Eating My Way Through Paris

[Dave Hatfield]

And my laptop has died ... surprising that there are no apple stores in Paris!  Then again, I suppose apples are more of an American fruit.  Anyone have any recommendations of where I can get this guy fixed?

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Sorry about your laptop, but there's no lack of apples in France.

More than 1,000 varieties I'm told.

Its more likely because there aren't very many Mac's in France that you are having a problem. If you had a Paul-Claude (PC) you might have better luck.

Maybe you can use your apple in making a Tarte Tatin?

[TarteTatin]

This Tarte Tatin is an Apple only (Mac) family!

It's:

[hmspector]

I am writing each of these places down to enjoy on our trip to Paris next Fall. More!

hm$

[Andy Fenn]

In the meantime, I'm typing up my thoughts of my recent Alain Ducasse dinner.  A bit disappointing.  Thanks !!

So how was the dinner? Shame to hear it was disappointing.

Thanks for the reports. I have no idea how you find room for it all. Great photos on the website too.

[ajgnet]

I was supposed to eat at L'Ambroisie tonight; but after arriving, it seemed that I would not be eating there. The maître d’étage claimed he called earlier to confirm my table. While there were no missed calls on my phone, nor any messages, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I was a little disappointed; but, aside from losing a bit of time preparing for dinner, it wasn't a big deal given I live in the city and can return at anytime. But for some reason, the maître d' reacted with a tone that startled me and made me feel really uncomfortable. He started getting kind of aggressive; I'm really not sure why. It was very, very odd. When I asked if I could possibly reschedule, I was told the restaurant was booked "pour toujours" (forever). It seems even god would be out of luck with this one. There was also a mysterious elderly woman assisting the maître d' who kept glancing up at me and down at my striked out name on the diners list, shaking her head in disapproval, as if I had forsaken the evening's chi with misunderstanding. Who she was, I'll probably never know ... but the experience was so strange! This was a complete role-reversal situation -- I should have been the angry one! I do hope to defy eternity and return at some point; but for tonight, I walked to St. Germain to grab a panini and a nutella-banana crepe, a sugar crepe, a waffle, a baguette, and two almond croissants before heading to bed.

Edited December 4, 2007 by ajgnet (log)

[TarteTatin]

Whoa!

That's not right!

Do you think it was "age discrimination", since you are young and cute, and maybe they think you couldn't afford it or wouldn't appreciate it?

Wow.

Tres bizarre.

Not right at all.

I'd be really irate.

They can't be worth it.

[tupac17616]

They can't be worth it.

agreed. though reading about dishes like the tourte de canard sauvage seen here can make it tough to say no, i'm sure.

(ajg, in a way doesn't this remind you of what happened to me at del posto last year? )

[pierre45]

I was supposed to eat at L'Ambroisie tonight; but after arriving, it seemed that I would not be eating there.  The maître d’étage claimed he called earlier to confirm my table.  While there were no missed calls on my phone, nor any messages, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.  I was a little disappointed; but, aside from losing a bit of time preparing for dinner, it wasn't a big deal given I live in the city and can return at anytime.  But for some reason, the maître d' reacted with a tone that startled me and made me feel really uncomfortable.  He started getting kind of aggressive; I'm really not sure why.  It was very, very odd.  When I asked if I could possibly reschedule, I was told the restaurant was booked "pour toujours" (forever).  It seems even god would be out of luck with this one.  There was also a mysterious elderly woman assisting the maître d' who kept glancing up at me and down at my striked out name on the diners list, shaking her head in disapproval, as if I had forsaken the evening's chi with misunderstanding.  Who she was, I'll probably never know ... but the experience was so strange!  This was a complete role-reversal situation -- I should have been the angry one!  I do hope to defy eternity and return at some point; but for tonight, I walked to St. Germain to grab a panini and a nutella-banana crepe, a sugar crepe, a waffle, a baguette, and two almond croissants before heading to bed.

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THis seems very odd.The only thing that makes sense is that they think you're somebody else with whom that have had a bad experience.

