Margaret Pilgrim

John et al, I have been unable to buy Gault Millau magazine either at my excellent international magazine shop in San Francisco nor at any of the good shops I tried in Paris, as well as every Ralay I passed in major gares. Are they having trouble again? Word?

Since park names were being dropped in docsconz's 'Upcoming Paris Trip' thread, I thought it might be useful to compile a list of favorite picnic and 'let the children run and play for a bit' places. I'll start with Bux's Parc André Citroen, and hope he'll add a few more words. One of my favorite's is Parc de Bercy, with its water, little bridges, flowers, lawns and sitting areas. It is a block off the #24 busline or a half-block from the Cour St. Emilion Metro station. Where would you choose to have your picnic? Do you envision "Sunday in the park with George" with children of all ages or a "déjeuner sur l'herbe"?

Au Petit Tonneau is a brilliant choice for a meal with children. Like visiting grandparents! And Boyer's andouillette was among the best I have ever been served. In addition, she came to our table to make sure that it was alright, so afraid that an American had misordered. FWIW, I love Le Villeret, but don't think of it as a particularly interesting restaurant for a child. However they would indeed love the Sunday sing-a-longs at Mouffetard that Marlena wrote about.

I'll get on my favorite hobby horse one more time. Many of the new bistrots are in out of the way areas, and most are easily reachable by bus. Chez Michel, for instance, is served by bus numbers 43, 26, 42, 48 on rue Lafayette, by numbers 54, 56, 31, 30 on Blvd. Magenta. By served, I mean that these buses will bring you with a couple of blocks the restaurant on rue de Belzunce. Note that many fewer buses run after 9pm, but that any restaurant will call a cab for you if you ask when paying the check. Ask any metro ticket seller for a #2 grand plan lignes et rues which will guide you perfectly. I know many people who have, sadly, visited Paris dozens of times but still haven't a clue what knits the city together between metro stops, or what lies beyond their adventures on foot. Besides, buses are much less scuzzy than the metro!

Once you are as far east as Lyon, I have to urge you to investigate a visit to Bernard Antony who is arguably one of France's most important affineurs. His business is supplying France's finest cheese purveyors as well as not a few 3 star restaurants. At least worth your investigation, check him out. He holds forth weekends at reservation-only degustations. I wish I were in your suitcase. Bernard Antony 17 rue de la Montagne Vieux-Ferrette (south of Strasbourg) 03.89.40.42.22

Although I visit Paris several times a year and consume many liters of wine at home and away, the only thing I am sure about either restaurants or wine is that an enormous amount of the pleasure quotient depends on the moment. I really wouldn't encourage you to try to find the restaurant you were so taken with some 10 years ago, but rather to follow your intuition and that of your wife and book a wonderful week of new discoveries. With your enthusiasm and with everything being new to her, you will undoubtedly have a superlative time. And...read everything on this forum. Enjoy!

John, can you help us out with the coordinates of l’Estrapade? I haven't the book and am having no luck Googling it. Many thanks. And, as always, thanks for your much anticipated weekly updates.

Is this the right thread to start a movement to outlaw bongos on the Seine and its bridges? Our hotel is adjacent, and I love to keep the windows open in warm weather but may resort to mayhem at some point after several hours of repetitive rhythms...

Listen up, frequent flyers. I just booked a ticket from SFO to Philly and was told that meals would be available on a 'for sale' basis from now on. No longer will you get 'mystery seagull' for free. So copy out these good addresses. Many thanks, everyone who posted here.

Quite right. As in, when a couple of years ago some of us tried to avoid beef in France due to MadCow. How, one would have to rationally ask, does one totally avoid cow products in France, where everything, vegetable, fish or meat, has an infusion of veal fond?

For a number of years, for no philosophic reason, I ate no red meat but enjoyed at every opportunity any form of deer, rabbit or duck. My husband, who really didn't enjoy any of these, used to love telling people that "she is a Bambi, Thumper and Donald eating vegetarian ." I need to emphasize how well I ate in France and, more peculiarly, in Prague in the early 90s, long before they were prepared to cater to Western whims. I would simply tell our waiter that I preferred to eat no meat, and would be delighted with whatever the kitchen put on my plate. This in January! Night after night I was presented with lovingly thought out and beautifully presented plates of, for a Californian, wierd little collections of vegetables and fruits. I mentioned often to my husband that "someone is in the kitchen knocking himself out for me!"

