John Talbott

No way. It's magical. Now the responses. To be cynical, it might just be more person-dependant than restaurant-dependant.I'm trying to remember where the dinner was that I had with the woman I was bats about at 18 and all I can recall was that she lived in Passy, which I thought was much too posh for the likes of me. And I'm ashamed to admit that the last time I was awed by the combination of love, dinner and the view was at the Ciel de Paris where my wife and I were invited three or four years ago and went with great reluctance and which actually turned out to be quite huggingly romantic. There's something about the whole city layed out for you where you can't see the Tour Montparnasse. Oh, my, you've asked a great question.

Sept 2006 – Violin, Petrus, Astier, Et dans mon coeur, Jardinier, Orangerie (Del Burgo), Vieux B, Plancha, Wadja, Minzingue, Gazzetta, Fish 8.5 Le Violin d’Ingres, coordinates well-known, I know, I know, it’s not new, but it has a new 45 € menu-carte (announced in Les Echos last Friday) with 5-5-5 dishes and 4-4 specials. Three of us, all committed eGullet nuts, ate there this week and it was, in the words of one of us, “bloody wonderful.” Pure back to the future: by that I mean old classic dishes brought up to 2006 standards. We started with a blini with salmon and caviar, a millefeuille with foie gras and ox tongue, and fois gras with a divine gelée – great start with a great white Graves with which my companions were celebrating; then a palombe with lentils that was pure heaven (I had that), a tete de veau and pied de porc (classic dishes that were cooked modernly to perfection) with a wonderful Pic St Loup; and ending up with two of us having a vanilla soufflé with an incredible salted-caramel sauce and the other poor thing suffering with raspberries with mascarpone. I am too discrete to mention who else was there that day but they included one three star food critic, one two star chef and several not so bad other food folk (identified by the most branché of us). The bill I cannot reveal because of my partners’ exuberance and indiscretion but for normal human beings, the addition would be, for a couple - 45x2=90+22=102 €. You gotta problem wi dat for a one star who is simultaneously running three glorious places? 8.0 Petrus, 12, place du Marechal Juin in the 17th, 0.43.80.15.95, open everyday (it says). Figaroscope gave it 2 hearts and said it had a new team, so despite the warning of a steep price (50-60 € without beverages,) I figured that on a Sunday, it would suit my needs. And, oh my, did it. It looks the same as always on that great circle of Marechal Juin which is especially quiet and nice on Sundays but the quite large young chef looked new and friendly and welcoming. There is a very impressive carte with 20-30 items, of which 12-15 were market specials; the prices were not shocking and there were lots of wines by glass, ¼ and 45 cl (a Bordeaux or Cheverny for 10 €, for example.) I ordered supions with chorizo and piment d’Espelette – that was properly spicy, not too little, not too much. Then, tails of langoustines that were tiede on top of fresh par-cooked veggies (asparagus, carrots, mange-touts and haricots verts) with a sauce that would have made Fernand Point or Georges Blanc proud; simply delicious, all those dead critters. I had no dessert but did have the Illy coffee. The bill = 51.60 €. The downsides: oh I hate sinking into banquettes so far up my chin just reaches the table; the bread was a bit soggy; the frizzy red-haired ex-Music Hall beauty with the germ phobia did carry her cleaning operations on a little bit too openly; and the woman smoking those thin long cigarettes made up for their “lightness” by never letting up. 7.5 Astier, 44, rue JP Timbaud in the 11th, 01.43.57.16.35, open everyday, is one of those old places that one worries will, like the Biche au bois, Au Bon Acceuil or Aux Lyonnais do poorly when taken over by others rather than thrive as have places like Gaya Rive Gauche, Petrus + Drouant. Those who follow the Paris resto news in the Digest know from September’s postings that everyone from Francois Simon (“they survived the transition”) to Philippe Toinard (“100% Bistro, 100% Parisian”) is raving about this old gem and with good reason. I’m not sure how they did it, but the new gang, connected formerly with the Café Moderne, that I had mixed feelings about, to say the least, has breathed new life into it, without destroying its charm – e.g., low prices, down-to-earth dishes and that famed cheese spread of 15 marvels. The head waitguy, whom I believe is named Robert, really knows and, more importantly, loves, his wines. He warmly welcomed me, immediately engaging me in a chat that lasted all meal, about reds and whites named Talbot and Talbott and he instantly offered to crack a bottle open for a half-liter of Pinot he thought was perfect with my meal and he was so correct. Forget the décor; it’s just as it always been and that’s fine by me and the crowd is surprisingly replete with coats & ties for such a bourgeois place. The formulas/menus are 18.50 for one course, 23.50 for two and 28 € for three with an extra 1.5 for the cheese. There were three specials on the chalkboard and one predictable daily special; I mixed and matched: first the warm sliced tongue with a garniture that had just the right sweet/sour offsetting tastes; then the beef cheek stew with a sauce so rich and brown you almost wept; then the famous cheese spread and for dessert, while I never order it, counting on my wife Colette to, Francois Simon convinced me to go with the oeufs a la neige and he was so right. The charges for all that plus coffee = 51.50 €. A fault, sorry - as a critic manqué I should have found one fault, but I can’t, except to stretch and note that my neighbors had to ask for their cookie with dessert. Big deal! 6.0 Et dans mon coeur il y a…., 56, rue de Lancry in the 10th, 01.42.38.07.37, open everyday, occupies what was once the charming old restaurant, the Bouledogue Bistrot; they have retained the wooden paneling, added lots to tsotskes to the ledges but new edgy chairs to the traditional tables; there are several formulas, some including wine or water, there’s wine by the glass or by the reasonably priced pitcher. I started