September 2005 New: Gaya, Giufeli, Cave, Boulanger

[John Talbott]

September 2005 New: Gaya, Giufeli, Cave, Boulangerie, Peyrassol, Musees, Don Juan, Tokyo, Marches, l’Ecume, Beauvilliers, Petit Verdot

The rentrée is always a puzzling time to be eating in Paris; you’re either going to old friends or trying new stuff that’s left on the list of new, “try-it-outs” from before August or trying out just-opened places. Except for Gaya, I’m listing the following in a rough order of preference, but there were no disastrous losers and/or spectacular winners, except it this month.

Gaya par Pierre Gagnaire aka Gaya Rive Gauche, 44, rue du Bac in the 7th, 0145.44.73.73, still looks like the building it’s in is wrapped a la Christo under gauze, but the place itself is in full swing at long last. As someone who’s always liked GRG, in its various incarnations, I was delighted to see that the “lifting” had made it even lighter, brighter and bluer. Clients at this point seem to be a mixture of political & cinema celebs, local business-folk and functionaries, but dress is from ties to tees. Seating is easy at lunch, but dinners are already fully booked. The boss was there the day we went and as far as I’m concerned it was all Gagniere with none of the old Gaya left over. First, we had three amuse gueules; raw fish on a toothpick (I assume to show you he still can pick the product), anchovy paste on toasted bread and little, almost desserty-type cookies and flat breads. We shared the courses: to start, we had a few Special #2 oysters; then our firsts were a “cocktail” glass of wasabied mango & grapefruit, then noodles, topped off with thinly sliced cod as well as an “egg mimosa,” what were really three lines of incredible fishy-food, a chopped herring thing, a chopped bulot thing and balls of egg yolks surrounded by cod (I think) and accompanied by a tiny bowl of the water the bulots were cooked it – very neutral but refreshing; mains were a deconstructed tempura-ized cuttlefish and haddock and coques on a bed of mixed grains (bulgar, quinoa and an ancient variety of wheat from Provence) – both exquisite; and desserts of a turinois (sour cherry sauce at the bottom of a glass, with a middle of pralines and other crunchy stuff, topped off with a chocolate wafer and a “chantilly” with green apples – really a rocket salad with whipped cream enhanced with pistachio and Izarra liquor on top. The coffee was served with macaroons of different flavors, each sliced in the middle where delicious confiture stuff was layered. The price – I notice no one else gives prices on eGullet but I will – without liquid and oysters (which we ordered on a whim) would have been just about 100E/2 – not bad! (firsts are 6-32 E; mains are 22-65 E; and desserts 8.50-10; so it’s an elastic price-range. Go back? you bet, soon.

Giufeli, 129, rue du Chateau in the 14th, 01.43.27.32.56, closed Sundays, was the surprise of this new resto binge. I had seen reviews sporadically (2 hearts in Figaroscope, 4 blocks in A Nous Paris, too trendy said Zurban), since it opened last year but just hadn’t gotten there. Big mistake. It’s one of the best price-quality places here. A word about the name and genre of food; albeit Italian sounding (actually a contraction of the first letters of the chef’s parents’ names, Giuseppe and Felice, who are/were Italian), Michel Craca was trained at Dalloyau + Fauchon and the food is definitely French; we had succulent marinated warm lisettes, thinly sliced veggies called “tagliatelles,” and a delicious deconstructed avocado for our firsts; all of us had a terrific 5-hour beef parmentiere for our main and marvelous desserts; nems of banana and caramel and roasted pineapple. Giufeli’s menu at 22E is available on their website everyday; take a look, I guarantee you’ll like it.

La Cave est Restaurant, 45, rue de Paris, Montreuil Sur Bois (Metro - Croix de Chavaux), 01.42.87.09.48, is one of the most picaresque, genuine-looking places I’ve entered this year – you enter a working wine shop, stocked floor to ceiling with boxes of wine and go back to the dining area, a converted old wine entrepot with the spigots of wine (one labeled 1931) coming out of the wall and tables hand-sketched with not bad art. There are 7-8 entrees priced 8-12 E (except for the special of langoustines @ 16E), a similar number of plats and desserts, also reasonably priced and wines largely in the 14-20 range. I had the langoustines which were perfectly undercooked and smoky tasting accompanied by a spicy crustacean sauce and a too huge innovative layered plat – haricot verts on the bottom, smashed potatoes next, then a crisp potato galette and topped off with a crisply crusted confit de canard which was not over-crisp or overdone (e.g., you didn’t get the sense, as you often do, of it being soaked in fowl fat) and a foie gras sauce. I had a nice Madiran and the bill ran about 40E. But….., and you knew there were some, right, most Americans will see that it’s outside the peripherique (despite the fact that I walked back to this Beltway in 10 minutes) and not go; plus there was loud American music (Getz-Gilberto, Sinatra-esque) and the bread was stale. However, these faults were offset by the elegance of being served finger-bowls with the langoustines, despite the sense one was dining in a farm out-building.

