freshsnail

Dear Robyn, Spring is very small. The entire menu is half the price of a first course in a three star restaurant. Of course it is easier to get a reservation in a three star restaurant- it will also cost six times as much money. Just to clarify: Most of my customers (at dinner) are French and don't know a thing about chatboards. We see most of our customers about once or twice a month so the place is effectively full of regulars who book a table every few weeks. We are also open 5 days a week which seems to me more often open than closed... The restaurant has been full since September 7th until February 6th. Lunch is still available about a week in advance.

I wish I had some juicy gossip to fuel the Michelin Star flames, but unfortunately my inside information is mostly from the outside. I had some customers that claimed to know something about something about getting a Michelin star, but here is my take: A Michelin star would make me downright giddy, but is very unlikely unless Michelin wants to create a new image for the Michelin star and the book in general. I think 'the critic' is right about the Bigarrade, but I don't think it has to do with being native french. The inspector that came into the restaurant and introduced himself last december was himself British. The food at the Bigarrade was technically 'perfect' and represents years of high level professional cooking on the part of Christophe the chef. Star or bib gourmand or whatever, i'll be glad to think that The Guide thinks that their 'readers' would like my restaurant. The clients that call me up and mention the Guide Michelin are very nice and quite remarkeable. I have a great deal of respect for the Guide Michelin and the few people that i've met that are associated with it. Very professional. I'll be in Japan when the news comes out, but I won't be holding my breath. The restaurant will be closed from March 1 through the first week in April. I'll reopen with or without a Michelin star as long as the customers keep calling and asking nicely for a table.

Hello EGullet! I haven't looked at the forum in sometime and I'm glad to see that the customers are satisfied! I don't know what it is like to have to try to call SPRING for a reservation and never be able to get a table... The idea of a restaurant that is full all the time is a nice one, but fully booked ALL the time is really good for no one. When I find a solution, i'll let you all in on it first. As for vacations- The restaurant was closed most of the week of October 29 (we did a special dinner in Dijon) and December 22 to January 3. I spent some time off my feet and didn't cook anything for nearly 2 weeks! I'm not sure I recovered from much and so I made the decision to take a longer vacation beginning March 1 and ending whenever it is done. This time, however, i'll be cooking. With the help of a journalist from Tokyo, I have found a stage in Kyoto at an ultra-traditional restaurant. I'll let you know where exactly, as soon it is confirmed. I admire chefs who can go all year round, no vacations, 6 days a week, etc. I created Spring with a built in safety net for sanity. The thing doesn't cost that much to close down... Neither in lost revenue nor in fixed costs like rent and co. In total number of days, I take about as many days off as your average frenchmen. Don't forget that although the restaurant is not open 7 days a week, there are at least 6 days of work per week to keep it running, clean, pay the bills, receive deliveries and etc. Somone thought I would be closed for 4 months.... but it will be more like four or five weeks. In order to keep SPRING interesting for me and you, these breaks are essential. For many reasons, the thing can't go on forever, but I can try to keep it fresh and interesting for as long as possible. Off to Japan to relax, to change the pace, to learn some new tricks, to eat... The details of a book deal will also be negotiatied during this time, most likely through an agent and editor in London. 365 days of SPRING... a working title. Spring will probably reopen sometime mid April. I will start taking reservations as soon as I am ready to reopen. I'll try to leave a fixed date on the answering machine or on the blog. For the moment, lunches on Thursdays and Fridays are frequently available until a few days before. No plans to expand or change location for the moment. I always have a gazillion ideas- I said 'plans'. I am hoping to expand the wine list and maybe the number of hands in the kitchen to help me out. Looking forward to seeing you all soon. -Daniel Rose What would you recommend as the best way to get a reservation for dinner at Spring in early May? I know they've been booked months in advance and if they're closing in March/April should I call at the end of February to try to book for May? ← Wow, I don't know. I usually call a few weeks ahead FOR LUNCH (except for one night when I booked the place for 16 of us) and negotiate dates. He's a terrific guy, a genius as a chef, as I said to him today he's "the son I never had," but, he's only got 16 seats (17 if he cheats) and that's it; no bar, no terrace, no back-yard (well, he does, but you wouldn't want to sit out on the ground out there), no expandable tables. So call frequently and see. TMK, he's not booking now beyond March. I could be wrong. But you simply cannot go wrong here; our Jerusalem artichoke soup/puree with Colvert bits on top (with a true piece of shot inside - don't tell my dentist), half-cooked dorade with was it three accompaniments?, and dense chocolate et al; was/were incredible. Plus the customers, at least one of whom were eG members, and journalists, who flock in between services, apparently, regularly, add a lot of excitement to the scene. Try, try, try. Disclosure a la the rules: We got 2 glasses of Chardonnay "offert". But the rest was paid in full and oy*, does it hurt. *Edited to add that the oy was for the dollar/Euro exchange rate that day not the price of the meal. ←

