julot-les-pinceaux

Taillevent always was a very good restaurant with lots of appeal. However, I don't think chef Solivérès is a match for chef Briffard, and the way I hear your experience, PhilD, is that a bad Briffard day and a good Solivérès day are equivalent. But Taillevent, besides decent food, has exceptional service, wine list, and is very fairly priced. No one I kno< ever had wonderful food at Taillevent.

If it were so, I wonder why we should be dealing with food and recipes and commenting products and preparations here in the first place. This board should be devoted to travel and taste experiences in regard to the various settings, not to food itself. Your coffee anecdote is very charming and we've all had experiences of the sort. It is, if I may add, an experience of the extreme since coffee in Paris is so terrible as a rule. But I believe it is off-topic regarding Conticini's kouign-amann version 1.0 (2.0 is out, about which I can say nothing until I taste it), which truly had nothing to do with what a kouign-amann essentially is, and adding seagulls and seamen singing shanties on top of the experience would not have made it a kouign-amann an ounce more. There are such things as the romanticism of seaports and briny winds of Brittany, but I do not believe they would make me accept something that is not a kouign-amann, or gâteau breton, or properly made crêpe de sarrazin, as something that is. It is important in our activities to know whether we're dealing with food or dealing with poetry. The two can perfectly be joined, but when it comes to commenting food, they have to be dissociated. That is precisely what you are doing, in fact, when you are commenting that coffee. Julot's approach was the reverse — claiming that the appeal of an age-old recipe (and not just any recipe, kouign-amann, no less) could be entirely based on the romanticism of the setting. An idea which even he, I am sure, considers absurd deep down. (Adding to that the fact that kouign-amann is not only made in Douarnenez but in all of Brittany, with various results, depending on the products and skills — though the seagulls and brine are always there, all around the long coastline.) For one thing I am interested in how Conticini could structurally change the recipe in such a short time: did he decide to apply the proper multiple-layer treatment to the pastry, with butter and sugar between layers? For those elements were totally absent from the first version. Julot, if you have pictures of the new thing somewhere, would you please share? I can't locate it on your Picasa, there are two pictures of the cake but they look absolutely like the one we've experienced the first time. I don't have pictures of the cakes -- they didn't make it that long because they were excellent. I have pics of the Saint-Honoré, though, they are new. Version 1 did have the proper layers. But it did not have the crisp and therefore was more of a brioche feuilletée than anything else. Version 2 has the crisp and more sugar and this creates the texture play caracteristic of the Kouign-Amann, along with the layers. It is still, in my opinion, a Parisian pastry, but this time it is delicious. Like the Paris-Brest, its main characteristic is that it is hard to stop eating it. By contrast, Génin's pastry provoke admiration and satisfaction with one bite. Conticini's appeal is different. My point before was not about the seagulls (sorry I was not clear). It was about 1/the doubtful relevance of the notion of authenticity and 2/the importance of the environment. I still think that a proper breton Kouign-Amann is too buttery and too sugary to be considered a wonder in Paris, whereas it is fundamentally in accordance with the land of Finistère. The same is true about Comté, that does not TASTE the same in Paris and on site. Part of it is because of the effect of travel, but I do believe that the air and other environmental factors affect the overall taste experience and the ingredients, in a very physical manner. I was not going all Prousty and emotional. Like anything else, food has an environment and thrives in the right environment. The socalled authenticity is the opposite of that --e.g. if you do it exactly like it is in Beijing then it will be better, to take another example, than if you adapt to local ingredients and customs and taste. I was not aware that Kouign-Aman was an age-old recipe. I thought it was an early 20th century invention, like, say, the Paris-Brest, from a patissier in Douardenez (Le Goffe I think?). You can find some all through Brittany for sure, but with significant variations and with more frequency in Finistère.

Fresh_a, I don't know if Conticini reads eGullet. I didn't assume he did. The reason I think he heard our criticism is because I voiced it the second time I went. The other reason is that the KA was corrected exactly in the direction we suggested. In general, I share my criticism of them with people I respect, as I know precise and justified criticism is helpful for perfectionists.

