John Talbott

Considering the rules; from your list, considering openings/closings, if it were me, this would be my reckoning: Friday Dominique Bouchet lunch Spring dinner Saturday Violin d’Ingres lunch Magnolias dinner Sunday Dome lunch Grand Colbert dinner Monday Ze lunch Cerisaie dinner

Holiday eating 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. Easter What will you eat 14th of July Happy Bastille Day November 11 Nov 11 Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Expat Thanksgiving 2004 Thanksgiving turkey Christmas Traditional Christmas desserts New Year’s Eve New Years Eve dishes and customs New Years Eve menus Epiphany Galette des Rois

I thought David's query was unique = never before. So I started putting together a compendium. Guess what I found? - An old thread on the subject. Ah the eGullet Archives.

Well lets see if there's any support for numbers; I can certainly return to it if the crowd noise is deafening.

Since as you know we have a thread now running on dinners under 30 that has drawn no posts except mine, which I suspect is because there are so many suggestions in the several threads contained in our compendium, I suggest you go to that.Almost all the suggestions hold for lunch and dinner although as you suggest lunch is usually 1/3 to 1/2 less expensive. Also the December 7th, Le Point, still on the newstands if you hurry out, has a ton of places 20-30 E (and the prices given are usually for lunch.) I'll leave this up to see if it draws any new ideas and merge it in time. John

Great question. I think you might want to post a query on the "Elsewhere in Europe" Forum, since I think it's more celebrated in Eastern Europe and the ex-USSR, eg Orthodox countries.

