DIGEST: 2004-6 Paris Restaurant News + Reviews

[John Talbott]

The Week of December 4th, 2006

Monday, Alexandra Michot had an article in Le Figaro on the comeback of the marshmallowy dessert guimauve {that ironically I was served for the first time in ages at a restaurant this week.}

Monday as well, in Parisist, Robyn posted about her meal at the Refuge des Fondus in the 18th.

Monday/Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard gave 3/5 blocks to La Tradition, 2, rue de Budapest in the 9th, 01.48.74.37.33, closed Sundays, formulas at 32, 36, 41, 43 and 50 €, where the 50 € menu covers the aperitif, first, main, cheese, dessert, coffee and a half-bottle of wine; the day he went there were sautéed wild mushrooms, lamb with spices, a ragout of veal kidneys and sweetbreads, salmon with leeks, and a crumble of the day (he argues that even with a 30 € menu, the wine, water and coffee will push the final bill over 50 €, so order the 50 € all-inclusive meal.) His colleague, Jerome Berger gave 3/5 to the Argentinian place Unico in the 11th on the very popular Rue Paul Bert.

Tuesday in Metro, the Le Fooding 2006 awards were announced:

Unico Best Latin bistro

Chateaubriand Best Table

Hotel Amour Best place to see and be seen

La Cour de Remi Best country place (Bermicourt)

Youpala Best lunch (Saint Brieuc)

Le Transversal Fooding honor

Claude Colliot Young chef (l’Orenoc)

La Rue Paul Bert in the 11th, best street {Paul Bert, l’Ecallier du Bistrot. Unico, Temps au Temps + De La Reunion }

Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin, in Figaroscope’s “C’est nouveau,” awarded two hearts to Le Diane, at Fouquet’s Barriere, 46, ave George V in the 8th, 01.40.69.60.60, open every day, running one from 100-130 € per person, that Rubin says lacks talent despite it’s priceyness and ambition – he had vegetable raviolis, pigeon in kouing-aman and milk-fed veal with wasabi. He gave the same scores to the Korean l’Abre de Sel in the 15th and Le Perroquet Vert, 7 rue Cavalotti in the 18th, 01.45.22.49.16, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays with menus at 12.50 (lunch), 15 and 25 €, a la carte about 20-35 €, that serves vegetables with coco sauce, veal liver and choco-banana samosas. He gave one heart each to the North African Le Yahmi in the 1st and the Left Bank version of the “chic junk-food” place Cojean in the basement of Bon Marche in the 7th.

This week in Figaroscope’s “Dossier,” they wrote up colors in restaurants, including:

Monochromatic ones

A white dish at La Blanchisserie

A red menu at l’Espadon

A violet salad at Delicabar

The sign sets the tone

Le Celadon

La Maison Blanche

L’Assiette du Purple

Dans le Noir

Colored menus

La Famille

Playing with color

Black Jules Verne

Red and Black l’Atelier Robuchon

White Chez les Anges

White and Green Jour, Eat me + Lood Juice Bar

Playing with lights

Music-Hall

Bound

In addition, they featured the ten booklets on color-coordinated recipes in the “Serial Colors” editions de l’Epure, 6.50 € each.

Playing along with the theme, Francois Simon’s “Hache Menu” took him to Black Calvados, 40 ave Pierre 1er de Serbie in the 8th, 01.47.20.77.77, open evenings only where at 8:30 PM the place was empty (the night folk had yet to arrive) and he had pumpkin soup and black cod for 126 € for two and says he won’t stop you from going, especially to see the pre-clubbers warming up.

This week, Expatica posted an article about the effort by the French, especially top French chefs, to have UNESCO (the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) “officially recognize” French food’s “ rich culinary and gastronomic heritage.”

Wednesday in Paris Update Richard Hesse reviewed the no smoking Italian place Il Tre, in the 2nd.

Wednesday-Thursday, Jean Claude Ribaut had an article on fish, largely about its rising price. One revelation to me was that a recent report stated that whereas in 1980 only 9% of fish consumed was farm-raised, today it’s over 43%, a trend largely due to China’s pisciculture. He also states that wild European bass (bar) is relative abundant. One strategy is to order less pricey but poorly-known fish such as chinchard (the mackerel like saurel), "coulirou" (big eyed scad), carrelet (European plaice, dab), mackerel, merlan (whiting), mostelle (forkbeard) and maigre (meager). He ends by saying sardines remain a good buy and are delicious.

