David Russell

I know I've posted the following info on Beaune and environs once before, but it may have been over a year ago at this point and possibly not findable by the search function. Also, halland, since you may not yet have booked a hotel, I've left lodging recommendations intact rather than delete them. A couple of caveats: 1. I've been lazy and never bothered to convert FFs to € . My apologies in advance. 2. As much as I endorse Beaune and the surrounding 'hood as your ideal short getaway from Paris, please be aware that many restaurants down there close from late-November/early-DecemberI to mid-February or so. So please be sure to check a current Michelin guide for winter hours. hope the following helps. 3. Note that when calling from the States you need to drop the zero at the beginning of the telephone and/or fax numbers given; when calling from within France, dial the entire number, zero and all. HOTELS & RESTAURANTS - Beaune and environs Le Cep 27, rue Maufoux 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.22.35.48 Fax: 03.80.22.76.80 Perhaps a bit obvious as hotel recommendations go, being right downtown and all, but still, it's a reliable standby, and very nicely appointed in traditional Burgundian style. The restaurant associated with it, Bernard Morillon, has a reputation for being unwaveringly traditional (translation: much butter and cream), yet a recent dinner there showed a lighter hand than I would have expected. Really quite good, and the cheese service--along with that at Levernois--is the best around. Weakness: dreary wine list, full of lame négociant bottlings. The woman who runs the front of the house, by the way, looks like an opera star, and oozes charm and warmth. L'Hôtel de Beaune 5, rue Samuel Legay 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.25.94.14 Fax: 03.80.25.94.13 E-mail: info@lhoteldebeaune.com This is the first ever truly luxury property right smack in the middle of Beaune, as far as I know; it opened just last year. Spiffy rooms combining the traditional with the contemporary, plus the usual luxury upgrades such as multiple-line phones, Internet access, CD/DVD players, robes, etc. Looks prety damn nice to me. Le Central 2, rue Millot 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.24.77.24 Fax: 03.80.22.30.40 Equally as well-located as the above, simple, clean, with even a modicum of charm...and only about FF450 a night (!). The restaurant isn't bad either and represents good value (and they reportedly have added a vegetarian menu....a nice touch). Le Home 138, route de Dijon 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.22.16.43 Fax: 03.80.24.90.74 I've probably stayed here more than any other place on my by now numerous trips to Burgundy, though not in the last six years or so, as I have other lodging arrangements at my disposal these days, so bear in mind that this entry is looking dated. Set back from the main road leading up through the vineyards toward Dijon, and a mile or less just north of Beaune proper, it's a charming and tranquil little garden spot, and in the same price range as the Le Central above. I recommend it, with the caveat that I haven't stayed there in a while. Hostellerie de Levernois 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.24.73.58 Fax: 03.80.22.78.00 This is about 5km southeast of Beaune proper in the hamlet of Levernois. Jean Crotet, formerly propriétaire of La Côte d'Or in Nuits-St.-Georges, moved his hotel-restaurant down here a nearly a decade ago. It's far and away the most luxurious and tranquil lodging for miles around (aside from the new Hôtel de Beaune), installed, as it is, in a bucolic parklike setting. The restaurant is quite good, and I used to question its two stars in Michelin...as did the Michelin folks themselves, as it was docked a star in the 2000 red guide, and as far as I know, has never regained that second macaron. Expensive by countryside standards, but not so expensive compared to Paris lodging. Hotel du Parc Levernois 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.24.63.00 Fax: 03.80.24.21.19 Lovely, charming, restful little spot virtually next door to the expensive and luxurious Hostellerie de Levernois above. Rates are from 210F for a single to 450F for the most expensive doubles. Pleasant rose garden out in back. Chateau de Challanges route des Templiers Challanges 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.26.32.62 Fax: 03.80.26.32.52 I first stayed here in 1981, when it was a bit of a dump. My, how things have changed. Though the lovely park in which it's sited has not been altered, everything else has. Nicely appointed rooms in the 390F-430F range, with a couple of very spacious suites for around 800F. Les Magnolias 21190 Meursault Phone: 03.80.21.23.23. Fax: 03.80.21.29.10 Smack in the middle of Meursault and more or less directly opposite Domaine des Comtes Lafon. Run by a nice older English gentleman named Toni De La Rue. The equivalent of about $100 a night will get you an enormous suite, done in--as French hotels go--quite good taste. Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin Bouilland 21420 Savigny-les-Beaune Phone: 03.80.21.51.16 Fax: 03.80.21.59.90 Tucked away another 10-12km into the woods back beyond Savigny-les-Beaune, [b[was Jean-Pierre Silva's somewhat upscale restaurant-hotel. I emphasize the past tense, as it was sold a few months ago, and I have no idea what the dang deal is there now. L'Écusson place Malmédy 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.24.03.82 Fax: 03.80.24.74.02 Young Jean-Pierre Senelet did a stint, I believe, as fish chef at Taillevent in Paris before opening his own place down here in Beaune, a couple of blocks from the train station. There used to be some inconsistency here, I'll admit (everything regrettably oversalted on one visit; bright, vivid flavors with interesting vinegar-laced, lightly acidulated sauces on the next), but he's at the top his game right now, at least based on three visits in the last 13 months, which were uniformly excellent. If you go, have him compose a surprise menu of his choosing. As he's buddies with many of the very best young growers (and tastes with them regularly) his list has a good deal more depth than is often the case. He had a Michelin star six or eight years ago or so, if I remember correctly, lost