John Talbott

An update. The resto has changed hands but seems pretty much unchanged. We had a fete for 50 persons on the second floor today: I liked the Red Curry Mussels with a really zippy sauce and found the corned beef and cabbage adequate but the parsley cream was pretty blah. With drinks and no dessert the bill was $1680.90 or $33.62 with tip and tax.Also, I ate at Abacrombie last night with Colette; another restaurant recently under new management. She loved her black drum (fish) with crab topping and I thought my warm spinach salad with pancetta and gruyere 1st was terrific. However, the white sardine dish didn't thrill me. All in all, this is probably still the best choice to eat around the Symphony/Opera. Our bill with wine but no dessert or coffee, with tip was $60.00.

Someone upthread mentioned difficulties getting a reservation at the Guggenheim's main restaurant. How much in advance must I reserve for lunch? Thanks. This topic is a terrific resource and I'm most grateful for all the informative posts, both where and where not to eat.

There is an amusing piece in Paris Update today by James Gascoigne on smoking inside and out that mirrors my impression that while inside things are much nicer, outside the air is denser. In addition, the rules as to what “outside” space is enclosed vs not-enclosed seem arbitrary and the accumulated discarded butts, if not swept up by the Green Men, are impressive.

It depends. Goumard Prunier used to include wine, bottled water and coffee in their "menu." And here I thought it was Chateau Delanoye.

The Week of May 5th, 2008 Monday, in Le Fooding Chloé Aeberhardt wrote about the Japanese Guilo Guilo and Itineraires, 5, rue de Pontoise in the 5th, 01 46 33 60 11, closed Sundays and Mondays, menu 34, main 22, 2 dishes 29 at night and 22 € at lunch, where Sylvain and Sarah Sendra have moved from Le Temps Au Temps, serving rougets with vinegar, coulis of passion fruit, risotto with squid ink, etc. Tuesday, Jerome Berger in A Nous Paris reviewed Les Cotelettes, 3/5, coordinates already given, where he liked the prices for the herring with potatoes and the fricassee of little snails. Meanwhile Philippe Toinard reviewed the risotto place in the 17th – Orisotto. Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin awarded two hearts to two places: Ducoté Cuisine, 112, ave Victor Hugo in Boulogne-Billancourt, 01.48.25.49.20, closed Sundays and Mondays, serving a lunch formula (35) and menu (45), dinner menu (70) and a la carte 80 € with items such as stuffed squid, Bresse chicken with morels and baked apples and the Italian Di Vino in the 16th. Then he gave one heart each to: Carpediem, coordinates in the guides, recently taken over by a young chef serving lamb and moelleux with too much fuchia for 30-40 a la carte (lunch menus at 16 and 21 €) and the Buisson Ardent-offshoot, La Cuisine du Buisson Ardent, 44, Rue St Honore in the 1st, 01.42.36.42.60, closed Sundays with formulas running from 10.90-29.90 € for eggplant ricotta, tagine-style lamb and almond tart. Finally, he gives a busted heart to Rafael, 105 rue de Prony in the 17th, 01.44.40.05.88,open 7/7 serving asparagus and pigeon for 50-60 €. This week, in Figaroscope’s Dossier, the team listed restaurants connected with the riots of May 1968: Odeon Au Petit Suisse La Patisserie Viennoise La Mediteranee Polidor Mabillon l’Assignat Orestias Le Petit Vatel Aux Charpentiers Jussieu Moissonnier Chez Rene Saint Germain Lipp La Charrette Le Petit St-Benoit Luxembourg Le Perraudin Francois Simon in his Hache Menu went to Balzar where he advises readers not to go. Wednesday-Thursday in Le Monde, Jean Claude Ribault discussed two “historical” (1686 + 1874) restaurants: Le Procope + L'Escargot Montorgueil, neither of which (strangely) is in the Michelin today. Friday, in l’Express, François-Régis Gaudry reviewed and quite liked Christien Le Squer’s Etc., coordinates given before, while Pierrick Jégu reviewed the lounge-wine bar Le Living Room 5, rue Crillon in the 4th, 01.42.78.12.69. In Saturday’s Figaro Francois Simon wrote about 7 places he particularly likes: the Bistrot Paul Bert + l’Astrance in Paris and Obontemps, Mirazur, Saquana, le Bistro des Saveurs + Le Coquillage outside. He also wrote about his 7 pet peeves: foam, severity, gogos, extras, absent chefs, arrogance and grotesque checks. Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, John Talbott wrote a piece entitled “Great Expectations or the Tale of Two Cities.” Rosa Jackson in her “Paris Bites” in Paris Notes very enthusiastically reviewed the Jules Verne. The May Conde Nast Traveler suggests the following “hot tables” in Paris: Afaria, Le Bistro de la Muette, Grand Pan + Le Jules Verne. Gilles Pudlowski, in May’s France Magazine gives 23 restaurants he thinks you’ll leave feeling your money is well-spent: l’Absinthe, A Casa Luna, Dalva, Aux Lyonnais, Gallopin, Au Bascou, Le Grand Colbert, l’Ambassade de l’Auvergne, Chez Nenesse, Brasserie de l’Ile St Louis, Isami, Mon Viel Ami, Ribouldingue, l’AOC, Cameleon, l’Epigramme, Les Cocottes de Christian Constant, Spring, La Pizzetta, Le Bistrot Paul Bert, Bigarrade, l’Entredgeu, Le Café qui Parle. Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

