Champagne country, Provins and Fontainbleau restos?

[Bartow]

Hello, all-

After a long silence, I am happy to be back reading the eG pages. Having retired (like John) and having met the femme de mon coeur (in CDG Terminal 2!), I'm happily living part time in Paris. Life is good, indeed.

But enough about me - Having had our trip to Greece washed out (more exactly, "ashed out") by that unpronounceable volcano in Iceland, Jo and I are consoling ourselves with a trip all around Paris - sort of a Grande Peripherique - and would really like some hint for good restos in or near the places mentioned above. Many thanks.

Bartow

[Parigi]

Congratulations on finding the love of your life. The best feast of all.

Near Fontainebleau I like a ferme-auberge with its farm-fresh beef: the ferme de la Recette.

http://www.fermedelarecette.com/

The cuisine is simple but there's no freshness like a ferme-auberge.

Must book ahead.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Nice address, Parigi. I'd love to see more referals like this.

[Bartow]

Hello, Parigi (and Margaret)-

We rushed off on our trip before I saw your post, Parigi, but we will definitely try it on our next trip to Fontainebleu. As it turned out, we didn't even get to stop there, as it was too late to tour the chateau; therefore we will certainly follow your advice sooner rather than later.

For others reading this thread, there is one restaurant in this area to avoid: The hotel/resto Aux Vieux Remparts in Provins. There was much napkin-snapping and many pseudo-gourmet touches: pieces of slate for plates, little sweeps of foam around the food, and vegetables served in cute little pots w/lids, etc. However, the foie gras was liquid in its interior, having probably just been brought out of the freezer and thrown into the pan; the spring lamb chop was mostly fat, and the small bits of veal, coquettishly decorated with what looked like Pringle's potato chips, were dry and tasteless. And on and on...We had had a much better meal at 1/3 the cost the previous evening at a tiny roadside place called Chez Nanou near Verneuil.

A bientot,

Bartow