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Posted
'Gauche' means 'cool' right?  :wink:

They don't call it the Rive Gauche for no reason. :huh:

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

Posted
'Gauche' means 'cool' right?  :wink:

No, not right, it means left.... :blink:

Most women don't seem to know how much flour to use so it gets so thick you have to chop it off the plate with a knife and it tastes like wallpaper paste....Just why cream sauce is bitched up so often is an all-time mytery to me, because it's so easy to make and can be used as the basis for such a variety of really delicious food.

- Victor Bergeron, Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink, 1946

Posted
If you haven't been to visit Musee Marmottan in the 16th, I highly recommend it. It's a tiny jewel of a museum with a wonderful Impressionist collection and a room full of Monet's Water Lilies.

Another gem of a musée is the Musée Jacquemart-Andre, on Blvd. Haussmann in the 8th, slightly out of the busy area, where the Blvd becomes residential. A gorgeous mansion previously owned by a banker at the turn of the century (19th-20th) who collected a lot of 18th century French art. A wonderful place, free audiocassettes in English (or other languages) and a lovely courtyard where they serve lunch, brunch, and afternoon tea!

A hidden jewel-- don't miss it!!

Musée Jacquemart Andre Web Site

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Good news...I stayed up late last night and played the redial lottery and was able to get a reservation at L'Astrance for Sept. 3. I also found out that although every source I've seen says that they're closed Monday's only, it sounds like they're now closed on Sunday's as well.

I have to say that I feel incredibly fortunate in that I haven't had even the slightest problem getting reservations at any place I've called. I even found out that Robuchon's L'Atelier takes reservations for the first seating at lunch and dinner despite their widely publisized 'no-reservation policy'.

Most women don't seem to know how much flour to use so it gets so thick you have to chop it off the plate with a knife and it tastes like wallpaper paste....Just why cream sauce is bitched up so often is an all-time mytery to me, because it's so easy to make and can be used as the basis for such a variety of really delicious food.

- Victor Bergeron, Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink, 1946

Posted

You can't compare Astrance to Pre Catalan. It's like comparing the Musée Jacquemart-Andre to the Marmottan. Yes, they are both museums and they both have fab art collections, but they are entirely different from each other (and DO see both).

I like Pre Catalan. There was a time a few years back that some thought it would get its third star. That never happened. The room itself is lovely -- one of the best, if not THE best, in Paris. That said, it is dull to the extreme -- no buzz, no excitement, no nothing. The food, as many have said is good, but nothing I've ate there really stands out in my mind at present.

That said, if you want a grand dining experience, you can get that a Pre Catalan. You can't at Astrance.

Posted (edited)
You can't compare Astrance to Pre Catalan.  It's like comparing the Musée Jacquemart-Andre to the Marmottan.  Yes, they are both museums and they both have fab art collections, but they are entirely different from each other (and DO see both).

I like Pre Catalan.  There was a time a few years back that some thought it would get its third star.  That never happened.  The room itself is lovely -- one of the best, if not THE best, in Paris.  That said, it is dull to the extreme -- no buzz, no excitement, no nothing.  The food, as many have said is good, but nothing I've ate there really stands out in my mind at present.

That said, if you want a grand dining experience, you can get that a Pre Catalan.  You can't at Astrance.

Thanks for the feedback, it may have sounded like I was looking for a comparison, but I realize that they are completely different animals. As it turns out, I'll be going to both on consecutive nights, so it should provide for an interesting contrast.

Edit to add: does anyone have a particular favorite among the handful of traditional bistros in the 7th that are open on Monday nights? (Florimond, P'tit Troquet, Clos des Gourmets, Chez l'ami Jean, etc.)

Edited by tighe (log)

Most women don't seem to know how much flour to use so it gets so thick you have to chop it off the plate with a knife and it tastes like wallpaper paste....Just why cream sauce is bitched up so often is an all-time mytery to me, because it's so easy to make and can be used as the basis for such a variety of really delicious food.

- Victor Bergeron, Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink, 1946

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