John Talbott

Today's Figaroscope’s “Dossier” was devoted to all things picnicky including where to go, what to take, where to find provisions and where to shop. It'll be on their website for four weeks but I'll summarize it in the Digest come next Monday or so.

I've only been a couple of times but was amazed at how good it was. A sad event indeed.

Welcome Penny and I hope you'll contribute to the France Forum as well; we need more boots on the ground there too.Best wishes, John

Host's Note: The index of restaurants, alpha and by arrondissement, has been updated as of today. It should include all reviews from January 1, 2006 to present. Please notify me of any errors, mispellings, omissions, busted links, etc. Thank you. John

Please report back because I'll be in the Bermuda triangle* of Italian food (Milan-Turin-Genoa) in the late fall.*Once there you simply cannot leave. In the good old days when the Michelin published agglomerations around cities, the area was more replete with stars than anywhere else.

With all due respect to everyone above, every place in Paris I've been to fails either the "can we do it as well or better" test, whether it's couscous (me) or tagines (Colette). Pastilla/b'steeya/bstella/bistilla/bastaila, now that's another matter.As for Le Zouave's query on Oum-el-Banine, I dunno if it's still open, but after one meal, I too have never been back.

Fred Plotkin (who is in Italy) sent me a PM saying the following that I think is of interest to members and authorizing me to post it on his behalf.

I'm afraid I'm in the same boat. I so rarely have white wine that it's usually something special and I go to the most interesting of the stores around me that carries very reasonable unfiltered wines and never record their names. Before I got tired of our local Nicolas, the then owner there used to recall what sweet (dessert) wine I got once a year, but he's retired, the chain moved on and so did I.

