John Talbott

Since I'll be late in posting this and last week's Digest d/t technical problems, I thought I'd give folks a prequel of a new place featured in both Monday's Le Fooding and Wednesday's Figaroscope's C'est nouveau; it is called Spring, it's at 28, rue de La Tour d'Auvergne in the 9th, 01 45 96 05 72, it's either open for dinner weekdays and sometimes for lunch (Le Fooding) or everyday except Sundays (Figaroscope) and it's chef'd by an American from Chicago – Daniel Rose - who has trained with Constant, Bocuse and Alleno and more recently Aizpitarte. I'll check it out next week and report ASAP.

Champagne, Epernay, Reims 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. Champagne Dining & Drinking Dinner in Epernay, Reims Champagne Champagne Champagne Champagne Reims Reims Reims Aux Armes de Champagne Lunch in Champagne

It would be great if you'd tell us the other places you ate at.Thanks.

I'd like to remind everyone that eGullet concerns itself with food; let's leave the cross-cultural comparisons to other venues. Thanks

Maitre Matteu (SP?), about #8 Rue du Poteau in the 18th does over 30 turkeys a year on T-giving. Palais de Fruits, about #97 Rue Ordener in the 18th (African/exotic/etc) Galeries Lafayette or Bon Marche (I bought some just a few weeks ago).

Time to remind everyone now that it's game season again that there's a compendium on Game/Gibiers with the wisdom of past posters.

I've got to give Le Timbre another shot, not that it wasn't good the first time (except for the sense of lack of elbow room). Your description and phots put it back on the repeat list. Thanks

You might want to check out this thread that includes last year's trip from Bordeaux to Nantees through Niort.

Oh, oh, I should be careful with my comparative statements and expect folks to read more than one Forum; maybe I should have said that the bread in Seattle was an astonishing and unexpected surprise after all the very fine bread in France. World War III I didn't intend to start. I just was impressed that even in a jam-packed, albeit glorified sandwicherie - Matt's - we had outstanding bread.

What’s in the markets in November The following are reported by the Almanach du Gastronomie* to appear in the markets in November: Arriving: cauliflower, Jerusalem artichoke, vacherin, more potatoes, pomelos, clementines. Leaving: sardines, tuna, anchovies, tomatoes, mushrooms, Chaource, Neufchatel, goat cheese, figs. In full season: jumbo shrimp, scallops, calamari, herring, sole, dorade, rouget-barbet, goose, pheasant, wild boar, hare, celery, Brussel sprouts, crosne, salsifis, swiss chard, leaks, endives, pumpkin, Epoisses, mountain tommes, pears, kiwis and pineapples. *Reference: Almanach du Gastronomie by Armelle de Scitivaux (Bottin Goumand, 1998, 133 FF.)

I’m not sure if you’re interested in how others see you, but today’s Les Echos has an article by Jean-Louis Galesne on London restaurants with the title “Ici Londres” {that’s how the Beeb comes through in France}. He uses the publication of the Harden’s 2007 as a jumping off place and mentions as new places Tom’s Kitchen, l’Atelier de Joel Robuchon + Sketch as well as the no-smoking Arbutus, La Noisette, Vinoteca, Club Gascon, Vivat Bacchus + Sweetings and ethnic places – Amaya, Fino, Roka + Ping Pong. He also mentions Pied a Terre, Sheekey, Court Restaurant, Wolseley, Tamarai + Mocoto, which will open in December.

Andina was a revelation to me/us and as an auslander I think I should endorse the opinions of the Oregonians on this thread. We were dazzled by the twists, spices and preparations used and thrilled to be able to sample lots of dishes due to our number (7) at table. It’s impossible to single out anything, we were equally impressed by the Sacsayhuaman coktails, the two cebiches (langoustine and fish of the day), causa (spicy tuna, crab salad & crispy shrimp), stuffed piquillo pepper and mains of – scallops, chicken, duck and lamb shank – as well as the dessert canutos. It was a great meal whose cost was borne by my generous hosts. PS We had a quick lunch at the Piazza Italia and it was super: mussels and coques on pasta, good salads and a carafe of house Sangovese, all for $74 for three of us.