December 2006* Le Versance, Pharamond, Le Cameleon, Le Tradition, L'Arôme, La Marée Passy, Le Reveil du 10e, Les Fougères, L’Orenoc, Le Cottage Marcadet, Au Petit Monsieur Top of the line, old son 8.0 Le Versance, 16, rue Feydeau in the 2nd, 01.45.08.00.08, closed Saturday lunch, in the old Le Petit Coin de la Bourse space, wonderfully renewed to its old glory (Chef Samuel Cavagnis, who passed through the House of Loiseau in Saulieu and the House of Mitterand here, en route, supervised the cleaning and refurbishing of the place as well as the reinstallation of the stunning stained glass windows) of 40 years ago but more elegant than I recalled in the 1970’s. Or maybe it’s just the understated grey walls with gold trim or the 1889, I think, menu, etched on a glass partition, of the 17, was it?, courses served at the opening of the Elysee Palace, I recall. (All this detail came from the most genial chef I’ve talked to in years). (And, I hope this is not putting a curse on it, but its elegance and tone remind me of Thierry Burlot.) The menu is inventive and merited the three hearts in Figaroscope and the rave review in Le Fooding. My beloved downstairs neighbor, always game for a meal, was impressed by its daring. We started with a shot-glass full of lentils, smoked duck breast and truffle oil – incredible. She had the “menu,” 32 for two courses, 38 € for three (which come with a glass of wine, a St Emilion for her, very fruity but dry) whilst I ate off the carte and was not wine-deprived either, having a very nice Bordeaux. Incredibly she ate better. She had a soup made with watercress with chicken chunks – it sounds boring, eh? Nope, great! I had raw tuna with sesame three ways – first the tuna was covered with dried seeds; then there were swollen seeds in a timbale; and finally there were seeds and essence in a soyishe sauce that I was warned was salty but not too salty for me. Then she had a round baton of wrapped noodles with various types of shellfish and a sauce that when taken together was the best pasta dish of the year. I had rather ordinary cod-flakings wrapped in a fine strip of aubergine with big grey beans – yummy but not oomphy enough for me. Her dessert was a poached pear with a drizzle of sweet cream (called a gratin but I know butter and cream when I see it) and spectacular coffee ice cream. The downstairs was jammed with Bourse-types and one anorectic, the upstairs looked only 2/3rds full. The bill (warning, warning, it will be more for you, we were careful) was 102 €/2. He’ll be closed for the holidays but will open again January 2nd. Prediction, he’ll soon pack the place at lunch, abandon the “menus,” then you’ll be able to get in at night when the boursiers go home to Versailles. Come back? - you betcha Dude. The December Surprise; great old-time food, inconsistent service 7.0 Pharamond, 24, rue de la Grande Truanderie in the 1st, 01.40.28.45.18, closed Sundays and Mondays is a blast from the past. Like Brute, (Brutus to us Anglos, but I like Brute better, sounds more like him, eh?), I came to bury this place not praise it. It’s been here forever, well, at least since 1832, it’s in Tourist and Pick-pocket Central, it is and was clearly over-priced (11-24 € for entrees, 19-39 mains and 9-15 desserts, total, well you can do the math - 39-78 € before wine, etc); it was totally Anglo last time I came (about 1832) and when I read of its resuscitation by an ex from L’Ami Louis, I thought I gotta do this, it’ll give me great ammunition for a devastating review. But on the other hand, Richard Hesse in Paris Update loved it and hey. OK. So I come in from the Etienne Marcel side and approach this ancient monument; pretty much the way I remembered/expected; wonderful velvet curtain, great stencil details, nice floral-type arrangements. So I said to myself “One goes for the spectacular décor, it’s entertainment after all, not the food, relax.” And indeed, it was like a French country resto in the 1950’s – old school, huge portions, familiar favorites like tripes, steak and snails. Sat down, long wait for a menu, longer wait for the order to be taken, even longer wait for the wine list – conclusion, staff not yet polished. Look around: all business folk, one top-rank law/banking/insurance “Partner’s Holiday Lunch” ordering magnums, etc, of Burgundies, one patron having a cigar which I hadn’t seen in years - until much later, when the younger, Coke-drinking, cigarette-smoking crowd came in and overwhelmed the non-existent ventilation system. But to the food: the celery soup amuse-bouche was OK but the fresh warm bread was over-the-top – good start; then a green salad (because the ENORMOUS mounds of os a moelle and vol au vent looked daunting and cardiac-clogging) – not bad, but too fancy/schmancy in the oil & vinegar department; then rognons de veau in their style, which I guess means pretty plain and mildly over-cooked but…. I saw what I thought (without my glasses) was a little mound of mashed potato – no, it was butter and I’m here to tell you, butter on those kidneys was divinity, although in fact, mustard worked OK once I’d depleted the butter. Oh the wine – confession, I had a whole bottle of Minervois at 13 € (I figure the guy is cleaning out the cellar and thought this was a dog – it wasn’t! only mistake he made all day.) Coffee, had to be sent back, not serré as I’d asked. I did not have dessert, they looked even more daunting than the entrees. My bill was 53 € but recall what I had and didn’t have; the average citizen will spend twice that. ”Should one go?” If Pharamond was the destination of your youth, if you hanker for those old time recipes, if you’re rich and if you need a shelter from the storm, come on in. This was surely the most interesting meal of the month. Old school, old prices - old son. 7.0 Le Cameleon, 6, rue de Cheveuse in the 6th, 01.43.27.43.27, open everyday, is Jean Paul Arabian’s latest venture. Arabian, of course is the ex-partner of Ghislaine and came here from Le Restaurant in Lille and Ledoyen + Pierre au Palais Royal and one place in the 18th not on his resume that none of us can recall, in Paris. He brought in Chef David Angelot from Ledoyen and since September or so has been providing fine updates of classic cuisine at reasonable prices – 25 for two, 30 € for three courses with glasses of wine at 4 € and bottles starting at 19 €. I went with my “real food critic friend” and we had a ball. The bread was first rate (Poujauran, he posited). We shared: escargots on top a sauce/soup of chopped-to-infinity parsley and fried calamari with tartare – both superb. Then we shared: a fat slice of calf’s liver that was neither top-flight product nor cooked to my specification (which would be really raw inside), but the accompaniment – macaroni with cheese (I jest not) and pork with coriander flavored carrots and tiny onions was so wonderful that it offset any lingering doubts about the liver. Finally we shared what I never would have ordered without prompting, a divine pain perdu with roasted pineapple and beer, yes beer, zabaglione. The bill with coffee, a bit more wine and a tiny digestif = 94 €, although the bar person charged us 100 €, and my famous friend didn’t dispute her math, figuring like I did that we’d tell the story of her inability to divide 94 by 2 enough times to make up the 6 €. Oh, on the way out we saw several other dishes, onglet, raie and other stuff that was equally appealing. ”Should one go?” I cannot think of a reason why not to. Shush – A gem, despite the weird location – Don’t breathe a word. 6.9 La Tradition, 2, rue Budapest in the 9th, 01.48.74.37.33, closed Sundays, is on this funny sort of closed-off street/lane but serves anything but funny food. It was “discovered” by A Nous Paris a few days ago, I didn’t like the picture that just showed the comptoir, so I dropped by two hours after reading the review, et voila, there were tables too for 8-10 covers and I told the guy who looked astounded that I’d tumbled on the place about the A Nous Paris review – PS tonite there were several copies scattered about. Anyway, despite