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Comments on the Parisian restaurant digests


andrew_j_craig

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I'll read this in more detail shortly but I couldn't let the occasion pass without remarking how useful this is. Thank you in advance for the tireless compilation effort.

[Moderator's Note: Please scroll to the end for the latest comments on the lastest Digests.]

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I'll second what Andrew said. This is an extremely helpful service for those of us who can only get to Paris once or twice a year.

I don't suppose there's any word on how La Regalade is doing without Yves?

PS

Edinburgh

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  • 2 weeks later...
I telephoned yesterday and rather than answer my queries about Yves' date of departure and re-emergence, the lady at the other end was more interested (perhaps naturally) on my making a reservation to eat under the new chef.

yves is gone and is focusing on his new restaurant L'ourcine.

L a regalade under new management has gone downhill.this is based on comments from friends rather than 1st hand knowledge

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I telephoned yesterday and rather than answer my queries about Yves' date of departure and re-emergence, the lady at the other end was more interested (perhaps naturally) on my making a reservation to eat under the new chef.

yves is gone and is focusing on his new restaurant L'ourcine.

L a regalade under new management has gone downhill.this is based on comments from friends rather than 1st hand knowledge

While it is definite that Yves has left Le Regalade, Pierre, I don't believe his connection to L'Ourcine to be true. I have the understanding that at most Yves is the mentor of the chef/owner of L'Ourcine, and has presently close to nothing to do with it. It is in no way "his new restaurant". Am I mistaken?

eGullet member #80.

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We've had this discussion in a thread on la Régalade a few months ago.

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.

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!

Has there been any news since?

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.

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There was a review of L'ourcine in le figaro in april, where they mention that yve's

2 lieutenant's are in charge,while he was still busy at la regalade. I thought at the time that that statement was in conflict with the march article, anyhow i ate the next day at l'ourcine.actually i reviewed my lunch on the chowhound site.

I think mr camedeborde is beeing low key about the whole thing because of a no compete clause when he sold la regalade.

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I think mr camedeborde is being low key about the whole thing because of a no compete clause when he sold la regalade.

I hope, you, John, or another of our Parisan residents can get to the bottom of this and let us know what Yves' relationship is to the restaurant and what, if any, his other plans are for the fall.

By the way Pierre, welcome to eGullet.

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.

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The latest I have read about Camdeborde is that he will be taking over a pension de famille and will be opening a bed and breakfast with a small bistro sometime after September, but I haven't heard where exactly.

I can't remember where I read about it either. I read a whole article though, perhaps it was in that free paper you get on the metro--Nous à Paris, or something like that.

There are only a handful of Pensions left in Paris, so I wonder which one it could be. I actually lived in one for several months when I first arrived here which overlooks the Luxembourg gardens.

www.parisnotebook.wordpress.com

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  • 2 weeks later...

I saw the mention of La Famille in F&W and thought is sounded intriguing. Has anyone here tried it? The first Sunday of the month tasting menu particularly caught my attention.

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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Felice, I read the same article. Yves has nothing to do with L'Ourcine, except that one of his former chefs owns the restaurant. I have heard about the pension from other anonymous sources as well. After all these years, he just burned out, and is looking for something a little more relaxing...

Anti-alcoholics are unfortunates in the grip of water, that terrible poison, so corrosive that out of all substances it has been chosen for washing and scouring, and a drop of water added to a clear liquid like Absinthe, muddles it." ALFRED JARRY

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To those, such as scranmeister, interested in how Le Regalade is faring under Bruno Doucet the first review I've seen was in Wednesday's Figaroscope - 3 hearts - see the Digest for link here

As for La Famille, Tighe, I've eaten there three times since Francois Simon raved about it in his Croque Notes in the fall. The first time, I was blown away, they offered me all sorts of tastings of innovative things (e.g. a single marinated gamba with the tail broiled, the middle mi-cuit and the body almost raw), the second time I returned with a European friend and we both thought it was a bit edgy (fish too cooked for sashimi, not cooked enough for texture), and the third time went with my wife Colette and two foodie friends and we all thought it had gone over the edge into preciousness. But it continues to get good press, so.....

John Talbott

blog John Talbott's Paris

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I ate at La Famille when it first opened, and enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away. The avocado milkshake was great, though, and this kind of establishment does make a change in the Montmarte area, that doesn't really have a whole lot to offer in terms of good eateries.