with two perfectly sautéed and not too buttery slices of foie gras (for 8 €, beat that), moved on to a huge cocotte of lamb (not mutton) with Magrebian spices (or one can have the fish of the day, that day a pasta with coques) and polenta with white raisins that was incredible (and I detest most polenta) and finally a dessert of pureed bananas under a fluffy banana whip, very tasty = 46 €. The neighborhood is delightful, lots of young families; no tattoos or piercings here. They get extra credit for the nifty miniature whisk sugar stirrers and super bread. This is a place that cares; it’s why we come to Paris and try new places; inventive, imaginative and fun. 5.0 Le Jardinier, 5, rue Richer in the 9th, 01.48.24.79.79, 01.48.24.79.79, closed Sundays, is located in a charming hotel (the Peyrus) in the center of the 9th – as I was walking there, an American said to his female companion – “there are so many restaurant choices here” – and it’s true but alas not so many good ones. Le Jardinier, though, qualifies; 2 courses at lunch are 17; three are 21 €. The craft-fair-type napery and flowery paintings are all in keeping with the garden theme as is the vegetable-dominated menu (which was what I wanted, since I was eating out again that night). I had a langoustine bisque (super), raie with capers and cabbage (the raie was great, the cabbage less successful) and finished with an OK crepe with fresh but not ripe (unfortunately) fruits. With wine (which they had by the glass, ¼ and ½ liter carafes, full and half bottles) and very good coffee it was 32 €. They get an extra mark for having a young waitress who delivered a replacement fork to a nearby table on a napkin-covered plate rather than bare-handed as the uninitiated are prone to do. 3.0 l’Orangerie, 28 rue St Louis en l’Ile in the 4th, 01.46.33.93.98, is in a newly plastered and painted place (one can still smell it, not unpleasantly) taken over by Michel Del Burgo ex-Taillevent + Negresco. It was the second week after it opened so the kinks should have been worked out. I ate with a notable eGullet member and we made a classic mistake, we ordered the same thing: rougets pissaladiere (so called) that had a quite complex series of flavors that was pretty good but also veal a la plancha for two that we immediately agreed was not only tough but dry and tasteless, accompanied by tiny potatoes and mushrooms and a sauce whose quality about which we disagreed. The roll was pretty ordinary as were mignardises and coffee; but oddly enough, the amuse-bouche of a blancmange was super. We had a bottle of one of the least expensive wines, no dessert, one coffee and no bottled water and our check was still 164 € that I must regretfully say was one of the worse price-quality places of the rentrée; my friend made sure M. del Burgo was there that day and then wished them good luck – they’ll need it. 1.0 Le Vieux Bistro, 14, rue du Cloitre Notre Dame in the 4th, 01.43.54.18.95, open 7/7 – you know it, you’ve been by it 1,000 times, and if you’re an American, you’ve eaten there, and if you’re like me, you try it every 10 years because in your pigeon brain you recall something was good once long ago. So when you read that it too had been taken over, this time by a veteran of the Paname bistro and got 2 hearts in Figaroscope, sucker that you are, you go. Emmanuel Rubin says “one has the thought that one has eaten here in 1972, 1966 or 1955.” M. Rubin - we think alike, alas. It is indeed the same place, not a poster or bottle changed – charming, reassuring and yet frightening. Sit down at the jammed tables. Why jammed? Who knows, there never are more than 6 customers, all locals, puzzling, eh? The “menu” is cheap, two dishes for 20, three for 26 €, but you soon find out why. I had the salmon tartare and started off thinking it was pretty good, on a par with the Bistro du Dome, my gold standard, and the dressing on the fresh well-chosen greens tartly offset the Omega3 fats, but like brandade is to my buddy P., after a few bites it was simply too much. Then the confit de canard – standard test – can I do better cooking that I get at Galeries Lafayette? Yup. And the potatoes, which should be gloriously greasy and garlicky and evil – were inedible. Finally the chocolate mi-cuit (moelleux really, with a nasty spin) – again, get out the ruler – can my daughter, the one we didn’t send to cooking school, do better? Right again. So there we go. Except the bill arrives – 82 €, did I mention I was bowling alone? yes, my erstwhile friends had abandoned me, smart folks they. 82 €, now Rubin had prepared me for an inflated bill, but not for resuscitation. But happily, just like in the US when they lose your hotel reservation, the waitperson explained that it “was the computer.” Airplane and train phobics stop reading here. “The computer?” Pilot error, I’d say. 1.0 La Plancha 5, ave de St Germain in Maisons Laffitte (78) 01.39.12.03.75, closed Sunday and Tuesday nights and Wednesday. You know the dilemma: it’s Sunday morning and you’ve gotta eat; this place got 2 hearts a few weeks ago in Figaroscope and is near a nifty chateau – why not? It’s jammed into a space almost lost amidst a pizza joint, creperie and cafes across from the RER A5, looks pretty nice inside and had a most interesting menu (a French twist to Spanish stuff). It’s got a 28 € menu and wines starting at 14 € for full bottles; although a la carte will run at least 50 €. The amuse gueules were a good start; a tiny tasty pizzetta and a croquette of melted cheese and ham. The wine was delivered promptly and promptly chilled. Good start, except for the fussy kid across the room. First course: tapas gourmands: great display of gazpacho, fried eperlans, marinated sardines, brochettes of shrimp and peppers, and chorizo and manchego cheese – but the chef was not up to the task of actually cooking them. Some of my readers have suggested I provide more detail and less telegraphic criticism, so here goes: some of the eperlans were over the hill (e.g., fishy-smelling and old) and could not be improved with salt and the teeny slice of lemon provided; the sardines had no zip and were too cold; the gazpacho was as pallid as it was at Fish earlier this week {is there a message there?