VivreManger

From France: Decades ago, before all the meat scares, I used to buy an open terrine at the charcuterie in Orly, bring along a baguette or two to the airport and finish almost all of it before landing in the States. If any was left over upon landing, no one seemed to mind. Cheese, lots of cheeses, particularly lait cru. Artisanal Chocolates from Michel Chaudin. Confit de fruits Pate de fruits Fresh pastry from Herme and others. One time I brought home for my wife a tray of almond croissant from a bakery on the street where we regularly stayed. She loved those croissants. Unfortunately, while hot and crisp when purchased, they became cold, limp, soggy and crunched up in the traveling. Only a few could be rescued. Tant pis. Pain poilane, though now one can get it fresh every Thursday in Boston, to be sure at thrice the price. Unusual varieties of eau de vie. Unusual soaps and olive oils. For the kids (and for my own guilty pleasure) lots of French mass-produced puds in impermeable packaging: flans, trifles, mousse au chocolat et au marron, baba au rhum, fruit tarts, creme brulee, etc. For a low cost, the quality is high. None of these products have made it into the American market so it is one of the few things to escape the monotony of gourmand-globalization.

I am thinking of taking lunch at Drouant next week. My wife does not enjoy a smokey meal, though she recognizes that she may have to put up with some fume. For a Paris establishment, how smokey is lunch likely to be? I imagine that towards the end of lunch service, as it gets less crowded it might be more comfortable, though the food might be tired and the choices reduced.

I want to find a present to bring back from Paris for a French friend, now living in the States. I know that she loves French coffee, but I want it to be a surprise so I can't ask her directly. Which are the best shops in Paris now specializing in fresh roasted coffee beans? Since I don't drink the stuff, I confess to complete ignorance of the subject.

How cooked is well-cooked, the instructions given for safe consumption of fowl? I usually like my chicken and turkey breast, slightly pink at the center and duck breast ruddy. Otherwise I find that it is too dry. Is overdone fowl now de rigeur?

This AM the NYTimes is running a story about the effect of discovering some dead ducks in an important poultry-producing area of France. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/24/internat...artner=homepage The discovery of the diseased wild birds has prompted some very serious responses. Over the last few days I have been too busy to follow the story in the French press, but I wonder if those who have can add anything else?

Les Pages Jaunes website lists under Butchers on rue Convention in the 15th, three of which two are relevant to this thread Boucherie Nouvelle Convention 209 r Convention 75015 PARIS 01 42 50 59 37 Jardin Jean-François 178 r Convention 75015 PARIS 01 45 32 71 05 Another website lists the Boucherie Nouvelle with its lamb specialty http://www.france-saveurs.com/regions_de_f....asp?ref_reg=12 BOUCHERIE NOUVELLE 178 rue de la Convention 75015 Paris Tel: 01 45 32 71 05 Agneau de pré-salé So the confusion is not limited to Pudlo. They all may be uncritically recycling their older editions, a suspicion that many have noted. That is one of the reasons why websites such as this can play a role in keeping the venerated authorities, perhaps, honest. I just called 178 rue de la Convention and spoke to Jean-François Jardin. Unfortunately the connection was bad and when I tried to call back the line was busy. There seem to be two different butchers with similar names and products. Jardin thinks he has the best region for agneau de pré salé. His competitor's source is not as good as his. It sounds like a classic name sale and semi name-change with consequent rivalries, eg, Bookbinder's, The Original Bookbinder's, and the True Bookbinder's. The printed authorities have been too lazy to clear up the matter. However my transatlantic phone conversation cut off in mid-sentence was not the forum for settling all these differences. Apparently the 209 r Convention 75015 PARIS 01 42 50 59 37 is still in business so maybe I should call them to hear their story. He gets his lamb on Tuesday. He is open on Sunday, 6h30 to 13h00 (only) and closed on Monday. So Felice if you call or go in the next week or so let me know what you learn. Tentatively I am thinking of ordering a rack of lamb for early March. He needs a week's notice.

