Taillevent Merged topics

[Fat Guy]

I think they're putting on fat before the winter in preparation for the winter, or something like that. Where's Michael Ginor when you need him?

[Bux]

If you're in France around the time of American Thanksgiving you might hit a market on the first weekend of foie gras season, in which case you'll see a whole heck of a lot of the stuff. You can of course get fresh foie gras anytime but the livers are at their height of fatness and lusciousness during the season.

It seems to make sense that the birds might, by nature, want to put on weight in the winter, but ducks and geese do not hibernate. Wild ducks and geese are migratory. Apparently there is some tendency for wild ducks and geese to gorge themselves prior to migration, but I doubt it is to the point where their livers become so fat. I don't know why domestic water fowl don't just fly away whether raised for their livers or not. Perhaps flight has been bred out of them. I'm wondering if the season is not market driven. Winter is when rich fatty foods are more palatable and more in demand. Most foie gras in France is consumed around Christmas and New Year's Eve. I suspect it's not just because the livers are available then. Whatever the reason or season, people have been fattening geese since at least biblical times, although it's hard to say just when foie gras became the target. Ginor's book has some very interesting historical information, but at a quick glance, I couldn't find anything about seasons. That's not to say the information is not there.

[Wilfrid]

Nice one, Steve. My taste in food when in France runs, I fear, to the conservative, and I enjoyed Taillevent very much a couple of years ago. And I managed to find some offal on the menu.

[Jonathan Day]

I completely missed this thread...I can only plead absorbption in the Passard/Ducasse thread.

Steve, I enjoyed and learned from that writeup. You have a gift for making these places live. Thanks for keeping your reservation and for taking time to share it with us.

[cabrales]

The October 15, 2002 edition of Wine Spectator provides a detailed article on Vrinat's life, and notes the following:

"This year marks [Jean-Claude] Vrinat's 40th anniversary at Taillevent. . . . Another project . . . . is presently in the works: He plans to unveil a Taillevent bakery soon. . . . . He is disgusted too by the state of French baking, which is why Taillevent is getting into the baguette business: 'In general, I now get better bread in Tokyo than I do in Paris. We've destroyed so many things.'"

[pirate]

Another tribute to Tokyo which I feel is gastronomically stronger than Paris. I will be in Paris next week and Tokyo the following week making comparisons.

[cabrales]

pirate -- When you have a chance, please discuss why you consider Tokyo to be stronger than Paris. I'd have to disagree, although my dining experience in Tokyo is rather limited.

[pirate]

Cabrales:

I digress.

On page 281 of Wechsberg's "Blue Trout and Black Truffles" Fernand Point is quoted: "Maybe he should have a sole aux nouilles instead of the truite au porto. I decided against it. It might have been too much, and I don't want my clients to eat too much. Only in bad restaurants is one urged to order a lot. Enfin, you are satisfied." So sole aux nouilles is a Point dish which question came up in some other post.

I was too late for Point, but I bear in mind Point's words "But I always try to make every meal une petite merveille " . That's the problem. In France I've very rarely had "une petite merveille".

In the 70's once at Troigros, once at Lasserre. twice at Minot's Cote d'Or in Saulieu. In the 80's

once at Arpege. Surprisingly Robuchon was a failure I blame that on going for the "tasting menu", something I've grown to despise along with "grand complication" cuisine. In recent years none at the heavily starred Michelin restaurants in France.

In Japan the combination of their fanaticism about quality and their aesthetic is unbeatable. Freshness means something in Japan. Where else is a abalone in its shell alive put on a teppanyaki grill ? It opens up and is wiggling. More surprising is how well they do with French and Italian food. The quality of their ingredients is, in my opinion, better than in France.

[cabrales]

pirate -- Perhaps the restaurant that previously lived up to your expectations could do so again?

[cabrales]

Vrinat pays attention to every detail. In J Villas' "Between Bites", Villas mentions in passing: "My relationship with Jean-Claude Vrinat at three-star Taillevent in Paris has been such that, convinced that Michelin is as obsessed wtih clean bathrooms as flawless cuisine and service, he once literally demonstrated for me the correct way to swab a toilet." (p. 245)

[lizziee]

Alain Soliveres, the chef from L'Elysees is now at Taillevent. The new chef at L'Elysees is Mr Briffard who started one week ago. To find out who Briffard is go to http://www.saveurs.sympatico.ca/cshcf/pari...s/briffard2.htm

The new menu at the 2 star L'Elysees is:

