Talent in Paris - Bistros Moderne

[gidon]

Some years ago I read about talented young chefs from starred restaurants that started their own down to earth bistro's and restaurants in Paris. They specifically chose to avoid the expectations and pressure raised by michelin, making their food excellent value for money in the process.

As dumb luck would have it, I can not find a single iota about these chefs and their restaurants anymore. Does anyone know if they're still around, make delicious food and haven't been seeked out by michelin yet? I would ever so grateful!

Gidon

[John Talbott]

Check out the threads discussing the(gastronomic) sons of Christian Constant as well as the Routard: Petits restos des Grands Chefs.

[fresh_a]

This is a pretty decent article as well (although a little outdated)

[Bux]

... (although a little outdated)

Bear in mind the restaurant world in Paris is very fluid. Restaurants change quickly. Some of the chefs to which John refers, have been very successful with their chosen direction, some have gone back to cook in luxury haute cuisine restaurants and some have sold their original restaurants and moved on to various paths. There have been other, somewhat parallel, movements among which there is Guy Savoy's esxtablilshment of bistros and small restaurants with kitchens in the hands of some of his young chefs.

[fresh_a]

Bux,

Speaking of Savoy, did you get my mail?

[Bux]

Yes, I'm waiting for your posts on the food in the Chiberta thread.

[ljr]

Due to spend 16 days in Paris from next Monday and am keen to try out some of the new and classic restaurants so I have been reading this page with much interest and will follow some of the recommendations. My question concerns the Bistros Moderne which J Steingarten writes so eloquently about in his two collections ("the man who ate everything" and "it must have been something I ate") - e.g. Yves Camdeborde's La Regalade (I see he has moved on) and l'Os a Moelle. Has this move to the suburbs by top chefs continued and are there good examples still opening..? I welcome general and specific thoughts on the Bistros Modernes concept and whether JS was right to call it a movement or not...

[John Whiting]

You'll find one man's idiosyncratic opinions if you click below in my signature on Whitings Writings.

[ljr]

Thank you john. I will try to choose wisely and report on my findings... I'll assume this revolution is continuing as there is lots of recent mentions of places you (and Steingarten) mention... I cant wait...

[Bux]

I hope you've started to read through John Talbott's excellent media digests to look for new bistros. I'd suggest working backwards if you haven't already researched that source. My next comment here is going to similar to one I've made recently to another poster, in fact your question so well parallels gidon's thread that I will merge the two threads, although answers to your questions might just as well fit into the thread on Least expensive Michelin starred restaurants. A discussion of those chefs and of their chef, Christian Constant who left the Crillon to open his own restaurant, le Violon d'Ingres, has woven it's path through several threads that have been active recently as well as many that may be found further down the table of contents. Many of the contributors have talked themselves out recently and it's going to take some provocative questions to get more out of us, but there's no doubt it was a movement and one that's still fluid and continuing. Steingarten wasn't the only journalist to refer to it as that. It's been well documented in both English and French.

Robert Brown has posted about La Cuisine de la Demi-Pension. He's not a great fan, although he recognizes some of it's positive effects on dining inexpensively. I see the Paris equivilent in places such as Au C'Amelot. In some ways, this has been portrayed as the next wave of very good, but very inexpensive eating. Camdeborde's own announced plan is to open a pension in Paris. We're all eager to know what exactly that is.

[ljr]

Thanks Robert. I am indeed reading back over the John Talbott's media digests and following the links. I suppose I just wanted to see if there was a dissenting voice about the bistros and also to see if they were still changing. so many places to go, so little time...

[Bux]

so many places to go, so little time...

Personally, I'm suffering from overload and indescision.

[Laidback]

As a new member, I am probably repeating information already better stated in other threads, so I beg your indulgence in advance, but here is my list:

Mon Vieil Ami on L'Ile St. Louis, L' Entredgeu in the 17th, La Grande Rue, La Dinee, Le Troquet and De La Garde in the 15th, Le Florimond, Les Fables de la Fontaine, and Le Clos des Gourmets in the 7th. L'Ourcine and L'Os a Moelle are also great value, but I know they have already been covered.

[Le Zouave]

Mon Vieil Ami on L'Ile St. Louis, L' Entredgeu in the 17th, La Grande Rue, La Dinee, Le Troquet and De La Garde in the 15th, Le Florimond, Les Fables de la Fontaine, and Le Clos des Gourmets in the 7th.

I agree with everything, except, maybe, la Dinee. It used to be OK, but that was 4 or 5 years ago. The chef has moved to South Africa (?) since.

[John Talbott]

I've been three times in the last 12 months, all obviously since he left; first was superb, second annoying due to lack of wines by the glass except a sweet white, third as a group of 4 which was good.

[Laidback]

Zouave your incisive reports speak for themselves, so what was it that disenchanted you so much with the new chef at La Dinée after the departure of M. Chabanel? I was as pleased with my subsequent visit as before, maybe more so because of the perceived attitude that the new guy was eager to please, whereas, as talented as Chabanel was, he let us sit while he discussed business of some sort at length.

[Le Zouave]

Laidback, that was a long, long time ago: two years or so? I can only remember a very forgettable pasta main course, with a langoustine sauce. When Chabanel was there, the place used to be quite hip, with some innovative cuisine and a friendly atmosphere. Maybe I should go back?