John Talbott's Paris

The Chesapeake in Baltimore: A wonderful new/old haunt.

When Colette and I first came to Baltimore from New York in 1985, the city’s restaurant scene produced in us a profound culture shock; no high end French food, mediocre seafood places (compared to the bounty found in the stores to cook at home), no genuine ethnic cuisine and no places around the corner that we had become so used to after 25 years on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

But there was the Chesapeake, a Grande Dame of a place, resembling the great inns of New England, just north of the train station as one approached the only “art” cinema house.  Its fare was uncomplicated; steaks and crab-cakes and the like – but high quality, classy and fun.  Alas, it closed soon after we arrived.

Now two decades plus later, after family squabbles, broken promises and strange goings-on among its owners, the city and the area’s development folks, it’s back, and it’s wonderful.
I was asked to embargo these comments until today because (1) I ate during its “soft opening” and (2) the menu then was just a sampling of things to come.

Because what I ate may not be available to everyone, I hesitate to tout specific items because they may not be available now; but the smelts, deviled eggs, shrimp, spicy mussels and rockfish were a cut above what one usually sees in this town and even the fries were good.  The wines verge on the pricey side and we have to return to see if that’s the story with the regular menu, but all in all, I think they’ve got a hit.  By they, I mean the owners, manager, chefs and waitstaff, all of whom were super-nice and paid personal attention to us at one point or other during the meal (they did not know who I was).

Go?  I’ll be back soon.

Reviews of reviews: The week of June 10th, 2013

Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to Le Cette, coordinates in the 14th given before and Philippe Toinard gave 3/5 to the previously mentioned Les Climats in the 7th.

Tuesday, Matthieu Jauniau-Dallier in Le Fooding, reviewed Frenchie To Go, another offshoot of  Frenchie at 9, rue du Nil in the 2nd, closed Sundays and Mondays,  running one 16-35 E for sandwiches and hot dogs as well as fish and chips.

On Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed his usual five new restaurants, giving 2 hearts to four places:  the H. Kitchen, coordinates given before, mentioning the vegetables and foie gras, merlan and mango-chocolate parfait; the cantine Nano, 14, rue Bachaumont in the 2nd, no telephone, closed weekends, costing 10 E for four glasses of things such as dorade ceviche, gambas and a deconstructed citron tart; the Thai Aux Trois Nages in the 16th; and the Italian Luisa Maria in the 6th.   Garnering one heart was the Cabinet de Sa Majeste, 4, rue de la Fontaine-au-Roi in the 11th.

Figaroscope’s Dossier by Alice Bosio and Colette Monsat lsted place to go for Fathers’ Day:
Ma Cocotte
Zen
L’Atelier d’Epicure
L’Hotel Costes
L’éclair de Genie

And Francois Simon’s Hache Menu reviewed the Café de la Paix, coordinates well known, where he said the biggest problem are the clients.

In L’Express this week, Kathleen Bousiquier reported that Alain Ducasse, saver of zombie restaurants [my wording] is going to give Allard a try at resuscitation and reports on a resaurant in Sydney Australia ; and Francis-Regis Gaudry reviewed Noma and several other restaurants in Copenhagen.

FAQ: “Are Reservations Needed?"

I cannot tell you how many times this question is asked in/on the blogosphere.

The best answer I’ve seen is that from a poster on CH, lemarais, who said “Why don't you want to make a reservation? Is there a downside to making one?”  Perfect.

One makes reservations, even at a 100-cover joint turning tables (of which there are none here) because:
It is Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent,
It ensures you the best table, for me by the window not the bathroom or swinging door to the kitchen.
They know your name and despite the bad rep the French food folks have gotten, they will treat you as you treat them.  Remember the Golden Rule folks.
It helps them judge the number of dishes they need to have on hand (not all places depend on massive Metro shipments or their "little guy" running next door for a steak or baguette.

As lemarais says "Why not?"