The Week of June 11th, 2007 I was so impressed by that I neglected to read further to two other books mentioned that may be of interest to members: Georgeanne Brennan’s A Pig in Provence: Good Food and simple pleasures in the South of France, Chronicle, $24.95 recommended by Pamela Paul and Thomas McNamee’s Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution, Penguin, $27.95 where Patric Kuh mentions Waters’ first day in Paris in 1965 where a simple vegetable soup represented an “awakening” for her.In this Monday’s Le Fooding they published the announcements about the June 17th Le Fooding event in Marseille. Monday-Tuesday, A Nous Paris, courtesy of Phyllis, had one review by Philippe Toinard, who awarded 4/5 blocks to the revived/moved Au Gourmand, 17, rue Moliere in the 1st, 01.42.96.22.19, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, with menus at 28 to 36 €, where he mentioned the sorrel and turnip “cappuccino,” (vegetables are from Joel Thibault), chunk of cod and all chocolate dessert; and one by Jerome Berger, awarding three/four blocks to l’Ordonnance, 51, rue Halle in the 14th, 01.43.27.55.85, closed Sundays, menus at 23 and 29 €, where he mentions the snails, pig’s feet, veal sweetbreads and rhubarb compote. They also talk about the reopening of the Café Very in the Tuileries, serving light fare and two wine stores: Le Carton de Six in the 18th and Le Vin en Tete bis in the 9th, both offering tastings. Tuesday, l’Express just in time for the Avignon Festival, printed François-Régis Gaudry’s review of Le Prieure in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon {which I can vouch for, having eaten there last year} and in Paris : Pierrick Jégu reviewed l’Agassin, coordinates on Rue Malar given before (NB rue Malar is now restaurant row with l'Ami Jean, l'Affriolé, l'Agassin) run by the « ex-boss de l'Anacréon », where he enjoyed bistro fare, made from impeccable products, (served in the slow food manner, in shoulder-to-shoulder quarters), such as marinated sardines, veal kidneys stuffed with green cabbage and mascarpone with hibiscus jelly; and Jean-Yves Hubscher reviewed the Italian Veramente in the 7th. Wednesday, Richard Hesse of Paris Update reviewed La Bellevilloise, 19-21 rue Boyer in the 20th, 01 46 36 07 07, terrace open Wednesday-Friday dinners and weekends all day, a la carte about 30 €. He found the food wanting; the brik over-couscoused, steak miscooked, “nondescript gravy,” and veggies thrown “unceremoniously” atop every dish. Wednesday, as well, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed three places and awarded them two hearts that are either moved or revived: Karl & Erick, the exLes Jumeaux-twins, now at 20, rue de Toqueville in the 17th, 01.42.27.03.71, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, for about 35-45 € serving a foie gras tart, white asparagus, cuttlefish and mousse; Au Gourmand ex from near the Luxembourg Gardens, now at 17, rue Moliere in the 1st, 01.42.96.22.19, closed Sundays and Mondays, serving an inspired 30 € all veggie menu as well as a 36 € menu-carte for sorrel soup, green gratineed asparagus and a French-toast-like brioche with cherries; and Le Volant, 13 rue Beatrix Dussane in the 15th, 01.45.75.27.67, closed Sundays and Mondays, serving a lunch menu at 21, diner at 28 and a la carte 35 € for gazpacho (badly marred by creamy goat cheese), Basque sausage and axoa. Then, he awarded one heart each to the Indian Kamala Inde in the 15th and La Place Royale, exCoconnas, 2 bis, place des Vosges in the 4th, 01.42.78.58.16, open everyday where there’s a 14 formula and a la carte 35 € menu with avocado-shrimp cocktail, farm-raised chicken and tarte tatin. Figaroscope’s “Dossier” this week published a list of places at the gates of Paris : St Cloud l’Heureux Pere le Xylo Suresnes Au Pere Lapin Montreuil Villa 9 Trois Clichy La Romantica Bagnolet Indigo Square Issy Les Moulineaux River Cafe Levallois O Restaurant Meudon l’Escarbille And also – Transversal, Au Comte de Gascogne, l’Ile, Le Petit Poucet, Cazaudehore, le Tastevin + Les Magnolias. And Wednesday, going outside Paris as well, Francois Simon’s Haché menu reviews l’Ambre d’Or, coordinates given before, where despite the 32 € lunch menu, he spent 200 at dinner for two which he found excessive and while he wouldn’t go back, he recommends the locals check it out for a second visit. Since this is an Anglo society I’m not sure how many readers/members are into BarBQuing in France, but on the off-chance, Lucile Escourrou in Figaro Madame announced the availability of a bunch of 110 gram tubes (5 € each) of aromatic salty and sugary sauces, marinades and mustards made by Tubissimes (more info at 01.40.23.52.25) as well as a cookbook: Toute ma cuisine au barbecue, Martine Albertin, Les Editions Culinaires, 2007, 18 €. She also announced the publication of the third issue of Gusto a polyglot food mag costing 10 € a pop; more info here. Friday, in Liberation, Vincent Noce wrote of the renaissance of the bistro Lena et Mimile 32, rue Tournefort in the 5th, 01 47 07 72 47, closed Sundays and Mondays, plat du jour at 9,50 €, dinner menu at 34 €, where Herve This consults on such dishes as an eggplant mousseline, gaspacho, dorade with veggies by Joel Thibault, scallops, veal kidneys and a bavarois of cucumber and raspberry vinaigrette. Friday in Les Echos, Jean Louis Galesne wrote about new terraces including: the Café Véry/Tuileries, Mini Palaisau/Petit Palais, L'Hôtel, La Fontaine de Mars, Chez Om' Zaki + La Cour de marbre/Hôtel Four Seasons George V. In the weekend FT, Nicolas Lander wrote of eating tête de veau at the Le Coq de La Maison Blanche in St Ouen which every Wednesday serves it. His host, Pierre Rival of FT + Les Echos and President of the Tête de Veau Society {you just knew there was one} had just published a new novel Alimentation Générale Flammarion, 14 € and he was celebrating with the likes of Lander and Jean Claude Ribaut of Le Monde. The weekend Figaro Madame had an article by Alexandra Michot on high end bento/lunch/picnic boxes. Saturday/Sunday, BP published an article by Margaret Kemp on “The Great British Menu” and one by John Talbott on "My Dinner at Chez’s." In this month’s Food & Wine Jane Sigal says one should go to: 21, Le Saut de Loup, Le Versance, l’Orenoc, Rech, Astier, Soleil + Spring and that the “hot spot” is Sensing. In addition, Salma Abdelnour suggests Les Saveurs de Flora aka Flora for a “surprise” menu. July’s France Magazine had an article on cruises that mentioned the following on the Cote d’Azur: Le Palais des Anglais, Le Beau Rivage, La Civette du Cours + L’Escalinada in Nice and Le Grill + Monte Carlo Casino in Monte Carlo as well as one on St Pierre & Miquelon’s Restaurant de l’Auberge Quatre Temps + Chez Janot. Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

