John Talbott

Yes. Reports to follow. Bottom line: if you go expecting the worst (ie what the French critics, who, as Julot pointed out upthread, hadn't gone but had written about authoritatively and most negatively, like the Benelux Michelin Red Guide, it was surprisingly good. But I'll let my comrades reveal their responses - mine will come in my April report in 5-6 days. However, I will say, it's one beautiful place, much better than I recall from days past.

The May T&L has an article on Europe's Best Sandwiches and mentions Le Petit Vendome in Paris.

In the May Travel & Leisure (usually available on the web in a month) there was a big article on "Vienna Wakes Up" that mentioned: Badem Butik, Klub Sioga, Mash Eat Club + Park Princeve and another list that included the famous: Demel, Do & Co Albertina, Fabio's, Indochine 21, Meinl am Graben + Österreicher im MAK mentionned above. Edited by John Talbott to correct spelling.

In the May Travel & Leisure (usually available on the web in a month) there was a big article on Affordable Europe that mentioned the following: Leo Bettini, Schwartzwaldstuben, Clarchens Ballhaus + Grill Royal.

The May T&L had an article on the island of Sylt and the German "Riviera" that said to eat at Sansibar, Greta's Rauchfang + Alter Gasthof.

The May T&L has a snippet on a French-meets-Turkish resto Elai in Cappadocia.

Sunday, April 13ths NYT has an article on Munich that mentions G-Munich, Saf im Zerwick + Cena Lounge.

The April 5-6 WSJ has an article (not on the web unfortunately but sometimes these things are searchable eventually) by Gregory White on "Moscow Goes Molecular" mentioning Vavary as well as Expeditisiya, Maison Baccarat, The Most, Cafe Pushkin, GQ Bar + The Apartment.

Sad news; it's closed (been a while too).In today's IHT, Doreen Carvajal's Globespotter piece notes that the last store where one get get them (excepting weekend markets) is La Maison de l'Escargot on the Rue Fondary in the 15th.

Host's Note In merging, etc., topics, some links no longer function. If you would be so kind as to send me a PM if you find one or more I'd be most appreciative. I believe I've now fixed the Luxembourg and Iceland topics. But others await. Thanks. John

Host's Note In merging, etc., topics, some links no longer function. If you would be so kind as to send me a PM if you find one or more I'd be most appreciative. I believe I've now fixed the Sunday compendium. But others await. Thanks. John

Well it is and Rubin et al gave it one heart Wednesday.

But you saw his talent at Eric Frechon nr the Buttes Chaumont non? Those were memorable meals too.

Host's Note I have the sinking feeling that the links are busted in the Sunday dining compendium or folks have forgotten we have a pinned thread on compendia.

Well, I'm not sure the cooking changed but he closed the restaurant and refurbished everything and added the requisite Michelin things (flowers and so forth).

The Week of April 7th, 2008 Tuesday-Wednesday, in ANP, Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 3/5 blocks to Les Rustres, 9, rue Antoine Vollon in the 12th, 01.43.47.18.01, closed Sunday and Tuesday nights, with lunch formulas at 13 and 21, a la carte about 30 €, serving seasonal dishes, especially fish and classic bistro fare; meanwhile Philippe Toinard got stuck with the 1/5 block 23 Mazarine, 23, rue Mazarine in the 6th, 01.43.26.40.24, lunch formula at 26 €, closed Sundays and Mondays, where he describes his experience as a calvary and the food feeble. Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin awarded three places three hearts each [now, that’s a first]: Agape, in the 17th , coordinates above for asparagus with bacon, turbot, pigeon and banana; the Japanese Shu in the 6th; and the Korean Sobane, 5, rue de la Tour d’Auvergne in the 9th, 01.48.78.02.91, open 7/7, where for 25-35 € a la carte and lunch menus at 13 and 16.50 and dinner ones for 31.50 € one has such fare as bulot salad, tripes soup and fried chicken. Then getting one heart each are Fauchon le Café you know where for a terrine of cheese, fish and chic [sic], eclairs and baba for 40-50 € and Les Montagnards, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 1st, 01.40.26.68.75, closed Sundays, with menus at 9, 13 and 16, a la carte 30 € for raclette with charcuterie, cheese raclette and yogurt. This week, in Figaroscope’s Dossier, the gang listed and described light dishes: Small plates Pikilia at Cristina’s Eggs at Coco & Co Bentos at Publicisdrugstore Cocottes at where else Les Cocottes Seafood Clams at l’Atelier de JR Oysters at l’Ecume St Honore Fish Vapored daurade at Au Petit Thious Bio salmon at Au Salon Pour Tuna tartare at 1728 Sushi at Korin Daily special at the Hotel Pourquoi Omega3’s at Little Georgette Vegetables House soup at Vingt 2 A plate of veggies at Racines A Salad at Jour Carrot juice at Fumoir Carotte Spring veggies at Vapeur Gourmande Zucchini soufflé at Colette Avant Mesclun, parma ham, mozzarella, green beans and tender ble at Caffe Boboli Dessert Three pots without cream at the Dali. Francois Simon in his Hache Menu went to Bizan, where he says to go for sushi on a menu of 22 €. Wednesday-Thursday, Jean Claude Ribault in Le Monde wrote an article about Beaujolais, citing the sugaration scandal, acquisition by Louis Latous of Henry Fessy and declarations by two folk that it’s “masturbation carbonique” and “un vin de merde.” Thursday, in l’Express, Francois Regis Gaudry reviewed Gordon Ramsay’s Trianon Palace in Versailles, not totally positively and the week before, Mathieu Caps had reviewed Melac, coordinates well known, apparently because it was celebrating its 70th birthday. Thursday, in ParisObs, Philippe Couderc reviewed the Comptoir de Tunisie, coordinates in the guides to which he awards 10-11/20 for the food and 15/20 for the price/quality, and also La Potense, 78, rue de la Croix-Nivert in the 15th, 01.48.42.18.10, serving unpretentious food for 12,50 and 15,50 Euros at lunch and 26-36 Euros at dinner, and finally La Bocalée, 6, rue Ernest-Renan in the 15th, 01.47.34,67.55, which merits a detour and a 13/20, servings eggs cocotte, unilateral cod, duckling and rustic crepes for 18 & 22.50 Euros for lunch and 26 & 33 Euros for dinner. In Saturday’s Figaro Francois Simon wrote an article about O Bontemps in Magalas. Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp had an article on the new Gault Millau and John Talbott had one on “Montmartre is where we want to eat.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

