John Talbott's Paris

Les Bouchons de Francois Clerc: Jean-Pierre & Philippe - An Update

Yesterday Colette and I went back to a place a buddy and I ate at not too long ago and loved.
Change #1 No menu anymore at lunch (at least on Easter Monday). Therefore no 3 courses for 28 Euros, which with 1 glass of wine, bottled water and coffee = 33 Euros.
Change #2 Lotsa CRS outside awaiting Tibetan protesters.
Change #3 Chef sat at table in the salle the whole time chatting up his backers rather than cooking or even finishing off dishes in the kitchen.

So we had a somewhat different experience.
The olives, warm bread and wine were all good.
My starter of raviolis of langoustines and greens was great but lacked salt/oompf.
Her bar with roughly-cut ratatouille was - bar=bland, ratatouille=terrific.
My veal was properly cooked and its veggie side of olives, confited citron, baby artichokes, semi-dried tomatoes and sauce was over the top.
The chocolate, touted by our enthusiastic waiter, was in fact a typical moelleux, except over-cooked, so there was very little moelleux and much dried cake.

The bill = 101.90 Euros/2.

All in all, not a bad meal for me, but not good for Madame, she who brooks no lapses. On average - a 6.5 I'd say.

Reviews of reviews - The Week of March 17th, 2008

Monday-Tuesday, in ANP, Jerome Berger reviewed Lao Lane Xang 2 coordinates given before and his sidekick Philippe Toinard did Le Petit Bordelais ditto for coordinates, where he mildly critiques the place for too much emphasis on Bordeaux wines – which of course is its theme.

Wednesday, Richard Hesse in Paris Update reviewed two established couscous places Le Clair de Lune + Chez Omar in the 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin awarded only one resto two hearts: Les Cotelettes, 4, impasse Guemenee in the 4th, 01.42.72.08.45, closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Mondays, where the Benard group (Les Zingots + Que du Bon) serve a 15 € lunch formula (a la carte is 35-50 €) with dishes such as: mackerel in white wine sauce, minced duck with ginger, andouillette made with white wine and mixed fruit dessert. He awarded one heart to three places: Les Rustres, 9 rue Antoine Vollon in the 12th, 01.43.47.18.01, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, running one about 35-45 € a la carte for a salad with haddock, onglet with shallots and prunes in Armagnac; the Café Barjot, 18, ave Ledru-Rollin in the 12th, 01.43.43.46.07, open 7/7 serving a 13 € lunch formula and a la carte about 30 € for a terrine, blanqueete of veal and crepes; and The Cool, 13, rue Medicis in the 6th, 01.43.25.21.81, open 7/7, serving a brunch plate, eggs Benedict and lemon tart. A broken heart went to 23 Mazarine, 23, rue Mazarine in the 6th, 01.43.26.40.24, closed Sundays and Mondays and costing 26 for a lunch formula and 50-60 € a la carte for shrimp and guacamole, filet of beef and asparagus and morel dessert (not funny).

This week, in Figaroscope’s Dossier, Colette Monsat rated 11 jambon-buerre sandwiches as follows:
15.5/20 Creperie du Comptoir
14 Comptoir de la Gastronomie
13 Rene Saint Ouen
12.5 Au Panetier
12 Gourmet Gourmand
11.5 La Fournee d’Augustine, Julien + Fauchon
10.5 Gosselin + Boulanger de Monge
10 Boulangerie Lame, Moisan, Delmontel + Au pain quotidien
9.5 Stohrer + Au Petrin d’Antin
9 Boulangerie des Invalides
8.5 Duc de ll Chapelle
7.5 Au Levain du Marais + Paul
7 Class’Croute
5 Kayser
4.5 Pomme de Pain

And Francois Simon in his Hache Menu at La Maree, had a sandwich and two cappuccinos for 17 €, and says to go.

