menton1

I guess Saigon Republic in Englewood has become old reliable. The food is so consistently good there, why do we have to seek out a place in Ridgewood? P.S. Jason, what happened to Truffle? He was a lot cuter than that sandwich!!

Yes, Scripps TV. But Fine Living is far superior IMHO. And that's why I question why they won't put this excellent show on Food TV.

The show "Opening Soon" on Fine Living Network is terrific. It gives one an insight into what it takes to open a restaurant. They also have run the gamut from big corporate-sponsored restaurants to mom 'n' pop places that are investing their life savings. It also shows all the vicissitudes involved in starting up a restaurant, from the contractors, to the permits, to the furnishings, and the staff hiring. I have found it fascinating. A quality show. I guess they won't show this on Food Network, it's too good a show!!

Well, using the same logic, you could say there is certainly an overpopulation of dogs, and they even might be delicious (I wouldn't know.) Who cares if they're cute?

Do they have any outside celebrations in Nice on the beach or the Promenade for New Year's Eve? Seems like a great venue!!

As Yogi says, "Nobody goes out on New Year's Eve anymore, the roads are too crowded!!"

Actually, it was a disaster. They estimate that about two dozen bears were wounded, not killed, and they ran off, so their fate is unsure. Some, though, will suffer for days or weeks with their wounds until they mercifully pass away. What a debacle. I also saw some of these hunters going out with their 9- year old children and gave the kids guns to shoot with. And people complain about PETA handing out flyers to kids?

Another type of venue you might consider is a jazz club. Parisians LOVE their jazz!! Some of the best musicians on either side of the Atlantic are here. The 3rd and the 4th Arr. probably have the most, but they are everywhere. Also you can find all the listings in Pariscope.

This reminds me of the show "Opening Soon" on TV. That show is excellent, and it lets you see why these openings get delayed and delayed. The 3 top reasons are money, money, and then money.

I wonder if this whole Atkins craze means a softening (double ententre?) of bagel sales-- it's amazing that after Atkins passed away, they started a whole new marketing campaign with a new logo as well, and it seems to have taken off. Personally, I'm with the Dean Ornish school of thought, so I will continue to scarf up those bagels! P.S. Jason, what happened to Truffle? He was a lot cuter than that sandwich!!

Ed Levine was on the radio today with a sneak preview of his Bagel reviews in the NY Times next Wed. He didn't name any names, but said there are still a lot of good bagels out there. And with the proliferation of Atkins, bagels are slightly out of favor with the hoi polloi now.

Holly, have you tried Neuhaus? Might come close to the ones you mention!

There is a certain "je ne sais quoi" about Katz' pastami because it is hand sliced. I don't know why it is, but that hand slicing gives a flavor and texture that can't be matched with machine slicing.

Can you get the sweet bologna in the Philly area? I've only seen it out Lancaster way.

Would a club with live music do? There are loads of these-- those Tourist Traps around Pigalle are an absolute atrocity-- You can start with http://www.parispages.org for a comprehensive list of all activities and nightlife; The A-Z pages are also very useful-- their site is: http://a-ztravelguides.com/world/europe/fr.../nightlife.html Also, upon your arrival, check at a newsstand for the Pariscope newspaper-- it will have all the up to date happenings and venues. Whatever you do, stay away from Pigalle!! Bon chance!!

It's completely different-- Lebanon Bologna (they pronounce it bo-lo-na) is a strong, spicy sausage from the Pa. Dutch country-- There is also a Lebanon "Sweet" Bologna that has an unusual taste, and it is quite sweet and spicy!

Wow, cassoulet-- lots of beans... They say they invented the recipe during the hundred-years war... I had a delicious one in Carcassonne, France-- but after you eat it you are just about paralyzed from the tremendous quantities of beans, duck fat, and pork fat. It is tasty though. The locals there say they eat it 3 times a week! (French paradox?)

I don't know if it's Korean or Chinese, they have a lot of Korean products in there, and a lot of Korean ad postings in the doorway on the way out-- regardless, you can only buy stuff in bottles or cans there, the place has been cited numerous times by the health department-- I think it was even shut down for a few days a while ago...

Any guide expressing an opinion will generate complaints, including Michelin. The NY Times restaurant reviewer will always generate complaints. It goes with the territory. The thing I like about the Pudlo is his descriptions; he can tell you about a chandelier, the artwork, the size of the room, a mini-bio of the chef, and lots of details about the food. This can be a terrific aid to getting a feel for a place before you go. I have been steered to many good meals by the Pudlo. Some better than others, but nothing's perfect; I just think for getting a baseline of information about restaurants in Paris, it's very helpful.

By Chinese Market, do you mean the Korean Supermarket that used to be Shop Rite? Or is there a Chinese market nearby?

There has to be some message in this about Michelin-- In all of Rome, there are only 8 one-star restaurants (all Italian). It somehow seems peculiar that Paris would have 4 Italian 1-star, and Rome only 8. I think the Michelin system is definitely skewed toward French-style restaurants, and restaurants in France overall.

With thousands of restaurants and potentially hundreds of great meals to be had, your choices can be dizzying. You should probably narrow it down a bit by price, neighborhood, and style. For my money the best restaurant guide for decision-making is the "Pudlo Paris", where the descriptions are much longer than Michelin, and more opinionated. He also describes the ambience and types of dishes offered. He groups them by arrondissement, and also uses black and red symbols (I wonder where he got that idea?). The book, alas, is not available in the US, but you can order it on amazon.fr, or buy it upon your arrival in Paris. Bon appétit!

I have to take issue with this. This is more stereotype than fact. I have traveled extensively throughout France, and I've encountered an obnoxious person there about as often as I encounter one in New York, Rome, or Venice. The French are quite tickled when I attempt to communicate with them in their native tongue. I know they do dislike loud Americans who assume that everyone in France speaks English. As a rule, the French have a very polite, reserved society-- Americans are far, far more rude and brusque than the French. I won't go into detail here, but I have had numerous experiences in France where someone (not in the tourist industry) has gone above and beyond to be extremely friendly and helpful to me. People are really similar everywhere, and I've always had mostly wonderful encounters with the French people.

On another note about boulangeries, I've notice in the past several years that more and more of the boulangeries are now selling big varieties of sandwichs, little pizzas, and other types of snacking foods. I even saw a fancy one in Paris making Poulet Roti outside. What accounts for this "branching out" phenomenon, and how long has it been going on?

The town of Sarlat-le-Canéda is a mid-sized gorgeous village with a breathtaking medieval center. Cahors is a little more modern, but has a great historic bridge over the Lot River. Either would suit you well. Both towns have fabulous Saturday Markets. Some very good restaurants, as well as a countryside phenomenon called Ferme Auberge, where all the food is grown and/or raised on the premises. Enjoy!! This is the kind of thing we're looking for. We want to be in town--walking distance from stores and markets. We want an Internet cafe in town. We want restaurants nearby. We'd like not to have to use a car everyday. Bruce Take a closer look at Sarlat and/or Cahors. Good mid-size towns that will have what you are looking for. A lot of Internet cafés. Sarlat has one of the loveliest medieval town centers in all of France. Cahors has a stunning medieval bridge, Pont Valentré. Both have large, interesting markets on Saturdays, and smaller ones on Wednesdays. And the entire Périgord/Quercy area is full of beauty, history, and great food!! Périgord Photo Gallery Pont Valentré