This is very sorry news but 84 ain't bad. For those interested here is the main topic on l'Auberge which I'll eventually merge this into. My one meal there Thanksgiving, 1990 was memorable.

Clotilde Dusoulier, Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris, Broadway Books, 2008, New York City Wow! Two books on eating in Paris by eGullet members in as many months and both so different and worthwhile. While Alec Lobrano’s mixes history, recollection and reviews of a hundred of so restaurants, Clotilde Dusoulier’s new book is a mixture of restaurants, shops, recipes, reservation advice, tips on eating, glossaries of terms, cooking advice, where to eat in certain areas and more. As most readers of this Forum know, Clotilde’s first book, published only a year ago, “Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen,” dealt with over 75 recipes from aperos to mignardises. In her second, she shows how much broader a scope her knowledge of Paris is. For instance, she covers the important markets, many of the cooking schools and all the shops and restos in both Chinese quarters. The book is so encyclopedic that it’s amazing that she does it all in 291 pages and it’s even more amazing that she’s eaten at so many places. Disclosure: I am one who occasionally breaks bread with her and I’m delighted to see that she left one place out that dissed her. This is another must-own book if you live in, travel to or dream about Paris. She suggests you use it in planning trips as well as a pocket guide once there, and I agree.

Some suggestions in May's France Magazine: Croquembouche, Napoleon + Denecourt, le latter for brasserie fare and ice cream.

This week, Lesrestos.com announced that Yohann Parran, who only took over Beauvilliers in Montmartre three years ago, is himself turning the place over to Antoine Heerah of the nearby Moulin de la Galette, ex-Chamarre {too} who will renovate and reopen it this summer.