La Boulangerie, 15, rue des Panoyaux in the 20th, 01.43.58.45.45 is another retro looking (mosaics and wall stencils) but modern cooking place. It’s in the guidebooks but has recently been taken over by the team from Les Bombis in the 12th and quite successfully indeed. We had excellent white wines, several of which one can pay for what one drinks and my food, a tartare of dorade royale, barbu with an etrille (crab) sauce to die, plus a financier (almond sponge cake is the translation) with sorbet was impeccable. My companion was less happy with his main of duck breast (it was too burned on the upside for even me) but OK about his terrine starter and cheese (about 8) from Alleose. They served Illy coffee, made like it should be, no need to have it ristretto or serré. Two menus; 13 E for 2 courses, 16 E for 3; and a menu-carte for 28 E.

Un jour a Peyrassol, 13, rue Vivienne in the 2nd, 01.42.60.12.92, is yet another throwback to a kinder gentler time and calls itself a Bar a truffes. It looks kind of small (18 covers) and dumpy, and this, mind you in the 2nd, practically a stone’s throw from the original Bibliotheque Nationale, but the startlingly bright-red Maltese crosses (Peyrassol was run by the Knights of Malta), oak-barrel tables, stools and napery are wonderful. You can understand why the French critics have gone crazy over it and the Americans ignored it; it’s got a funny mix of tradition and modernity. The food is nothing to go nuts over, unless you’re a truffle freak, in which case they’ve got your fix, unfortunately my palate is not sophisticated enough to appreciate them (I knew that was their specialty before I went so there was no deception on their part); me, after tartines with tampenade and a sip of rosé of Peyrassol - I settled for an incredibly tasty and differently tasting spread of charcuterie, an average threesome of stuffed tomato, pepper and eggplant (I think) with a side of the finest ratatouille I’ve had in years. And the wine, from the Commanderie de Peyrassol (in Provence) of course, is very reasonably priced (11-25 E). Plus the staff is super-friendly and the clientele mature French folks who work nearby. But in the end, it’s just another place; well-staffed, well-supplied, totally French, with truffles and good wine. Will any reader go? No. Dommage. My bill=41 E (but add about 20 if you have a truffle dish).

Le Café des Musees aka Les Cafes des Musees, 49, rue de Turenne in the 3rd, 01.42.72.96.17, open everyday, is a place with signs outside indicating it had been in business forever, specialized in meat (true, but they also had mussels, tuna and salmon) and had its own wines. Its tiled floors were lovingly worn and it was full of locals with only one obvious tourist (but more of that later). It had received 2 hearts in Figaroscope the day I ate there and deservedly – I had the best single dish of this binge of new restos – a filet of duckling (good tender product, cooked to perfection) with an onion compote, fabulous white beans and veggies the Chino brothers would have been proud of. My first of moules de bouchot was merely standard as was the dessert of caramelized crème with groseilles. They had lots of choices, many in casseroles, which was interesting in that Figaroscope had described almost everything as sautéed (now the story – a tourist who spoke little English and less French, looked at the ardoise with great puzzlement, then struggled to ask about something else that she had written in a notebook, it turned out to be veal liver, mentioned in that day’s Figaroscope’s write-up and was told it was not on the carte that day – but happy ending: they served it to her – a first in my recollection). I also found out that there’s no standard way to eat cold artichokes in Paris; each of the dozen or so folk I could easily see, was eating them in a different way, the most interesting method was demonstrated by a very elegant woman who tore out the small central leaves, poured the vinaigrette in the self-made bowl and dipped and ate. The resto had a formula that day of the artichoke and pork with white beans in a casserole for 12.50, which, with a 3.10 glass of wine, would have made a very nice inexpensive lunch. Mine was 44.70 E with no complaints.

Les Don Juan, 19, rue de Picardie in the 3rd, 01.42.71.31.71, is located on a street which has about a half-dozen restos on it despite being in the midst of a sort of a wasteland. Its name is puzzling, given the rainbow flag outside but hey. Anyway, they serve lots of dishes at dinner (a la carte 30) but only a two-course meal for 11.50 and three-course one for 14E at lunch. It’s a good deal and the clientele, variously dressed from suits to non-ripped jeans is young, hip and chic; largely fashion-industry folk working nearby with the occasional Yale graduate mixed in (I stole a look at her mail). I had a carpaccio of very good quality beef with an intriguing sauce, then a chicken fermier with Magrebian spices, prunes, onions and grapes and couscous, again good product (they also had a risotto on the “menu”) and a pleasant riz au lait with orange slices (they also had a fromage blanc with peaches and strawberries). With nice crunchy bread, an Illy coffee and pichet of wine, it ran me 26.10E and the working folks were in and out in 55 minutes without a sense of hurry. I liked it, it is what it is, a community cantine where the community is very intelligent, cultured and elegant and how can you not like a place 100 meters from an Asian wood craft store called the “Three Monkeys” (Hear no evil…..etc.); if I lived nearby would most assuredly go there often for dinner.

