cabrales

Liz -- When approximately are you next going to France, if you are comfortable discussing it? I've never visited Berasategui's (supervised) restaurant at Bilboa, but there is one. I don't know its name. You might not want to visit that restaurant if you are already visiting the principal restaurant. I secured reservations by calling and speaking French, in most cases. Arzak has English capabilities, although that is limited to a few of the reservations-taking personnel. Generally, dinner beginning at 9 pm, 9:30 or 10:00 would not be unusual. 8 pm would probably be fine too for the restaurants concerned. Lunch -- I took all of them around 1 pm, although one can begin later. Note my experience in Spain is limited. I would not find ordering a la carte necessarily better than the tasting menu. At Berasategui in particular, the tasting menu appears attractive and comprehensive. At Zuberoa too.

The New York Post on Otto: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/nycuis...rants/66638.htm "OTTO (Oh-toe) means eight. 'Our first inclination was to call it eight pigs,' says Mario Batali, 'but no one could pronounce the Italian word for pigs.' . . . . pizzas in 19 varieties ($14 tops), divided into classics, like Margherita with buffalo mozzarella, and specials, like pizza with lardo (house-cured pork fatback) ...." Have members had the pizza with lardo?

Wilfrid -- You suggest an interesting question about the extent to which the protections a restaurant has over its name address pronounciation similarities when another restaurant has a differently-spelled name that sounds similar. Would "huit" (French pronounciation) have problems if an existing restaurant were called "wheat", for example?

Tony -- While Michelin (being a France-based guide) may well prefer French cuisine, everybody knows that and can take that into account in utilizing the UK guide. It's not as though Michelin has been "hiding the ball". If readers don't believe that it's reflective of their own assessments of the London restaurant landscape, they could choose not to rely on the guide. Giving one star to Hakasan cannot be called belated. While there are some exceptions (e.g., L'Astrance, Hiramatsu in Paris), it often takes a while for a restaurant to receive a star. Hakasan has not been around for more than two or three years, if I recall correctly. I appreciate your point related to belated recognition of Chinese cuisine in London. Which restaurant would you have had Michelin accord the star to before Hakasan, however, given Michelin's standards for service and cuisine (with all respect to Chinese restaurants)?

Bux -- When my interest in restaurants in France intensified, it coincided with a time when I was reading intensively with respect to French cuisine and restaurants in France, in both English and French. I would sometimes read recipe books as though they were novels (e.g., Troisgros old recipe books). I would enjoy seeing how the recipe for a dish might have evolved over time, even when codified by the same cuisinier. Now, I am still eager to read, but many books of high subjective quality have been covered.

While I thought JBR's cuisine was weak among the London two-stars, I don't think he was aided by the majestic (in a negative sense) space he occupied at the Landmark. The height of the ceilings, for example, added to the perceived formality of the place. I never ate JBR meals at The Ortolan.

Jason -- I'm not going. I have declined before attendance at wine-driven events that I deem unreasonably priced. That is particularly the case since I am not developed with respect to wine appreciate at this time.

Note that TimeOut's Eating and Drinking Guide to Paris is better than the restaurants section in TimeOut's broader Paris guide. The TimeOut website is good for museums and limited time events and not bad at reporting a few new restaurants, but is not ideal for distinguishing among restaurants.

Gilles Pudlowski is a restaurant critic who appears to be knowledgeable at least about the Paris restaurant landscape. He has at least two annual guidebooks, called I believe Le Pudlow France (which contains a short section on Paris) and Le Pudlow Paris. The information on individual dishes is sometimes not as updated as G-M, but the style is more akin to G-M's prose. The other guide with this type of lengthy discussion is Champerard (spelling), but that critic has a definite point of view and is less balanced than Pudlowski, in my view. GP's 2003 guides are out, and I have the France guide at home. GP's guides are in French, and their level of difficulty is generally at the G-M level. GP writes a fairly regular column on newish restaurants in the magazine Saveurs (France) and writes from time to time for other publications. Note I do not use the Paris Zagat guide, although I subscribed to their online website for the restaurant news component and for ready access to addresses/telephone numbers in the US.