}; the chorizo did have salt, indeed too much, and was clearly industrial; and the shrimp was OK but the peppers again lacked character (I couldn’t help thinking that they were the exact contrary of Richard Gere’s great delivery of the Chicago song about that old dazzle-dazzle.) Next course, a dorade royal cooked well but tasteless, whose accompaniments of spinach and mushroom couldn’t save the main product. I’d ordered the “menu,” so I reluctantly ordered the dessert of chocolate mousse, caramel sauce with salt and coffee ice cream and while it didn’t redeem the meal, it certainly redeemed the husband-wife team who comprise the waiter and patisseur. The place gets extra points for the basil leaves in the finger bowl and cool curved-bottom carafes for the “young wines,” but loses points for the incredibly bad industrial bread and incredibly expensive and bad Segofredo coffee. The bill = 42 €. In contrast to Francois Simon’s query “Should one go?” I propose another - “Should one go even if you live upstairs?” Answer here – No! It’s horrible to say, but an enthusiastic staff just cannot overcome poor product and zestless cooking. 0.75 Wadja, 10, rue de la Grande Chaumiere in the 6th, 01.46.33.02.02, closed Sundays, has always had a warm spot in my heart, so when (1) I read that Thierry Coué, ex-Amogenes, a place I have mixed-feelings about, but that’s another story, had taken over at the piano (2) it got 2 hearts in that week’s Figaroscope and (3) my plane to the States was cancelled and I had 48 hours on my hands – it was a natural. I entered a nearly empty place that looked identical to my last visit 8 years ago. There was a “menu” at 15 €; holy cow! But the choices on the “menu” were not to my liking: either one had taboulé with fresh mint or an egg over lentils for a starter; an onglet or lieu for a main; and plum tart or pain perdu for dessert - I demanded the menu, the carte. I ordered the girolles, safe bet eh?, but they were devoid of butter, salt or garlic that would have given them some oomph. Then the paleron of beef, advertised as crusty, which it was, but also undistinguished. So I cut my losses and left. The bill = 53.15 €, ouch! 0.50 Le Minzingue, 5 pl Etienne Pernet in the 15th, 01.45.32.48.54, closed Sundays and Mon-Weds for dinner, located where used to sit the great old bouillabaisse palace Le Quinson, is a horror. Let me count the ways! It’s got classic bistrot posters and food, from terrines to tartares, from herring to onglet and chocolate desserts. Me, I was eating out tonight at the house of a chef I have enormous respect for, so I wanted to eat light; therefore, I ordered two starters; only smart thing I did. My os a moelle was unredeemable on the substandard bread, even with a liberal sprinkling of salt crystals, and the dressing on the side-salad was unappealing and the tomatoes (and remember, they’re terrific now,) were hot house Holland babies, and the vol a vent of escargots with mushrooms in a cream sauce was equally without luster; bottom line, one got a ton of fat, calories and heart-clogging stuff with no taste. Francois Simon always asks “should one go?” me, I say “can’t you say anything nice?” Yes, they have a ton of wines at 20 € the bottle, also available by the glass and pichet; there are lots of comely young women walking by who clearly live in the nabe; the place really looks like a 1950’s bistrot and if you were in France shortly after the war, my war anyway, this would remind you of places struggling to recover with inadequate staff, poor product and forgotten cooking techniques. As deGaulle said, this is “Paris outragé, Paris brisé, Paris martyrisé…..” The bill = 29.50 € which even if they paid me that much, I wouldn’t repeat. HS* La Gazzetta, 29, rue de Cotte in the 12th, 01.43.47.47.05, closed Sunday dinner and Mondays, is a place almost impossible to rate. Why? Because, it’s chef’d by a Swede (Petter Nilsson from the Trois Salons in Uzes, where Colette and I were just ten weeks ago); has a French staff and an Italian name and heritage. So what’s the food like? Well, after reading the big boys last week, who all made it sound French, I made a reservation Monday, took one look at the menu and fled – pizza, risotto, lasagna; yuck. But then my friend, the real food critic said, ah come on, neither of us has been, so we went four days later. And it is weird, weird nice, not weird my gawd. The menu is all in threes like Drouant intends and Gagniare does; three small starters; each main with three things, desserts ditto. My pal and I started with the three small entrees (a tomato-carrot+something gazpacho, a pizzetta with scraped celery root and a brandade with yogurt;) then he had the risotto with toasted tiny nut pieces and pumpkin and a jellied yogurt slice – I the mullet with balsamic sauce on a bed of root veggies; finishing with a cheese (rove de garrigues) and orange cake with yogurt and something else. Sorry I cannot recall all the third ingredients but here’s my take: the starters hark back to the chef’s smorgasbord past, the mains are largely Italian and the desserts French; least successful in my mind. We had lots of wine (they it have by the glass, ficelle and bottle from France, Spain & Italy); superb ristretto Illy and got out for 81.20 € for two mind you. HS* Fish la Boissonerie in the 6th, about which much has been written in this Forum, was a mixed experience. My eating partner and I both thought the firsts were pallid (foie gras and gazpacho with shrimp and calamari respectively) but the chef redeemed himself with a good slice of oven-cooked salmon and a superb wild duck (indeed, perhaps the best I and my companion have ever had). No dessert, lots of wine and lots of noise; I cannot reveal the amount of the bill because my guest treated me; unfair but true. Scale (subject to fickleness and change): 10 - Giradet in the old days. 9 - Ducasse, Bocuse, Loiseau in their prime 8 - Ze Kitchen Galerie, Violin d’Ingres, Chez les Anges, Thierry Burlot now 7- Bistro Cote Mer at its flowering best 6 - Cinq Mars, Repaire de Cartouche 5 - Terminus Nord 4 - 2 Pièces Cuisine, a neighborhood place 3 - Le Bouclard, ditto 2 - Sale + Pepe, ditto 1 - le Nord-Sud, ditto 0 - Auguste, The Place Ø- Iode HS* = outside classification, unfair to rate given my state of mind at Fish and the mixed fare at La Gazzetta.