Fresh_a, I don't know if Conticini reads eGullet. I didn't assume he did. The reason I think he heard our criticism is because I voiced it the second time I went. The other reason is that the KA was corrected exactly in the direction we suggested. In general, I share my criticism of them with people I respect, as I know precise and justified criticism is helpful for perfectionists.

Ma Bourgogne, Place des Vosges, is in the Marais and an unimpeacheable traditional bistrot.

In fact, I just went back yesterday and could not help noticing that they heard our criticism about the non-crispy kouign-amann. It is now much, much better. In fact, it is now one of the best items in the shop, along with the Paris-Brest. I also tasted the Saint-Honoré, which was impressive -- and I have some new pics of it at picasaweb.google.fr/zejulot That a Parisian Kouign-Amann has nothing to do with the Douardenez original is hardly questionable. But does it matter if the Parisian version is delicious and, actually, more Parisian? I even doubt that the Douardenez version would taste any good without the sea, the fishermen, etc (same way Parisian pastries taste stupid there). Conticini today is kind of the opposite of Génin, a profoundly regressive approach to pastry, something along the lines of "snuggle, mummy". Calling it patisserie des rêves is actually not an emphasis -- it's a description of how that place addresses the most inconscious, basic parts of us. They could have called it "La Patisserie des psychanalystes" but maybe that would have been less attractive?

I was there before you and got some cakes. Here are some pictures. The Paris Brest was pretty irresistible, and the tatin extremely impressive. The rest left me a tad disapointed, I hate to say. Let's try again in a few weeks. Packaging was truly innovative -- with little bits holding the cake in the box.

I thought that was already the case.

As a fairly regular client since Briffard came in, I can testify that the restaurant has only been getting better and better since Briffard took over. While I had some disapointing meals Briffard was out last winter, and even some disapointing plates when he was in (but then I complained and it got fixed), it hasn't happened since the spring -- the level of the food there has been getting closer to what it was at les Elysées (i.e. just top notch), including on the few occasions when Briffard was out. The only exception of course if the pastry department, and we hope the pastry chef leaves soon too. As far as I'm concerned, I hope Briffard gets more control and more staff goes. As for consistency, Le Peche is right of course -- I know of no palace escaping this problem, and as he points out, it becomes more of an issue because of the complexity and subtlety of Briffard's art.

The concept of the bistronomique is to have fine dining ingredients and techniques in a casual setting. As PhilD says, it originates with chefs trained in palaces and top restaurants (most notably Les Ambassadeurs under Constant, who trained Camdeborde, Jégo, Fréchon, Piège, etc.) who decided indeed to break the mould of fine dining while almost not renouncing the good things they learnt -- the precise cooking, handling of ingredients etc. Most bistronomiques are not particularly innovative, as evidenced by the examples PhilD listed. Traditional, as the name says, is traditional -- the food can be wonderful but its basics will not be fine dining. There might be big plates of fries on the side, terines served as hors d'oeuvre that you spread on bread, etc. That's where you're most likely to find bistrot classics such as cassoulet, escargots, pied de cochon, steak frites, ile flottante, etc. I also agree with PhilD that all categorisations are blurred. Young innovative chefs, or enfants terribles -- Inaki Aitziparte at Le Chateaubriand chief among them-- can be considered a third category of "bistrots".

Au Bon Accueil is also probably my favorite restaurant right now, and the pigeon is indeed awesome, as are the sweetbreads, the sole, and many other courses. But I don't think it qualifies as a traditional bistrot. It's pretty much a bistronomique.

It's not that the restaurant has lost both stars, it's that the restaurant is now a different restaurant, that does not have any star. Captains and sommelier are the same, and indeed they are brilliant. The overall room is kind of the same, though it's been modernized and gentrified. I think the kitchen is run by a guy that Briffard left here, maybe not his souschef but the guy under. Those guys have been well trained and my meal at les Elysées post-Briffard, though it required some more fine tuning, was quite good, but it was nothing memorable. In particular, it was no match for the room, which is unique and special. I would argue that les Elysées now is the opposite of a bistronomique, in a sense: a place that serves uncomplicated (if well made) food in a very luxurious setting with lots of space and a high-end service. As to before/after, let me be clear: les Elysées under Briffard was one of the best restaurants I ever ate at -- it was better than le Cinq is right now (food wise at least) because 1/ Briffard supervised each plate himself and 2/ he was designing the pastry department as well. I don't think the current Elysées are anywhere near competition for the old Elysées, but it nevertheless is a pleasant, less expensive (but much less good value) place. See some pictures of the three of them on my Picasa gallery -- picasaweb.google.com/zejulot