Reviews of reviews: The week of June 3rd, 2013

Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, Carine Chenaux and Agnes Ruskowiak listed their places for great terrace eating this summer:
Le Royal Monceau
La Green 211  de Villette Enchantee
L’Ile
Le Café “Le Jardin du Petit Palais”
Monsieur Bleu
Les Climats
La Maison Blanche
La Maison des Polytechniciens, Ma Cocotte
Le Sparkling Garen Hotel W Paris-Opera

Tuesday, Francis Morteau in Le Fooding, reviewed Le Cette, 7, rue Campagne-Première in the 14th, closed weekends but weekdays serving three meals a day, running one from 36-50 E with items such as herring, hachis parmentier and a blanc-manger with rhubarb.

On Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed his usual five new restaurants, giving 2 hearts to three places: the Oyster Bar Desssirier, 9, pl du Marechal-Juin in the 17th, 01.42.27.82.14, open 7/7 and mentions the oysters and lobster club sandwich running one 30-50 E; Les Mots Passants, 7-11 rue Saint-Benoit in the 6th, 01.42.61.53.53, closed Saturday diner & Sundays with formulas at 21 and 29 and a la carte about 50 E for poached eggs, petit pois soup, lieu jaune and strawberry éclair; and the previously mentioned Chez Graff in the 7th.  One heart went to Dolan in the 5th which serves a mix of Asian food found between China and Marco Polo and rated Medi Terra Nea in the 9 a broken heart.

Figaroscope’s Dossier by Colette Monsat, Alice Bosio and Sophie de Santis was a  teaser for their new book on cocktails (AperoScope) where they gave 20 favorites:
L’Embuscade
Le Coq
Sherry Butt
Le Duke
Little Red Door
Le bar de nuit du Bristol
 Le Sake Bar
L’Hotel
The Club
L’entrée des artists
Le Rosebud
Le 228 du Meurice
La Terrace du Raphael
Le Bar du Shangri
La Vue de l’Hotel Concorde Lafayette
Le Bellerive
Bar Ourcq
O’Paris
Les Etangs de Corot
Chez Gegene

And in another article on Tops and Flops of famous sites in Paris Lena Lutaud, Francois Aubel, Anne-Charlotte de Lanche, Colette Monsat and Francois Simon came up with the following:
The cancers
Le Grand Bleu
Café Branly
Le Café de l’Homme
Le Zyriab
Opera de l’Opera Garnier
Le Pavillion du lac
Les Jardins du Bagatelle
The good students
Le Mini Palais
La Grande Cascade
Le Saut du Loup
Le Jules Vern
Georges
Monsieur Bleu
Le Ciel de Paris
Le Resturant du Palais-Royal
Ambiance Ambiance
Le Train Bleu
Le Lido
Rosa Bonheur
Wanderlust

Finally, Lena Lutaud notes some new concessions:
Le Café de la Musique a la Villette
Cite des Sciences, Jardin d’Acclimation & Palais de la Decouverte
La Gare St Lazare (Eric Frechon)
Restaurant au Theatre des marionettes du jardin du Luxembourg and gives some upcoming openings at:
The Terrasse de la Petite Venise at Versailles
Palais Brongniart (Yannick Alleno) and even more that open starting with the rentree.

And Francois Simon’s Hache Menu reviewed the Chalet des Iles, coordinates well-known, where in response to Go? He says “Humm, jouable mais rique.”

In L’Express this week, Mina Soundiram, rerviewed three new food trucks : Mozza et Co, La Frite and Banh Mi Nomade and ; Francis-Regis Gaudry reviewed the Costes-Piege collaboration -  Le Café Francais in the 11th, coordinates already given.

Paris Pix: Street Art

Le Village in the 15th: Not a destination but a good place for coffee and dessert if you live nearby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.0 Le Village, 11 Rue du Laos in the 15th, 07.86.87.30.95/01.75.50.44.89, closed weekends (Metro: La Motte-Picquet-Grenelle) is bright and shiny as a nickel and situated not more than a few meters from Le Village Suisse, that magnet for antique hunters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have an exhaustive carte and a quite interesting smaller "menu", that is long on meat and South-West products and short on stuff that would appeal to Colette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My dining partner had her heart set on some oysters, but alas, they were out and she asked if they had a mixed salad - well, no, but how about salad with chipirons a la plancha?  "OK."  Wrong.  They were really not great.  I, on the other hand, had a nice Ducassian jar of jazzed-up-spicy rillettes of canard on toasts that I quite enjoyed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then she had the beef tartare that she said was "swimming in sauce" and I had a filet of bar that was also swimming in an awful tasting sauce which the quinoa could not absorb; she gave up, but I bravely separated the fish from the dreaded liquid and enjoyed it by itself.  The frites, however, exceeded the French National Gold Fries Standard; crisp, not-fatty, not oversalted and quite tasty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dessert I ordered the strawberry tarte - but again - OUT, so we settled for a shared pistachio macaroon/cream thing with raspberies and a "soup" of mango, pineapple, lemon and orange that was quite good.  With a bottle and a glass of wine, no bottled water and two coffees, our bill was 71.40 E.