Let's discuss this on a new thread and keep this for cheap eats for a poor student. I've asked Dave to start it because I think it's a great idea, and next to ice, should generate a lot of nostalgic and not so nostalgic responses. I'm ready. Go Dave!

I presume you mean are there starred chefs who have spun-off secondary places. Indeed. The most recent is three-star chef Guy Martin of Grand Vefour who started Sensing a few weeks ago - my review is here but my friend the real food critic had a horrible meal, so buyer beware. Three-star chef Pierre Gagnaire revived a seafood place Gaya Rive Gauche last year. Three-star chef Guy Savoy has his three or is it four Bistrots. Christian Constant left the two star Ambassadeurs to found the one star Violin d'Ingres with two annexes (the Fables de la Fontaine + Cafe Constant practically next door) and spawned almost a dozen others from his staff at the hotel - immodestly, I can refer you to an article in Bonjour Paris called "The Culinary Children of Christian Constant" the week of March 27-31 giving the details. Two-star chef Michel Rostang has a number of Bistros d'a Cote which you can visit on his website. Two-star chef Helene Darroze not only has her upstairs two star place but a downstairs light food place and this month a finger food part in the old entry. Two star chef Joel Robuchon has both an Atelier + Table. One star chef Jacques Cagna has both a Rôtisserie d'en face +L'Espadon bleu nearby. Oh my what am I leaving out? Who will be offended?You've got enough here to do some serious searching on eGullet. Now the tough one. Charcuterie. I'll leave the answer to others.

