Day Trips Out of Paris

[Bux]

I do not believe the Monet gardens are open in January and if they are, there will not be much to see. Í have been caught in a snow fall in Burgundy in January, but I believe that was a rare occurrance. The Loire is certain a close destination requiring little driving and offering great sightseeing as well as excellent food. I am still savoring the great wild hare last October at Lion d'Or in Romorantin and a meal at that Relais Chateau in Onzain was almost equally as good. I might even consider a trip to Brittany, if only to eat at Roellinger's in Cancale. It's not going to be warm in January, but it won't be as cold as in Burgundy. Brittany has a short summer, but a temperate winter. I think the Loire wins on distance.

[The Little Blue House]

Would you be going by train or by car?  With the TGV, nothing is really far away--  Orleans or Tours are only 1 hour away, even a city seemingly distant on the map, Lyon, is only 2 hours away by TGV.

Tours is beautiful in Decemeber, still not all that cold, and with a good coat, you can walk around the old city all day. So, maybe you would have luck in January. Tours is ideal for walking, take a train there and stay somewhere in town. Rent a car for the Chateaux (there are three car rental places just next to the train station), but don't spend all of your time away.

There is a restaurant, Bistro d'Edward, I think, behind Les Halles. Eat anything you like there, and finish up with the profiterole followed by a coffee (because other wise, you might not make it home with all of the staggering). La Chope is great for the towering raw, iced, seafood trays. I always had a soft sport for Paella, across the street (next to the chestnut guy). The brioche place by the train station is pretty amazing too. And cafe au lait in Tours is cafe creme.

Then again, I was always partial to Geneva, which is 3 hours away by TGV from Paris. There is a place in the Old Town that only serves chicken, aptly called Chez Ma Cousine, On y mange du poulet. Also, my favorite sushi place in the world (so far) is on Rue Chantepoulet. The strange little strawberry mochi dessert is worth the trip. Cafe Opera has wonderful Tarte Au Citron, and around the corner is my favorite fondue and raclette place. Pretty much everything in Geneva is closed on Sunday, and lots of things are closed on Saturday too. So be careful.

And hey, I'll be in Strasbourg from January 3-8, and making a one or two day trip to Paris--maybe. So, obviously, I rather like the Alsace! But, until they finish the TGV line, I'll make my 5 hour trip by train from Paris, and hang out in the dining car.

-Emily

[PaulaJK]

If dining & learning about champagne are on your agenda, you

might try Reims & Les Crayeres.

If you are travelling by car, Beaune is a great town and

every entrance to it is through an interesting vinyard-city!

Also lots of good dining there & nearby.

While one can dine decently near tours, I didn't find the

city itself that interesting; perhaps I missed some sights.

The Loire valley is always pretty, again w. some interesting dining

and browsing, let alone the chateaux.

[halland]

I think we've decided on Beaune and we rented a car from easycar.com We shifted around the schedule a bit so that we could eat at Jardin des Ramparts which has been highly recommended to us. If anyone has further advice regarding Beaune, please keep it coming.

Hal

[Pan]

We rented a car from Easycar. Pay very close attention to the terms of the contract and the rate they are charging you! My brother got a special internet discount and it took over 30 minutes of refusing to accept a more expensive rate and insisting they call headquarters (they hung up on the higher-ups the first time instead of speaking with them after my brother spoke with them!) before they corrected the contract.

Have a wonderful time!

[Bux]

I'd like to hear more about EasyCar. I've used EasyAnything for Internet access in Paris and several other places. Car rental companies can be such sleezebags that I've been reluctant to switch from the companies with which I've had tolerable relations in the past. I understand EasyCar's contracts differ from the standard contracts offered in the industry. That's not necessarily bad, but one needs to read the terms clearly and understand the potential for surcharges and unexpected charges.

I see that they hold a deposit for 30 days after you return the car. That makes you their banker for a month. That's not weird, it's unreasonable. I'm reading their web site and see all sorts of flags. There's a cleaning fee if the car is returned dirty. The policy paper defining "clean car" requires the reader to link to another page and there one has to choose the rental location. I assume policies vary from location to locations and are always subject to interpretation. At the Montparnasse Paris location, the late fee is 120 euros. That's pretty hefty even before you note that the return is not effected until they finish the paper work. They endeavor to complete the check in process within one hour during peak times, although it may take longer if the car is not clean.

As Pan suggests, I'd pay very close attention to the contract.

[menton1]

Bux, I have talked about Nova Car Rental on the Italy forums, but based on personal experience, they have far and away the best deals on car rentals in France.