It could be interesting to go with somebody else who speaks french and let her or him make the reservation under their name.Good luck

[Felice]

I was supposed to eat at L'Ambroisie tonight; but after arriving, it seemed that I would not be eating there.  The maître d’étage claimed he called earlier to confirm my table.  While there were no missed calls on my phone, nor any messages, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.  I was a little disappointed; but, aside from losing a bit of time preparing for dinner, it wasn't a big deal given I live in the city and can return at anytime.  But for some reason, the maître d' reacted with a tone that startled me and made me feel really uncomfortable.  He started getting kind of aggressive; I'm really not sure why.  It was very, very odd.  When I asked if I could possibly reschedule, I was told the restaurant was booked "pour toujours" (forever). 

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Wow, Ajgnet that is outrageous really. Obviously there was a misunderstanding of some sorts since you showed up and the Maitre d should have realised this. Did he say he left a message? I can't believe he said the restaurant was booked "pour toujours".

[julot-les-pinceaux]

It is very odd but I must say that this is not the first report of very obnoxious behaviours from l'Ambroisie. I find it hard to believe every time but they seem to be numerous, and they are not inconsistent with some of my own experiences there, where I felt more tolerated than taken care of.

It seems that the restaurant, more and more, is playing behind close curtains for a group of wealthy regulars, whose habits and tastes the team knows well. In that sense, the restaurant is indeed probably booked "pour toujours". They just don't need clients they don't know. God is not a regular. This guy is.

To be quite honest, and based on reports, there seems to be both young people and foreigner discrimination. It is not only inacceptable, it makes me ashamed for my country.

All the more so since I still believe that Pacaud is one of the three or four best chefs on earth and that good experiences at l'Ambroisie are positively orgasmic, life-defining, simply making most other restaurants not worth it (and indeed, the panini is the right alternative then).

The middle-aged lady was very probably Mme Pacaud.

It is a tragedy. It is revolting. Why, God, why would the best restaurant also be the most despicable?

Edited December 5, 2007 by julot-les-pinceaux (log)

[John Talbott]

This certainly comports neither with my experience there nor anywhere for that matter.

Forever, faggedit!

[fresh_a]

I'm hardly surprised. I deal with L'Ambroisie on a regular basis, and would NEVER suggest it to anyone- first of all for the difficulty in getting a table in their tiny dining room, secondly for the arrogance of the maitre d' (I know EXACTLY who the person is, BTW). They are definitely old school in the bad way (in terms of attitude..)

[OAKGLEN]

My wife says she will never return. Not because of the food, truely superb, or the service, excessively attentive. Rather, because of the atmosphere, so serious and so very proper....it made her nervous. Eating great food should be fun and enjoyable, not a sacred religious experience. On our last visit I didn't see a single smile, on the face of a guest or wait staff. Way too bad...it is one of the best.

[ajgnet]

I was sulking a little after missing out on L'Ambroisie ... then I remembered that Pierre Hermé released its 4 new holiday flavored macarons last Tuesday: crème au vinaigre balsamique, chocolat et foie gras, églantine with figue et foie gras and truffe noire. Truffe blanche et noisette is also considered a holiday release; but this has been around since October 2nd and I mentioned it in my previous discussion. All five of these, are what I believe are Pierre Hermé's best flavors; not only for their inventiveness and originality; but, because they are texturally more gentle: less dense, lighter, more airy, and frankly more interesting. While I don't think it's worth eight euros for the aged balsamic macaron or the black truffle; the wild rose, fig, and foie gras macaron practically ties with my current favorite, Ladureé's Réglisse ... I ate 9 of them !!

More details to come; but for anyone who's going to be in Paris for the next few weeks -- please try the églantine, figue et foie gras macaron ... it's very impressive.