Thursday, in Le Point, they published a 32 page section on the best restaurants in Paris for less than 30€ . Given the number and range of places, it is impossible to summarize. In addition, Gilles Pudlowski surveyed the recent scene; in Paris liking the newly renovated Boeuf Couronné + Christophe and finding the Italian Bocconi + Le Jardin at the Royal Monceau hotel in good shape. Outside Paris he dwells on the Auberge des Glaziks in Plomodiern, the Auberge de l’Ile in Lyon and Osterreicher im MAK in Vienna. His product this week is olive oil from Fortune Arizzi in Les Mes en Provence and his recipe that for a far Breton (savory pudding-cake) with Plougastel strawberries.

Thursday, François-Régis Gaudry in L’Express, devoted a nice spread to Daniel Rose’s Spring, coordinates given before.

Friday, Jean Louis Galesne in Les Echos wrote an essay/review of places to eat in Versailles. He starts with the only prestigious restaurant, Les Trois Marches that is well-sited and has a stunning view, serving up “intelligent cuisine,” such as a fricassée of wild snails with frogs’ legs and os à moelle and parsley, farm veal, lièvre à la royale, sumptious cheese and chocolate with triple vanilla. On the other hand is the bistrot-like Café Trianon serving a menu découverte at 33 euros consisting of a vegetable millefeuille with anchovies, mushroom cake, duck breast and veal’s liver. Then there’s the rustic inn-type place - L'Etape Gourmande serving well-prepared dishes such as quenelles with herring caviar, scallops, and banana tart. The Harmonium serves “subtle” fusion food and its pastry chef worked at Gagnaire; l'Aparthé is a restaurant and tea salon; Le Saint James has recently opened and provides a range from classic bistro food to modern ones; and La Marée de Versailles serves up oysters and other coquillages, cod, St Pierre and a market menu.

Saturday-Sunday, on the “Gouts” page of Le Figaro, there was a “Croque Notes” by Francois Simon on the restaurant, the Saint Joseph in Garenne-Colombes; an article on Caviar suggesting you get it at: the Maison Nordique, Caviar Volga/ La Maison du Caviar + Petrossian; as well as an article entitled the 10 Commandments about eating caviar; eg don’t eat it with a metal spoon.

The December Where has Alexander Lobrano’s positive reviews of the new chef at La Grande Cascade, as well as the relatively recent places Jarasse + Citrus Etoile.

Saturday-Sunday, Bonjour Paris had an essay on the chef at Versance by Margaret Kemp and an essay by John Talbott on “Travel is Broadening.”

Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

Edited by John Talbott on 12/15 to fix link.

Edited December 15, 2006 by John Talbott (log)

[John Talbott]

The Week of December 11th, 2006

Monday, Olivier Hachon-Bueb, in Le Figaro’s MIAM Nº3, had another article, this on Pierre Herme’s macaroons. Also, Stéphanie O'Brien wrote that chocolatier Jean Paul Hevin has made a chocolate Harcourt glass in honor of Baccarat.

Monday/Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard gave 3/5 blocks to Jean Yves Bath’s, 25, rue Bayen in the 17th, (the ex-Beatilles space), 01.45.74.74.74, closed Sundays, lunch menu at 25 € and a la carte 59 € where he liked the Auvergne (lentils with smoked duck)/Basque (baby eels)/Spanish (sautéed squid, paella, chorizo)/Italian (tostini, risotto)/Burgundian (boeuf B.)/Breton (scallop galette) fare. His colleague Jerome Berger gave 4/5 to the genuine street market Japanese stall Taeko in the Marche des Enfants Rouges, 39, rue de Bretagne in the 3rd , closed Sunday afternoon and Mondays. {As readers know, I don’t usually “digest” foreign places but their food (Japanese “hotdog,” tuna panini, fried chicken & leeks with soy), hours (9AM-3PM and 4-6 PM) and prices (formulas from 8.90-12.50 €) make it irresistible.

Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin, in Figaroscope’s “C’est nouveau,” awarded two hearts to Bath’s, coordinates above, {that he says is} closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, lunch menu at 25 € and {he says is} a la carte 50 € for baby eels with piment d’Espelette, cassolet of lobster and lemon soufflé. He then gave one heart each to the second wine bar of Le Taste Monde, 8, rue Serene in the 8th, 01.42.66.19.89, closed Saturday lunch {NB: different than ANP said} and Sundays, lunch menu 25 € and a la carte 50-60 €; Savoye Café, 13, blvd de Courcelles in the 8th, 01.42.89.20.99, closed Sundays, a la carte about 30 € juice/soup/smoothie place Bob’s Juice Bar, 15, rue Lucien Sampaix in the 10th, 06.82.63.72.74, open everyday except Mondays from 7:30-9 PM, lunch formula 7.50 € and a la carte 10 € and the world food place La Serre, 58, ave de la Republique in the 11th, 01.48.05.01.65, closed Sundays and Mondays, 20-35 €, a la carte.

