Digest: 2008 Paris Restaurant Reviews

[John Talbott]

The Week of December 15th, 2008

Monday-Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard, awarded 3/5 dots to a brasserie-bistro-bouchon Fabrique 4, 17, rue Brochant Paris in the 17th, 01 58 59 06 47, with fare such as a quenelle de broche, celeriac soup, andouillette, zucchini raviolis and fondant au chocolat or fresh fruits; lunch formula = 20 €, a la carte from 35-40 € ; and his colleague Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to the one-year old l’Ordonnance, coordinates given before, serving eggs, andouilette, leeks vinegarette and baba on 17-30 € menus. On the sidebar, they noted that the MiniPalais is now serving drunch (between lunch and dinner) and didn’t think much of La Canaille in the 4th.

Tuesday, Sebastien Demorand {now in charge of “Good News”) in Le Fooding reviewed La Fidélité, 12, rue de la Fidélité in the 10th, 01 47 70 19 34, closed Sundays and Mondays, lunch formulas/menus : 16-21 €, dinner 26-32 € for food described as between earthy (pot au feu of pork cheeks) and silly (scallop tartare), between inspired (pumpkin soup with mussels) and safe (steak/fries). The wines sound interesting and affordable.

Wednesday, Joan Nathan’s article entitled “In Successful Paris Restaurant, Jewish Roots” on Daniel Rose’s Spring appeared in the NYT.

The Figaroscope Dossier written by Elodie Rouge, Wednesday was on “star” products and where to get them:

Burrata

Roberta

Amici Miei

La Pizzetta.

Veramente

La Gazzetta

Potimarron

Les Bouquinistes

Café Constant

Café des Musées

Beets

Senderens

Alcazar

Citrus Étoile

Brasserie du Lutetia

Zebra Square

Tapioca

La Bastide Odéon

Guy Savoy

Ladurée Le Bar

Somehow I missed an article last week on the 20 tables that made this year; they are:

Best Bobo Mama Shelter

Best bistro Jadis

Best Thai Oth Sombath

Best snob Bar Laduree

Best Ducasse Jules Verne

Best haiku Shu

Best palace Le Cinq

Best one room Jeu de Quilles

Best reconversation Les Terrines de Gerard Vie

Best Kyoto/Montmartre Guilo Guilo

Best move Itineraires

Best shock Pizza Chic

Best annex La Veranda

Best Korean Sobane

Best comeback 153 Grenelle

Best face B Etc.

Best reprise l’Assiette

Best BCBG l’Agapé

Best open kitchen Bigarrade

Best Chinatown Lao Lane Xang 2

Francois Simon’s Hache Menu was on Derriere, coordinates given before, where he comments on the chicken, salmon and beef cheeks for 119 € that included a “serious” St Joseph. Go? It doesn’t sound imperative but he’ll return.

Wednesday, Richard Hesse of Paris Update, reviewed Jadis, coordinates well-known and seemingly the hit of the month, where he found the food good and especially liked his goat cheese, recommended by the producer himself sitting nearby.

Jean-Claude Ribault in this Wednesday-Thursday’s Le Monde had two articles, the first about tasting champagnes and the second, wherein Didier Elena, of the Crayères in Reims, gave his recipe for abalone with a sabayon of champagne.

Friday, Francois-Regis Gaudry reviewed on his Express blog Les Editeurs, 4 carrefour de l'Odéon in the 6th, 01-43-26-67-76, running 40-50 €.

Saturday, Francois Simon in his “Croque Notes” in Figaro, went back to Spoon celebrating its tenth anniversary. In addition, he and Alexandra Michot, told readers where to get their Reveillon products:

Oysters – Ecailler du Bistrot

Salmon – Byzance and others

Foie gras – Fabienne Labeyrie

Capon – Hugo Desnoyer

Cheese, Vacherin Mont d’Or – Sebastien Dubois

Desserts – Pierre Herme

Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp wrote about Alain Passard in an article entitled “The man who knows vegetables” and John Talbott wrote an essay on “How French Chefs Cover Their Sins.”

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[John Talbott]

The Week of December 22nd, 2008

Tuesday, in Le Fooding’s Good News, Claude Polonsky wrote of L'Essentiel in Deauville.

Wednesday, Richard Hesse reviewed Christophe, coordinates already given where he very much liked the deep-fried langoustines, Basque ham, blood sausage, steak, Challans duck, Camembert, millefeuille and chocolate cake.

Jean-Claude Ribault in this Wednesday-Thursday’s Le Monde had two articles, the first about caviar, scallops and black rice and the second about the confiseur, la maison Lilamand in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp wrote about Guy Martin’s new book, Le Chiberta & the Casa Luca and John Talbott wrote an essay on “Don’t you love a Good Food Fight?”

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[John Talbott]

The Week of December 29th, 2008

Tuesday, in Le Fooding’s Bonne Nouvelle, Eric Roux reviewed the Maison Decoret in Vichy.

Wednesday in l’Internaute Julie Gerbert gave 20 places to dine at in 2009 that included: Nicolas le Bec of Lyon's in Paris, Jean-François Piège’s renovated Thoumieux in Paris and a second restaurant at Les Crayeres in Reims run by Didier Elena as well as a cantine-epicerie by José Da Rosa (in the 10th) and conversion of the creperie to a tapas bar by Yves Camdeborde.

Jean-Claude Ribault in this Wednesday-Thursday’s Le Monde wrote about and gave Guy Savoy’s recipe for #2 oysters in a cold soup and published a second about the oyster virus disaster that has reduced the French crop to 20% of its output in 2009 and 2010 (since they take three years to grow). For the last year to have them for New Year’s he suggested:

L'Ecailler du bistrot

La Cagouille

Uitr

Dessirier

Poissonnerie du Bac

Daguerre Marée

Chez Léon in Lyon.

Thursday in Le Point Gilles Pudlowski says to follow the canaille bistro in the bourgeois district A l'affiche, 48, rue de Moscou in the 8th, 01.45.22.02.20 with a menu: 24,90 E; a la carte: 38 E because it has good food (cold pea soup, veal kidneys and cold vacherin with raspberries) at nice prices.

Saturday in his “Croque Notes” Francois Simon also wrote (see above) about the Maison Decoret in Vichy. In addition, Alexandra Michot wrote a full page article about Jean-Paul Hevin as well as one on Kings’ cakes that talks of revisionist stuff like making them with chocolate, pear, pistachio, violet, apple, fluorescent mint and eau de Cologne [sic].

In the January WHERE, Alexander Lobrano wrote of Thierry Marx’s new venture at Ozu.

Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp wrote about the Lebanese restaurant Liza.

In the weekend FT, Jamie Cahill, after dining with the great man at Caius, wrote an article entitled “Insider tips from France’s foodie legend” that states that Pudlo eats at “12 restaurants a day, eating a starter in one, a main course in another,” writes all the reviews himself and will publish six new regional editions in May.

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