They were about 33% lower than the lowest quote from Auto Europe. They work just like AE, going through the major companies. My deal was through Europcar. You reserve on the Nova website, all quotes are in Euros (AE quotes in dollars, so there is a chance for a hassle) and they charge you 10% online. You print your voucher, and bring it to the agency. In addition to having the lowest price, amazingly enough the rate includes the Collision Damage!!

I have had a terrific experience with Nova in France, and I highly recommend it to anyone wishing to rent a car there. Nova Car Rental

[Bux]

I will check out Nova. My experience with AE, which have generally been good, (although I need to put that in perspective to what I expect when I rent a car) is that when they quote in dollars, they often use a rate of exchange that's better than the one currently in effect, so it's deceptively low by a bit. Europecar is often the one we get thorough AE and I've been happy enough with them.

[halland]

Alas, I've already made the reservation and they do not allow cancellations. As their page states: "If you are not prepared to take the risk of a potential cancellation, you should not consider booking with easyCar.com."

They were recommended by a friend who'd lived in Paris.

If I remember, I'll post a followup after I return.

Hal

[fresh_a]

Actually Easycar is very cheap...but read the contract first.

[Bux]

...but read the contract first.

I read the contract online. Kudos for making the fine print available so far in advance, at least one can prepare themselves for the fact that if they don't consider the car clean, they will clean it and that if they haven't finished cleaning the car by the hour at which you've contracted to return the car, you will be charged a late fee of 120 euros. Ouch! I'd be sure to leave very ample time for check in.

[menton1]

Alas, I've already made the reservation and they do not allow cancellations.  As their page states: "If you are not prepared to take the risk of a potential cancellation, you should not consider booking with easyCar.com."

They were recommended by a friend who'd lived in Paris. 

If I remember, I'll post a followup after I return.

Hal

Do you mind telling the price you are paying at Easycar? I would just like to compare it to Nova.

I'm not rubbing it in, but Nova allows cancellations as little as 24 hours before pick-up. As I had mentioned, I highly recommend Nova-- not only was it the cheapest, it included the CDW, they quoted in Euros, and everything was very straightforward, not the usual hassles you get from the typically slick "locations de vehicules" agencies!

[David Russell]

I know I've posted the following info on Beaune and environs once before, but it may have been over a year ago at this point and possibly not findable by the search function. Also, halland, since you may not yet have booked a hotel, I've left lodging recommendations intact rather than delete them.

A couple of caveats:

1. I've been lazy and never bothered to convert FFs to € . My apologies in advance.

2. As much as I endorse Beaune and the surrounding 'hood as your ideal short getaway from Paris, please be aware that many restaurants down there close from late-November/early-DecemberI to mid-February or so. So please be sure to check a current Michelin guide for winter hours. hope the following helps.

3. Note that when calling from the States you need to drop the zero at the beginning of the telephone and/or fax numbers given; when calling from within France, dial the entire number, zero and all.

HOTELS & RESTAURANTS - Beaune and environs

Le Cep

27, rue Maufoux

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.22.35.48

Fax: 03.80.22.76.80

Perhaps a bit obvious as hotel recommendations go, being right downtown and all, but still, it's a reliable standby, and very nicely appointed in traditional Burgundian style. The restaurant associated with it, Bernard Morillon, has a reputation for being unwaveringly traditional (translation: much butter and cream), yet a recent dinner there showed a lighter hand than I would have expected. Really quite good, and the cheese service--along with that at Levernois--is the best around. Weakness: dreary wine list, full of lame négociant bottlings. The woman who runs the front of the house, by the way, looks like an opera star, and oozes charm and warmth.

L'Hôtel de Beaune

5, rue Samuel Legay

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.25.94.14

Fax: 03.80.25.94.13

E-mail: info@lhoteldebeaune.com

This is the first ever truly luxury property right smack in the middle of Beaune, as far as I know; it opened just last year. Spiffy rooms combining the traditional with the contemporary, plus the usual luxury upgrades such as multiple-line phones, Internet access, CD/DVD players, robes, etc. Looks prety damn nice to me.

Le Central

2, rue Millot

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.24.77.24

Fax: 03.80.22.30.40

Equally as well-located as the above, simple, clean, with even a modicum of charm...and only about FF450 a night (!). The restaurant isn't bad either and represents good value (and they reportedly have added a vegetarian menu....a nice touch).

Le Home

138, route de Dijon

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.22.16.43

Fax: 03.80.24.90.74

I've probably stayed here more than any other place on my by now numerous trips to Burgundy, though not in the last six years or so, as I have other lodging arrangements at my disposal these days, so bear in mind that this entry is looking dated. Set back from the main road leading up through the vineyards toward Dijon, and a mile or less just north of Beaune proper, it's a charming and tranquil little garden spot, and in the same price range as the Le Central above. I recommend it, with the caveat that I haven't stayed there in a while.

