HOLLY_L

One for Saturday dinner

I am looking forward to attending, most likely.

I've probably been there 10 or so times over the years, and it has been on my personal list of favorite restaurants for at least six or seven years. I've never had bad service, maybe some staff who seemed a bit unexperienced, but they were still passable, so I am surprised to hear such a report. As the article (and the eGullet headline) notes, however, there is not much buzz about it, and even I sometimes forget it when making dining plans. In fact, it's probably been over a year since I've been.

Since you and your girlfriend are both foodies, I personally agree that one major meal a day (while still ambitious) is manageable, and the kind of "sacrifice" that is worthwhile in situations like yours (or mine) where you don't have the opportunity to vist Paris regularly. Looks like a good itinerary.

robyn, while I certainly don't have the experience to know whether it is common to have a disappointing experience at L'Ambroisie or L'Arpege one out of three times, it seems to me that such odds are pretty unlikely if disappointment is used here to mean bad, mediocre, or even merely good food or service. I would guess even most "disappointments" at those restaurants would still involve excellent food/service. But even excellence would be disappointing if you're expecting the perfect or nearly perfect meals that are possible from those restaurants.

I have no criticism of the wine service I received in France. I am very much a wine novice, and generally at a starred-type restaurant, I ask the sommelier to help me choose. All the sommeliers were very good about taking my few preferences/thoughts into account and recommending something appropriate. But . . . I would say that the general lack of female sommeliers (and captains and servers) in starred restaurants in France certainly stood out to me (although it was not entirely unexpected, since I had read something to that effect here or elsewhere). I won’t go so far as to say it necessarily bothered me, but it is something that I hope would change. Like cmling, I see no reason why this shouldn't change in France, but I suppose it’s rather surprising to me that there was little evidence (to me) of much change so far. The noteworthy exception on my visit – there was at least one female server at L’Arpege.

I generally don’t read reviews in French (except possibly to scan for the so-called punchline), since my French is poor enough that it’s more trouble than it’s worth. But when I read eGullet reviews or other reviews in English, I definitely look for more than the punchline. I think julot-les-pinceaux is correct that detailed reviews are more important for a starred or otherwise destination-type restaurant. I think it’s useful to read whole reviews because a good reviewer will either explicitly or implicitly reveal his or her preferences (for example, preferring more or less traditional fare; being more or less influenced by the quality of the service and other star trappings; giving more or less weight to the quality/price of the wine list). And the reviewer’s preferences may or may not match my own, and thus, even if I were to agree with them on all the intermediate steps, we could reach very different punchlines. Of course, the more reviews from a particular reviewer one reads, the more one knows whether or how much to discount a particular reviewer’s opinions when it comes to one’s own choices. If I’ve already decided to visit a restaurant, I will also spend time rereading reviews prior to the visit to be sure I’m up on best ordering practices, e.g., menu v. carte, any signature dishes, etc., which is another way that the punchline doesn’t tell you nearly enough. Long story short – eGulleters, you’re awesome, keep the long reviews coming!

If I really only could pick one, I would pick L'Ambroisie, but I think you'd get a lot of different responses from the egulleters (many of them more informed then me). But I read a lot of reports before I visited France last May, dined at several two and three star restaurants, and thought L'Ambroisie was the best. There will be attention to seasonality there; but I can't speak specifically to game. L'Ambroisie has obviously been around a long time - probably when you were there last. I haven't read anything indicating that Pacaud is on the back side of the mountain as it were, but I've only been there once last year so can't compare. Although you mentioned this in terms of non big deal restaurants, it's also very true of L'Ambroisie. Pierre Gagnaire would be a very different type of experience, but again is certainly not someone who I believe people say is in decline. His is a much more experimental cuisine, and if you're looking for that, he would be a good choice. Again, I think you'd have egulleters going both ways, and I personally ranked PG lower than L'Ambroisie, and probably lower than L'Arpege and Ledoyen. But that's very much a matter of personal taste. I found that this website provided a useful clearinghouse for links to a variety of reviews of the most highly starred restaurants. If you enjoying reading reviews, it might be a good place to explore, beyond searching threads here.