Tokyo Eat, 13, av du President Wilson in the 16th, 01.47.20.00.29, is not your typical 16th sushi bar, despite its name, nor your typical museum café, despite its location, whence the name, at the Palais de Tokyo. As astute readers (Dave Barry’s not the only one who has them) may have figured out, I don’t frequent museum eateries, despite my addiction to art exhibitions. Indeed, I have a list of place within walking distances from the common museums in Paris in case my friends can’t walk another step to where I told them to go. Anyway, this is a huge sprawling place in summer, 200 covers seated under well-shading umbrellas on the flat space on the level between the two streets (Avenues Wilson and New York) that serves not bad food despite its popularity with tourists. It’s also not expensive, 12 E for the daily special, 8 E for a huge hit of wine and has a very young, hip-hoply dressed staff. For a first I had the quite tasty gazpacho (they do tilt towards cold soups and salads in summer; A Nous Paris indicates winters’ fare is much heartier), that was, as they all seem to be this year, finely cuisinearted with a dollop of fresh cheese on top, followed by too much bread (too much because I ate too much of the superb, artisinal rolls, the best of the week) and then a pastilla of pintade with summer veggies (eggplant, tomato, zucchini - I think) and an enormous serving of arugula/rocket/rugula/etc with balsamic dressing. What I missed ordering, however, was a big chunk of caramelized pork ribs that my neighbors (French) consumed eagerly without talking. The place also had cod, tuna and a fair assortment of other mains and desserts. The only downsides were the clacking of skateboards below and the necessity to enter what I regard as a misuse of precious space for 10th rate contemporary art (remember when it was a Photography Museum?) to go to the toilets. Bill 43.50 E - sunshine (shaded) included.

Aux Marches du Palais, 5, rue Manutention, 01.47.23.52.80, closed weekends, is right around the corner and down the steps from the Palais de Tokyo and I went the next day, another warm, nice day. It calls itself a “serious restaurant serving traditional food.” And the place has the old bistro feel - tile floors, charcuterie hanging in the window, vintage posters, bare tables, wine from a spigot, etc. Only one problem, the essential “third man,” necessary in this size place to cope with the number of covers, turned up at 1:08 PM, so getting a menu, etc. took forever. Once he arrived though, it all moved swiftly. I had a quite tasty warm leeks vinaigrette with soft leeks save one that was too crunchy; a terrific foie de veau that can only compare in thickness to that in the old days at Chez les Anges, accompanied by wonderful crunchy warm bread, and a tarte tatin that cannot compare with that at Millet, but what can? At lunch it was 99% French working in the 16th; my guess is that its character changes 180° at night. The bill? a very affordable 43.50E.

l’Ecume St-Honoré , 6, rue (not the place) St-Honoré, (ergo, not to be confused with the chain - l’Ecluse St-Honoré, a few feet/meters away) in the 1st, 01.42.61.93.87, only closed Sundays and Mondays, is a place that should be high up on my list, because it’s almost one-of-a-kind, but because of the way I’m listing these places this month, it is undeservedly way down. You walk up a very eclectic street with a dozen restos within a few paces; pass a small entrance and see tons of oysters and other mollusks crowding the display; back of the cassier you spy some tables (actually there’s room for over 30 covers) and there is a funny sound of seagulls calling, and it works. You sit, have a few bulots, a touch of seaweed salad and a dozen #3 Speciales de Claires with a splash of Muscadet; it’s hard to think it gets better. The bill varies with the size and number of oysters, etc., of course – I paid 40 E, but…. The clientele: totally local, and on that street, an amazing assortment.

Beauvilliers, 52, rue Lamarck in the 18th, 01.42.55.05.42, closed Sunday and Monday, is a neighborhood place for me that once was the only elegant place to eat on Montmartre. I was enthusiastic when it was taken over by Yohann Paran and his team from De Lagarde, since eGullet-posters liked him, but reviewers have pulled their punches, especially Demorand in Zurban whom I greatly respect and who questioned the price-quality ratio (bottom line – I agreed). I ate there on the terrace on a wonderful sunny day and it’s a great place to sit – although that day it was hard to find a French person or an Anglophone speaking with moderation. They’re trying hard to remain an haute-gamme place, maybe too hard; nice staff; nice clothes; elegant menu (carte); reasonably priced seasonal lunch menu (prix fixe) of 35E; pricey wines; OK - the food, John, the food. OK. Some very intensely-flavored cheese amuse-gueules and very nice finely-cuisinearted gazpacho (again); then a very (too) intensely-flavored (with chervil) and Passardish-oversalted salad of petit-gris with shaved purple and white potatoes and a perfectly cooked bar with a nice Detourbian-fluffed sauce and lavender-tinted mashed potatoes, topped off with a very nice tuile wrapped around slices of grapefruit.

