pierre45
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Posts posted by pierre45
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Joy oh joy! I wlked up to the resto tonight around @20:30 and asked if they had a table. yes they said, if you didn't mind sitting outside! Well they had heaters and blankets for your laps so I said yes!
OK, I don't want to encourage bad behavior (ie not reserving ahead) but.....
This is the third report I've seen/heard of persons calling being told they were fully booked until "x" month but walking up and getting in (I know, it's worked for me in New York too). Add to what the airlines tell you, "call every week, something could open up;" walk up and ask (it happened to me at Pere Bise in the ancient past; could work for you too today.
well .as i have reported earlier ihave tried to reserve and i was told that it was booked until jan. a few days ago i walked in on a thur night at 20.h30 with no reservation.the place was 40%empty. during dinner large groups of walk ins were seated ,mostly tourists. I think that Mr camdeborde has adopted a marketing gimming of creating an image of beeing in demand .He has no concerns of covering expenses as he is in a high tourist area.so not taking a reservation is not critical.
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Auguste High ambitions, poor execution in my experience.
Had a small dinner at Auguste the other day. It was lovely. I had a wood pigeon that was appropriately gamy, well seasoned, and cooked perfectly rare, served with a good puree of topinambour. The wine list is really, really small for a restaurant with that kind of ambition.
It's the first meal so I don't really have a strong opinion yet. I'm going back there soon I'm sure.
As usual i seem to agree with john. There is an attempt at august to be creative.
THe chef is almost successful at some dishes, so its hit and miss. However you're not breaking the bank and the hostess was nice,so its worth a visit.
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John,
Fantastic reviews with a great sense of humour.
As usual you 're saving me the trouble and cost of eating in some and raising my interest about others.i,e la carte blanche and le truc.
I like your grading system. Are you sure about the z kitchen gallery ? you gave it a 6.
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Take route de vins going through the rhone valley and buy wine from co ops in the wine regions.i,e chateau neuf du pape, gigondas ,etc.
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You could try the Hermitage in Ho Ho Kus.
Thank you for all your suggestions. We are currently looking for a restaurant that can accomodate 70 people ,perhaps with some space for dancing. any ideas?
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One morning at breakfast our hostess in the south of France shared with us some of the most delicious red jelly I have ever tasted, kind of like the most exotic berry/cherry combination you could imagine. It put anything I have had from Herme to shame. We tried hard not to clean the bowl each day. She explained that it was made with the petals of the ordinary red poppy of the fields, although it took hundreds of flowers and three hours of simmering to create a large jar of the confiture.
So I wonder if perhaps the coquelicot might be something that might make a small appearance in country markets, like the small offerings of field greens that country people forrage. Also, can anyone tell me if the coquelicot is really quite ordinary in France and it is merely new to me? And, if so, how do you use it?
The use of flowers in salads and jams is quite commun in the mediteranean countries.
Have you had rosepetal jam or rosewater ?
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Our daughter is getting married and we are looking for a site in northern NJ that is unique and allows us to select our own caterer and bring our own wine. Some possibilities are an inn, restaurant, or farm. The # of guests beeing rather small should hopefully provide us with some unique options . we are hoping that the egullet community will have some good suggestions.
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Debate between tasting menus vs. ala carte is an old one. If I am ata restaurant that is new to me or I am unlikely to teturn to for a period of time due to location, tasting menus have served me well by showing me much more of the breadth of a chef's cooking. If I am at a restaurant at which I am a regular, a la carte makes more sense to me. I am familiar with a chef's work and can therrefore focus on what works best for me because I already have an idea of it That is not the case at a new restaurant even if I have read extensively about it. I would suggest going with a style that you are comfortable with.
Excellent advice,except in my case i find that a la carte works better for me specially in worthy restaurants.The key as you said is knowing what the chef does best.I am lucky that often i end up with excellent choices.
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I dined in early oct chez Senderens.Like most people i was curious to see what changes he has made .Lucas carton had museum quality art nouveau interior and an army of servers.THe new senderens still has the key elements of art nouveau treatment that were on the columns ,but the walls between them are gone giving a more airy and open feeling.The space is still unique and gorgeous.There are perhaps more tables,but there is plenty of privacy.ITs quite romantic actually.
Service is very efficient with less servers.
The menu consists of 5 appetizers around 22 E . 4 fish offerings about 30 E each
and 5 meat at 35 E. Dessert choices were 6 costing 15 E.
Each offering was paired with a glass of wine costing on average 9 E. This was the hallmark and strenght of Senderens.THe matching was superb.
I had cepes done 3 different ways.It was wonderful except the portions were quite small.other offerings i,e the salmon seemed more generous.Chat. de rochemorin 1984 a white grave, with its acidity and mature fruit was perfect.