Host’s Note: On another topic titled “If you could only pick one big deal restaurant in Paris” I mused whether Rather than muddy that topic with this discussion, I’ve started a new one.While I'm pretty sure almost all restaurants have at least one bad review, there are places that have more mixed reviews than others: Taillevent (also possibly an example of a restaurant in decline) and Le Grand Vefour come to mind. (I have not eaten at Le Grand Vefour, and given Robyn's request, would not recommend Taillevent.) Maybe ADPA and Le Cinq could be considered also in decline based on what I've read, although I'm less sure, and haven't dined at either? So I think there are starred restaurants that a consensus might steer the poster away from. Edited to add: I am trying to not criticize any of these restaurants (especially those I haven't been too, which I'm sure have their supporters here! Just trying to distill some of what I have read.

Two two-stars that I ate at that may be on their way up at some point are Le Bristol and Les Ambassadeurs. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Les Ambassadeurs may officially have that designation (the rising two star)? I had very good meals at both, and very good service as well. For me, Le Bristol had the slight edge. They were very close on food, but I liked the Bristol space better - more welcoming. FYI, I was in the summer restaurant, however, and depending on when you are in Paris in the fall, they may be serving in the winter restaurant, which I can't speak to. I believe both restaurants generally have very good reports here on egullet (that's how I chose them). There are many worthy three stars as well that are not on their way down, of course. Edited to add: thinking back, I thought the service at Le Bristol was a little warmer/friendlier, but only marginally.

Even as a (relatively) new eGullet reader and poster, I have quickly come to appreciate the many interesting, valuable, and entertaining contributions of docsconz. Thanks!

Simon_S I feel that I'm still pretty much a newbie. I also consciously try my best to put any minor gripes behind me, because otherwise I think there's a tendency to allow a series of (individually) minor grips to snowball together to ultimately spoil the whole experience. I also try not think about cost at all once I've committed to a restaurant. The method is not always successful, but I'd rather enjoy myself by thinking positively than work myself into a state by thinking negatively, even if it means I am not as astute a critic as many others here. Of course, "minor" is in the eye of the beholder, and what's minor to me may not be minor to others. But I do think that sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and there tends to be some sort of aggregating effect that can be hard to resist. This can also work the other way too though, to aggregate things positively.

I'm not sure exactly what this topic has evolved into, but I recently read this old quote that seems somewhat on point: NY Times I have also for years heard many complaints in the U.S. similar to what Ptipois describes: This may be a separate issue than portion size more generally though. Re American portion size at casual restaurants, I have seen commercials for TGI Fridays emphasizing "Right Portions," and while the portions still seem generous from the pictures, it may be the beginning of movement to portions that are at least not so ridiculous. Although the Fridays page notes: "Smaller portions leave more room for appetizers, desserts and, of course, margaritas." TGI Fridays

My single visit last May was luckily nowhere near so disastrous, although in terms of the quality of the food, it paled in comparison to most my other dining experiences at two or three star Michlins. But I did not have any issues with the service, which was very good. Perhaps this is because M. Vrinat was there during my dinner, and his presence may elevate the service. M. Vrinat was very gracious and welcoming. I also received the complimentary cognac, which was a nice touch. But it seems like even the service is hit-or-miss at this point.

