John Talbott

This is what amazon.fr shows, is this what you mean? Quatre saisons à la table N° 5 : Le Meurice, Paris par Kazuko Masui, Yannick Alleno, Philippe Barret, et Rika Fujimori (Relié - 6 décembre 2006) Acheter neuf: EUR 60,00 EUR 57,00 4 Neufs et d'occasion à partir de EUR 57,00

The Week of August 27th, 2007 Monday, the IHT published an article by William Boyd that demonstrated how one wine maker in Bergerac is successfully surviving the glut of French wine; ironically, just three weeks ago, Stephen Castle wrote another article in the mother pub, the NYT about the common opinion, whose title tells it all – “A tide of wine may drive European growers from a way of life.” Monday, as well, the first fall edition of A Nous Paris appeared with 3/5 block reviews of the Café Very, coordinates given previously, reviewed by Jerome Berger, and Le 182, 182, quai Louis-Bleriot in the 16th, 01.42.88.44.63, formulas at 20 and 26 €, Sunday brunch 20 €, where Philippe Toinard is quite critical of the food served, e.g., scallops in June and its preparation – chicken with butter-drenched frites but likes the prices, the wine list and the pleasant service. Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp had an article about Les Cocottes of Christian Constant, coordinates given before. Sunday as well, in the JDD, Jean Yves Bath of the eponymous resto, now in the 17th, gave his two favorite places under 35 € as: l’Entredgeu + Le P’tit Bouchon. In the JDD magazine version femina Astrid de T’Serclaes reviews: Cheri Bibi, the Italianate Sorza and the picnic lunches inspired by Thierry Burlot at the Cristal Room Baccarat. The July-August oMni had a full page cover photo of Gilles Choukroun and an article on his expanding empire (l’Angl’Opera, Café Very + MiniPalais). Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

This is very good honey indeed.....But I thought it was only available in September during a short period? ← Spot on Pti. Today's freebie MatinPlus had an photo caption showing the students in the almost year-long course collecting the honey Saturday, so it should go/be on sale soon.

Forgive me if this is gratuitous, but I assume you’ve already checked out our compendia of existing topics on Nice, Cannes, etc and Provence, including Avignon. There's a lot of wisdom there that will save you time.

And the most over-hyped chef in Paris, Helene Darroze, will be preparing dinner for 500 at the quarter finals at the Stade de France, presumably for SocGen's primo clients (I'm glad I'm a LCL bankee myself).

I realized after reading an article in today's JDD and thinking about well-priced places that among the Michelin one stars, one place stands out as the best price/quality bargain - Bath's, 25, rue Bayen 01.45.74.74.74, with its 25 E lunch menu. I'm remiss in not returning after a great meal earlier this year.

When I see folks pouring into them every night I'm driving by, I’d agree I’m in the minority. This is the question; or are we (#18 in size of American cities) just 20 years behind San Fran (#14) and Seattle (#23), both of which manage to serve edgy and traditional and ethnic food. Oh boy, we shouldn't get into politics on eG, but that's disturbing and unlike the Mary Pat I know. Again we probably should stay off even journalistic politics, but the Sun now prints more LA Times stuff than it creates itself. I don't even go to the website from Paris.Good news, however, there is hope, says my loyal partner in life, Colette, who toils away in Baltimore while I trip the light fantastic in Paris, she likes the Dogwood Cafe in Hampden and loves new Café Azafran in the Space Telescope Science Institute at Hopkins, recently opened by caterer and chef/owner Irena Stein.

Without getting too far from Italy into the excitement that exists around Docsconz's Girona/Catalonia, where Ferran Adria's students have begun to spin off, your discussion of how to improve/alter prosciutto and melon, recalls two experiences in the last week that impressed me. Today, I, actually my co-host Felice, but she shared it with me, had a so-called gazpacho made from melon that had an incredibly intense flavor and had a plug of equally-intense melon ice in the brandy-snifter it came in and was accompanied by three tiny rolls of coppa on toast. Not your classic preparation but the chef/desiger was not your classic chef but Generation "C", Le Fooding, oMni's darling, Gilles Choukroun, ex-Les Cafe des Delices, now at the l'Angl'Opera, Cafe Very + MiniPalais, were we were eating. On the other hand, last week in Florence, at the Trattoria Antellesi, another friend had the classic melon with classic prosciutto draped over the ripe slices and they couldn't have been improved on. But, as weinoo says, the product was tops. I guess there's room for both.