Well, let me start off by thanking everyone for their help, especially Tighe and Scarlett who sent me PM’s that really helped me navigate your great culinary city and for the great threads. My wife Colette and I ate quite well indeed, had a great time and are eager to return.. We were just coming off two weeks in Greece and so were lusting after real Amurican cooking and fresh product, etc., and we got it. I want to confess something first off. I think it was Hhlodesign who was correct in saying essentially that one shouldn’t ask for advice if you’re not going to follow it. However, while everybody recommended Union, the one night we could have gone there, there was a special $170 famous French chef event and that’s three strikes and we were out. Plus, after the trip through the deepest Peloponnese we were not up to ethnic, even great Asian, cuisine. So all Ling’s great suggestions went unheeded. That said, avanti! We hit the ground running with lunch at Matt’s. Now, if someone had told me it was what we call a “sandwicherie” back home, no matter how upscale, I never would have gone. But that would have been a gross error. We had a fabulous meal. After getting stuffed with carbos on United we were up for light but good - and it was both. Colette had the wonderfully rich gumbo (which the 6 foot plus character of a waiter, I’m sure you all know him, refused to identify the ingredients thereof) and wonderful greens salad and I had the special wild mushroom soup in an almost herb-enhanced clear broth and abalone tuna sashimi “toasted outside/raw inside/as-it-should-be” sandwich. Those items, accompanied by a bottle of a Cote de Roussillon (a fabulous choice) cost all of $53. Then it was off to Boka, which Tighe had indicated would meet our need for innovative cooking – it certainly did - the menu is fantastic simply to read. They started us off with great bread and two ramekins of balsamic gelée and olive oil butter [sic]. And then we started the serious eating with the pigs in a blanket (like a “zarzuela” or like my “Grandmother made” - you cannot predict what it’ll be, but that’s OK) - great little biscuits filled with shredded BBQ’d pork and a (wonderfully) revisionist cabbage slaw. Then we had a fantastic Shake and Bake Chicken (ditto = not at all like the original) = fantastic breading, moist with chunky mashed potatoes with root veggies and a terrific Franco-derivative beef-based (I guess) sauce. However, Colette complained that while her halibut was top-class product and well prepared, along with small amounts of veggies – including brussel sprouts, its sauce was well made but not exciting. Bill = $110/2. I’m on a roll. 94 Stewart was another revelation; it’s beginning to be repetitive, all this good, inventive food in Seattle. Again the names of dishes are cleverly misleading. My dish, for instance, was called a duck ragu, but it was made with poblano pepper, tomato, feta and pita bread. On the other hand, Colette had a scallop and endive salad with a cheddar and buttermilk dressing and it was that. Both dishes were superb. We couldn’t resist the desserts after viewing them, so more good food followed: a wonderful chewy pecan and a caramel pie and a wicked brown sugar fudge cheese cake. Bill (with wine) = $85.23. We “had” to eat at Campagne, because that’s where my work gang was having its annual dinner meeting (my cover was that I was at a medical meeting but I really snuck across the hall to the Coffee Fest convention for fun.) Anyway, whether it was the size of the group (10) or day (Sunday) of the week; the meal while good for me (sautéed spinach and sweetbreads with a terrifically tangy sauce and pancetta) was again disappointing for C. (her haricots verts with garlic were very good, but the guinea hen, while good product and well cooked was accompanied by a bland brown sauce). The Costieres de Nimes was good as were the cheese puff balls as amuse bouches. Bill – I dunno, the boss picked it up. Surprisingly, the wine list included very few Northwest wines and many of the wines, in the red category, were quite pricey. The Dahlia Lounge was a “must,” we were told by several folks, and we can see why. We ate there at lunch with Tighe and had a delightful meal. Colette ordered the salmon with cranberry relish and chopped veggies (brussel sprouts giving it some oomph) and I had scallops with the same chopped veggies - both very good! Tighe had a Dungeness crab cake with watercress, papaya, avocado, mint, chilis and orange hollandaise; quite tasty too! Desserts were great as well: a pear tart with almond cream and caramel sauce, crunchy chocolate “terrine” with peanut sauce and honey ice cream and “made to order” tiny doughnuts with cranberry jam and mascarpone (apparently and deservedly their signature dessert.) The bill = $100 for Colette and me. Finally, we ate at Zoe. Wow, full house, not too much noise to talk, good chow, nice folk, no complaints. They started us off with good bread (how can Seattle consistently produce better bread than Paris?) and an olive oil/balsamic/cider vinegar thing. Colette, on a scallop roll, had another four Alaskan scallops with roasted beets, chanterelles and black lentils; me - Oregon rabbit pâté with mixed green/black olives followed by grilled spicy octopus with more olives & vinaigrette. Dessert = lemon mousse with ice and cranberries. Total = $103. Final Score: Seattle 10, Paris 9.5, New York 8, Baltimore 0.5. Thanks folks. Great Week.

