Digest: 2007 Paris Restaurant News & Reviews

[John Talbott]

The Week of December 17th, 2007

Monday in Le Fooding Elvira Masson wrote about rouget and where she’s had them in November - Spring and December – Chateaubriand, La Gazzetta + Ze Kitchen Galerie and how.

Tuesday, A Nous Paris’s Jerome Berger gave 3/5 blocks to Le Clocher Pereire, coordinates given before, where he liked the milk-fed pig and cold armagnac soufflé; while Philippe Toinard reviewed and gave 2/5 to the jazz-infused place Nouvelle Athenes, coordinates given before, where he didn’t eat well, especially a jelly-quivering veal liver and a tartare of fennel with shrimp, scallops and segments of mandarin oranges.

Wednesday, GoGo Paris had an article on Alexandre Cammas’ (Le Fooding etc.), favorite “hangouts: Le Comptoir Du Relais, L’avant Gout, Le Verre Vole, Hotel Crillon + Refectoire.

Wednesday, as well, Richard Hesse in Paris Update positively reviewed Ribouldingue, as well as commenting on Jacques Melac’s long history of having his wine bistro no smoking.

Wednesday, too, the Figaroscope gang (no website link; hard copy courtesy of Phyllis/Felice) awarded their “best of’s” in this annual end of the year tradition. This year there were 20, as follows:

Le Grand Pan best bistonomic

Le Saut du Loup best cafeteria

Breizh Café best creperie

Rech best comeback

Mini-Palais best 8th Arr.

Coco & Co best monomaniacal

Floors best post-adolescent

Il Vino best wine, wine, wine

Salon de Pantheon best place to see and be seen

Afaria best surprise

Les Cocottes best counter food

Le P’tit Casier lucky catch

Le Pre Catalan the best high class

Lup best at night

l’Epigramme best good price/good taste

Les Racines best wine bar

Café Pleyel best quirky place

J’Go Saint Germain best terroir

Le Gorgeon slightly outside

Salon de the Bonpoint best chabada/shopping

They also gave their favorite oyster places: l’Huitrier, Garnier, l’Ecaliler du Bistrot, Huitrerie Regis + Le Chasse-Maree,

bistronomic places: Chez l’Ami Jean, Beurre Noisette, l’Ourcine, La Regalade, Unico + Le Cameleon,

chocolate bars: Bar a chocolat Mauboussin, Jean Paul Hevin, Le Chocolat Lounge du Stade de France, Agelina + Café Lenotre + Laduree,

night places: Café Burq, Le Lup, La Grade Armee, Brasserie Publicisdrugstore + Le Café Café Passage

as well as chic dinettes: Fauchon, Un jour de Peyrassol, Da Rosa, Rose Bakery, Bellota, Bellota, Bread & Roses + Caviar Kaspia.

Finally, Francois Simon in his ”Hache Menu” went to the Nouvelle Athenes, coordinates given before, where he eschewed the 35 € menu for a 129.80 € for two to eat the exRobuchon chef’s civet of hare in black sausage and steak tartare of duck with oysters. Should one go? Yes towards 10 PM and take the gastronomic menu not the little one and avoid earlier hours.

Figaroscope’s “Dossier” this week concerned marrons glaces, rating them 1-25. Topping the list were:

A la Mere de la Famille

Pierre Marconi

Gault-Millau

Maison du Chocolat

Clement Faugier

Jean-Paul Hevin

Dalloyau

Carton

Pierre Herme

At # 12 were Arnaud Lahrer + Gerard Mulot; # 15 Fauchon, Hediard, Laduree + Christian Constant; # 21 Le Notre.

Jean Claude Ribault in this Wednesday-Thursday’s Le Monde wrote a essay about the year 2007 bemoaning the dominance of Spanish over French cuisine, the Michelin’s awarding more stars to Tokyo than Paris, the treatment of vegetables as fruit and vice-versa, farm-raised grain-fed fish and on and on.

Friday in Liberation Sibylle Vincendon wrote an article on everything one needs to know about turkey for Christmas.

Saturday-Sunday in Le Figaro, Francois Simon devoted his Croque Notes piece to the plight of Helene Darroze, feted one moment as “Chef of the Year” and condemned the next for disappointing meals, high prices and a haughty welcome. (PS he says he had a nice meal though.)

Saturday/Sunday, John Talbott had an essay on “Can charm overcome bad?” and Margaret Kemp one on Chez Cecile.

January’s Travel & Leisure recommended Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois (Jura).

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[John Talbott]

The Week of December 24th, 2007

Wednesday, GoGo Paris had an article on Alexandre Cammas’ (Le Fooding etc.), favorite “hangouts: Le Comptoir Du Relais, L’avant Gout, Le Verre Vole, Hotel Crillon + Refectoire.

Jean Claude Ribault, in this week’s Le Monde wrote two articles about truffles and Red label oysters in preparation for New Year’s eve.

Friday, Stéphanie Platat wrote an article in Liberation on champagnes; covering everything from glasses in which to serve it to taste.

Saturday-Sunday in Le Figaro, Francois Simon’s Christmas tale dealt with a film – “La Graine et le Mullet” which is along the lines of Tampopo and Babette’s Feast and is about the creation of a restaurant. He also suggested for New Year’s Eve Au Bascou at 100 €. Elsewhere, Alexandra Michot had an article on the 50th anniversary of Lenotre which now has 58 outposts.

The weekend FT had an article by Nicholas Lauder in which he states two of his best meals of the year were at Le Meurice + Rech.

Saturday/Sunday, John Talbott had an essay on “Rudeness Defined” and Margaret Kemp one on le Bristol + La Cantine de Faubourg.

Alexander Lobrano in WHERE reviewed several places not much mentioned before: a wine bar Le Gorge Rouge, 8, rue St Paul in the 4th, 01.48.04.75.89; a “corking good bistro”, e.g., lotsa wines, Le Taste Monde, 8, rue de Surenne in the 8th, 01.42.66.19.89; the romantic l’Aiguiere, 37bis, rue de Montreuil in the 11th, 01.43.72.42.32, and the “worth the detour” traditional French cuisine serving l’Escapade La Grand Mere, coordinates given and two hearts awarded before, but ignored by the rest of the world and l’Empire du 8eme, coordinates given before.

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