its weird location, it’s a gem. Southwestern-oriented food and wine but not totally. The amuse-bouche was/were gougeres – light, flavorful but not overly cheesed, perfect. Three of us went and unfortunately (not for us but for this report) were so entranced by two dishes that we all ordered them – 1st the sauteed foie gras with raviolis of mushrooms and white truffles (only problem, they forget to warm the plates) and the dessert – a so-called baba au rhum with the best raisin ice cream of the decade – really a deconstructed baba – which was divine (no probs at all.) In the middle we had (1) a “ragout” of veal sweetbreads and kidneys (the best! – guess who had it); (2) strips of duck on an apple “parmentier” not bad either; and (3) salmon, OK, OK. Each one of us thought his/hers was the best. The bill = 167 €/3 and my pals took home a ½ bottle of wine too. ”Should one go?” Yes - If you can reserve for lunch enough in advance; at night - no sweat. These guys really know what they’re doing; go before they move uptown or downtown. Stretching and almost making it 6.5 L'Arôme, 3, rue Saint-Philippe-du-Roule in the 8th, 01.42.25.55.98, closed Sundays, is a really neat looking place with upscale flowers, table clothes and glasses. I was greeted terribly warmly by Eric Martins, ex from l’Ami Marcel, who couldn’t have remembered me from there but acted glad to see me. There is an ample 33 € blackboard lunch menu with mostly terrine/type firsts except for one hot dish and thus I ordered the soup with essence of small crabs and whole mussels – fantastic. My biche bourgignon had a spectacular sauce but was both too much and too dry (but I’m finding all game dry these days so maybe it’s me). The celery mousseline with it, however, was very, very good, as was my dessert of pear in red wine and violet ice cream. The bread was either made there or a holdover from before Lionel Poilane died because it was gold standard – crisp outside and moist inside. I predict he’s going for the stars. Wine is by the bottle, glass, 25 and 46 cl pots, the cheese from MA Cantin and the coffee Illy – the guy has good providers. My bill was 50.80 €. ”Should one go?” Chef Pascal Bataillé, ex of Pierre Gagnaire, has got it pretty much right, let’s give him another try. Filling the Sunday Fish Trou 6.5 La Marée Passy, 71 ave Paul-Doumer in the 16th, 01.45.04.12.81, open everyday, inhabits the space that would appear cursed – three restos in as many years – Le Bigorneau + l’Escale run by the Coutanceau group and now this. It’s in a great location, if you love the 16th or are on your way to or from the Trocadero or Musée Marmottan. But even to an alien from the 18th, it’s pretty nice. Except for one American couple on the verge of an argument, and a couple of sugar-daddies and sugar-babies, most folk seemed to be French, rich, pleasant and old (but more about that later.) As I entered the place I noticed, even at 12:30 it was pretty packed, and the host immediately greeted me and on learning my name apologized profusely; the kitchen staff had screwed up and while he had a record of my reservation, I would not be at a primo table but stuck off in Siberia/Coventry/etc. for which he sent over a coupe de Champagne right off (PS I had a fine table, in a fine location, in the midst of wonderful folk my age who entered wishing me not only a “Good Day” but a “Good Meal!”) There is an extensive menu on the blackboard; firsts ranged from 10 tasty-looking langoustines to a scallop/celery/chestnut soup to a tartare of salmon and oysters to what I had – crunchy giant shrimp with a tandoori sauce (that I could have sworn was a regular tartare sauce); the seconds included a huge whole maigre (meagre, one of the Drum/Sciaenidae family) solette, bar, daurade and what I had, simply the “Best of the Year” scallops (grilled toasty brown on the outside, raw inside); and classic desserts of which I had the crepes Suzette (in homage to the late great Bistrot Cote Mer – it was more flour-y than theirs was). As I was saying my goodbyes to the host and congratulating him, he said that they just cooked simple food – harrumph, it may be simple but it’s great product, well done. It turns Olivier Morteau’s formula (go to a culinary desert, import an innovative chef and charge low prices) on its head – the 16th is hardly a desert, there have to be a host of chefs to run a place that provides two meals a day, seven days a week, and the prices aren’t rock bottom.) But these folk are hustling, the bread is gold standard, the cheese by MA Cantin and they have well-priced wine by the glass, 18 cl portion and bottle. At least on a Sunday for those statistically inclined, the age range was 20-90, the mean age 88, and the median 82. And the damages, with some very nice white wine, were 52.50 €. ”Should one go?” On a Sunday, for a fish lunch, I cannot think of a better bet. The Quintessential 1930’s Bistrot 5.0 **Le Reveil du 10e, 33, rue Chateau d’Eau in 10th, 01.42.41.77.59, closed Sundays, was in the Le Fooding 2007 Guide distributed last week with Liberation, under the category Terroirs. I’d never been, indeed I’d never heard of it, so if this vanguard of food publications thought it was in the wind; that was good enough for me. Despite its ancient appearance and 1930’s Marcel Pagnol type wait-folks with cabbie caps and suspenders, apparently most food folk, except for Mssrs. Petitrenaud and Cammas et al, were/are in the dark about its existence. Too bad for us all; it’s a gem – for those who don’t mind being jammed together with 46 French-folk, smoking Gauloises (just kidding about the brand) and drinking pots (45 cl – don’t worry, they’ll explain why this strange amount- costing all of 9 €) of Lyonnais wines. This is one place where the décor and setting and clientele outweigh the food. Oh not that it’s bad; I had the “artisanal” escargots (standard) which were not as good (or salty) as my local guy makes them; then the blanquette de veau (again not as good as at Mori’s, say and needing the mustard they routinely put in front of you); finishing with the milk custard. They have the range of classic dishes one might hanker for (a huge coquelet, kidneys, confit, etc.), sizeable platters of charcuteries and cheeses (10 or so) and every Beaujolais known to man. The bill = 29.60 €. “Should one go?” Absolutely, you’ll be swept back in time. Like the old Cyclone in Coney Island 3.5 Les Fougères, 10, rue Villebois-Mareuil in the 17th, 01.40.68.78.66, closed weekends, provides two courses for 22 and three for 29 € and is run by Stéphane Duchiron (ex-Lameloise) and Roland Durand (ex-Passiflore + Bon Accueil.) The meal started off with a bang, the rillettes with sesame seeds with tiny toasted rounds of sesame bread were simply delicious; I ate the whole thing. Then came the bread, two ways, warm and also good; I preferred that with cereals. Then there was a long pause: it took forever to order and even longer than that for a carafe of wine (16 € for a 50 cl carafe) to appear, which is hard to comprehend since there were three in the kitchen and two in the salle for a total of 30 covers maximum. So I started to lose heart. Then bang, up we went again with a wonderful croustillant of veal tail atop green lentils flavored with bacon and topped off with sprigs of spicy greens. Then the main course came and my heart again sank – the pheasant was overcooked and not particularly tasty, although the fall veggies in broth were quite good as an accompaniment. At that point I figured we had to go up again and I was right – the three tiny savarins topped with Chantilly and grenadine ice cream were divine. But wait, the Illy coffee, asked for serré, was weak. The clientele was most tony and interesting, among them were the French equivalents of Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs and two food critics, one of whom was assuredly the grayish Michelin Man. This place really has promise but the day I was there was like the girl with the curl or the Coney Island roller coaster; when good - terrific, when off – disappointing. The bill = 48.50 €. Unfortunately, for them, but maybe good for us, Jean Yves Bath has decamped the pricey 8th for the 17th, re-opening right across the street in a place still called Bath’s, at 25 rue Bayen with a 25 € menu at lunch (it was 30 € downtown.) But that’s for next month. “Should one go?” (to Les Fougères,) Let’s see what the Michelin man says. Good product, good cooking; so, why weren’t we more enthusiastic? 