Felice
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This just came to mind: Seeing how I can't get anything of the sort in The States, bonus points to anyone who can direct me to a plate of lièvre à la royale.
I've had it at Petit Marguery...
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Well as the Fall approaches I have made my plans for a (long overdue) Paris visit. I suppose my hesitation all these years has been two fold. One is I can never find enough time to visit Paris they way I would like and two, my fear of never wanting to leave Paris.
Lastly let me add that although I speak some Italian I really have no French skills. How much of a problem will this present in smaller, off the beaten path, type of places? I have travelled in France a few times with no real problems, I can read a French menu for the most part and always begin each conversation with bon juor pardonnez me, je ne parle pas français vous parle anglais? In fact I can say "I do not speak (fill in the blank)" in many languages. I find it goes a long way if you start with the assumption that you are the one in a foreign country and not speaking the language is your problem not theirs. Polite, apologetic and understanding go a long way.
It seems to me from what you have written here, that you will have no problem getting by, even in smaller off the beaten track places. As long as you don't just start out by rattling off in English, I think most people are happy to work with you, even if their English is limited. It's only the people who shout loudly in English and assume everyone should speak it, who have problems.
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Maybe some staff replacements are needed, but also why is a talented chef letting poorly executed dishes out of his kitchen.
I have not been to Itineraires, but in my experience there are very few restaurant kitchens who are not at times victims of circumstance-- staffing problems, over-booked dining rooms and the like. Especially a small restaurant. I am sure the chef doesn’t want to send out dishes that are poorly executed, but when there is a full house of hungry diners and the kitchen is in the weeds, it happens. I can only recall one place where I have worked, that seemed to never have a problem with consistency, but it was a very expensive restaurant, with a big line crew.
Perhaps Itineraires is a victim of their own success and got overwhelmed before they were able to work the kinks out. Word was out quickly that they were open and I am sure they were full from the first night.
I liked the Temps au Temps for what it was, a charming neighborhood restaurant, that served good food—perhaps people are looking for more and are judging them too harshly, or perhaps Itineraires is trying to do too much. I am definitely interested in trying it, but may not be able to until the rentrée.
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Thanks Dave, I am game and will get them over the weekend, because my little shop next door, while quite good, doesn't have a huge choice.
And without Googling I am going to say Saint Felicien is the more modern cheese, but only because it doesn't say AOC.
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I am moving to the 10th this weekend, right off the Canal St Martin and this will be my closest market, does anyone know it?
Marché Alibert
Rue Alibert le long de l’hôpital St-Louis.
Dimanche, 7h à 15h
Métro : Goncourt
I went there a few times when I lived in the 11th on rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud - it's tiny, but has some good things.
Thanks Sharon! I went last weekend and you are right, it is tiny. Maybe 5-6 stalls in all. They had beautiful vegetables though, not organic, but none are treated after harvesting. They must have had 20 kinds of baby greens, some of which I had never seen. I got a handful of each and have been eating salad all week! One was a strange seaweed looking thing, which was a green twisted stalk, which turned out to be surprisingly light. I think perhaps it was Salicorne.
I think I will try the covered market at Gare de l'est next...
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Ice Cream Update:
There was something about Master Glacier, Philippe Faur, in both Elle and Regale this month. His ice creams sound amazing, using the best products available like milk from a local farm, regional ripe fruit and high-quality chocolates. He has recently teamed up with Petrossian to come up with a caviar ice cream. He also sells online, www.philippefaur.com.
Also, for those who like Gelato, you might want to try Caramella, on 47 rue des Martyrs, Paris 9th, which serves artisanal gelato made the old-fashion way, without stabilizers or preservatives.
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If you are interested in buying vegetables direct from the farm you can do so through the following organisations
AMAP
Une Association pour le Maintien d'une Agriculture Paysanne (AMAP),
and I just came accross this organisation which has 4 farmers selling direct. You order your basket of vegetables and fruits, which can then be picked-up at a distributer in your neighborhood. One plus, is that you don't have to commit to an entire year and so can try it out on a temporary basis, which is not the case with AMAP, as far as I know.
Tous Primeurs
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One thing should be clear and, judging by the difficulty I had to get the message home, it is not easy for US people to accept it. The concept of "farmer's market" is not French. It is completely American, there is nothing of the sort in France.
An advice I would give is: rely on your own knowledge of products and their quality. If you know what a good turnip or healtly lettuce looks like as compared to low-grade, "industrial" vegs, you should know your way around.