[HOLLY_L]

I am very sorry about what happened to ajgnet, but for what it’s worth, and in contrast to some of the other comments, on my only visit to L’Ambroisie (last May), I found the service very charming. I was a (relatively young looking) 30-year old with limited French. I thought the service was among the best I had during my whole trip--certainly not overly serious or solemn, but to the contrary, everyone (including Mme. Pacaud - and I thought agjnet described the woman not as middle-aged, but elderly, and I would not describe Mme Pacaud as the latter?) was engaging and also patient with my limited French. (At several other restaurants, the servers always spoke to me in English, despite my efforts to try French.) Perhaps they paid special attention because I was dining alone, however. I was also there for lunch, which may have a different atmosphere, I suppose.

There was (at least) one table of (apparent) regulars there, and they were actually quite entertaining, but I did not feel like the restaurant catered more to them than to me.

And the food was also among the best (if not the best) that I had in Paris (or elsewhere). L’Ambroisie is on the short list of places I will try to visit again on my next visit to Paris (here’s hoping it’s soon), rather than trying a new restaurant.

(I have been meaning to write up my whole trip for ages - ajgnet has the right idea - live in Paris for a year, and post as you go, so you’re not daunted by the prospect of writing up everything at once! ajgnet, I am enjoying all your posts.)

[julot-les-pinceaux]

"Middle-aged" is meant as an euphemism.

But that's the thing: they can be charming. They may even be witty -- see for instance the excellent report of Chazallet on his blog (www.chazallet.com). So then again: why?

[pierre45]

Some detective work is required to determine what happened at l'Ambroisie .

I think They had ajgnet"s wrong tel # ,therefore with no confirmation they cancelled the reservation.THe interaction between the maitre D and ajgnet somewhat angered them ,for whatever reason .I assume Ajgnet must have an idea as to why,I assume ,misunderstanding mostly.Perhaps they thought that Ajgnet is too argumentative and beeing who they are they don't have to put up to it.That explains the toujours comment.

WEll, anyhow Ajgnet ,This will be a nice topic at a party when you return to the US

[Pork Belly]

It is very odd but I must say that this is not the first report of very obnoxious behaviours from l'Ambroisie. I find it hard to believe every time but they seem to be numerous, and they are not inconsistent with some of my own experiences there, where I felt more tolerated than taken care of.

It seems that the restaurant, more and more, is playing behind close curtains for a group of wealthy regulars, whose habits and tastes the team knows well. In that sense, the restaurant is indeed probably booked "pour toujours". They just don't need clients they don't know. God is not a regular. This guy is.

To be quite honest, and based on reports, there seems to be both young people and foreigner discrimination. It is not only inacceptable, it makes me ashamed for my country.

All the more so since I still believe that Pacaud is one of the three or four best chefs on earth and that good experiences at l'Ambroisie are positively orgasmic, life-defining, simply making most other restaurants not worth it (and indeed, the panini is the right alternative then).

The middle-aged lady was very probably Mme Pacaud.

It is a tragedy. It is revolting. Why, God, why would the best restaurant also be the most despicable?

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I share your opinion on L'Ambroisie. I think Pacaud serves the best food in Paris yet, despite numerous visits, I have never come away with the feeling of complete satisfaction. There is the feeling that they have certain rules that I have to follow to be accepted and dine well. After the last couple of less then cordial responses to telephone reservation requests, I've put the restaurant somewhere in my past. And count the Euros that I've saved.

Edited December 7, 2007 by Pork Belly (log)

[John Talbott]

Some detective work is required to determine what happened at l'Ambroisie .

I think They had ajgnet"s wrong tel # ,therefore with no confirmation  they cancelled the reservation.THe interaction between the maitre D and ajgnet somewhat angered them ,for whatever reason .I assume Ajgnet must have an idea as to why,I assume ,misunderstanding mostly.Perhaps they thought that Ajgnet is too argumentative and beeing who they are they don't have to put up to it.That explains the toujours comment.

WEll, anyhow Ajgnet ,This will be a nice topic at a party when you return to the US

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You know, Pierre, you usually credit others with generosity of spirit, but here I think it's you who are too forgiving. I've not had these experiences at l'Ambroisie, of course, I'm hardly a regular, but I think we have to respect what ajgnet encountered. No matter how good, how busy, how upset - a great place is flexible.