LES ENTREES

LE POTIRON ET L'OSEILLE SAUVAGE

en soupe mousseuse, au pain d'epices

LES LEGUMES RACINES DU POTAGER DE JOEL

en gelee de pot au feu, petite rotie a la creme de raifort

LE PIED DE COCHON TRUFFE

et foie gras en tartine, marinade de champignons aux raisins

LES NOIX DE SAINT-JACQUES

en salade au caviar Oscietre, acidulee a la mangue et au shiso

LES LANGOUSTINES ROYALES

en fricassee, chorizo de Bellota, legumes croquants au citron

LA TRUFFE DE RICHERENCHES

LA POMME CHARLOTTE

en salade de truffes, celeri cru, tomate sechee et Lomo

LE POIREAUX ET LA TRUFFE

en fine tarte a la ventreche, cremeux d'oignons doux au Balsamico

LES POISSONS

LE ROUGET DE ROCHE

sous le gril, poivrade, fenouil, epeautre a la cive

LA PETITE LOTTE BRETONNE

au gingembre et citron vert, mariniere de coquillages aux fettucines

LE SAINT-PIERRE CïTIER

meuniere aux huitres et vin jaune, mousseline de celeri-truffe

LE HOMARD BLEU

cuit sur la braise au romarin, jus de presse,

ravioli au corail, poivrade, echalotes roussies

LES VIANDES

LA CANNETTE DE BARBARIE AU SANG

sauce au tamarin, navets, poire de cure au vine pice

LE CARRE D'AGNEAU DE LOZERE

rotii a l'harissa frais, brochette d'abats, fondant a l'aubergine

LE LAPIN DE GARENNE DE CHASSE

en ravioles, sauce civet a l'epine-vinette, champignons des bois,

fine puree de coing

LA NOIX DE RIS DE VEAU DE CORREZE

a la truffe, doree au beurre sale, salsifis au jus gras, noix grillee

LE COCHON BASQUE DES ALDUDES

en cocotte aux reinettes et chataignes, jus go?teux aux oignons

LES DESSERTS

LA POIRE ET LE FENOUIL

au bois de reglisse, crumble aux fruits secs, sorbet au gingembre confit

LE MARRON GLACE

moelleux "Mont-Blanc" au vieux rhum, sorbet clementine amere

LE CHOCOLAT PUR CARAìBE

feuillantine a la cannelle, sorbet cacao, sauce au the jasmin

LE CITRON DE MENTON CONFIT

en biscuit moelleux a la melisse, creme glacee au mascarpone

L'ANANAS VICTORIA

roti au sautoir, vinaigre de cidre, creme glacee a la vanille Bourbon

[cabrales]

lizziee -- On the linked webpage, the last entry for Briffard's resume was as follows:

"CHEF DES CUISINES - DIRECTEUR DU RESTAURANT LE RÉGENCE

HÔTEL PLAZA ATHÉNÉE - 75008 Paris

1 Macaron Michelin, 18/20 Gault et Millau, 3 Etoiles Bottin Gourmand

(Translated: "Chef de Cuisine -- Director of the Restaurant Le Regence, Hotel Plaza Athenee, 1 star Michelin, 18/20 G-M, 3 stars Bottin Gourmand")

I believe Le Regence was the restaurant that predated Ducasse's restaurant as the "gastronomic" restaurant at the Plaza Athenee. It's possible Briffard has done something between the Plaza Athenee and beginning at Elysees (?). I'm uncertain about this, and have not sampled Briffard's cuisine.

Edited December 13, 2002 by cabrales (log)

[cabrales]

Yes, I've confirmed Le Regence is no longer at the Plaza Athenee.

http://www.plaza-athenee-paris.com/us/index-us.html

Only Ducasse affiliates are involved in restaurants at the Athenee now. There's a summer, informal restaurant called Cour Jardin, but that too is staffed by Ducasse personnel (I recall vaguely from a recent Thuries article on Ducasse's henchpeople). Even the bar is ostensibly (!) supervised by Ducasse personnel.

Edited December 13, 2002 by cabrales (log)

[lizziee]

Cabrales,

All I know re Briffard is that he was one of Robuchon's protégés. I have never tasted his cuisine and know virtually nothing about him. He just started one week ago and I got the menu from the concierge at the Vernet.

[cabrales]

lizziee -- As always, thanks for your efforts

Have any members sampled Taillevent under Soliveres?

[thefoodhunter]

Great Chefs filmed Solivares when he was at Guy Savoy. The segment will be on the Travel Channel marathon on December 24.

[lizziee]

In September, we ate at L'Elysees when Soliveres was still the chef. Although, his style will be modified to be more in line with Taillevent, he is definitely a gifted chef.

My review can be found here:

http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?ac...ST&f=10&t=12216

Edited December 15, 2002 by lizziee (log)

[yossi]

Hi all,

first of all - this is my first post here at egulett - although I'm watching you guys for a while.

You got a great discussion forum with much interesting information.

As for Mr. Briffard - I've managed to eat at his former restaurant - Le Regence in the Plaza Athenee (yes, Le) "par hasard". The only reason I went there is that I heard rumors saying that this restaurant is going to get its second "macaron" in the Michelin 2000 guide.

