Taillevent Merged topics

[Steve Plotnicki]

Sounds yummy. I really enjoy eating there. The food isn't breaking any new ground but the quality of the food is terrific and while classic, is just modern enough (for my taste) not to be boring. Sorry about the cheese though. Hope you took a long walk the next morning to Anne-Marie Cantin or Barthelemy to cure what ailed you.

[Tonyfinch]

The question I've never understood is: after foie gras de canard, raviolo with cream and black truffles, rouget with tomato puree, rack of lamb and before several desserts to come why the hell does anybody want to eat cheese?

[Peter Rodgers]

As a departed Uncle once advised me, after your stomach has reached its limit, you can try rubbing it into your skin. As for the cheese, its because no matter how stupendous the French or French-based food might be outside of France (e.g. at Daniel in New York or the French Laundry in Napa Valley), you can never replicate the cheeses, given pasturization requirements, poor keeping during transportation, etc. Moreover, the likelihood of getting perfect cheeses is invariably better at the most upscale of the French starred restaurants. That's what made the cheese failure at Taillevent surprising to me.

[Louisa Chu]

Peter, not peevish at all. In fact I find it quite disturbing. And no, no, no, no way do the French not pay attention to this course. It is the most elemental of French cuisine - one of the holy trinity along with wine and bread. I just have no idea. I could better understand a misstep with a truffle dish than with an entire cheese cart. Restaurants at that level take their cheese very seriously in terms of selection, storage, service - I don't know for certain but I would bet big euros that Taillevant has a dedicated cheese refrigerator. I think it would merit contacting your concierge.

One of the things that frightens me about moving back to the States is losing access to my cheese. Marie Anne Cantin is right around the corner from me - about a 5 minute walk - and Barthelemy, on my street but a brisk 15 minute walk away. To at will walk to Madame Cantin's for just a few euros worth of sublime cheese is a luxury I feverishly cherish.

But I have to disagree that your cheese course is likely best at the etoiles. Direct from the best affineurs I think is best. Perhaps not the best in ambiance but I think the best purely in terms of the cheese.

[balex]

  loufood said:

One of the things that frightens me about moving back to the States is losing access to my cheese. Marie Anne Cantin is right around the corner from me - about a 5 minute walk - and Barthelemy, on my street but a brisk 15 minute walk away. To at will walk to Madame Cantin's for just a few euros worth of sublime cheese is a luxury I feverishly cherish.

I have Barthelemy about 5 min away and Cantin about 15 min away. My last trip to Cantin, I bought a variety of things, including some beurre cru which I ate a lot of with a baguette tradition and some of those little gray prawns, and some Sancerre, and I was very happy. BUT, I bought a Reblochon that just stank of shit. I had to throw it in the bin.

On the plus side, I no longer find the piles of dog 'crottins' that litter the streets round here so disgusting.

[Tonyfinch]

  balex said:

On the plus side, I no longer find the piles of dog 'crottins' that litter the streets round here so disgusting.

Really? What do you have them with?

[balex]

  Tonyfinch said:

  balex said:

On the plus side, I no longer find the piles of dog 'crottins' that litter the streets round here so disgusting.

Really? What do you have them with?

It was the fact that no-one was suggesting I eat them that made the smell tolerable.

Now I am back at the beginning again...

[Tonyfinch]

Actually Balex city dwellers can be divided into two types of people (whether they kow it or not)- those who don't mind dog shit all over the streets and those who do. Never forget which one you are. There is no compromise.

[Bux]

There are times when it seems eGullet members can be divided into two type of people -- those who know food and those who know shit.

[Louisa Chu]

  balex said:

BUT, I bought a Reblochon that just stank of shit. I had to throw it in the bin. 

On the plus side, I no longer find the piles of dog 'crottins' that litter the streets round here so disgusting.

How sad. I guess that's how things are all the way over in the 6th.

Why didn't you take the Reblochon back to M. Cantin?

[balex]

  loufood said:

  balex said:

BUT, I bought a Reblochon that just stank of shit. I had to throw it in the bin. 

On the plus side, I no longer find the piles of dog 'crottins' that litter the streets round here so disgusting.

How sad. I guess that's how things are all the way over in the 6th.

Why didn't you take the Reblochon back to M. Cantin?

Actually I am just in the 7th, so we can still talk to each other as equals...

Taking it back would have required storing it for a day or two which would have caused rebellion in my household.

(Trying to digest a slightly disappointing meal at Thoumieux)

[Bux]

  balex said:

(Trying to digest a slightly disappointing meal at Thoumieux)

I passed by Thoumieux once and thought it was charming looking. Before I ever had the chance to try it, I read a very negative report here on eGullet and dismissed it. As it's in your neighborhood, I suspect you had reason to expect a better meal than you got. Is that the case, or was this a first visit? Because it seemed representative of a type of establishment that has all but disappeared, I'd like to know more about Thoumieux.

[We've come a long way from Taillevent. Is Thoumieux worthy of a thread?]

