John Talbott

I missed a small box in Figaro January 13-14 confirming both the sale by Marc Veyrat of La Ferme and its purchaser Roger Zannier of the "Z Group" that makes kids' clothing; the note said they wouldn't comment on the restaurant's future.

I have no experience (thus no recommendations), except for one martini I had years ago at Harry's but if you look on the first page of the 2006 Digest you'll find a note the Week of Feb 27th about Market's 18 cocktails, a Figaro article the Week of April 10 and a Figaroscope "Dossier" the week of June 19th. I am told by the cognoscenti that the Palace hotels that cater to US tourists are cocktail-sophistocated. Maybe you can open a new world of taste for your friend by introducing him to Richard and Kir, separately of course.

I had an experience like Pierre's, including the fabuous pain perdu. Since my review was buried in November's reviews, here's the link. Since then at least two friends have gone and loved it.

I have merged Dave's newer thread into an older longer one that contains much wisdom. One additional point; the books all say one should send a gift (eg flowers) the next day but I think it's less common today than in past decades.

We've been down this road before. I'll try and find the thread but rest assured as an Amurican one can bring uncustomly things such as wine, maple syrup and US doodads. For flowers, my French neighbor taught me a nifty trick that avoids leaving your vase 20 km away; cut the top off an Oasis Orange drink container or its moral equivalent and plunk 'em in.

South of France A compendium of existing threads 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. South South of France Olive Oil South

Well I'll start the ball rolling (and probably the arguments flowing):Sunday my current favorite is La Maree Passy followed by Equitable + Mon Vieil Ami about which much has been written pro & con lately here. Monday I like Astier for that classic Paris experience, but there are so many choices - Dominique Bouchet, Papilles + Ze Kitchen Galerie all so different. As for wine, in Papilles you're essentially dining in a wine shop with lots of interesting unfiltered, etc ones on the wall.

