North slope of Montmartre

[Laidback]

This Fall we are spending 3 weeks in Paris in another new, to us, neighborhood, the Lamarck-Caulaincourt area. We love it; there is a metro less than 100 yds. from our door and a good bus less than ½ of that. Immediately below us is a good boulangerie, presse, and wine store, and across the street an ATM, prime greengrocer and a small grocery store. On the same street a few doors down is a good "Red Label meat" boucherie, and just a few blocks on down the hill is the neighborhood market area at the intersection of streets Ordener, Poteau and Duhesme. Friendly cafés and little restaurants abound; nothing much to get to get excited about in terms of gourmet places, with the exception of Cottage Marcadet which I will deal with in a separate post, but several little places are just fine for casual, neighborhood standards. John Talbot mentioned Poulbot Gourmet on rue Lamarck and since it looked good and is about 100 yards from our apt., we gave it a try and were pleased; Ms. L. had a croustillant de canard appetizer that was above average, as were her Coquille St. Jacques. I enjoyed a standard magret de canard with framboise sauce, a bottle of Morgon and a vacherin for dessert. This is a pretty, proper little traditional restaurant with well prepared food. A lesser spot, which didn't inspire or poison us was the Coup de Coeur on rue Cloys. In the café/bistro genre we tried Chez Ginette with it's nice little terrace, offering salads, a huge €15 cheeseburger, pavé de boeuf, etc. and Café Arrosé where I had a good, spicy saute de canard with poivrons and espelette and Ms. L. had a generous slice of a courgette quiche. Both spots are on rue Caulaincourt and offer copious 2nd hand smoke. On up the street is a slightly more upscale place, the Cépage Montmartois, with a huitriere outside. The oysters looked good so I enjoyed some fine Speciales #2 and good moules-frites while the wife had a more pedestrian poulet roti. A French businessman next to us at Chez Ginette insisted we try what he called the best Vietnamienne in Paris, so we did; the Sourire de Saigon on Mont Cenis. When I enter an Asian restaurant and there are no Asian clients and a few Asian employees I get nervous, but it was actually quite good. The Gambas de Rivieres Geantes grillés were tasty served over rice noodles with a citrus sauce and the nems du porc were fresh and not as greasy as some, although the riz Cantonais was about as bad as I remember having. This place is only open for dinner and was jam-packed, so they must be doing something right. Other spots on our neighborhood list are Le Winch and Le Café Qui Parle.

More later; there seems to be some strong sentiment here against photos, so let me know whether you prefer text only or text with photos for my next installment.

Edited October 28, 2007 by Laidback (log)

[Dave Hatfield]

picless, please.

[rooftop1000]

If you took them......show me all the places I missed when I stayed in that neighborhood

T

[Laidback]

So far the photo/no photo poll is 1 to 1. So which direction should I take? Perhaps the lack of interest in the subject should guide me.

[John Talbott]

So far the photo/no photo poll is 1 to 1. So which direction should I take? Perhaps the lack of interest in the subject should guide me.

←

I'll weigh in; do what you want.

[Ptipois]

Laidback, I don't even understand why you ask. Posting pictures is definitely part of what eGullet is about, and has been about since the beginning.

Just look at other subforums, or even this one. The fact that there was a recent thread about the matter does not mean there is an antiphoto trend here that should be considered a rule. Or I have been missing something since I arrived here.

Imagine every eGulleter in all other subforums asking for a pro- or anti-photo poll at the beginning of every thread since this board began. That would be a strange situation indeed.

So I'm with John on this, do what you please — and I cannot see why one should refrain from keeping eGullet just the way it is.

[TarteTatin]

Here, here!

Great review.

We went to your site and looked at the pictures there.

Very nice.

Edited to say, I'm crazy...I was looking at this thread and thinking about the Guy Savoy review in another topic; and his blog with pictures...Laidback, forgive me.

BUT, I do like pictures!

Edited October 30, 2007 by TarteTatin (log)

[Felice]

I am 100% for photos and always think they contribute something to the post, so please, if you have them, I would love to see photos and am very much looking forward to your report.