it, and never got it back, a situation bordering on the scandalous, as, for my money, this is the best of the upscale restaurants in the area right now (though if someone wants to make the case for Moulin de Martorey, you might persuade me). Le Jardin des Remparts 10, rue Hotel Dieu 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.24.79.41 Back in 1992, Francois Millet, winemaker at Comte de Vogüé suggested I go here, but without supporting documentation from the latest Michelin or Gault-Millau, I didn't on that trip. Stupid me (just like these geeks who won't try a wine without a 90+ from the Speculator): it subsequently got some favorable writeups in G-M, and earned its first Michelin star in the '96 edition of the red guide. Moreover, I finally ended up trying it six or seven years ago, then again the following July, again September the following year, and twice (!) two Aprils ago, and each time I've come away impressed. Not only is the food quite good, but the restaurant itself is very handsome: a beautifully renovated traditional bourgeois French home, brought smartly up to date with Italian halogen lighting, etc. The wine list needs a little work, but I'm confident that will come with time (fingers crossed). Le Bénaton 25, rue du Faubourg-Bretonniere 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.22.00.26 I finally tried this place three trips ago, since it had begun to gain some recognition in the French foodie press (e.g., Gault-Millau, etc.). Word-of-mouth, however, had been not so hot. My take on it: the food coming out of the kitchen is genuinely excellent, and whoever's back there actually knows what he's doing. But the service is amateurish at best (plates going to the wrong table, then "Who gets the veal?," once it finds its correct destination), and the wine list was without question, when I last dined there 18 months ago, the poorest I'd encountered in some time: virtually nothing but the most horrifying négociant crap. During a visit to Lafon a while back, however, I saw a few cases being readied to be delivered to Le Bénaton. I asked Dominique if that was a sign that they were making an effort to upgrade the wine program and he answered in the affirmative. So this place is looking better all the time. La Ciboulette 69, rue Lorraine 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.24.70.72 Fax: 03.80.22.79.71 Bright, clean bistro serving bright, clean bistro fare. Popular with locals, so book in advance. Some pleasant surprises on the wine list. Don't let the relative lack of verbiage put you off; this place is really quite good. Le Gourmandin 8, place Carnot 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.24.07.88 I used to consider this small bistro, serving traditional bistro fare, to be excellent (with some downright excellent choices to be found on the wine list). But it strikes me as a bit dispirited these days, likely as a result of Ma Cuisine (see below) having completely usurped its spot as best casual restaurant with excellent food and wine at reasonable prices. Don't get me wrong: it's still decent, but it just sems to have lost some lustre. Le Gourmandin is owned by Jean Crotet of the deluxe Hostellerie de Levernois above. Ma Cuisine allée Ste.-Helene 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.22.30.22 Fax: 03.80.24.99.79 Just off the place Carnot and opened by the same guy (Pierre Escoffier) who owns the Caves Ste.-Hélène wine shop next door (which seems never to be open anymore), with which this new informal bistro shares its wine inventory. His vivacious wife, Fabienne, does the cooking, and damn wonderful cooking it is: closer to anything in the area to the Chez Panisse esthetic, i.e., take fresh, high-quality ingredients and use simple cooking preparations to showcase their inherent goodness. Wine list, as you would imagine, is far better than most, both in terms of selection (there are both young and fully mature wines) and price (the mark-ups are downright modest). The most welcome addition to the Burgundy dining scene in a long time. And super-reasonably priced on top of it all: the prix-fixe menu is only 90FF!. Reservations imperative! Le Montrachet 21190 Puligny-Montrachet Phone: 03.80.21.30.06 Fax: 03.80.21.39.06 Rooms are attractive and no more than $100 a night or so. The restaurant is no slouch, though strikes me a bit as coasting these days, and refreshingly informal. The wine list used to be decent, though it' s starting to look pretty picked over, based on my last visit there. La Bouzerotte 21200 Bouze-les-Beaune Phone: 03.80.26.01.37 Fax: same as phone About 6 or 7km outside of Beaune on the route de la Bouzaize. I had the best roast chicken of my life here in 1983, though La Bouzerotte has had its ups and downs in the interim. I had avoided it in recent years, as Burgundians whose judgments I trust had warned me away, saying that it simply wasn't what it used to be. As of July 1995, however, things got back on track: Dominique Lafon (who knows a thing or two about taste) swore that it was back on form at that time, apparently the result of new ownership, and strongly urged that we book a meal there while in town. Unfortunately, all the locals had the same idea and a reservation was impossible to come by on the one night we had available. Several trips later and I still hadn't been able to massage my schedule to coincide with that of the restaurant. Finally, two years ago, we finally went: utterly suprb and worth the wait. The menu has become quite extensive over the past few years, and is fairly rich, but more in the sense of offering things like fois gras, squab, etc., not necessarily due to heavy saucing and the like (think of it as an ever so slightly tricked-out version of what is often called cuisine du terroir). Extremely honest, direct food of a very high order. Unfortunately, I didn't even see the wine list on my last visit there, as we were with a producer who brought his own bottles. By the way, there's a place nearby where some crazed Scotch fanatic (yes, a Frenchman, if you can believe it) does his own élevage of special small lots of single-malt scotch! Moulin de Martorey St.