Figaroscope's Dossier published descriptions of places that serve a special St Silvestre dinner that included:

Less than 100 €

A & M

Le Pré Salé

Le Partage

Zen Garden

Mood

La Villa Pereire

100-200 €

Royal Mdeleine

Les Muses

Liza

Chez Clement

Bizen

Maceo

Blue Elephant

Barlotti

L’Orenoc

Senseo

Daru

Cafe M

Barrio Latino

200-300 €

Murano

Les Ombres

Le Frist

Maison Blanche

El Cortile

Taillevent

300-400 €

Carre des Feuillants

Yachts de Paris

Beyond 500 €

Le Meurice

l’Espadon

And, of course, Francois Simon’s “Hache Menu” covered another, this the Elysees de Vernet, in the 8th, where he says passionate food people should go for 270 € (but there are menus at 85 € et 56 € for lunch.)

Wednesday, Richard Hesse in Paris Update reviews Velly in the 9th.

Wednesday-Thursday, Jean Claude Ribaut had an article on “Eternal Champagne” that says while the French have three bottles annually per person, Brits drink one-half bottle and Americans a glass.

L’Express has started posting reviews in a strange place and I note I missed Francois Regis Gaudry’s very positive take on Jean Paul Arabian’s Cameleon in the 6th, coordinates given before.

Thursday, in Le Point, Gilles Pudlowski reviewed the scene; liking Lavinia + Astier in the 1st and 11th respectively as well as saying that Lasserre + P’tit Troquet in the 8th and 6th were holding up well. Outside the metropole he lauded La Cambuse in Golfe-Juan, Le Bistrot de Jean in Corne-de-Cerf, Saint-Malo, La Table des Frères Ibarboure in Bidart and Chez Maïté in Rion-des-Landes. His products of the week were the Champignons de Paris whose growing center is now actually in Anjou and gives a recipe for a mushroom salad.

Friday, Jean Louis Galesne in Les Echos wrote an article about the Opal Coast, e.g. Dunkerque, Boulogne and Calais, mentioning: Le Corsaire + Hôtel-restaurant Hirondelle in Dunkerque, Le Channel + Le Grand Bleu in Calais, La Matelote in Boulogne-sur-Mer, and La Liégeoise + Epicure in Wimereux.

Rosa Jackson in “Paris Bites” in Paris Notes tried this month to find ideal places to eat for 20, 30 and 50 € (without wine) and came up with the Petit Vatel in the 6th as one of the best value places she knows of; Le Petit Pamphlet in the 3rd; and finally Le Violin d’Ingres in the 7th; all three of which she was pleased with.

Voyages d’Affaires Issue #100 featured Eric Frechon’s Restaurant le Bristol.

In January’s {British} France Magazine Jon Bryant has a spread on the “King of Truffles,” Clement Bruno of Lorgues; and places to eat in Saint Malo that include: l’Abordage, Le Lion d’Or + l’Ange Bleu as well as a book entitled La Durée by Serge Gleizes, published by Abrams for ₤19.95.

January’s Food & Wine Magazine had a nice spread by Jane Sigal on Yves Camdeborde and Le Comptoir calling him the pioneer of “elevated food at bistro prices” and giving five recipes; a recommendation for three of his “acolytes” who now run Ribouldingue, Chez l’Ami Jean + l’Ourcine as well as a big piece on “100 Tastes to try in 2007” that included: a recipe for green bean salad with toasted pecans by eGullet member and celebrated Chocolate and Zuccini blogger – Clotilde Dusoulier – from the soon to be published book by the same name and the “groovy, haute bistro" Sensing.

Saturday-Sunday, Bonjour Paris had an article by Margaret Kemp on the three restaurants in Neuilly run by Emmanuel and Nathalie Laporte - Feuilles Libres, Entrees Libres + Temps Libres.

Sunday’s New York Times Travel Section had a piece on the opening (until January 15th) of the George V’s Ice Bar where for 55 € you get drinks and amuse bouches for 30 minutes at 18˚ F.

Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

[John Talbott]

The Week of December 18th, 2006

Saturday in Figaro Francois Simon talked about the French paradox, this time involving “slow food” at the Taste Salon the 26-30 October in Turin. He says that folks from 150 countries from Peru to Tibet came to show their regional products and dishes ranging from Mauritian dried pressed tuna roe to Bolivian nuts. However despite some French chefs’ participation (Alain Senderens, Régis Marcon, Jacques Maximin, Alain Ducasse, Franck Cerutti), French cuisine still goes its own way like a neurasthenic old lady. He pleads for the French to open themselves to the outside world for culinary enrichment as New York, Sydney and Tokyo do.