Thursday in ParisObs, Philippe Couderc reviewed 23 Mazarine, coordinates given above, but as opposed to Emmanuel Rubin, who gave it a busted heart, he awarded it 14/20 for the food and 13/20 for quality-price. He also visited two places demoted by the Michelin being puzzled because he thought Le Grand Vefour was an 18/20 and Le Duc 17-18/20.

Friday, Jean Louis Galesne in Les Echos wrote up restaurants in Chantilly that included: Dolce Chantilly, l’hotel Chateau Mont Royal, l’Auberge de la Grange, l’Open House, Le Goutillon + l’English Shop, the last a tea salon.

In Saturday’s Figaro Francois Simon wrote an article about two places worlds apart – Taillevent + le Rollin, 92, ave Ledru-Rollin in the 11th, 01.48.06.51.92, closing days not given. He says that despite the loss of a star and Jean-Claude Vrinat, life goes on at the former where much is the same but he made an error in ordering the 70 € menu (scallops OK, cod not, sable with fraises des bois stingy). At the latter he describes the chef as working lovingly to prepare the entrecote and cod (again, this time good) on a 13 € menu (the price of two coffees at Taillevent).

Saturday-Sunday’s JDD had the usual starred chef’s two favorites in Paris: in this case Philippe Auge of l’Hostellerie de Levernois picking Karl et Erick + l’Ampere. In addition, there was yet another article on Gordon Ramsay’s take/make-over of the Trianon Palace. Finally, in the version Femina mag, Astrid T’Serclaes interviewed Alain Ducasse about his favorite markets. He prefers:
Japanese patisserie Toraya
Japanese epicerie Kyoko
Japanese deluxe cantine Hanawa
Fine Spanish epicerie Jabuge & Co
Universal epicerie Le Monde des Epices aka M. Izrael
Chinese market Paris Store.

Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp had an article on Copenhague and the Crillon and John Talbott had one on “The Sunday Lunch Blues”.

Lao Lane Xang 2 - a revisit.

An update:
Today we treated my long-ago French teacher, now turned diplomat, his English lawyer wife and their two kids to lunch at Lao Lane Xang 2 and it was again just great.

We had slightly different things this time: nems, Thai chicken/shrimp, Thai coco duck, chicken with veggies, lacquered duck, seasonal veggies, shrimp with basil, - all great but then spectacular flans for dessert. The bill = 105E40 with lotsa wine, but no bottled water or coffee.

L'Agassin - a revisit and revision.

After eating here almost two months ago, coordinates in the original review, I returned today with Colette and a friend. We all three had the 34 Euro menu-carte with many of today's specials.

They started us off with cups of warm cucumber soup with chunks of cod and diced chives - quite good. Then we diverged - I having the warm rascasse with a great crisp salad; Colette had a dish of scallops with creamy white beans that was good; and our friend had dried duck with salad.

Then I had beef cheeks with a dark brown pepper sauce and a ton of carrots; Colette the mullet with veggies that had a terrific lemony zing to them; and our guest had the salmon with spelt spaghetti, which she thought was quite special.

Finally, I had the same pain perdu with ice cream I had last time; Colette had a soup of clementines and citrusy sorbet and our friend the rice pudding.

The bill with wine, coffee but no bottled water was 148 Euros for three. I rated it higher than the two ladies - the consensus vote being about 6.0.

Voyage to Giverny at the Marmottan - Aller no retour.

A reader of this blog told another reader he was declaring a moratorium on seeing Impressionist art exhibitions. I thought that was mildly funny at the time but now I see why.

Voyage to Giverny, now at the Marmatton Museum in Paris, was organized in conjunction with the Columbus Museum of Art and does neither proud. In fact, it's one of the most pathetic shows I've ever seen.

(The luckily unidentified) they who organized this show have included some of Monet's "muddiest" late works and combined them with some contemporary (to Monet's stay in Giverny) utterly boring paintings, some totally irrelevant modern artists' works (Ellsworth Kelly x2 and Joan Mitchell, for example) and a very few accurately evocatively Impressionistic paintings (i.e., by Breck and Perry.)