Go?  For a late night coffee and dessert if you live nearby, OK, otherwise no.

Reviews of reviews: The week of May 27th, 2013

Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard gave 3/5 dots to Monsieur Bleu, 20 ave de New York in the 16th, 01.47.20.90.47, open 7/7 and serving (for about 60 E) ham, salmon unilateral, a bacon cheeseburger and various desserts; meanwhile Jerome Berger gave 4/5 to the previously mentioned O Divin in the 19th.

Tuesday, Matthieu Jauniau-Dallier in Le Fooding, reviewed Le Petit Pan, Le Grand Pan’s offshoot at 18, rue Rosenwald in the 15th, 01.42.50.04.04, closed Sundays, running one 16-25 E for items such as sauteed chorizo, pigs’ feet, bulots, duck hearts and tapas which run about 4 E.

On Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin did not review his usual five new restaurants.

Figaroscope’s Dossier by Hugo de Saint-Phalle, Colette Monsat and Alice Bosio concerned terraces that included (cute descriptors not given):
Monsieur Bleu
Le Café Francais
Ma Cocotte
Le Saut de Loup
L’Ilot
Jeanne B.
Paris Breizh
Wanderlust
Pirouette
Edgar
Les Climats
Le Poulpry
Plus a few others: Le MOB, Chalet des Iles, Les Ombres, Le Minipalais, Le Relais du Parc, La Maison Blanche & Le Roof top du Mama Shelter.

And Francois Simon’s Hache Menu reviewed Chez Graff, coordinates given before which he recommends to eat at if you live nearby not far away.

In L’Express this week, Mina Soundiram reviewed three new food trucks : Mozza et Co, La Frite and Banh Mi Nomade and ; Francis-Regis Gaudry reviewed the Costes-Piege collaboration -  Le Café Francais in the 11th, coordinates already given.

Sunday in the JDD Aurelie Chaigneau went to the old brasserie (closed for 7 months) Valois 1868 where she commrented on the oysters and Quatrehomme cheese and Francois Lemaire in JDD version femina went to the boulangerie Gontran Cherrier, cave Postiche and Vincent Ferniot's bio Boco.

Chez Graff in the 7th: A very nice place for the ministerial staffs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.4 Chez Graff, 62, rue de Bellechasse in the 7th (Metro: Solferino), 01.45.51.33.42, closed weekends, is a place associated with the ex-patronne of the nearby Laiterie Sainte-Clotilde.  The carte is simple, no fussy stuff but solid neighborhood cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My old friend and ex-downstair's neighbor 34 numbers away started with the terrine maison that was made surrounding a prune interior - a very nice touch, with teeny peppers to offset it and I had the mixture of green asparagus and sliced young cucumbers with a COLD soft-boiled egg, which once I recovered from the shock, was quite pleasant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then Madame, my ex-neighbor, had the confited salmon with petit pois and feves,M. had a bavette with rocket and parmesan and I had a (Blue) magret de canette with lots of very fine vegetables - mushrooms, beans and potatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the end, they chose a panna cotta with peaches and exotic fruits and a "carrot cake" with canned kumquats - both adequate but, as we all noted, not much different than our neighborhood joint - the NordSud.

The bill; for a threesome with a bottle and glass of wine, no bottled water and three coffees, the damage comes to 102.60 E thus 68.40 E a couple.

Go?  If one lived nearby, every so often, but considering the competition (principally Le 122) not very often.

