Louisa Chu

NOT FRANCE. I'm seriously thinking of TAKING UP SMOKING while I'm in the States.

Le Violon is closed on Sundays and Mondays. The default Sunday dinner place in the 7th is usually La Fontaine de Mars. L'Arpege was open last week - but they're closed weekends. Another place closed for vacations until March 1st is Poujauran.

Dan did I say anything about the Michelin guide NOT being for tourists? And I'm sorry but you're wrong. It's fairly easy to get a table in a three-star in Paris right not - because the Parisian clientele has gone on vacation. And these clients drop 300 a week - easy. Some go to the same two-star lunches every single weekday. Sure it's different in the boonies - and maybe back in the day - but that's what the scene is right now in Paris. Marcus - OK - I get what you mean now. As far as El Bulli and L'Astrance - M. Barbot had dinner there a few years ago - thought it was all very interesting - some of it very good - no direct influences - his influences he sees as coming of course from L'Arpege/M. Passard.

goyatofu - Cordon Bleu will help you get a stage - after you've earned your Patisserie Diploma. That's the policy - it's very clear in the school contract you read and signed before you paid your tuition - ditto on the refund policy. The stage policy is not their policy - it's the official French government stage policy - an official stage is done after studies are completed. But the fact that you're asking here whether or not that paperwork even exists - after you've made all these accusations - is really troubling. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but if you want to stage in Paris you'll need to learn harsh - and hierarchy - and fast. A stage is a privilege - it's not a right.

Dan, those restaurants are in hotels because they're subsidized by hotels - not because they're for tourists. And it's not tourist money that decides whether or not one-stars - two-stars, three-stars, no stars - survive - it's local and/or regulars' money. Tourist money is very much appreciated but it's the gravy. John, I know we're on the same side, but can I just clarify that Michelin stars do not only serve the fashionable - followers, etc. - that there are a lot of Michelin starred restaurants that are not much more than bistros - and maybe that says more about the leveling of bistros and restaurants now in Paris. marcus, it's not clear to me that PW is not talking about tourists - and talking about resident Parisians - and if that means French or expats or whatever. But I do totally agree that this may or may even be a valid argument about so-called trendiness in Paris - and certainly irrelevant, distracting, and dangerous tacked on to a review of Hiramatsu. And I know what you mean - but if I can just make another semantic clarification - for those who don't know as you do - L'Astrance is not hypertrendy food - it's so not about trends. I went out to Rungis with M. Barbot a couple of weeks ago and had a head-spinning, heated, traffic jam discussion - literally, the traffic was backed up coming back into Paris. At some point he just kind of almost shouted at me "Mine! It's just a normal restaurant!" Yeah - right! But later - I had to concede - I know what he means - fundamentally his is just a normal restaurant. But what he's too modest to even acknowledge is that it's with an extraordinary chef. Dave, you're thinking of Le Soleil. But here's my serious - serious - concern with the Hiramatsu review. But let me say that I have not been - but a couple of the guys from ADPA had gone a couple of months ago and thought it was very good - it's generally considered quite good by the current top chefs. The review proclaims "How the Mighty Fall" - leads with a provocative, irrelevant argument, claims hearsay as fact with alleged cancelled reservations, backhand compliments even a good dish, says that the chef got it right only half of the time - but the only - only - serious complaint was with the veal dish - saying it tasted fishy and was way overcooked. OK. But with such a damning - crippling - review I'd expect to see something gravely - gravely - wrong. So - what gives? I'm not saying - yeah, rush out and go to Hiramatsu - but why the viscious - fatal - attack on Hiramatsu?

Dwane, that's not the site for the locations in Paris - that chain does not have locations here in Paris. I had a friend from Cordon Bleu who loved that place - always went to the one in the 8th - but then again he was not a fan of French food - nor the French or Paris or France for that matter. Me - for steak in Paris - I'd either go to Chez Denise or Au Boeuf Couronne.

Paula, you're really digging the neo-Alsatian stuff - me too. Mon Veil Ami is M. Westermann's new place - Pim had dinner at his three-star place - check out her food blog last week - great pics. vmilor, the tables are pretty well-spaced - they should be able to pull the chairs next to each other for you.

Flammenkuchen is basically the Alsatian version of Quiche Lorraine - it's usually just pastry, cream, onions, ham - no eggs - I guess life was harder in Alsace than Lorraine. And the Meurice dining room definitely has windows.

What! Jesus, when did that happen? Back in October. The last I heard M. Conticini was back in Japan. It breaks my heart to see the shops shuttered. They were hands down my favourite patisserie in Paris.

When was that, and how did it come about? Alright - you're baiting me - because you suspect I'm the aforementioned geek - Seige of 1814 - history lesson here.

ludja, thanks so much - but that's no article - it's just toast - it's nothing. And I have yet to have that cake - I've got to go in sometime and start with the cake. Lesley, tragically Peltier is no more in Paris. jgould, Au Bon Acceuil is in the 7th - oh wait - I see why you're confused - Pages Jaunes comes up with another listing in the 11th - but it's the one in the 7th. Au Bon Acceuil 14 RUE DE MONTTESSUY 75007 PARIS 01 47 05 46 11 And jml3 - I like the Brouilly - and hey - ixnay on the eller-say - OK? And I guess I've got to start with the raspberry cake AND the baba.

