Laidback

Speaking of "hole in the wall" type places in the 9th, last summer, Denis from the Constant group opened "Café des Artistes" on rue Saulnier just around the corner from the Folies Bergère. He has above average food and wine for a tiny little café.

I have been a fan of M. Vidal's tiny "Vin Sur Vin" for years, but I favor Taillevent/traditional over Gagnaire/experimental; nothing judgemental, just my personal preference. The chef was trained at Arpege and has been with M. Vidal for over 7 years. Anytime you see Langoustines on the menu give them consideration. Patrice Vidal is extremely serious about his tiny restaurant, especially its' prodigious wine list and you can break through his occasionally stiff demeanor by asking for his expertise in pairing a proper wine with your meal. This may be the smallest Michelin-starred restaurant since Les Ormes when it was in the 16th. If you seek artfully foamed unborn artichoke navels prepared sous vide then this is not your spot, but if you like consistently top quality Lozère lamb, Salers beef,and fresh seafood expertly prepared you can do worse.

For bread, Thierry Dubois at the corner of av Bosquet and Champ de Mars For a salon de thé serving good quiche, Les Deux Abeilles on rue Université Chocolat chaud, Le Grand Colbert Patisseries including merinques, Jean Millet on St. Dominique or Gerard Mulot on rue de seine.

The Bistro Eygalieres is subtitled "Chez Bru"and is a true gastronomic destination with nice accommodations upstairs. I think the confusion is because of this "double naming" compounded by the existence of their much more modest "Le Petit Bru" just around the corner. The Michelin starred "Bistro Eygalieres/Chez Bru" is a fine restaurant, while "Le Petit Bru" which bills itself a restaurant is much more like a small, casual bistro with a menu this fall of €35 which included wine. We enjoyed both places and had a very nice suite upstairs. Our dinner at Bistro Eygalieres was excellent, but cost about €125 per person.

Will the name remain the same and the Prix Goncourt still be awarded there?

Cigale, trust me on this one...go take a look at the belle epoque interior and eat elsewhere. I had probably the worst meal I have ever been served in France there; gristly lamb that could not be rendered bitesize with any implement normally available in a dining room, green beans criminally overcooked, etc. The waiter was not bad if you like Stage Deli style cheekiness but the food was not a bargain even at their low prices. If you must go I would suggest you stick with simple items, i.e., oeufs dur/mayonnaise.

This may be misinformation as Fresh_a warned even farther upthread, but lesRestos.com says del Burgo will take over at the beginning of December. ← If this takes place we should start a pool for his date of departure; after all he has bounced from Avignon, to Carcassone, Le Bristol, Taillevent, Negresco, Bastide de Gordes, and Moscow, and probably Fresh_a could fill us in on a few more sightings. I have had the pleasure of sampling his enormous talent at only 2 of the above. The descriptor peripatic seems to fit M. Del Burgo.

John, arguments could be made for "Thierry Burlot/Quinze" in the 15th and "Thiou in the 7th

I'm not the best person to answer this question because I eat almost exclusively in French french places except for neighborhood pizza and sushi places on the "Cook's night off." I have sometimes been pleasantly surprised by some Asian chefs use of French products in Paris, making the dishes taste better than in their home country or the US. As an example, I liked the Thai food at the Blue Elephant a while back and Viet-namese food at Xinh Xinh for a passel of kids - but they're not places I'd write home about. There have been several non-French places highly rated by Figaroscope + Zurban that I recounted briefly in the Digest this fall - you can check them out. ← Pat&I dined at "Thiou" last week for the 2nd time and we feel that it is a very high quality Thai restaurant with delicious langoustine nems which were not as greasy as is often the case. Thiou has a few original dishes such as "Le Tigre Qui Pleure". The restaurant is located in the 7th at the corner of rue Surcouf and the Quai d'Orsay.

I had a good experience at Le Villaret which is only about 2 blocks from the Parmentier metro.

I was certain that was you; who else resembles your picture and speaks in American English of François Simon, Sebastian Demorand, Emmanuel Rubin, et al We were the couple sitting at the table between the bar and the window.