[Laidback]

This past Sunday we attempted to have the €15 brunch at "le Café Qui Parle" on rue Caulaincourt but our esteemed forum leader had given it a good critique during the week and apparently all the world listened... the line was down the street! Patience not being one of my virtues we detoured a couple of blocks to "Le Winch"

on rue Damremont and had a nice seafood Sunday. The appearance is clean and modern with well spaced tables. There is a large no smoking sign and a €25 2 course/€29 3 course menu with 5 to 7 choices. Ms. L started with Le Tourteau, a bit of crab meat with a tomato jelly and a broccoli mousse. I began with fresh anchovy filets served in a Mason jar with caviar d'Aubergines and sweet red peppers.

Our mains were Encornets, tender squid rings and tentacles, with sweet peppers and basil...outstanding,

and gambas, not too overcooked as the photo appears, coated with spices and a bulghar brick.

The chef is Normand/Breton and uses butter and cheeses from his fellow countryman, M. Bordier, and his version of Tarte Tatin is above average.

This place is not going to trifle with my present allegiance to "Les Fables de la Fontaine" for seafood, but for €29 you will be hard pressed to top it, coupled with an affordable white Macon-Village.

Edited October 31, 2007 by Laidback (log)

[John Talbott]

This place is not going to trifle with my present allegiance to "Les Fables de la Fontaine" for seafood, but for €29 you will be hard pressed to top it, coupled with an affordable white Macon-Village.

Granted, but if one is in the neighborhood, like you and me, it's a fine spot.

And despite my curmudgeonly attitude, I think the pictures really add a lot.

[Laidback]

This place is not going to trifle with my present allegiance to "Les Fables de la Fontaine" for seafood, but for €29 you will be hard pressed to top it, coupled with an affordable white Macon-Village.

Granted, but if one is in the neighborhood, like you and me, it's a fine spot.

And despite my curmudgeonly attitude, I think the pictures really add a lot.

←

Thanks John,

that was in essence what I wanted to convey, but in re-reading my post I can see that it appears that I was referring to Les Fables, when I meant Le Winch, for the hard to beat €29 menu. I would not hesitate to go to Le Winch from another arrondissement for the combo of comfort, and rapport quality/price.

[grace3]

I'm taking all this in now that I have rented a place in the area for a month next fall!! All beacuse of our get together last week with Laidbacks and our emails. Looking forward to it. I will gather all the dining information....

I will get up there in April to see what I have rented!!

[Laidback]

As I mentioned up-thread, we revisited Cottage Marcadet on rue Marcadet, just West of the intersection with Ruisseau and Duhesme. This made our 3rd visit since the new young chef Cyril Choisne took control. This is a tiny(16 seat) jewel box of a restaurant with abundant linen, nice crystal and flatware and a new, friendlier young maitre/server who speaks very good English. There is a menu for about €35 for lunch but the items we wanted were à la carte and on the expensive end of the spectrum. Our meals for 3 people have run about €100/person, which includes a coupe de Champagne, 3 courses, ½ bottle of a white Burgundy with our entrées and a nice bottle of red Bordeaux with our mains as well as Chateldon mineral water and 3 coffees.

one entrée was Grenouilles Blondes with beignets filled with a sweet garlic cream:

Another was an artfully plated tuna of excellent quality:

One main was roasted Breton lobster with young veggies; a slight miss here as the lobster was a little overcooked for our taste:

Another main was cote de boeuf roti-persillée. Felice educated me at this point that when speaking of meat, the term persillée means marbled, rather than referring to parsley as it does in other contexts. The Maitre/server presented it uncarved for a photo before carving it into juicy, tasty slices, plated with young vegetables:

The accompagnying wine was selected by our guest, a very nice Bordeaux the 2nd of Chateau Chasse-Spleen, l'Orotoire. Well done Felice!

You are presented a selection of 3 warm breads, which are re-offered as necessary. The service could not have been more pleasant, not cloying, but friendly and professional.

Desserts were a Declinaison of chocolat:

and a pommes millefeuille:

I have my doubts that the neighborhood will support a restaurant with the prices necessary to maintain this quality; One can only hope.

