Carlsbad

I wore my standard blue blazer and a tie for dinner there. There were those dressed a little more and those dressed a little less.

I tried to stay out of this one, but I finally have to weigh in. I have found service in France to be equal or superior to that in the U.S., and certainly much more personal. Their pharmacies are like ours were 20 years ago. You take the prescription in, the pharmacist comes out, talks to you, gets the medications, tells you how to take them, and you are out in about 5 minutes or less. And you'll pay much less for each medication. It's nothing like going to one of our huge Savons or Rite-Aids, where it takes an hour sometimes to get something filled, and costs an arm and a leg. The people in the shops are extremely courteous, and they greet you formally nearly every time you enter. If you greet them, they will treat you well. Restaurant waiters are well-trained and professional. Bellmen in hotels are often young and engaging. Bartenders in good places know how to mix drinks and chat in several languages. Cafe service is fine, if you understand that a waiter is serving a lot of people and has little time for chit chat or explanation of the menu. Just be ready to order when they get there- you will have ample time to look at the menu. And ask for the check a few minutes before you want it. And stay as long as you want.

Reservations at the Chez Panisse Cafe upstairs are much easier to obtain, especially for lunch. I've called a day ahead and been successful several times. Perhaps I'm "clueless" , but have a completely different opinion of Fleur de Lys. I have had some quite remarkable meals there over the years, all of which I paid for myself. The current pricing structure makes it much more reasonable than it used to be, especially with the wine pairings. It is a very formal place, but I like the atmosphere and the food has never disappointed me.

If you want to try Chez Panisse, you shouldn't be put off because it is in Berkeley, It's quite easy to hop on BART and get to downtown Berkeley in 20-25 minutes. It's especially convenient for lunch at the cafe. I've stopped recommending Acquerello, since I don't want people flocking there and nobody listens to me anyway.

The Paris Voice article also spoke of another favorite wine bar of ours- Sancerre. A warm welcome, atmosphere, nice wines, and good food, especially the omelettes.

Although I still don't think this is the place for such a discussion, I'll just ask a few questions. How much is the minimum wage in France? How long had it been the same before the 11% increase? Is the increase all at once or over time? Obviously, if the minimum wage had been the same for a long time, the increase might have been long overdue and could even be insufficient for the workers making minimum wage to keep up with inflation (as has been the case in the U.S.) What is included in the social charges? Do they include pension, and if so does the worker pay additionally? Do they include worker's compensation and/or some kind of disability insurance in case the worker is injured? Do they include unemployment compensation if the worker is layed off? The merits of an increase of 11% in the minimum wage and the social charges are hard to judge without all the information. When this was a more proper discussion about lowering the VAT on restaurants and what they will do with the extra money coming to them, rather than a discussion of "free market" fantasies, I made the point that restaurants will not lower prices necessarily, since they can argue that they have higher costs because of the increase in the minimum wage. The elite restaurants seem to be packing people in at ever-skyrocketing prices, so why would they lower prices? Indeed, the significant reduction in the VAT, if realized, would probably more than cover the increases in wages for most, if not all restaurants. And the French Government seems to be easing the burden a bit on the businesses until that reduction comes with the 1.5 billion Euro subsidy.

I was going to comment of this "free market" stuff, but then I remembered this is a food forum.

Restaurant owners may argue that any reduction in the VAT is going for higher employee costs. I'm curious whether the minimum wage gone up 11% all at once just recently or was that over time? And had it remained the same for a long period of time before the increase? What is the minimum wage is France anyway? It's interesting that the fast food industry has the lower tax. Perhaps the big chain fast food places have a little more influence over the politicians.

Can you tell us how much the total was at Taillevent? Thanks.

You might consider either Au Bon Accueil in the 7th or Le Troquet in the 15th. Au Bon Accueil has a nice ambiance since its remodel, and the food has always been very good. Le Troquet has a six-course degustation menu at 38 euros that we thought was terrific and a real bargain.

Has anyone tried Le Cafe du Passage, a wine bar in the 11th? We had a glass of wine there a few years back and found it charming and the food looked interesting, but we have never been back. We tried to lunch at Fish in June, but we got there after they had stopped serving. We went across the street to Cosi, an old favorite for a quick lunch, and had a delightful sandwich on freshly baked foccacia. I believe that the owner of Cosi co-owns Fish, along with M. Sanchez, the aforementioned Cuban-American.