Hostellerie de Levernois

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.24.73.58

Fax: 03.80.22.78.00

This is about 5km southeast of Beaune proper in the hamlet of Levernois. Jean Crotet, formerly propriétaire of La Côte d'Or in Nuits-St.-Georges, moved his hotel-restaurant down here a nearly a decade ago. It's far and away the most luxurious and tranquil lodging for miles around (aside from the new Hôtel de Beaune), installed, as it is, in a bucolic parklike setting. The restaurant is quite good, and I used to question its two stars in Michelin...as did the Michelin folks themselves, as it was docked a star in the 2000 red guide, and as far as I know, has never regained that second macaron. Expensive by countryside standards, but not so expensive compared to Paris lodging.

Hotel du Parc

Levernois

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.24.63.00

Fax: 03.80.24.21.19

Lovely, charming, restful little spot virtually next door to the expensive and luxurious Hostellerie de Levernois above. Rates are from 210F for a single to 450F for the most expensive doubles. Pleasant rose garden out in back.

Chateau de Challanges

route des Templiers

Challanges

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.26.32.62

Fax: 03.80.26.32.52

I first stayed here in 1981, when it was a bit of a dump. My, how things have changed. Though the lovely park in which it's sited has not been altered, everything else has. Nicely appointed rooms in the 390F-430F range, with a couple of very spacious suites for around 800F.

Les Magnolias

21190 Meursault

Phone: 03.80.21.23.23.

Fax: 03.80.21.29.10

Smack in the middle of Meursault and more or less directly opposite Domaine des Comtes Lafon. Run by a nice older English gentleman named Toni De La Rue. The equivalent of about $100 a night will get you an enormous suite, done in--as French hotels go--quite good taste.

Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin

Bouilland

21420 Savigny-les-Beaune

Phone: 03.80.21.51.16

Fax: 03.80.21.59.90

Tucked away another 10-12km into the woods back beyond Savigny-les-Beaune, [b[was Jean-Pierre Silva's somewhat upscale restaurant-hotel. I emphasize the past tense, as it was sold a few months ago, and I have no idea what the dang deal is there now.

L'Écusson

place Malmédy

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.24.03.82

Fax: 03.80.24.74.02

Young Jean-Pierre Senelet did a stint, I believe, as fish chef at Taillevent in Paris before opening his own place down here in Beaune, a couple of blocks from the train station. There used to be some inconsistency here, I'll admit (everything regrettably oversalted on one visit; bright, vivid flavors with interesting vinegar-laced, lightly acidulated sauces on the next), but he's at the top his game right now, at least based on three visits in the last 13 months, which were uniformly excellent. If you go, have him compose a surprise menu of his choosing. As he's buddies with many of the very best young growers (and tastes with them regularly) his list has a good deal more depth than is often the case. He had a Michelin star six or eight years ago or so, if I remember correctly, lost it, and never got it back, a situation bordering on the scandalous, as, for my money, this is the best of the upscale restaurants in the area right now (though if someone wants to make the case for Moulin de Martorey, you might persuade me).

Le Jardin des Remparts

10, rue Hotel Dieu

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.24.79.41

Back in 1992, Francois Millet, winemaker at Comte de Vogüé suggested I go here, but without supporting documentation from the latest Michelin or Gault-Millau, I didn't on that trip. Stupid me (just like these geeks who won't try a wine without a 90+ from the Speculator): it subsequently got some favorable writeups in G-M, and earned its first Michelin star in the '96 edition of the red guide. Moreover, I finally ended up trying it six or seven years ago, then again the following July, again September the following year, and twice (!) two Aprils ago, and each time I've come away impressed. Not only is the food quite good, but the restaurant itself is very handsome: a beautifully renovated traditional bourgeois French home, brought smartly up to date with Italian halogen lighting, etc. The wine list needs a little work, but I'm confident that will come with time (fingers crossed).

Le Bénaton

25, rue du Faubourg-Bretonniere

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.22.00.26

I finally tried this place three trips ago, since it had begun to gain some recognition in the French foodie press (e.g., Gault-Millau, etc.). Word-of-mouth, however, had been not so hot. My take on it: the food coming out of the kitchen is genuinely excellent, and whoever's back there actually knows what he's doing. But the service is amateurish at best (plates going to the wrong table, then "Who gets the veal?," once it finds its correct destination), and the wine list was without question, when I last dined there 18 months ago, the poorest I'd encountered in some time: virtually nothing but the most horrifying négociant crap. During a visit to Lafon a while back, however, I saw a few cases being readied to be delivered to Le Bénaton. I asked Dominique if that was a sign that they were making an effort to upgrade the wine program and he answered in the affirmative. So this place is looking better all the time.