Next was the agneau roti au curi javanais ,mangue et citronelle.1st rate tender lamb with a concotion of slight spiciness and sweetness.coudoulet de beaucastel 2000 again went very well thanks to its lively fruit.
MIllefeuille with a glass of muscat de riversaltes 2002 ended the meal and a happy man left the restaurant.
Total cost with wine and extra tips was 117E.Not bad at all for the luxurious surroundings and the quality of food and wine,specially the combination.
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Hello,
I am now able to answer a question that I've been hearing. No antiamericanism or any other type of discrimination enters the booking criteria at Le Comptoir. And no, the lady at the reception has no particular kind of prejudice. She is just not nice, period.
Last night at the hotel, I was sternly told that the restaurant was fully booked until January. Fine, I said, what about booking for January? I thought she was going to emit fireworks. "We don't have the registers", she snapped. No excuse, no comment, just a "get lost" attitude.
My personal opinion is that it's always nice to pop in for lunch and enjoy the great bistrot food, but as far as dinner is concerned, the place is not good enough for that sort of fuss.
I was told dinner was all booked until mid nov when i called a week ago.
That's quite a change in a week.La regalade all over again.I agree its not worth it.
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La chaumiere.54 ave felix faure. 15e
La grande rue .117 rue de vaugirard. 15e
Thierry burlot.8 rue nicholas charlet. 15e
Au petit marguery.9 blvd de port royal. 13e
Remember us when you toast.Bonne anniversaire
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We ate at Le Troquet the other night. My first course was way over-salted, the rest of the food was just so-so. The servers raced us through the dinner and hovered all night; the nano-second we set down our forks, our plates were whisked away and the next course arrived. And it wasn't very busy.
When I tried to slow things down, they seemed a bit irked...plus they didn't return our change from the money we left for l'addition, assuming we were leaving it as a tip, I suppose...no one would ever dare do to a French customer. (That happened to me at lunch somewhere else yesterday, as well.)
L'Ami Louis is great. A better bet. The food is very good, they were really nice, the dining room was lively and convivial, and when we left, my friend from New York was admiring the Basque linen napkin...so they gave it to her!
WE had lunch last week at le troquet and all of us found the food to be oversalted in many dishes.
I assume they must have a new chef.Service is based on a system of taking your order when you come in and then delivering the food efficiently.We fouled their system by taking our time and then had to call their attention to place the order
However ,when we explained they honored our request.Of course we were the last people to leave.
The place perhaps has also a new management.Le troquet was not the same that day.
The french custom is to leave a cash tip ,if one is happy .It could be 10% or higher if you are very satisfied with the service.THey must have thought that you were extremely pleased with their rushed service.
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I DID NOT MEAN TO OFFEND ANY ONE by my personal observations about L'ami louis.The points that i raised are not negative. As human beeings we are all different and enjoy life differently.One is not a lesser person because one likes simple food ,or one feels good because there is a celebrity.Also beeing loud is just an indication of beeing happy ,specially when silence in public is not equated with high breed which may be the case with some societies.
Every thing i said was factual based on many visits,fortunately as a guest.
I also had a good time.
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Here is the profile of the idividual that will like L'ami Louis.
-you don't like surprises in food.
-you like your food to be simple
-you like huge portions
-rudeness does not bother you(we all know about the parisians,right?)
-tables close to each other brings intimacy
-you are impressed to be in a famous restaurant
-you feel great to be across perhaps from a celebrity.
-you are rich or hope to be one
-loud voices from fellow americans makes you feel at home
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merci! i go every time in paris. to me, it is the quintessential bistro. yes, the perfection of the samesness is what draws me back. the amazing high prices keeps out a lot of tourists, so the clientele is "normally" comprised of many french regulars, many celeb regulars, & many wealthy american regulars which signify frequent visits to paris, not the 1-timers (generally speaking, of course). the 1-timers i know who have gone generally do NOT like the place: too rude, too brusque, too expensive. hopefully, L'Ami Louis will keep there sameness!!!
btw: fruit for dessert
A few years ago figaro had an article about l'ami Louis.
The author tried many times to make a reservation and he got nowhere.He then tried a new approach ,he asked an american friend to make it and to his great surprise the reservation was easily obtained under his american friend's name.
The review praised the quality of the ingredients and indicated that the majority of
the diners were tourists.He said the cost was equal to a rd trip to New york.
He felt it was not a bad deal ,since beeing there made you feel like beeing in New york.
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THis is amazing .How can you do it?.I would appreciate your top 3 choices that i can go to in the next few days.
Merci
Certainly Gaya and then two from the top - if the next three days means Sat and Sunday it may mean places like Tokyo Eat but if it's a nice day, it'd be fine. Guifeli is open Saturdays and also good. As I said, none of these, except Gaya, is a blockbuster but each has its merits.
Thank you John.I have eaten at Gaya and agree wth you ,its an excellent choice.
