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Felice

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Everything posted by Felice

  1. My first French teacher in Paris drilled it into to us never to say 'bon appetit', and explained that this is something a waiter says and that you should simply answer 'merci'. It's kind of like saying 'enjoy your dinner', normally a waiter says this, not the people dining. After reading the NY Times article a friend asked me if it was proper to say 'bon appetit' since her French boyfriend said it was perfectly good manners. I decided to ask an American collegue who is married to a French diplomat and she said that it was not considered very polite but admitted that is was a very old fashionned rule not followed by most. I have definitely heard that women don't pour wine (although I do ) but have never heard anything about not discussing the food after a meal.
  2. Well, it seems that these restaurants are so famous that they have made it into Wikipedia... Relais de Venise Makes me want steak frites
  3. I have been to both restaurants a few times (there is another off the Champs Elysées I think) and indeed the Porte Maillot restaurant has that little something that makes it feel like the 'original', however I was very happy with my steak frites at the Saint Germain location as well and didn't notice a discernable difference in the food. I think I remember hearing (but could be very wrong) that the restaurants are owned by members of the same family who parted ways so to speak.
  4. It's probably too late, but I have been several times to the Relais de l'entrecote and am almost ashamed to say that I really like it. It's a great choice if you both want steak frites, because that is all they serve. You start with a salad with blue cheese and walnuts and then the waitress brings over thin slices of perfectly cooked steak topped with an herb butter sauce, if I remember correctly, and crispy French fries, and the last time I was there it was only 20€.
  5. Thank you Janet, that is wonderful
  6. My first galette this year was from the maison du chocolat with raspberry and chocolate, so not very traditional but very good nonetheless.
  7. I've had Damman's argan oil ice cream and it tastes like pretty much like...argan oil or huile d'argan as they say in French. It was quite good actually but I like argan oil anyway and sometimes buy a spread made of argan oil and almond purée for grilled toast.
  8. Thanks so much Hugh, that's a great piece, esp the tip to throw away the 'first water" and let the oyster produce the more succulent later liquid. We'll try it Friday. ← Yes, thank you Hugh. Has anyone been to La Cabane Aux Huîtres? It sounds great.
  9. I think I would add a fourth type of restaurant to Dave’s list, which are the see and be seen ‘branché’ type places, which are probably more the kind of restaurant that was referred to in the opening post in which Russ Parsons said he had a hard time telling what part of the world he was in. Places like Budda Bar, La Maison Blanche, Hotel Coste, Georges, Kong, Man Ray, ect. I think if you were to eat in any of the above you might be left with the impression that Paris can seem a lot like New York or any other world capital. Thankfully, these places do not personify the restaurant scene in Paris and don’t seem to be the big trend for the future. If anything, as Dave points out, the most talked about restaurants, since I have lived here anyway, have been what is referred to as ‘néobistros’ or ‘bistronomique’, relatively inexpensive bistros whose chefs have worked in some of France’s top kitchens but decide to forgo Michelin stars to open a place where they would want to eat, with a kitchen that uses top quality ingredients and produces carefully prepared food that manages to be innovative while staying true to French cooking traditions. Places like l’Ami Jean, Avant Goût, L’os à Moelle, Chez Michel and many, many others. And I agree with Dave, try as they might to replicate a French restaurant back home, there’s nothing quite like eating in the real thing.
  10. Felice