The Week of January 22nd, 2007 Francois Simon, in his “Croque-Notes” this week, really liked Spring {don’t we all,} coordinates given before, where he enjoyed the mint flavored petit pois soup, avocado salad and pigeon with pureed almonds. L’Express has renovated its “Saveurs” section and I finally figured out how. They now have three restaurants each week, usually reviewed by Francois-Regis Gaudry, unless otherwise specified, whose coordinates can be found elsewhere in the Digest; one they call the resto of the week, another “within sight” and the third less than 30 €. This week the first was l’Orenoc, where Gaudry spends most of his time on the décor not the food – a complicated onion/parmesan entrée, an over-cooked tuna filet with a complex sauce and a memorable beet “pop” with many accompaniments. The second was Bonpoint (Katell Pouliquen) in the boutique of the same name, serving a reasonably priced “too good” ham and chocolate mousse and the third 16 Tholozé (Pierrick Jegu), where he liked the charcuterie, “correct” tartare and frites and a “sincere” fondant of chocolate. {Digester’s Note: Because I didn’t figure out that Jean Luc Petitrenaud had written his last reviews for the November 13th edition I have missed digesting the reviews since then. Therefore, in the interest of those who might want to read the reviews of Francois-Regis Gaudry of new restaurants in Paris that are still available on their website, here they are with their dates of appearance: Tante Marguerite Jan 15 Chez Casimir Jan 15 Le Bastringue Jan 15 Le Violin d’Ingres Jan 8 L’Arome Jan 3 Le Bon Temps Jan 3 Le Moulin de la Galette Jan 3 La Cantine de Quentin Dec 12, 2006} Monday in Figaro, the self-same Francois Simon had another piece entitled “Tempest in a glass of water,” eg teapot, on the reaction of the chefs affected by the Michelin 2007 decisions. Monday as well, in Le Fooding Elvira Masson wrote up Le Saut du Loup, 107, rue de Rivoli in the 1st (in the Musée des Arts Déco), 01.42.25.49.55, open everyday from noon to midnight (the bar til 2 AM) with a tea salon from 3-7 PM, serving light fare such as celery soup, caesar salad, hamburger with (not great nor home made) fries in a cone and lots of desserts for 20 € for light lunch, 45 € for the works. Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, courtesy of co-host Felice, they wrote up two places serving Italian food, giving 4/5 blocks to Serafina in the 17th and 3/5 blocks to the Bonpoint Restaurant in the store of the same name in the 6th. In their shaded side bars, they announced (all this quoted from Felice) “a takeout service {already mentioned above}, a new cook book called La Cuisine des Papas, for fathers and their kids and the new decor at Tsé Yang, a branché Asian resto in the 16th.” This week’s Figaro featured two new products; Lucile Escourrou wrote on January 23rd about a pepper syrup with which to make cocktails and the 26th about a pate des fleurs (lavender, lilies, violets) sold in small boxes at Bon Marche’s Grande Epicerie. Speaking of cocktails, the WSJ’s weekend edition’s Eric Felten revealed that the sidecar, made with cognac, cointreau, lemon and simple syrup was born in Paris during WWI, either at the Ritz or Harry’s New York Bar or a bistro called Henri’s. Wednesday in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin awarded 2 hearts to three places: the restaurant/superb cantine in the Musee des arts deco called Le Saut de Loup, coordinates above, where he liked the tarama, hamburger and veal mignon but not the lumpy rice pudding; the offshoot of the bistro Au Pied de Fouet in the 7th – Au Pied de Fouet VIe, 3, rue Saint Benoit, 01.42.96.59.10, closed Sundays, costing about 20-30 E for escargots, a contrefilet and a lemon meringue tart; and the Japanese Guibine Opera in the 2nd. He gave one heart to the tapas/neo-cantine place S’Agaro in the 1st and a busted heart to Le Bistrot du Palais in the 7th about which he had nothing good to say. Following the Musee des arts deco review, the Figaroscope group’s Dossier was on eating in other museums and covered: the Louvre, most specifically the Le Grand Louvre +Café Marly the Orsay’s Restaurant d’O the Musee des Arts et Metiers’ Café des T the Musee Jacquemart-Andre ‘s Cafe Jacquemart-Andre the Foundation Antoine de Galbert’s Arty the Musee Guimet’s Restaurant the Centre George Pompidou’s Georges the Institut du Monde Arabe’s Ziryab the Musee du Quai Branly’s Les Ombres the Palais de Tokyo’s Tokyo Eat the Musee Bacarrat’s Cristal Room and MAC-VAL’s Transversal Also: the cafes and restos at the Picasso, Rodin, Musee du vin, Musee de Roland-Garros + Musee de la Musique. Francois Simon chose to visit the Café de l’Homme in the museum of the same name, 17, place du Trocadéro in the 16th, 01.44.05.30.15 where he paid 144 E for two meals (overcooked veal liver) and shared a “no taste land” [sic] dessert. The service sounds dreadful (a first-job type waitress who doesn’t drink wine unable to assist in a wine selection, etc). Wednesday as well, Richard Hesse, writing in Paris Update entitled his article “Inspired Kitchen, Wonky Service” but it was worse than that, it was bad service at Louis Vins in the 5th, spilling stuff on him three times and sloppy service at l’Angl’Opera in the 1st, bringing him the wrong main course. Except for soggy toast rounds, everything at the latter place sounded pretty good – foie gras crème brulee, pastilla, roast breast of veal, scallops and blood pudding, figs with bleu d’Auvergne and a pineapple tart. Wednesday also, Alison Culliford, in GoGoParis reviewed two places: Le Doudingue, 24, rue Durantin in the 18th, 01.42.54.88.08, open daily 11.30 AM–2 AM, with 23 and 28€ menus that feature goat’s cheese salad, roast salmon and chocolate nems with crème anglaise; and La Casque d’Or, 1, rue d’Eupatoria in the 20th, 01.43.58.37.09, open for dinner Weds-Mon and lunch only on the weekends, which they call the third serious place in the area (the other two being Le Baratin + La Boulangerie, serving Auvergnate food such as spicy pear, chestnut and blue cheese soup, a terrine, steak topped with morilles, served with cheesy aligot, suckling pig and Reine Claude plums. Thursday, Gilles Pudlowski, in Le Point wrote that he is eagerly following the renovated Pharamond, thinks Le V + Le Tournesol are in good shape but Et Dans Mon Coeur, il y a….. is not. Outside the city, he likes L'Amirauté in Brest, chef’d by Yvon Morvan who trained with Bocuse, Robuchon and Duquesnoy and Le Clos de la Violette in Aix en Provence. He also likes the pastry shop Le comptoir du Père Sotieu in Megeve, the bakery shop Croquants Villaret in Nimes and the macaroons at Adam in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. His recipe of the week is an Easter cream. Friday, in Les Echos, Jean Louis Galesne summarized eating at these restaurants in Strasbourg: Le Pont aux chats, L'Atable 77, Le Gavroche, Au Verre à soi, Baan Thaï, Le Penjab + Moose noting that he really liked the first three. Also Friday, Vincent Noce in Liberation reviewed La Table de Fabrice coordinates given before, whose chef had an Italian mother, which explains his menu containing everything from risotto to game. Saturday/Sunday, BP published an article by Margaret Kemp on Bath’s and an essay by John Talbott on “One sings, the Other Doesn’t” about good and bad service at Pharamond. Sunday's NYT Magazine had an article by Christine Muhlke on l'Ami Jean, saying that one should go there before the other places on your list, e.g., Le Comptoir + Sensing, and describing it as among the "adventurous" places like Chez Michel, l'Os a Moelle, l'Ourcine + l'Acajou, {the last recommendation, I could not disagree with more}. To read the article and the accompanying recipe for its riz au lait, it's here if you are a Times Select member. P.S. the confiture de lait recipe is adapted from that of eGullet Society member – David Liebowitz. I was remiss in noting an article by Nick Lauder of the FT in December where he wrote glowingly about four places he’s eaten at in Paris recently: the Bistrot Paul Bert, L’Ecailler du Bistrot, Ribouldingue + Gaya par Pierre Gagnaire. Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

