John Talbott

I should have said "The French Michelin boys?" But Fresh_A confirms that even in France So watch what you say folk. Our voice is heard outside the club.

Report from the Front: It's working, 100% of patrons in restaurants obey the no smoking regulation/law, altho elsewhere, some shop-women stand in the doorway puffing away.

I realize we've got a topic running on Sunday brunch, but I want to see if anyone out there has tumbled/stumbled on a new place for Sunday lunch that is not a brasserie or brunch place. My good friend Atar said that Sunday is the new Saturday, meaning that once upon a time one had difficulty finding places open for lunch Saturday but now Sunday is the problem. He's solved it by eating chez Atar & Elan but Colette and I still want to "go out." In any case, I/we'd appreciate knowing what's new out there. FYI, I ate today at QueduBon which I'll report on later, not bad but not great either, except for the walk through the Buttes postprandially.

British, French, whatever, we've had this discussion before but whenever flowers (a la Beauvilliers) or connections (a la Darroze) or prior reputation (a la L'Ostend Queen in Belgium) trump food it tarnishes Michelin's reputation. I'm still rooting for Spring and Daniel, there is wifi in Asia. Have a well-deserved stage-vacation!

It's hard to answer all of you individually, but despite the Epoisses and St Nectaire my charming guest and I had a couple of days ago, I'm now inclined to do: Vacherin (a la nikkib), rilettes (a la Pti/Spring/Dave), apericubes (Margaret/Pti), foie gras, caviar d'aubergines (a la Felice) and olives (altho I find most here to be too salted except for Italian Cerignolas). And lotsa wine. I guess I'll skip the five truckloads of tapenade toast and Chinese takeout (except Shandong). After all, these folk will be in a jetlagged daze and say "ohhhh, ahhhh, Sacre Coeur, it's so bright, it's so Parisian, a market street, isn't it great Honey? Do you eat this way all the time? How much did the place cost you? Do you rent it out? Ohhh how we envy you." Thanks folks!

Thanks guys but it's just cocktails.

I realized today when planning a "menu" for 5 visiting American colleagues for a "cocktail" next week that my usual European suspects (coppa/lardo/etc, belotta-belotta, herring, caviar d'aubergines, etc) are all easily obtainable stateside. So I'm now searching for things they cannot get in NY or SF or Chicago. I'm up to snails, foie gras and raw cheese. Other ideas?

I didn't know where to post this, hope this does the trick, because it's a food/art thing. Today's IHT had a blurb by Doreen Carvajal who discovered a chocolate shop (Josephine Vannier in the Marais) featuring chocolate sculptures of high heels, sacs and Virgin Mary statues. Kinda cool.

Disclosure: On my part, there are four occasions on which I don't split; 1) Because, yearly at a national meeting in the US, I treat my French colleagues to a locally-focused American lunch (eg creole food in NO, Mexican in San Diego, crabs in Baltimore, etc.,) I let them pay for me when back in France (a great deal for me); 2) Persons who feel I've done them an exceptional favor (not really more than I'd do for anyone) and when, whether because of "old school," old age or old tradition, I accept graciously, 3) The inverse, when I owe a debt unpayable otherwise, for some wonderful favor (I make clear on the phone when reserving and/or "go to the bathroom" and pay) and 4) When someone who's getting reimbursed for writing about the resto, pays. But these are really the tiny minority. For the most part with same-income, same-age, same-passion French folk, we split. Truth: It's easier that way: I can't keep track of who owes whom what.

Claude Lebey's "jury" declared G. Arabian's Les Petites Sorciers the best of its kind, says Le Figaro today.

In France?

Sure, I do recall splitting a bill this way with someone from Atlanta, but I was raising the question of American/French, French/German, etc. splitting customs.Since we've not heard from any of our French cousins, this may be a distinction of little consequence, one more instance of the press selling newspapers.

Well, who knows, and I'm not sure I want to get into a lengthy discussion of the Michelin's foibles and inconsistencies here, when they write up a place that hasn't yet opened it makes one wonder. However, you pointed out a disappointing meal not long ago, so......As for Daniel, godspeed!

For St Valentine’s Day, Philippe Couderc of NouvelObs suggests going to a chateau and recommends the Domaine de Saint-Clair in Etretat or the Chateau Colbert in Maulevrier.

Some news from this week's Figaroscope not heretofor reported: 1. Bagels New York style are now available at Bagel Tom, 2, rue Volta in the 3rd, 06.70.77.42.62, closed Sundays but open other days 10 AM - 10 PM. 2. Philippe Conticini has opened a microboutique called Exceptions Gourmandes, 4 place su Marche-Sainte-Catherine in the 4th with macaroons, mini-kouign-amman, etc.

I should have specified equal status meals, non-business, non-Congress, non-student backpacker relatives, non-neighbors one is thanking for keeping an eye on the apartment, etc. That is, I believe, the intent of the SABMiller Survey.

No one has mentioned the demotions or restorations: I'll pick the easy ones: Demoted - Maximin, Taillevent + Jamin for obvious reasons. Restored to glory: the Jules Verne + Le W.

A blurb in the freebie newspaper Metro today stated that 73% of French respondants in a survey done by SABMiller, prefer to buy others drinks rather than offer to split the check versus say Germany where 63% prefer to split the check and carefully calculate who's had what. Now, I recall when I moved here being told by an American friend that the custom was to take someone or couple out and pay in full and they would reciprocate the next time. Me, being paranoid, thought that could lead to striking disparities, so I proposed to French colleagues that we go "Dutch" (who were not mentioned in the SABMiller survey) and for 20 years no one has differed. Thoughts? For instance, is there an age factor involved (as there is in the Sarko/Carla in the public eye discussion).

To be very different and perhaps unique, one could serve the French cheese(s) after the main and the English ones after the dessert. How's that for having it both ways?

My buddy, the real food critic, said today at lunch at Bigarrade (which is this year's Spring, by the way) that it (Bigarrade) would make it before Spring, which I had suggested, because it was not run by a native French-person. That makes me sad. Luckily, Daniel Rose will be in La Chine profonde then and only learn the news afterwards. On verra. PS My pal is French so I'm not suggesting a cross-cultural difference.

In 2007, some (Adrian Moore, Francois Simon) had leaks in January; the results went on the web Feb 21, and hard copy March 28.

Since January 3rd, the UK Forum has been awash in posts about the UK Red Guide's release today. Just this weekend in the FT, Derek Bulmer, the UK director was quoted as saying "I read all the restaurant critics; they are a good source of information, as are chat rooms and websites like www.egullet.com.” We knew that French chefs read us, but the Michelin boys? In any case, now is about time for the rumors about who goes up and who down to appear in the press and on the street so this topic'll be "rumor central" for the 2008 Red Guide. John

This month's Travel & Leisure has an article by Brett Forrest suggesting eating at Decadence House + Khutorok.

This month's Travel & Leisure magazine has an article by Linda Dannenberg on Carole Peck's cooking school in Montfrin near Avignon.

Sorry to jump across the channel folks, but I was reading the Weekend FT for the France Forum tidbits and saw that Derek Bulmer of the UK Michelin, is quoted as saying “The more voices, the better,” he says. “I don’t like to criticise other guides. I think there is a place for everybody, room for us all. I read all the restaurant critics; they are a good source of information, as are chat rooms and websites like www.egullet.com. They are all valid.”