If you want to see what I mean, go to their Press Gallery - http://www.marmottan.com/francais/expositions/voyage_giverny/lliste%20Photos%20Presse.pdf

It's too bad they didn't include some of the really good stuff done by artists such as Philadelphia's Diane Burko when she was on a Residence Fellowship at Giverny, courtesy of the Readers Digest Foundation, six months in 1989. But then, they didn't ask my advice.

l'Epigramme in the 6th - An archival review* and update.

"A gem in a sea of dreck.

6.6-8.8 l’Epigramme, 9, rue de L’Eperon in the 6th, 01 44 41 00 09, closed Sunday nights and Mondays, is a little jewel (30 covers) of a restaurant in the midst of tourist central (think Allard and Camdeborde.) Four of us ate there on a recent Saturday* and loved it.

The host Stephane offered us an amuse bouche of a terrine that was very good, especially with the Fitou we chose to start (and continue) with, despite his suggestion that we move onto a Bergerac.

All four of us had 4 scallops each on a puree of cauliflower (that tasted of celeriac) on half-shells (4 € supplemental) that one of us thought had too many salt crystals on it, then two had a poitrine of veal (not on the chalkboard that lunch-time but apparently on it for that evening) that I found just fine but they thought was surpassed by my lievre royale that had the most intense, thick, dark, great-tasting black sauce imaginable (10 € supplement) and my friend Atar’s ox-tail stew with chopped root vegetables.

Finally one of our guests had the very fine St Nectaire and the other a big portion of rice pudding that he declared quite good. If you take away the supplements, celebratory extra booze, etc., lunch for two (3 courses, wine and coffee and no bottled water) would only run you 77 €.

Oh yah, it’s hot, go fast, even famous chefs on their days off, eat there.

Should one go? You betcha; fast!"
*First published in November 2007.

Update March 21, 2008:

Four of ate here today and again were warmly welcomed. Two of us started with terrific warm tete de veau slices.

Then the ladies had the rascasse on a bed of veggies in a brown sauce. One "recipient" liked the dish but the other added salt and was not impressed with the product nor the veggies and sauce. However, I really liked my beef cheeks stuffed with mushrooms and Monsieur his veal on a bed of sweet-potato.

Everyone but me had dessert; one had a serving of chopped apples in a sable "sandwich;" two others had mixture of banana, chunks of chocolate cookie and formage blanc. Both were quite good.

The bill was 73.50 Euros a couple with wine, coffee but no bottled water. Our rating was about a 6.0.

You want me to go out where? From the archives* with an update.

“A meal at a new restaurant cum wine shop, La Cave est Restaurant, in Montreuil Sur Bois will serve as a jumping off point for my discussion about finding good new places in Paris. For years, I’ve kept lists of places to go; largely new, usually reasonably-priced, almost exclusively French restaurants. Every few weeks, friends or friends of friends call or email me asking “Where should I go this visit?” I give them my take and ask for their feedback upon their return. Usually it’s positive. “Thanks so much, John, we loved x + y (which were 7 and 8 on the list) but we never made it to a or b (number 1 and 2) they just looked too far.”

Too far? In Paris, with the best public transportation system imaginable? These are people who would think nothing of taking the stinky, dirty, crowded New York subway system to the far reaches of Queens or driving an hour on clogged California freeways to get to good food. Too far?

Let me back up to La Cave est Restaurant. It’s on the Metro, a block or two from the Croix de Chavaux station (on the line that runs right near many hotels, including the Plaza Athenée) and is a mere 10 minute walk from the ring road around Paris. It’s charming, has a terrific old “feel” to it and has lots of very reasonably priced, decently-prepared dishes (starters running 8-12 €, mains = 14-20 €, etc.) and wines.

Another example is a place that Jean-Claude Ribaut of Le Monde wrote up earlier this year: l’Instant Gourmand, which is two blocks from a Metro station and on four, count them, four bus lines. But folks look at the map and say “no way.” So these restaurants will never go on my list, because I’ve learned the hard way that no one will go.