-Rémy 71100 Chalon-sur-Saone Phone: 03.85.48.12.98 Fax: 03.85.48.73.67 On the southwestern outskirts of Chalon, making it a navigationally tricky 25-minute excursion from Beaune, you'll find this gorgeous converted mill, the original gears and ancillary machinery of which have been cleverly incorporated into the decor of the dining room. Truly modern cooking of an exceptionally high standard (one star in Michelin) and an excellent wine list. I really have to wonder what the Michelin inspectors are thinking when a place like this can't seem to rise above a one-star ranking, yet a place like Levernois--which is in no way better--kicked back and received two stars year-in and year-out (until its eventual demotion to one-star status). Le Paradoxe 6, rue du Faubourg-Madeleine 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.22.63.94 Newish, small, and casual, with food that shows a biy more verve and imagination than is the norm in Burgundy. And there's a better-than-avaerage wine list here to boot. A nice addition to the Beaune dining scene. Les Tontons 22, rue du Faubourg-Madeleine 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.24.19.64 Almost next door to Le Paradoxe above and also very good. Quite interesting food (I believe the chef is self-taught), and the wine list continues to improve. Casual like its neighbor. Le P'tit Paradis 22, rue Paradis 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.24.91.00 Fairly new, tiny, and quite delightful. This little spot, with its sunflower yellow walls, may not hold more than a dozen of people (well, maybe 20 or so), but those are people who will eat well, albeit simply, for not much money. They're not sufficiently well capitalized to have amassed a cellar of any size or scope, but there's always at least one bottle on the short list that jumps off the page at me as the one to order. Auberge de la Miotte 4, rue de la Miotte 21550 Ladoix-Serrigny Phone: 03.80.26.40.75 I used to not include this spot in the "boilerplate" versions of my Burgundy guide that I sent out to any and all who requested a copy, as I wanted some to retain some control over who found out about this place. It was one of those long-secret little gems such as Tan Dinh in Paris was in the early '80s (where I drank '37 Romanée-Conti for $225, '49 La Tâche for $175, etc.). But that's all changed, since it's now been written up in Food & Wine and who knows where else. Proprietor Dominique Rézette used to be a wine broker in Paris and has put together a wine list that is full of great bottles at ridiculously low prices for what the wines are (I drank '92 Meursault-Perrières from Coche-Dury for about $140 with lunch last time I was there). Even the food is good: rustic, Burgundian fare like blanquette de veau, etc. about a mile or less east of the RN74 in Serrigny....follow the small signs. I thank my friend Allen Meadows (www.burghound.com) for the following recommendations: Au Bon Acceuil La Montagne de Beaune (route Bouze-lès-Beaune, about 15 minutes from Beaune proper) 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.22.08.80 Meadows: "A large, virtually locals only family style eatery surrounded by pine trees with a gorgeous view...[specializing] in serving good, unpretentious food at bargain prices." Le Caveau des Arches 10, boulevard Perpreuil 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.22.10.37 Meadows: "Caveau des Arches opened in 1992 and offers an incredible setting of an old wine cave with vaulted arches (15th century) and warm ambience...The food is quite good if a bit pricey as is the well chosen wine list...[T]he prix fixe menu for 125FF offers very good value in my view; the wine list has some of the very best names in burgundy on it and again, while pricing is high, it's not ridiculous." I finally ate here (lunch) for the first time this past April and found it very pleasant. Le Chassagne 2, Impasse des Chenevottes 21190 Chassagne-Montrachet Phone: 03.80.21.94.94 Meadows: "The Caveau de Chassagne-Montrachet has opened a restaurant right above the new Caveau (there are two and the new one is in the town square) and it's quite good....[the] wine list is superb and almost completely dominated by Chassagne growers...In March of 2001, Chef Stéphane Léger took over for former Chef Jean Gabon (now at La Bouzerotte) and has lightened the cooking,...[which] is sophisticated and pure and most everything is handled with self-assurance." NOTE: I ate here in April of last year and echo Allen's sentiments. Bistro La Régalade 164, Route de Dijon (on the right, just before the bridge leading north out of Beaune toward Dijon) 21200 Beaune Phone: 03.80.22.45.95 Meadows: "One of my favorite places to eat in Beaune...The food..represents what [chef] Maria [Goncalves] can find fresh each day and [is] presented on a large blackboard in one corner of the room..." HOTELS & RESTAURANTS - The Côte de Nuits Chateau de Gilly 21640 Vougeot Phone: 03.80.62.89.98 Fax: 03.80.62.82.34 This entrant in the luxury sweepstakes is a former Cistercian abbey with formal gardens. It's in kind of a funny spot, lying just east (about 2km) of the Route Nationale 74 (all the vineyards are to the west). But it is reasonably plush and, I believe, a member of the Relais & Chateax group. The restaurant isn't bad either, though unapologetically traditional; unfortunately, when I was last there (four years ago), the wine list didn't show much effort or imagination. That might have changed, however, as Henri Jayer considers this one of his favorite places, and I'd like to think he'd not waste his time where the wine selection was abysmal, but you never know. Hotel des Grands Crus 21220 Gevrey-Chambertin Phone: 03.80.34.34.15 Fax: 03.80.51.89.07 By far one of the most humble of the hotels listed, but it has the great advantage of a) enabling one to gaze out the window at such vineyard sites as Les Cazetiers, Clos St. Jacques, etc.