What is low budget, mid-range and gastro now?

[John Talbott]

A recent article in T&L by Anya von Bremzen entitled "Europe for Less" defined "affordable meals" as "$100 for dinner for two and about $40 for lunch.....[with] interesting $30 bottles" [of wine]. So if my math is correct that means 104 E and 56 E respectively, at yesterday's Euro/$ rate.

The restos she names in Paris are: l'Entredgeu, l'Agassin, Itineraires, l'As de Fallafel, Breizh Cafe, Comptoir de Tunesie, Cantine de Quentin and Afaria. She herself breaks her definition at Itineraires as have I, and I'll leave it up to member/readers to judge whether the ethnic ones in the middle really qualify as destinations if one comes alll the way to Paris to eat.

A while back Dave Hatfield queried Felice and me about where the bar should be set and we agreed about 30 E pp before liquids, but now that I'm reading about bar/cafe's closing and haute gamme places empty, I'm wondering where the bar should be set.

Like the President of Ryanair I think a recession is a great time for the invention of new types of eating establishments or pricing schemes, after all the "bistro's d'a cote" and "menu's" and substitution of "trash fish" for expensive kinds, all came in times of economic distress.

Edited by John Talbott at 17h00 11/21 to correct math.

Edited November 21, 2008 by John Talbott (log)

[Ptipois]

Like the President of Ryanair I think a recession is a great time for the invention of new types of eating establishments or pricing schemes, after all the "bistro's d'a cote" and "menu's" and substitution of "trash fish" for expensive kinds, all came in times of economic distress.

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Amen. I am expecting a lot of clever, down-to-earth, sane ideas to come out of the next few years. A positive knock on the head generating a new sense of home economy. Maybe we'll see the return of the real cheap bistrot (not its caricature of the 90's and 00's), which had disappeared for a couple of decades. And the true return of bistrot food.

[Dave Hatfield]

Like the President of Ryanair I think a recession is a great time for the invention of new types of eating establishments or pricing schemes, after all the "bistro's d'a cote" and "menu's" and substitution of "trash fish" for expensive kinds, all came in times of economic distress.

←

Amen. I am expecting a lot of clever, down-to-earth, sane ideas to come out of the next few years. A positive knock on the head generating a new sense of home economy. Maybe we'll see the return of the real cheap bistrot (not its caricature of the 90's and 00's), which had disappeared for a couple of decades. And the true return of bistrot food.

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Amen to your Amen! We live in hope.

[buttery]

Great topic... but doesn't $130 USD buy around 103 euros?

Then again, if I had a choice, I definitely prefer your math to mine.

[John Talbott]

Great topic...  but doesn't $130 USD buy around 103 euros? 

Then again, if I had a choice, I definitely prefer your math to mine. 

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Whoops, divide by not multiply: I'll fix so as not to get everyone's hopes up.

Also today's throwaway newspper had two more articles on Bistrots closing more than opening and Cafes becoming sports-bars.

And also I ate at one of A Nous Paris's top new places, Petit Panisse, today and it ain't Gagnaire but 16 E for three courses and wine at 12 E a demi-litre ain't bad.

Edited November 21, 2008 by John Talbott (log)