Which is a shame because some of the best-prepared and best-priced food can be found either outside the city limits or in the far reaches of the 11th, 19th, 20th, etc. Why is that? In a book published in February 2004 entitled “Food Business: La face cachée de la gastronomie française,” (translation: the hidden side of French cuisine) by the pseudonymous Olivier Morteau, the author(s) state that the new successful neo-bistrots follow a predictable, new set of rules: find a reasonably priced building in a gastronomically underserved area, be nice and friendly, and get a chef who is talented and can prepare dishes that are reasonably priced. While the author(s) single out Yves Camdebord (Le Regalade) and Christian Constant (Fables of Fontaine + Café Constant) as examples of successful followers of this formula, many places started by adherents of this strategy are even farther out.

My memory of history may be a bit rusty, but just taking the area in and around Paris, (we’ll leave Ducasse, Gagnaire and Loiseau for another time), one of the first and best examples of users of this formula was Eric Frechon, who toiled for years at a place called Le Restaurant and then Eric Frechon (Metro: Botzaris) in the 19th, charging 190 francs (30 Euros), which slowly inched up to 290 francs (43 Euros), for a three course meal. Then there were David Van Laer and Jean-Pierre Vigato at Manufacture in Issy les Moulineaux (Metro: Corentin Celton). And finally, there’s the talented Jean Chauvel, whose Les Magnolias is in Le Perreux sur Marne. Getting there is a bit tricky, even though it’s only one kilometer on a straight line east on the map from the Chateau of Vincennes (#1 Metro), but it’s actually easier by RER – “errrr-ouuu what,” my friends scream? And therein lies the problem. Metro stops such as the Croix de Chavaux, Botzaris, Anatole France and Corentin Celton are simply not within most American folks’ grasp - the RER, “Fagedaboudit!”

The fate of these talented chefs varies. Some toil for years and then move “downtown” for the jackpot; the best examples of this move are Eric Frechon’s coming to the Bristol, David Van Laer coming to Maxence, Jean-Pierre Vigato to Apicius and Stéfane Molé to Bellecour aka Les Ormes. But others, like Jean Chauvel, choose to remain in the hinterlands at Les Magnolias.

The moral here: A few extra minutes walking or riding the subway, bus or RER is a small price to pay for the superb experiences one can have faraway from the Champs-Elysees or the Left Bank.

As is my custom, I’ll only provide coordinates for my preferences:

La Cave est Restaurant
45, rue de Paris, Montreuil Sur Bois (Metro - Croix de Chavaux)
T : 01 42 87 09 48
Closed Saturday noon and Sundays
A la carte 35 €.

l’Instant Gourmand
113, rue Louis Rouquier in Levallois Perret (Metro : Anatole France ; Buses # 53, 94, 165 & 174)
T : 01 47 37 13 43
Closed Saturday lunch and Sundays
A la carte 20-30 €.

Les Magnolias
48 Av de Bry, Le Perreux sur Marne (RER : Nogent Les Perreux)
T : 01 48 72 47 43
Closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Mondays
Menus = 36, 48, 78 €.”

*Originally published in October 2005
Update March 21st, 2008: Rather than add some new places (l’Auberge des Saints Peres, l’Idee, etc) here, I’ll write a new essay in a while.

Bigarrade in the 17th - An Update

Four of us retested Bigarrade today at lunch (my first meal was February 11th, 2008.) Two had the 35 menu and two, the 45 Euro one. Whatever it was, it didn't come off for any of us as over a 5/10 meal, whereas all thought it merited more on our first visits (all except Colette for whom this was #1; I ranked it 6/10 in February).

Why?
Difficult to say.

First, as usual, they asked if there was anything we couldn't/wouldn't eat and one of us said kidneys, non-foie gras liver and strong fish - unfortunately that fell on tin ears - the first course was mackerel.

Second, three of the four of us thought the lieu was kinda blah, really not much of a much, without the added ingredients; deven with them, lacking. (However, the "anti-strong-fish person" loved it.)