--as long as your room is on the west side of the building, and--more importantly--b) it is within easy staggering distance around the corner from Restaurant Les Millésimes. Inexpensive, and perfectly located for exploring the Côte de Nuits. Hotel Arts et Terroirs 28, route de Dijon 21220 Gevrey-Chambertin Phone: 03.80.34.30.76 Fax: 03.80.34.11.79 This is my new find in the accomodations department. Though right on the Route Nationale 74, this is a very tranquil spot. All rooms have been recently renovated, have cable TV, nice bathrooms...it's simply a pretty spiffy place for very little money (FF250-FF480). My old favorite above, Les Grands Crus, now looks a bit threadbare and funky by comparison. My wife and I stayed here in March 2001, as my usual free lodging was unavailable. Les Millésimes 25, rue l'Église 21220 Gevrey-Chambertin Phone: 03.80.51.84.24 Fax: 03.80.34.12.73 In the past this place has been criticized for inconsistency, and not necessarily without justification. Michelin once gave them a star, which I think was deserved most evenings, though that star has since been pulled. The Sangoy family (a couple of sons replaced dad in the kitchen since his untimely death a couple of years ago; mom and daughter run the dining room, another son Didier the cellar) has created a lovely ambience down in their cave-turned-dining room, a well-executed cuisine that draws equally from the traditional and from the contemporary, and a formidable wine list that is utterly staggering in its scope and depth. Seriously, it is the single finest list for Burgundy anywhere (though you'll pay dearly for mining its treasures), and that includes Taillevent, Alain Ducasse,...you name it. Page after page, it presents a virtual who's who of the best small propriétaires-récoltants. They also have an informal bistro as well, just off the N74 that's OK at best, but nothing special. Still, some of the same wines are available here, although at lower prices than at the "big deal" restaurant. Les Gourmets 8, rue Puits de Tet 21160 Marsannay-la-Côte Phone: 03.80.52.16.32 Fax: 03.80.52.03.01 One of my newer restaurant entries in some time. Imaginative, contemporary cooking of a very high standard; in fact, I might even lump Joel Perreaut in with the likes of Gillot at Moulin de Martorey and Senelet at L'Écusson. Aux Vendanges de Bourgogne 47, route de Beaune 21220 Gevrey-Chambertin Phone: 03.80.34.30.24 Fax: 03.80.58.55.44 Informal bistro serving really well-executed traditional Burgundian fare, but with some [not always entirely successful] attempts at getting slightly eclectic (there was a fish course special one night in March with some sort of Thai-influenced sauce as an unusual feature of the preparation). The wine list must have 100 different references, mostly from Gevrey (but rapidly expanding to take in the rest of the Côte d'Or, as well), and mostly from the better small growers, listed in ascending order of price. A welcome addition to the dining scene here. Should I mention such obvious temples of gastronomy as the Michelin three-starred Lameloise in Chagny? You may want to do some tasting while in the neighborhood, but be warned that many of the best growers typically don't have tasting rooms (appointments are the way to go; have your hotel make them if you're uncomfortable trying your French on the phone) and/or don't speak English (I've put an asterisk* next to the names of those who I THINK speak at least SOME English; I'm never quite sure, since my dealings are always in French). A note on scheduling winery visits: I strongly urge people to try to avoid the weekend, since the French hold their weekends sacrosanct and tend to shun visitors then (although enough rich Swiss roll in on any given Saturday to load up the boot of the Benz with cases of grands crus, that some guys will be open anyway). In any event, here are some of my favorite growers (obviously, this list is not exhaustive): GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN *Denis BACHELET Alain BURGUET Bernard DUGAT-PY Claude DUGAT *Sylvie ESMONIN (Domaine Michel ESMONIN & Fille) Vincent GEANTET (Domaine GEANTET-PANSIOT) Denis MORTET Joseph ROTY (this guy's from another planet--allow yourself plenty of time--but the wines are superb, and close to impossible to find) *Charles ROUSSEAU (Domaine Armand ROUSSEAU) Christian SÉRAFIN MOREY-ST.DENIS Robert GROFFIER Romain LIGNIER (Domaine Hubert LIGNIER; be careful: much better wines than *Georges* LIGNIER) *Jacques SEYSSES (Domaine DUJAC) CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY Ghislaine BARTHOD *Jacques-Frederic MUGNIER (Chateau de Chambolle-Musigny) *Francois Millet (Chef-OEnologue at Domaine Comte Georges de VOGÜÉ) *Christophe ROUMIER (Domaine Georges ROUMIER) VOSNE-ROMANÉE Pascal LACHAUX (Domaine Robert ARNOUX) Sylvain CATHIARD Philippe ENGEL (Domaine Rene ENGEL) Anne GROS (Domaine Anne GROS) *Jean-Nicolas MÉO (Domaine MÉO-CAMUZET) Marie-Christine MUGNERET (Domaine Georges MUGNERET/Domaine MUGNERET-GIBOURG) NUITS-ST.-GEORGES Bertrand & Denis CHEVILLON (Domaine Robert CHEVILLON) Christian and Pierre GOUGES PRÉMEAUX Sophie et Alain MEUNIER (Domaine Jean-Jacques CONFURON) PERNAND-VERGELESSES Domaine BONNEAU DU MARTRAY *Christine DUBREUIL-FONTAINE (Domaine DUBREUIL-FONTAINE) SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE Maurice ECARD Jean-Marc PAVELOT POMMARD Benjamin LEROUX (Domaine Comte ARMAND) VOLNAY Michel LAFARGE *Etienne de MONTILLE (who had been working during the week in Paris as an investment banker until about a year ago, when he was appointed to run the Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet estate...Domaine Hubert de MONTILLE) Note: I used to include Domaine de la Pousse d'Or, of course, but I've taken it out until I feel that the new regime is "delivering the goods" (the jury is still out, in my mind) You can probably call most of these guys and get an appointment on the spur of the moment. From the roster above, Rousseau might be tough with just a last-minute phone call (although a day or two in advance would get you in). Jacques Seysses can be a bit of a tough ticket, as well as Jean-Nicolas Méo, the Dugats, and Laurent. I have omitted from this list such luminaries as D.R.C., Lalou Bize-Leroy, the now retired Henri Jayer (and his nephew Emmanuel Rouget), Dominique Lafon, and Jean-Francois Coche-Dury, as most visitors to the region don't have a prayer of getting an appointment with any of these folks. There are almost no white wine producers on my list, as the people you'd most want to visit (Lafon and Coche-Dury in Meursault, Gérard Boudot of Domaine Étienne Sauzet and Anne-Claude Leflaive in Puligny) probably won't grant you an audience. Another option for tasting white wines: the "Caveau" in Chassagne is a good gig, with a tasting bar (and now informal eatery as well) and sales room under one roof, representing a good number of different growers. Hope this helps. Best regards, David Russell Santa Barbara, CA

