Favorites? Bistro, Brasserie, One Star, Patisserie

[John Talbott]

A bashful member has asked me to post the following query: What is your favorite: Bistro, Brasserie, Patisserie, Cheese Shop, Farmers Market, Boulangerie, Wine Bar, ONE star Michelin restaurant and favorite Book on food in France/Paris.

[John Talbott]

Bistro La Cerisaie

Brasserie Terminus Nord

Patisserie Laduree

Cheese Shop Alleosse

Market – In the 16th across from the Palais de Tokyo

Boulangerie Retrodor Rue Ordener, 75018

Wine Bar La Cremerie Caves Miard

ONE star Michelin restaurant Les Magnolias

Favorite book on food in France/Paris John Lanchester’s A Debt to Pleasure

[Felice]

Hmm, it’s pretty difficult to pick a favorite for each category and I can’t say that I wouldn’t have an entirely different list tomorrow (except for the books, I love Jeffery Steingarten), but here goes:

Bistro : L’Ami Jean

Brasserie : Terminus Nord

Patisserie (i’m not so sure about this one as I’m not that big on pastries, but if I were buying something I’d either go to Sadaharu Aoki, Jean Paul Hevin or Pierre Hermé)

Cheese Shop: Quatre Homme

Market –Marché Biologique, Raspail

Boulangerie: Kayser

Wine Bar: Le Verre Volé (but many many others too)

ONE star Michelin restaurant Les Magnolias

Favorite book on food in France—Jeffery Steingarten’s The Man Who Ate Everything and It Must Have Been Something I Ate

[Ptipois]

That's a tough one, because I don't have a ready answer for all those questions. And I hardly ever have one super-favorite, I have at least two. I find myself in harmony with Felice on more than one point!

Bistro: L’Ami Jean (or Le Baratin, ex-aequo).

Brasserie: No idea. Jenny, perhaps, because it's like travelling back in time, and the choucroute is nice.

Patisserie: the cakes, pastries and éclairs from La Maison du Chocolat. I'm really not crazy about pâtisserie moderne.

Cheese Shop: Alain Dubois, rue de Tocqueville. For his layered blue cheese with cream of walnuts.

Market: little marché Monge (5e) or huge marché Cours de Vincennes (12e). But most Parisian markets are of very high quality.

Boulangerie: Moisan, or the small Italian boulangerie behind the mairie du 5e arrondissement. Also Laurent Bonneau, rue d'Auteuil.

Wine Bar: no preference I can think of. Just to name one: Café de la Nouvelle Mairie, facing the abovementioned boulangerie.

ONE star Michelin: I never seem to go to one-stars in Paris. I'm not doing it on purpose, I just realized that.

Favorite book on food in France: Paulette Buteux's La Cuisine de ma grand-mère or Bifrons' 200 Recettes secrètes de la cuisine française.

[bleudauvergne]

I'm going to have to anwer for Lyon here.

Bistro: Chez Pierre Lyon 3e or La table de Hippolyte, Lyon 1e

Brasserie: Well, for the ambience of an old time Brasserie, I'd choose Brasserie Georges, it's old, it's pretty, they make beer. The food is standard brasserie fare, nothing sublime. When I really want good beer I choose Ninkasi. Neither offer really good food.

Patisserie: La Gribiche, cours Lafayette 3e. They have a tea room. A nice stop when on foot from Les Halles to the Presqu'ile.

Cheese Shop: At Les Halles, cours lafayette 3e - Maréchal for certain goat cheeses, and Cellerier for cow cheeses.

Market: Quai St. Antoine Lyon 2e, best days are Friday Sat & Sunday. Thursday, the market at Blvd de la Croix Rousse is hopping. Croix Rousse has a Bio market as well.

Boulangerie: Richard, Place St. Vincent Lyon 1e.

Wine Bar: Le 110 Vins Lyon 5e.

ONE star Michelin: Gourmet de Seze, rue de seze, Lyon 6e.

Favorite book on food in France: I love them all, every single one of them.

[menton1]

It's just impossible for me to list ONE favorite for those categories, there are so many that I love for different reasons. They are all so wonderful.

One scene about France, dominates my mind when I'm not there, though.

