VivreManger

Now in Paris, but leaving in less than 20 hours. At this moment I qm thinking of cancelling the Ritz brunch. I finally tracked down some info. It is 76 Euros and features sushi & tempura along with more traditonal breakfast fare. At the moment, I am thinking of cancelling. Paris is not for sushi. I have decided to leave in the q for a French keyboard errors. It reflects q certqin local reality.

Called Les Ambassadeurs on a Thursday to book brunch for the week from the following Sunday, that is ten days in advance and the placed was already full(?!?). So I followed the reservation clerk's recommendation and got a table at the Ritz. Only in Paris would doing the Ritz be a comedown. I have tried to learn a little more about what to expect, have seen precious little specific descriptions of the brunch service and food. I assume that it requires a jacket and tie. Amidst all the buzz about Les Ambassadeurs brunch, the Ritz has gotten precious little attention. Boo hoo! Anyone been recently?

Yes. To be precise, they do not ask questions about cheese, but they do about meat, fruit, and vegetables.

Absolutely. The system is such a byzantine mess that the best advice is regular and substantive reports from frequent travelers about their experiences. In my case, I can say that going through customs in New England, the consistent question has concerned meat, and to a less extent fresh fruits and vegetables. Previously it was ruminants, now it is those plus fowl. Cheese and milk products get little attention.

I would also add that the main concern of the manual is not the individual traveler, but the commercial importer.

A meal my wife and I shared last month at Drouant was certainly pleasant, but not outstanding. We shared the starter, four corners of the earth. had separate main courses of fish, and shared the sorbet dessert, along with a half bottle of Puligny-Montrachet. The portions are generous. The service is good, but not perfect. They were too eager to remove items before I was finished. Their wine was insufficiently chilled. They replenished the requested Badoit with another water by mistake. The starter of tuna, giblets, Thai beef salad, and Italian tart was good three-quarters of the time. I did not care for the giblets, though I enjoyed the other three items. For mains we had daurade and cod. Both were good, but not outstanding. By the way the grilled daurade on the French menu became baked on the English. Don't rely on the English translations. The desserts were superb. One sorbet of grapefruit and kiwi. Another of green apple and sherry. The vanilla ice cream was the dullest. There was a fourth, but now 6 weeks later I don't remember, though it was memorable. The first two were the best. My advice: go there for dessert. Otherwise, I found the experience still earth-bound.

Where can one buy Jacques Genin's products? I will be in Paris for a weekend in early May and I was hoping to stop by his studio on a Saturday. I called him up only to learn that he would not be open then. As he explained, he is not running a "magasin". He did not object when I called his place an "atelier". In looking over this thread I noted that Yves Camdeborde, Auguste, and Le Cinq use his products, but none, I believe, offer retail operations. Is there any shop that sells his carmels, for example? Perhaps I should sneak in to check the pillows at Camdeborde's hotel to see if I can clip a few caramels after the chamber maid has left? Just saw Margaret Pilgrim's note that Pain de Sucre, 14, rue Rambuteau. 01.45.74.68.92. has them. I will give them a call to see what they stock. Any other Genin sightings to report?

I have just been reviewing the Dept. of Agriculture Manual. I hate to sound like the kid viewing the emperor's new clothing, but I don't find it very helpful. It is no surprise that custom's officials vary greatly in what they enforce. They simply cannot know what the regulations are since they are so complicated and change from month to month. The most practical information is to collect reports from regular travellers who can inform us as to what is being checked where. Mad cow disease, avian flu, et cet. are the variable flavors of the month for customs officials. Whatever is grabbing the headlines at the moment is most likely what they will enforce. I realize that this is not very helpful, but that is the reality of a system that is simply too complex to work.

Did you keep your receipt? Mine has all the relevant details, though I seem to have misplaced it for the moment. That should give you the weight and cost.

Quick report that unfortunately will not match the eloquence of the Gastroville report that inspired the purchases in the first place. On the morning of our arrival in Paris, I dragged my wife across town to pick up the lamb I had reserved. I had half a rack of salt-marsh lamb and a few chops of Pauillac for comparison. The salt-marsh came from the Mont St. Michel region. It was accompanied by a label of provenance: Agneau élevé sur pré-salé le grèvin Earl Le Gué de l'épine 50300 Le Val St Pére 02 33 58 10 58 Abbatu 21 02 06 I bought it on 5 March, nearly two weeks after it had been slaughtered. I don't know how it had been stored, but it certainly was not dry-aged, though it clearly had been hanging somewhere for awhile. Now all of us, informed by the name of the butcher and the farmer, should be able to buy it for ourselves. The lamb is quite delicate and exceptional in taste, though I have to admit I was not transported into another gastronomic galaxy. It was a cross between veal and lamb in flavor. The Pauillac lamb seemed crude by comparison. In preparing it, I followed the Gastroville recipe, searing it on top of the stove for a few minutes before letting it continue cooking at a low temperature in a convection oven for about 10 minutes or so. The result was rosy pinkish in the middle and crispy brown on the outside. I had it with a pleasant 20 euro burgundy from Marechal (??) that was recommended by LeGrand on Passage Vivienne. All told, I was glad I finally tried this legendary lamb, but I won't book passage on the next flight back to Paris just so that I can eat it again. However when I am next in the neighborhood... As for the price, it was quite reasonable, considering the rarity and reputation, a bit under 35 euros for a kilo.

Actually heard from the rellies and they are pro-Persian so I think we will all go to Patogh near the Edgeware Rd. Well-recommended and much cheaper than the alternatives which I will save for other occasions. Thanks for the suggestions. I may wind up with Persian for lunch and Punjabi for dinner, but since neither is abundant or necessarily good nearby where I normally hang out in the States, I will survive.

