julot-les-pinceaux

I'm so revolted by that Pascal Henry thing -- it's stupid and ridiculous and offensive, not respecting himself, not possibly enjoying the restaurants, not respecting the staff there, and ridiculously burning money for no object but a vain collection. I hope the guy felt into the sea.

No problemo -- we did not have a light meal, and we had many of the wine pairings by the glass. Thanks for the kind words and Senderens is amazing, but as I wrote several times, there is a user manual in order to ensure that you make the best of it. Let us rediscuss this when you come and we can study the menu on line.

I was indeed very busy this week -- took me two days to recover from that stage at l'Arpège. Senderens seems like a good idea -- he is one of the best chefs of the last century, incredibly talented and important. I wrote recently in this forum about how to best order there, because some dishes are merely good and some are truly exceptional. I also wrote about Senderens here: http://www.julotlespinceaux.com/2007/09/se...and-erotic.html and some more recent pictures there: http://picasaweb.google.com/jultort/Senderens4Avr08 . Those should give you an idea whether this is the kind of place you're looking for.

I dropped by yesterday (while I was waiting to watch Kung Fu Panda!!) -- the place of course is as georgeous as ever. Menus are 135 and 210 (tasting), in the evening. Most of the dishes are classic Briffard, directly from les Elysées, some taking advantage of the world-class ingredients he now has access to -- e.g. langoustines, cochon des aldudes, or the seabass dish with wasabi and green apple has been replaced by turbot. This sounds thoroughly exciting, but alas, if the chef enjoys better means, customers have to have a larger pocket as well, as for this exciting sole meunière for two at 230eur. Anyway, I'm sure there is some three star potential here and I hope I can mug some old lady soon and go check by myself.

That would be a tough one for me. One of them makes me sick and the other leaves me hungry. That said, Gagnaire is the higher risk, higher reward choice. L'Astrance is also likely to be less expensive, since cost will be kept under 290 per person no matter what (that's the price of the surprise menu with surprise wines --do they even have a wine list, by the way ?). You can see a recent review of Gagnaire on alifewortheating.com and some picsand comments of a recent meal at l'Astrance on my Picasa gallery http://picasaweb.google.com/jultort/LAstrance28Mars2008 and a more through blog report here: http://www.julotlespinceaux.com/2007/09/la...vent-grand.html Also, maybe you could explain your pre-choice, your tastes and expectations for more personalised advice?

Sorry. BE is Ducasse's and Kayser's bakery. It has some great breads, sandwiches, courses. The main shop is bd de Courcelles, closed during the holidays, but they have a branch inside the department store Le Printemps which will remain open all month. By the way, I started my own list of foodie adresses in Paris in August and everyone is welcome to contribute: http://www.julotlespinceaux.com/2008/07/pa...vertheless.html

Don't know, but BE@Le Printemp is open all month (unlike the main adress on bd de Courcelles)

It's a Carrefour, not a Leclerc. Some pics of my last meal: http://picasaweb.google.fr/jultort/LAmphytrion9Juillet08

Closed in August, like everyone else. And reviews are not mixed, since the bad ones are wrong.

Confirm Senderens closed for three weeks in August, starting sunday --- it was open all summer last year, but not this one.

It's in the hotel Lutetia. 45, bd Raspail, +33 (0) 1 49 54 46 90. And, my bad, the lunch deal is 60eur, not 50.

Le Paris has a 50eur lunch menu including drinks that gives access to all regular ALC items -- great value for classy food and setting, methinks -- luxury at bistrot prices. And of course Chez l'Ami Jean always 32 eur menu carte lunch and dinner, just like La Régalade -- best bistronomiques in town, imo.

Le PDG, rue de Ponthieu, with his Lalos(le Quartier du Pain)-made buns.

L'Arpège, Le Cinq, le Bristol, La Grande Cascade, Senderens, l'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, La Table de Joël Robuchon

Also Senderens, Robuchon (Table et Atelier), L'Arpège, le Cinq, le Bristol Are you saying that Guy Savoy is open mid-august?! That would be a first.