Here are the results: I arrived on a wonderfully sunny warm (70º F.) day and there was a walk for breast cancer around the CC and convention hotels that added a festive air. As I walked to the CC, I noticed that one resto I’d considered, Acadiana, was closed during the meeting for a “private function” held by the company that translated, published and disseminated the Spanish edition of a textbook I had something to do with, so I couldn’t feel too resentful. However, I ate well elsewhere. My final and best meal was at Zaytinya, a sister resto of Jose Andres’ Jaleo’s, Atlantico and Oyamel, featuring mezzes from the Mediterranean. I went a tad early, they had a nice outside area but I chose the inside with ample space between tables, etc. As everyone here knows, Zaytinya means olive oil in Turkish, but Turkish food does not impose itself, sharing top billing with (horrors) Greek, Lebanese and Israeli dishes. Andres is at his best here, setting up a staff (kitchen and front room) that is professional, diverse and informed. I started with two mezzes, (1) squash blossoms, hard to do correctly, quickly dead, heaven if proper and often overcooked – stuffed with tomato, feta and sitting on a bed of cusinarted kalamata olives – in a word – wonderful and (2) Cretan snails in an essence of garlic with unintrusive ouzo, topped with fried crisply parsley on a bed of potato puree – very very good (the only problem for a geezer – was too much salt). I was going to quit with that but the dessert/cheese menu arrived and the two Israeli cheeses spoke to me: I had the Tilton goat rather than the Tavor sheep d/t my Mexican waiter’s advice and I was not disappointed – it was quite good, albeit not blue-cheesy as he posited. I finished with the Turkish coffee (not Greek mind you, but you all know that war) that was also quite good. With the above and 2 glasses of wine one got out for $51. Oh yes, the pita, souffléd like the potatoes of yore, was good, the bathrooms and lavabos extraordinary and there were (gasp) towels not air-blowers. The first night I ate with Colette and a friend from Geneva at an “old haunt,” the Café Atlantico, which is as good for dinner as it has been for Colette and I for their weekend Latin dim sums. The idea of several small plates that are super really appeals to me more than tons of food as mains. We had the octopus, soup special, foie gras and scallop starters and softshell crab main, only. The bill was $143.00 for three before tipping. The second night I again ate with Colette and our Geneva colleague/friend at Tenpenh on the advice of a world-traveler buddy/Gym partner of Colette’s – a good rec. Again, we had small plates that were terrific – shrimp and chive dumplings, calamars not drenched in batter atop a mountain of fresh greens with a spicy sauce, and shrimp & pork spring rolls that Colette thought were flavorless with dipping sauces that Colette “did not find exciting at all” but I liked - as well as huge side dishes of friend spinach and wok’d beans and finally, a shared dessert. The bill was $84.60 for three with tip. Ironically, the following day my “forced” group lunch was at Ceiba, a “Passion Food” sister of Acadiana, DC Coast and Tenpenh, where we were offered a choice of salad or Cuban black bean soup for firsts; salmon or chicken for mains; and flan or fresh fruit for dessert. I thought the choices of Jamaican jerk salmon or Argentinean chicken breast were ridiculous but suspected they had some Argentinean beef that would be good, if I could finagle a substitution, which I did; and the almost bloody rare beef with onion rings was a marvel. I liked the salmon and flan and fruit too. The pleasant surprise, though, was a coffee, pressed a la 1960; intense, dense and rich. The Malbec was pretty decent too. The bill, I have no idea, I wasn’t paying. That night I supped at the Old Ebbitt Grill, an old fave that I hadn’t been to in 20 years but was located a comfortable walking distance between my reception venue and home. I know, I know, I know; it’s a tourist trap, like, for me, Lipp or the Tour d’Argent, but I couldn’t resist. I started with a half-dozen little necks, perfect product, perfectly chilled, perfectly served. Then something I recalled from the Mayflower’s café, the French dip, listed as “with au jus,” oh well. The beef was the very worst product imaginable, overcooked, with nice sliced red onion and an intriguing horseradish sauce but horrible jus and slaw. The meal was saved by the elegance of my beautiful Belorussian waitress, who I advised to find employment in a better, less touristy, more upscale place. The bill was a tad over $40 but the price-quality ratio was the worst of this trip. Post Scriptum: Since folks always ask me where to stay in Paris and I’m clueless, I thought I would pass on good news about the Kimpton hotel I stayed at in DC, the Helix, where the staff was so genuinely friendly and kind and nice that I thought I’d time-travelled to Heaven. That combined with the wine hour, outside patio and reasonable price, made life much easier.

Well, we took the collective advice and went to Ben's for the only “traditional DC food” apparently - the Chili Half-smoke. Now I understand Charles' comment about the stars because we noted it's the favorite of Bill Cosby, reruns of whose show airs on channel 3 in Paris every AM about 5:30. In any case, we had three of them (I found the dog only so-so) but the chili was good and spicy and the chopped onion superb. One of my colleagues ordered an “..amburger” with fries covered with melted Velveeta cheese that I thought were a throwback to the ‘50’s they were so awful/yet/delicious but the French declared them to be heart-clogging/cholesterol heaven. The bill for four was $40 with tip. Not sure I or we would return but it was surely a few thousand miles from what we'd get in Paris. Thanks all.