I was the wine buyer for the Wine Cask for 13+ years (it was on my watch that the restaurant first earned its Grand Award from the Wine Spectator), and while I haven't been in their employ for nearly 4½ years, I still live in Santa Barbara and am on friendly terms with both principals and staff there. So I think I can clear up a couple of things for Rosie and Russ. 1. Corkage: Rosie, it was never only a buck; even 15 years ago it was, I think, at least $5. Now, I'm virtually certain that it's $25. Furthermore, the wine list prices are $25 above the Wine Cask's retail store price, the idea being that were to you buy a bottle and bring it in to the restaurant, you'd end up paying the same either way. 2. Wine list vs. retail inventory. Russ, the restaurant wine list really is the same as the retail inventory. Oh, there may be a few random bottles in the store that aren't entered on the restaurant wine list for whatever reason, but certainly 98% of what's out on the shelf in the store is also on the restaurant wine list. In any event, the Wine Cask still runs one of the finest restaurant wine programs anywhere, and the pricing, at only $25 over "suggested retail," is some of the most customer-friendly anywhere, particularly once you move up from the most basic, most inexpensive wines.

Agree on the list at Taillevent, plus its wines are far and away the most reasonably priced of all the three stars. Sorry, but IMO the list at Guy Savoy isn't all that great. Last time I was there, after 15 minutes we finally found a de Montille Burgundy listed that represented the only halfway decent QPR in the entire selection; another 15 minutes and the sommelier returned with the bad news that a thorough search of the cellar failed to turn up the bottle ordered. At those prices, they can bloody well reprint the list daily to guard against such snafus. You might consider Hiramatsu. For a young restaurant they've amassed quite a cave. And the more highfalutin' the wine, the more modest its markup, percentagewise, over the restaurant's cost.