Written with some envy of missing the scene in Paris, from Piedmont/Lombardy,

John

[pierre45]

You know, Pierre, you usually credit others with generosity of spirit, but here I think it's you who are too forgiving.  I've not had these experiences at l'Ambroisie, of course, I'm hardly a regular, but I think we have to respect what ajgnet encountered.  No matter how good, how busy, how upset - a great place is flexible.

Written with some envy of missing the scene in Paris, from Piedmont/Lombardy,

John

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Actually i am not forgiving at all.There is no justification for ambroisie's behavior.Specially in a 3 star restaurant.Its pure arrogance on their part.They should have made an effort to clear the misunderstanding ,specially when one is willing to come back .

Definitely an unacceptable and deplorable attitude .

Enjoy Piermont .I love their panna cotta and barbera wine.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

.... There is no justification for ambroisie's behavior.Specially in a 3  star restaurant.Its pure arrogance on their part.They should have made an effort to clear the misunderstanding ,specially when one is willing to come back .

Definitely an  unacceptable  and deplorable  attitude .

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The gold standard.

[ajgnet]

Yes! I now have a second reservation at L'Ambroisie for late January. Fingers crossed that everything works out this time. But I can promise you, I was not at all argumentative. It takes a lot to anger me, and I certainly wasn't going to be irritated by a restaurant that I can return to in the near future. I was also very careful to be as flexible as possible, particularly since I'd been meaning to try this menu for awhile. I was just a little startled, I suppose. But no worries -- fingers crossed for January!

[ajgnet]

Taillevent

15 rue Lamennais

Photos available here

I visited Paris for the first time when I was thirteen with my family. My father made a reservation at what was one of the most well-known restaurants in the world: Taillevent. Perhaps it is a bit strange that I still remember exactly what I ordered, and what everyone else at the table ordered, those many years ago. As usual, even back then, I wanted the tasting menu; but, I was (and still am) the only one in the family with an endless appetite and so appetizer and main course it was. Thankfully we got dessert, which was the highlight of that meal for me, for it was the first time I tried fraises des bois. I was so disappointed (and laughed at) when I asked for them at Pathmark upon returning home. I still have the menu from my first experience at Taillevent, as I was completely blown away by the technique, quality of ingredients, and deft presentation of every dish — it was my first exposure to this type of elaborate preparation. And so it was interesting for me to return, nearly a decade later, to re-evaluate my memories. And unfortunately, things do change.

The first time I ate here, I left with memories of eating in a large ornate dining room with a high ceiling and chandeilers; this time, however, the dining room was much more modest with wood paneling, comfortable sink-in couches, and faux windows with frosted glass curtains. I found the latter more comfortable. Then I realized, that there are indeed three different dining rooms. I was also thrown back into the memory of an elderly captain making conversation with each table one at a time, and never two consecutively, as that would seem insincere. He would magically make arrival woes due to traffic, the rain, or a pre-dinner shower rush — whatever the reason for pre-arrival stress (everyone has one) — seemingly disappear. The gentleman did this by deftfully engaging a table’s interests (the Argentine woman at the table next to mine was a photographer) and by relating to the diners. Once this mutual comfort was established through new found trust based on having something in common, he would proceed with the menu and an apéritif. This man was very comforting through his grandfatherly essence and made everyone feel at ease before beginning to eat, as if we were all transported back in time to a place where overeating was acceptable, an extra glass of champagne was ok, and the only thing of importance was to enjoy the evening with exceptional cuisine and the company of those who matter. This sense of comfort was amplified by the oversized tables and chairs which encouraged sprawling out and slouching, two things that pair well with a tasting menu. This was a very comfortable meal, indeed; my only complaint, was the food.