The Week of April 28th, 2008 Tuesday, in l’Express, François-Régis Gaudry reviewed Shu, coordinates given before, and his colleague Pierrick Jégu, reviewed Juantorena in Saint-Etienne-de-Baïgorry. Wednesday, Richard Hesse in Paris Update enthusiastically reviewed Les Cocottes. Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin awarded three hearts to famed Japanese chef Eiichi Edakuni’s Guilo-Guilo, 8, rue Garreau in the 18th, 01.42.54.23.92 and two hearts to the Italian Michelangelo, 3, rue Andre Barsacq in the 18th, 01.42.23.01.88 as well as one heart to three French places: the 1940’s theme room Le Nabuliones, 40 ave Duquene in the 7th, 01.53.86.09.09, open 7/7, serving items such as King crab with celery remoulade, grilled sole and rice pudding for about 60 €, the revived (by the Costes empire) Square Trousseau, coordinates well known and also open 7/7, serving rillons salad, beef taratre and a pot of chocolate for about 30 €, and l’Apotheme, 70, rue Vouille in the 15th, 01.48.28.81.61, closed Sundays and Mondays, serving marinated scallops, braised monkfish and a chocolate dessert for about 35-60 with menus at 35 and 50 and a lunch formula for 19 €. This week, in Figaroscope’s "Dossier," the team listed and rated Spring Newcomers: Gastronomic 8.5 Etc…. 8 Jules Verne 7.5 l’Agapé 7 Le Dali 6.5 Bigarade 6.5 Jean La Maison de la Truffe 4 Gordon Ramsay au Trianon And also in Versailles l’Angelique Bistrots 7 Les Petite Sorcieres Ghislane Arabian 6.5 Bistrot Robert Les Cotelettes Bis-Tro Vin Sobre Hide 6 Le Messager Mets & Vins 5.5 Bistrot Poulbot Le Temps Au Temps 4 Chez Patrick And also Gustave & Jules, l’Entetee, Montagnards, Les Rustres + la Veraison Cosmopolitan 8 Shu 7.5 Sobane 7 Lao Lane Xang 2 6.5 Les Pates Vivantes 6 Youlin 5 Kaiseki Bento au Rendez-v And also La Briciola, Nagoya II, Procopio Angelo, La Cantinella + Bollywood Lounge Exotic 6 Le Petit Bordelais O.J. Misia 5.5 Bernard du 15 Le Petit Nicoise 4 Food and Beverage 3 Caffe Minotte ? 23 Mazarine And also M comme Martine Wired 6.5 Quai-quai 5.5 BAM Cafe Central Les Parisiennes Au Duc des Lombards Le China 3 Passage St-Roch And also Transversal/Maison Rouge, Café Fauchon, l’Idee, Bar Le Living Room, Soya, The Cool, Mems, La Cantine du 10 + Little Georgette. Francois Simon in his Hache Menu went to the l’Agape where he had the asparagus, pigeon and ice cream and while he thinks it’s one-star food he says the place lacks life and only the curious should go. Wednesday-Thursday in Le Monde, Jean Claude Ribault discussed places where one can get a good steak tartare, specifically: La Rotonde, Le Severo, Alcazar, Warwick, Bistrot de la Muette + Tiara in Paris and l’Academie du tartare in Ramatuelle. In Saturday’s Figaro Francois Simon in “Croque Notes” wrote up Les Coteaux, 8, rue Jeanne- d’Arc, Saint- Mandé, 01 48 08 74 81, count on 20 € a la carte. Even though it’s tough to get to {I found it more easily than he apparently} and the menu (tripes, organ meats, porkie things and sausages) was not to his liking he found himself with “his master” - Christian Millau, who really likes this place and he did as well: pork ears, stuffed cabbage and crème caramel. Indeed he liked it so much he made a reservation for 6 for next week. In addition, Lucille Escourrou has an article on William Ledeuil getting his Michelin star 7 years after opening Ze Kitchen Galerie. Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp had an article on La Luna and John Talbott one on “The Orsay is where we want to eat.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

Joanna Kakissis in Sunday's NYT has an article on 36 Hours Athens mentioning the craze for Cretian food at Alatsi, plus the bars Galaxy, Nixon, Bios, Soul + Bo and restos: Sofia's Valaoritou, Varoulko, Sardelles, Plous Podila + Ammos.