I don't want to come off like a dickhead..hey, I don't want to be one for that matter. I hope that in my follow-up post it was a little clearer (though maybe that's not the case) that without the list in front of me, my impression of Rosalie's wine pricing is pretty subjective, i.e., that it struck me as being a bit over the top compared to other places I've been, such as La Chronique et al. Perhaps that's not the case objectively, and my ego's not so fragile that I can't be corrected. As for Marcel Richaud's Cairanne, if the wine list clearly states that it's his Cuvée L'Ebrescade and I failed to note that, well...I must have got too much sun out at the track that day. In any case, your not being able to get wine at wholesale really sucks (California wholesale on the '99 L'Ebrescade was US$17.66; while the 2000 will doubtless be more, it will likely remain this side of US$25). Any chance of that changing in our lifetime? And by the way, I certainly don't begrudge you making a buck, and having been a restaurant wine buyer myself, I'm well aware of the hidden costs that the average Joe doesn't know or care about. On this side of the border, the "traditional" markup over a restaurant's wine cost for years was 3.0 × cost (but the trend in California is down from that), so kudos to you for making it work at 2.5-2.8. Once one has arrived at a business model based on a certain markup, I know it's very difficult to revise it...especially downward! But you might find interesting the formula I proposed for a restaurant (high overhead, fine dining) for which I consulted on the list upon opening 18 months ago and which is still being successfully used today: 2.5 × cost for most wines, but 1.75 on the higher priced bottles. The corkage policy is $15 per bottle, which is waived at the rate of one waived corkage for every bottle ordered off the list. Wine sales are healthy and vigorous and consitute 23-25% of the restaurant's gross revenues. The raising of prices for Grand Prix weekend is something my friends and I have wondered about out loud for several years now, and it's nice to have that issue settled out in the open. While this is not done here in my neck of the woods, that doesn't make it wrong, and I can definitely see the logic: i.e., if the hotels can max out their room rates, why can't you raise menu/wine prices? Doesn't mean I have to like it though.

I'll add my two cents.... Il Desco: been there twice (both times during VINITALY), and both times was underwhelmed for the amount of money spent. Moreover, the room is not very well ventilated for non-smokers. Il Pescatore: very good, and even worth the detour. But three stars? I don't think so. Da Guido: Simply one of the finest restaurants on the planet. If only one of two new places resulting from its closing even comes close to the original, I'll be a happy camper.

Lesley, thanks for the kind words. eat2much, thanks for your insights into the strange world of the provincial wine monopoly and how it affects restaurant wine pricing. That said, and not to flog a cheval mort, but I'm still not prepared to let Rosalie's wine pricing off so easily. For one thing, some of the prices at the SAQ are actually extremely competitive, and I would expect a savvy restaurant wine buyer to be able to suss those out. I remember seeing last year, for instance, Jean-Marie Fourrier's 1999 Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos St.-Jacques, for the equivalent of $40 U.S., or just under U.S. wholesale. Suffice it to say, although I don't have their respective lists in front of me (nor will I be able to anytime soon), the wine prices at La Chronique (whose young wine guy--Eric Tomassin or something like that?--is equal parts passion and knowledge) or Toqué!, for example, have never struck me as being even remotely as aggressive in their markups as did Rosalie. And since it's more of a bistro, as opposed to a fine dining establishment, I'll resist the temptation to mention L'Express, which has both an exceptional wine selection and guest-friendly pricing (I'll save my rant on their appallingly poor stemware, however, for another time).