La Ciboulette

69, rue Lorraine

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.24.70.72

Fax: 03.80.22.79.71

Bright, clean bistro serving bright, clean bistro fare. Popular with locals, so book in advance. Some pleasant surprises on the wine list. Don't let the relative lack of verbiage put you off; this place is really quite good.

Le Gourmandin

8, place Carnot

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.24.07.88

I used to consider this small bistro, serving traditional bistro fare, to be excellent (with some downright excellent choices to be found on the wine list). But it strikes me as a bit dispirited these days, likely as a result of Ma Cuisine (see below) having completely usurped its spot as best casual restaurant with excellent food and wine at reasonable prices. Don't get me wrong: it's still decent, but it just sems to have lost some lustre. Le Gourmandin is owned by Jean Crotet of the deluxe Hostellerie de Levernois above.

Ma Cuisine

allée Ste.-Helene

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.22.30.22

Fax: 03.80.24.99.79

Just off the place Carnot and opened by the same guy (Pierre Escoffier) who owns the Caves Ste.-Hélène wine shop next door (which seems never to be open anymore), with which this new informal bistro shares its wine inventory. His vivacious wife, Fabienne, does the cooking, and damn wonderful cooking it is: closer to anything in the area to the Chez Panisse esthetic, i.e., take fresh, high-quality ingredients and use simple cooking preparations to showcase their inherent goodness. Wine list, as you would imagine, is far better than most, both in terms of selection (there are both young and fully mature wines) and price (the mark-ups are downright modest). The most welcome addition to the Burgundy dining scene in a long time. And super-reasonably priced on top of it all: the prix-fixe menu is only 90FF!. Reservations imperative!

Le Montrachet

21190 Puligny-Montrachet

Phone: 03.80.21.30.06

Fax: 03.80.21.39.06

Rooms are attractive and no more than $100 a night or so. The restaurant is no slouch, though strikes me a bit as coasting these days, and refreshingly informal. The wine list used to be decent, though it' s starting to look pretty picked over, based on my last visit there.

La Bouzerotte

21200 Bouze-les-Beaune

Phone: 03.80.26.01.37

Fax: same as phone

About 6 or 7km outside of Beaune on the route de la Bouzaize. I had the best roast chicken of my life here in 1983, though La Bouzerotte has had its ups and downs in the interim. I had avoided it in recent years, as Burgundians whose judgments I trust had warned me away, saying that it simply wasn't what it used to be. As of July 1995, however, things got back on track: Dominique Lafon (who knows a thing or two about taste) swore that it was back on form at that time, apparently the result of new ownership, and strongly urged that we book a meal there while in town. Unfortunately, all the locals had the same idea and a reservation was impossible to come by on the one night we had available. Several trips later and I still hadn't been able to massage my schedule to coincide with that of the restaurant. Finally, two years ago, we finally went: utterly suprb and worth the wait. The menu has become quite extensive over the past few years, and is fairly rich, but more in the sense of offering things like fois gras, squab, etc., not necessarily due to heavy saucing and the like (think of it as an ever so slightly tricked-out version of what is often called cuisine du terroir). Extremely honest, direct food of a very high order. Unfortunately, I didn't even see the wine list on my last visit there, as we were with a producer who brought his own bottles. By the way, there's a place nearby where some crazed Scotch fanatic (yes, a Frenchman, if you can believe it) does his own élevage of special small lots of single-malt scotch!

Moulin de Martorey

St.-Rémy

71100 Chalon-sur-Saone

Phone: 03.85.48.12.98

Fax: 03.85.48.73.67

On the southwestern outskirts of Chalon, making it a navigationally tricky 25-minute excursion from Beaune, you'll find this gorgeous converted mill, the original gears and ancillary machinery of which have been cleverly incorporated into the decor of the dining room. Truly modern cooking of an exceptionally high standard (one star in Michelin) and an excellent wine list. I really have to wonder what the Michelin inspectors are thinking when a place like this can't seem to rise above a one-star ranking, yet a place like Levernois--which is in no way better--kicked back and received two stars year-in and year-out (until its eventual demotion to one-star status).

Le Paradoxe

6, rue du Faubourg-Madeleine

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.22.63.94

Newish, small, and casual, with food that shows a biy more verve and imagination than is the norm in Burgundy. And there's a better-than-avaerage wine list here to boot. A nice addition to the Beaune dining scene.

Les Tontons

22, rue du Faubourg-Madeleine

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.24.19.64

Almost next door to Le Paradoxe above and also very good. Quite interesting food (I believe the chef is self-taught), and the wine list continues to improve. Casual like its neighbor.