The evening started with golden gougères lightly seasoned with nutmeg which seem to have been sitting around for a minute or two longer than necessary because, on arrival, they were only lukewarm and beginning to get soggy. Nevertheless, the slight saltiness paired nicely with a glass of champagne. I did wonder what the nutmeg added to this, aside from what seemed like unnecessary differentiation of a classic introduction. The bread came next with a fairly thick crust that made two rolls more than sufficient for the evening.

The amuse bouche was a foamed mushroom and artichoke cream soup with a dollop of crème fraîche and sprinkles of charred mushroom. The essence of artichoke was fairly strong and appreciated; but, eating this dish was like dredging the thames: it was impossible to predict what was going to come up with each spoonful. The first spoonful uncovered yellow pepper, the second red pepper, and the third mushroom. Somewhat amusing, I suppose — but peppers? A litle random, I think. The tableside dollop of crème fraîche does wonders when eaten promptly after service, as it adds temperature and textural contrast, as well as a nice milky flavor to make the already rich cream even richer.

Official service started with parfait de foie gras de canard avec une marmelade de coing, a foie gras “parfait” with quince marmelade. Perhaps in some dialects of French, parfait means having the texture of cutting through a thick cube of frozen ice cream. In other words, this parfait was dense and hard. Ironically, it was served with a small slice of toasted bread. The ratio of parfait to bread was way off, and the richness of this dish and its textural monotony became tiresome after the third bite. If I had to guess, I would say this dish had several thousand calories. Aside from the textural issues, this would have been better off in a portion of about a third or fourth of its actual size. The quince marmelade was sweet, balancing off the salty foie and the thin layer of cucumber gelée that rest on top.

The first warm course of the evening was a royale de homard breton aux châtaignes, a butter poached brittany lobster tail with wild mushrooms and whole chestnuts. The first thing that struck me about this dish was the drying and hardening of the sauce around the interior rim. This could have been the result of an intentional thickening of the sauce, making it more cake-like than sauce-like. But regardless of its intent, it seemed to have been sitting aside a bit too long and absorbed much of the moisture from the lobster instead of complimenting it. The chestnuts were also left whole, making for a startling textural contrast with the lobster. As for flavor, the dominant flavor of the dish was that of mushroom, one that distracted from the lobster rather than complimented it. The lobster was also slightly overcooked, which when combined with the caked sauce, only increased the dryness. Aside from the technical gripes, the dish seemed relatively uninspired and plain.

The next course was the highlight savory of the evening, coquilles saint-jacques, dorées avec cresson de fontaine, two lightly seared scallops served over turnip purée in a vegetable consumé with strips of watercress. Scallops have so much potential when they’re slightly north of cooked, and this potential was fully realized as these scallops were delicious, the slightly salty oceanic taste of the shellfish melding with the sweet earthy turnip purée. The vegetable consumé also contributed to the earthy flavor and mixed particularly nicely with the turnip purée and watercress. While this was the highlight dish of the night, the dominant flavor of this dish was the scallop, leading me to question exactly how much the accompanents excentuated that flavor. While it is important for chefs to step back and let nature speak for itself, that doesn’t mean that the entire flavor spectrum of a chef’s dish should be attributed to the ingredient’s natural essence, particularly when the chef didn’t step back. In other words, I would have probably enjoyed this dish just as much if it were a plate simply of two seared scallops — the accoutrements seemed superfluous.

The final savory course for the night was selle d’agneau rôti au piment d’Espelette avec côte et feuilles de blette à la sarriette, two medallions of roasted lamb served with lightly salted swiss chard. The meat had a beautiful pink color, the result of my response to “how do you like your meat,” a question I’ve rarely been asked in Michelin starred authoritarian French restaurants. But this question was much appreciated, as a good chef is one who is willing to make minor tweaks to meet personal diner preferences — I’m not saying ketchup should be put on the table; but, if my sister is easily squeamish by blood, perhaps medium is a fair balance. So in that sense, the veal was tailored to my tastes. Unfortunately, nearly everything else on the plate was uninspired and, frankly, boring. Roasted potatoes? Stewed vegetables? Perhaps those would be nice sides at many other places; but for a restaurant with a reputation such as Taillevent, I had much higher expectations.