Anti-alcoholics are unfortunates in the grip of water, that terrible poison, so corrosive that out of all substances it has been chosen for washing and scouring, and a drop of water added to a clear liquid like Absinthe, muddles it." ALFRED JARRY

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These digests are a great service to me as a non-French-speaker and as someone who barely has time to keep up on media in my own city of New York. I should add that ever since the first of these digests went up I've been getting notes of thanks via PM and e-mail -- like I had anything to do with it. Even were this just a list of summaries, it would be valuable. But the project has taken shape as journalism in its own right. This is the kind of thing that makes eGullet what it is.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Thanks Fat Guy, scribblers thrive on applause, no matter what they tell the reader. I'd love to see the notes to you, tho', they might be helpful in shaping future editions.

I try, not always successfully, in the digests to be neutral and provide reportage but to be editorial in the reports of new restaurants such as:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=40155

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=44583

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=41939

Finally, to follow the Camdeborde saga, Rosa Jackson in this month's Paris Bites repeats what we've heard elsewhere already, that he'll open "very soon" (well, we all know what that means in French, normalement = forever) a small hotel, open to the public only at lunch, and to guests in the evening, with an open kitchen, a visable chef, etc., etc., but without changes in his style. But more on that in this week's Digest.

John Talbott

blog John Talbott's Paris

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Last time I went to the regelade (maybe a month ago), it wasn't that easy to notice the chef had changed: most of the menu was the same (30 euros), and quality was almost equal. But the wine list is not as impressive as it used to be when camdeborde ran the place. And the by the way, it's still as hard to make reservations: we had to wait till 10:30 to get a table! The place was fully packed, which probably means people havn't noticed an important change yet.

"Mais moi non plus, j'ai pas faim! En v'là, une excuse!..."

(Jean-Pierre Marielle)

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The week of June 21st

On June 19th, François Simon in his “Croque Notes” in Le Figaro heads his comments “Lastours, pétard de Prusse!,” (trans.=a pleasant surprise) in which he visits le Puit du Trésor near Carcassonne, now chef’d by Jean-Marc Boyer an ex of l’Ambrosie which he says he’d go back to anytime.  But the reason why he really wrote about it, is its new practice (along with others) of providing a wine “doggy-bag” so you’ll not exceed the blood alcohol test limits of 0,5 grams per liter (in most states in the US, our equivalent level is 0,8), now strictly enforced by the highway patrols.  He notes that it’s not so bad to arrive at your destination and finish the bottle off, albeit you may be taken for a bum.

While it is much safer to drive with an open bottle of wine in the car than with too much wine alcohol in your blood steam, in many, if not most, states, it's illegal to drive with an open container of beer, wine or other alcoholic beverage. I think it's okay if it's in the trunk though.

I've never been a fan of doggie bags and the wine markup in French restaurants, while usually not as bad as in the states, is still enough for me to consider the purchase of wine in a restaurant not to be economical for off premises consumption. A better selection by the half bottle and by the glass would be a better idea in my opinion.

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.

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The Cook book may indeed have some american or south african wines, but that's about it: as far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't compare its food to Spoon's. Really not...

"Mais moi non plus, j'ai pas faim! En v'là, une excuse!..."

(Jean-Pierre Marielle)

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A question. (I'm not sure where to put it without starting a new thread, which it doesn't merit.) Has Allard in the 6th moved to new quarters? The latest Pudlo gives the address as 1, rue de l'Eperon, not 41, St-Andres-des-Arts, where it has been for all eternity. Does anyone know if this in fact a change of venue, and whether it has affected their roast chicken? Answers by Tuesday would be greatly appreciated.

John Whiting, London

Whitings Writings

Top Google/MSN hit for Paris Bistros

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I walk by Allard quite frequently and hadn't noticed that it moved. I'll try to walk by on my way home tonight and will report back.

www.parisnotebook.wordpress.com

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Les Pages Jeunes online still give the address as 41 etc. It may well be at the corner of rue d'lEperon; why the new Pudlo has changed their entry, I don't know.

The entry in the Guide Gastronomique de Paris 1953 reads:

CHEZ ALLARD : 41, rue Saint-André-des-Arts. Tél. Dan. 48-23. Très grande cuisine dans décor simple : beurre blanc, canard aux olives. Vin de Chavignol et grande Bourgogne.
After half a century, even the telephone number is the same, with the extra numbers that have accumulated.

John Whiting, London

Whitings Writings

Top Google/MSN hit for Paris Bistros

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Rue d'lEpéron intersects rue Saint-André-des-Arts, and right about where I recall Allard to be, on my map. Perhaps it's some sort of snobbism on Pudlowski's part, unless they've moved the entrance door. Those are the "yellow" pages and not the "young" ones, are they not. :raz: I trust everyone knows les Pages Jaunes web site. It will not only provide the address and phone number, but locate your restaurant, or other business, on a map and in many cases offer a photograph of the facade. I believe it's useful all over France and not just for Paris.

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.

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