Ok Julot, you get the scoop. Today 13 days later, Figaroscope said he be da man.

Laidback: Tx for the report, but for 3 what was the final bill and how much do the wines run? I am going with another cheapie next week and have gastric distress already.

That's what I read as well. And thanks Pirate for ; I've tried to correct, but we have perhaps other mispellings/orthographic issues which I'll try to address.

Great question, Dave, and I've been ruminating about it for days. Although you're quite inclusive, I immediately went back to the great restaurants. And I'm cheating with #1, because it's 61 klicks inside French Switzerland. 1. 1984, Fredy Girardet blew us away, so much so that while we had to go from there to Vienna the next day, we booked a "last meal" there when we got back, just before streaking off to the airport. 2. Michel Gerard at Pot au Feu in Asnieres with RW (Johnnie) Apple, Edith, Colette, Atar and Elan in 1968; the lievre royale lives in my memory traces. 3. Like fortedei, we loved Pere Bise - we arrived with no reservations and took a nap and awoke to the strumming of a guitar and singing of "Sur les toits de Paris" etc. from a threesome on a canoe going up and down the lake in front of that incredible "Clare's Knee" grass expanse, however, by the time we went (1984 as well), he was spent, but not so much so that he didn't share the rest of his Burgundy with us for our cheese course. 4. Le Bistro d'a Cote (six months after Jamin + Rostang) - astonishing! 5. l'Hotel de France aka Andre Daguin; like robyn, we loved it, esp the all duck menu and the confiture array at breakfast. 6. Arpege when Passard was reaching for the stars (circa 1990) and Senderens had departed (but those meals weren't bad either); we ate there just before going off to three weeks in culinary penible Eastern/Central Europe post Berlin Wall fall and like Fredy Giradet ate there our first meal back. 7. Lucas Carton's becasse with five liters of reduced Burgundy and the toasted little bird (no, it was not ortolan, I don't think.) 8. le Bistrot d'Hubert, Chez les Anges, Menton, Taillevent + Mere Blanc for their gutsy salade frisee, thick almost raw calf's liver, fish grilled with fennel, wine list and buttery sauces respectively - circa 1970's. 9. La Ferme de Lormay outside Annecy for their all Paris license plated parking lot and great, honest un-Veyrat food. 10. Dare I say it - Ze in the new century. Whom have I omitted/offended? Bocuse, Robuchon, Ducasse, Gagnaire?, OK, I respect 'em and I liked 'em, but they don't reach the top ten. Now Frege + Julot have thrown a curve in here with their posts and indeed, I have to admit that grilling fish and potatoes and steaming beans for the 11 members of my family on the Ile d'Yeu did constitute about the best meals in this best of all possible worlds. Edited to correct Girardet's name.

With your connection, can you get him to change his outside sign to reflect the real meals he serves inside? The last time we went, almost nothing listed outside was available inside.

For lunch 2 days before; for dinner, I don't know because I eat dinner at home.

Laidback It's nice to have my experience in February confimed.

To avoid this unpleasant and jarring transition, my old food buddy, Atar, discovered several decades ago in NYC that if you ate sausages, potatoes and kraut at Zum-Zum before embarkment, you survived much better and in those days we would trek to midtown to test this theory - it worked!

And my eating partner the other day had the best o.m. I've ever had at Quai-Quai - see my report.