With all due respect, from a total outsider, I'd say Matt's & 94 Stewart with Boka, Zoe, Campagne & Dahlia, lagging just a bit behind, are quite fine, indeed, more than fine. I just am filled with envy that you-all have such a cornucopia of food opportunities and in a downtown area, of all places (that's the Easterner in me speaking).

I agree with the above. Just say "Yes." Call any place you want. It should not be a problem for lunch on Tuesday. If you have your heart set on one, ask if there's room at the bar - there will be.Eat well and report back on your experience(s) for others. Thanks, John

The Week of October 23rd, 2006 Monday on Le Fooding, Elvira Masson wrote an article upon again locating Claude Colliot, ex of Bamboche, Montreal and New York at l’Orenoc, (Hotel Meridien), 81, bvd Gouvion St-Cyr in the 17th, 01.40.68.30.40, closed Sundays and Mondays with starters priced from17-26, mains 28-35 and desserts 11-13 €. (Total a la carte = 56-74 before beverages.) She loved the raw langoustines, sweetbreads and ricotta with Granny Smiths. Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, there was an article on Cyril Lignac of “Oui Chef” fame and his salon de cuisine. Tuesday the IHT (also of course in the NYT), three weeks after his death, published an article by Johnny Apple on his top 10 that included l’Auberge du Cepp in Fleurie. Wednesday in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin’s “C’est nouveau” covered his usual five new or changed places: 3 hearts going to La Grande Cascade, Allée de Longchamp in the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th, 01.45.27.33.51, open everyday, where Philippe Robert, exSenderens cooks zucchini flowers with girolles, coques, sweetbreads and a cold coffee nut tarte for about 180 € a la carte, menus at 70 € (lunch), 165 & 230 €; 2 hearts each to the Italian place Carmine in the 7th and Tante Maguerite coordinates well known, closed weekends, where a new chef and redecor provide for a 34 € lunch menu or 40 € dinner one of Morvan ham persillé, filet of mullet, endives and roast pineapple. One heart each went to Le Boudoir, 4, rue d’Assas in the 6th, 01.42.22.00.11, closed Mondays, where in the heart of Darrozeland one can eat foie gras with truffles, quail eggs with Aquitaine caviar and apple cornet; salt dishes from 27 to 65 €, sweet ones 22-25 € and the North African Sensi Dar Faudel in the 8th. The “Dossier” this week is a compendium of new places, all of which carry categories and ratings from 1-10 but really 3-8. So here are the grades (as in school); Top of the Class 8 - Sensing 8 - 35° Ouest 7 - Versance 7 - Et Dans Mon Coeur, il y a…. 5.5 - Wajda 5.5 - Ozu 5 - Les Petits Freres 5 - O Restaurant Near the Heater 5 - Num 4.5 - Yushi 4 - Tarmac 4 - Toro 3 - Le Baba bourgeois The Good Students 7 - l’Orangerie 6.5 - Le Caméléon 6.5 - Petrus 6.5 - l’Unico 6.5 - Pre Sale 6 - Maria Luisa The bunch that could do better 6 - Gazzetta 6 - Les Ombres There was then a box assorted news items about various places: New decors at the Violin d’Ingres, Mathi’s + Jarrasse New owners at La Cremerie, Le Perrroquet Vert, Le Gourmand, Laumiere, Buisson Ardent + Le Van Gogh New chefs at the Hotel Royal Monceau, Astor, Café M-La Chinoiserie de l’Hotel Hyatt-Regency Madeleine, Ratn, Vieux Bistro + Sensi. Related to the new places that were graded in the Dossier above, Francois Simon went to Et Dans Mon Coeur, il y a…. Bottom line: Should one go? Yes for a good Faugeres wine, one starter (tarte with thyme), one dessert (French toast) shared and two mains (veal and risotto) with a big bottle of water = 89 