Margaret Pilgrim

Coodinates? Forest, is this where you went?

Go local with a burrito at Andale. While not what you'd get on Mission Street, they are huge and pretty good. Six hours is a long time. I have to ask if you have reciprocal entree to a Red Carpet or Alliance Club. It's worth a try. Bon Voyage.

We visit a home in a village in the Gard every year, and our hostess always arranges a small champagne gathering for us. I have noticed that on each occasion guests arrive with an interesting small potted plant. Remembering this, when we were invited by another hostess for drinks, I took her a pot of cyclamen, and she reponded with both appreciation and approval. FWIW.

David, I am very interested in your post. We visited RdC frequently some years ago, but haven't been back recently. I remember it's having two dining rooms, one with an entrance on Amelot and the other on Filles de Calvaire, but in our time they were always the same restaurant. Are you telling us that these two rooms now provide different levels of cuisine? If so, this is an important differentiation.

Thank you, Lucy. I will never lift a glass of vin d'orange without a silent toast to you. Merci.

Do I read you correctly that you don't like MVA? And here I thought I was alone!

We met Bux some 10 years ago on rec.travel.europe, where he was extraordinarily informed and passionate about food and travel. He brought us to eGullet during its first few days and continued to encourage our growth by generously sharing his experiences and knowledge. I can't remember a time when he didn't have valuable input for our questions nor can I imagine his being gone. We will remember one lovely evening the four of us shared in Paris. Our very best wishes to his family. He is missed.

Menton1 makes several excellent points. In order to maximize our time in any area, we always take the TGV from Paris to as close to our destination as we can get. We enjoy the countryside as we pass through, then pick up a car at the train station and spend our time driving around the area we have chosen to visit. We also love to stay at chambre d'hotes, especially those that offer 'table d'hote', the evening meal. We were hesitant at first, thinking that language would be a barrier and an embarrassment. But there is usually someone who can interface among guests, and goodwill fills in the gaps. At this point, we target only those places where we can join in at these communal tables for at least one evening of our stay, dining there a second night if it was extraordinarily good or trying local restaurants on subsequent evenings.

Or as a last ditch alternative because it isn't awfully expensive, you might consider the evening service (lunch is less modern) at Le Chateaubriand.

We have often had people sitting next to us say BA or BC as appropriate as well has hearing it from people being guided to a seat who happen to catch our eye. To my thinking, it is more a matter of goodwill rather than good or bad manners. Let me pose another question. We have been taught that if someone being seated next to you catches your eye, or if you are being seated in close proximity to someone and you make eye contact, you should greet them with a "Bonsoir". We always do. Right or wrong?

John, you are completely amazing! Thank you for undertaking this enormous task. We 'oldtimers' will find it every bit as indispensable as any newcomer. Yes, kudus to you!

Run, don't walk, to Librairie Gourmande on rue Dante in the 5th. The shop people are knowledgeable and delightful and the stock is incredible. While I prefer to trade with the independents, FNAC also has a fine cookbook selection. Between the two, I always carry home 5 kilos of books from France.

Rather, a little south-east of Avignon, geographically due east of Les Baux.

For ordinary bistrots like you mention, or for lunch reservations at better rooms, I usually call around 2 to 3 weeks in advance, whenever it feels comfortable for me and depending on the day of the week for which I want reservations. I have never had anyone react bemused by my advance requests. I will add that perhaps I am a reverse snob, but I often gage my desire to visit a place by my experience with the person I speak to on the phone when I call for information. We have never had a bad experience when the person on the phone has been pleasant and helpful, and, and this I find very wierd, we have most often had less than great experiences when the person on the phone has been uncaring or rude. Is there a connection?

You can probably ask them here. Let us know what you find out.

Le Dauphin is at least open Sundays, as is cigalechanta's Chez Denise. Les Papilles, one of our favorites for a simple and enjoyable evening, unforturnately is not.

Thanks for this and any other oddments of custom whenever they are relevant. Even with the frequency of our visits to France, every day there we are sure that we commit some fauxpau or unintentionally do something that is considered rude or insulting. We will never be French, but the more one knows the custom, the more enjoyable the experience for everyone.

I have held off commenting on our late November visit to Roellinger because he has been so much in the press lately. But in fairness, his little empire deserves every accolade it receives. We stayed in Les Rimains, his guesthouse on the northwest coast of Cancale. Our room was enormous, light and airy. Huge French doors accessed the garden which overlooked the sea. A fire was laid in the fireplace, and a good supply of wood was just outside on the steps to the garden. The weather was damp and chilly and an after dinner fire was cheerful, as it was again during the breakfast that was served in our room. Lunch at the restaurant was superb. Every dish was delicious and those that were less so than others were at a minimum intreguing and well worth experiencing. I had read much about his use of seasonings, but his is a subtle cuisine. Service was perfect: generous and sweet. Wine was readily affordable and the wine service was absolutely perfect: never rushed, never a needy glass. We were treated as highly valued guests. His is totally professional hospitality. Roellinger was a delightful 22 hour experience that we will repeat. Lovely food and generous hospitality.

We also loved the food at Le Ferrandaise. The female server started out cool, but warmed to the table as we ordered. I agree that the male server was in all ways the better of the two. But what we couldn't understand was the older man we took to be the owner or manager. He totally ignored us when we entered, throughout the service and when we left. Both the woman and young man servers made a point of seeing us to the door, saying thank you and goodbye. A foursome, we were the only identifiably Anglo-speakers in the room.

Yes, indeed. Thanks for this excellent tip. I'd never have thought it.

Ah that's another matter; on Saturdays and Sundays and even Mondays, one is dealing a different set of cards. I'd say yes; start over; what would folks recommend for lunch and dinner those days. That said, Pierre45 has a point when he says ← Yes, I would like to expand my own list for Sundays and Mondays. John? Pierre? and you others who fact this problem weekly?

What is really impressive is that, according to Bluy, they arrived in NYC four days early and stuffed themselves at as many good addresses as they had time for before the run. I've heard of carbo-loading, but Daniel, Jean-Georges, et al?

Super sites, John. However, I sampled Robin Garr's pronunciation, and, frankly, he sounds like me, and when I sound like me, I don't sound like them. Is he by chance English? I will continue to listen and repeat and listen and repeat. Again, many thanks.

Interesting that Le Baratin garnered praise in the Traditional category. Can there have been that much progression in the cuisine between the last visit, writing and publication?

Ditto. I'm on a Mac, too.