The official food geek/historian - redundant - answer to what's a bistro is that it supposedly goes back to the Russian occupation of Paris - Russian soldiers pounding their fists on tables demanding quick service - "Bistro! Bistro!" or "Quick! Quick!" Obviously they did not understand that that is also the international request for "Please spit in my food." And the first bistro born of that ill-fated idea was supposedly La Mere Catherine Restaurant up in Montmartre. As for how to define it now - good question - and I'm not even going to try this late at night. And the waiter's explanation? Bullshit - utter bullshit. Ben Stiller - I've spotted him out at dinner too - back in Beverly Hills - with Calista Flockhart when they were dating. Maybe he's a foreshadowing of a bad dining experience to come.

Pim - OK, three star meal, pix great, thanks - but the Scarywurst - I love that stuff! The Austrians do a sandwich version called bosna - which is one of the best drunk foods in the world. There's an especially good truck in the middle of Innsbruck that doesn't even bother to set up until the middle of the night. Bon voyage girl.

I'm feeling very Dead Ringers. Imagine a set of Ripert kitchen/surgical tools.

Jamie, maybe it's your body's repressed desire for nicotine that makes you think it's better here - the smokes are actually stronger here in Europe. Maybe the contact high just mellows you out. And Bux - to take this away from bistro-talk again - I love St. Sulpice - and its environs. And hey, who's to say I can't have PH patisseries before dinner? And one of my favourite cafes in the city is right at the place - Cafe de la Mairie - the best place to hunker down over an Ispahan or two - when your urge says maintenant. Marlena, thanks so much. And you're better off - what kind of a person brings tension to the table at Chez Denise?

Hey Lisa, you're on vacation - relax. Here's the link to the Ferrandi restaurants page - it does claim that they're only open to people with an teaching relationship with the school but maybe that's just the official line. And yes, would love to hear more about your abat work. Bonnes vacances.

Bux, thanks - for the address - and the kind words. jgould, thanks too. Margaret - duh - thanks, yes, it's St. Eustache. marlena, sorry to hear that - but they do allow smoking and dogs - probably even poodles! The place is officially called A la Tour de Montlhery - but everyone calls it Chez Denise. Bux listed the address above. The phone's 01 42 36 21 82. They're open 24 hours, Monday through Friday - mercifully closed Saturdays and Sundays. If you want rich food, rough wine, noise, and smoke - go. If you have an aversion to any of the above - don't.

Bistro? Paris? There can be only one - Chez Denise.

And who eez zees German boy who leaves refrigerators full of knee-weakening foods? And any coincidence that this visit coincides with Valentine's Day? Eh, fraulein? And I want those dried persimmons. Now.

Oh for godssake no - don't start asking them what they want - can o' worms. Kind of kidding - sort of. Yes, the average French person has a greater history - and tolerance - of glazes - but you're seeing them less and less - especially in the more modern houses. Personally, I hate glazes. But one of the things I have done - for petit fours garnished with a single raspberry - is to invert them, then fill them with a bit of red confiture. But the bottom line is that I doubt the raspberries will hold plain a couple of days.

Bill - me too - not the fat thing - sorry - but yes, it's all part of a bigger problem. But that bigger problem's not going to go away. But you know what? Maybe we could all get together and lobby for artificially flavoured white truffle oil to be labeled as such. Oh wow. What a glorious day of victory that will be. I'm sorry - I really do agree with you - I really do - I'm just not willing to fight this fight. As for eating - yah! No kidding! It's not just what you eat - but what you don't eat too! Like any low mass, high calorie food! But really - good luck and congrats on your weight loss - it's not easy. But maybe we'll hold off on those bucket o' truffles - sides of mini-corn dogs and okra too.

Schielke - my man - I was thinking Doritos too when I was writing potato chips. Bill, I don't totally disagree with your feelings on truffles - but I have been having this urge to batter dip and deep fry a bucket full of small black truffles - not white, just black. But as to the artificially flavoured stuff - who you calling obese pal? And one windmill at a time dude. I know this could be part of a slippery slope argument - greased down in fake white truffle oil - but you really think having artificially flavoured white truffle oil in any way affects the obesity of Americans? Uh-huh. I know it's part of a bigger problem but maybe it's a generational thing - my generation always lived with the big killer problems - we just don't go nuts about why they exist - they do. So let's just try to deal with them. Label the shit - and move on.

Not all white truffle oil is synthetic - I've made the white truffle oil myself at ADPA! If they're talking about all white truffle oil sold retail in the States, then maybe they should say so! Bill - explain yourself please - why do you think black truffles are a fraud? And Russ - I feel so...betrayed. What's the fraud? The fraud is that if it's not oil flavoured with real white truffle, then it's not white truffle oil - it's artificially flavoured white truffle oil - and that's fine if it's labelled as such. The harm? This very discussion is the harm. Look, I think artificially flavoured just about anything can be fine - oil, chocolate, potato chips, etc. - but the harm comes when people don't know there are light years' of difference with the real deal - not just you and the Thomas Kellers in the States.

The reason why the restaurant was empty was because it was too early - dinner service usually starts in Paris restaurants at 20:00 - I'm sure the place was packed by 20:30. And they do have a set price dinner menu - only about 30 Euros. And Bux is right - they offer limited choices to reduce overhead and possible losses - keeping the menu price low.

Hana Food 15 RUE LETELLIER 75015 PARIS 01 45 77 74 71