John Talbott

I know, I know, it's (1) a marketing truc, (2) a transition for white wine drinkers to red, (3) amazing in that of the 383,000 hectaliters made, 500,000 are consumed {I made the latter figure up, it could be higher}, and (4) like "kissing your sister." Let's stipulate those. But if you're walking down the street and see those "Le Beaujolais est arrivé" signs, don't you have to stop & sip? Yes, OK, but what does it taste like? Metro says this year's BN has a raspberry, groseille and cassis taste. {How many times have you heard that?} Someone said it's got a stronger taste than usual. I tasted three different ones today; the first, at Nicolas, their own by the way, was insipid and practically tasteless; the second at my local wine merchant's, was a tad better than insipid, let's say pathetic, and the third that I had at home was made from grapes and had some alcohol in it. Can't I say anything nice? Yes, it was a perfect accompaniment to my Picard frozen pizza.

Ah well then, John, that explains why my serveurs wear disposable gloves. I cannot find my notes but I recall P Wells saying in the IHT 10 years ago or so that the Abbaye des Citeaux was available at Alléosse one week in (?) May. Not to worry, you'll do fine and as I've said on my Seattle thread, you live in a great food city so you're going from food paradise back to food heaven.

Ah well, if it's sound you're looking for, visit the L’Ecume St-Honore, 6 rue du Marche-Saint-Honore in the 1st, where the sounds of seagulls and surf, as the late lamented Zurban review noted, almost drive you nutz. Oysters pretty good too.

Having gone thru customs/TSA/etc the other way last night, I overheard a conversation between agents where voices were raised about what was allowed/not allowed, and it was clear that the rules are (to be generous and no pun intended) fluid. That said, as a host I cannot encourage anything that borders on the illegal, but better than zip-locking 3 x's is shrink-wrapping, then zip-locking cheese (my Quatrehomme shop will do it free.)

Aside from listing Mora, their website says only:Matfer France 9-11, Rue du Tapis Vert - BP73 93260 Les Lilas Paris, France Tel : 33(0)1 43 62 60 40 Fax : 33(0)1 43 62 50 82 Email : matfercontact@matferinc.com Internet: http://www.matfer.com/

Well, you know, I've been to a lot of them over the years and while I may like X over Y, I've never had a real miss. I mean, if my local dumpy brasserie, the Nord-Sud, so-called because it was once the Northern terminus of the largely N-S #12 line, has good bivalves, how can one miss? I listed the places I did because of proximity to great restos, the great Utah's and what I think is a classy place, but good oysters can be had at any you pass - Le Dome, Terminus Nord, Marty, Wepler - well the list goes on.

On the suggestion of Le Zouave, I've been several times to l'Ecailler du Bistrot in the 11th where the Utah Beaches are fantastic (and seafood there is OK too) esp. just before lunch at Temps Au Temps; equally good before eating at Drouant is/are the oysters are Gerard Depardieu's l'Ecaille de la Fontaine; but for several dozen as a stand-alone meal I like Huitrier in the 17th, although I haven't been in a while, mainly because my oyster guy at the Nord-Sud in the 18th has terrific Oleron ones.

Thanks. I have updated (probably not for the last time.)