I have duly noted the two new topics posted here and here and wonder if since ski season any place of note has opened. Thanks.

Another Radio France Web Radio du Gout tidbit: Goldenburg's is going to be taken over by the Costes Empire, as in the Hôtel Costes, Café Marly, Georges, L'Avenue.

This topic on the France Forum may be of some interest.

I received a PM from a member that I thought could provide a prod to reviving this discussion of Reminet, new and old: Pierre 45, upthread, suggests Fish which I think is a good suggestion. How about Le Cerisaie? or Pre Verre?, sort of the same small, warm, nice ambiance, non?

I assume you've checked out our compendium of existing threads.

Friday in Les Echos, Jean Louis Galesne wrote about new terraces including: the Café Véry/Tuileries, Mini Palaisau/Petit Palais, L'Hôtel, La Fontaine de Mars, Chez Om' Zaki + La Cour de marbre/Hôtel Four Seasons George V.

Not away, just kipping. And thanks for posting this great question, which is typical of the queries I get all the time, so I think it's on a lot of people's minds. Spring, Versance + Fables I've been too often enough to be sure of the quality, I'll be at the Grand Pan again in two weeks so I'll hold off a final OK til then and l'Accolade + Les Fines Gueules I've only been to once. I continue to love Ze Kitchen Galerie, Chez les Anges + Drouant though.

In Le Monde this week, Jean Claude Ribaut talks of several outdoor events that may interest you: if you missed the “Le Fooding’s” Grand Fooding event at the MAC/VAL just outside Paris, June 10th, there are two more: one in Marseille June 17th and another in Lyon June 24th and then there are the temporary tables set up on the Pont des Arts as well as a “White Dinner” – location a secret and only announced at 6:30 PM D-Day and the Republican picnic July 13 and 14 in 87 cities, about which there’s more here.

For those interested it's spelled partenaire and this is the link.However, I did not, except for Chez les Anges, find the opportunities worth the 150 euros a year.

I'd like to revive this thread and ask again about good food in or near Chantilly (I'll have a car so I certainly can travel, but I don't want to go into DC) that's not reported here. It's also a year later. Thanks

The only section I've looked at is Florence since I'm going there later this summer and only two restaurants were repeats from the '96 edition; in addition, there's a whole new section on enotecas, esp that are open in August, and tripe sandwicheries.

Food & Wine's annual survey of 100 "top chefs" published in the July issue, revealed that French cuisine was the 3rd (9%) "most revered" behind Japanese (34%) and Chinese (17%).

This is our Forum, so we can do as many photos as we want; no need to be completely cerebral.

OK. I was, because of the Congress and peoples' need to get back after lunch.But on seeing that so many places were closed, I opened the Michelin and started with places that are open; and I've now got several that do look reasonably near - Buca Mario, Il Latina and maybe Ruth's. I will have one day when there will be no time pressure though so I welcome all the advice. Since I'm on the subject the Osterie Guide has eight trippai; are they liable to be open and reasonably nearby?

Today in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed Au Gourmand fomerly situated across from the Luxembourg Gardens, now at 17, rue Moliere in the 1st, 01.42.96.22.19, closed Sundays and Mondays, and commented that they were serving an inspired 30 € vegetarian meal.

And today Emmanuel Rubin weighed in with three hearts.Edited by John Talbott to correct number of hearts.