Le P'tit Paradis

22, rue Paradis

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.24.91.00

Fairly new, tiny, and quite delightful. This little spot, with its sunflower yellow walls, may not hold more than a dozen of people (well, maybe 20 or so), but those are people who will eat well, albeit simply, for not much money. They're not sufficiently well capitalized to have amassed a cellar of any size or scope, but there's always at least one bottle on the short list that jumps off the page at me as the one to order.

Auberge de la Miotte

4, rue de la Miotte

21550 Ladoix-Serrigny

Phone: 03.80.26.40.75

I used to not include this spot in the "boilerplate" versions of my Burgundy guide that I sent out to any and all who requested a copy, as I wanted some to retain some control over who found out about this place. It was one of those long-secret little gems such as Tan Dinh in Paris was in the early '80s (where I drank '37 Romanée-Conti for $225, '49 La Tâche for $175, etc.). But that's all changed, since it's now been written up in Food & Wine and who knows where else. Proprietor Dominique Rézette used to be a wine broker in Paris and has put together a wine list that is full of great bottles at ridiculously low prices for what the wines are (I drank '92 Meursault-Perrières from Coche-Dury for about $140 with lunch last time I was there). Even the food is good: rustic, Burgundian fare like blanquette de veau, etc. about a mile or less east of the RN74 in Serrigny....follow the small signs.

I thank my friend Allen Meadows (www.burghound.com) for the following recommendations:

Au Bon Acceuil

La Montagne de Beaune (route Bouze-lès-Beaune, about 15 minutes from Beaune proper)

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.22.08.80

Meadows: "A large, virtually locals only family style eatery surrounded by pine trees with a gorgeous view...[specializing] in serving good, unpretentious food at bargain prices."

Le Caveau des Arches

10, boulevard Perpreuil

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.22.10.37

Meadows: "Caveau des Arches opened in 1992 and offers an incredible setting of an old wine cave with vaulted arches (15th century) and warm ambience...The food is quite good if a bit pricey as is the well chosen wine list...[T]he prix fixe menu for 125FF offers very good value in my view; the wine list has some of the very best names in burgundy on it and again, while pricing is high, it's not ridiculous." I finally ate here (lunch) for the first time this past April and found it very pleasant.

Le Chassagne

2, Impasse des Chenevottes

21190 Chassagne-Montrachet

Phone: 03.80.21.94.94

Meadows: "The Caveau de Chassagne-Montrachet has opened a restaurant right above the new Caveau (there are two and the new one is in the town square) and it's quite good....[the] wine list is superb and almost completely dominated by Chassagne growers...In March of 2001, Chef Stéphane Léger took over for former Chef Jean Gabon (now at La Bouzerotte) and has lightened the cooking,...[which] is sophisticated and pure and most everything is handled with self-assurance."

NOTE: I ate here in April of last year and echo Allen's sentiments.

Bistro La Régalade

164, Route de Dijon (on the right, just before the bridge leading north out of Beaune toward Dijon)

21200 Beaune

Phone: 03.80.22.45.95

Meadows: "One of my favorite places to eat in Beaune...The food..represents what [chef] Maria [Goncalves] can find fresh each day and [is] presented on a large blackboard in one corner of the room..."

HOTELS & RESTAURANTS - The Côte de Nuits

Chateau de Gilly

21640 Vougeot

Phone: 03.80.62.89.98

Fax: 03.80.62.82.34

This entrant in the luxury sweepstakes is a former Cistercian abbey with formal gardens. It's in kind of a funny spot, lying just east (about 2km) of the Route Nationale 74 (all the vineyards are to the west). But it is reasonably plush and, I believe, a member of the Relais & Chateax group. The restaurant isn't bad either, though unapologetically traditional; unfortunately, when I was last there (four years ago), the wine list didn't show much effort or imagination. That might have changed, however, as Henri Jayer considers this one of his favorite places, and I'd like to think he'd not waste his time where the wine selection was abysmal, but you never know.

Hotel des Grands Crus

21220 Gevrey-Chambertin

Phone: 03.80.34.34.15

Fax: 03.80.51.89.07

By far one of the most humble of the hotels listed, but it has the great advantage of a) enabling one to gaze out the window at such vineyard sites as Les Cazetiers, Clos St. Jacques, etc.--as long as your room is on the west side of the building, and--more importantly--b) it is within easy staggering distance around the corner from Restaurant Les Millésimes. Inexpensive, and perfectly located for exploring the Côte de Nuits.