Well, wouldn't ya know, today's NYT Magazine has an article by Christine Muhlke on l'Ami Jean saying one should go there before the other places on your list, eg Le Comptoir + Sensing and describing it as among the "adventurous" places like Chez Michel, l'Os a Moelle, l'Ourcine + l'Acajou the last recommendation I could not disagree with more. Q. And, and, guess who wrote the recipe for confiture de lait that goes with the accompanying recipe for riz au lait? A. The starter of this thread. As everyone knows, in order to read the article and recipe, it's here if you are a Times Select member.

I'm delighted we're focusing on bussing before and after eating so we'll always be on topic. We've been down this road before, but I cannot find the thread. I do recall that the answer involves regionality, intimacy and profession - that is, Paris outkisses the provinces, old friends outkiss new ones and in show biz, excess kissing is like it is on late night US TV, I once saw two celebrities airkiss beyond 4. As for order, you bet; but I've found that my French friends, aware of my geezertude and citizenship, accomodate to my memory and cultural deficiencies and nimbly manage, whichever side I start with (besides, 50% of the time, I must be correct). Pti?

I buy both Regal and Saveurs but I think if I had to choose between the two I would go with Regal. I always enjoy their articles and they have a lot of information on different products, which I really like. ← Another feature that I have used in the What's in the Markets.... pinned thread are Regal's lists of what's available and abundant; they then publish several recipes utilizing these fresh products.

Amazon (US) shows Regal - 11 issues / 12 months $52.41 ($4.76/issue)

It means she no longer will be burdened or blessed (whichever way you see it) with the responsibilies of hosting and managing but as an Emeritus (I thought it was Emerita) staffer can continue to post/contribute/blog/etc.

I was going to say L'Ami Jean as well, but felt that I had mentionned it too many times. I think it is a perfect choice for David's request of something casual but better than your average bistro. I was also thinking of L'os à Moelle. ← Hey wait a minute; I thought the rules were to pick one of the four restos David listed.If that restriction is off then it opens the competition to Ze Kitchen Galerie, Les Anges, Violin d'Ingres, l'Ecallier du Bistrot, Maison du Jardin and I could go on.

Saturday, Chris Amirault announced that bleudauvergne (Lucy Vanel) was stepping down as Host and Manager. Lucy, as many of you know, has been our solid rock south of Paris and is the world record holder (at least on the France Forum) for the most popular thread, that on the Montignac Method, which runs over 13 pages. In addition, she's a terrific cook, hostess and friend. Thanks for everything Lucy and we look forward to your continuing contributions. Edited by John Talbott to fix links.