Hello E Gullet New York, I am somewhat familiar with the France section of egullet as I have been written up a bunch of times. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...=0#entry1312105 I am an 'expat' American with a restaurant in Paris. I thought you all might have good insight into what I shouldn't miss in New York. I like to eat everything from pastrami sandwiches to caviar. Money is not as much a part of the equation as quality, authenticity and fun. I've eaten (and worked) in several Michelin 3 stars so I think I know what's up. I'm not a critic... I like to enjoy myself. Eat and drink well. Do I need to bring a jacket and a tie to New York? I will be coming to NY (a gift for my waitress who has more than earned it) on July 22 and then to Chicago (my home town.... any help there would also be appreciated!). Thanks Egulleters Daniel Rose www.springparis.blogspot.com freshsnail@free.fr

I am privileged enough to have been present at the Hidden Kitchen dinner... It was great food and great fun. It was the best place to be in Paris on that Sunday night. I was impressed by the effort and the execution, although I didn't think about it too much... I was busy enjoying myself and the discussion at the table. All the pieces were there: food, wine, deco and good company. As for questions of legality, I spent several years trying to open a 'legal' restaurant in Paris and I'm convinced that Braden has found a very viable solution. Bravo! A class act from start to finish. Excellent rapport qualité/prix. As Felice mentioned, Root beer floats don't excite our french friends... That's ok. I happily drank whatever they didn't finish. I had not had one of those in 10 years.

How funny… Last night on M6 there was a programme all about how to make a perfect steak frites and during the show Daniel Rose (from Spring) goes to what I think was a Belgium French fry shop in Paris to learn the secret of perfect French fries. I had never heard of the shop and tried Google and Pagesjaunes to no avail, I wonder if it’s this place. ← No idea. A long time ago, way upthread, we were discussing those little jutting out fast-food places in Paris that dispensed frites or crepes or now paninis. Not many left but this place is so small it has no telephone apparently. One of us will have to drift by. ← Hi egulleters The frites place on the tv and on the rue oberkampf is La Frite Bruxelloise.... 110 or 101 rue Oberkampf... It is cooler than it is good (but not bad + I 'needed' it for my reportage), but I like it after too many beers on my 'free' days... It is owned by Arnaud something or other who is also the owner of the french Pain Quotidien franchise... Nice guy and a real pro. Daniel

Hello everyone. I check e-gullet every once in a while to see if people are still satisfied. This is the first time I've posted... Sounds like the waiting/seating time is troublesome for more than a few... Like the food, the restaurant changes a bit everyday. When the restaurant first opened I managed to serve everyone at their own rythym. This was before the long days, short nights, and stress started to take their toll. Serving everyone at the same time is easier for me and I find, as other people have mentioned, that a single service enhances the experience (as long as no one arrives too late). The single service all at once thing seems to create a bond between the guests and between me and my guests. This is not always the case. Some people are put off by this sense of 'community'. When all are willing, everything falls into place- I get excited and the food is inevitably 'better'. People leave happy. The last month or so has been a good test of the one service system, but it clearly needs to be pushed to its logical and practical end... Dinner starts at 8:45! Come in, get comfortable at 8:30 or earlier if you want but at 8:45... I will start being more clear with people from the moment I take reservations. I have mostly wonderful clients who will be more than happy to comply... I am confident this will improve the situation. I'm glad that many of you have enjoyed yourselves at Spring. I look forward to making it an even better experience.