Hotel Arts et Terroirs

28, route de Dijon

21220 Gevrey-Chambertin

Phone: 03.80.34.30.76

Fax: 03.80.34.11.79

This is my new find in the accomodations department. Though right on the Route Nationale 74, this is a very tranquil spot. All rooms have been recently renovated, have cable TV, nice bathrooms...it's simply a pretty spiffy place for very little money (FF250-FF480). My old favorite above, Les Grands Crus, now looks a bit threadbare and funky by comparison. My wife and I stayed here in March 2001, as my usual free lodging was unavailable.

Les Millésimes

25, rue l'Église

21220 Gevrey-Chambertin

Phone: 03.80.51.84.24

Fax: 03.80.34.12.73

In the past this place has been criticized for inconsistency, and not necessarily without justification. Michelin once gave them a star, which I think was deserved most evenings, though that star has since been pulled. The Sangoy family (a couple of sons replaced dad in the kitchen since his untimely death a couple of years ago; mom and daughter run the dining room, another son Didier the cellar) has created a lovely ambience down in their cave-turned-dining room, a well-executed cuisine that draws equally from the traditional and from the contemporary, and a formidable wine list that is utterly staggering in its scope and depth. Seriously, it is the single finest list for Burgundy anywhere (though you'll pay dearly for mining its treasures), and that includes Taillevent, Alain Ducasse,...you name it. Page after page, it presents a virtual who's who of the best small propriétaires-récoltants. They also have an informal bistro as well, just off the N74 that's OK at best, but nothing special. Still, some of the same wines are available here, although at lower prices than at the "big deal" restaurant.

Les Gourmets

8, rue Puits de Tet

21160 Marsannay-la-Côte

Phone: 03.80.52.16.32

Fax: 03.80.52.03.01

One of my newer restaurant entries in some time. Imaginative, contemporary cooking of a very high standard; in fact, I might even lump Joel Perreaut in with the likes of Gillot at Moulin de Martorey and Senelet at L'Écusson.

Aux Vendanges de Bourgogne

47, route de Beaune

21220 Gevrey-Chambertin

Phone: 03.80.34.30.24

Fax: 03.80.58.55.44

Informal bistro serving really well-executed traditional Burgundian fare, but with some [not always entirely successful] attempts at getting slightly eclectic (there was a fish course special one night in March with some sort of Thai-influenced sauce as an unusual feature of the preparation). The wine list must have 100 different references, mostly from Gevrey (but rapidly expanding to take in the rest of the Côte d'Or, as well), and mostly from the better small growers, listed in ascending order of price. A welcome addition to the dining scene here.

Should I mention such obvious temples of gastronomy as the Michelin three-starred Lameloise in Chagny?

You may want to do some tasting while in the neighborhood, but be warned that many of the best growers typically don't have tasting rooms (appointments are the way to go; have your hotel make them if you're uncomfortable trying your French on the phone) and/or don't speak English (I've put an asterisk* next to the names of those who I THINK speak at least SOME English; I'm never quite sure, since my dealings are always in French). A note on scheduling winery visits: I strongly urge people to try to avoid the weekend, since the French hold their weekends sacrosanct and tend to shun visitors then (although enough rich Swiss roll in on any given Saturday to load up the boot of the Benz with cases of grands crus, that some guys will be open anyway). In any event, here are some of my favorite growers (obviously, this list is not exhaustive):

GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN

*Denis BACHELET

Alain BURGUET

Bernard DUGAT-PY

Claude DUGAT

*Sylvie ESMONIN (Domaine Michel ESMONIN & Fille)

Vincent GEANTET (Domaine GEANTET-PANSIOT)

Denis MORTET

Joseph ROTY (this guy's from another planet--allow yourself plenty of time--but the wines are superb, and close to impossible to find)

*Charles ROUSSEAU (Domaine Armand ROUSSEAU)

Christian SÉRAFIN

MOREY-ST.DENIS

Robert GROFFIER

Romain LIGNIER (Domaine Hubert LIGNIER; be careful: much better wines than *Georges* LIGNIER)

*Jacques SEYSSES (Domaine DUJAC)

CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY

Ghislaine BARTHOD

*Jacques-Frederic MUGNIER (Chateau de Chambolle-Musigny)

*Francois Millet (Chef-OEnologue at Domaine Comte Georges de VOGÜÉ)

*Christophe ROUMIER (Domaine Georges ROUMIER)

VOSNE-ROMANÉE

Pascal LACHAUX (Domaine Robert ARNOUX)

Sylvain CATHIARD

Philippe ENGEL (Domaine Rene ENGEL)

Anne GROS (Domaine Anne GROS)

*Jean-Nicolas MÉO (Domaine MÉO-CAMUZET)