[rooftop1000]

That tuna plating is outrageous...and I think I really want some steak right now

its funny I misspelled tuna as tune...I guess it would have worked anyway

tracey

[Chocolate & Zucchini]

The Maitre/server presented it uncarved for a photo

Funny -- when I had lunch there with John a while ago, they forbid me from taking pictures (which completely turned me off, I have to say).

Perhaps they've finally understood that pictures = free online publicity = people actually coming to their restaurant?

Clotilde.

[Laidback]

The Maitre/server presented it uncarved for a photo

Funny -- when I had lunch there with John a while ago, they forbid me from taking pictures (which completely turned me off, I have to say).

Perhaps they've finally understood that pictures = free online publicity = people actually coming to their restaurant?

Clotilde.

←

Yes, John related that to me. Your visit was shortly after my 1st visit and I have taken photos all 3 times. Admittedly, the original maitre d' was much stiffer and more formal than the friendly young man who replaced him and who actually seemed pleased that I took photos. What a disastrous mistake to forbid you of all people to take photos!

[John Talbott]

The Maitre/server presented it uncarved for a photo

Funny -- when I had lunch there with John a while ago, they forbid me from taking pictures (which completely turned me off, I have to say). Perhaps they've finally understood that pictures = free online publicity = people actually coming to their restaurant?

Clotilde.

←

Yes, John related that to me. Your visit was shortly after my 1st visit and I have taken photos all 3 times. Admittedly, the original maitre d' was much stiffer and more formal than the friendly young man who replaced him and who actually seemed pleased that I took photos. What a disastrous mistake to forbid you of all people to take photos!

←

Truth in advertising or whatever - I have to respond that Clotilde (Chocolate and Zucchini) was reprimanded by the front-room maitre d'/waiter/server guy who clearly said in French that it was the chef, not he, who forbad photos without preavis. For me, that one faux pas, really turned me off. More on photos in French restos here.

PS. I suspect the chef finally got it, as Clotilde (Chocolate and Zucchini): eg that "pictures = free online publicity = people actually coming to their restaurant?"

[Laidback]

To finish up my report on restaurants in the 18th, I would like to add that after being unable to tolerate the long line for the €15 weekend brunch at the Café Qui Parle, we made reservations for lunch on a week day and were quite impressed with the product, cuisine and especially the charm of the young couple in charge. He, the chef, worked in Manhattan with Daniel Boulud (among other French super stars) and she, the everything else, was formerly with the Four Seasons group in NYC, Las Vegas and Paris. They gladly and proficiently speak English although the day we were there we were the only anglophones.

This is not your average café at all, more a classy little bistro and is located at the corner of Caulaincourt and Tourlaque about a block from the Montmartre cemetary.

You can eat well for only €12 which my wife did; a well seasoned split pea soup and a generously garnished chicken fricassée with grilled pineapple. I chose instead an exceptional wild mushroom velouté followed by an excellent filet of duckling stuffed with apricots and garnished with gnocchi and girolles :

This place was taken over by the present young couple about a year ago and has been relatively low profile, but not anymore since OIL (Our Illustrious Leader, aka, Dr. Talbott) gave it a very favorable, and in my opinion well deserved review. The chef has technique, creativity and uses good provender plus his mate is genuinely warm and friendly. My guess is that as the word spreads one will need reservations lunch and dinner and the prices will ease upward. Go soon.

[John Talbott]

I've already reported on my first meal at the newly taken over Bistro Poulbot aka Poulbot Gourmet and this is a followup. Colette and I ate (it being Friday night) and they were turning people away. I began with an oversalted sweetbread timbale thing with a perfect, indeed best of the month salad. Then both of us had the bar with a tremendously generous portion of veggies - shitakes, artichokes, fennel, apricots and lots of other ones. She finished with their version of a nougat (but this was filled with small bits of crunchy meringue) and a coulis of red fruits. With a bottle of Marcillac, which had no traces of its Gallo-Roman origin, no coffees or bottled water = 73 Euros.

For a place walking distance from home - not bad (Colette says 7.5, I stick to 4.5, she counters with 7.5, this is what makes a marriage).

Edited March 28, 2008 by John Talbott (log)