Well, I immediately went to my "One dish" book by Emmanuel Rubin but it's not specific enough, so myself, I’d think first of here at Ribouldingue + Aux Zingots see here and here for the Caves Petrissans. An 2006 article on abats can be found here. Report back please.John

Blame it on my Alzheimers or Jean-Luc André's telling me the resto would never be the same again, but I completely forgot eating there three years ago or my report until Felice found it. It was really good, but as I say/said, he said it was changing. Indeed the Pudlo says it is now only open for dinner (27 E menu). Let us know how it was.

Wow, what a coincidence. Martin, I've just heard from Alex Charles who is involved in a website that serves the Languedoc community and has a restaurant section. He is interested in having more folk participate, so I thought if any of our members who live there want to help out, so long as it doesn't detract from their loyalty to the eGullet France Forum, it could benefit us all.

We have a Zagat's rated place 400 meters from me in the 18th called that and the owner and staff is/was Neapolitan not Sicilian. Nope, what started this topic was my puzzlement that Italian restaurants in the US in the 1940-1950's introduced us to black pepper mills, not that they adapted to our traditions. The Scots verdict: not proven.Much as I love your perspective Pontormo (by the way, that Deposition of yours in the Capponi Chapel at Santa Felicita, was great,) I suspect you're not as old or wizened or decrepit as I; thus to reiterate, I recall no pepper mills in American restos when Italian restaurants opened in the 1940-1950's. Americans didn't know from black pepper except pre-ground from McCormick and that was long since dead. I recall that, at least in my neck of the woods, the Italians were the pioneers in freshly ground pepper. And I bless them for that.

Usually I welcome new members with a PM, but because you have arrived so well-prepared, I'll say it in public: Welcome! Think about Mestre (more forks and Slow Food places there) but for that go to the Italy Forum For me I'd recommend near the Pont - it was pretty good. Both Avignon and Aix have great edgy exciting places The rugger weeks will be crazy, just prepare yourself for lots of our fellow colonials coming well fortified.

Boy, did I miss this one. It’s apparently been open since 2005 but Starbucks has better buzz. In any case, today I was walking from lunch (about which, more later) to the Metro to go to the Pinacotheque de Paris (whose Lichtenstein exhibit is not to be missed,) when I smelled such a strong (pleasant) aroma of coffee that I stopped and entered the Cafeotheque (interesting coincidence, non?) at 52, rue Hotel de Ville in the 4th, where the 1st Barista Championship of France was held June 28th. Their website says that over time they’ll serve over 1000 coffee types and serve a different one every day.

Not only did Vinotas have a super meal at O Bontemps, recently, but it was written up this month very enthusiastically by our edgy new publication oMni.

You'll find quite a bit on the compendium of existing topics on the France Forum.

This week's A Nous Paris had complementary info, repeating some of the above but also adding that the following are closed/closing: le Clos Saint Honore, Le Grain de Sel + Harumi in the 1st, 4th and 15th respectively; and that the following would/will have new chefs: la Ferrandaise, la Ferme St Simon, l'Arome + Chez Ripaille in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 17th respectively. Edited by John Talbott to correct the arrondissement for the Ferme St Simon, that was given as idem in ANP, thanks to Laidback's keen eye.

