Ze Kitchen Galerie: Victoria's Messenger arrives.

 

Don't get the Victoria's Messenger reference: minute Papillion.

Ze Kitchen Galerie is to me what Chez Georges is to Francois Simon, or L'Ami Louis was to RW Apple Jr; it's my lodestar, my center of gravity, my knowledge that all is right in the world and I can eat splendidly well at a one-star place, for Lord's sake, for 50 E at lunch - so when Colette and I arrived and saw our guests from the state of red rocks standing outside talking to the waitstaff we knew we were in big trouble. 

Bombscare, sushi chef stabbed, frigo off all night - what?  No, the power had just been cut in the quartier, who knew when it would be restored?   Looking around, oh yah, that's right, there are all these chefs and plongeurs, etc., from Laperouse, etc. sitting around smoking and looking totally bored.

Oh man.  Now, John Talbott's Paris has a lot of features, but one of them is not an iPhone/Blackberry-readable map of John Talbott's "Greatest Hits."  But John Talbott's two Betz cells still connect once in a while and in a few seconds had delivered the route of march: around the corner, down the quai, across the bridge, along the opposite quai to Quai-Quai and if they wouldn't have us, schelp up the road to Le Reminet.

Just as I announced my plan, not 100 meters from Ze, one of the junior staff rushed up and said that "William sent me, come back, the current is back on."  My thought was back to the denouement of the Dreigroschenoper when Queen Victoria's messenger arrives and pardons Mack the Knife just before he's about to be executed. 

Indeed, on returning to Ze, there was the chef himself up on the step ladder fiddling with a smoke alarm or somesuch.  A man for all seasons,to reference another Broadway favorite.  Cool as a cucumber; schmoozing with the folks, you'd never know he was almost shut down by EDF. 

Now, I'm sure that the meal we had, on the heels of this, was even better if there'd been no reversal of fortune but it was, once again, one mighty fine meal.  Because all they had were the evening menus, they told us, "just order, we'll figure out the lunch prices later."  Now I understand why when I send people here assuring them it's a very reasonable meal, they come back to me with resentment in their eyes.  It's a really terrifically priced meal at lunch; at dinner, you're on your own, folks!

Disclosure: he comp'd us to an intermezzo of a fruit soup with a cheese croquette and one of his wild, exotic, sliced radisshy condiments.  

Comments

[Jim Peterson]

Hi John, just a note to say how much we appreciate your blog. Just got the new Michelin red book; how could they rate 35 Ouest up with Ze Kitchen Galerie? Thanks again for your efforts. Jim P

[John Talbott]

Well, I wish I could answer your question, but I have no idea how the Miche arrives at these decisions. I agree of course.
And thanks for the thanks.

[John Whiting]

So it's 50€ now for the bargain lunch? Lodestar for lodestar, I still think that Simon wins hands down.