2.5 L’Orenoc, 81, blvd Gouvion St Cyr (Hotel Meridien) in the 17th, 01.40.68.30.40, closed Sundays and Mondays was taken over by Claude Colliot, exBamboche, and got three hearts in Figaroscope. It’s an elegant space; we had a primo window table in a true no smoking room; and the service was impeccable. My guest ordered the 38 € lunch menu and I ordered a main and dessert (the entrée prices were off the charts.) She started with a cold cauliflower soup with divine little shredded veggies. She then had a pot au feu where the chopped cabbage in a cabbage leaf was spectacular but the beef was flavorless (I know, it often is.) My St Jacques were terrific product but the accompanying carrot puree enhanced with orange flavor again was so spectacularly better than the main ingredient that I stopped to ponder the situation. Finally, she had marinated grapefruit slices around a custard, topped with a cassis sorbet which all together worked while I had a “larme” (big strips) of chocolate with a mound of confited black olives alongside, which were again, so much more dazzling than the chocolate. Illy coffee, bless them, was serré as ordered. Bill = 116 €. Not excessive for a birthday celebration but not consistently great either. “Should one go?” If you’re struck at the Meridien Hotel or Palais des Congres, think about it. Trying hard to be haute de gamme in Montmartre 1.0 Cottage Marcadet, 151 bis, rue Marcadet in the 18th, 01.42.57.71.22, closed Sundays and Mondays, is a place described by Laidback as a “Gourmet restaurant” in a “culinary wasteland” with a “serious young chef” (Choisne Cyril) and he loved his meal there six weeks ago. I went with high hopes for several reasons: I respect Laidback, I loved the Cottage in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s and it’s a few hundred meters from where I live. I went with someone who also lives in the neighborhood and knows her way about French food, having written a lot of reviews and recipes. First impression: the menu – very ambitious – a 100 € degustation menu (and we’re talking about Montmartre mind you) and an a la carte listing with (as Laidback learned) a huge number of pretty pricey items. Second thought; go with the 35 € lunch menu for three courses or 27.5 for two and try to find a wine that wouldn’t break the bank (the wine list was ambitious too) – success with a 18 €/50 cl carafe of a drinkable Cotes du Rhone. And three, try to pay attention to the food while getting to know this most interesting dining companion. The amuse bouches were a sort of nem of red shrimp and little veggies that were quite tasty. The bread stick and brioche roll I had were better than alright. I then had a pied de veau, very cleverly and carefully layered with potatoesque trivets and she a veloute of rocket, with parmesan slices and sun-dried {I assume} tomatoes, pistachios and pine nuts as well as carrot chips on top; both of which were OK but nothing to write home about (my pied standard is Tante Marguerite’s). But it was the mains that fell off - my deconstructed rabbit with lots of tiny veggies wasn’t bad but there was no excitement, no pizzaz, none, what does Richard Gere say in "Chicago," none of “the old razzle-dazzle?” – this was simply calories shoved into the mouth; her caramelized Saint-Pierre {sorry Ptitpois, there’s no Amurican translation} with green tea {stretching eh? Sounds like Aspen} was equally OK, but so what?) Now, however, comes the one minute in a delightful 2 hour lunch that shapes the whole experience. The wait-guy noted her taking (non-flash) pix and said she couldn’t use them/it (or what?) which was self-defeating since later he complained to me out of her presence that they had only been reviewed by one guidebook or publication (the pathetic Bottin,) and my companion has a blog that would have gotten the word out to a lot more readers - but without pictures, she’s not going to post it. Too bad. At some point, without communicating why, we both decided not to have dessert (in my case it was that after what I’d had so far, I wanted to cut my losses). The mignardises were good (canele/cannele {google it, you'll find the difference}, truffles, macaroons, tiramisu) and coffee OK, but as I say, the lack of talent and 1-minute warning about taking pictures shaped the meal, which is really too bad. Plus, and I'm sorry to disagree with Laidback, the area is not a total disaster, it has better places: to name a few, the fabulous Spring as well as L'Histoire de...., 2 Pieces Cuisine and while for only one dish - the superb double lamb chop - Le Truc. The bill, however, was an easy 81 €. ”Should one go?” Tough question, if my guys insist, I will, but with my fists up. Not Ready for Prime Time (or anything else) 0.75 Au Petit Monsieur, 50, rue Camelot (yes, it’s in the old C’Amelot-space) in the 11th, 01.43.55.54.04, closed Sundays and Mondays, got two hearts in Figaro this week, that must have pained Emmanuel Rubin no end. These folks have simply not yet got their act together. The place, while terribly well-staffed for such a small and intimate space, could not get the food out promptly (and there were only eight customers); could not get the food “right” (one guy send his main back twice); and could not get the credit card machine to work on the first three tries. A part ca, as they say, what else? Well, the food is over-priced – nems are 6.50, starters 8-17, charcuterie platters 20, mains 19-25 and desserts 8 €. The bread was terrific looking but soggy inside; the pheasant two ways was accompanied by a deconstructed set of dishes, including a game sauce, pumpkin puree, pumpkin sweetened with chestnuts - and the coffee was a pallid Richard. Can’t I say anything nice? Well yes, the nems I had were strips of spicy chorizo and calamars with a nice dipping sauce and the St Chinian was drinkable (at 19 € a 45 cl carafe it was a reasonable choice). The formula, however, even tho’ only 19 € as well, consisted of stuff that was banal-sounding. ”Should one go?” Not on your life, until this guy finds his compass. *Occasionally I’m asked why I don’t post each and every month on the eGullet Society site; well, I usually do, but when I’m in OP’s (other places) with my long suffering wife Colette, such as Greece and Seattle (in October), Italy (in March,) etc, I post on other, appropriate forums. **Well I had an epi-epiphany today: I realized that all these numbers I’ve been assigning to restaurants in response to a challenge from Pagason (so named, in the Scandinavian tradition, after his father Paga) were inadequate in describing places. As John Whiting, my treasured friend, cautioned me correctly years ago, this was a trap, in that one could not compare a great old school restaurant (say La Tour D’Argent) with a great new resto (say Ze Kitchen Galerie) or compare a classic bistro (e.g. l’Ami Louis) to a edgy one (e.g. La Cerisaie) or a grand brasserie (like Bofinger) with a modern version (like La Mascotte). So I surrender unconditionally. Indeed, Pagason’s father brought to my attention this week the fact that he and I assume folks want to eat at the newer, edgy, breaking-the-ground places like Spring rather than the old standards, such as Vaudeville. Well, that may be true of eGullet Society members, but it’s not true of my friends and professional colleagues – be they French or American. Therefore, or as they say, donc, to better help members in the choice of an appropriate venue, henceforth I will use the “Francois Simon system,” writing a title atop each review and a query “Should one go?” and an answer afterwards. Let’s see how it goes, eh? (the Canadian in me can’t resist that.) Edited by John Talbott to add numerical ratings on popular demand.