Many thanks for the butcher information. BTW, what was your source? I cross-checked your listing with an old '92 Pudlo I have. Both were listed then with hearts. At the time Boucherie Nouvelle had just appeared for the first time. The description of Lamartine did not specifically include salt marsh lamb in its specialties. Pudlo is particularly helpful since it lists the days and hours of each shop. Did your reference book include that information. While Boucherie Nouvelle then and now offers the lamb specialty, much else has changed. They moved from 209 to the address you have, 178 rue de la Convention. They also have changed hands. The butcher listed then was the mustachioed Thierry Michaud. If it would not be too much trouble, could someone check the most recent Pudlo to learn what details they now include about both establishments? I would be curious to learn if they both still merit the heart commendation and what their hours are. Rungis has an interesting website, in French and English - - though the French is more complete - - that offers some more details about this kind of lamb and its rarity. For general information the site is http://www.rungisinternational.com/index.asp?numlangue=1 French http://www.rungisinternational.com/index.asp?numlangue=2 English Of relevance to this discussion: "Very little salt-pasture lamb is sold at Rungis Market, explains Mr. Jean-Pierre Ménager, Sales Manager for the company Sovia. It is very difficult to come by as is it sold mainly in the region of production. Our company sells perhaps ten salt-pasture lamb carcasses from the Havres du Cotentin per year…" http://www.rungisinternational.com/pages/gb/Dossiers/pc2.asp

This is the legendary salt-marsh grazing sheep, archetypally found in Normandy and Britanny in the shadow of Mont St. Michel. For a good description with a recipe check out this URL http://www.gastroville.com/archives/what_we_cook/000017.html There are similar types of lamb in Wales, British Columbia, and Quebec. I expect that if it is ever offered on a Paris restaurant menu, the price would be exorbitant, but I wonder if it is ever sold in Paris meat markets. And if so, would it be available in early March? Would someone like Serge Caillaud at Bell Viandier in the Marché Saint-Germain (rue Mabillon, 6e. Tel: 01.40.46.82.82) carry such an item or is it more likely to be found at a fancier establishment with its own website filled with distracting bells and whistles? I checked out one of those sites whose name I promptly forget because I was trying to suppress its moaning cow and buzzing delivery trucks, but agneau pré-salé was not listed, not surprising because it was not yet in season. Probably the best method would be to get the names of the fanciest meat markets in Paris and call them up directly. Anyone have such a list handy or know where to find it? This time I promised to ignore the macromedia flash dancing cows.