My wife and I returned here for lunch today after a pleasant visit in April suggested by Felice. We still found it a good value:appetizer, main course, cheese and dessert for €28.50. You are allowed to browse through the wine bins, choose a bottle, and have it served for a corkage fee of €6. We chose a good Pic St. Loup for €27. Pat and I both ordered the menu. The entrée was a soup called aïgot(sp.?)which is an interesting combination of potato, lemon, chives,chevre and pieces of citrus fruit floating in it along with the croutons...not something we would order often but rather refreshing for a hot soup. The main today was a very well prepared daube; the beef chunks had been simmered with onions and carrots until tender and the sauce was definitely bread worthy. The cheese was a slice of mild, creamy Fourme d'Ambert and the dessert was a dish of flan sitting atop sweet pineapple chunks with a bit of ripe banana sautéed in spice as a topping...simple, tasty, satisfying. The bread is a hearty, sour dough that was right at home with the sauce served with the daube. Other than the menu, you can order a variety of salads and tartines which looked good in passing. If you are in the bottom of the 5th and are looking for a good value, decidedly casual spot for lunch, you could do worse; plus it is open on Mondays which is an atout. Felice please accept our 6 month late thanks.

I was there last week and was one of only 3 men wearing ties. I would describe it as casual elegant.

I'm not sure what you mean, but as I think I said in the Digest, some critics report it as jour and some as journee - in any case both the bill and business card say "Un jour." Recall, folks last year were confusing the Fables of Fontaine with the Tables of Fontaine. ← There is definitely dual usage among critics but the sign over the door is "Jour" as you can see here: http://www.oovin.com/detailnews-idactu-23.html

I certainly enjoyed your reports since they reflect some of my experiences as well...Aux Lyonnais, Mon Vieil Ami, Les Ormes, Taillevent....thank you for your efforts.

Mystery picture? Answer revealed tomorrow, just back from Europe and my post on Le Bristol deserves a clear head. This meal still with me and I hope it shall be with me until I dine there again. I do have one knock against this meal at all. Molto E ← molto e, Is this the spectacular Poulet de Bresse en Vessie? My wife and I shared this at Le Bristol not too long after he left his own marvelous little restaurant to return to palatial surroundings. It still rates as our all time favorite chicken dish.

I have to agree that for its' overall abundance of attractions: manège, pony rides, playgrounds with fun devices prohibited in the U.S. by our litigiousness, guignols, toy sailboats for rent, the Luxembourg Gardens is hard to top. One much smaller gem of a park is Batignolles with a lovely watercourse with swans and several species of ducks and play areas for smaller children.

Dear fresh_a, This is the address of Thierry Burlot's restaurant. Was it formerly Detourbe's?

Yes, thank you, Busboy...Les Florets is brilliant, as is L'oustalet! Les Florets is up on the hill, beautiful view, great food. L'Oustalet had a terrific truffle omelet, the best I've ever had, and its right next to that co-op tasting room. They have a marc de gigondas there that is smooth as can be. ← We too have enjoyed L'Oustalet, right on the little square in the village, as well as the lovely Les Florets just out of the village. The owners of Les Florets have their own Gigondas wine which is 100% syrah. I read recently that the German owners of L'Oustalet had skipped to the lovely little neighboring village of Le Sablet and opened a restaurant there. Can anyone confirm this?

any updates available?

We enjoyed a moving picnic by packing wine and comestibles for the interesting slow boat trip from the Seine, along the Canal St. Martin, ending at La Villette.

"But with so many other places to visit, and such a poor first experience, I promised myself not to chance it again... We shall see." Zeitoun, I relate to this comment. I had the same reaction when I visited Le Pré Verre shortly after it opened, even though I had been a big fan of the Delacourcelle bros. at Clos Morillons. Since my visit Pré Verre subsequently was showered with accolades from every reviewer, but my remembrance of the dried out, terminally overcooked joue de cochon I was served lingers on. Just a bad day I am sure.

Le P'tit Troquet has been one of my favs for years. Daniel Vessiere does his own shopping, makes his own bread and ice cream and seems to have the respect of several chefs of reknown. None other than the great god Robuchon revealed in an interview that it was among his favorite bistros. Nothing cutting edge, very little "foam", but honest cuisine using quality products. I hope you give it another try, as we feel it is very good value.

I would call the Fontaine de Mars and request a table on the terrace. You could do the same for Les Fables, but they are very limited in menu(seafood) and size.

A rew places in the 7th are Thoumieux, Au Petit Tonneau, Fontaine de Mars, Bistro de Breteuil, and L'Esplanade.