TOURTILLER 4, Cours Franklin Roosevelt, 69006 Lyon 04 78 52 20 69

I wouldn't worry. Several years ago we spent time in Paris with a friend who required vegetarian meals. While we always mentioned this when making reservations, I don't remember a single meal where his needs were not met with delicious if slightly off menu plates and pleasant service.

Louise, et al, it would be sweet were you to post addresses and phone numbers for such good addresses. Prior awareness is good; Google is also. Your input is invaluable.

A wonderful concept from another forum: Radish (tender green leaves attached) seared in olive oil til tender, white onion cooked slowly in olive oil and a bit of water, truffles, olive oil and traditional balsamique vinegar.

Cold rare steak, cut into thin slices, same with duck breast and boned rack of lamb and prime rib, the kind of stuff you don't get in hospital. A pepper grinder; salt if allowed on patient's diet. Chocolates.

I like this a lot!

The very best kind of "play it as it lays." Enjoy, and consider our envy.

Lucy, the copy I easily find is priced at 9.15 euros.

Or you could just request/plead/beg that they carry whatever foreign language magazine you would like to buy. Remember to bring to the attention of your dealer that professional chefs are also always on the lookout for these magazines. My dealer, in fact, was delighted to have me bring him a copy of Thuries, telling me that he had several chefs who would leap at the chance to buy it casually.

Is it too much trouble to ask you--or anyone who knows these magazines--to briefly tell the rest of us something about them--level of difficulty of recipes, food writing, whatever it is that you like about them? it would be fun to investigate them but it would be helpful to know where to begin. merci. ← Linda, I find the presentations not as dumbed down as in American magazines. I guess it depends on your age and experience. I am older than God. I open an American mag and say, "I've been there and done that for decades. Sigh." I open a French mag or (Australian)" Vogue Entertaining" or (British) "Food and Travel", want to eat everything on every page, and can save issues for months or years of future perusal. If you can cook out of US "Gourmet" and if you can hack very elementary French, these recipes are within your reach. Go to a newsstand and read any of these magazines. If any ring your chords, buy one and see if it is your style. In any event, it is cheaper than a matinee showing of a pulp movie. Enjoy!

Margaret, i politely disagree: i used to order Cusine et Vins de France directly and never had a problem with lagging - the date their site would announce the availablity was the date plus minus i would get my issue. Same experience when i ordered single issues of Saveurs from some CA company (don't have their link handy). And apropos of nothing, i have a subscription to australian Gourmet Traveller which i get at the same time that it hits newstands in Sydney or Melbourne ← Helenas, your response is not only polite but joyous good news! I spoke on my experience with my local newsstand, which is usually at least 2 months behind what I am able to buy in France. Obviously, one's mileage can vary. Thanks for the good info.

I have very strong feelings about French food and wine magazines. I buy them whenever I am in France and pay the stiff import price for them when I am not. The only problem with the rather reasonable subscription price is that it will come several months after it appears in France; but it will also be late when it appears in your local international newsstand. How you acquire them depends on how often you get to France. I find the recipes and presentations in French food and wine magazines magnatudes superior to American magazines. In fact, I have let lapse the subscriptions to most of my American choices. The recipes are, in my mind, international. Many show France's increasing interest in Asian flavors, or Latin American, African or Indian. Most are just delicious and stylish plates and menus. Finally, if you are a student of French language and are interested in cooking, I can advise no better avenue than to read, cover to cover, ads included, French food magazines. There is, in the world of linguistics a name for the concept of learning language in the sphere you know in your own tongue. I now read at at least the third grade level! Every issue of just about every magazine will report on current restaurants, travel to and within the many diverse departments of France, local fetes. Use them as travel guides; use them for armchair fantasy. My choices, "Elle a Table", "Saveurs", "New Gault Millau", "Cuisine et Vins", "Thuries", "Terre de Vins".

I would caution you to research summer closures. Many restaurants close in July instead of August, or parts of each month. (A little self-interest: if you do come up with a list with dates of closures, it would be lovely of you to post your findings here. )

My husband (who is 99.99% accurate 99.99% of the time ) informs me that as of mid April, there were luggage lockers at Gare de Lyon. Your bags as well as your person are xrayed before your stuff is accepted. So...you can either stash your luggage there, which is not necessarily very cheap, or head for your bud's flat. Just to add more confufflement to the situation, you can catch a #24 or #63 bus at the door to Gare de Lyon and within minutes wind up anywhere along the south quais or Blvd. St. Germain. Enjoy.