Sorry that I don't have time to post in any great detail, but here are some quick impressions from Grand Prix weekend.... First night was Les Chèvres. Our table of three ordered the eight-course menu surprise and were both surprised and pleased. Especially surprising was that it was nearly all vegetarian, which made me wish that my vegetarian wife had been along this year, and she's accustomed to the chef just sending out a plate of grilled veggies or risotto and calling that his take on veggie cooking. NOT the case here: every plate thoroughly thought through and well executed. The wine list was interesting and revealed a theme, i.e., producers working in either the méthode biologique or in biodynamie. Had a Bourgogne blanc from Dom. de Chassorney that reminded me of a ribolla gialla from Radikon or Gravner with its ever-so-slight incipient oxidative character, and a Nicolas Potel Santenay. In any event, a lovely addition to the Montréal dinng scene, and I look forward to going again next year. Friday was Toqué. I know it's fashionable, and there's even an almost understandable tendency, to slag the guy who's been on top for a while, but I noticed absolutely no diminution of quality here. We all had firsts, mains, cheese, desserts, apéros, a couple bottles of wine (a Cotat Sancerre and a Santa Duc Gigondas), and the bill was about the same (or slightly less) as at Les Chèvres, even though we had one more person at Toqué. Still the reference standard for high-end Montréal dining as far as I'm concerned. Saturday was Savannah. Gorgeous, urbane, sophisticated room. Excellent service: when it became apparent that we might have to wait all of--gasp!--five minutes for our reserved table, we were offered a round of pre-dinner drinks on the house. Not necessary, but appreciated and certainly something that will be remembered. The food, which I was prepared to find a bit hokey and affected and screwed around with too much in order to make it fit the "concept," was in fact very good. Only real weakness was the wine list: a bit of a haphazard affair, with no real coherence, and a bit mired in the offerings of large, almost industrial producers. I think our Pesquera was one of the few interesting bottles, and the pricing seemed a bit ambitious for my tastes. Still and all, an enjoyable experience. Sunday night we hit Rosalie. They had no record of our reservation but nevertheless found us a table on the terrace, which was humming at full chat, aided and abetted by WorldBeat next door, a club whose music--for better or ill--provided the soundtrack for the evening. Although the menu seemed a bit limited in terms of number of offerings, what came out from the kitchen was genuinely well done. I had a veal loin special (which had been preceded by an endive/walnut/blue cheese salad) that was, frankly, quite special. Good work. Service was friendly and surprisingly decent given the crush of people, and I for one rather like the bursting-out-of-their-blouses look of the uniforms of the serveuses. Shame on the person in charge of the wine program, however: this was about the most extortionately-priced list I've seen in a while...even if it turns out that provincial law requires that restos pay full retail from the SAQ just like regular folks. I didn't have a pen on me and was therefore unable to make note of a dozen or so examples to post here, but I recall one or two. Such as: 2000 (if I recall the vintage correctly) Cairanne from Domaine Richaud. I have a wholesale list from the California importer of this wine from last year, and he charged $148 a case ($12.33 a bottle). Assuming a "traditional" mark-up of 50% over cost (rarer and rarer these days, with 25-33% becoming the norm in competitive U.S. markets), U.S. retail on this wine isn't even $19. Assuming the worst, that a restaurant buys at retail from SAQ, how does that become Canadian $125 (about $100 U.S.) on the Rosalie wine list?!? This was typical, from what I could see, and well and truly sucked and detracted somewhat from an otherwise good time.

The menu looks good to me, too. Maybe I can squeeze in a dinner during Grand Prix weekend. Lesley, I would also love to drink some of Christophe Sabon's wine (Domaine de la Janasse), but alas, I don't see it on the list. Am I blind? Has the list undergone further revision since you last took a look at it? David Russell Santa Barbara, CA USA

I only get to Montreal once a year (for the Canadian Grand Prix F1 race), but I've been quite surprised at how many of the lists we encounter are more than decent. Maybe it's because we tend to gravitate to some of the better restos (Toqué, La Chronique, L'Express)...I dunno. Also, despite my being California-born and -bred (and live in the Golden State to this day) I'm pretty much a shameless Europhile in my wine preferences, so it's a real treat for me to run across wines like Edmond Vatan's Sancerre, Domaine de Bellivière's Côteaux du Loir, Jean-Marie Fourrier's Burgundies, Raveneau's Chablis, etc., all over town, usually (no doubt due in some measure to the exchange rate) at prices that I find dumbfoundingly reasonable. Of the places we typically end up, the most enjoyable list overall (there are two lists, actually) is found at L'Express. But the hopelessly inadequate stemware there drivies me up the freaking wall!!! I find it utterly confounding that they put so much effort into their list, only to serve their wines in glases more suited to the most dreadful plonk.

Re Brander's two high-end sauvignons, the Cuvée Natalie and the au Naturel. They both start life as the same exact wine, fermented in stainless steel, in a cold room, with--and this is the unusual part--up to 24 hours of skin contact. Then the juice is run off to undergo élevage: the Natalie into French oak (the percentage of which is new I don't recall at this moment) and the au Natural into another stainless steel tank. The latter, therefore, never sees any oak at all, and neither one of them is barrel-fermented. As for oak in the Sanford pinot, I'm assuming this is the "regular" bottling: that cuvée sees very little, if any, new oak, so what you're perceiving as oak is probably something else.