I'm sure Dave is not headed there, but let's not repeat the discussion we've had before on rudeness, etc., in France. Thanks John

Moderator's note: Although I too am responsible for the drift this thread has taken, I think this is developing into a MVA thread which already exists here. So let's post there on pros and cons of MVA. Thanks.

I have had two emails since I posted the post about the closure that both suggest MVA was just on break. Their entry in Pudlo says they're always closed 1-15 Jan and when I called just now they answered and the restaurant was full of customers. Unless someone beats me to it, I promise to drop by next week and see for myself. Edited by John Talbott to update info.

Laidback just sent me this posted by St Germain on Bonjour Paris

Like Richelieu, I have asked my spies to find out. If they fail, we can telephone. I suspect it's a conflation of Mon Vieil Ami with La Ferme de Mon Pere but that's speculation too.

Well the darndest piece just appeared in Expatica today, an unsigned article entitled Horse stepping back on the plate? in which the author reveals a good news/bad news type of situation. Whereas the number of horse butchers in Paris is reported to have fallen by a quarter - from "1,300 to under 1,000 between 1999 and 2002 alone" some health professionals, eaters and restuarants - eg Les Crocs, Les Pissenlits Par La Racine, Sardegna a Tavola + Le Taxi Jaune are promoting its consumption.

Just to close the loop on this thread, as reported in the Digest Meneau is in real financial trouble:

Dominique's not really a bistro but #1 among those four; Repaire is probably the most bistroish; M V Ami modbistro & Les Ormes caught between its heritages as a bistro in the deepest 16th and a resto (Bellecour) in the 7th.

The last times I've gone, Bruno Doucet of La Regalade had indeed kept Camdeborde's terrine and bread tradition and the Symples de l'Os a Moelle, another offshoot of l'Os, has a great spread that includes such. If budget is an issue the latter is a huge bargain - 22 E at lunch (and it's on a subway line despite its address in Issy).