To me it always seems pretty obvious who is selling their own products and as far as I can tell it is clearly marked. It is usually a very simple stand with a handful of vegetables, and certainly only what is in season. I often go to a guy from Normandy but it is obvious that these are his vegetables and even says so. His products don't look prestine and depending on the season he might have carrots, leeks, cabbage, potatoes, etc, but he certainly doesn't have mangos and the like.
At Nation, which is a VERY large market, there are only a handful of "producteurs", so it is not very common. But this doesn't mean that the other places have low-quality products. I am very careful about where I shop and once I like something, I stick to it.
And, like Ptipois notes, there are normally signs that tell you where everything is from and what category they are.
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Your sister is in luck, because some of the best prix fixe values in Paris are in the 5th, 3 off the top of my head include.
Le Pre Verre: this has always been one of my favorites for the price, and offers modern French cooking with an interesting use of spices. And the menu, the last time I was there, is only 26€ for 3-courses, which is a steal for what they offer.
8 rue Thénard, Paris 5th. Metro: Maubert-Mutualité
01 43 54 59 47
closed Sunday, Monday, 1 week at xmas, 2 weeks in August
Ribouldingue: A mostly offal menu, which might not please everyone but it is very well done, the menu is only 27€.
10 rue St Julien le Pauvre, Paris 5th, Metro: St Michel
01 46 33 98 80
closed Sunday and Monday, 2 weeks begining of August
Les Papilles: A wonderful neo-bistro serving a market-based menu with updated versions of French bistro cuisine. 4 course menu is 28.50, no choice, however.
30 rue Gay Lussac, 5th, metro: Luxembourg or Cluny la Sorbonne
01 43 25 20 79
closed sundays and 3 weeks in August
Edited to add addresses (sorry Dave!)
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According to an article in today’s NY Times , burgers, the icon of American cuisine, have become quite chic in Paris in the last few months and can now be seen on just about every menu, including some of the best and most expensive restaurants in Paris. Three-star chef Yannick Alléno even serves one at Le Dali, for a whopping 35€, while Joel Robuchon serves his “burger” with slabs of foie gras.
The Nouvelle Observer’s “400 Lieux Branchés de Paris” also noted that burgers are “in” this season, so I guess there must be something to it.
The full article is below
Does anyone have favorite places for a burger in Paris?
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How is this idea being received in France?
I don't think it is getting much attention. I remember seeing the word (possibly in Elle) a year ago and haven't seen or heard of it again until now, so if this is new fad, I have missed it completely.
I think Ptipois was correct in saying "some publishers are always eager to launch books about new food trends even before they're out and tried."
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I just wanted to add more praise for Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris. I borrowed it from a colleague this week and it has a lot of great information all packed into a pocketsized book, perfect for carrying around Paris. It contains information not found in other books, from how to choose a fresh truffle to where to buy artisanal products made in a monastary.
I definitely plan on getting my own copy and hope Clotilde will have a book signing in Paris soon. We will post it here when she does.
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Dougal, thank you so much for such a generous and thorough answer, it is very much appreciated. Unfortunately, they are installing it as I write, so too late to change. I should have asked here first! I will let you know how it goes
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Can anyone tell me the advantages/disadvantages of induction verses vitroceramic cooktops? I live in France and vitroceramic cooktops are quite common but I haven't seen much here. I just ordered a vitroceramic cooktop for my small non-gas equipped kitchen and am hoping it was the right choice.
advantages
Most fuel efficient cooktop,
More controllable than gas,
Heats things up extreamly quickly
heats the pan so kitchen doesn't get to hot,
safe they turn off if pan left off for a while, cooktop does not get very hot so difficult to burn yourself by accident.
disadvantages
Can only use pans a magnet will stick to
Not good for round bottom pans like woks (but you can get induction wok burners now for £££)
No flame - if you want to char peppers etc.
On high power they can hum (does not bother most but some hate it)
Cost more
Thank you Ermintrude! It is my understanding that the vitroceramic cooktops are different from induction though and don't require special pots, which is why I bought one. Now I am wondering if they are as good. I am buying this in France and so I don't know if they are common elsewhere. I did a bit of searching and found pretty limited info in English.
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I am moving to the 10th this weekend, right off the Canal St Martin and this will be my closest market, does anyone know it?
Marché Alibert
Rue Alibert le long de l’hôpital St-Louis.
Dimanche, 7h à 15h
Métro : Goncourt
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Can anyone tell me the advantages/disadvantages of induction verses vitroceramic cooktops? I live in France and vitroceramic cooktops are quite common but I haven't seen much here. I just ordered a vitroceramic cooktop for my small non-gas equipped kitchen and am hoping it was the right choice.