    Foie Gras: The Topic

    As Menton1971 points out, duck foie gras seems more readily available and I don't think I have seen goose foie gras on many menus, here in Paris anyway. I'm sure this is not the case in other parts of France. I have read that goose foie gras has a more delicate flavor and that duck foie gras is more rustic but not having much experience with goose, I can't really say. I doubt the majority of French people bother to make their own foie gras since it is so readily available here. Like Menton 1971, I can't think of anything better than pan seared foie gras, but love the "mi cuit" on toast as well. You will probably want to look for foie gras entier which is the whole liver. I have only bought foie gras from specialty shops so don't have any experience with the supermarket brands but as discussed here some brands can be pretty good. Foie gras is normally served as a first course and is often paired with sweeter wines (as Menton mentions) like Coteaux du Layon or maybe a late harvest Riesling. I have heard, and I hope Pitiopois can confirm this, that there is a certain etiquette to eating foie gras with toast. Apparently spreading the foie gras with a knife on your bread is a 'no no' and instead you are supposed to cut off a bit and place it on your bread without spreading.
  11. That terrible Raisab. I think more and more restaurants are hiring people without experience becasue they can't afford to pay any more than the minimum wage. She may not have purposely given you bad service, she sounds like a pretty bad waitress and probably was already 'in the weeds' (which is American waitress slang that means you can't handle anything else--literally) and you were the table that suffered. Or maybe figuring you were tourists she assumed it didn't matter what kind of service you would have because you wouldn't be back. But she is right, you probably won't be back. Even if the food is great, if the service is poor I have a hard time finding a reason to go back somewhere. Actually I felt that way a little bit at Sensing, that the waiter took us for tourists and didn't seem to care what kind of service he gave us.
  12. Well, the cake came at the end of a 9 course meal and several bottles of wine, so my memories of it are a bit fuzzy, but I think I was a little underwhelmed actually. However, I've had his pastries before and loved them.
  13. I had to find a very last minute Buche de Noel yesterday and so not knowing where else to go really, I made my way across town to Pierre Hermé. From the looks of the line that snaked down the street, half of Paris had the same idea. Thankfully I remembered that Sadaharu Aoki wasn't far and thought I might have better luck there. It turned out to be much better choice as the shop was mostly empty and I was in and out within a few minutes with my not very tradational macha green tea bouche.
  14. I am so glad you were able to find it. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you go to any of the others. I know La Derniere Goutte is open today because I was there yesterday, but I am not sure about the others.
  15. But for various reasons I don't think it's wise to recommend Le Comptoir anymore, especially in a media with such a large audience. ← I agree, it's already extreamly difficult to get in for dinner, so why bother writing it up when people most likely won't be able to get a reservation anyway. I love le Comptoir, but there are other places that I like just as much where booking is no problem.
  16. I've made some foodies cringe by saying this, but for years I've hardly bought any other duck foie gras than Labeyrie. Normal quality, not even "grand", and not even the whole foie gras: the "bloc", wrapped in aluminum foil. I've tried others, but I always go back to this one. I think it is the best. ← Merci Ptipois, where can I find Labeyrie? Along the same lines, the magazine Regal often compares products and if I remember correctly, Champion's bio olive oil and Leader Price's expresso topped their list.
  17. I'm glad Thank you so much for such a great post, makes me think I need to go to Tailevent for lunch.
  18. In addition to Lavinia, I would also try Caves Legrand in the 2nd. I believe it is one of the oldest in Paris and is located in the Galerie Vivienne, a beautiful covered passageway in the 2nd. The also have a wine bar so you can stop and have a glass of wine and something small to eat. Cave Augé is another amazing store which dates to the 1800's. They specialise in vins naturels and have one of the best selections in Paris. In the 5th, you should try Caves du Panthéon, which also has a great reputation. And, not far in the 6th is La Derniere Goutte which has a Cognac tasting tomorrow with La Gabare. I have heard good things about La Cave de L'Insolite in the 11th but haven't been. Caves Legrand 12 galerie Vivienne, 2nd Cave Augé 116 blvd Haussmann, 8th Caves du Panthéon 174 rue Saint Jacques, 5th La Dernière Goutte 6 rue Bourbon le Chateau, 6th La Cave de L'Insolite 30 rue de la Folie Mericourt, 11th
  19. Last week’s Elle featured the article “Peut on acheter son foie gras en hyper ?” (Can you buy your foie gras in a super market?) They tested 18 different foie gras and judges included Jean Francois Piège, Elisabeth Scotto, Elvira Masson and Thomas Bravo Maza. Out of the 18 only three were deemed acceptable and included Labeyrie’s « Le grand foie gras »; Pierre de Chaumeyrac’s « Foie gras de canard entier du Sud Ouest cuit au torchon » for Leclerc , and Auchan’s « Foie Gras entier du Sud Ouest cuit au torchon»
  20. I checked Lavina's website and found this, would this be it?
  21. Members might also be interested in an article in this week's L'Express (in French) which features Christmas recipes by Hélène Darroze, Pierre Gagnaire, Rougui Dia, and Guy Martin and includes their favorite purveyors. Réveillon intime chez les chefs
  22. This week’s A Nous Paris lists the best places to shop for everything you’ll need for a Christmas dinner in Paris. The Wine Caviste Les Crus du Soleil (14th) Oysters L’Ecume Saint Honoré (1st) Butter La Grande Epicerie de Paris for Jean Yves Bordier’s famous butter Caviar Caviar House and Prunier (8th) Unusual Items Brittany monk fish liver at Monoprix Truffled eggs from Desnoyer (14th) Foie Gras Detou (2nd) Ham Bellota Bellota (7th) Lobster Daguerre Marée (14th) Poultry Piètrement Lambret et Cie (1st) Butcher Desnoyer (14th) Dried fruits Israël (4th) Champagne Lafayette Gourmet (9th) Sweets Martine Lambert (7th) Coffee Verlet (1st) Chocolates Monoprix and Pierre Marcolini (6th)
  23. I loved L'Avant Gout when I went a few years ago and assume it must be just as good because I've tried to make reservations a few times recently with no luck. I wonder if the 12.50€ still exists. I think Les Temps aux Temps had an equally good lunch menu.
  24. I like Magnolias a lot as well but since it's outside Paris it might be difficult for first timers to find, non? Maybe I'm being unfair thinking of my own relatives who would probably have trouble finding Notre Dame on their own
  25. Places I would recommend for someone’s first visit to Paris are probably going to be different from places I would recommend to someone who has been to Paris a few times. That said, I would recommend L’Ami Jean to everyone and it’s probably one of my favourite places in Paris at the moment; it’s what every bistro should aspire to be. I have taken visitors to Aux Lyonnais several times and think it’s a good choice as well. The décor is beautiful and the food has been very good to excellent each time I’ve been. You’ll probably be surrounded by a lot of other Americans, but in that sense it’s perfect for first timers, especially if you don’t speak any French. For a splurge I would go to Astrance or even something more traditional like Taillevent which would probably be close in price. Breakfast is normally croissants and a café or café crème, so I would just find a café near your hotel that you like and head there each morning. I would try the Comptoir for Sunday lunch and then spend the day walking around Saint Germain.
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