Interesting you should ask. Le Point today published a huge list of places for under 30 E.From among them, I'd have them try, eg call and see if they have room, Ripaille, Troquet, Bistral, Papilles, Astier, Cerisaie, Cafe Constant, Cave est Restaurant + Les Symples de l'Os a Moelle but forget wine for that price. And tell them to eat at lunch when those prices could be reachable and include wine. All coordinates of these can be found in the Digest or other threads.

Here is some other background on this cake for "12th Night" of the Christmas season or January 6th (Epiphany): click For others, here is the sister post in the P&B forum: click Inspired by Swisskaese's post in the other thread I was interested to see if there were particular Alsatian Christmas desserts. Some googling suggests that elaborate Kugelhupfs (with nuts and fruit) might be something served for Christmas in Alsace. ← I clean forgot the thread we had running since 2003 on the subject. But while I'm at it, a French friend/colleague asked me why America, alone among Western countries (he said) does not celebrate Epiphany with a cake. Anyone know the reason?

Well, I always associate the season with Galettes des Rois and our loyal France Forum eGullet member Clotilde has written a recipe that I'm sure would qualify for school.

Yesterday's Figaro had an article on the difference in security rules leaving France vs leaving or within the US. Thierry Vigoureux wrote that one should put all bottles and pate or pate type food goods in checked luggage and that from France 100 ml liquid/etc containers should be put in a 20x20 cm plastic bag (vs 90 ml in a 19x20 cm bag from the US). It also pointed out the diference between soft cheeses (camembert) that should be checked and hard cheese (gruyere) that can go in carry-on; NB chocolate with liqueur inside qualifies as liquid and is thus banned. He does say that there are discussions about making the policy uniform.

I just realized it's been 2 years since I've been. Gotta go back. And I also realized that Raisab asked and I never replied. It was not the P'tit Paume but something called something like the Lions de Lyon, but I lent my copy to a dear friend and..... When I Amazon.fr it, I get only Lyon restaurants (Broché) by Jean-Franco Mesplede (2001) which could be it, and Bouchons : Brasseries & restaurants Lyonnais (Relié) (2205) by Matthieu Flory, Clémentine Forissier, Benjamin Carniaux and Frédéric Evesque. Oh well.

Clotilde; would you agree the street looks pretty much like the photo in the link Veronica gave? I was by two weeks ago and I don't remember perfectly but I think the photo is up to date.

Since this thread was started we've put up a compendium that contains prior threads on eating during Christmas, New Years, Easter, etc. that members may wish to consult if they are planning on coming over the holidays. Regardless of what the guidebooks say, it's always wise to check by phone. Last year for instance one place intended staying open on New Year's Day but New Year's Eve stretched them and they were closed.