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I am glad that Roosterchef asked this question because I have wondered the same thing and am always envious of those like John and Laidback who have had the chance to eat in some of the now famous places before their prices soared to star level. I was lucky enough to eat at Astrance before it got its first star but the prices had already gone up.
I wouldn't be surprised about Bertrand Grebaut and Inaki Aizpitarte as well. What about Camdeborde?
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I have Qu'est-ce qu'on mange ce soir " and I don't thnk it is really what you are looking for. It is more of a collection of menus for the week by season and tells you what you will need to buy for the week and then gives simple recipes for each night. So, you make stock one night and use it in another recipe or you might even do things ahead on Sunday. I think it is a great idea for busy families.
You might want to go to Librairie Gourmande (http://www.librairiegourmande.fr) and ask them for suggestions. There is also the new culinary library "foodothèque" at galerie fraîch'attitude. They may have suggestions.
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I had wanted to try Les Ombres when it first opened, but after hearing from several friends that it was a see-and-seen kind of place, with average food, I lost interest. I did try the Mini Palace with John and while we both liked it, I don't remember being overwhelmed and neither of us rushed back.
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Every place that I have worked that added an automatic gratuity, always said so on the menu and so people knew up front that they would be charged.
If that was the case in this circumstance, then I think you are obligated to pay, as it is noted as a charge. Just as you wouldn't scoff at the price of the guacamole and refuse to pay part of it thinking it was overpriced. However, if I were the manager in this case, I would probably allow a customer to keep the 87 cents, thinking it was not worth it to squabble over such a small amount. I would also take the 87 cents off the bill, so that it was the restaurant who ate the cost and not the server.
I remember having people get upset over automatic gratuity saying, "we would have left more had you not added this" which I always doubted was true, if you really were someone who would leave more, why would this prevent you? Servers don't add the automatic gratuity to large tables because they think you specifically are cheap, they just do it to protect themselves, as large groups don't always pay close attention when paying the bill.
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If cost isn't too much of an issue, Le Bristol's poulet en vessie (must be ordered for two) is about as good a Bresse chicken dish as you'll find in a restaurant. And
I agree, this was by far the best chicken I have ever tasted, and the presentation, as you can see, is spectacular.
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It time again for the Grand Fooding d’Eté, the Fooding summer BBQ where some of France’s most talented chefs cook for the masses to benefit Action Contre la Faim. It is a great day, but you need to be there early, as the word is out and things can get crowded.
Sunday, 15 June in Strasboug
Sunday, 22 June in Paris
Sunday, 29 June in Nice
Sunday 6 July in Lyon
You will find all you need to know on their website (and I will put up a bit more in the Calendar shortly)
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I think what you're looking for doesn't exist. *Great food* is expensive. Even here in northeast Florida - not exactly an expensive place - the best restaurants will cost $200-300 for 2 with modest wines. I would expect to spend at least about $500 for 2 for a great meal in Paris - and that would probably be a lunch special with a glass or two of modest wine. As for dinner - you are easily talking about a lot more. Easily $750 to $1000 or more for 2 people.
Hmmm, I am not sure that I agree entirely. Of course great food is expensive, quality ingredients are very expensive (but worth it) but happily I wouldn’t define the only great food out there, at 3-star restaurants with 500$ price tags. What about simply cooked, perfect ingredients? I have only eaten in a dozen or so starred restaurants, and at the 2-3 star level the experience can certainly be unforgettable, but I am happy that I can find almost as much pleasure in eating very simply prepared, but very high-quality food.
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Shoot, you are right, the place I go to is called Song Heng. It's on 3, rue Volta in NOMA. This place is usually packed and has a line out the door. While waiting, there is an American bagel place across the street that has Tootsie Pops (haven't tried the bagels).
That's okay, a new one for my black book
As for two-hour plus waits at Cambodge, it's a bit nutty. Now that it's nice though, I put my name in at 8, drink on the Canal St. Martin and eat around 10.Yes, I had the same experience a few weeks back and was feeling pretty buzzed by the time we actually got to eat. Also, they said they would call when our table was ready and didn't, but we walked back around 10 and they sat us on the terrace right away.
Thai near Biblio Nat/Palais Royale (2ème)?
in France: Dining
Posted
There is also Baan Boran, near Palais Royale which is quite good.
Also, there is a place called Num, on rue Coquilliere in the 1st near Les Halles, surrounded by tourists traps, that was surprisingly good. At first glance, it looks like the kind of place that would cater to the see-and-be-seen crowd, with no regard for food, but I've been twice and was pleasantly surprised with the food. The chef was previously the sous-chef at Thiou.