[Louisa Chu]

  balex said:

Actually I am just in the 7th, so we can still talk to each other as equals...

Taking it back would have required storing it for a day or two which would have caused rebellion in my household.

Well...just barely...

And that's what Ziplocs are for.

But really, I'm so shocked. They're usually impeccable there. Have you been back? You should mention it.

[marcus]

My experience with Cantin has also been very mixed. In no way is it even close to the overall quality and selection at Barthelemy. In addition I found that as an unknown American visitor, she actively tried to stick me, and succeeded in doing so, with less than the best stuff. I wouldn't go back.

[Steve Plotnicki]

I agree with Marcus. No comparison between Barthelemy and Cantin. How about Alleose? I don't think they are as good as Bathelemy but they aren't bad. And it is probably the closest of the top chesse shops to the Hotel Verney.

[marcus]

Steve -- Aloesse and Barthelemy are definitely the top two. Patricial Wells rates Aloesse the best, but in my experience I would agree with you and give the edge to Barthelemy.

[Louisa Chu]

Agreed that Barthelemy has a bigger selection but I don't think necessarily better. They tend to have a little too much of the cute cheese for my taste - tiny chevres with herbs etc. - that I think are best left for people who don't really like cheese. Plus I find their storage a little on the cold side - not everything needs to be in refrigerated cases but they are. As for Cantin, sorry about the bad experiences but I really don't think they're out to stick the Americans - not even the tourists. I've found them all to be exceptionally generous with their time, willing to answer a lot of questions - even when I've said I'm not buying anything that day - even when I come back time and time again to buy a only a few euros worth of cheese. Plus their display wins over Barthelemy hands down - rustic yet refined - and I think with cheeses to merit the presentation. I like Barthelemy and their homey, welcoming cheese ladies and do find Madame Cantin and her staff not as warm but very good to talk cheese with nonetheless.

Have not yet tried Alleosse - all the way up in the 17th!

Alleosse

20 RUE CLAIRAUT

75017 PARIS

01 42 29 39 36

[Steve Plotnicki]

You know if you live near rue Cler, Alleose isn't that much farther a walk then Barthelemy is. And the rue Poncelet market is sort of fun. But as good as Alleose is, I think Barthelemy crushes it. Barthelemy is the cheese shop of my dreams. Ceneri in Cannes is a good cheese shop if anybody is ever down that way.

[CheGuevara]

it's been two years since my last visit to taillevent, and this is a sour post to read. (especially if you consider that given the choice of three items to eat till death part with me i would choose wine, cheese and bread.) i remember having some great cheese at taillevent - i particularly remember the st. nectaire and a marvelous livarot. has the food declined in quality as well?

i would add my 2 cents to barthelemy.

-che

[fresh_a]

Patricia Well's website

She gives Taillevent, and their new chef a glowing review. FYI

[lizziee]

Alain Soliveres is one of the most overlooked chefs in Paris. When he was at Les Elysees, he was, as Patricia Wells noted, performing brilliantly. My assumption is that if he is still performing at that level and now has the added edge of Taillevent's service, Taillevent is a must reservation.

[pirate]

The entries on the L'Ambrosie thread bring to mind an instance of being cajoled into expressing myself in French. It was 1971. I had flown into Paris and decided to dine at Taillevent which at that time had two Michelin stars. It was a weekday night and I arrived without reservations. M. Vrinat himself greeted me and showed me to a table. I don't quite remember how it happened but I probably gave some indication of knowing French. M.Vrinat insisted on my ordering in French and was very patient and understanding. Well I wanted the rack of lamb on the menu for two. He agreed to offer it for one (and in fact I got the full rack for two at half price). These came with pommes de terre sarlaidaise which are potatoes fried in goose fat with sliced black truffles. I had noticed that a nearby table had these served without truffles but I got truffles. I did struggle with ordering a wine. M. Vrinat proposed a Cte be Beaune I didn't want. I finally came up with "quelque chose plus corse' " and ended up with an excellent Nuits Clos des Porrets. The rack of lamb was the best I've had in France , only equalled by a rack of baby lamb in France and a rack of lamb at the Gravenbruech Kempinski in Frankfurt (when its German restaurant had one Michelin star). The latter was served with quince (it was October) which propelled the dish to greater heights. I have been addressed in French in restaurants many times but have never conversed since.

[pirate]

Correction: The French restaurant at the Gravenbruech Kempinski had one Michelin star at the time. The German restaurant did not. Quality of lamb: I've generally found it higher in Germany than in France. For example a bit later on that Paris visit in 1971 I ate at Chez Albert which had two Michelin stars and had "Carre' d'agneau aux aromates" listed as a specialty in Michelin. It was tough and of poor quality.

[menton1]

  pirate said:

It was 1971. .

Makes one quite nostalgic. A bygone era. Could never happen in 2003.

[pirate]

The specific intersection with M.Vrinat is unlikely and Taillevent, with three stars is now much harder to get into and the cuisine has changed. But there are restaurants around the world that treat clients in just as nice a way, and many are posted on egullet, which is why it's such a valuable resource.