Interesting. That's all I can say. (Edited to add that I didn't mean the unisex bathrooms- I've seen alot of them in Europe, and have had no problem with them.)

We had very nice dinners at both l'Univers de Christian Plumail http://www.christian-plumail.com/ and L' Âne Rouge http://www.anerougenice.com/ in July. Both are one-star restaurants, but not outrageously expensive. l'Univers is on the edge of Vieux Nice and although the service was a bit rough at the beginning, it got a lot better when we engaged the captain. I had some of the sweetest lamb I've ever had. They also have some interesting Bellet wines, which I would recommend trying there or anywhere else in Nice. L' Âne Rouge was totally delightful for us. It is located on the old port, and there is a nice view from the terrace and the front tables through the windows. I found the decor more pleasing than l'Univers, the service was very polished, and the food was great.

Are we talking trying to find romance for $20 a head?

I ventured out to the 19th for Frechon, but never since. If the 20th would work, there is a place that has been on my lists forever, although I've never made it there. Does anyone have a first- hand report on Les Allobroges?

From my perspective, I agree that the creation of this type of bistro in Paris has been a plus. They do not seem to me to be replacing luxury restaurants, even if some chefs opening them worked previously at starred restaurants. There are still any number of two and three starred temples to be sampled, for those who want to spend the money necessary, and they seem to be full most of the time. Les Ambassadeurs survives quite well after the the departure of Constant and his followers. Indeed, Frechon carries on the tradition now, and may be destined to gain a third star. What was gained was a whole new group of bistros that serve updated cuisine to compete with the traditional bistros for the diner who is looking for good food and value.

They brought the chicken out on a serving cart- the pig's bladder was blown up like a balloon. They parked the cart next to our table, and then punctured the bladder, letting out an aroma I remember as that of just black truffles and chicken. The waiter removed the chicken, carved it very nicely and placed it on a plates with some stuffing I remember as having vegetables and forcemeat. The chicken had been poached in the bladder so there was no crisp skin, just luscious chicken meat and the stuffing, served with this incredibly rich cream sauce. It seems like there was more on the plate- some vegetables and maybe some rice, but the chicken is the thing I remember.

I've tried to resist (and have so far), but have to post this. I had a Bresse chicken en vessie (sp?) at Bocuse in 1989, that I still remember so fondly. Talk about a rich cream sauce. My wife has often said we can never return (and we haven't) because it couldn't be as good.

I hope they were darn good wine pairings and champagne for that price.

By the time you go, the only problem you will have is a list of 30 restaurants and only 5 nights. I usually avoid the hotel breakfast, and either grab something on the run or just go to lunch early. Tax and service are included in the prices. I'll throw in some early recommendations. For a great lunch, you might try Cosi, 54 rue de Seine (not to be confused with Le Cosi in the 5th). They have great, inexpensive sandwiches, made with bread baked in a brick oven, and the tomatoes are terrific. In June, we had a great dinner at Le Troquet in the 15th. Six courses for 38 Euros. I think the three course menu was 32 Euros. I can't wait to go back. Also, it's hard to beat the 3 course menu at Au Bon Accueil in the 7th.

I don't ever eat before 8:30 in Paris- maybe I should take it off my list.

I haven't eaten at Manresa, so I can't comment on the place. However, to be fair to skepticalgourmet, people praise or are critical of restaurants after only one visit all the time on here. People have been critical of areas of California, sometimes after single visits to one or two restaurants or even just from what they have heard from strangers. People have given negative opinions on restaurants recommended by others which they haven't even tried. Skeptical just gave his opinion based on his one experience, like many of us do.

Did you consider Aix? It's a beautiful place and has great TGV connections from Paris. It also has easy access to the coast and is a "young town."

We had a very nice dinner at Tre Galline in Torino a couple of years ago.

Bistro Latin in Aix is simple, inexpensive and good. Only place I know about to get calissons is the place that has been there for a long time on the south side of the Cour Mirabeau.