Oh boy Emily, have you put your finger on it. I simply cannot figure out why smaller cities have good French places and Baltimore does not; granted I'm spoiled in Paris when I complain about slow service and strange spices and confit that's not perfect, but at Petit Louis + Brasserie Tatin, one expects the real thing. (I might add that near non-medical Hopkins, which is hugely Asian-student-wise, there should be great Viet Namese, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Cambodian, Korean, etc, etc and there's Donna's bless her, but.......)My guess (that got flamed here the last time I posited it) is that Baltimore folk have not demanded such food, that they have no food critics "criticizing" the stuff put out there and that because the fish and Farmers Market veggies are so good, folks don't go out to eat.

Ouuh, I forgot to post it. Ok it's here

April in Paris: August in Florence This is a very special report. Like Paris, Florence is shut down in August except to those Italians who have to man (sorry feminists) the stands, public services, fast-food places, etc. Like Rick Blaine, who came to Casablanca for the waters when there were none, I came here because I figured nothing could be deader culinarywise, than Paris. Wrong! I’d really done my research, guidebookwise, netwise and personalwise. I’d even telephoned and talked in person with the concierges at both a 4 star and 2 star hotel. Nul! So take caution; you’re seeing here is what’s called in running, a personal best (not the best, just your best.) Camillo, Borgo San Jacabo 57/R, 055.212427, closed Tues and Weds (despite what the guidebooks say). My first lunch was taken under incredible conditions; I’d gotten to Dulles from Baltimore, well in advance, only to discover that I’d brought my wife, Colette’s, passport in my ticket envelope, instead of mine. She, luckily being available, drove it down in under 60 minutes, a world’s record (Dear Reader: I later picked up an incredible bracelet from Ugo Piccini, our favorite goldsmith/jeweler off the Ponte Vecchio). Then the good luck started: I got upgraded, I had a great crew with only one screaming baby and I arrived ahead of schedule. Then the bad luck returned, halfway from exiting the train station to my hotel, the rain really came down, despite a hurriedly bought umbrella, LL Bean raingear and hat, I was soaked. I changed shirts, was advised not to change to shorts, ran/limped across the Arno and finally made the resto by 3 PM. They couldn’t have been nicer. Following Pierre45, Cucina and frsa’s recs I ordered fried, fried, fried; fried zucchini blossoms and fried chicken and fried green tomatoes – just terrific. Bill with wine, tip and grappa but no water or coffee = 40.00€. An added advantage: they have wine by the glass, carafe and bottle. Antica Sosta degli Aldobrandini, Piazza Madonna Della Aldobrandini, was a local wine bar whose name/etc. I got from my hotel-person as a place I could plotz in near the hotel. No pretensions, no expectations. I arrived, chatted up the ladies who ran it, who offered a tad of Parma ham, salami with fennel, artichokes, dried tomatoes and olives; the former real and artisinal and the latter all from industrial cans, with some barely toasted bread and a bottle of Sangoviese and ultimately grappa – divinity. Not a destination: but Moral: you can eat and drink well almost anywhere in Italy (AOT France now). The bill = 26€. One issue: no wine en carafe, only by glass or bottle. This morning I set out on a Pagatrip, a sort of flanneuring that has in mind to scope resto menus in windows. I went by all the places I’d been told about by the two concierges at my hotel and the couple I’m playing sherpa to, that were open for lunch in August. One, the Caffe Pitti,) was ruled out because my Sherpa-ees had had a group dinner there last night that they were not wild about, one, the (l’Altro 1 Rosso looked great, but is only open for dinner, two, (Da Giovanni + Paladore, were still closed, one (l’Osterie dell’Olio was out of our price range, way, way out, and one of them (Al Trebbio had a menu that looked kind of run of the mill, well, you get the picture. But I stumbled by a place, the Trattoria Antellesi, via Faenza 9r, 055.216.990, near the Basilica di San Lorenzo, that looked genuine. Why do I say this? It just did. And we were blown away. There was a 14€ prix fixe lunch with six 1sts and six 2nds – I had a spaghetti with ragu that was the envy of the table, followed by tripes Florentine with a superbly spiced sauce (oh yah, I also spent the morning searching for a tripe sandwich stand (ce n’exist pas en aout) for dinner); also fantastic. One of my guests had a mixed salad and the other had superb prosciutto with melon; the latter were best product. Then he had