E. Wednesday, Richard Hesse was the latest to review (in English) reviewed Le Chateaubriand coordinates given before, in an article called “Life in the Basque Lane.” It’s an amusing and descriptive piece; I won’t give details because the menu changes frequently and Paris Update keeps articles on the site for a long time so you can consult it when the time comes. Wednesday-Thursday, Jean-Claude Ribaut had two articles, one on Espelette pepper, the other on the young chefs who serve tea with their meals at La Place + Le Temps au Temps. He also mentions the book a guide to tea places - A l'Heure du thé by Gilles Brochard, Editions L'Archipel, 2002, 20,96 € as well as the Festival du thé to take place October 28-30 at the Bourse de Commerce, 38-40, rue du Louvre in the 1st from 10-19h00, entrance 4 €. Thursday, Gilles Pudlowski in Le Point, seems to have scored a scoop, finding two places I’ve not seen reviewed elsewhere : the bistro En haut de l'A, 14, rue de Clichy in the 9th, 01.48.74.51.27, a la carte about 50 E, reprised by Emmanuelle Perret, ex-Coco serving avocado and crab, bass with spinach and pannacotta and Boo, 6, rue du Sabot in the 6th, 01.42.22.21.56, a la carte about 35 E described as an old auberge where Hélène Avril runs the front and Stéphane Porte the piano with medallions of monkfish with curried saffron or lamb’s knuckle with eggplant. He also says that Laurent + Ripaille are in good shape. Finally, in Paris, he repeats what others have noted, that 40 years after his debut in Cannes, Jean-Paul Arabian is back, now at Caméléon, coordinates given elsewhere, where the chef is Dany Angelot. Outside the city, he touts L'Ardoise gourmande in Luçon and Savelberg in Oosteinde, the Netherlands. His products include ray with a recipe and the cheese from Les Mille et un fromages in Biarritz. Thursday in l’Express Jean Luc Petitrenaud wrote about the return of Philippe Detourbe, now at l’Ampere, coordinates in the guidebooks where this “big-hearted” chef cooks up things such as pink shrimp tempura, salmon and a magnificent filet of beef with fries on a 20 € menu; and the Brasserie Le Boulingrin in Reims. Friday, in Les Echos Jean-Louis Galesne wrote up the places around the Marche St-Germain: Litchi, Bacchus & Ariane, Da Pietro, Huîtrerie Régis, La Crémerie “Les Vents d'Anges + Petit Vatel.” The website les restos has news of a rash of openings, including: Christian Conticini’s opening of La Table de Jean in Le Perreux-sur-Marne, ditto Jean-Marie Burnet at l’Ambre d’Or in Saint-Mandé, the exSavoy chef Sébastien Altazin at l’Accolade, where the late {unlamented by me anyway} Miss Betsey used to be and the traditional French cuisine place C’est Mon Plaisir on the Bvd Montparnasse. The now web-only publication GoGo Paris reviewed La Gazzetta, coordinates given before, a wine bar/resto run by the folks who run China Club + Le Fumoir. They also noted that Alcazar, now 10 years old, has withstood the test of time. Over the weekend Le Figaro Madame had an article by Alexandra Michot of the new Indian place Ratn. Saturday-Sunday, Bonjour Paris had articles by Margaret Kemp on “AOC” and John Talbott on “Theme-food restaurants.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

Not fror a year - Sorry.

When Ptitpois and I ate there the service was fine and our reviews were positive as well.

Well, we've only been here 10 hours but our meals at Matt's + Boka have raised the question of why the French food critics don't come here instead of Barcelona and Chicago.

I ate there quite a while back just after it was redecorated and was unimpressed. But it may have changed.