Marie-Christine MUGNERET (Domaine Georges MUGNERET/Domaine MUGNERET-GIBOURG)

NUITS-ST.-GEORGES

Bertrand & Denis CHEVILLON (Domaine Robert CHEVILLON)

Christian and Pierre GOUGES

PRÉMEAUX

Sophie et Alain MEUNIER (Domaine Jean-Jacques CONFURON)

PERNAND-VERGELESSES

Domaine BONNEAU DU MARTRAY

*Christine DUBREUIL-FONTAINE (Domaine DUBREUIL-FONTAINE)

SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE

Maurice ECARD

Jean-Marc PAVELOT

POMMARD

Benjamin LEROUX (Domaine Comte ARMAND)

VOLNAY

Michel LAFARGE

*Etienne de MONTILLE (who had been working during the week in Paris as an investment banker until about a year ago, when he was appointed to run the Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet estate...Domaine Hubert de MONTILLE)

Note: I used to include Domaine de la Pousse d'Or, of course, but I've taken it out until I feel that the new regime is "delivering the goods" (the jury is still out, in my mind)

You can probably call most of these guys and get an appointment on the spur of the moment. From the roster above, Rousseau might be tough with just a last-minute phone call (although a day or two in advance would get you in). Jacques Seysses can be a bit of a tough ticket, as well as Jean-Nicolas Méo, the Dugats, and Laurent. I have omitted from this list such luminaries as D.R.C., Lalou Bize-Leroy, the now retired Henri Jayer (and his nephew Emmanuel Rouget), Dominique Lafon, and Jean-Francois Coche-Dury, as most visitors to the region don't have a prayer of getting an appointment with any of these folks. There are almost no white wine producers on my list, as the people you'd most want to visit (Lafon and Coche-Dury in Meursault, Gérard Boudot of Domaine Étienne Sauzet and Anne-Claude Leflaive in Puligny) probably won't grant you an audience. Another option for tasting white wines: the "Caveau" in Chassagne is a good gig, with a tasting bar (and now informal eatery as well) and sales room under one roof, representing a good number of different growers.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

David Russell

Santa Barbara, CA

[PaulaJK]

David,

My husband and I have pondered returning to burgundy.

Your list renders it imnperative! Thank you.

[halland]

I paid 130 euros for 3 days and 850Km of driving. Mercedes A class -- unfortunately the SmartCar is not suitable for highway driving.

Hal

[Bux]

I would have thought they'd put one in the trunk of a Mercedes. When EasyCar was first mentioned I thought of the Smart car. I saw one in Paris with an EasyCar ad on the side. I wondered how useful a Smart car would be for a tourist in Paris. After all they still require some sort of space to park.

Parking in Paris is far more orderly and controlled these days than it was in the sixties. We did come across two Smart cars imaginitively, for lack of a better word, parked at an intersection on the left bank and Mrs. B nudged my arm and asked "What were they ever thinking." In retrospect, I understood she was referring to the drivers, but at the time all I could think of was, "Dear, they're smart cars, but I don't believe they're thinking." Oh well, you had to be there.

[cigalechanta]

We stayed at the Auberge de Ruats in Avallon where I had for the first time the Truite bleu. This is the same place that MFK Fisher wrote about.

[menton1]

I would have thought they'd put one in the trunk of a Mercedes. When EasyCar was first mentioned I thought of the Smart car. I saw one in Paris with an EasyCar ad on the side. I wondered how useful a Smart car would be for a tourist in Paris. After all they still require some sort of space to park.

Parking in Paris is far more orderly and controlled these days than it was in the sixties. We did come across two Smart cars imaginitively, for lack of a better word, parked at an intersection on the left bank and Mrs. B nudged my arm and asked "What were they ever thinking." In retrospect, I understood she was referring to the drivers, but at the time all I could think of was, "Dear, they're smart cars, but I don't believe they're thinking." Oh well, you had to be there.

Bux, I just love that Smart Car!! It's probably NG for tourists because you can't fit your luggage, nor conceal it well. I have many photos of that car, I just love it!! I have researched it on the web, and It looks like they will try to bring it in to the US late 2004.... gets about 65 MPG, and has a good safety record. It would be a real eye-catcher if you could somehow bring it here!!

[Jen Keenan]

I've got my Time Out, Let's Go, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet's World Food France, and my head is totally spinning! Since I've learned just as much from reading eGullet, I thought you might not mind sharing a few stories.

I will be in Paris for a week visiting my sister, who's doing a semester abroad there. Her school keeps her very busy; in fact, the first weekend I'm there she'll be away in Normandy. So I thought I might try hopping a train somewhere.