The Week of January 15, 2007 Monday in Le Fooding, they wrote up what Gilles Marchal, ex-pastry chef at le Bristol, now at le Blé Sucré, 7 rue Antoine Vollon in the 12th, 01.43.40.77.73 makes; the pastries run 0.75 to 2.50 E. Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, courtesy of co-host Felice, they gave 3/5 blocks to two new places: l’Heureux Pere, 47 bis, bd Senard in Saint Cloud, 01.46.02.09.43, lunch formula at 19, a la carte 34-49 E, closed Saturday lunch and Sunday night, (chef’d by a guy who went to St Martin in 1991, then St Bart’s, then cooked on yachts around the Caribbean and thus his food has a hint of the islands,) where they liked the chicken soup with foie gras and cepes, roast grouper with chorizo and lentils and a trio of crèmes brulees; and Le 16 Tholoze, 16 Tholoze in the 18th, 01.42.64.17.86, closed Saturday lunch, a la carte 20-30 E, run by the guy from Le Square nearby, who serves dry and regular sausage, beef cutlet with fries and crème brulee; regret - not much except beef – treat – lots of little known wines from small vineyards. This week’s GoGo Paris features Bob’s Juice Bar coordinates given before. The European Gourmet lists several trends for 2007: -New restaurants god-fathered by great chefs – Sensing by Guy Martin, Gaya by Pierre Gagnaire and Drouant by Antoine Westerman. -Great starred chefs reducing the prices by ½: eg Senderens, Westerman in Strasbourg and Constant. -Great starred chefs leaving famous places to set up more modest places: himself to Dominique Bouchet + Auguste (Gael Orieux) Linda Thalman of Paris In Sites went to l’Auberge du Mouton Blanc, 40 rue d'Auteuil in the 16th, 01.42.88.92.21, costing about 28 E for three courses and 11 E for 50 cl of wine, and had “classic and hearty dishes” like “pintade with roast potatoes and spinach, grilled salmon, crème brulée, vacherin glace, accompanied by a carafe of tasty Brouilly red wine.” Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin in Figaroscope’s “C’est nouveau” awarded only one heart only to each of five places; the latest (failed) reincarnation of La Moulin de la Galette in the 18th, the tapas/etc. place l’Atelier de 8e in the 8th, the “Woody Allen”-esque pastrami/burger place Razowski’s in the 1st, the Lebanese resto Al Charq in the 8th and the Thai Rajapreuk in the 6th. Then in the “Dossier,” the Figaroscope group rated places that serve club sandwiches: The best Harry’s Bar, Café de l’Esplanade 9/10 The Duke’s Bar 8/10 Bar Tuileries, Bar de l’Astor + Lounge Daniel 7.5/10 The middle 1515 Hotel Marignan, Plaza Athenee 6/10 Publicisdrugstore, Park Hyatt Vendone 5/10 Last in the club Kong 4/10 Apart 46 Avenue In his space, the “Hache Menu,” Francois Simon went for one to Le Pub St Germain in the 6th, where he spent 56.10 E (very Odeon says he) for a half-meal. Go? Well, he sort of says if you’re nostalgic for this sort of late-night place, maybe. Wednesday, as well, Richard Hesse in Paris Update wrote up Le Square Trousseau in the 12th and despite the “fatty” paté and 10 E overprice, he thought it was an ideal neighborhood bistro. Jean-Claude Ribaut, using as a peg the 13th Salon international de la restauration, Wednesday-Thursday in Le Monde wrote about the continued dominance of Lyon in French cuisine, going back to Mère Brazier and her daughter Jacotte, Sonia Ezgulian of L'Oxalis and Paul Bocuse, more recently Nicolas le Bec, Léon de Lyon, Pierre Orsi, Christian Têtedoie, Philippe Gauvreau at La Rotonde, Davy Tissot at the Villa florentine, and most contemporary - Olivier Paget at Le Fleurie, Joseph Viola (Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2004) at Jean-Paul Lacombe + Daniel et Denise and Mathieu Viannay (another Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2004) at his eponymous resto and Les Oliviers. The big news Thursday was revealed by Adrian Moore in his blog who wrote that “Le Cinq and Taillevent go from three to two, and Astrance, Le Meurice, Pre Catelan and Helene Darroze get three stars, with Constant's Les Fables de la Fontaine getting one star. Pic looks like the first woman chef to get three stars after Darroze..” He also noted that as already announced, Marc Meneau is in bankruptcy. Francois Simon in Figaro went farther afield outside Paris, stating in his article “The waltz of the stars” that Nicholas Le Bec in Lyon, also went to two stars, Marc Veyrat and Marc Westermann gave up their stars, the latter to start over again, and Jacques Lameloise in Chagny recovered his three stars. This week, François-Régis Gaudry in l’Express reviewed three places, already mentioned in the Digest: Tante Marguerite with its new chef, Chez Casimir ditto and Bastringue that plunges you twenty years back. Gilles Pudlowski, in Le Point wrote that he is following the little bouchon, Le Panier Volant, 37, rue La Bruyère in the 9th, 06.03.21.29.56 with a lunch menu at 11 E, a la carte 30 E where the Polish chef serves Southern (Fr) food such as Italian meats, a soup and fish of the day, aligot with salad and ostrich with honey; and Chartier, 146, rue du Président-Wilson in Levallois-Perret, 01.47.37.07.21, a la carte 35 E for stuffed cuttlefish, veal liver and pots de crème. He continues to like Entre les vignes in the 12th {me too} and Shanghai Café in the 6th as well as the rustic temple of Savoyard cooking Le Vieux Megève in Megève and Sergio Mei’s Il Teatro & La Veranda at the Four Seasons in Milan. He calls comté the fruit of winter and gives Dominique Schmitt of La Ferme des Trois Frères in Furdenheim’s recipe for Alsacian salad with comté. Finally, he suggests Jean Paul Grosso’s Alpages & Gastronomie artisanal cheese shop in Toulon as well as the mini-sandwich place in Vienna – Zum Schwarzen Kameel. Friday in Liberation Anne Deguy looked at upscale pizzas (eg with caviar or black wheat) and wrote about those at La Pizzetta, Maria Luisa, Amici Miei + San. The Relais Christine site recommends Bath’s, coordinates already given and whole not endorsing the food, mentions the Paris Bodega, 23 Rue Taitbout in the 9th which has tapas and “dining shows (circus, dance, singing… 250 places on 900 sqm).” Saturday/Sunday, BP also published an article by Margaret Kemp on the new site and menu for Bath’s’s, coordinates given before. Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.