Less successful but also trying (maybe much too) hard was Le Petit Verdot, 75, rue du Cherche Midi in the 6th, 01.42.22.38.27. It’s one of those “Why do we come to Paris and eat at these unknown places?” places. Run by a Japanese-born, French-trained, Paris-mellowed, ex-sommelier, Hide Ishizuka, and chef’d by an {how do I say it on an American site?} ample fellow, it’s a place worthy of watching. My host and I sampled 3 wines, all superb, while enjoying an amuse-gueule of fine cured meats, firsts of a terrine with a great, different taste (it changes each day) and Lyon sausage (also differently and great tasting) with potatoes, and less-successful mains of rabbit kidneys with a watery garlic sauce and taste-indifferent biche (from New Zealand) with a fantastic sauce, and a crème brulee with Normand apples. The price? One doesn’t ask one’s host.

This is not a review, as I only toured the palace, but Heinekin’s 3-story Culture Biere at 65, ave Champs Elysees, 01.42.56.88.88, is something else, like its neighbor at the Renault place - it must be seen. In the basement, there’s a very toney, but still clearly a beer bar with at least 100 covers; on the 2nd (eg 1st) floor, another place that serves food for another 100 covers and on the ground floor there are mini-stands selling lots of outrageously priced jams (made with beer), books, beers, etc.

[docsconz]

Wow, super report, John! When did you manage to get all this eating in?

It sounds as if your meal at GRG was better than mine at PG. It was certainly priced better.

The other restaurant descriptions not to mention those that I couldn't get to, make me really wish I was still there.

[Carlsbad]

Great reviews (as usual). Getz-Gilberto can be a little louder than other music.

I appreciate the fact you give prices. I think everyone should.

[magnolia]

This is great, I've got a boondoggle to Paris on Monday and might try one of these. Just a very quick correction for anyone who's trying to find a bit more scoop on the bar a truffes...it seems to be called "Une Journée à Peyrassol". What a difference a day makes...

[John Talbott]

This is great, I've got a boondoggle to Paris on Monday and might try one of these. Just a very quick correction for anyone who's trying to find a bit more scoop on the bar a truffes...it seems to be called "Une Journée à Peyrassol". What a difference a day makes...

←

I'm not sure what you mean, but as I think I said in the Digest, some critics report it as jour and some as journee - in any case both the bill and business card say "Un jour." Recall, folks last year were confusing the Fables of Fontaine with the Tables of Fontaine.

[Laidback]

This is great, I've got a boondoggle to Paris on Monday and might try one of these. Just a very quick correction for anyone who's trying to find a bit more scoop on the bar a truffes...it seems to be called "Une Journée à Peyrassol". What a difference a day makes...

←

I'm not sure what you mean, but as I think I said in the Digest, some critics report it as jour and some as journee - in any case both the bill and business card say "Un jour." Recall, folks last year were confusing the Fables of Fontaine with the Tables of Fontaine.

←

There is definitely dual usage among critics but the sign over the door is "Jour" as you can see here: http://www.oovin.com/detailnews-idactu-23.html

[pierre45]

THis is amazing .How can you do it?.I would appreciate your top 3 choices that i can go to in the next few days.

Merci

[John Talbott]

THis is amazing .How can you do it?.I would appreciate your top 3 choices that i can go to in the next few days.

Merci

←

Certainly Gaya and then two from the top - if the next three days means Sat and Sunday it may mean places like Tokyo Eat but if it's a nice day, it'd be fine. Guifeli is open Saturdays and also good. As I said, none of these, except Gaya, is a blockbuster but each has its merits.

[pierre45]

THis is amazing .How can you do it?.I would appreciate your top 3 choices that i can go to in the next few days.

Merci

←

Certainly Gaya and then two from the top - if the next three days means Sat and Sunday it may mean places like Tokyo Eat but if it's a nice day, it'd be fine. Guifeli is open Saturdays and also good. As I said, none of these, except Gaya, is a blockbuster but each has its merits.

←

Thank you John.I have eaten at Gaya and agree wth you ,its an excellent choice.

I ate yesterday at Guifeli.Had a very good meal that can not beat anywhere else for 22 E.I'll try Tokyo eat next week.

Tonight i am dining at marmite bazar.i think its on your radar.