The Week of November 27th, 2006 Last week, in France-Amerique, Claire Derville wrote about the six Parisian chefs who ran the NYC Marathon, the first five with faster times than Lance Armstrong: they were Thierry Breton, Yves Camdeborde, Thierry Faucher, Bertrand Bluy, Flora Mikula + Rodolphe Paquin. {Pretty impressive, eh?} Francois Simon, in an article in Le Figaro November 11th, entitled “Paris, Capital of the gogos” sang the praises of the food at l’Astor and the Thai place Thiou but found no tart in dishes listed as a chipirons tart at the former and langoustine tart at the latter (where there were no langoustines either). His moral of the story: Paris is not only the capital of the gogos but the dreamers, the illusionists and cover-ups. {I guess you had to be there.} Also, November 25-26, Simon had three articles in the “Gout” section. The first was a short one entitled “The Ducasse Empire” accompanying a nifty map that shows where his 1400 employees in 21 establishments in 9 countries are located. The second concerns Ducasse’s takeover of the Jules Verne designed by Lou et Slavik (a related article by Eric de la Chesnais concerns the Ducasse-Sodexco partnership for the Eiffel Tower project). And the third is his “Croque Notes” which starts with a riff on the various recent “movements:” Slow Food, Le Fooding & Omnivore, then goes off on a discussion of Le Fooding and finally says that if you read his column, you do so to get good recommendations, and he then lists – Christophe, 8, rue Descartes, 01.43.26.72.49 which despite its banal décor provides good food costing 35-60 € in the evening with formulas for lunch. Monday, Le Fooding’s News was all about The Fooding Week. Monday in Parisist Robyn assessed Pierre Herme’s macaroons. Monday-Tuesday,in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard reviewed and gave 3/5 blocks to the Villa Pereire, 116 Blvd Pereire in the 17th, 01.43.80.88.68 with lunch formulas at 19.50 and 24.50, a la carte 28-56 €, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, where Jimmy Merle (ex-Miss Betsey,) is now cooking dishes like shredded lieu in jelly, tuna steak and pear in red wine and Jerome Berger gave 3/5 blocks to 35° Ouest, coordinates given before, where he, (like me), found the fish very expensive for the product. In another article written by Jerome Berger he discussed several food-related items: two exhibitions of food art, one at Fraich’Attitude in the 10th featuring “Eat Art” and the other “Freddy and the Chocolate store” featuring things like a Minitel in chocolate at the gallery Philippe Chaume in the 10th; the gallery bookshop on which a thread is already running called Food; a website that does everything from answer questions about food and food services all over the world to organize food tours – it’s in three languages including English; and the website of the Le Fooding event going on til December 4th, already know to members. Tuesday, in an article in Le Figaro by Alexandra Michot, Colette Monsat and Francois Simon, the authors determined which were the best croissants in Paris and declared that the top five came from: Pierre Hermé, Triomphe, L. Duchêne, Mulot + Lenôtre. Tied for #8 was A. Poilane, Kayser was 15th, Fauchon tied for 17th, and Paul, Laduree + Dalloyau were all at #24. Tuesday last week I failed to record two places that the Wall Street Journal’s reporter Daniel Michaels recommends in Nimes: Aux Plaisirs des Halles + l’Enclos de la Fontaine. Wednesday in Paris Update Richard Hesse had very positive take on on the newly renovated Pharamond, where he says one has classic food (escargots, vol au vent, poule au pot, etc.) for about 60 €. Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin, in Figaroscope’s “C’est nouveau,” gave 2 hearts to the neobistrot l’Arome, 3, rue St Philippe du Roule in the 8th, 01.42.25.55.98, closed Sundays with lunch menus at 28 and 33 €, a la carte 40-50 €, where he liked the crisp pork cheeks and beef tails, duck with chorizo and cabbage and prune beignets. {I’ll be posting my views in a week or so.} Two one heart places were the Spanish tapas/etc type place Almodobar in the 17th and Le Mathusalem, 5 bis, bd Exelmans in the 16th, 01.42.88.10.73, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays with a lunch formula at 22 €, a la carte 30 €, for sausage salad, salmon and tiramisu. He also gave busted hearts to La Cuisine Colbert in the 5th and Jimmy Blanche Café in the 11th. This week’s “Dossier,” was about business lunch restaurants that included: New ones Le Violin d’Ingres L’Orenoc Les Ombres Sensing Pharamond Le Versance Petrus Drouant 35° Ouest Trendy Unico Hotel Amour La Gazzetta Mori Venice Bar Sens Bistros Le Cameleon Chez les Anges Ze Kitchen Galerie Astier Cafe Panique Et dans mon cœur il y a… Bistro Volnay And Francois Simon in his “Hache Menu,” went to Laurent, coordinates well-known, that he calls “the magnificent” and where he and his companion had the Pavillion menu with scallops, pigeon and vanilla ice cream, which with a Gamay and water ran him 193 € that that he felt was a good price-quality ratio and worth the experience. Metro this week was the first {I believe} to publish a review of a clever-sounding book: La Soupe de Kafka by Mark Crick, Flammarion, 118 pps, 12 €, that features recipes “in the manner of;” for instance lamb as Raymond Chandler would have had it or the Marquis de Sade’s deboned chicken. Wednesday-Thursday, Jean Claude Ribaut had an “Inquiry” on Molecular cuisine in which he stated that last week (11/23/06) in Saint Sebastien, Ferran Adria renounced the movement because of who was attracted to it. Thursday, in Le Point, Gilles Pudlowski reviews places in Paris he will watch: the Italian NY type snack bar in the 9th - Impro’vista + Le Daniel, 8, rue Frédéric-Bastiat in the 8th, 01.42.56.17.00, a la carte : 60 €, where he liked the zucchini flowers with rosemary, St Pierre and iced soufflé with cassis. He’s still impressed by the Celedon + Savy. Outside Paris he likes Anne-Sophie Pic in Valence, Blanc le Bistro in Toulon and L'Atlantide in Nantes. His producers of the week (coldcuts) in Sainte-Menehould are Sylvain and Nadège Warin, his product is Pietra beer from Furiani (Corsica) and his recipe is for rabbit with beer. Friday, Jean Louis Galesne in Les Echos covers the last of 2006 restaurant openings, reviewing: Les Fougères, 10, rue Villebois-Mareuil in the 17th, 01.40.68.78.66, closed weekends, menus at 22 (lunch) et 29 €, where he liked the price-quality ratio of the food, such as shrimp soup, mackerel with girolles, hare and cardamon ice cream provided by Stéphane Duchiron (ex-Lameloise) and Roland Durand (ex-Passiflore + Bon Accueil.) l’Orenoc, Hôtel Méridien, 81, bd Gouvion-Saint-Cyr in the 17th, 01.40.68.30.40, closed Sundays and Mondays, lunch menu at 38, a la carte about 70 €, chef’d by the ex-Bamboche head, who now serves 100 rather than 30 covers items such as onion raviolis, parmesan fondue, tuna, sweetbreads with cocoa beans and grapefruit ricotta. You won’t be bored, he says. {My review is forthcoming.} Le Soleil, 153, rue de Grenelle in the 7th, 01.45.51.54.12, closed Sundays and Mondays, formulas from 32-36 € and a la carte about 50 € where Louis-Jacques Vanucci ex and still I take it at the St Ouen resto of the same name and refuge from Villaret serves things such as a Sicilian tomato pizzetta or tiny crabs soup, lamb filet and partridge. The chic and chere Le Diane, in the Hôtel Fouquet's Barrière in the 8th, 01.40.69.60.60 open everyday, running one 90-130 € with a 165 € menu, where the chef of Fouquet’s, Jean-Yves Laurager, directs the serving to 32 covers of fare such as red mullet, foie gras, autumn salad, Wagyu beef and “black bottom” pig at “prohibitive” prices {See Francois Simon’s take on this and the prices below.}. L'Arôme, 3, rue Saint-Philippe-du-Roule in the 8th, 01.42.25.55.98, closed Sundays, lunch formula 26 €, lunch menu 33 € a la carte about 50 where Pascal Bataillé, ex of Pierre Gagnaire {Now that explains why I left so stuffed} serves up such items as slices of beef with prunes and leeks, cuttlefish tempura, and a fricassee of langoustines. Eric Martins, ex from l’Ami Marcel is the front room man. Saturday-Sunday, in various parts of Le Figaro, there were several articles of note. Francois Simon wrote his “Croque Notes” about a disastrous experience at Diane, the new Fouquet’s restaurant at 46, ave George V in the 8th, 01.40.69.60.60, which he was told to go to fast but also warned about by readers who had had catastrophic experiences via messages on his published phone number – 01.57.08.55.19. It’s an amusing article which I won’t dwell on but things are described in horrid detail, such as his asking for hot wine because the room was so cold and his shock at the prices of the awful food – 135 for prune-fed pork for two; the 6-7 times markup on the wine instead of the 3 times routine markup – but it does sort of serve him right that he spent 344 € on a meal he had received ample warnings about. Another unsigned article notes that a group called the Wine & Business Club has arranged a program where holders of its “Vin en ville” card are able to open their own wine for only 5 Euros corkage fee and get a 10-25% discount on wines at 30 restaurants, such as l’Autobus Imperial, le Pont Alma + Tante Louise. Finally, the second in a series called MIAM written by Olivier Hachon-Bueb appeared and talked of a Thai salad of grilled or chopped beef costing 9,50 € at Pattaya, 29, rue Étienne-Marcel in the 1st, 01 42 33 98 09. {I have gone through the December/January Gault-Millau twice, making notes and turning down pages and when I reached the real ads (as opposed to the text copy that looks ad-like), I realized I had little to « Digest » from the issue. The cover features Adriana (Karembu)’s Confessions about Christmas (What ?, Who ? When I « Googled » her I first got 14 nude photos of her – Good Lord, this is a culinary expert ?) ; their Cook of the Year is Jean Francois Piege ; their Great Parisian Chef of Tomorrow is Inaki Aizpitarte ; their city to feature is Lyon ; there are lots of books mentioned (one of which, co-authored by Jean Pierre Coffe, I’d like to read) – Big Surprises ! but where is the cutting edge stuff, the news about restos that Henri Gault and Christian Millau celebrated, that brought us all into the new world of French cooking ; where are the judgments, the ratings, the savvy ? Sorry for the rant, but this is a sad, sad ending to this once fabulous pub.} {And while I’m on a tear, let me say that I’m equally disappointed with the supposedly cutting-edge mag - ex-Omnivore now oMni. I don’t know what’s happened, but it’s lost its edge too. Cases in point: (1) Featured chef : Antoine Westerman, story line : turned over le Buerehiesel to his son to devote his energies (he’s only 60, for goodness sake) to his Paris operations ; (2) yet another article on the Slow Food movement and how the French chefs aren’t jumping on the train (I’m shocked, shocked….) ; (3) a nonsensical article on learning from Turkish food ; (4) another on « What comes after Generation « C » ?» ; and then slick photo-features on chefs they really like, and sorry, this is where I stopped.} Saturday-Sunday, Bonjour Paris had an essay by John Talbott on “The Yanks are coming.” Finally, on Sunday in the JDD, Samuel Le Torriellec, chef at La Marée in the 8th gives as his two favorite inexpensive places in and around Paris: Au Pied de Cochon + Chez Celement {I kid not} in Bougival where he goes with his family for Sunday lunch. Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

