La Regalade, Paris

[picaman]

How 'bout the fact that chef/owner Yves Camdeborde has now left his mythic bistro to open "L'Ourcine", 92 rue Broca, Paris 13th district (tel: 01 47 07 13 65), a rustic, brasserie style bistro (?) open only for lunch. Just got three hearts in the Figaroscope... worth checking out!

Awesome news that coincides with my upcoming vacation! I've just called in an 8PM table for Monday, April 5--I clearly said "vingt heures" and the reservationist repeated it back to me. Can someone confirm that this place is lunch only? Did I get my chain yanked?

Jamie

[Bux]

I read the figaroscope.com page to say Camdeborde will be leaving la Régalade in a few weeks and coming to his new spot. An earlier post by John Talbott said that Camdeborde would be at la Régalade until May.

[picaman]

Ah well. I either do or don't have a dinner reservation at a restaurant that may or may not serve dinner, and the chef may be there or not. It won't be the first time that one of my misadventures turned out wonderfully or horribly I shall report to L'Ourcine on time and see what happens.

I took the Figaroscope piece to mean that Sylvain Danière will be at L'Ourcine until Camdeborde's arrival, but my French is admittedly fractured.

Jamie

[fresh_a]

The Figaroscope says they offer "des repas du midi"... and nothing about dinner

[jml3]

I just returned from Paris (with the Figaroscope of the day in hand) on Wednesday. At the top of the listing for "L'Ourcine" there is an indication that the restaurant is open every day "sf. dim.", which I take to mean that it is open Monday-Saturday. There is no mention of lunch only, where in the adjoining review of another new place there is a notation regarding a lunch menu. That suggests to me that L'Ourcine (which seems to my weak French reading ability to be the name of chef Sylvain Daniere's wife) is indeed open for lunch and dinner. I will be back in Paris April 12-16 and intend to find out, especially since the restaurant is in walking distance of my hotel in Montparnasse.

[fresh_a]

Look at the bottom of page 8 and it's marked, "....une nouvelle aventure du cote de l'envie, des repas du midi, et du style brasserie". Meaning, only lunch.

Next, turn to page 11 at the top where it is written, "Yves Candeborde quittera sa mythique Régalade pour reprendre une brasserie ouverte au déjeuner seulement". DEJEUNER SEULEMENT.I'd say it's pretty clear that this indicates no dinner.

And, take my advice, don't call his wife Ourcine. It probably wouldn't go over very well..

Edited March 27, 2004 by fresh_a (log)

[picaman]

One thing's for sure. I'll have dinner somewhere in Paris on Monday, April 5 and, for better or for worse, you all will be subjected to my opinion of it.

Jamie

[Felice]

I read the Figaro article as well and it seemed to me that L'Ourcine is not Camdeborde's restaurant, but was opened by Sylvain Daniere, one of his "lieutenants" (which I'm taking to mean sous chef)

The article says "In a few weeks Yves Camdebord will leave his famous restaurant to mix up a new adventure, a brasserie style place open only for dinner. While waiting he's helped launch one of his lieutenants in a lost bistro near Gobelins." Thats how I translated it anyway. I didn't think that it was his place. And from the other things that I have read it seemed like he was going to take a break for a while and then will start something in September.

And you'll be happy to know that I just called and they are open for dinner.

Anyway, I'm putting it on my list of restaurants I want to try next, which seems to be getting pretty long!

An Oursin is a sea urchin, but I'm not sure what a Ourcine is.

[magnolia]

but I'm not sure what a Ourcine is.

Don't know what it's named for - probably a river or something - but there's a building in Paris called the Villa Ourcine that in my complete ignorance of architecture, looks to me like the worst example of council-put-it-up-quick ugliness - it's probably listed.

[picaman]

And you'll be happy to know that I just called and they are open for dinner.

Thank you so much for calling and confirming this. And thanks to everyone for their translations.

The muddied waters are now merely brackish

I promise to gather as much info as possible and of course, name-drop eGullet.

Jamie

[fresh_a]

Felice-not to be pedantic or anything, but it IS his restaurant, and the article clearly states - TWICE- that the restaurant is open for lunch only.

Why is this so difficult to understand?!?

For the record I live in Paris, and speak French, and understand the meaning of this article perfectly.

L'Ourcine might be a literary reference to Les Miserables, but I think it just refers to what used to be rue de l'Ourcine, close to the Gobelins area...

Edited March 28, 2004 by fresh_a (log)

[Bux]

I've read the figaroscope.com page, but not the print pages of Figaro and my French is not so fluent that I would normally take sides in this issue, but I need to ask Fresh_a if his version is based soley on what he's read in the Figaro, or if there's some other insider source of information. The web page speaks of Camdeborde's new adventure mentioning "repas de midi" and "style brasserie." After that it says "En attendant," which I assume means while waiting for this to come to fruition. It then goes on to talk about "Sylvain Danière et son Ourcine"--or Sylvain Danière and his Ourcine. I read that to say Ourcine (the bistro) is Danière's. Furthermore we now know that Oursine is open for dinner. I'm rather convinced that the "brasserie," or bistro, or resto that will serve brasserie style food, is as yet unnamed and unannounced.

An interesting question was also raised to me. Could "repas de midi" mean meals of the midi, or south of France, rather than meals of noontime? Given Camdeborde's background and the food and wine of the southwest were well represented in la Régalade, and that Ourcine seems to focus on the southwest with Basque specialties, this is a reasonable question. That question seems to be answered in the negative by what's on page 11, but it was an interesting thought. It still appears to me that Ourcine is not that adventure of Camdeborde's spoken of in the future on the fagaroscope.com site minireview of Ourcine.

