robert brown

The head of the dining room should have been Reine Sammut's husband, Guy, the biggest jerk (to put it family-suitable language) I have ever encounted in any restaurant, let alone what was then a two-star one. We stayed there a couple of nights five years ago, and while we were standing around for 20 minutes after checking-out waiting for someone to bring us our car, we saw him walking his dogs wearing a shirt and a pair of underpants. It showed us how much he cared about his paying guests.

Then there's the question of how much inventing he will do between October and April. Is this a measure he is taking to give himself some more time for other activities? Juli, are you there?

I'm confused here. What is a "menu" when in six months Adria serves perhaps 100 dishes. Is he going to eliminate certain dishes such as the ones that he sees that many diners don't like or the ones that often come back untouched? I thkink we need some clarificaton here. I dined there twice last year and it seemed that three-quarters of the dishes were different between the two meals

Doesn't the ENIT have a website? It's the Italian train system. It worked okay for me recently.

I'm off to Nice next week for a week, Menton. If I get a chance, I'll check out some of these events and let you know. I told Jonathan Day to take his kids to La Rotonde restaurant at the Negresco. It's magical. One of us should write about it.

I'll chime in with Ledoyen, just to make wnissen even more confused. I had a delicious meal there, although the servers weren't the most friendly. However, if you told the restaurant in advance that you're on your honeymoon, perhaps that will help. I recommend it also because of the historical aspect that you are looking for. It's about as old as a restaurant gets and they haven't messed around with the interior. It's also not the most expensive three-star in Paris. I guess Arpege is. I really like the food and the people at Arpege, but it's somewhat functional in decor, although it is small and intimate. Le Pre Catlan is certainly pretty, but I had a really bad meal there about two years ago and am loath to return or to recommend it.

I have to admiot to having more than a nodding acquaintance with Eli Zabar. I go through periods of going and not going to Taste. Lately I had been stopping by every two weeks or so before I went abroad for late December and half of January. I have the occasional problem there. I think the management of the place has slipped, but this I find always offset by my long acquaintanceship with server Dorothy, who disappeared to work at Bid, but has now returned. I was disappointed recently with the rib-eye steak, which has changed from a thick Nieman Ranch to some this anonymous one that was overcooked and too meager to really do anything proper with it. However, I didn't understand the "satisfactory" rating, which, relatively speaking, is rather appaling since "satisfactory" is what two stars tend to be. Marian Burro's text didn't jibe with the several dishes she liked. To me, Taste is capable of putting out tasty, honest dishes more often than not. Her review (and others like it) is a good argument for doing away with ratings since, to use one of my favorite sayings, "They try to say everything and end up saying nothing"

Sockettrousers, I used to dine on Marc Veyrat's cuisine fairly often after my first meal in 1986. For a time it was great eating. My last meal there was around eight years ago. I think he has become a swell-headed,narcissistic celebrity chef (face lift and all) with that ridiculous hat he always wears. I wish I could tell you about his restaurant today. Some people hate it and others like it. It sounds like he is trying to be the French Adria, and to me there is only one Adria. I can safely say I have eaten my last meal there. I hope someone else chimes in who has been there in the last couple of years. Where in the 06 do you live? Or will you be travelling through there (Alpes-Maritimes)?

PM Jellybean. He knows all the culinary resources in the area. I gather you want new.