I had lunch here today (rather than Ssam Bar, thanks to the wise advice in the Ssam Bar thread re the abbreviated lunch menu there). As a data point, it was a Saturday, and I got there sometime between 12:30 and 1:00. I was a single diner and was seated right away. While I was there, there were often a few people waiting, but never the same people for very long. I was seated at the bar near the front, and I did notice a (single) seat open up at the bar in the back where you can see the kitchen. I asked one of the waiters if I could switch, and he said he would check, but in the interim, my first dish came and I started eating, and no one ever came to tell me whether I could move, and eventually there was someone else seated there. (Once my food came, I was pretty focused on that!) I told the waiter that I had never eaten there and was open to suggestion, but that I was thinking of the sweetbreads. He said they were very good, but deep-fried and rich for one person, but I went ahead with the order anyway. I said I was also thinking about the spicy tripe, but I was hesitating a bit, so he suggested he would put in the sweetbreads order, and then I could decide if I wanted more. The sweetbreads were indeed very good and very rich, but somehow I struggled through to finish them. They came with a sweet chili sauce, which was nice as well. After I finished, I decided I did have room to try the tripe. It was pretty spicy (a bit spicier than I expected after reading that some of the dishes at Ssam Bar were labeled spicy, but were not). I liked the spice level (i.e, it was not too high), although it was spicy enough to make my nose run. The waiter offered some rice with it, which helped cut the spiciness a bit. The dish was very flavorful. Unfortunately, that was all I could handle, so I was not able to taste either the ice cream or any of the other dishes I was considering. E-gulleters, thanks for your advice as always! Edited to add: Also, the server asked whether I didn't want to order one of the ramen dishes, but I pooh-poohed that notion thanks to all your advice. I'm glad, because I wouldn't want to have filled up on noodles.

I wish - I am already being optimistic about having lunch and dinner! Yesterday I had lunch at JG (thanks to all the recommendations here) - prior to actually eating the lunch, I thought I would go to Ssam Bar for dinner afterwards. But the dishes were so tempting (I wanted everything!), that I ordered 4, and then was foolish enough to get cheese and dessert. I still might have been able to make it to Ssam Bar with an early lunch, but my JG lunch was at 1:45. And I still thought about going late night, but ended up being too tired/stuffed to stay up past 10. I think I will try Noodle Bar and will report back in that thread. Thanks!

I have a question, don't know if I will get a response in time, but hopefully someone on these boards might know. I am in NY today, and already have dinner reservations at EMP. I was thinking I would do lunch at Momofuku Ssam, but I looked at the website and realized a lot of these great dishes you're all talking about are dinner only, and the lunch menu is much abbreviated. Should I still go for lunch, and if so, what is best to order? Should I go to Momofuku Noodle Bar (which seems to have regular menu at lunch?) instead?

I had lunch at Ledoyen in May, but although I think there may have been a less expensive lunch menu, I got the regular tasting menu if I recall correctly. (But what was weird - I was dining alone, and they gave me menus without prices. I had read about restaurants that do this sometimes with the female guest when a man and woman dine together, but had never actually seen it. I'm pretty sure it was accidental in my case, unless they even seek to protect women dining alone from the indignity of seeing the prices.) Les Ambassadeurs is a bit formal and cavernous, although handsome enough. I was there for dinner, so perhaps lunch with the natural light would be a bit warmer. Plafield, there were many places in France where I could not make internet reservations, and had to stumble through on the phone (although many of those to whom I spoke switched to English). Some places that appear to have e-mail addresses never responded. However, Les Ambassadeurs and Le Bristol were exceptions to this, with easy and responsive e-mail reservations. I had dinner at both of those restaurants, so I can't speak to what lunch is like. Okay, to correct somewhat, I just checked my old e-mail, and apparently also was able to make online reservations with little difficulty at Pierre Gagnaire, L'Arpege, and Taillevent; so in my memories, I may have magnified the difficulty of having to make phone reservations in French just because I had to call a few places. I also confirmed every reservation I made one or two days in advance, just to avoid any disappointment. I made most of my reservations about a month or a month and half in advance and had no trouble reserving anywhere except L'Astrance, although I was reasonably open about dates and times within my two week vacation. The Les Ambassadeurs reservation I actually made a bit later (2 weeks in advance or so?), and it was not a problem for a dinner reservation. If you have no reason to delay, I would probably make the reservation about a month or so in advance, and then you'd have it out of the way. For starred restaurants, I think they are probably used to taking reservations well in advance. If you do need to delay, and have some flexibility, then you're probably safe waiting until later, but I can't say how long would be too long, of course.