This is while I'm on the way to having one of these wonderful food experiences. Think of the countryside, a rural area, a nice RD (small through road) and you come around a bend, and Voila!! You come across a straightaway with rows of plane trees symmetrically and evenly placed on both sides of the road. What a sight! And it's only in France!!!! Ahhhhh....

[raisab]

Can we give a partial list?

Bistro: Le Troquet

Cheese Shop: La Fromagerie Boursault (14th}

Market: Saturday market in Beaune

One Star Michelin: Auberge Relais (Reuilly)

[bleudauvergne]

It's just impossible for me to list ONE favorite for those categories, there are so many that I love for different reasons.  They are all so wonderful. 

←

Oh C'mon Menton1, why not choose one city and give it a try. Since there are so many you like, you could start by saying you don't normally pick favorites, but if someone is asking for recommendations in a town you know, maybe you could be of help with ideas for the basic types of establishements.

This is while I'm on the way to having one of these wonderful food experiences. Think of the countryside, a rural area, a nice RD (small through road) and you come around a bend, and Voila!! You come across a straightaway with rows of plane trees symmetrically and evenly placed on both sides of the road. What a sight! And it's only in France!!!! Ahhhhh....

I love the tree tunnels too.

Any more members in Paris willing to chime in?

[Laidback]

Bistro: Le Florimond

Brasserie: Le Vaudeville

Boulangerie: Arnaud Delmontel

Fromagerie: Marie-Ann Cantin

One star: Le Violon d'Ingres

Market: Av. Saxe-Breteuil

Wine bar: Taverne Henri IV

Favorite book: Memoirs of Montparnasse by John Glasco

Edited September 16, 2006 by Laidback (log)

[SDyson]

Here’s a list that’s from the perspective of a visitor, so not too many surprises I expect. It would probably be different if I lived in France and developed relationships with local suppliers and restaurants – my list is all over the place.

Bistro: A toss-up between Aux Lyonnaise in Paris and La Fourchette in Avignon

Brasserie: (can’t help – I think I’m always too full to contemplate choucroute and too frightened of not being able to manage the next meal)

Patisserie: Pierre Hermé

Cheese Shop: Marie-Ann Cantin

Market: Velleron evening market (in Vaucluse)

Boulangerie: Eric Kayser (Paris) or Franck Bouvier (Velleron)

Wine Bar: Juveniles

ONE star Michelin restaurant: Chiberta or L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Favourite book on food: Richard Olney's Lulu's Provencal Table

[Dave Hatfield]

Here's the country bumpkin's list. Guess I should have left the town names off as many Parisians did, but no use confusing everyone.

Might have been fun though to see just how confusing it would have been.

Bistro: Le Mamet, Septfonds

Brasserie: Les Columnes, Villefranche de Rouergue

Patisserie: Our local village guy, can never remember his name, but great stuff.

Cheese Shop: M. Chernocal's wagon at Caussade market

Market: Caussade followed by Limogne

Boulangerie: Madeline Viguie's in Villefranche (her Mom & Dad still keep the shop open in our village.)

Wine Bar: Well, cafe in Memer

ONE star Michelin restaurant: Le Vieux Pont in Belcastel

Favorite book on food in France: Goose Fat & Garlic by Jeanne Strang

PS: Forgot to say that I just added to my fall reading list. Thanks everybody!

Edited September 17, 2006 by Dave Hatfield (log)

[helenjp]

Just thought I'd tack a comment on here...

I know many people have axes to grind with management of bistros such as Terminus Nord - but I have to say that the current Terminus Nord filled a need for me!

My sons and I were there on a one-day flying visit a few days after New Year, looking for a bite to eat before catching our train. As it turned out, the train was late, but Terminus Nord was:

- open when we needed to eat, at 6:30

- open when many other restaurants were still shut for New Year

- easy to find and just steps away from the station

- able to give very professional service, possibly the best we encountered in a oouple of weeks of low-moderate dining in Europe.

- moderately priced. Yes, that's important, and after a bank machine swallowed my cash card, I had to watch every one of my tourist Euros!

Yes, the menu was unadventurous, but at 6:30 on an icy January evening, we turned to the menu for a respite from further adventure!

My sons were very happy with their choices, but I was more than happy with the herring entree that I ordered. It was as good as any equivalent salted/pickled raw fish I've eaten in Japan.