pasta with 4 cheeses and she had a pasta with tomatoes and pancetta, both good. The whole meal was an unexpected, superb delight – 1st because no one knows about this place, 2nd because it was packed (in August) with Italians and 3rd because it was great Florentine grub. Now the clincher - our bill with one water, one liter wine, no desserts but 3 coffees (2 doppio) and one grappa = 62.00€. Wow, wow, wow, wow wow! While I don’t have Frank Bruni or Francois Simon’s (interesting that two of the most important food critics in the world have the same/mostly name) budget/reimbursement, I did return to see if I had been delusional, coaxed into loving this place by my California pals. While not mind-blowing, my dinner was very very good. Now big difference: at noon, in August mind you, at lunch it was all Italian/all the time; at dinner all Anglo with the odd Asian thrown in. My spaghetti with clams was close to the gold standard I had at the, unh, a, mafia hotel in Palermo (that’s not a slur, my Bolognian pals tell me, just a descriptor). Next night I just winged it with green salad and pizza in an apparent chain - Rossopomodoro in the Mercato Centrale Tourist Centrale area; but in truth, not bad for 19€. The next day, I set out on another Pagatrip, this time towards the piazza del Carmine, figuring (wrongly,) that I’d find authentic food in a usually residential area; unh huh, locked up tighter that a tick. I had one brief moment (what is it in Camelot – “Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot”), I saw a bread-deliveryman pull up with a huge basket of foccacia and I followed him into the resto; but the responsible said “we open in September,” I was too dim-witted and language-challenged to ask, “then why are you buying 80 tons of bread this week?” So Plan B, back to tourist central. Lunch again with my two friend/colleagues I was Sherpa-ing, this time at a place again that had no foreigners, La Congrega, via Panicale 43r, 0552645027, run by a supercharming young couple. We had for starters: a grilled eggplant with mozzarella in a cocotte which was just the best (but don’t tell Colette that hers is #2), a cream soup of mushrooms and some gnocchi with 4 cheeses (had by the same person that had the pasta with 4 cheeses yesterday – he’s stuck but he loved it, in fact, both were great). Our seconds were not so great, tho’. My osso bucco was full of gristle and tasted of mutton, but the onion sauce tempted my friend to lap up my plate; he was supposed to have had the arugula with beef and porcini but I finished his greens - delicious; she had risotto with pancetta (second day running for pancetta for her – hummm, stuck too?) and lemon that made the dish. She finished the meal off with a rice pudding she loved (we demurred). The bill (with coffees, San Pellegrino, wine & one grappa) = 93€. Dinner for me (sorry - had to take the night off) was (gasp) stuff from a rotisserie, fried chicken & veggies, separate, natch, from a (second gasp) Chinese place on the via Sant’Antonio between the via’s dell’Ariento and Faenza accompanied by a little bit of a Tuscan blend of Merlot and Sangiovese from the classy wine store across the street. Bill was under 10€ for all three items. Scoff, oh, you will. As I sat there, though, eating and drinking it/them, on the 6th floor, roof-top “garden” of my 50$ hotel looking over all of Florence - I’m not kidding you, this was the Tour Montparnasse, nasty building outside, great from inside. Fiesole, sunset, wine, (unfortunately) no women and song (Riccardo Muti, Corelli, oh my.) Heaven! Or close to it. After Michelangelo, Donatello, Ghiberti and Fra Angelico – despite the closure of the Morini, 100º F weather and long lines at the Uffici, what was missing? Futbol of course. Luckily, every vendor in the stands of the Mercato Centrale had his (they were all men) opinion on my Ronaldo futbol shirt (I left the Kaka one at home, figuring I might get into real trouble wearing it) and so despite my rusty Portuguese, I got some great bargains, including one of Materazzi, which of course I can’t wear in France. Da Guido, via Faenza 34R, 055.289.746. “Sometimes you get the bear…….” Well the bear and the law of averages got me. This time there were five of us so it was my most embarrassing “find.” We all had the 14 € prix fixe lunch which comes with water, making it a steal, but for what? My minestrone was not as tasty as Campbell’s and their pasta with ragu was watery. The salami was OK but how can you screw that up? I then had polombo (Huh?, dog fish) with beans, both of which were dreadful and the others had chicken and fries which was a safe bet. The desserts were a pecorino (again pretty easy to come up with) and crème caramel (ditto). With coffees and one grappa the bill was 93 €