A Sunday Table d'Hote at Chez Casimir (not the Pointe de Grouin) in the 10th: an unexpected journey to Alice's Wonderland

5.6 Chez Casimir, 6 rue de Belzunce in the 10th, 01.48.78.28.80, closed Saturday and Sunday nights (Metro: Gare du Nord) is a place I've been meaning to return to on weekends for its lunch table d'hote NOT AMURICAN BRUNCH - but we'll come to that later.

Back-Story: The Pointe de Grouin, 8, rue de Belzunce, no telephone, no reservations, open 7/7, has been calling to me since it opened as Thierry Breton's third place in almost as many meters.  Since I couldn't call, couldn't reserve, I told my two buddies "Show up at noon sharp so we can get a seat."  "Yessir" they responded.  And so it was.  But when I arrived there was a strange crowd in front and when we muscled our way in the responsible said "Sorry we're complet."  "Complet, complet or just complet for a while?" "Complet, complet! There's a private function all day"  Ah yie yie.  Friend 1 says "What's Plan B?" "Ah yie yie, I have no idea" say I.  I'm walking down the street, weeping softly, thinking madly, scheming wildly - "I've got it, brunch at Chez Casimir, I read somewhere it's a real French spread not your Amurican mimosa/eggs benedict/crappy biscuits."  Friend #2 approaches the same guy who turned us away from #6, "OK, that round table in the corner with the uncomfortable shaky stools, in the freezing sun, but you gotta be gone by 1:30 PM."  "OK."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friend #1 (this is not all in sequence) says "I hate buffets."  Friend #2 says "Come on, John, let's go."  Me, I go to barman and say "Wine, wine, we need wine after our trauma."  "Go by the kitchen Sir, get a bottle and we'll open it."  Hummmm, go by the kitchen, no sign of anything but tired bottles of aperos, but then - guy opens door to wine chiller, turns on light and there I am, all to myself."  Cool.  Then we pile plates with (I'll only gave memorable dishes): really tasty fish, nice bulots and mayo, good potato salad, over-the-top lentils and incredible cucumber slices.  After a while, lox on bread and eggs appear, then a really really good brandade, and a glass of warm leek soup that would put my mother to shame. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally some cheese, some cookies and strawberries and cream, oh my.  The bill with a bottle of red and two glasses of white, plus one coffee but no bottled water, was 76.32 E a couple.

Go?  Well, I still want to try the Pointe de Grouin, but if you're in a squeeze on a weekend, you can do worse than this most French, most foodish, most friendly buffet.  Why the reference to Lewis Carroll?  Well, remember the Mad Hatter's table?  This place at high noon sorta resembled a bunch of mercury-addled Hatters with the March Hare, Dormouse or Alice thrown in for good measure.  Pure Boboland pleasure.

Le Petit Pan in the 15th: not as big as the Grand Pan but it holds it own for what it is.

 

 5.6 Le Petit Pan, 18, rue Rosenwald in the 15th, 0142.50.04.04 (Bus = #95), closed Sundays, was featured in Le Fooding as a "Néobistrot, Tapas et pinchos, Terroir" and that, indeed, it is.  And it is popular, and it is crowded, and it plays tennis loudly over the TV (at least today during Roland Garros - today's top reading was 78.5 dB), and it had either stools at a comptoir or a metal chairs at a common table, and it overflows into the street with convives my age sipping white wine and snacking charcuterie.  Now this is at lunch; my guess it that at apero/tapas time things get even crazier (in a nice way mind you).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The food is not fancy-smancy (like yesterday at Es), it's straightforward good product, well-prepared and nicely presented.  My companion, who's lived/visted here since age 7, had the terrine de campagne and I had the deconstructed avocado, shrimp and mayo - both better than ordinary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T

hen he had the quite acceptable beef tartare and I, the Montbeliard sausage with quite fine green lentils.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was the sort of day, uncertain whether it's winter or summer, you do want dessert, so he had the rice pudding with a drizzle of caramel and I had the crumble tart tht said it was paale-straberries but sure tasted of rhubarb to both of us.

With a bottle of quite acceptable Pinot/Gamay from the Côtes d'Auvergne (one problem - unless you have binoculars there's no way you can see what the bottles are behind the bar from which you have to choose), no bottled water and 2 coffees (3 E for two versus 5 E each yesterday), our bill was 69 E.

Go?  Certainly not a destination restaurant but a harbor in the storm if you live anywhere nearby.