Third, the meat course was OK, standard, indeed again not much of a much, no blazing saddles.
And then the cheese and three desserts were again alright but did not dazzle.

In addition, we found the noise level too high (no ceiling tiles in evidence) and our bottle of wine was not on the table, so we had to wait to be served - a bit pretentious.

But the final demerit came when the bill was 60 Euros in error, in their favor.

It is often said that Bigarrade is the "new Spring", but we think it is not.

The bill (once corrected) was 105 Euros per couple.

Spring - Consistently good; often heavenly. (From the Archives)

8.5 Spring, 28, rue de la Tour d’Auvergne in the 9th, 01.45.96.05.72, which opened to a three-heart welcome from Emmanuel Rubin in Figaroscope and a rave review in Le Fooding, has an American (gasp) chef, Daniel Rose, of all things, who does everything from take your reservation to cook to say goodbye.

OK, everyone knows I pride myself on not being recognized and not taking free meals, but Daniel “outed” me as I sat down (although the reservations were made by my compatriot Felice in her name) and so anything I/we say is suspect, although (1) we paid, (2) he didn’t recognize Felice or the other more famous food celebrity we were there with and (3) there is no way in a tiny place of 16 covers he can change the way he cooks.

It’s a set 4-course 36 € menu that varies according to the market. The night we went we had an amuse gueule of rillettes that were simply the best. The accompanying bread (4 types if I counted correctly) from next door, not figuratively – literally – was very, very good.

The 1st starter was a carrot soup with shredded veal knuckle (jarré) - - terrific. The 2nd entrée was a salmon cru lightly marinated, with olive oil and juliened apple (? Granny) and currents and pesto drops – terrific, or did I say that before? Then we had the pigeon that was – you knew this was coming - perfectly cooked – raw inside, toasty and caramelized outside with a sweet but not too sweet sauce, on top of smashed potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes.

The dessert was a spectacular chocolate cake with drizzle and cherry confiture (I broke my no chocolate after 3 PM rule to have a teeny bite) but I loved my substitute cheese. We had a marvelous Fronton which a relative from Toulouse supplies. As one of our foursome, no mean slouch, remarked on exiting – that’s the best meal I’ve had this year.

Could well be, even though we’ve got a month left. I feel rather sad about writing up what I believe Margaret Pilgrim calls “a secret place,” but the truth will out; the night before the Figaroscope review appeared, he was packed with all French locals; suddenly he got folks (Parisien, bien sur) from all over; and soon, after the Michelin + Lebey and others report in on their meals last & this week, it’ll be the Yanks. Sorry Daniel. Truly.

Moral = occasionally, Figaroscope, Le Fooding, Michelin + Lebey all get it right together. Bill = 194 € for four.

*My first meal was in November 2006; my last January 4th; both fully paid for.

l’Ecallier du Bistrot - 1 thumb up - 1 down - I cannot believe I’ve never written this place up.

4.5 l’Ecallier du Bistrot, 22, rue Paul Bert in the 11th, 01.43.72.76.77, closed Sundays and Mondays. In about 2004, my buddy the RFC took me here for a few Utah Beach oysters before our meal elsewhere on the rue Paul Bert, then Paris’s “happening food street.”

I was blown away; wow, what huge, tasty things. Since then, I’ve been by several times for a few oysters and white wine before lunch and a few times for the full Monty. The four of us from the 18th, innocents we, decided after our blow-out, one-star meal in Aulnay yesterday, to have the simplest of meals – simple grilled fish with no fancy, no sauce, no nuttin.

And indeed we did. The oysters and bulots (with mayo) were quite good but the fish mains were blah, plain, so what? We had 1 scallop dish (overcooked), 1 plaice, 1 sole (only slightly rubbery) and 1 barbue.

We ended with a Paris-Brest that was equally so what.

The bill with coffee, wine but no bottled water was 96.25 € a couple.

Go? Yes for the oysters and white wine. No for the fish.