Certainly not - meat, butter, oils, sugar, and various processed foods were rationed in the US. And it wasn't just for "show" - a significant amount of the food being produced was being shipped out to feed the troops rather than going into the domestic food supply. The shortages in the US weren't as dire simply because more people here had room and opportunity to grow supplemental food of some kind. There was also a fairly active black market in meat and sugar - sugar being one of the primary raw materials for, er, "artisanal distilling." ← It's wonderful (in a strange way) that so many of us are of an age when we do remember these days. While those of us lucky enough to be in the US and Canada (during WWII) had some restrictions, it was nothing like the French, Brits and Poles, for example, suffered through, on the other hand, I remember fondly breaking the little red ball into the bag of margarine and massaging it into a yellowish colour since I was the "man in the house" with my father gone "for the duration." And suddenly my Mother converted from growing flowers to asparagus, tomatoes and squash. And there was no whining about helping garden.From Paris, liberated 3 days and 63 years ago by its own hand (August is always special here, just sitting in a cafe, seeing those old jeeps creep in from LeClerc's entrance-way sends buckets of tears down my face). John Talbott

Boy, that's a challenge. I cannot think of many places beloved by our members/residents that wouldn't seduce one back. The list is simply too long to give here but can be surmised from prior/existing topics.I'm not sure if Janet MacDonald was referring to me when she wrote but I'm apparently the only soul on eGullet or on earth for that matter who disagrees. In any case, it is open on Tuesday, so go and tell us. But almost any starred place should make you want to return, I guess for lunch I'd chose les Ambassadeurs, le Bristol + le Meurice.

The Week of August 20th, 2007 Saturday in Figaro Madame there was an article by Veronique Andre on two places in Deauville Les Vapeurs + Château Les Bruyères. Monday in Le Fooding, François Lemarié wrote of La Cantina di l’Orriù in Porto-Vecchio. Wednesday’s NYT had an article by Nancy Newhouse on what she calls the “three principle [cooking] schools” in Paris: Le Cordon Bleu Paris, l’Ecole Lenotre and l’Ecole Ritz Escoffier. How helpful her brief exposure to three classes is/will be to those seeking to make a decision is in question; for instance, I doubt that Americans would want to spend the time and money at Lenotre to learn more about cooking Italian dishes. Thursday’s Le Monde had an article by Jean Claude Ribaut on Andrée Rosier, sous-chef at l’Hippocampe at the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz, the first female chef to achieve the Meilleure Ouvriere de France (MOF) designation August 15th. Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp had an article describing La Reserve, the restaurant of the Sofitel Palm Beach, Marseilles. Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

A study done by Crédoc, reported in Radio France’s Radio du Gout showed that while French children eat what they call an Anglo-Saxon-type breakfast (cereals, fruit, juice, etc.,) adults prefer a warm drink (93%) and a tartine (54%) with butter (41%) or jam/honey (27%).

Forest hit the nail on the head. You've got everything on the France Forum from Gagnaire, old and a lotta food to Spring, new and inventive, from chains to independants, from multi-stars to unfound places and remember- 5 places open here or get new owners or chefs a week. Almost every place that serves dinner serves lunch, it's just cheaper and more likely to have French not foreign customers.Again, to repeat Forest, what are you looking for? A confit de carard with potatoes, couscous, steak/frites, fish soup, a slab of beef, tartare, haute, bourgeois, edgy, classic, inventive, bistro, brasserie; we got it all, and at lunch.