One addition, not in the markets so much as the restos, is not only the second year of unrelenting pumpkin soup amuse gueules or firsts but poached pears in red wine desserts. Where on earth do the chefs get their marching orders?

Robin has decamped for Crete.

French Food Guides Chapter 3 - Le Fooding The Le Fooding Guide 2007 appeared Thursday the 23rd of November as a supplement to Liberation and had a few surprises. They grouped the 240 restos, bars, etc. in a number of categories and have nine symbols (for eating late, Sundays, expensively, etc) but give no numbers, hearts, etc. Therefore, I'll give only the ones they list as the best; that are: Cibus Le Pre Verre Le Comptoir du Relais Fogon Ze Kitchen Galerie l'Ami Jean Le Chamarre Gaya Le Violin d'Ingres Les Saveurs de Flora Senderens La Table du Lancaster Jean Dell'Orto Chez Michel Chateaubriand Sardegna a Tavola l'Avant Gout Chez Lulu/l'Assiette La Cerisaie La Regalade Le Beurre Noisette Le Troquet Astrance Cristal Room Baccarat Caius l'Orenoc Les Magnolias

What’s in the markets in December The following are reported by Regal and the Almanach du Gastronomie* to appear in the markets in December, or December-January in the case of Regal: Arriving: lobster, langouste, bar, goose, truffles & pears. Leaving: herring, lettuces, turnips, beurre-hardy pears & grapes. In full season: oysters, praires {Ok: trans: dog cockles, feel better?,} sea-urchins, jumbo shrimp, littleneck clams, scallops, merlan, red mullet, daurade, salmon, turkey, poularde, capon, mache, cardoons, Mont d’Or, Roquefort, apples, pears, citrus, exotic fruit and kiwis. Also: anchovies, calamari, ray, sole, deer, pheasant, Touraine grouse/hen, hare, guinea fowl, farm pork, broccoli, crosne, endives, spinach, fennel, frisée, girolles, green beans, parsnips, pumpkin, salsifis, Jerusalem artichoke, pineapples, kumquats, mangoes, physalis {yah, I looked it up, didn’t help}, Abondance, Fourme de Montrison, Laguiole, Munster, Ossau-Iraty, Salers & Vacherin. *Reference: Almanach du Gastronomie by Armelle de Scitivaux (Bottin Goumand, 1998, 133 FF.)

Tuesday, Le Figaro published an article (to be Digested this week but I'll leak you the top - it's Pierre Herme) on the best croissants in Paris with a video of the event starring Francois Simon here.

I'm conflicted about the direction this thread is taking; that is away from food and towards Paris safety. I wonder if we shouldn't go to PM's for this as Forest has suggested- I do have some thots but think that's a better place. Thanks John

My experience is not recent and I stopped going because I thought he was bumping the prices up too much; but I believe both Felice and Ptipois have had quite recent very positive experiences and posts about it and on that alone I'm tempted to retry. Which one A la Fontaine Gaillon or l’Ecaille de la Fontaine? Love the latter just before lunch at Drouant which makes me about the only person on the French Forum who still goes there.

I’m not sure why anyone might want to know but on two ancient threads - here and here the fate of Maxim’s was discussed. An update: a notice in the #99 Voyage d’Affaires states that the downtown one (Rue Royale) now uses its exceptional space for lunches, cocktails, dinners or dancing evenings for groups. Contact info here where it appears that the four Cardin and four Maxim’s spaces are handled by one group.