divina Today, 02:54 PM checking in from Florence... why staying in Prato? I think Adam has family there.. but not on my top 10 lists of places to stay. It is a nice tiny downtown. The conference on medieval history which is hosting me is taking place in the medieval downtown of Prato. Colleagues have recommended the Hotel Giardino near the Duomo as a good place to stay. I have studied Adam's Tuscan food diary with some care. I hope to try the local wares at biscottificio "Antonio Mattei". Do you know how far that is from the Duomo? I remember that you have recommended Luca Mannori. How far is Via Lazzerini 2 from the medieval center of town? His website is very snazzy, but user-hostile since it defies simple cutting and pasting of its practical details. Between Mattei and Mannori I seem to have located good places for gifts to bring to my hosts and family on my journey home. Even my Paris chocolate loving friends should accept pralines from Mannori. And the Mattei biscotti should be popular. Do you have any idea what their closing days are? How late they stay open? And if a Monday May Day will close everything? Adam Balic mentioned that Monday is the market day in Prato. The Monday of my stay is a holiday, May Day, so I wonder if it will be open. I believe there is also a market held on Wednesday right near the Hotel Giardino. Given its location I would expect it to be much smaller than the regular Monday market and certainly smaller than the Mercato Centrale in Florence. May should be a good time to start getting some wonderful fruits and vegetables to stock my minibar. Can you advise me in general on market days, hours, and locations in the Prato-Firenze area? have you been to Florence before? Over nearly fifty years this is at least my tenth or more trip to Italy and perhaps my fifth or sixth to Florence and Tuscany. I have traveled by car, plane, and train through much of the country, from Sicily to Friuli and the Dolomites. also why flying into Forli? I think you can get cheap flights from stanstead to Bologna.. I just did BMI london Venice which was nice... then stayed in Venice for a couple of days and trained down to Florence. when I am flying to the states in March.. I am going up a day early to eat in Bologna.. and then it is easy to get to the airport by bus Since my first message my plans have been set. Now it seems that Florence-Peretola-Amerigo Vespucci Airport will be open in time for my trip to a degree. My consideration of the Bologna-Forli-Pisa alternatives was based on the assumption that it would be totally closed. It seems that Meridiana airlines, the only one based in Florence, will resume flights prior to their competitors. Two calls to them brought this insistent claim. Given that Florence is their flight center, it is reasonable that they would have priority. As for the alternative airports with cheap flights, their availability varies with the day of the week. On some days Forli seemed the only airport with RyanAir flights from Stansted, but I have not studied the issue in full detail. . I have been living in Florence for 22 years.. so let me know if I can help.. There is a subject on which I could use some advice. On the Sunday of my arrival in Florence I have been thinking of renting a car with some conference colleagues and driving, more or less, toward Bologna to meet some cousins. from Rioveggio. They have just sold a restaurant they ran in Zola Predosa for many years and are taking a well-deserved sabbatical trip to East Asia so until their return sometime in early April, they are unconsultable. We would have to rent a car to meet them since the only vehicle they now own is a two-seater van they used for the business. My first question concerns any unusual gastronomic destinations in that general area where we could all meet. It would be nice if there were some mid-point rustic country Apennine inn where we could all have a reunion and a wonderful meal under a pergola. The wrinkle is that it would have to be open on the Sunday of the May Day holiday weekend. My second question concerns the difficulty of hiring a car for one day, Sunday to Monday, since so many rental offices seem to be closed. The conference starts Monday morning and I can't use a car from that point on. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that at this moment Florence Airport is closed so the car rental offices normally in business have reduced their hours as well and don't post when they will reopen. What they will do when Meridiana flies again remains to be sorted out. Related to that is the opening hours of gas stations on holiday weekends. I have fond memories of trying to fill the car's tank up before returning it to the rental office, passing chiuso after chiuso at the stations, until the one open station appeared out of this mirage. If car rental proves too uncertain, another solution might be to meet in a country place accessible by public transport on a Sunday. Obviously they are willing to meet us in Florence or Prato, but Prato on a Sunday may be dreary. It would be a pity to waste my day free from the conference in town, even if it be Florence to which I will have easy access for the rest of the week. By the way I enjoyed your St. John's blog, a favorite spot that I will be visiting on the outbound portion of this trip. PS I see that Adam has just joined this conversation. Perhaps he can add his local expertise to the discussion. By now I hope you all understand why Prato. Fortunately I will avoid Pisa to Prato on Sunday, but airfares being what they are, I will have to manage Prato to Pisa on a Friday, when I fly to Paris. According to TrenItalia there is a two hour connection that will take me from the Porta al Seraglio to the Pisa airport with only one change of trains and more than 40 minutes to spare in case of delays. I should learn what hellish experience Adam had so I can be prepared for the worst.

Thanks for these resto recos. This is particularly attractive since it is a few minutes walk from where we will be staying. A small correction after mapping this on-line and discovering that 16-18, place Gaillon did not compute, I pagejaunesed it to yield slightly different coordinates, 18 r Gaillon 75002. Either address would get you there I am sure, but the rue listing seems more compatible with on-line search engines. As for the atmosphere, it seems that Drouant maybe plus drouyalist que le dRoiTE. I am not certain how comfortable I would be in a place where " they speak kindly of the United States". Of course that tends to be more of a problem on the Right Bank.

Bologna proper seems no longer to be on the cheap routes. The traffic has moved to Forli. I have a distant cousin who used to run a very good simple restaurant outside Bologna, if I can meet up with her and her husband and hang out around town for a few hours, the detour might be worth it. Florence during the first week of May should not be as intolerable as Florence at the height of the summer tourist season.

Thanks for the update on the schedule. My original information was based on the inaccurate train schedule posted on the Pisa airport website. Trenitalia does give much more detail, as you correctly note. That said, it is still true that if the final destination is PRATO (a suburb of Florence), the Bologna starting point is better since it is one straight route from its central station, with no train changes, directly to the station nearest my conference. From Pisa central station to Prato requires at least one or two changes of train. While the direct train connection from the airport to Pisa center is an advantage, the rest of the trip may not be. Be all of that as it may, what will finally determine my choice is whether the friends and food in the Florence area prove more attractive than the options in Bologna. So far Bologna has not attracted the supporters I anticipated.

Interesting suggestion which I am now exploring. I could take an early Sunday AM flight from Stansted to Forli airport, arriving around 10, take the train into Bologna Center, arriving around noon, spend a few hours in Bologna, and then train to Prato, later in the PM. Does anyone know the Forli airport which seems to be a 10 minute shuttle from the train station, but how frequently does it run?