I've said it before and I'll repeat it; the answer to the quantity and price dilemmas is to eat at lunch and snack at night. My friend the food critic and I had a very fine lunch today with 3 courses, wine and coffee for 81.20; I am not stuffed at all; we walked afterwards a bit; and I'm ready for a very light bit of cheese tonight.

As usual Felice has come up with a wonderfully prompt response and your budget is that which many of us try to stay near. Indeed, I just put up a compedium of existing threads and there are a lot. We have posted these compendia as a shortcut so one doesn't need to perform extensive searches; there may be others here to help you have a successful visit. Correct, I will do during or after the weekend.

This is more of a posting to all on the France Forum who have difficulty searching than a response to you Casey, but here are some wise words (minimally edited) on searching on eGullet that were written by Pam Reiss on Pastry & Baking a few days ago:

Inexpensive restos, student places, cheap eats, ethnic spots A compendium of existing threads This is one of a series of compendia that seeks to provide information available in prior threads on eGullet. Please feel free to add links to additional threads or posts or to add suggestions. Under 30 Cheap but classy Poor student Tight budget Sandwiches Tartines Ethnic foodsd Chinese Least expensive Michelin starred restos Falafel For students near the Gare du Nord Cheap eats Good value Cooking schools, cheap eats Paris on the Cheap Eating cheap Vietnamese Good, cheap On a shoestring Inexpensive

I've not been, but this AM's Figaroscope has an ad for Lavinia's Fair saying they're giving -30% on more than 100 items. Free delivery for 12 bottles or more.

Is it the same menu for dinner? ← My understanding is that the price is the same, but I'm not sure about the number of specials and we didn't ask and Galesne in Les Echos doesn't say.

I'm not sure when you'll be here Muse, but three of us (all eGullet addicts) ate there today and it was bloody wonderful for a 45 E "menu-carte" at lunch: back to the future with foie gras, tete de veau, pied de porc, palombe, souffle, etc.

Well, welcome back Bartow. Have you also read the vegetarian threads? - what I glean from them is that you can get good vegetarian food anywhere good food is served (I recuse myself from such discussions for obvious reasons). I wonder if you can cross-ref the Ambroisie threads with the veggie threads and send a PM to the expert at the intersection or better yet post your findings. And, by the way, not all of us consider Hahvahd infradig. Also, Recamier has been converted to a souffle place, but it's not bad at all, especially on a warm evening.