Prixfixe menu is 34eur (not $!). A three course meal is usually closer to 70eur, as in most bistrots, especially if you eat ALC -- meat for two, riz au lait. Indeed reservation is wise, even more so than in other Paris restaurants.

Your question is too open and last minute reservations are not an issue anywhere these days. What are you looking for? There's no way you'll experience every not-to-miss restaurant in Paris in three days. I wouldn't consider l'Atelier as one of them anyway. If we're talking fine dining/top restaurants, then the question is not which is the best but what are you looking for -- there are maybe ten or twenty exceptional restaurants in Paris but they won't please everyone the same way and they won't respond to the same expectation. For lower end dining, the question of chosing which ones are best is less complex but there's still a question of what you are looking for -- a bistronomique, a place with innovative cuisine, a traditional bistrot (low range or mid range), a wine oriented place, a special ambiance... In any case, welcome here and feel free to contact me directly.

The place has been overflowed with calls and reservations since then. Not that it was not a success already, mind you.

Of that choicei, I would definitely go for la Fontaine de Mars. The place in the neighbourhood that might be deemed better are in fact bistronomiques, in particular Au Bon Accueil and Chez l'Ami Jean. The former is my current favourite, the latter the best roast foie gras and cote de veau. Le Clos des Gourmets is also pretty good, but the age average is very high.

My commend of French is pretty decent, and names of courses in the menu just do not mean anything. Food indeed is often fabulous but sometimes it fails, as it did a lot when we were there with Plafield. It's fair to say that recipes are pretty ambitious.

It's an excellent, textbook traditional bistrot. They have all the classical Parisian/SW food you'll expect, lovely service, location, under the arcades, is great. And it's open everyday. Of course all those assets and this reliability come to a price, and it's more of 70/100eur kind of place than 50. It's always mentioned in great sunday ideas. They did know what they were doing: this is classical, typical, and a bit expensive, which is all we Americans are looking for.

The Obamas chose la Fontaine de Mars.

As far as I know, there's no discernable pattern on the whole except Passard is almost never there on mondays for lunch because he's not back from his weekend yet. And he's often there on friday nights. Other than that, he's there when he's not somewhere else cooking -- he's one of few top chefs to be actually cooking in his restaurant and have no unrelated activities. But hey, others are much, much more of a regular than I am. I'll ask.

About Chez l'Ami Jean -- Plafield is right that this was not an impressive meal. I should also confess that it has become difficult (and kind of pointless) for me to order anything there but charcuteries, whole foie gras and/or cote pour 2, and the standard-setting rice pudding, and indeed there are issues with the regular dishes too often. Even our cote de veau was not as perfect as usual. That said, just for the pleasure of correcting Plafield, Jégo was in the house for our lunch. In fact, he even yelled quite a bit, causing some strange but short moments in the restaurant.

Being solo is not a problem when reserving in restaurants in France (there are exceptions, not starred one to my knowledge). As for local foodies, you know where to find us.

I take that as a sign that you approve of the itinerary. I have however had 2nd thoughts about Balzar reading some very mixed reviews, and quite a few downright bad ones. So after a bit of research I've come across a nice bistro called Louis Vins which seems to get good reviews. It won't break the bank and the food is apparently very good. Has anyone here been and if so, are there better sunday night options? I've been through the threads here but none have appealed to me so far. ← I don't recommend Louis Vins, except for wine. Your sunday options include La Rotisserie du Beaujolais, l'Auberge Bressanne, la Rotonde, la Fontaine de Mars, Benoit, Chez George porte Maillot, Le Comptoir (less traditional but no less delicious ones follow:), Le Petit Pontoise, Fish, Christophe.

Can I come?

Thanks, Olivier ;-)