The Week of November 6th, 2006 Monday, Le Fooding’s Elvira Masson wrote an article about Spring, 28, rue de La Tour d'Auvergne in the 9th, 01 45 96 05 72, open for dinner weekdays and sometimes for lunch that has as its chef a native of Chicago – Daniel Rose, who trained with Constant, Bocuse and Alleno; then a buddy of Aizpitarte and since October has his own place that serves pumpkin soup, partridge salad, rabbit with girolles and chocolate cake on a menu of 36 €. Parisist Monday had an article on Hevin & Aoki by Robyn. Monday-Tuesday, the A Nous Paris reviewers reviewed and gave 4/5 blocks each to l’Orangerie, where they liked the sole and fruits but regretted a 75 € cod dish; and Les Autodidactes, 9, place Jean-Zay in Levallois-Perret (92), 01.47.39.54.02, closed evenings (except with a reservation) and weekends, menu 35 € for salmon tartare, fresh morue and pineapple; regretting it was only open for lunch. Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin’s “C’est Nouveau” in Figaroscope featured the same place as Le Fooding above, Spring, giving it the photo, lead blurb and 3 hearts. There are some slight differences though, here he says it’s open everyday but Sundays and describes the pumpkin soup as with foie gras, the cepes and chestnuts, the rabbit with veggies and the cake of nuts. He gave 2 hearts to a neighborhood bistrot Le Vertbois, 38, rue du Vertbois in the 3rd, 01.42.71.66.95, open every weekday with formulas at 15 € (lunch) et 25 € (dinner); the food is described as “bobo” such as cooked St Marcellin, chicken breast with spices and a tarte tatin. Then come three 1-heart places: the Siamese Coco Tree’s in the 17th; the creole Ze Restoo in the 4th; and the Indian Mantra Lounge in the 17th. As for this week’s “Dossier,” It’s all coquillages all the way: Expensive Grande Cascade Scallops Violin d’Ingres Mussels Jarrasse Le Laumiere Coques Saudade Bulots Maxan Petoncles Gaya par Pierre Gagnaire Palourdes l’Altro Francois Simon, went to 35° Ouest, which he calls chic seafood, where he had oysters and scallops and where the clientele that, that night included a minister and a name-dropper. The bill = 140,90 € ; Go ? Yes. Wednesday in Paris Update. Richard Hesse reviewed an old favorite of his, a Lyonnais jazz place called Le Petit Machon in the 1st, coordinates in the guidebooks. The interesting thing though was that he compared its excellent service with the bad service encountered by the same friend he’d eaten with at Chateaubriand – a place he’d raved about only last week. Wednesday-Thursday, Jean-Claude Ribaut had two articles in Le Monde: one on the oysters of Arcachon and the other on white pizza for which he recommends: La Pizzetta in the 9th, Maria Luisa in the 10th and Chez Etienne in Marseilles. Jean-Luc Petitrenaud, in this week’s l’Express gave a very positive review to l’Escapade, 36, bvd des Batignolles in the 17th where the daily-changing short blackboard menu (25 €; a la carte = 35 €) features items such as mushroom salad, oeuf mimosa, veal’s knuckle with remoulade (his favorite), cote de boeuf and veal, shrimp and avocado and the best tartare in the city. Thursday, Gilles Pudlowski in Le Point, reviewed in Paris: La Coupole in the 14th, {apparently because it went no smoking}, saying that its quality holds up (salmon rillettes, runny avocado and crab, sausage poached in wine and a parfait) and the tapas-snack-bar-hotel-bar Le 15 cent 15, 12, rue de Marignan in the 8th, 01.40.76.34.59, (a la carte : 25-50 €); and says La Truffiere + Le Jules Verne in the 5th and 7th, respectively, are holding up. He also reviewed: Gilles Etéocle’s La Poularde in Montrond-les-Bains, Michel, (Sarran) Marcel, Pierre et les autres in Toulouse and the cake place Gibourdel in Trouville, that features “pâtisseries médiatiques” named after celebrities; finally mentioning pink garlic from Lautrec and a recipe for soup with it. This Friday, Jean Louis Galesne wrote up places in Le Mans, singling out: Le Beaulieu, Auberge de Matfeux, Le Pont Rouge, Le Bar à Vin, La Villa Jacobins + Crêperie Le Roy d'Ys. The November Bon Appetit named Joel Robuchon the Chef of the Year. The November Gourmet has an article by Alexander Lobrano on Lyon restos and bouchons, that included the bouchons: Au Petit Bouchon Chez Georges, Chez Hugon, Daniel & Denise, Le Garet, Le Jura, Café Comptoir Abel, Chez Paul as well as a box on Lyon’s next generation, now cooking at: Nicolas Le Bec, Les Terasses de Lyon, Restaurant Thomas, Matthieu Viannay + Le Verre et l’Assiette. The month’s section on Menu: Restaurant Roundup features Les Ombres in Paris. Saturday-Sunday, Bonjour Paris had articles by Margaret Kemp that (1) reviewed La Grande Cascade and chef George Menut’s favorite resto – Bistro 31 in the 16th and (2) talked of Pudlo’s demotion of it as well as one by John Talbott on “Hot New Quarters – the 10th.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

OK here folks; this isn't "Borat goes out Eating." Civility, helpful information and respect please. nuppe simply said: Let's respond to her request.