The Week of September 18th, 2006 Monday-Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard awarded 3/5 blocks to Pere Lapin in Suresnes, especially admiring the tandoori crab tartare, saddle of lamb and café gourmand {for my more enthusiastic review see here}; while Jerome Berger gave 4/5 to the Greek spinoff of Mavrommatris in the 5th, called Laurier located in Galeries Lafayette. Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin ranked five places in his Figaroscope “C’est Nouveau” as follows: 2 hearts each to: Et dans mon coeur il y a…, 56, rue de Lancry in the 10th, 01.42.38.07.37, open everyday, which Rubin describes as a surprising neoclassic bistro, serving a tomato & squid tart, risotto with cuttlefish and a “transparence” {see my review next week for a description;} an Italian place La Gazzetta and a deli-winebar-counter Nono; one heart to RATN, 9, rue de la Tremoille in the 8th (where Bath’s used to be) and a busted plate to Le Café M - La Chinoserie in the Hyatt Regency. Figaroscope’s Dossier was devoted to tuna in all its forms: Pizza of sashimi at Market Tuna tartare at l’Avenue Carpaccio at La Pizzetta Half-cooked with nuts at Petrus Filet of fatty tuna at Ozu Blue tuna at Chez l’Ami Jean Recuite tuna at Le Dauphin Tuna a la plancha at Le Petit Baiona and Good priced tuna at Les Papilles. Francois Simon, in his ”Hache Menu” went to the Bastide Odeon in the 6th where he had rosé tuna and said to go despite the Americans and other foreigners. Bill = 107 € for two. And finally (at least for Le Figaro,) there was a box signed by the food critics called: Under the Tables, giving the following news, that Petter Nilsson (note different spelling below) coming from the Trois Salons in Uzes to La Gazzetta in the 12th {to my eye the menu looks totally Italian, whatever the PR says}; Ratn replacing the one Michelin macaroon Bath’s in the 8th, the old second at Sendersens coming to the Grande Cascade; the former proprietaire at Gaya Rive Gauche opening up 35° Ouest in the 7th, a fish place; and literary brunches have been reinstituted at the Café M at the Hyatt. Wednesday/Thursday, Le Monde published an article entitled something like ”A great chef recreates a historic dish without betraying its spirit” by Jean Claude Ribault in which he talks of great pigeon dishes from Raymond Oliver to Alain Passard to Lasserre’s current chef - Jean-Louis Nomicos. Thursday, Gilles Pudlowski in Le Point wroteenthusiastically about A l'abordage, 2, pl. Henri-Bergson in the 8th; Christophe in the 5th, Roger la Grenouille in the 6th and the Thai place Num in the 1st as well as saying that Pere Lapin in Suresnes is in good shape. Outside Paris he liked the Château de la Dame Blanche in Besancon; Miremont in Biarritz; the Relais de la poste in Magescq and the root - angelica from Niort, giving a recipe for macaroons made from it. Thursday as well, JL Petitrenaud in l’Express chose l’Archelle in the 15th, now celebrating its 1st birthday, as his restaurant of the week, also reviewing La Taverna, an Italian place in the 7th. Friday, Les Echos published a piece by Jean Louis Galesne that one usually associates with Le Figaro, summarizing the changes going on among restos and chefs at the rentree, specifically the opening by Guy Martin of Sensing and coming of Michel del Burgo to l’Orangerie as well as Christian Constant’s revision into a chic bistro of the Violin d’Ingres with a 45 E menu making him competitive with L'Affriolé, l'Ami Jean, Le Comptoir du Relais + Chez Michel. In addition he notes the coming of the Swedish chef Petre Nilsson to La Gazzetta and opening of Osmose by the owners of the 8e Art, the reprise of Gildo in the 7th by the owner of Le Soleil, Cameleon in the 6th by Jean Paul Arabian, the takeover of Moulin de la Galette in the 18th by two chefs associated with Chamarre, Vin de Soif in the 7th by an exAnacreon, enlargement of Dominique Bouchet in the 8th, opening of Partage in the 5th by an ex chef of Pershing Hall, a contemporary brasserie called Tarmac in the 12th by an ex of De Lacaze, a wine bar Caves Esteve in the 4th, arrival of an ex-Senderens to the Grande Cascade and a change in name of the mediocre Bigorneau in the 16th to La Maree de Passy. In the weekend Figaro, Francois Simon’s “Croque Notes” covered the Moulin de Mougins reprised by Alain Llorca, and Alexandra Michot used the festival this weekend in Mougins as a jumping off point to celebrate the cooking of Roger Vergé, now 76. In addition, in a section called “Crumbs,” Figaro reported on the following: Michel Roth at the Ritz doing a 145 € all red meal at dinner until next Spring; Joel Robuchon’s new Atelier’s in New York , London and maybe Chicago; and Helene Darroze converting her entryway into a “boudoir” with “finger food.” Sunday’s famous chef this week in the JDD is Jean Chauvel of Les Magnolias in Perreux sur Marne, who picks two places also in the suburbs: Les Mignardises in Villers sur Marne and l’Ambre d’Or in Saint Mande. September’s Paris Notes featured Rosa Jackson’s “Paris Bites” lauding La Bourse ou la Vie in the 2nd for it steak-frites and saying that other such haunts include: Relais de l’Entrecote, Severo + Georget. September’s En Ville has a page on food, recommending a book Les Bistronomiques a Paris, editions Minerva for 35 € with 60 addresses, bios of chefs and recipes, for example Bruno Doucet of Le Regalade, Stephane Jego of l’Ami Jean and Thierry Blanqui of Beurre Noisette. Geraldine Perrault also lists literary places from Max Monnehay: La Closerie de Lilas, Le Bouillon Racine, Le Pre aux Clercs, Les Editeurs & Le Barroco. Finally, in Bonjour Paris Margaret Kemp had a piece on Leslie Caron’s Burgundian Inn and Gilles Epie’s Citrus Etoile and John Talbott one on “Ordering defensively.” Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread. Edited by John Talbott to place in correct daily sequence (no change in content.)