Pan -- If you are comfortable discussing it, how foodie were you when you were a graduate student? I sometimes wonder why a foodie might spend hundreds of dollars (at least) to fly to France (or deplete her frequent flyer miles), if she is from the US, and then eat only at bistros (with no negative connotations on the cuisine at bistros). (I appreciate this might be a controversial statement as well)

I don't believe G-M is more reliable in Paris. While I tap many sources of information (Michelin, eGullet, G-M, Pudlowski, Champerand (spelling), Lebey, Bottin Gourmand, Relais Gourmand status, restaurants' websites, French Elle a Table, French Saveurs, Thuliers (spelling), Cuisine et Vins, Where Magazine for Paris, Figaro supplements, Bonjour Paris, Patricia Wells' website, historical volumes on French gastronomy), I rely on Michelin star differences when choosing among restaurants that I have never visited. After I visit (generally more than one meal), I no longer have a need for guides to know what the restaurant is or is not, subjectively.

Pan -- That is my argument as to why additional tips should be provided. However, when one has budgetary constraints of the type we are addressing, something has to give and, in my mind, that shouldn't be the level of cuisine at least sampled once during a trip for a foodie traveler. I'm trying to highlight that one can eat well even if one were subject to the types of budgetary constraints described by joshlh. I also ask members whether they are allocating funds in the right way. For example, taking a Cityrama or Paris Vision tour for museums or going to the Louvre and other places on one's own, using the metro, might make a difference in the budget joshlh could allocate to food (I am not aware of how he is allocating his budget, to be clear). Similarly, joshlh might want to consider whether he could be a bit more frugal while not in Paris to build up additional funds for a nice three-star lunch. To be clear, I do not pretend to know what would be appropriate under the particular circumstances of a diner. I merely subjectively believe that at least one wonderful meal at a two- or three-star restaurant is a necessary part of everybody's trip to France (I appreciate this may be a controversial perspective.)

For $895/person, AmEx platinum is offering "A Vintage Evening at Daniel with Robert Parker, Jr." on April 7, 2003. Reservations begin on February 6, 2003, at 2 pm EST. The wines of the Rhone will be featured. "Your evening begins with a walk-around tasting reception showcasing the most recent vintages the region has to offer. Then sit down and enjoy a variety of older Rhone vintages, expertly paired with a five-course dinner. Born and raised in the Rhone valley, Chef Boulud will create a menu of signature dishes inspired by his native region. Mr. Parker will offer insights on the wines, share his unparalleled expertise, and entertain your questions throughout the evening. As momentos of your experience, you'll take home autographed copies of the latest Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide and Chef Boulud's most recent cookbook, Chef Daniel Boulud Cooking in New York City." The event appears to be priced rather highly for Rhone wines.

Matthew -- Have you tried to call the restaurant as well? Do members know if the restaurant personnel speak English or French?

I noted the follwoing from the press release, among other things: -- John Burton-Race at the Landmark recently closed. Any member updates on this development? -- I forget whether there was a two-or-three-line commentary for restaurants in the UK prior to 2003. If not, the commentary would be somewhat interesting. -- The new "wine glass" symbol would be helpful (denoting a good selection of quality wines by the glass)

Pan -- Yes, Grand Vefour's price, like that of other facilities, includes tax and presumably also includes service. I have argued in another thread that I believe additional tips should be provided, but here budgetary considerations might make that difficult for the diners. Prices obviously significantly increase if wine and water are ordered, and at three-star facilities, it would be more akward not to order such items (although not impossible). However, one has to do what one has to do to get good cuisine. There was a good selection (4-5 items maybe) for each course for the GV prix-fixe lunch; I ended up ordering a la carte, though.

I'd like to highlight that a three-starred lunch can be purchased for under 85 euros/person at Grand Vefour, Lucas-Carton and Pierre Gagnaire. If I had to choose, I would forgo three meals at 30 euros and take in a meal at any of these restaurants. Lucas-Carton's prix fixe lunch of three courses is 78 euros, for instance, and I enjoyed my last sampling of that very much. Granted, I paid 150-200 euros for a solo diner, but I had several glasses of wine, a cigar, water, etc. For under 30 euros/person, the two or three-course prix fixe at La Mediterranee, a restaurant that I find visually appealing (Cocteau artwork, beautiful murals) and the cuisine of which is appropriate (in a good way) at that price level: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...t=8814&hl=mural http://www.la-mediterranee.com/ (indicative menu; 2 courses for 150 F; 3 courses for 180 F or less than 30 euros) I like the decor in this restaurant a great deal. The murals are so beautiful (ask for the room with the grey-toned murals, in the back, which I believe are the most beautiful). The restaurant is reasonably close to the Jardins de Luxembourg, whose related museum has the Modigliani exhibit running through sometime in March (on-line purchase of tixs an effective necessity; lines are significant). After a meal at La Mediteranee, the Pierre Herme pastry shop on rue Bonaparte would be within walking distance for persons accustomed to walking (myself excluded). At Herme (subject of other threads in this forum), you might want to sample a few of the small macarons (caramel and salt; white truffle hazelnut) and an Ishpahan (spelling). That might cost you under 6-8 euros.