Inspired by Adam Balic's magnificent posts (Tuscan Food Diary http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=62033) of last year (among other reasons), I am planning a trip to Prato this coming April-May. Travel to Florence until sometime in May will be complicated by the closure of its own airport. Instead it will depend on Pisa, about 80 km. away. While the Pisa airport boasts its own train station on the line to Florence. service (particularly on Sunday) is infrequent and Italian trains are notoriously unreliable. Does anyone have experience on this route? Are coaches (American, buses) any better?

Thanks for the clarification.

I don't think that is correct. I am pretty sure that US credit card (as opposed to debit cards) work in France. I clearly remember using my US credit card without a pin at the same registers where French cards required one.

How has the chip and pin campaign been going in the UK? Apparently the older sign cards are still being accepted, but it is not clear for how long. Any US credit card users having trouble with the new system? As far as I know US cards are still, sign only for credit, though pin required for debit. If car cards are chipped, the significance of this addition is not clear. The Guardian ran a story today focused on the difficulties the new system causes for the elderly, but I don't know if it will also cause trouble for travellers. http://www.chipandpin.co.uk/consumer/index.html and http://money.guardian.co.uk/creditanddebt/...1698115,00.html

Are French credit cards moving over to the chip and pin style which is the goal in the UK? Apparently the older sign cards are still being accepted, but it is not clear for how long? http://www.chipandpin.co.uk/consumer/index.html

Thanks for the responses. Keep those photos and comments coming.

Back in 1997 I lived near the Batignolles market. I shopped at a wine store, Paris par bouteilles, if I remember correctly, which stocked an excellent cheap champagne. I have no idea if the shop still exists.