During lunch, the "maitre d'hotel" asked me whether I heard these rumors, and was very surprised when I said that I heard them two weeks ago (actually, I didn't hear them, I only read them in the web - at the time it wasn't that popular in France.) He was so stunned - that from this point he gave us a special treatment.

I must say that the lunch we ate there was one of the best my wife and me ever had, even when comparing to dinners in other "starred" restaurants. I compare him to Eric Frechon from Bristol, who is - from my point of view - one of the most elegant/creative chefs I know.

When we returned to Paris few months later - the resraurant was closed due to the replacement of Briffard by Ducasse. Ever since I'm trying to track him, with no much success. There were rumors that he moved to Drouant - but this deal never realized.

Now, I hope he'll last there at least unril the end of January - so that we'll have the opprtunity to eat again from his marvelous cuisine.

Besides - there is a question: did anybody ever sleeped at the Beaugraviere at Mondragon? We intend to eat, drink and stay there for two nights next January, and would like to know whether the rooms are comfortable enough.

[Steve Plotnicki]

I haven't stayed at Beaugraviere but I have friends who have stayed there a number of times. They described the accomodations as "motel quality." If you are looking for a nice place to stay. Chateau Rochgude is 10 km due east of Mondragon in the town of Rochgude and it is a glorious Relais & Chateau with classical Provencal decor in an old castle. I stayed there last February and in January of 2000 specifically because I was eating dinner at Beugraviere and I highly recommend it. May I suggest that if you are going to be in that region in January you make sure that you are there for a Saturday morning. The truffle market in Richeranches is fun and you can make a good buy on a truffle to bring back home. And you can reserve a table for lunch in the town community center where they serve a salad, truffe omelet, cheese and a nicve enough Cote de Rhone for something like $12. Loads of fun.

[cabrales]

I have not stayed at Chateau Rochegude, but the facility even organizes black truffle theme days/weekends.

[marcus]

The Beaugraviere is a minimal 3 star hotel, in the US is would come close to being a dump, although not with the additional connotations of being dirty, it is in fact clean. I also has a dingy setting near the railroad tracks. The restaurant is very worthwhile at all times, and their truffle omelet in season is one of the unique dishes of the world. They also have one of the very best if not the best list of Rhone wines.

Edited December 19, 2002 by marcus (log)

[lizziee]

Update on Briffard.

Below is the link to an article in Figaroscope about Les Elysees and their new chef, Eric Briffard. The room is probably the most romantic in Paris.

http://www.figaroscope.fr/restaurants/c_es...nouveau_24.html

[Peter Rodgers]

Apologies to all who find this to be peevish. I finished a ten day business trip Wednesday, falling into the arms of the Hotel Vernay in Paris, which allowed me to give my food ambitions over to Claudio, the conciege at same, who is the principal reason why I return to this hotel over others.

He indulged my ambitions by persuading Taillevant to give up its last table, despite the fact that it might have made better money by waiting for a duo. This was my first visit to this storied establishment, despite having largely covered the firmament of stars of in Paris. I was not disappointed. M. Vrinat was omnipresent, the service was impeccable without being the least bit cloying and the food was commendable, if not especially creative (the tasting menu, which I ordered consisted of a first class terrine de foie gras de canard, a ravioli in a creamy foam with abundant black truffles, an exquisite rouget served with a tomato puree, a good rack of lamb, cheese and several desserts). The wines, to order half bottles were impressive -- especially a 1995 Meursault Genvieres which had the color of a Sauterne and a taste that no California Chardonnay ever dreamed of.

But when it came to the cheese, which is one of the principal reasons I allow myself to indulge in $300 meals, I was let down To the restaurant's credit, there was a large basket containing an enormous round of very good vacherin, but the rest of the chariot was meager at best. Each of the cows cheeses (livarot, Saint Nectaire and several others) tasted as if they had languished on the cheese carte for days. Several were sour or bitter. And the great palate challengers like epoisse were totally missing.

I have never had a more disappointing cheese experience in a French three star restaurant. Can anyone proffer an explanation?

[lizziee]

Peter,

I can't talk about the cheese course since I haven't been to Taillevent recently, but the Vernet and Claudio are THE BEST!!!!!!!! In all my years of staying in Paris, there has never been a better concierge. With Claudio, just e-mail your request and it is done. Nothing is too much, nothing is impossible. He is the finest.

Peter, as far as I am concerned, you have found the best. And the elevator is an experience.

[PaulaJK]

Perhaps because they don't pay much attention

to this course? They seem to ply you with service

and food in the first part of the meal and wander

off....to other tables physically...but also emotionally.

The desserts aren't in the "wow" or interesting category

either. I don't nned for the 'cutting edge' of Gagnaire

[gasp!!!!/g] but feel that Taillevent doesn't extend

itself to any great measure.