, Bookinistes, Pierre Gagnaire, La Régalade, La Tour de Monthéry : Chez Denise, Bofinger, À Sousceyrac, Le Petit Marguery, Au Trou Gascon, Carré des Feuillants, L’Ami Louis, Mère Poulard, Chez Georges, Le Cinq, Héléne Darroze, Café Ruc, L’Esplanade and McDo’s. Criticism : Reichl should have gone to the time, effort and expense to index the collection, by the chefs (e.g. so you know which chef was at which restaurant, when), the restaurants (e.g. Maxim’s is discussed during at least three different periods in its existence) and the recipes (so you could easily distinguish between the soufflés at Le Divellac and Gagnaire). On the other hand, it’s a fun read or re-read as the case may be. Disclosure: Reichl’s book was a present from a friend, the writer Alice Steinbach, whose experience at the Ritz-Escoffier École de Gastronomie Française I deal with next. Alice Steinbach is an author who hates to be categorized as a travel writer, so I’ll call her an author of books dealing with being in foreign places. Her first book “Without Reservations,” published in 2002 in the US was a success in both the States and France. She returns to France in the first chapter of her recently published (US, April 2004, Random House, New York, $16.97 at amazon.com and 25.34E at amazon.fr) book “Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman.” Along with the focus of eGullet, I’ll only mention this chapter, which deals with her two week stint at the Ritz, home also of the Restaurant L’Espadon. As best as I can tell, it presents pretty accurately the pluses and minuses of such training and I suspect would be of interest to anyone contemplating such an immersion course, especially at the Ritz.
  8. I just found this old (1997) list, better double check if places still exist: Le Vieux Bistro Le Bistrot de Breteuil Le Grand Colbert L'Ambassade d'Auvergne Bofinger La Petite Cour L'apparat' Le Bistrot de Marius Le Cap Vernet Flo Julien Terminus Nord Viaduc Cafe Le Bistrot du Dome La Cagouille Vin & Maree Pere Claude La Butte Chaillot Le Pre Catalan La Grande Cascade Le Relais du Parc Zebra Square Baumann Ternes
  9. I forget these from the Digest: "Francois Simon had a good 13E lunch special (total bill 39E for 2) at Le Repaire de Cartouche, 8 blvd des Filles-du-Calvaire in the 11th, 01.47.00.25.86). In addition, the compilation article following “What’s New” featured meals under 30E in the following restaurants: 182 RD L’Enredgeu L’Ourcine Au Gourmand La Grande Rue Café Moderne Le Vin de Zinc Café Panique La Table d’Anvers De Lagarde and L’Authentic Also TimeOut.com/Paris's compendium list of “Best of’s” included La Beurre Noisette"
  10. As an homage to Floyd Landis who should have tasted victory today I propose some Pennsylvania Dutch food; eg Chow chow, shoofly pie, schnitz and knepp, chicken pot pie, dried corn, whoopie pies…etc.
  11. But of course, in ascending order, cheapest to more expensive: Le Pre Verre, 8 Thenard, 5th (Maubert/St. Michel) Dix Vins, 57 Falguiere, 15th 01.43.20.91 L'Avant Gout, 26 rue Bobillot, 13th, 01.53.80.24.00 L'Ebauchoir, 43-5 Rue de Citeaux, 12th 01.43.42.49.31 Casa Corsa, 25 rue Mazarine, 6th, 01.44.07.38.98 Au Pays de Cocogne, 111 rue Reamur, 2nd, 01.40.13.81.81 Marmite et Cassolete, 157 Bd de Montparnasse, 6th, 01.43.26.26.53 Il Viccolo, 4th 01.42.78.38.86 L'Epi Dupin, 11 rue Dupin, 6th, 584/2, 42.22.64.56 Le Troquet 21, rue Francois Bonvin, 15th, 01.45.66.89.00
  12. I'm sure those at the finish today in Grand Bornand already have dinner reservations but if not drive up a couple of clicks North up the Vallée du Bouchet and dine at my fave La Ferme de Lormay where the license plates are from everywhere from 75 to GE. My Velo News is only 4 minutes late whereas TDF is 5, but Phil & Paul are in real time.
  13. The times I've been in the country, folks have just set out home-prepared picnics with sausage, cheese, bread, wine etc depending on region. It sounds like the Germans yesterday had lots of beer beforehand, tho'. As for the riders, there has been one segment on OLN about the sludgy-power-drinks, I believe while Ullrich was taking some. I'm sure you can Google up more on solids and what they distribute at the food breaks.
  14. Just a warning. Like the 14 juillet défilé, it's mobbed and TV is better. Starting with all the promo-vans and ending with the meat wagon things are crazy. Go certainly but without a périscope (not kidding) or invitation from a friend at the Automobile Club, be prepared to be part of a fairly boring mob. Since it should be largely ceremonial this year there shouldn't be much going on until the final sprint but I agree you have to do see it live once. Lord knows, seeing it downtown certainly beats sitting in the hot sun in the countryside all day just to see them whiz by in 10 minutes. Bux is correct about times, French 2/3 TV plans to cover every finish about 5-5:10 and be done with interviews and awarding of shirts by 5:30 in order to start the Velo Club then. For those in the States, OLN has been better this year with improved graphics and commentary, albeit more ads and even the text newsflashes and radio feed via OLN's website seem better (except for yesterday when the text lagged way behind the commentary). Enjoy!