The Week of October 16th, 2006 Monday on Le Fooding, Elvira Masson wonders if 2006 is the “Year of the Pizza” and names several places she admires: the most snobbish La Pizzetta, the most wannabe San, the most piggish La Strada, the most cool Maria Louisa, the most mobile Zorglubino, the most satisfying Amici Miei and not forgetting La Mare aux Oiseaux in Saint Joachim. Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, courtesy of Felice and Paga, Jerome Berger gave 3/5 blocks to an Italian place Carmine, 81, av Bosquet in the 7th, 01.47.05.36.15 while Philippe Toinard gave 2/5 blocks to Marsa, 47, rue Guy-Lussac in the 5th, 01.46.33.11.85, formulas and menus at 12 and 23 € (with wine and coffee included), closed Sundays, where he liked the low-cost risotto, cod and millefeuille but thinks the two chefs can aim much higher. They also announce the reopening of the Boeuf Coronne, the place with some of the last souffled potatoes, near La Vilette. Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin of Figaroscope devoted his picture and blurb and gave two hearts to an Argentinian steak house l‘Unico at 15, rue Paul Bert in the 11th, 01.43.67.68 08, open every night except Sunday and Mondays, costing about 40-50 € - as well as one heart to four places: the Bistrot 190, 190, ave Jean Jaures in the 19th, 01.40.40.09.39, open everyday til midnight for food such as good foie gras and baba worth having again, which with wine and coffee costs 33 €; a Brazilian place Corcovado in the 14th, a weekend brunch place O Restaurant in Levallois and a generation X “sports-bar” Rulla Bulla in the 11th. Wednesday, the Figaroscope gang picked 12 items the great chefs use and where to get them: Chez Bordier’s baratte butter Fromagerie Dubois + Alleose Buffala mozzarella Cooperative Latte Cisternino Termignon blue cheese Frogagerie Boursault Jambon sur l’os Joel Meurdesoif Bellotta Unico Jose Da Rosa Root vegetables Joël Thiébault Foie gras Robert Duperier Breton fish La Poissonerie du Dome Farm veal Hugo Desnoyer Beauce Hare Pietrement-Lambret Saffron Goumanyat A boule of biological bread Boulangerie de Monge Francois Simon’s contribution was to go to the Vin de Soif, coordinates known and eat and sort of trace the origins of the shrimp and avocado, carre de porc (Hugo Desnoyer) and chocolate cake. {News to me:} the wine bar burned up this summer. His bill 100 € for two. Go? You bet but reserve because there are but a few tables. Wednesday, Paris Update had a review by Heidi Ellison of Louis Vins coordinates well known whose title says it all- “Delicious Food: Disorganized Service.” Something to recall is that it’s reasonably priced food (two courses 24; three 27 €.) Thursday in l’Express Jean Luc Petitrenaud wrote about Le Duc de Richelieu, 5, rue Parrot in the 7th, 01.43.43.05.64, a la carte about 30 €, recently relaunched by Stéphane Derré. He must have tried practically everything on the menu on reading all the choices offered - ranging from herrings with potatoes to a côte de boeuf and baba – and sounds classic and reasonable. His resto outside the walls is Ailleurs in Hyeres where the menu is a very easy 14 €. There is also a very nice review by Marie Desplechin of Mémoires du restaurant an illustrated history of this French invention by François-Régis Gaudry (Ed Aubanel, 222 p., 39 €.) Thursday, as well, Gilles Pudlowski in Le Point provides his usual mélange of items: in Paris he says he’ll follow (eg go again) to Les Ombres that Grand Vefour + 21 are in good shape but Thiou is in trouble and out of Paris, likes S'Bastberger Stuewel in Imbsheim (Alsace,) the return of Jean-François Sicallac after years at the Tour d’Argent to La Coquille in Concarneau, and the hotel/restaurant Villa Eugénie et La Rotonde in the hôtel du Palais, in Biarritz. His ingredient of the week is/are Paimpol beans from Paimpol that he suggests one buy from the Prince de Bretagne in Saint-Pol-de-Léon and naturally gives a recipe – for ”caviar” of these beans. But he also suggests buying your game from Deverdun in Melun. In the same issue under the Villes section, Pudlo summarizes all the places in Issy-les-Moulineaux, but it’s pay-for-view only. Over the weekend Le Figaro Madame had an article/review by Alexandra Michot of three books on Caribbean/Malian/etc cooking. Finally, in Bonjour Paris Margaret Kemp wrote up Sensing + La Table de Fabrice and John Talbott had a article on “Holding down wine costs.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