French Game Vocabulary Bambis, Bunnies and Birds Readers are encourage to add other examples (NB not all terms are of wild creatures and some are farm-raised.) Bambis biche = doe, hind, young female cerf = venison, stag, hart, older male deer chevreuil = young male, venison, roebuck, roe-deer daim = buck, fallow deer daine = female deer faon = fawn, young cerf or young chevreuil Bunnies hase = female hare lapereau = young rabbit lapin = rabbit lapin de garenne = wild rabbit levraut = young hare lievre = hare Birds becasse = woodcock becassine = snipe caille = quail canard = duck canard croisé = farm-raised mallard duck, a specialty of Rouen canard de Barbarie = Muscovy duck, not necessarily free-range canard sauvage = mallard, wild duck caneton = duckling, young male duck canette = duckling, young female duck colvert = mallard, commonest wild duck dinde = turkey hen dindon = turkey cock faisan = pheasant, cock pheasant faisane = hen pheasant faisandé = hung game grouse = grouse hase = female hare lagopède = white fuzzy alpine ptarmigan oie = goose palombe = wood pigeon, ring dove perdrix, perdreau = partridge pigeon = pigeon pintade = guinea fowl pintadeau = young guinea fowl poule d’Inde = turkey hen poule de neige = grouse (see lagopède = white fuzzy alpine ptarmigan) tourterelle = turtle dove Other bison = bison caribou = caribou laie = marcassin's mom marcassin = young wild boar sanglier = wild boar Written by your France Forum team with a lotta help from our friends - Ptitpois & Le Zouave. Edited by John Talbott to update and add several items.

In case members' mouths begin to water reading this, I'd refer them to a thread on making 600 year old cassoulet earlier this year.

Thanks Fresh, but this link's ones are quite old. Do you know if they post new ones weekly?

I do believe we have a handy-dandy compendium on the subject here.

Here is the thread that discusses game translations. See if it helps.

The week of Oct 2nd, thus Oct 4th, Figaroscope reviewed it under its new name and Rubin gave

I say either, for very different experiences; Papilles, bistrot-winotisch; Marty classic brasserie. You cannot go wrong at either.

Ok, true confession time: I did get a huuuuuge bidon of red plonk (Bordeaux) at the ferry town of Fromentine en route to the Ile de Yeu this summer that bordered on the undrinkable, but the wife, daughters and sons-in-law never complained. But hey, it lasted forever.

I will dine at the Celadon for my arrival night..just for the convenience...I have made a list of breakfast places for some morning variety that are in the area. For restaurants I have taken from recent lists and from good friend, Laidback ,who has just returned. So far this is what I am looking at: Le Comptoir Les Papilles La Ferrandaise Aux Lyonnais Maison du Jardin Dominique Bouquet Violon d'Ingres (always, good friends) No biggies on my list this time...I have done many of them previously. A mixture of the above for lunch or dinner. I am open for suggestions, additions and deletions. Joan Grace ← That's pretty close to my list except I'd do Ze rather than Comptoir but that's me.

So true. Le Zouave turned me onto a place nearby that is exactly like that; they know every bottle. It's a pleasure. At whatever price, and it's usually very reasonable.Let me change the subject and expose myself to derision: When we first bought our apartment we went to a tasting at an entrepot on the Petite Ceinture; they had a Beaujolais we liked available by the bottle, case and horrors - box. The technology was imperfect then but the taste was superb and longevity was a revelation. Visiting two friends (one in Geneva, the other in Provence) shortly thereafter I discovered they too had box wines that were not bad at all. So when my friend Paga served me a wine a year or so ago from a toney wine shop over by the Montparnasse cemetery I schlepped back a box - again, very good. Now of course, my local guy carries them, running anywhere from 20-50 €/3-5 liters and for someone like me, who eats alone a lot, and leaves town a lot, it's a perfect fit. I've had spoilage once and my guy took one sniff and no questions asked, replaced it with alacrity.