Some cousins of mine will probably want to take me to lunch on a Saturday, after a visit to the British Museum. They are based respectively in West Kensington and north of Regents Park. St. John's, Tayyab, and the Guinea Grill seem to be closed for Saturday lunch. Since I will be their guest, in all likelihood, and we will be a party of about six - young child included - I do not want to suggest anything too dear. I am hoping to do Tayyab and/or St. John for dinner, my two nights, with a slight preference for Tayyab, if I have only one night free. So my inclination would not be Indian for lunch. For various reasons Italian, Chinese, and Japanese won't work either. Good English would be the best choice, if my hosts can bear the thought. Any other suggestions?

UPDATE http://www.aeroporto.firenze.it/pagine/a_i...e/index-ing.htm FLORENCE AIRPORT WILL REOPEN TO AIR TRAFFIC ON APRIL 8th 2006 Florence, March 14th 2006 - Aeroporto di Firenze AdF SpA informs that Florence Airport will reopen to air traffic on the April 8th 2006 if no exceptional and unpredictable events arise, well in advance respect to initial planning. In the next days Airlines, informed by AdF, will organize the return of their flight operations to/from Florence Airport. For further information and reservations on flights operated at Florence Airport from April 8th 2006, AdF invites passengers to contact their Travel Agent or the Airlines direct.

What foods do they carry? I am particularly interested in citrus marmalades.

I too wondered what happened to Henri Voy when I found his rue Vignon shop turned into a truffle restaurant. Thanks for the update.

CORRECTION The M&S website where I learned about outlet stores is badly designed. In searching for OUTLET stores it provided all stores. The information on which my question was based is incorrect. In fact the only true OUTLET store in the Greater London area is in Woolwich, hardly worth the effort. There is no outlet store near Islington.

While I would not expect the Marks & Spencers outlet stores to stock chicken tikka sandwiches, do they ever sell preserves and other long-life shelf items? I particularly like M&S grapefruit marmalade. Does their stock vary significantly from store to store? I will be staying in Islington for less than two days and I wanted to know if any of the stores nearby (Camden Town, Holloway, Islington etc.) were worth checking for food and other standard items such as socks, underwear and sweaters (tr. pullovers).

We are meeting a friend for lunch and he is free to meet us anywhere. Unfortunately we have to do some work at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France Mitterand, which is on the line 14 in the 13th arondisement. Last time I was there about 5 or 6 years ago, it was desolate. Anything open up nearby the library which is worth going to for a good, if not superb lunch?

No sweat. Found it right away.

I assume that the Monoprix on Opera has this product. It flew out of our host's frig door and broke. The French plastic is thinner than the American. If Monoprix lacks it, I guess the choice will have to be Bon Marche across the river. Any other usggestions I should consider.

Went to 178 Convention on Sunday, bought salt -marsh & Pauillac lamb. Prepared it Monday night. Report to follow upon return.

Is anyone planning to go this year? Can anyone who has gone previously give me an indication as to what to expect? I gather there are free (?) samples to eat there. Are things given or sold to take away as well? Fowl has fled. Cheeses should still be chosen. Are meats cooked for sampling? What about fruits & veggies, as well as preserves of various animal & vegetable sorts? The website has the names of purveyors, but rarely what is purveyed and the terms of its acquisition. Sunday, the last day of the fair, is the day of my arrival. Aside from jet lag and too many other things already on my agenda, I am trying to decide whether or not the fair would be worth the schlep to Porte Versailles in what will be a cold day, if less wet than Saturday. For Sunday already planned is shopping at the Raspail Organic Market, salt-marsh lamb purchase, and an early dinner with friends. The Fair/Salon would conflict with a concert and museum visit my wife would like in the mid-afternoon, so if we decide to go separate ways for a few hours, the case for doing so must be strong. Even if the Salon is great I may be too pooped to enjoy it so that is another consideration.

Based on this and other threads I am packing for a Paris friend Enrico's Chunky Hot Salsa and a bottle of maple syrup from a sugar house in town, true vin de pays. Just to gild the lilly I will also pick up a duty-free bottle of Jonnie Walker Black Label.

About a year ago at the San Francisco Ferry Terminal market I bought a dry harissa mix that proved excellent, though over-priced. I don't think it was Juliet Mae Spices, though. The packaging was different from what appeared on the website you offered. Are there any dry harissa mixes available in France? Of course the spices themselves are not that difficult to find and from time to time I have put together the combination. What was good about the mix I bought was that it recommended Meyers lemon as part of the olive oil - - red pepper mix.

One of the problems now in suggesting French products to bring over for the American kitchen is that the amount of what was once unavailable or expensive in the US, but common in France has diminished. The primary culprit has been Trader Joe's which offers different European cooking and varietal chocolates, truffle oil, not to mention frozen desserts and a range of other products. The commonest form of harissa can also now be found in the States. In that regard is there any good mass-produced harissa in France, other than the internationally ubiquitous yellow and red packaged metal tube? I use it when I have to, but I would like something better. Another product I used to bring over was fleur de sel, but now I found that too widely available here. In fact the best such salt IMHO is not the salt from Britanny or the Camargue which I have, but Kona deep ocean salt crystals from Hawaii. I suspect that Trader Joe's nuts and dried fruits may be better and more adventuresome than what can be gotten in France, but perhaps that market too has changed for more variety. Aioli is not something I find as often in the States so I should pick some of that as well as Monoprix mass-market spice blends.