He has indeed opened l'Orangerie as of last week and on which I'll report next week (don't hold your breath, it's price-quality ratio is abysmal.)

The Week of September 11th, 2006 Monday, Alexandre Cammas in Le Fooding reviewed Le Bar de la Marine in Sete. Monday/Tuesday, A Nous Paris reviewed/summarized museum eating opportunities, awarding them blocks, specifically: 4/5 to le Jardin at the Museum de la Vie Romantique which it called Tea Time and Transversal at MAC/Val which it called Bio Attitude; then 3/5 to the Café at the Jacquemart-Andre which it suggested for brunch, Les Ombres at the Quai Branly for Pause Lunch and Georges at the Pompidou for dinner. Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin in Figaroscope’s “C’est Nouveau” awarded 3 hearts to Sensing, Guy Martin’s new place in the 6th where he liked the rouget, pigeon and savarin au rhum {see my review for coordinates}, 2 hearts to the new team that took over Le Vieux Bistro, coordinates in the guide books, which was pricey (50€) for the paté, boeuf bourgignon and tarte tatin and one hart to Charlie Birdy the American cantine and the Japanese Kiccho plus a broken heart to La Baba Bourgeois in the 5th. Its Dossier was devoted to Thai places: Thai Spices, Thabthim Siam, Num, Bai Thong, Madame Shawn, Banyan,Mum Sabai, Silk & Spice + Ban Som Tam and also Sukho Thai, Phetburi, Wassana, Krung Thep + Krua Thai. And Francois Simon, in his ”Hache Menu” got to go where he wanted Thiou in the 7th. Wednesday/Thursday, Le Monde published an article entitled Wine in the face of global warming by Jean Claude Ribault which says that many call 2005 the “wine of the century” although we’ve got 95 years to go, that for each 1 degree C rise you’ve got to go 200 km North (so Champagne should move to Britain) and that we’ll see if warming produces higher productivity and lowers the prices of Bordeaux . Thursday, Gilles Pudlowski in Le Point is following in Paris: the Café M + Ribouldingue and says Mavrommatis + Aux Lyonnais are in good shape; he also likes Les Plantanes in Biarritz, the Villa Dilecta in Les Sables d’Olonne and Aux Trois Capitaines in Malroy; and tells where to buy mimolette – Philippe Olivier in Boulogne sur Mer and Lille as well as how to prepare figs with mimolette and where to buy 20 varieties of calvados - La tonne a cidre in Cricqueboeuf. Thursday as well, JL Petitrenaud Restaurants of the week resumed in l’Express with Au Vieux Chenein Paris, coordinates well known, and La Bastide Saint Antoine in Grasse. Friday, Les Echos published a piece by Jean Louis Galesne on Nimes that included: Le Lisita, Alexandre, Le Shogun, Aux Plaisirs des Halles, Vintage Café, L'Esclafidou + Le Cheval Blanc {Note : they’ve got their dates and articles mixed up on the website – persevere !} Saturday, in Le Figaro’s “Croque Notes,” Francois Simon wrote a very positive piece on Alain Passard and l’Arpege but called his « restaurant of the week » L'Évasion in the 8th for their wines from Augé and exceptional meat. Saturday/Sunday in the Wall Street Journal subscription required, Raymond Sokolov had an article on the new Michelin fad of designating some places as possibilities to reach a star. He lists: l’Astor in Paris, the Auberge Les Templiers in Vence, La Ciboulette in Valence, Le Cilentro in Arles and La Veranda in La Baule. September’s Paris Notes featured Rosa Jackson’s “Paris Bites” lauding La Bourse ou la Vie in the 2nd for it steak-frites and saying that other such haunts include: Relais de l’Entrecote, Severo + Georget. Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

