John Talbott

For trivia lovers, the Sacher Torte is celebrating its 175th year. The news article I came across about its creation, secrecy and giant ones produced for occasions is in French.

Actually, since all Americans have dyslexia and/or go into rehab; my original post was a clear confusion between au-dessus and au-dessous (Trans: above/below). As penance (to stay OnT,) I'm checking into Michel Guerard's ASAP. However, back to my point. Is pairing dictated/followed because of tradition/history (frites/tartare), regional proximity (choucroute/sausage) or logic (preserved duck with potatoes sauteed in the fat provided - under the principle of waste-not/want-not)? So far it seems the answer is - all of the above. How about herring and luke-warm potatoes? or sliced (what we call) coldcuts with pickles (cornichons?) And while maybe Nordic, how about salmon and dill - that pairing sounds more like positioning ingredients than tradition/history, regionality or logic?

Excuse me if I'm gratuitous, but checking out prior threads on Bordeaux and the Loire will help assess our members' faves. Me, recently, I loved Le Cape in Bordeaux but haven't been to the St James in quite a long while.

Bruges/Brugge This is one of a series of compendia that seeks to provide information available in prior threads on eGullet. Please feel free to add links to additional threads or posts or to add suggestions. Best places Carbonade Flamande Greedy

French food pairings: Tradition, region, logic? The recently revived thread on steak/frites caused me to ponder a bit about food pairings in France. Certainly much too much has been written on wine/food pairings (for example, Champagne/caviar, Sauternes/foie gras, rum/baba, Muscat/mousse, Port/Roquefort, white-red/fish, etc.) but I was intrigued that with certain things you just know what you’re going to get with your main: eg steak/frites, tartare/frites, confit de canard/sarladaise, meat stew/parmentier, etc. I can guess that if one cooks duck, one would want to utilize the fat so rendered to fry the sliced potatoes in and use a local cabbage to cook with nearby Alsatian/Alsacienne meat – both because – like Everest – they are there, but with the confit de canard, why always serve it with slices of potato rather than frites or minced potatoes?; and why use beans with goose confit and sausage rather than another vegetable?; or parmentier underneath chopped/stewed meat or for that matter fries with tartare of beef? So a question for/to the French-French and Franco-Americans who write cookbooks and know history and terroir and indeed all of us; what is the answer to my puzzlement or is it “all or none of the above?”

The UK magazine Restaurant has released it’s 5th annual Best 50 list and of interest here is: 14 – Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem.

The UK magazine Restaurant has released it’s 5th annual Best 50 list and of interest here is: 35 – Chez Dominique in Helsinki.

The UK magazine Restaurant has released it’s 5th annual Best 50 list and of interest here is: 39 – Oaxen Skärgårdskrog in Hölö.

The UK magazine Restaurant has released it’s 5th annual Best 50 list and of interest here is: 45 – Oud Sluis Oud Sluis, in Sluis

In the April 15 NYT, Taylor Holliday talks of hotels that also give cooking classes and discusses and names two in Paris - The Intercontinental Paris Le Grand Hotel + Sofitel Baltimore paris

In the NYT of April 15th, Ann Morrison says that Luxembourg has "more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than any other country," and in a box, names the above-mentioned Clairefontaine, Yves Radelet, Il Frangolino, Lagura Next Door, Maison des Brasseurs + Um Dierfgen.

Just to clarify for the record, while Bittman's article is on the NYT website today, don't go looking for it in today's print version, unless you live in NYC and it was delivered today, it will be in Sunday (April 29)'s Travel Section.

I too am delighted it's still good. I stopped going a few years ago, I don't know quite why but it sounds great still.

Calling all Darroze-doubters: Radio France says next Thursday May 3rd Gilles Pudlowski's Pudlo France 2007 (not Pudlo Paris 2007), will name Hélène Darroze Chef of the Year.

I realize that the results of the Restaurant + Figaro Best 50 Restaurants 2007 have appeared elsewhere on the eGullet Society Forums but Francois Simon’s article Monday is the first I’ve seen in the French press. Of interest to our France Forum loyalists are the following: 3 – Pierre Gagnaire, France (Paris). 6 – Bras, France (Laguiole) 8 – Restaurant Le Louis XV, Monaco (Monte Carlo). 13 – L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (Paris), France. 20 – Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, France (Paris). 21 – L’Astrance, France (Paris). 23 – L’Ambroisie, France (Paris). 25 – La Maison Troisgros, France (Roanne). 29 – Le Cinq, France (Paris) 43 – L’Arpège, France (Paris). 48 – Taillevent, France (Paris). 49 – Bocuse, France (Collonges-Au-Mont-d’Or). 50 – Les Ambassadeurs, France (Paris).

I never know on what authority or by what standards these choices are made but for what it’s worth May’s Conde Nast Traveler lists 95 “hot tables” that includes Tuus in Istanbul.

I never know on what authority or by what standards these choices are made but for what it’s worth May’s Conde Nast Traveler lists 95 “hot tables” that includes Ju-Ju + Nabi in Moscow.

I never know on what authority or by what standards these choices are made but for what it’s worth May’s Conde Nast Traveler lists 95 “hot tables” that includes Silfur in Reykjavik.

I never know on what authority or by what standards these choices are made (although my French teacher loves this place) but for what it’s worth May’s Conde Nast Traveler lists 95 “hot tables” that includes House of Mister Pil Poul et Jerome Serres in Athens.

I never know on what authority or by what standards these choices are made but for what it’s worth May’s Conde Nast Traveler lists 95 “hot tables” that includes Oliva in Prague.

I never know on what authority or by what standards these choices are made but for what it’s worth May’s Conde Nast Traveler lists 95 “hot tables” that includes Le Fourneau in Brussels.

I never know on what authority or by what standards these choices are made but for what it’s worth May’s Conde Nast Traveler lists 95 “hot tables” that includes Osterreicher im MAK in Vienna.

I've been only once and it was a mixed experience (limp firsts, fantastic duck and salmon) but everyone else who has posted on the France Forum loves it.

Depends what view you want – Tokyo Eat for the Eiffel Tower (once it's open on the terrace), Saut du Loup (just reviewed by me and others) for the Tuileries and Louvre, Georges for the view from the Pompidou, Terrasse Mirabeau for the 16th street scene, Drouant for the downtown street scene, Viaduc Cafe for the arty street scene, Cigale Recamier for that end of the alley scene, Restaurant du Palais-Royal for the “you know what,” Pavillion Montsouris, Pre Catalan + Grande Cascade ditto, Le Pavillion des Princes for that and a view of the lake, Maison de Amérique Latine as well as all the grand hotels’ interior courtyard terraces for the absence of a street scene.

Just so folks don't think I'm asleep at the wheel, this was reported in the Digest of April 2nd but I guess it was buried in the rest of the copy.