In all of food television, the personality I get the biggest kick from is Jean-Luc Petitrenaud, the host of France’s TV 5 “Carte Postale Gourmande”. He’s an amusing character, rather fey and highly-animated who loves mugging to the camera. Each week he visits one or more restaurants, food artisans, farmers or winemaker and makes them seem so special that you want to visit wherever he has been the next time you go to France. Indeed, you may not even have to go to France to see the program since TV 5 has an American service that is available on some cable systems for about $5.00 a month. Although there are no subtitles, “Carte Postale Gourmande” is a treat even if you don’t understand French. If you go to the TV 5 web site and find the page for the program, you can get the names of where Petitreynaud has been on every program. Nearly three years ago, “Carte Postale Gourmande” made a stop at a restaurant-café-bar, Le Maurin des Maures, in the town of Le Rayol-Canadel on the Var coast a bit west of St.Tropez. The establishment specializes in fish and offers a bouillabaisse that one needs to order a day ahead. Jean-Luc made the place seem so appealing and the bouillabaisse so delicious that my wife and I put Le Maurin des Maures on our “hit list” right along with L’Ambroisie and Pierre Gagnaire. A year ago we were frustrated in going by the abnormally cold weather that kept the fisherman at bay: a good sign, however, as it removed from the equation the possibility of the use of frozen or refrigerated fish. This year, however, the weather cooperated with a warming trend and having rounded up our Nicois friends Monique and Andre to accompany us, I phoned and order a bouillabaisse (or “bouilla” as the chap at the other end called it) for four. Arriving this past Sunday at 13:00, we walked into a bustling, busy restaurant whose walls were covered with clumsy reproductions of famous French paintings such as Vincent Van Gogh’s “Portrait of Dr. Gachet”, various Modiglianis and Picassos, maladroit works by the local amateurs and the “de rigeur” photos of management with celebrity visitors. The clientele was nearly all French with a smattering of Brits. The place is heavily weighted to taking care of the locals given the large bar that divides the café and the restaurant, and a small room in the front devoted to electronic games and simulators for the small fry, a sheath of racing results and a small counter for taking bets on the ponies. One of the waiters seated us at one end of a relatively small communal table next to a picture window that gave us a view of a hill overdeveloped with houses and the sea several yards away. It was tight quarters pretty much, with little leeway if you needed to get out and go to the bathroom. As bouillabaisse is a one-dish meal, our waiter soon brought out a “poele” filled with cooked fish. Given my place on the opposite side of the table and the quickness with which the waiter returned to the kitchen, all I manage was a fleeting glance. He then reappeared with a tureen of the fish soup, a plateful of toasted bread, the “aioli” which was a golden yellow from its saffron, grated Gruyere and four garlic cloves. We found the soup thin and the flavor too redolent of saffron. However, the “aioli” was just right and without an overly garlic-taste. With another tureen of soup, a second waiter brought out the fish which were numerous in variety; about a dozen including rascasse; St. Pierre; rouget grondin ( the larger and lesser of the species;) vive ( a sandfish with stingers); congre (a snake-like fish); galinette, and a medium-size crab among them. The generosity, unfortunately, was compromised by the strong flavor of the soup. Our friend Monique, a superb Nicoise cook, hit the nail on the head when she said that because “soupe de poisson” is often made from inferior fish found on the rocks, its strong taste overwhelms the finer fish used in the bouillabaisse. My wife judged the Maurin des Maures version no better or worse than the one best-known to Americans: that of Tetou in Golfe-Juan. I disagreed to a small extent because I found the former more generous in its variety of fish, even if the soup at Tetou was thicker and more flavorful. Also, at 48 euros a person the Maurin des Maures bouillabaisse was a relative bargain. As a locale for having the dish, I prefer the more down-to-earth and local atmosphere in Rayol more than the all-English-speaking, white tablecloth atmosphere of Tetou. Somehow valet parking and bouillabaisse don’t seem appropriate, not unlike having the option to order the dish with a lobster thrown in. I think we all left with our expectations somewhat dashed, but to whatever extent they were, the ride home with a stop in charming Le Lavandou and through beautiful Bormes-les-Mimosas made the medium-distance excursion from Nice very worthehile. For my wife and me, it was our first good look at the Cote Varoise and its back-country, both of which were more striking than we imagined. Meanwhile our hunt for a superb bouillabaisse continues, even though it takes place in fits and starts. Marseilles will be next, I suppose.

Loufood, I think this may be better as a PM to you, but I like the idea of sharing it for what it's worth. I had a very good lunch at Jounie in Nice and left my convives hanging around for me because I wanted to talk to Jounie on your behalf. It turns out he did not work at el Bulli, but at the restaurant in Sevilla. Nonetheless, he told me something that I am sure you already know. If you are talented (and I have no doubt that you are) you will get to work at the various stations. If not, you'll be cutting vegetables and cleaning fish, etc. It would behoove you to learn some Catalan, as that is the language in the kitchen. But I imagine Castillian Spanish wouldn't hurt. Jouni did feel at a disadvantage, however, not speaking the language.`He also mentioned something about a lot of note-taking that goes on. Whatever, he said it was a great experience.

Loufood, someone down here in Nice gave us one from a place called La Peche Mignon. It was noting like any of the above. It had candied frit on it, maybe almond cake. We had a piece and then got rid of it. This chef Jouni spent a season at el Bulli. I will try to ask him about it at lunch tomorrow. I hope you don't spend the whole time cleaning fish or chopping vegetables.

I'm not aware of el Bulli ever having served burritos, but you never know when they might.

Did anyone post the joke about the Chinese man who brags to a Jewish guy about how long there has been Chinese food?

Come to think of it, I did have one of the rice dishes. It may have been with squid ink. Does that sound familiar?

Bruce, you may be surprised how many Americans own apartments in Paris (and houses in provincial France), particularly academics, who want to rent them to other Americans. You may be going at a time when owners are returning back home. Alumni magazines are good places to start looking, particularly Ivy League ones. I don't think the owners ask a lot of money and you would be paying in anemic greenbacks as well. Americans may also pay a bit more attention to maintenance and creature comforts.

I thought that a banette is a type of baguette that has pointed edges. My wife and I go out of our way to get the "ribeiro" of the Ribeiro in Cap d'Ail. There is also one in Nice a few blocks west of Av. Jean-Medecin next to the "Voie Rapide" that we visit after shopping at the Liberation market. Their "ribiero" is a big, heavy, yeasty baby much superior to what you find at the fancy Multari mini-chain. The somewhat similar "Pologne" at Paul in Cannes we also like. JD, Jellybean and I should do a blind tasting next time we are all in the area at the same time. I'm even willing to throw my glucose levels to the wind.