Duh! Never could spell or type. Still it works in English. Thanks. ← Please note that I have corrected the spelling in the title so it is both accurate and searchable. Now we can get off orthography and back to a supplier/shipper for David.

I would simply add that I have not "digested" all the many articles on the "wine fairs" in the various venues this Fall because they do seem so idiosyncratic and frankly beyond my ability to ascertain what is truly a "buy." If this sounds like a plea for a French Forum wine maven who would not cross boundaries with our Wine Forum experts, you have received the message.

Good to have you back Bux and get your historical perspective which has made this Forum so interesting. You raise an issue that probably deserves a whole new thread; how do our kids, that is, the progeny of seriously mentally obsessed food mavens, develop their exquisite taste buds and contrariwise, how do some of us who had seriously food-challenged mothers, develop, what we egotistically think, at least, are fine palates? Personal confession: my two daughters both ate the same food prepared by one excellent permanent cook and one pretentious occasional chef; both did latency-age and adolescent stages in France; one went to the French Culinary Institute, the other to the over-cooked, under-spiced wasteland that (sorry, Kiwis) constitutes New Zealand - guess who can turn out a moelleux of chocolat that beats all the others here?

Many thanks all; since in my other life I live a stone's throw from Rue Lepic, that decided the issue. Loks like fun. Thanks.

I'm looking for a place that serves good food (regardless of the decor, type of cuisine, etc) at lunch on Saturdays not too far a drive from the hospital. My wife Colette has vetoed the Cafe de la Ruche based on our last experience. Thanks. John

I report the following from a daughter who has lived in New Zealand, France & the US and managed the transition from breast milk to solid food for her own babies in that age range in all three countries and now works as a nurse advising new mothers in the inner city: "In the US and NZ, rice cereal with breast milk is the traditional advice but since I hate it and my kids rejected it, I wasn't about to waste precious breast milk on it. So I started with pureed, like the devil, yellow squash and/or sweet potatoes and added new vegetables one at a time. A change over the years is that while we, as children, were started at three weeks, it soon became 4-6 months, but now is suggested only after 6 months to reduce the risk of allergies and ensure kids' digestive systems can handle complex foods. We may be slower (9 months) than the French to add eggs and meat. It's also not thought that you should begin with fruit because then kids get used to its sweetness and want them over less sweet vegetables."

Bistro La Cerisaie Brasserie Terminus Nord Patisserie Laduree Cheese Shop Alleosse Market – In the 16th across from the Palais de Tokyo Boulangerie Retrodor Rue Ordener, 75018 Wine Bar La Cremerie Caves Miard ONE star Michelin restaurant Les Magnolias Favorite book on food in France/Paris John Lanchester’s A Debt to Pleasure

A bashful member has asked me to post the following query: What is your favorite: Bistro, Brasserie, Patisserie, Cheese Shop, Farmers Market, Boulangerie, Wine Bar, ONE star Michelin restaurant and favorite Book on food in France/Paris.

I don't think that kind of repetitive fare is common anymore. Take a look here or here at some examples of school menus. The selection is not very large, but not that narrow either. ← Oh now you've open a whole new horizon for me. What, for instance, would the barbeque sauce be with the chicken.

Well, that's the goal after all Pti. Bravo! I can contribute very little (as usual). But I should repeat what I and Felice have noted, that a book released recently on School Food says a lot about what the French consider food for school age kids - the reference is Cantines : Recettes cultes corrigées par les chefs (Broché) de Sebastien Demorand - that is School Cafeteria Recipes updated by the chefs, such as David Zuddas, Pierre Gagnaire and Pierre Hermé.