Monday, Alexandra Michot wrote in Le Figaro about (1) serving traditional dishes for Christmas or New Year’s Eves and where to get them, (2) with some new twist or (3) alternatives. They are:

Oysters from Cancale, Prat-ar-Coum, etc – Twist = sink them in gelatin - Alternatively = get escargots from L’Escargot Montorgueil.

Foie gras (duck from the SouthWest from say at Le Repaire de Cartouche) – Twist = balls of foie gras with a stick like a lollipop from Lenôtre – Alt = a terrine but of pork, fish, scallops, veggies, etc.

Caviar from Pétrossian, Prunier, Byzance + Caviar Kaspia – Twist = serve on crème fraîche – Alt = salmon, herring eggs.

Smoked salmon from Safa – Twist = sauces (sweet-sour, anis, honey) or as smorebrod – Alt = smoked eel, herring, trout, halibut, sturgeon.

Turkey – Alt = capon

Buche – Alt = a soup of exotic fruits

Chocolates with coffee – Alt = guimauves (marshmallow-stuff).

In another Figaro article Stéphanie O'Brien says that holiday time is the idea time for tea and accompaniments and suggests: teas of China and Ceylon from Hédiard in a Christmas mix of vanilla, cinnamon, caramel and orange with cloves; a metal box celebrating 120 years from Fauchon with {tea with}the aromas of caramel, pineapples, orange and maraschino; Christmas cakes {that sound suspiciously like dreaded American fruit cake} from Bertrand in the 9th; English tea, scones (Friday) and biscuits with double cream and marmalade from The English Shop; Carla’s home-made jams reflecting either London or Provence ingredients for sale at the Grande Épicerie at Bon Marché; and a gingerbread house for the kids to build from IKEA.

Monday in Le Fooding Alexandre Cammas recomended Le Moulin de la Galette, 89 Rue Lepic in the 18th, 01.46.06.84.77 open everyday, recently taken over by Antoine Heerah, ex-Chamarré, where he did a lot of fusion stuff. She liked the milk fed pig (24 €), shrimp salad (“thank you Chamarré”), and endives and ham gratinée (15 €). The lunch formula of two courses is 17 €, menu carte with five courses is 60 €.

Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, the team gave awards out for the best tables of 2006, for and to:

Best World Food

Fogon

Best of the Top Places

L’Orangerie + Prunier

New Bistrots

Au Pere Lapin, Chateaubriand, Ribouldinge, l’Escarbille, Sensi + Taeko

Bars to Eat At

Seafood Bar, Oh Bigre + Atelier des Comperes

Young chefs on the brink

L’Acajou + Jean.

Wednesday in Le Figaro, Stephanie O’Brien had an article with spectacular photos of réveillons desserts from Dalloyau, La Maison du Chocolat + Picard ; respectively - seven bûchissimes in seven different colors, a Bûche Chocolat-Mandarine and a « gâteau matelassé au look très couture ».

Wednesday as well, Figaroscope gave out its Year-end awards:

Best surprise

Et dans mon Coeur il y a…

Best business meal

Pétrus

Best rabble

Ribouldingue

Best sailor

35° Ouest

Best Italian

Mori Vence Bar

Best night

Black Calavados

Best grand style

La Grande Cascade

Best annex of a great chef

Sensing

Best curiosity

Ozu

Best bistro

Le Chateaubriand

Best hotel table

l’Orenoc

Best couscous

Gourbi Palace

Best pizza

San

Best terroir

Le Bascou

Best comeback

Le Caméléon

Best renaissance

Drouant

Best do-over

La Gazetta

Best trendy one

Hôtel Amour

Best museum resto

Les Ombres

Most improbable

Spring

In an article in Expatica, the author expounds on typical Christmas eve dinner fare, giving links to recipes, that can include: champagne or kir royal, fancy cocktails, amuse-gueules, artichoke with foie gras canapés, blinis and caviar with 'Crème Sure,' foie gras with sweet wine, escargots, oysters (recipe with caviar and sabayon of champagne), goose (Alsace) and turkey (Burgundy) with chestnut stuffing, duck, ham and fish, lobster, crab, or game meats such as venison or boar, cranberries (recipe: a duck breast with them), and desserts such as a bûche de Noël but also regional specialties, such as the 13 desserts of Provence mentioned on the dessert thread) and pain d'épice, kougelhopf and springerle of Alsace.