Am I crazy? Is it possible to not have a car and still have a nice, food-oriented trip? Does anyone have a favorite day out they would recommend?

Thanks very much

[bleudauvergne]

Dear Jen. Paris is a foodie destination in it's own right. If you like exploring New York you'll love exploring Paris and you'll wonder what you ever were thinking when you thought of leaving. There wll be a hundred people on this forum giving you very specific ideas about where you need to go in Paris if you only have one weekend on your own to shop and eat as well as you can before you hit the museums and boutiques with your sister. However may I suggest a TGV to Lyon if you do want to do something like travel out during your short week which will fly by faster than you know it. Get a nice early (I'm talking daybreak to make the most of your day) start and go to the Gare de Lyon and buy a ticket, allez-retour. If you can try a tasting menu at one of the better places on Saturday, shop in the late afternoon, have a salad Lyonnais for dinner, and then and then eat at a bouchon in Vieux Lyon the Sunday, it would be a memorable weekend. The trip is 2 hours by train centre ville to centre ville. Then when you do go to one of those fancy places touting lyonnaise fare in Paris you can have the real thing to judge by. Oh, and make sure you do this just as soon as you arrive. And don't forget to post your travel dates a week ahead in the ISO Dining Companions thread.

[Jen Keenan]

Lucy, thank you! You are absolutely right about not torturing my sister with too much of my drooling and sugar-hunting. But she has class most afternoons so I'll have that time to seek out crafty confitures. (All for souvenirs, of course )

Would I really be comfortable eating in a fine restaurant alone? Or are you suggesting it's easy to find a companion in Lyon

I will be ISO in Paris, I'm sure. Would you perhaps be so kind as to comment on dress codes? I think I can get away with my "business casual" attire most of the time but proper restaurants worry me. I only have one dress! Maybe I should dry clean some of those suits from the back of the closet?

[touaregsand]

Am I crazy? Is it possible to not have a car and still have a nice, food-oriented trip? Does anyone have a favorite day out they would recommend?

You don't need a car.The public transportation system is expansive, well maintained and very safe.

As for Paris specifically, just walk it. Which neighborhood is your sister's place in? I hope it's not in Goussainville.

[Bux]

There is so much to see and do, not to mention eat, in Paris that I question the advantage of a day trip outside Paris if you're only got one week. You certainly don't need a car in Paris. I'd say a car would be a disadvantage there. A car is nice for a drive in the country and there are any number of places in the French countryside that deserve at least a few days touring, but again, I don't know about taking time from a first one week trip to Paris.

[Pan]

In the summer of 2002, when my family's priority was to visit Burgundy and the Loire Valley, we picked up our rented car the morning we left Paris, drove it out of Paris to Auxerre, and then returned the car when we drove back to Paris from Angers (with stops in Le Mans and Chartres) about two weeks later. We did not use a car during the week or so we spent in Paris, and were glad about that. All those one-way streets are hard for an out-of-towner to get a handle on, somewhat as is the case in Rome, and the traffic was very bad on the way out.

I liked Orleans very much and ate well there, but not at a starred level. It's also commutable by TGV from Paris, but I agree with the others: If you're in Paris for a week, stay in Paris. If you want to take day trips, make them short trips, such as to visit Versailles via the RER, or Chartres via the SNCF. These are trips of an hour or less. About the longest day trip I'd recommend is to Chantilly. Disclaimer: I normally choose what I want to see and then check out places to eat that are more or less convenient to those sights; I do not make purely gastronomical major trips.

[David Lebovitz]

Lyon:

Lyon is the perfect day trip from Paris. Although not much is open until 10am, if you decide to go early, get off at Parte Deux train station (there are 2 stations in Lyon and all trains stop at both) and find Les Halles, which is one of the most amazing indoor food markets anywhere. It's a bit hidden in a concrete building. I also recommend you get your train tickets in advance at http://www.sncf.fr, since you can get tickets to Lyon from Paris for 20€ each way if you buy them online.

There is also a terrific outdoor market on the riverbanks, just across from the old city, some days during the week. Lyon has an excellent and easy-to-use metro and tram system that is fast and reasonable.

You should definately go to Bernachon, who makes their own chocolate for their amazing chocolate palets d'or as well as their bars. Stock up, since you can't get them anywhere else (try Kalouga, filled with salted caramel, and Moka, blended with ground coffee beans). Thay have a cafe where you can have a light breakfast or lunch. Visit Bernard Dufour as well, as he makes his own chocolate too.

Cafe des Federations (Cafe des Fedes) is a great 'bouchon'. It's great fun and the food is hearty (as is all of Lyon.). A great dinner place is Brasserie Georges right next to the train station. It's a big, old restaurant with all the Lyon classics.