I am very sorry about what happened to ajgnet, but for what it’s worth, and in contrast to some of the other comments, on my only visit to L’Ambroisie (last May), I found the service very charming. I was a (relatively young looking) 30-year old with limited French. I thought the service was among the best I had during my whole trip--certainly not overly serious or solemn, but to the contrary, everyone (including Mme. Pacaud - and I thought agjnet described the woman not as middle-aged, but elderly, and I would not describe Mme Pacaud as the latter?) was engaging and also patient with my limited French. (At several other restaurants, the servers always spoke to me in English, despite my efforts to try French.) Perhaps they paid special attention because I was dining alone, however. I was also there for lunch, which may have a different atmosphere, I suppose. There was (at least) one table of (apparent) regulars there, and they were actually quite entertaining, but I did not feel like the restaurant catered more to them than to me. And the food was also among the best (if not the best) that I had in Paris (or elsewhere). L’Ambroisie is on the short list of places I will try to visit again on my next visit to Paris (here’s hoping it’s soon), rather than trying a new restaurant. (I have been meaning to write up my whole trip for ages - ajgnet has the right idea - live in Paris for a year, and post as you go, so you’re not daunted by the prospect of writing up everything at once! ajgnet, I am enjoying all your posts.)

Interesting article re the ban: Here Some background but a lot about one of the events at Cyrano's.

I received an e-mail from ASPCA concerning Farm Bill 2007, part of which is opposed by ASPCA. There are several provisions that ASPCA didn't like, but this, from the sample letter they are encouraging members to send, caught my eye: I think I'll send a note to my congressperson encouraging passage of that part of the proposed Farm Bill! [i support ASPCA, but I'd prefer if they stuck to protecting dogs, cats, etc!]

I don't know what's going on politically, but a court dismissed the lawsuit. News report re lawsuit

I've lived in Western Springs for a couple of years now, although I'm sad to say I've only been to Vie about 4 times - most recently a couple weeks ago. Everything I've ever had there has always been very good. Last time I had the foie gras - hopefully Village of Western Springs won't follow Chicago's lead and ban it too. Very nicely seared, accompanied by puff pastry and I don't at the moment recall what else. For my entree, I had the chicken ballotine wrapped with bacon. Delicious, crisp bacon and lovely tender chicken. I had the nice and generous cheese plate to finish. It was a Monday evening, and pretty quiet. Bottles of wine that are non-reserve and not available by the glass are half-price on Mondays, by the way. No problems with service.

Thanks for the thoughts. I have been able to replace Atelier-JR with Arpege, which will probably be a better overall experience, even though Atelier-JR would have been interesting, I'm sure. I am going to keep the Taillevent reservation, I think. For one thing, that is scheduled quite early in my visit and would be hard to replace with something else at that point. But I am optimistic that the food will be good, and I'm sure the service will be great and the evening pleasant all around. I still have one night free - my last night in Paris. I had been thinking about doing something more casual, but my flight is not until about noon or so the next day, so no reason to hold back, I suppose! I am now trying to take some notes about stuff like at which restaurants I should order the degustation menu, signature dishes, etc. But I'm sure I will have to put some reliance on M. Pascal and others at most of these restaurants, since they are all new to me. How exciting!

I am not planning on more than one of these starred-type restaurants in the same day - as it is, it will still be a lot to take in physically and mentally and spiritually (not quite the word I'm looking for, but you get the idea) over a two week period! I am traveling alone, and seemed to be having more trouble reserving at restaurants for dinner, while lunch was generally available. I don't know if I just was calling/e-mailing too late - I started a little over a month in advance, but I suppose that could be too late for some of these restaurants. [Edited to add:] I had previously been unsuccesful at getting a dinner reservation at L'Arpege. Is the degustation menu available/the same at lunch? I'm not sure why, but Les Ambassadeurs had been flying under my radar, and hadn't really been on my list. I will go research now. Thanks!