The Week of October 9th, 2006 Monday in Le Fooding, Alexandre Cammas says, imagine one has found, two months before the next Fooding event, the sort of place these folks celebrate – an Argentinian resto in Paris called Unico, 15, rue Paul Bert in the 11th, 01.43.67.68.08, not yet open for lunch. It serves ceviche, empanadas, guacamole and wood grilled meat. Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin of Figaroscope devoted his picture and blurb and awarded 3 hearts to Michel Del Burgo’s newest essai, l’Orangerie, 28, rue St Louis en l’Ile in the 4th, 01.46.33.93.98, open everyday except Saturdays, where for about 90 € (Menu 75 €) he offers a rouget pissaladière without the pissaladière, mushroom raviolis and pigeon with dried fruit; and three hearts as well to the place taking the old Petit Coin de la Bourse space - Le Versance, 16, rue Feydeau in the 2nd, 01.45.08.00.08, closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Mondays, where one can have for about 50-70 €. (menus are 32 and 38 €) a cepes velouté with ginger mousse, sweetbreads with nuts and a ragout of small peas and refreshing grapefruit with meringue. Then came three one-hearters: the first, a branché bistrot to which you’d take your older sister {get it?} Les Petits Freres, 68, av. de la République in the 11th, 01.43.55.52 costing about 35-40 € (with a 16 € lunch formula though) for a roasted Saint-Marcellin with salad, wok-cooked duck with veggies (too well-cooked) and amateurish piccata of chicken; another Breakfast in America, this on the rue Mahler in the 4th; and {what I must surmise is a very tardy discovery of} a wine bar/charcuterie place open for a long time, La Cremerie in the 6th. This week’s Dossier covered abats and of course, where to sample them: Andouillette at Au Petit Riche Boudin at Aux Lyonnais Grilled pig’s feet at Au Petit Theatre Sauteed veal liver at Le Caméléon Veal’s head at the Caves Petrissans Veal kidneys at Le Petit Marguery Veal sweetbreads at Casa Olympe Tripe (gras double) at Moissonnier Beef cheeks at Aux Zingots Buttered lamb’s brain at Ribouldingue Marrow tartine at Chez Flottes And Francois Simon, helping out with the fun, went to the Restaurant Joséphine-Chez Dumonet for the veal liver. Go? Well, since it was 124 € for two, he might not recommend crossing Paris for it, especially with a hundred places of its ilk around (and because the place is very 6th and American-y, he seemed especially put out that two elderly Americans “forgot” to order the Grand Marnier soufflé at the beginning and were astonished that it wouldn’t instantaneously appear.) Wednesday-Thursday, Le Monde wrote of the sugar treats of Ramadan especially recommending La Bague de Kenza, in Paris. Thursday last’s L’Express had an article by François-Régis Gaudry on Molecular Cuisine. Friday, in Les Echos, Jean Louis Galesne covered places in Poitiers including: Maxime, Vingélique + Nardo’s Bouchon. Saturday, Francois Simon’s Croque Notes dealt with Michel Del Burgo’s new venture – l’Orangerie, well-covered already {Ed Note: by at least Pierre45 and myself}, entitled the “Cry of Del Burgo.” He documents his jumps like a kangaroo all over the place, finally settling at Jean-Claude’s place on the Ile St Louis where Barbie and Ken (and the inevitable Americans searching out new places {E.N.: could he be talking of us?}) could dine with candle-light. Despite his back-handed compliments he says the product in impeccable, the cooking strong and the results delicious; 75 € the menu. Finally, in Bonjour Paris Margaret Kemp wrote up Grand Hotel in Cannes and John Talbott had a article on RW “Johnny” Apple entitled “Apple, Paris and Food.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

I should have been clearer; my last post gave two places on the Square that were connected to famous chefs but not Guy Savoy.

Familial possibilities (but not of the Savoy ilk) are l'Absinthe run by Caroline Rostang and Le Point Bar run by Alice Bardet; love the latter, hate the former. Chez Pauline is an old style bistro but hardly newsworthy nor part of the Savoy empire.

I've checked most of the Seattle threads, such as this on Downtown dining but have another constraint which is my availability to eat principally at lunch and dinner on weekends, that I didn't see addressed - thus this new query. We'll be at the Hilton and Convention Center and have no car so prefer what's within walking distance. Decor and type of cuisine are irrelevant (except that we don't need any French food for obvious reasons); what we're seeking is good food and non-babkrupting prices. Thanks. John (And I'll be glad to reciprocate when you visit the City of Light.)