Things got really interesting with the next course, which I enjoyed very much, Roquefort glacé avec pruneau au Banyule. When I saw this on the menu, I immediately became curious to see how the Roquefort blue cheese ice cream would turn out, particularly because most other renditions of cheese-based ice creams were of fromage blanc, a neutral-flavored cheese that can easily be turned sweet or savory. The texture was of cream cheese; but somehow much less dense and more airy. The flavor was indisputably salty, as if by some hand of magic the texture of blue cheese had been converted into a light gelato. This was delicious, particularly when mixed with the sweetness of the prune and red wine. This dish was an interesting play on textures, and was particularly well-balanced: the prune would have been cloying on its own, and the cheese would have gotten boring on its own; but together, they were wonderful.

The first official dessert was a chocolate craquant with chestnuts, a light chocolate cake enveloped in a lace of dark chocolate and crowned with a whole chestnut and gold leafing. The cake was moist and somewhat wet, and it was this texture combined with the lightness of the chocolate flavor that made sometimes forget this was indeed a chocolate cake. It was also texturally uninteresting given the significant portion. My pallate began to fatigue after the third or fourth bite. Also, the flavor of chestnut was unnoticable. Yes, I saw the whole nut on top; but that only created a textural dissonance. I would have liked a stronger chocolate flavor, something crispy, and perhaps some salt, as salt and chocolate are a beautiful combination.

Next was a fantaisie aux fruits exotiques, a round cake using cubes of fruit and caramel as bricks and mortar, topped with an almond pastry and mango sorbet. Definitely a lighter dessert, appreciably following the somewhat heavier (although still light) chocolate craquant. The sweetness of the mango sorbet dominated this dish making it impossible to differentiate between the different fruits. There was also no contrast, letting the sweetness of the fruits, sorbet, and sugared pastry run off without bounds. The cold temperature of the sorbet also didn’t help to bring out the natural flavors of the fruit. While this was tasty, I would have enjoyed it more as an intermezzo.

The petits fours were last, a small plate of 5: a lemon macaron, an earl-grey scented chocolate, an almond tuile, a miniature chocolate fondant topped with chocolate mouse, and a blackberry tarte. None of these were particularly memorable; though the scent of the earl grey chocolate was fairly interesting. After finishing this small plate, admittedly, I hoped that more food would be coming. I was also brought both of the desserts and the petits fours at once, making me question if I was approaching a second seating time, since this was an earlier dinner. Not quite being full, to the waiter’s disbelief, I ordered two more plates of petits fours.

It was indeed interesting to see how this restaurant has changed over the past ten years, and how my memory of this restaurant compared with my more current experiences. Either the restaurant has changed for the worse, or my palate has become more sophisticated. Likely, it’s a combination of the two; but, this time around, my experience was lackluster. I will say that I felt incredibly comfortable throughout the entire meal, and thought that this might be a nice place to have lunch or an early dinner on someone else’s tab due to the comfortable seating, dining rooms, and personal service. But since there are so many other fantastic restaurants in this city, it would be tough to repeat this one.

[pierre45]

Yes!  I now have a second reservation at L'Ambroisie for late January.  Fingers crossed that everything works out this time.  But I can promise you, I was not at all argumentative.  It takes a lot to anger me, and I certainly wasn't going to be irritated by a restaurant that I can return to in the near future.  I was also very careful to be as flexible as possible, particularly since I'd been meaning to try this menu for awhile.  I was just a little startled, I suppose.  But no worries -- fingers crossed for January!

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Bravo.Excellent attitude.Sorry ,when i assumed that you were perceived as argumentative.Did you make the reservation under your name?

[ajgnet]

Bravo.Excellent attitude.Sorry ,when i assumed that you were perceived as argumentative.Did you make the reservation under your name?

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I'd rather answer this qustion after the dinner; just to be safe. Because the person I spoke with seemed extra friendly on the phone ... but perhaps I am being paranoid.