Sorry for the delay, but my friend who had tried to buy Edith Remoissenet's « Le Petit Truc » was in France and Spain over the holidays and only today was able to get back to me. Here's what he had to say: "Concerning Edith, her restaurant was called 'Le Petit Truc, and you will recall (maybe) that when S_____ [my friend's now wife] and I were living in Beaune 1987-88, Edith went broke, and we were actually at the notaire's office the day before our wedding bidding on the little restaurant. Hubert [de Montille, a Volnay-based <I>vigneron</I> who also happened to be a Dijon attorney] was our advisor, and he held up his hand for me to stopbidding at about 750,000frs (it included the building and a fairly large garden/orchard). He knew exactly what the deal was worth as he was Edith's best friend and advisor. Needless to say, we are glad not to have been trapped into running a country auberge. Edith has supposedly moved out of the region, according to Etienne [de Montille, Hubert's son]." Hope this helps. Davidn Russell Santa Barbara, CA

Sorry, I'm not a fan of this wine. Pernin-Rossin, who has (I believe) recently retired and turned over the running of the domaine (maybe he even sold it) to Christophe Perrot-Minot, is/was one of the most ardent proponents of the Guy Accad vinification: i.e., chill the must way down, blanket it with a massive dose of SO2 to prevent the onset of fermentation, and let it macerate for an extended period of time (20-30 days) before warming it up and again and allowing fermentation to kick-start. The results are, to me, truly bizarre: weird weedy/leafy aromas of stewed vegetables and aromatic herbs (basil, mint). Not much better in the mouth, with an overly dense palate feel and overdone "fruitbomb" flavor profile that is the antithesis of elegance and finesse and seems not even remotely "transparent" in terms of expressing the terroir of its vineyard site. Combine all this with a vintage that is not one of the better ones for Burgundy in the '90s (only '94 was less successful), and I'm afraid there's not much pleasure to be found here. That said, in the interests of full disclosure, no less an authority than Michel Bettane of "La Revue du Vin de France" is an unabashed fan of Pernin-Rossin's efforts, and what I see as aromas of "rotting veggies" he likens to "bourgeon de cassis." I respect his opinion, but I also think he's flat-out wrong in this case. ;-)

Robert, Yes, I too remember Edith Remoissenet's little auberge and went there once or twice myself. An American friend of mine actually tried to buy the place, but he was never able to successfully negotiate a deal with Mme. Remoissenet, and he ended up coming back to this country, where he eventually started his own wine import company, bringing in--natch--French wines exclusively. I'm in reasonably frequent contact with my buddy, and I'll ask him if he has any idea whatever became of this gal (and her restaurant after she closed it). David Russell Santa Barbara, CA

Haven't been to Roellinger, but I have been to Boyer, and frankly, I would recommend it more as a place to while away an indolent weekend while cosseted in luxury than as a place to sample three-star cooking, since I found the food to be more workmanlike and serviceable than sublime. The Boyers themselves were absent the night we dined there, which may have something to do with the lack of fireworks, but I always thought that at this level (and at these prices, which, fortunately, didn't trouble us in this instance, as we were guests of Veuve Clicquot) the chef's absence should go unnoticed. And the wine list was surprisingly unimaginative for [my idea idea of] a three-star list. The Champagne list, however, IS up to snuff, and there's something to be said for reclining on a chaise longue out back and having Champagne served you from a silver cart stuffed to bursting with really excellent bottles, all seemingly available by the glass.

First of all, a tip of the hat to mamster. I just checked your website for the first time and found it way cool, especially your reports filed from Bangkok. I see you share my enthusiasm for Thanying. Here are a couple of more: Celadon The Sukothai Hotel 13 South Sathorn Road Understated, minimalist luxury is the watchword here...very zen. Said by many to be Bangkok's finest Thai restaurant, though Thanying gives it a run for its money, IMO. Nevertheless, you'll be floored by the extensive menu, the cool, refined ambiance, and the very discreet service. Unless you order wine (which is uniformly overpriced, another reason to opt for beer), your bill for two will probably not even hit USฮ-40. The rapport de qualité-prix in Thailand, as one quickly discovers, is staggering. Himali Cha Cha 1229/11 Charoen Krung Road Like Thanying, within an easy stroll of the Oriental and the Shangri-La, if you happen to be staying at either of these two hotels. This dark, funky cave of a restaurant serves up very decent North Indian food. The lamb vindaloo, for example, will bring tears to your eyes. All in all, far better than you'd expect it to be, given that it's in all the backpacker guides (not always exactly the S.E. Asian answer to the Guide Michelin).