I ate yesterday at Guifeli.Had a very good meal that can not beat anywhere else for 22 E.I'll try Tokyo eat next week.
Tonight i am dining at marmite bazar.i think its on your radar.
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THis is amazing .How can you do it?.I would appreciate your top 3 choices that i can go to in the next few days.
Merci
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Sorry, I'm afraid I still fail to see what defines a "destination" restaurant. A French restaurant American and British people know about?
My definition is a restaurant that's worth a detour.I find these restaurants by asking people in the wine trade ,wine producers,other lovers of good and worthy
restaurants ,even food sites.
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I think what Margaret is referring to are the restuarants people make pilgrimmages to dine in, like the ones with Michelin Stars, for instance.
Not necessarily star restaurants.It could be restaurants with excellent regional cuisine and nice surroundings and perhaps not even famous.A lot of my travels in france are based around such places.i,e.Le relais de monseret in thezan(in languedoc) or michel sarran (in toulouse).I shall be in these places and others like it in the next few weeks.
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This is an interesting intelectual discussion about the state of affairs in restaurants in france .
Broad generilizations are made .The fact is that there is one law that prevails.
That of the market place.MOst star restaurants keep on increasing their prices ,some to ridiculous levels because people keep on coming.( 3 to 4 weeks waiting list).So there is a big demand ,therefore you can say that the incentive to change is not there.Consequently a percetion that french haute cuisine is dead.
The majority of people ,specially locals can't afford these places ,so there is a big demand for reasonable places with tasy food.This is the area that attracts the young chefs who like to make a name for themselves.The talented ones have their own style.The tendency is to offer modern cuisine ,which is based on good ingredients and enhancement of their flavors.some come up with creative twists such as the use of asian spices.There are quite a few of such restaurants in Paris,
offering complete 3 course meal at 30 E.
You are lucky on this site to have someone like John Talbott who seems to be on top of all the bistrots that appear.FRance still is one of the best places on earth for good food at reasonable prices
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I am an enthusiastic admirer of creativity in cooking when the process is mastered. Even a dispalatable dish can be likable when it does blow your mind, Adria-style. But a ruined suckling pig is (to my mind) an unforgivable thing, especially if the chef won't hear about it; a monkfish marinated overnight in red wine is a joke, and a failed dish is already a sad thing to behold: even more so when it is a failed "creative" dish. Our palate is not binary, it can understand dissonance to a certain point. But it can also make the difference between clever dissonance and pretentious cacophony.
I quite agree.Innovative cooking is very difficult.Only a truly creative chef with an inner sense of what's right is succesful.Currently the most avant garde pursue a more intelectual approch,sensual pleasure is delegated to old fashion . they use food as a media for abstract art.i.e Adria.
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John,
Actually, we found your list helpful and we loved Bristol. I wish I had taken this menu to see if you would have found it as pleasant as you had in the past.
Fresh_a- if you had this experience I do not think that you would have been happy about it and this was my report on our experience.
Molto E
I went to ZE just when it opened .The food then was mostly a la plancha choices and pastas.It was quite tasty but it was not french.It was like beeing in a new york
restaurant.Based on the pictures todays ZE looks like a different restaurant.IT has adopted all the latest trends i.e foam and decorative plates.Obviousely its not delivering.
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I have dined serveral times at Le Bristol. It is very classical in style with very classical cooking. Le Meurice I have not been to, but write up I have read seem to place it a bit more experimental in the food. People tend to either love or hate it.
So I would say the safe bet is Le Bristol, while Le Meurice is throwing the dice, you could win big, you could lose. Hope that helps give you parameters for you personal decision.
Both are very good but I agree that le bristol is safer .Another factor also is consistency and i have found le bristol more consistent.The wine list is also more reasonable and the space is beautiful but less formal.
I wish everyone had this dilemna of a choice.
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Thank you everyone for you time, effort and insights. My trip won't be until November, but I am trying to firm it up mostly beforehand. Most of my accommodations and winery visits are done (though I will always take suggestions). It is just the dinning and shopping/cultural excursions that are in the works. Thanks to you all, I'll be able to hedge my bets for a great trip.
Best Regards,
JR
Actually the best restaurant in burgundy is the 3 star Lameloise.Its traditional food at its best.Its also a very reasonable 3 star.
Bon appetit
November 2005 – Meurice, Senderens, Benoit
in France: Dining
Posted
The bottle of wine that you had was a Rully from faively.A decent burgundy for 26 E. I had 1/2 a bottle for 13E. They opened a bottle and gave me half.When i had dinner last thur.
I found the food, good bistrot fare ,nothing special.There are quite a few in my neighborhood and its not worth the schleppe .The waiter is inexperienced,but he means well . so i dealt with the owner.who is the host.They are both rushing ,all the time.
The cost was almost the same as Chez lez anges ,where i ate on tue and the difference in the cuisine,the service and the ambiance is huge.