The following is a list of food markets in Paris. The URLs adds pictures as well as other options, e.g. clothing, bric a bric, etc. What I am eager to glean is more detailed local knowledge about these markets. For instance the Sunday Raspail organic market in the sixth is supposed to remain open until 2 PM, but the options are diminshed by about noon. The Saxe-Breteuil Market in the seventh is reputed to have the most upscale products. Within these markets - - the Raspail organic particularly interests me - - are there any particular vendors and products worth visiting? What I have not yet found for Paris, but what I have gathered for London's Borough Market, is the kind of informal guide to what's unusual and worthwhile. I have not seen this list posted on this forum. If it has, it should be merged. French http://www.paris.fr/portail/marches_parisi...ut?page_id=5675 English http://www.v1.paris.fr/en/Living/markets/default.ASP 1st district Saint-Honoré Market Place du Marché Saint Honoré Wednesday, 3 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Pyramides 2nd district Bourse Market Place de la Bourse Tuesday to Frirday, 12.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Metro : Bourse 3rd district Enfants rouges Market 39 rue de Bretagne. Tuesday to Saturday, 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. (until 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday) Sunday, 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Metro : Filles-du-Calvaire 4th district Baudoyer Market Place Baudoyer Wednesday 3 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Hôtel-de-Ville 5th district Maubert Market Place Maubert. Tuesday, Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Maubert-Mutualite Monge Market Place Monge. Wednesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Place Monge Port Royal Market Near the Val de Grace Hospital, boulevard de Port-Royal. Tuesday, Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Port-Royal. 6th district St-Germain Covered market 4/8 rue Lobineau. Tuesday to Saturday 8.30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4 p.m.-7.30 p.m. ; Sunday 8.30 a.m. et 1 p.m. Metro : Mabillon Raspail Market Boulevard Raspail between rue du Cherche-Midi and rue de Rennes. Tuesday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Rennes Organic market Boulevard Raspail between rue du Cherche-Midi and rue de Rennes Metro : Rennes Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 7th district Saxe-Breteuil Market On the avenue de Saxe. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Segur 8th district Europe Covered market 1 rue Corvetto. Tuesday to Saturday 8 a.m.-1.30 p.m. and 4 -7 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.- 1 p.m. Metro : Villiers Aguesseau Market Place de la Madeleine. Tuesday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Metro : Madeleine 9th district Anvers Market Place d'Anvers Friday, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Metro : Anvers 10th district Alibert Market Rue Alibert near Hospital St-Louis. Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Goncourt St-Quentin Covered market 85 bis, boulevard Magenta. Tuesday to Saturday 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. ; Sunday 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Metro : Gare de l’Est St-Martin Covered market 31/33 rue du Château d’Eau. Tuesday to Saturday 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. ; sunday 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Metro : Chateau d’Eau 11th district Belleville Market Boulevard de Belleville. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Belleville Charonne Market between rue de Charonne and rue A. Dumas. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Alexandre Dumas Bastille Market Boulevard Richard Lenoir between rue Amelot and rue Saint-Sabin. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Bastille Pere-Lachaise Market Boulevard de Menilmontant, between rue des Panoyaux and rue des Cendriers. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Menilmontant Popincourt Market Boulevard Richard-Lenoir between rue Oberkampf and rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Oberkampf 12th district Beauvau market Place d'Aligre Tuesday to Saturday, 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. Sunday, 8.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Metro : Ledru Rollin Cours de Vincennes Market between boulevard Picpus and rue Arnold Netter. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Nation, Porte de Vincennes Bercy Market Place Lachambaudie. Wednesday, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Dugommier Daumesnil Market Bd de Reuilly between rue de Charenton and place Felix Eboue. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Daumesnil, Dugommier Ledru-Rollin Market Avenue Ledru-Rollin between rue de Lyon and rue de Bercy. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Gare de Lyon, Quai de la Rapee Poniatowski Market Bd Poniatowski between avenue Daumesnil and rue Picpus. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Porte Doree Saint Eloi Market 36-38 rue de Reuilly. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Reuilly-Diderot 13th district Alesia Market Rue de la Glaciere and rue de la Sante. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Glaciere Auguste-Blanqui Market Bd Blanqui between place d'Italie and rue Barrault. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Corvisart, Place d’Italie Bobillot Market between place Rungis and rue de la Colonie. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro :Tolbiac ; bus 62 (Bobillot-Tolbiac) Maison-Blanche Market Avenue d’Italie between no 110 and no 162 Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Maison-Blanche Salpetriere Market Place Salpetriere, bd de l’Hôpital. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Saint-Marcel Vincent-Auriol Market Bd V. Auriol between No 64 and rue J. d’Arc. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Chevaleret Jeanne d’Arc Market Place Jeanne d’Arc. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Nationale 14th district Brune Market Av. Georges Lafenestre and rue Général Séré de Rivières Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Porte de Vanves Edgar-Quinet Market Bd E. Quinet. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Edgar-Quinet Villemain Market between avenue Villemain and rue d’Alesia. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Plaisance Mouton-Duvernet Market place Jacques Demy Tuesday and Friday 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro: Mouton-Duvernet 15th district Cervantes Market between rue Bargue and rue de la Procession. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Volontaires Convention Market Rue Convention between rue Al. Chartier and rue de l’Abbe Groult. Tuesday, Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Convention Grenelle Market Bd de Grenelle, between rue Lourmel and rue du Commerce. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : La Motte-Piquet Grenelle Lecourbe Market Rue Lecourbe between rue Vasco de Gama and Leblanc. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Balard, Lourmel Lefebvre Market Avenue de la Porte de Plaisance, avenue Albert Bartholomé and rue André Theuriet Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Porte de Versailles Saint-Charles Market Rue St-Charles between rue de Javel and rond-point St-Charles. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Javel-Andre Citroën 16th district Auteuil Market Place Jean Lorrain. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Michel-Ange-Auteuil Gros-La-Fontaine Market Rue Gros, Rue La Fontaine. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Ranelagh Point du Jour Market Av. de Versailles from rue Le Marois to rue Gudin. Tuesday, Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Porte de Saint-Cloud Porte Molitor Market Place de la Porte Molitor Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Porte Molitor President Wilson Market Avenue du Pdt Wilson between rue Debrousse and Place d’Iena. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Alma-Marceau, Iena Amiral Bruix Market Boulevard Bruix between rue Weber and rue Marbeau. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Porte Maillot Passy Covered market Place de Passy. Tuesday to Saturday 8.30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4 p.m.-7.30 p.m. ; Sunday 8.30 a.m.-1 p.m. Metro : Muette Saint-Didier Covered market Rue Mesnil and rue St Didier. Tuesday to Saturday 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. ; sunday 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Metro : Victor-Hugo 17th district Berthier Market Boulevard de Reims, near Square A. Ulmann. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Porte de Champerret Ternes Covered market 8 bis rue Lebon. Tuesday au Saturday 8.30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4 p.m.-7.30 p.m. ; Sunday 8.30 a.m.-1 p.m. Metro : Ternes Navier Market Rue Navier, rue Lantiez and rue des Epinettes. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Guy Moquet Batignolles Covered market 96 bis rue Lemercier. Tuesday to Saturday 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. ; Sunday 8h to 1 p.m. Metro : Brochant 18th district Ornano Market Boulevard Ornano between rue Mt-Cenis and rue Ordener. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Simplon Barbes Market Bd Chapelle in front of Hospital Lariboisière. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Barbes-Rochechouart Ney Market Boulevard Ney between rue Jean Varenne and rue Camille Flammarion. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Porte de St-Ouen, Porte de Clignancourt Ordener Market between rue Montcalm and rue Championnet. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Guy Moquet La Chapelle Covered market 10 rue l’Olive. Tuesday to Saturday 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. ; Sunday 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Metro : Marx Dormoy 19th district Villette Market Boulevard de la Villette between no 27 and no 41. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Belleville Jean-Jaures Market Avenue Jaures between rue de l’Ourcq and rue des Ardennes. Tuesday, Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Ourcq Joinville Market Corner rue Joinville and rue Jomard. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Crimee Secretan Covered market 33, Av. Secretan. Tuesday to Thursday 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., Friday, Saturday 8.30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 8h to 2 p.m. Metro : Bolivar Porte d’Aubervilliers Market Av. de la Porte d’Aubervilliers. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Corentin Cariou Place des Fêtes Market Place des Fêtes. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Place des Fêtes Porte Brunet Market Av. de la Pte Brunet. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Danube Marché Crimée-Curial Rue de Crimée (between numbers 236 and 246) Tuesday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m Metro: Crimée Riquet Covered market 42 rue Riquet. Tuesday to Saturday 8.30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4 p.m.-7.30 p.m. ; Sunday 8.30 a.m.-1 p.m. Metro : Riquet 20th district Belgrand Market Rue Belgrand, rue de la Chine and Place Piaf. Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Davout Market Bd Davout between av. de la Porte de Montreuil and rue Mendelsson. Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Metro : Porte de Montreuil Mortier Market Bd Mortier between av.de la Porte de Menilmontant and rue Maurice Berteaux. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Saint-Fargeau, Pelleport Pyrenees Market Rue des Pyrenees between rue de l’ Ermitage and rue de Menilmontant. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Pyrenees Reunion Market Place de la Reunion. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Alexandre Dumas Telegraphe Market Rue du Telegraphe Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro : Telegraphe