I'll throw this into the mix, having spent three unforgettable summers in the area. Even though I am a homeowner in Nice, you may want to consider the Savoie-Haut-Savoie region. You could be an hour or less away from Lyon and the Rhone Valley; near the extraordinary Lac d'Annecy; not far from the Alps, which is great if you ski; and fairly close to southern Burgundy. It's not really rich on culture outside of Lyon and Grenoble, however. If you like landscape, really good food and wine; and peace and quiet, it's a wonderful place. Four months worth in the face of the rest of France, however, I don't know. What level of comfort are you looking for in terms of a rental property?

Bruce, as little traveled as I am in the Catalunya, I ended up driving back for second helpings at Rafa's and Hispania. (Of course, I believe Victor knows what he is talking about.) I do have to say that we were underwhelmed by the two paellas we had at Can Majo. We even like more the Valenciana-style ones at the one-dish Chez Miraille in Nice, even though theirs lacks the "crust" that the Can Majo ones had.

Jellybean, thanks for those updates. We stayed at the Cap Estel about seven years ago. It indeed was somewhat down at the mouth, but, as you say, the site is wonderful. It is on a little "cap" with, of course, the sea on three sides. It doesn't have the surroudings or milieu of the Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, but affords more intimacy and privacy. It could be good. I don't see Americans patronizing it, though. My guess is lots of Italians and maybe some Brits will stay there. It will be a nice spot for a meal, too.

menton1, I'll report back when I get there. It's cold in New York, though.

Yesterday's Gastronomie. com reports some potentially tasty culinary developments in Cannes, Nice, and Monaco. Gualtiero Marchese, the best-known post-war, modern-style chef in Italy will have a restaurant in the Noga Hilton in Cannes. Michel del Burgo, who recently was the head chef at Taillevent is taking over the kitchen of Restaurant Chanteclair in the Negresco Hotel in Nice, replacing Alain Lorca who purchased the Moulin de Mougins; and Joel Robuchon is to oversee the kitchen of the Hotel Metropole in Monaco in May, with his former employee Christophe Cussac, now at the two-star Hotel La Reserve in near-by Beaulieu, as Chef de Cuisine. On the surface it sounds very tasty, but with these half-assed arrangements famous chefs make more as consultants than chefs as we traditionally know them to be, only time will tell. Right now the Negresco situation seems the most legit. I'll try to dine there and pass along my impressions. Meanwhile, after my watching it sit and fester for many years in a barely-built state, the reincarnated Palais de la Mediterranee is opening January 5. It will have apartments, a 188-room hotel, a casino and a restaurant or two or three. Maybe I will give that a try as well. Regardless, it sound like some you pan-France gastronomic nomads will at last have to stop avoiding the Cote d'Azur.

Let's see now. Gault and/or Millau cried over Alain Chapel's "Gateau de foies blondes a la Lucien Tendret"; Jeffrey cried over the roasted goat at Cesare and Albert Adria cried over the giant clam at Sushi Hatsu. I'm glad my wife never forgets the Kleenex when we go out to dinner. Who knows where or when you might need it.

Not reading Vogue except when getting my nails done is the price I pay for not being a cross-dresser. I also have to admit that I haven't read all the chapters in your books, although if eGullet had executed the notion to have a preliminary discussion that included me, I would have felt like a kid again, cramming the night before a final. So, as I like to say from time to time, "Somewhere in Cyberspace I stand corrected." I feel a bit stupid, but am glad I posed the question since it elicited a magnificent answer. I am delighted you took the time to answer it so well and in such a time-consuming, fastidious manner. And no, I don't know Jean Dumonet and I never felt compelled to become a regular at Trois Jeans, even though it was in my neighborhood. One "Jean" is all I ever need.

Jeffrey, in your commentaries in the November Vogue of some new restaurants in New York, you include the Dumonet restaurant at the Carlyle Hotel. You wrote that each dish had a major failing, possibly due to the fact that "M. Dumonet was nowhere in sight". It reminded me of the old Gourmet Magazine reviews that Jay Jacobs wrote that were often prime examples of what I call "Home on the Range food journalism" ("Where never is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.") In fact, he once wrote about an establishment that he found lacking by saying, "Perhaps the restaurant was having an off-day". I am curious to know if it is the policy of your magazine not to have writers ride roughshod over restaurants, either be giving them the benefit of the doubt or not writing about them at all. If there is such a policy, spoken or unspoken; does it apply to only certain classes of restaurants; i.e. American versus ones in Europe? Your comment raises other questions as well: Was it fair to write something negative about the food based on one visit, and do you imply that underling chefs in some restaurants can't prepare the food properly unless the boss is in attendance? Count on me to pounce on the one brief paragraph that I found dissonant in what is a very useful and fine article.