joshlh -- On your not being able to pronounce menu items and having to point, would you understand what the menu items in French are referring to, leaving aside pronounciation issues (difficulty would depend in part on places visited)?

joshlh -- Do you need to drink wine or can you stick to tap water, given that price range? I would suggest La Regelade at exactly 30 euros a person (not extra tips, given the budget), if you could accept tap water. Alternatively, although this might be slightly akward, you could order the 35 euro prix fixe at L'Angle de Faubourg (dinner) for one diner, and then order a 22-24 euro main course only for the other diner. You would then share. This might be a bit out of the ordinary for L'Angle, but, if it has to be that way, it might be a nice way to sample a Michelin one-star. I would also call Les Ormes, a Michelin one-star, and ask what price lunch is. I have not pursued this restaurant, but it is smaller and presumably less formal. The 2001 Michelin guide (I know -- I have a 2002 edition, but I always use the 2001 one) notes Les Ormes's lunch menus are at 170 FF, which converts to less than 30 euros. I made the above recommendation over, say, Gualtiero Marchesi because (1) GM offers only one savory dish and dessert at 26 euros, and (2) I subjectively believe one might want to take in French food while in Paris. La Regelade would probably be my overall recommendation at this price range. Also, it was not entirely clear to me whether you have 30 euros per person per meal, and therefore 60 euros a day per person to spend. If that is the case, you could splurge on a two-star lunch with no wine or bottled water and have cheese and bread for the other meal, one of the days you are in Paris.

Did members have good outcomes on EB today? (tarka -- Removed the day within January for calling from your original post? How bad could competition from eGulleteers be? )

More than 1 hour by car, but home of formerly three-starred, current two-starred L'Esperance and a revered place of worship (not L'Esperance, that is; particularly for midnight mass on Christmas Eve). A car is needed; the train is not a substitute for a car in this region.

Well, the name is an actual existing word in a language *other than* the commonly-utilized language of the country in which the restaurant is located. The deference to the normal pronounciation of the existing word should therefore be reduced. An analogy would be if I created a French restaurant in New York called "Huit" -- I need not pronounce it like "wheat" (the French pronounciation) because perhaps the word "Huit" was not intended to refer to the French word for eight. The word "huit" has no known meaning in English, the language prevalent in NY. Thus, I could seek to have adopted a pronounciation of "Huit" restaurant in New York as "hoot", for example.

I forgot to mention Gualtiero Marchesi at the Hotel Lotti, for lunch. I have never been, but hear good things from reliable sources. I forget the exact range of the lunch prix fixe menus, but there were several of them and the lower-priced ones were good deals for a restaurant of this quality. Note that the restaurant is Italian, and an affiliate of the Michelin three-starred Italian restaurant. This restaurant is easily accessible by subway. http://www.marchesi.it/ristoranteParigi.htm "Au déjeuner, le prix sont plus raisonnables, avec des formules à 26 € (170 F, plat et dessert) et 46 € (302 F, entrée, primo piatto, secondo piatto et dessert)."

Self-knowledge is a blessing. Not that I am without flaw. Wilfrid -- Ah, but you see, I don't see quirkiness as necessarily a flaw.

Josh -- What price range are you targetting? For example, La Regalade (spelling?) provides three courses at 30 euros: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...f=10&t=7971&hl= I have never been to De La Garde, which is in the 15th arr., but it has received favorable reviews and has menus from 22-29 euros. Three-starred Taillevant has a one-starred bistro sibling called L'Angle de Faubourg. On the night I visited during 2Q 2002, there was a three-course, no choice prix fixe dinner for 35 euros. The setting is modern and appropriate. The a la carte is slightly more. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...970&hl=raveneau I would recommend L'Angle de Faubourg and La Regelade. Please confirm prices prior to any reliance. Of course, I defer to fresh_a's suggestions.