eugenezuckoff

Restaurant Ciboulette, on rue Lorrain not far from the gate, was a most pleasant surprise. Casual, inexpensive, it gets a twelve from GM and a red Repas from Michelin. Deserved at least that.

We're having lunch at Olivier Roellinger's restaurant in a few weeks. Any suggestions for what to avoid, what to jump at?

(As I was saying before my computer hiccupped). ABout half a mile from the restuarant, we rounded a corner to be confronted by a sobriety checkpoint. I assumed that it signalled the end of my freedom (or, at least , liquidity). Au contraire, I passed. Apparently their idea of tipsy and ours is not the same.

Several years ago, we were driving back to our hotel after dining at Au Plaisir Gourmand in Chinon. Naturally, we hadhad a glass of champagne to start and split a bottle of wine. I also had a cognac with coffee before taking the wheel.

Please allow me to take whatever part of my foot is in my mouth, out. I've spent some weeks in most of the last twenty years trying to eat my way through France (a good thing). For the most part, I travel on bicycle, planning the routes around (primarily) starred Relais & Chateau hotel/restaurants. I am in the habit of pouring over the menu in the morning before riding out in order to give me the better part of the day deciding what combinations of dishes would work, etc., etc.. In fact, it is hard for me to pass any restaurant without examining the menu. It is probably fair to say that I live to eat, always hoping that the greatest meal of my life will be that evening, regardless of the level of the establishment, and try to take from each what succeeded, not what failed. I suppose my plaint has to do with being jaded and overanalyzing. It seems to me that the urge to fly from one restaurant to another intellectualizing every mouthful chewed can not, finally, be really enjoyable. That's what I meant in asking whether anyone out there was having a good time. And what I meant by a seamless meal was one which left one speechless, unwilling to analyze.

It seems to me that everyone is getting just a tad touchy. Rather than enter into the discussion about where one's pilgrimmage to the land of three stars ought to go, might I ask an entirely different question (one having nothing to do with car rentals or differential airline rates)? Has anyone out there had a completely seamless meal, or are we all just going from place to place accumulating piecemeal (ha,ha) memories?Is everyone just collecting Michelin merit badges? Is anyone actually having a good time? Are we all wandering into expensive establishments expecting to be disappointed, or even hoping we will be? Should I be asking this sort of question on this particular site?

Thank you, Bux, Robert, Steve for your responses. I suppose my problem is that I usually make reservations so far in advance that I have time to ferret out every review ever done, then worry. While I've been to other three star restaurants (Ambroisis was wonderful, Robuchon was dissapointing except for the salad, Georges Blanc was, well, I can't really remember, etcetera) my wife hasn't. I guess my question really should have been, Would someone who's never been to a three star restaurant be disappointed by Taillevent? The thing is that the place has always seemed more like an institution than a restaurant; chefs come in with two stars, and then are apparently lent a third until their (inevitable) departure. I've probably avoided the place because it seems like the emperor's new clothes. Thanks for the insight. I'll ask M. Vrinat about your wine, Robert, while we're there.

What's the feeling these days about Taillevent? After years of passing the place by, I've finally made a reservation. Was doing so a mistake?