[menton1]

An interesting question was also raised to me. Could "repas de midi" mean meals of the midi, or south of France, rather than meals of noontime?

No, because that would be "repas du Midi. Also, "repas" would be a bit awkward there anyway, the better way is "cuisine du Midi". (or "plats")

There is a rue de l'Ourcine in some french Literature, I can't recall which... but that's probably the origin of the name-- They also say that Danière is one of Camdeborde's lieutenants, so he is probably the chef and Camdeborde is the "star".

It also seems that if L'Ourcine follows the unusual practice of serving lunch only, that would be clearly indicated in the Figaroscope blurb right after the phone number. They seem to be referring to the special quality of the lunch served...

Edited March 29, 2004 by menton1 (log)

[balex]

In British English, "dinner" is ambiguous between a meal served around 12-2 and the one served 6-9.

But "repas de midi" is clearly a noon-time meal.

[Bux]

I believe Menton's distinction between du midi and de midi is correct.

[fresh_a]

My reading of the Figaroscope article in French is undoubtedly infallible (if I do say so myself!) , however, it is up for debate as to whether they have included the correct information on whether they servce just lunch, or both lunch and dinner. But the article (and the article on the following page, as previously stated) clearly states that the "brasserie-style" bistro (one establishment only) is open for lunch only. I have no other "insider information" for the moment, but I'll drop them a line and find out.

[cigalechanta]

I'm surprised no one has mention that wonderful Paté that's passed table to table?

[PS]

It wouldn't be the first time a listings magazine has got its facts wrong if indeed L'Ourcine is open for lunch and dinner. Let's just wait and see...

[Felice]

Well, when I called and asked if they were open for dinner the man said yes and gave the hours. (and I worked in a restaurant in Paris for the past year and half, so I'm hoping my French couldn't be as bad as all that )

In the article itself it says

"Formule à 19,5 euros (déj) et menu-carte à 28 euros" (found under Prix in their chart)

which would lead me to believe that the 28 euro menu is for dinner or else they wouldn't feel the need to mark (dej) next to the 19,5 menu.

I fully agree that the article clearly states that Camdeborde is opening a lunch only brasserie, but then indicates that Ourcine is not lunch only. Hence the confusion.

[Bux]

I fully agree that the article clearly states that Camdeborde is opening a lunch only brasserie, but then indicates that Ourcine is not lunch only.  Hence the confusion.

That the article clearly states that Camdeborde is opening a lunch only brasserie, but then indicates that Ourcine is not lunch only, is why I assume Ourcine is not the brasserie Camdeborde is opening.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I read the Figaro article as well and it seemed to me that L'Ourcine is not Camdeborde's restaurant, but was opened by Sylvain Daniere, one of his "lieutenants" (which I'm taking to mean sous chef)

The article says "In a few weeks Yves Camdebord will leave his famous restaurant to mix up a new adventure, a brasserie style place open only for dinner.  While waiting he's helped launch one of his lieutenants in a lost bistro near Gobelins."  Thats how I translated it anyway.  I didn't think that it was his place.  And from the other things that I have read it seemed like he was going to take a break for a while and then will start something in September.

And you'll be happy to know that I just called and they are open for dinner.

Anyway, I'm putting it on my list of restaurants I want to try next, which seems to be getting pretty long!

An Oursin is a sea urchin, but I'm not sure what a Ourcine is.

That's how I read it also. I don't think that Camdebord has anything to do with L'Ourcine beyond his initial sponsorship or encouragement. I called L'O this morning and booked for this Friday night on the basis of Figaroscope's three heart review.

[PS]

Are there many lunch-only brasseries in Paris? If so, are they successful? If not, what do you reckon are the chances of it being a success?

Are we to take from this that he's decided he can make a decent go of this place and put his feet up in the evening? And, as a result, can we assume that the new restaurant will be considerably more expensive than La Regalade on account of being able to serve fewer meals?

Questions, questions, questions...

[fresh_a]

Answertime. L'Ourcine has nothing to do with Yves, the chef of La Regalade. It is indeed one of his lieutenants, and some others who worked with him at La Regalade who have opened their own place, on their own. Yves IS leaving La Regalade, but hasn't found another establishment yet. And, finally, L'Ourcine is the name of the rue Broca from the 13th until the 19th century!

[Felice]

Thank you Fresh-a for finally solving this.

I didn't post this earlier because it seemed silly to keep going back and forth about who was right and wrong, but I did ask my friend (who is French) to read the article and to him the whole thing was terribly written and unclear.

So, I'm happy that the mystery is solved.

And I can't wait to hear from Margaret how it is!

Edited April 2, 2004 by Felice (log)

[John Talbott]

Someone just emailed me about resolving the questions raised above even though I think they lready have been. I ate at L'Oursine (see thread on 5 Restaurants) March 29th. It is open lunch and dinner, there is a menu at lunch for 19.5E but it's limited whereas the menu-carte at 28E is better. Despite whatever's been written, it is not a "brasserie type bistro" as I understand the term, (no beer; no choucroute, no oysters, etc), it's just a little modern bistro. As for the old and new name of the Street; most streets around the Val de Grace (their Walter Reed) and Hopital Cochin/Ste Anne's were named or renamed to bear the names of famous French Physicians and/or scientists, eg Claude Bernard, Claude-Louis Berthollet, Blaise Pascal, Pierre Mechain (Broca was the 19th century neurologist who identified the area of the brain involved with speech; often implicated in strokes). As most of you know when different arrondissements were developed, names were needed for the streets and different districts bear the names of different types of folks (eg parts of the 20th are named after aviation pioneers). Enough history; eat! L'Ousine is great.