  15. Let me address the khaki part of Derek's query. French men don't often wear the type/tone of khakis we do; pants are either darker or very much lighter. Clean, pressed, tight, blue, designer jeans on women work; black jeans with a leather jacket on men work. As for dress in restaurants, I'll come back to something I said days ago; it depends on where you're eating. At the new Chez Catherine, everyone has suits, white shirts and ties (at the old one almost no one did); at Tante Marguerite or the Restaurant of the Polytechniciens ditto whereas at the other two Tantes it's not so. Carlsbad and Busboy have it right about shoes and shorts and sandals. But who are we kidding; our accents usually give us away. My street commercants may mistake me for English or Belgian or Dutch but not for French. For security and other reasons I don't carry a wallet or map or guide that's visible; everything is in a (French) briefcase. I invariably wear a jacket (formless light weight or leather or elegant (French) blue blazer) unless its over 30 degrees. But under it I might wear a solid (French) tee-shirt. Are they fooled?; no way. But sporting khakis, white running shoes, Burberry raincoats is worse. Two tips; one, look outside and see what folks in the quartier are wearing, remembering that it always gets much warmer in the afternoon; and second, a quick trip to C&A will tell you what's Eurotrashable.
  16. You probably have lots to places to go to, but last year we went to La Placa or La Plaza, depending on language, in nearby Madremanya (it's in the Michelin agglomeration of Girona/Gerona) and stayed (3 cool renovated rooms) and ate very well. It was run by a young couple, the chef having been at or influenced by ElBulli.
  17. Dan - Agreed - at least in part. In that light, I'm reminded of a story Gerry Asher of wine fame told of working at Sherry-Lehman when he first came to the States. A woman of a certain age came in and asked him for a bottle of "x" wine which she'd had one evening as the sun set on a terrace overlooking the Bay of Capri with a younger Italian man. "Madam," he said, "I can order the wine, but there's no way to reproduce the man, the meal, the setting and the sunset."
  18. This should be a great thread. In my view, dress has been going steadily downhill for men since the late 1980's but for women has remained stylish. Thus, TV guys got away with black tee-shirts or white shirts left hanging outside their pants anytime of day long before it was au courant here (for example, see today's front page picture in the NYTimes). It's only around the Palais Bourbon or La Defense or places like Taillevent where ties and suits outnumber schlumpy dress. That said, men can't go wrong with a conservative suit, white shirt and tie at Taillevent and women should dress like they would here at say Boulay, but of course with a scarf. I would do black tie only if before opening night at the Opera where a group is similarly dressed.
  19. http://www.fusac.fr/ plus it's available at Brentano's and other Anglo businesses One other idea is the American Church and American Cathedral bulletin boards.
  20. Open for lunch on Sat & Sun Mon Vieil Ami, 69 St Louis en l'Ile, 01.40.46.01.35 Petit Pontoise, 5th, 9 rue de Pontoise, nr Reminet, 01.43.29.25.20 Coordinates in guidebooks L'Equitable has reinstituted its Sunday menu at 30E Le Reminet, 3, rue des Grands-Degres, 5th, La Mediterranee, 2 pl de l'Odeon, 6, 01.43.26.02.30 L'Ardoise, 28 rue du Mont Thabor, 1st L’Etoile Marocain, open 7/7 inc all holidays J’Go Moulin de la Galette
  21. Robert - I was interested in your experience at Giradet. Ours was that we had our first meal right after hitting the ground there in 1984 and were blown away - despite the one-month rule we pleaded and made a reservation for our last day of the trip and ate there again two weeks later on our way to the airport and were equally as impressed. Returned only once more, even though we got to Geneva fairly often, probably because friends turned us on to other places, but that's another story.
  22. No, sorry, I've not been to the Café des Delices since L'Angl'Opera opened. I've walked by and the menu still looks interesting though.
  23. I, too, don't know if this sort of thread is OK, but since I use these enewsletters as sources for restaurant news for the Digest, there is a relationship. Adrian Leeds, who writes Parler Paris, has a lot of info on apartment rentals and sales. You can subscribe here. Bonjour Paris is another eweekly that has rentals here. David Applefield's My Mercredi too. Finally, Expatica has longer term rental infomation here. As an aside, all provide other information and are interesting if you want to keep up with what's going on in Paris.
  24. From: http://www.aeroportbeauvais.com/bus.php?lang=eng Shuttle service (10 € each way per person) to and from Paris-Beauvais Airport and Paris-Porte Maillot. The tickets must be purchased directly on the buses or in the arrival lounge from the machines at the airport. • Tél.33 158 050 845 • Fax. 33 158 050 844 • Tél. 33 344 114 686 The departure from Paris is located at the bus park on the Boulevard Pershing, near the hotel Concorde Lafayette. Buses leave Paris 3h before each flight departure. Be at the bus stop 15 minutes before the departure.
  25. L'Ourcine was reportly open on Saturdays (according to Figaroscope) but I've never tested the statement (I've been disappointed by their lack of fact-checking before.) You might try calling - 01.47.07.13.65, saves you time. Regalade has been visited by several eGulleteers and you can check the various threads for their reports. Good friends, whom I can trust, ate there this weekend and thought it was better than under Camdebord with several additions to the carte that made it much more interesting. But as you see from the threads, the reports are mixed. I have not gone since the change.
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