Margaret Pilgrim

I would like to agree, but we found Carte Blanche, for want of a better word, thin. e.g., tremendously interesting ravioli fillings, but since served only as an assortment of three, difficult to get a fix on any single flavor, and similar difficulty in truly appreciating a possibly incredible taste before it was gone because of the tiny sample. This is not to say that the plates were stingy but that the flavors were spread so thin that they were hard to grasp. IMHO.

We are indeed interested. Many thanks for this sample.

I need to toss in here that any of us could do well to heed pierre's timely reports. He lives in Paris much of the year and spends his evenings prowling the outer arrondisements for good eats. He rarely finds a dud. His posts are a fine guide to eating well before the hoard finds the address.

You're right.They are all over london and even in Miami.Its amazing .They have followed the american business model . While maintaining quality and price.

Thanks, Abra. I put it on the week's menu. The wind is howling and we're in need of comfort food. Actually, though, it's my hope that at some time we will be able to choose this kind of recipe from "Adventures in Abra's Languedoc Kitchen".

Thanks for a good read. Your best post to date.

I just weighed my old Lodge wok: 8 lb 12 oz. Certainly not thin. I think before I use it, but it certainly performs.

Judging from the areas we frequent in the daytime, I find truth in the following excerpt. "The young seem particularly keen, even (quelle horreur!) eating the things at their desks. The average 25-34-year-old consumes twice as many sandwiches every year as does a 45-54-year-old, says Raphael Berger, at the Research Centre for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions. Working women like le sandwich, says Jean Rossi at GIRA Foodservice. It “leaves them time to do other things, like going shopping, during their lunch hour too.” " We, in fact, fell victim to the trend when we saw the flow of people in and out of a sandwich shop* on Rochechouart. For 4€ I enjoyed a delicious panini of grilled zucchini, chevre and tapenade on ciabatta, a table at which to eat, the rest of my time to stroll and window shop and plenty of appetite for an important dinner that evening. (For 7€ you also were given your choice of salad and beverage.) I heartily recommend the address if not the trend. *Les Anges Gourmands 12, rue Rochecouart 9e (It's actually en route to the old Spring.) Metero: Cadet

Felice, this is one of the most delicious Simon review that I've read. I'm still smiling. Even if we never get there, thanks for bringing it to us.

We have had much success in writing owners that we really wanted to stay in their properties but only wanted them for " x days, from y to z". Most times they respond with an adjusted weekly rate and consent to the days that we need. Worth a try...

I've found it! Thanks for this super lead. Not only is it exactly the kind of place we hope for in the country, its on our frequent route. In a similar vein is Restaurant Auberge des Ribes Hautes, 3 km north of Barjac just off the route de Vallon Pont d'Arc. (At 2km, start looking for a small sign on the right hand side of the road; the auberge is up the hill on Chemin de Ribaute.) It is a duck farm and offers canard in all its fashions. Adorable people, abundant and delicious plates. Indoor and outdoor seating. I would definitely call ahead for openings and hours. 04.66.24.57.61

Please tell us more about your memorable meal so that we can appreciate it here on eGullet.

Besides the differentiation between "decent in the immediate neighborhood" and "worth travelling across town" is the judgement of whether a restaurant is worth a visitor's precious time, i.e., one evening out of a visit.

Perhaps the biggest measure of your displeasure is the fact that you found Spring, in the middle of the 9th, an easy address from your home which we gather was near Gaya in the 7th, while Jadis is a 10 minute ride on the 39 bus or the metro.

Note that the molecular menu is only offered from October to February and not on Mondays and Tuesdays. We were not informed of this when we visited and subsequently ate off the pretty ordinary ordinary menu.

Thanks, Hemingway. I'm particularly happy to read such current and specific reviews on Jadis and Le Baratin.

Good news, good tip. Compact and doable collection of addresses.

Another chickpea bowl (loosely from Lorenza de Medici) is a soup of chickpeas in a light beef broth seasoned with pancetta and rosemary, half the chickpeas reserved then the rest pureed. Pappardelli are then cooked in the resulting broth. Subtle and satisfying. We added parmesan at serving, although it was not called for.

I have to ask why you are trying to sous vide ribs rather than simply brining and slow roasting to fall-off-the-bone tenderness then a fast saucing to a chin-dribbling succulent finish. Absolutely foofproof and delicious. Credits to Feiniger and Milliken's City Cuisine

I have the feeling that you are looking for something immediate. You could do worse than old tried and usually true Lulu. Open to 11 tonight and weekends.815 Folsom 415.495.5775 www.restaurantlulu.com

It's not that good and a very small place too. Thanks, Pti. "A very small place" can be enjoyable. But "not that good" is a problem.

I've never eaten here, but Robert et Louise is on my short list for fireplace roasted red meat. Robert et Louise 64, Rue Vieille du Temple 75003 Paris, France +33 1 42 78 55 89

Woohoo, Rancho! My man!

Woohooo!

At the time of our visit earlier this month, he no longer had a waitress, but was doing both food and wine service himself. It was a little slower than usual, but an evening at Spring shouldn't be rushed. I believe that much of his success has been due to his adherence to simplicity and the control it allows him. Even his upcoming move is predicated on kitchen and storage space rather than expanding the number of covers.