Absolutely. 29 is an age for three stars, not two. See Le calandre. In any case, those records never last. Heinz Winkler was once the youngest three stars (in Tantris), and he now is the longest holding three-star restaurants out of France.

Not yet, but it will come. My under 50 eur list in Paris include Wally le saharien, Chez l'Ami Jean, La Régalade, Pho 14, Asia Palace, Thao Ly, Sollia, l'Auberge Bressane, l'Acajou, le Bistrot d'à côté, and that new North-Chinese place that just opened on rue des Colonies and whose name I can't remember. I'll send more detail later if you need to.

It was a special request, and the place is genuinely Italian -- even in Italy, some trattoria tries to please their clients. But I must tell you that 1- I don't believe authenticity matters and 2- The point of a Trattoria in Romainville is not to eat better than in Italy. Certainly Luna Rossa i snot as wonderful as some meals I had in Napoli. But they were in Napoli, and as far as Romainville is from Paris 8th, Naples is further.

I've been talking about this one for a long time but now I have pictures: Luna Rossa, rue de la République in Romainville, is a very good and simple trattoria, with a super nice boss running the place. The highlight is the flambé pasta inside the parmesan wheel, but the frito misto is also worth a try, as is basically everything. I just love that place, even if no one, aparently, ever wants to go to Romainville. Yesterday night we paid 103 eur for three, and we had more than we wished for. Here are the pics: http://picasaweb.google.fr/jultort/LunaRossa4thJuly 45, Rue République 93230 Romainville 01 48 40 49 80

We were not insiders enough to know that someone in the kitchen would eventually be a great chef. But both Passard and Barbot were noticed very quickly when they started their own restaurant. Barbot was all the talk in town a few weeks after he opened. So was Senderens, back in the days when he opened l'Archestrate. Passard was the youngest chef to get two stars at the time, in that hotel where he was before he opened l'Arpège.

Thanks fresh_a, that sounds exciting. Is it lunch only or simply great value?

Hi BPS. The Passard story is the one in the Michelin magazine, Etoiles. It mostly has very good pics. I went to the US but only on the East Coast -- you can find pics on my gallery picasaweb.google.fr/jultort/ (I haven't had time to report in detail on recent meals but I will, meanwhile you'll have to wait with the comments on the pics). Ubuntu was wonderful, so was JRNY, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns was really excellent.

Not sure how Freudian your beard is, but I beg to differ with your statement. Not that flower and drapes matter (they don't to me), but that exceptional food require special attention. The reason Passard is so expensive is because he serves you vegetables that never knew the fridge and came, literaly, by TGV. The result is incomparable, and so is the price. His is not a particularly luxuous restaurant (which make the prices even more shocking). To me, Rose is a good chef but he does not create the exception -- no wow, no emotion, just very good food. To be honest, it does not really pass the test you mention somewhere else (the "I can't do better at home" one). In general, while I love a restaurant that is simple and unceremonious, I don't think that exception can come cheap. I find Ledeuil talented but plates do not get the attention they deserve and average ingredients can't create exceptional food. But again, it's not like I have a better idea about tomorrow's stars. Chefs I admire tend to get out of business.

I wish I could tell you that there is a restaurant which I consider to be the future -- but so far, all future stars candidates (and most recently appointed ones) have rather disapointed me. In Paris, there's one restaurant whose evolution I'd like to follow, if there's one: la Grande Cascade, because chef Robert is a great perfectionist and so when and if he starts being more inspired/find his own style, this place could move from excellent to wonderful. I also think that l'Acajou has great potential but I am not sure how he can fulfil it. Also I must say that in my experience, wonderful places tend to disappear, not appear. But frankly I would not mention Piège, Rose, Ledeuil, Anton...(Oops, just did) One place that connoisseurs unanimously rave about is le Mirazur in Menton. There are also exciting reports from SaQuaNa in Honfleur. Haven't been to either (though I'm planning to go to the later later this month).

Those guys are good. Their Passard story in that issue is really good looking and moving. I hate to say it, but they're good.