The Week of November 20th, 2006 Monday, Le Fooding’s Alexandre Cammus announced that on Thursday Nov 23rd, for 1.20 €, you could buy Liberation and the Fooding Guide 2007, that has lots of recipes as well as info on the Semaine du Fooding, November 27th to December 4th. Parisist Monday had another article on Thai food by Spoon and one by Meg saying that the “best Korean food in Paris” is at the Restaurant Namsan in the 19th. Monday as well, Olivier Hachon-Bueb, in apparently a new feature in Le Figaro called MIAM Nº1, had an article on a « super-star » dish at the Bristol which is a riff on pig’s head and feet. The picture alone is worth the price of admission but the ingredients are impressive: stuffed cabbage with pig’s feet, chestnut sausage, half-snout on mashed potatoes and white truffles, a slice of smoked peasant bacon and black sausage between two “chips.” Monday-Tuesday,in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed, rated and summarized four places to go if you’re hungry late at night: 4/5 blocks went to “The Most like home” Les Enfants Rouge, coordinates well-known; 4/5 blocks to “The Most Snobbish” Bar Le Passage ditto; 3/5 to “The most soused” Oh Bigre, 4, rue Bridaine in the 17th, 01.44.90.05.04, closed Sunday and Monday, a la carte about 20 €; and “The latest” Le Tarmac, coordinates given before. Wednesday in Paris Update Richard Hesse had a nice review of Les Zingots. Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin, in Figaroscope’s “C’est nouveau,” gave 2 hearts each to the “resto-cave-epicerie” La Cantine de Quentin, 52 rue Bichat in the 10th, 01.42.02.40.32, open every day, lunch formula at 14 €, a la carte 25-35 €, chef’d by an exSavoy Sébastien Altazin, serving pumpkin soup with blue cheese, cassoulet with duck and risotto with white truffles; Le Soleil, 153, rue de Grenelle in the 7th (the old Italian resto Gildo space), 01.45.51.41.12, closed Sundays, a la carte 40-60 €, an offshoot of the St Ouen flea market place of the same name, serving an aioli of bulots, crab soup, squid with mushrooms and pigeon with innards and crouton sauce; and the exRostang chef’d place in the old Miss Betsey space, l’Accolade, 23, rue Guillaume Tell in the 17th, 01.42.67.12.67, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, lunch menu at 20 €, a la carte 35-50 €, serving pumpkin soup with Fourme d’Ambert and scallops (see here for my very positive experience). Finally, he gave one heart each to Evi Evane, 10 rue Guisarde in the 6th, 01.43.54.97.86, closed Sundays, lunch menus at 14.90 and 19.90 €, a la carte 35-40 €, serving tarama, rabbit with polenta with feta and a milk tart; and the wine bar Aux Anges, 30 rue Faidherbe in the 11th, 01.43.56.38.53, closed Sundays, a la carte 15-30 €, according to the amount and number of wines, Alleose cheese and Basque charcuteries. This week’s “Dossier,” was about huge (200-500 covers) dining spaces that included: Golden Wok 500 covers La Coupole 500 l’Ile 450 Quai Ouest 400 New Nioulaville + Chai 33 400 Chartier 346 and at a good price Mandala Ray 320 Mood 300 Le Café du Commerce 280 La Gare 260 Barrio Latino 300 Buddha Bar 300 Moussa l’Africain 200 Asian 200 and other big spaces – the Café de la Paix, Mollard, Bofinger, Flo, Jenny + Boeuf sur le Toit. Francois Simon in his “Hache Menu,” went to: O Restaurant, coordinates well-known, where he and his companion had a millefeuille of tomato and marbled crab; cod; and one piece of cheesecake. With one bottle of Chianti (50 €), the bill ran to 155.50 €, which when he asks himself if it was too much, says – when it’s not great, it’s always too much, but then says to go if it’s a nice day. Wednesday-Thursday, Jean Claude Ribaut had an “Inquiry” on a rival to a hamburger – kebabs. He mentions numerous places to get it/them, among which are: Chez Mounir, Janissaire, Paristanbul, le Sizin, Marmara + l'Uludag. Thursday, in Le Point, Gilles Pudlowski reviews places in Paris he will watch: La Gazzetta + Savoye Café, 13, blvd de Courcelles in the 8th, 01.42.89.20.99, open everyday, a la carte : 30 E, chef’d by an ex-Griffonier called Robert Savoye, who serves goose rillettes, tartare and ices from Octave; places he deems in good form are Guy Savoy + Le Train Bleu. Outside Paris he loves the Chateau de Bagnols in the town of the same name, Brasserie Jules in Amiens and Les Roches in Le Lavandou. His products of the week include a water from the source in Saint Geron in the Auvergne that Michel Rostang, Alain Dutournier and a wine guy - Alexandre Bader of Billecart-Salmon have revived (it’s available at the Taillevent Caves and the Grande Epicerie de Paris) and the first leeks from Nantes for which he gives a recipe. Friday, Jean Louis Galesne wrote up places where one can have seasonal dishes : for white truffles in all sorts of preparations : Emporio Armani Caffé + Mori Venice Bar, for white truffles and nuts: Pierre Herme’s buche, for black truffles: Michel Rostang, for game: Gérard Besson, le Pré Verre + Chez Michel, and for scallops, oysters and fish : La Marée Passy. Friday, in Le Figaro, Sibylle Grandchamp noted that Bordeaux now has their own L’Atelier des Chefs. Saturday, Francois Simon in Figaro, had a notice about Alain Ducasse’s taking over the Eiffel Tower restos, notably Le Jules Verne. There was another article about Thanksgiving by Camille Labro that suggested these three places to eat this weekend and/or buy ingredients: the Cajun restaurant Bayou La Seine, 20, rue Saint-Paul in the 4th, 01 42 77 68 29 ; the already mentioned store Thanksgiving and The Real McCoy. The December Gourmet had among its places in its Restaurant Roundup, two in Paris: l’Orangerie + Sensing, the notice that Olivier Roellinger has opened a cooking school, La Cuisine Corsaire Ecole next door to Les Maisons de Bricourt in Cancale as well as an article by Alexander Lobrano on Alsace that mentioned: Buerehiesel, Le Bistro des Saveurs, Au Fer Rouge, Fink’ Stuebel, Au Pont Corbeau, La Winstub du Chambard, JY’s + l’Auberge. Saturday-Sunday, Bonjour Paris had a review by Margaret Kemp on Le Soleil and an essay by John Talbott on “The Hot New Quarters – the 11th.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

The December Gourmet published the notice that Olivier Roellinger has opened a cooking school, La Cuisine Corsaire Ecole next door to Les Maisons de Bricourt in Cancale.