Wednesday in Paris Updates Richard Hess tried the Fables of Fontaine and liked it very much.

Wednesday as well, in Parisist, Robyn posted about gyros and desserts at the Maison du Gyros, Istanbul 2000, Pozzetto and Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Stéphane Secco.

In this week’s France Amerique, {a Figaro offshoot,} Sohini Gogel reviews several books, two of which deal with food: Paris by Pastry: Stalking the Sweet Life on the Streets of Paris by Joyce Slayton Mitchell, Jones Books, 200 pps, $16.95 and The Food Lover’s Guide to the Gourmet Secrets of Paris by Kate Whitman, Universe, 208 pps, $60.

An alert reader, as Dave Barry would say, brought two book reviews to my attention from the December 3rd NYT Book Review; “Thomas Jefferson on Wine” by John Hailman, 457 pps, Univ Press of Mississippi, $38 that covers his journeys through the wine regions of France and “French Women For All Seasons” by Mirielle Guilano, 359 pps, Alfred A Knopf, $24.95 that discusses such things as the presence of lithium (the mood stabilizing ion) in champagne as well as its pairing with items such as pizza.

Wednesday-Thursday, Jean Claude Ribaut had an article on seasonal poultry.

Saturday in Le Fiagro’s Business Section, there was an article date line Washington, on the “attack” on foie gras in the US.

Saturday-Sunday, Bonjour Paris had an essay on the chef at and restaurant itself – the Astor by Margaret Kemp and an essay by John Talbott on “The Hot New Quarters – the 12th.”

Finally, Sunday in the New York Times, as Dave Hatfield has already pointed out, Seth Sherwood wrote about what to do and where to eat in Paris in 36 hours and mentioned: Le Comptoir du Relais, Gerard Mulot, Café de Flore, Le Souk + l’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. And then in a nod to food, the Week in Review had an article on “A Buzz Saw of Buzzwords,” which even though written by Frank Bruni, only had one of the 26 buzzwords related to food – that being “sous vide.”

Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.

Edited December 24, 2006 by John Talbott (log)

[John Talbott]

The Week of December 25th, 2006

Monday, Elvira Masson talked about staying at home for New Year’s Eve, except she also touted, with some reservations: l’Hôtel Amour, Unico, Le Chateaubriand, Le Transversal + L’Orénoc in Paris and Youpala Bistrot, in Saint-Brieuc, Sa Qua Na, in Honfleur and La Cour de Rémi, in Bermicourt.

Monday as well, Stéphanie O'Brien in Le Figaro suggests where to go for New Year’s Eve stuff : Monoprix for Petroff wild salmon, Acquitaine caviar and a variety of taramas for blinis; LeClerc for Repere smoked salmon ; Fauchon for southwestern products such as duck foie gras made with citrus fruit and tea; Comtesse du Barry for mi-cuit duck foie gras with pink champagne ; and Jean Larnaudie for a trilogy of terrines of aromatised foie gras.

Wednesday, Jean-Claude Ribaut in Le Monde wrote about the Savoie, especially staying/dining at the Cairn.

Wednesday, in Le Figaro, Stephanie O’Brien, again thinking of New Year’s Eve, promoted a sea urchin stuffed with a scallop and ringed with black and red caviar, obtainable at Le Notre.

Friday, Stéphanie O'Brien, yet again, in Le Figaro suggested how to improvise a New Year’s Eve dinner for four with : a stuffed canette from Picard, two sachets of chestnut-cepes sauce from Monoprix and an assortment of conserves of veggies from Albert Menes.

Saturday, Francois Simon in his Figaro “Croque Notes” talked of eating at the Beurre Noisette with its 22 € lunch menu with a “professional” companion who was hardly “professional” in simply loving the first two courses (black sausage and Landes chicken) but held back praise for the chocolate dessert; his point being (I think) that sometimes a food lover is a better judge than a professional critic. I missed “digesting” the prior two “Croque Notes,” which concerned very pricey places outside the city: to whit - December 16-17th, the three star La Cote Saint Jacques in Joigny, where his meal was good but the price {even with his expense account} was so high – 549 €/2 (with the added torture of his buddy and he ordering two extra glasses of wine from an open bottle that were 50 € each,) that he mentioned it both this week and next; and December 23-24th, Anne-Sophie Pic’s restaurant in Valence which has a menu at 115 € and which ran him 377 € for two - he thinks Michelin is correct in sizing her up for a third star.

Saturday/Sunday, BP published an essay by John Talbott on “Eating on Sundays” and one by Margaret Kemp on the trendy Hotel Marignan.

Please post comments here and not in the Digest thread.