Seth Sherwood {I'm beginning to envy his lifestyle more than I did Johnnie Apple's} has an article in Sunday's Times of NY entitled The Coming of Age of Nordic Cuisine that features three places: Noma, Alberto K + Geranium all most enticingly.

Saturday, my 12 yo granddaughter and I tested the Grano Pasta Bar, 1030 W 36th at Hickory in Hampden, a hole in the wall, 11 seat place run by Gino Troia (name sound familiar?) that a friend, who does an enormous amount of entertaining out, recommended saying "it's very good but it just is what it is." They have 6 pastas and 7 sauces and a dish costs from $7-10 - plus they have salads, garlic bread, etc., too. I debated having a salad first but am glad I/we didn't, since the pasta portions were quite ample. She had bow ties with pesto that she judged pretty good and my Bolognese on spaghetti was very good but couldn't match Luigi Buitoni's in Paciano, but whose can? I finished with a ristretto that our chef/host made and delivered - saying "you're a bold man to order espresso in Baltimore" - it was perfetto. This is not a destination resto but for those living or shopping around the Avenue, as my friend described "it is what it is."

Jim, I think if you use the search function you'll find a fair amount on the places mentioned.John

Serendipity strikes again. As opposed to the advice above, which is good, I was thinking counterintuitively - going east to St Mande and trying the recall the resto out there I had an OK meal at and just saw featured again last month, which I thought I'd go back to and up pops Francois Simon this AM in Figaro who had a splendid meal of pork ears, stuffed cabbage and crème caramel in the company of Christian Millau, who loves this place - Les Coteaux, 8, rue Jeanne- d’Arc, Saint- Mandé, 01 48 08 74 81, count on 20 € a la carte. It's on the 46 bus from the Porte Doree; I've walked it (800 meters or so to Jeanne d'Arc) on a nice day.

Thanks for the report Joan. Your comment about Allard refreshed my memory about something I think it was Julot said - that he doesn't report bad experiences. Now I do and I encourage others to do so, so that folks like you will be warned off. But the absence of any news about places like Allard vs the cascade of plaudits for places like Spring should be a warning sign. No news is probably bad news on this Forum.

I believe so. I think I have an Ethnic Eats one and Bistro one.

In the June Bon Appetit, Adam Sachs describes the following restaurants: Kungsholmen, Aquavit, Humlegarden, Mathias Dahlgren + Backfickan and Ostermalms saluhall market and the Cajsa warg food shop.

2008 French Food Guides Chapter 6 – New Pudlo France Web Radio du Gout mentioned that yesterday the Pudlo France 2008 came out and named Gérald Passédat of Le Petit Nice in Marseille, Chef of the Year, Resto of the Year going to Jean-Louis Nomicos of Lasserre and young chef of the year to Pascal Favre-d'Anne of Le Favre d'Anne in Angers.

There is no topic on bio things in general, but for those interested there is a new book: Paris Bio, editions Parigramme, 6 E, that lists epiceries, bakeries, wine stores etc. selling bio/natural products.

Well it's a bit late to help the folks above who are asking for suggestions but May's Saveur suggests: Kamares Taverna, Neon Phaliron + Seven St Georges Tavern.

It doesn't really pay to buy the whole 2008 edition just for one map; look in any old one at a bookstore or library.

In that case, please delete the rest of my posts on this thread, not just the Japan ones, as many of the three stars I discuss in my list are not in France. Come to think of it, why is a thread on worldwide 3-stars doing in this forum anyway? ← Don't complain about the thread... It had an original intent on what people thought were the "great" and "not so great" three stars and has ended up as something else. Also there is no general Europe forum and since most 3 stars are in France it made sense to put it here. I mean we could say about the World's 50 best thread in the UK & Ireland forum and I'm sure there are plenty of others. ← Thanks Rooster, I think that's correct.