Actually neither my wife nor I are vegetarians. However, she often prefers lighter vegetarian options, avoiding heavy buttery-creamy dishes, as well as pork, shell-fish and offal. That still leaves a lot of food to eat. So her preference may not require a special request since it is not a strict requirement. On the other hand I am an omnivore. Thanks for your advice.

Tried searching in the forum for this without success, though I know you have discussed it. Other than looking is there much tasting? Samples? Unusual offerings? What I did learn by googling is Salon International de l'Agriculture http://www.salon-agriculture.com/ DATES Du 25 février au 5 mars 2006 HORAIRES De 9h à 19h NOCTURNE Vendredi 3 mars jusqu'à 22h LIEU Paris expo, Porte de Versailles 75015 Paris Plan d’accès MOYENS D'ACCES Métro : ligne 12, station Porte de Versailles ligne 8, station Balard Bus : lignes 80 et PC, arrêt Porte de Versailles RER : ligne C, station Boulevard Victor ACCES Entrée visiteurs : portes A, D, F, K, L, T, V Entrée groupes : porte K PARKING VISITEURS 3 parkings sont à votre disposition : C, F et R. Pour plus d’informations : visiteurs@comexpo-paris.com

Thanks. How much advance notice for a dinner and/or a lunch reservation?

MON VIEIL AMI 69 rue Saint Louis en l’Ile, Paris 4. Telephone: 01 40 46 01 35. Fax: 01 40 46 01 36. Closed Monday, and Tuesday at lunch Awhile ago Figaroscope listed this resto as veggie friendly. On the other hand much of the reportage I have read emphasize the solid meat dishes, e.g. sweetbreads with noodles & mushrooms (Bittman), veal breast in pastry (Wells). Has anyone eaten veggies there and can recommend the options? The link to the Figaroscope veggie-friendly article might help. Is my info above, taken from Wells, still accurate? Is there any problem with reservations? Is the 30 to 38 Euro range for a meal still accurate? Is the recent Bittman praise in the NYTimes likely to raise the price and make access more difficult? Any informed guesses?