The Week of October 30th, 2006 Monday Le Fooding’s news was about Bob’s Juice Bar, 15 rue Lucien Sampaix in the 10th, 08.72.33.14.70, Tuesday to Sunday 7:30 AM – 6:30 PM except Sunday closing at 4 PM – formula of juice, soup, salad and muffin = 7 €, pancakes Saturdays and Sundays. Monday as well, Robyn in Parisist wrote a tribute to Laduree. Monday-Tuesday, A Nous Paris had an article on the “Salon Cuisinez” at the Carrousel du Louvre. It’s too late for this year, but here is the link for reminding you for next year. Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin in “C’Est Nouveau” in Figaroscope gave three hearts, the description and a photo to l’Orenoc, coordinates last week, 38 € menu at lunch, otherwise 70 € a la carte for white onion raviolis with lime paté (brilliant), roasted cepes (remarkable), beet pop (inspired); two hearts each to Le Partage, 17, rue Frédéric-Sauton in the 5th, 01 43 29 46 25, dinner only, closed Mondays, 40-50 € for filet of mackerel, tuna half-cooked and roast figs and La Maree Passy, 71, av Paul-Doumer in the 15th, 01 45 04 12 81, open everyday, also for about 40-50 € for langoustine raviolis, ray and canaille marin; and two one-hearters – Alfred, 38, av. de Versailles in the 16th, 01 45 25 51 15, open everyday but Sunday dinner and Mondays where for 35-40 € (19.5 formula and American brunch on Sundays) one has not bad crispy veggies and crab and well made oeuf a la neige {I cannot figure out what’s wrong with it} and the Moroccan Mogador, 10, rue de l’Église in Neuilly-sur-Seine, 01 46 24 95 01, closed weekends where again for 35 - 40 € one can have perfumed and runny pastry triangles and couscous. The Dossier this week concerned itself with eggs everywhichway: Mayo Les Amis de Beaujolais Brick La Boule Rouge Meurette La Rotisserie du Beaujolais Benedict Coffee Parisien Scrambled Rose Bakery Massala Indra Ile Flottante La Marlotte And also: Softboiled at Delicabar and Mollet with piperade at A&M. Francois Simon, went to Eporio Armani Caffe and he spends 7/8ths of the article describing the clientele (branché), décor (1990’s) and ice creams (lots), leaving a bit for the sublime food (rivaling the best Italian in Paris) and suggesting you should go, albeit for 180 €. Wednesday-Thursday, Jean-Claude Ribaut had an article on the Slow Food movement, tying its recent meeting into two places that are adherents to the cause – Le Paul Bert in Paris and the Restaurant Le Cep in Fleurie-en-Beaujolais. He also has a box with descriptions and links to allied movements – Le Fooding, Generation C, the Jeunes restaurateurs d'Europe {that Felice has discussed} and the Université populaire du goût. Thursday, Gilles Pudlowski in Le Point, is back to his panoply of places: places he’s going to follow in Paris include Mandala Ray + Le Tarmac and restos he considers in good shape – Le Pré Catelan+ La Gauloise. Places outside include : the dream in Burgundy - Marc Meneau/A l'Espérance in Saint-Père-sous-Vézelay, in the Camargue, Chez Bob in Arles, in the Loire – Le Neuvième Art in Saint-Juste-Saint-Rambert and in the Cotentin – the Maison Gosselin in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue. As usual he gives a product, in this case Camargue rice and a recipe describing how to make black risotto with it. Thursday in l’Express Jean Luc Petitrenaud wrote up two places: Chez Gramond in the 6th and La Pen’Tiere in Avesnes-sur-Helpe. Friday, in Les Echos Jean-Louis Galesne wrote up restos in London. This week’s GoGo Paris reviewed Num, which has a chef and provenance that is Asiatic but there’s no real indication of the type or quality of the cuisine. Eat in Paris has news and notes that say that La Maree Passy is newly opened in Passy, Les Bookinistes has undergone some change, Le 20 de Bellechasse offers good food at a moderate price and Pershing Hall’s new resto has recently opened. In Expatica, Clair Whitmer wrote a devastating review of Dans le Noir, saying it offers mediocre food at high prices (38 E) but liked the “experience.” I’m way behind reporting on an October 18th article Philippe Couderc wrote in Nouvel Obs about authentic bistros wherein he says Ribouldingue is a 16/20 in price-quality. Interestingly, Ribouldingue was also the subject of Rosa Jackson’s “Paris Bites” in the November Paris Notes. She loved the tetine, raw on the inside tuna and ewe’s milk ice cream. {Digester’s Note: Jackson’s reviews are a delight to read, if you’re not a subscriber, it’s worth it just for her contribution.} Saturday-Sunday, Bonjour Paris had articles by Margaret Kemp on “Guy Savoy and Vanilla de Tahiti” and John Talbott on “First Meals.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

Any brasserie, why don't you tell us where you'll be and we'll specify. I think we should start a thread on this (right now I'm pressed but perhaps someone else can start and we can all add on [i do recall a discussion of the differences between chevreuil, biche, cerf & daim some time back but forget where]). Yup, there's a shop in Terminal 1 that sells French products such as cheese more or less opposite the perfume shop.

Today's Expatica says: New EU rules: no more camembert in your purse PARIS, Nov 6, 2006 (AFP) - Hard cheese is OK in your carry-on, but stick that camembert and foie gras in your checked luggage, please. "As a general rule, any malleable product is forbidden," it said on its website. There's more at Expatica.fr.

A story I love to tell relates to the delinkage of price and quality. Colette and I were dining several years ago at the Elysees Vernet where the wines were largely priced at the top of my price/horror ratio. Finally I found what my eGullet colleague Paga calls the "Waldo wine" and ordered it somewhat sheepishly, noting that it was the wine with the "most interesting" price on the carte. The sommelier said quickly, you've found my favorite, there is nothing on this carte that I don't like or wouldn't recommend. And it was super.

Yes, me, and I thank everyone for staying on topic.