John Talbott's Paris

The New Hot Quarters: the 8th and 20th: An archival* essay.

The 8th and 20th both are remarkable arrondissements but for completely different reasons, although the bottom line concerning food is that unless you’ve got bucks to burn (at least in the 8th, faggetabouid.)

The 8th, home to the Palace Hotels, Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees is probably the #1 destination for American tourists. The biggest blockbuster art shows in town are at the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, just recently renovated, is home to a wonderful permanent collection and the little museum jewels, the Nissim de Camondo and Jacquemart Andre are located deep in the heart of the area.

As for walking, I guess at 3 in the morning, going down the Champs is fun, but at other times it seems more like an outside Grand Central Station. No, instead, head out to the Parc Monceau, watch the rich kids cavort after school and luxuriate on a bench or take a tour of the Park, water, grass and nooks.

But food is our focus here so let’s get it out of the way. Since everyone reading this has been or will go to the starred places run by the big boys at the great Palace Hotels – eg Ducasse at Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenee, Legendre at Le Cinq at the George V, Frechon at Le Bristol at the Bristol and Piege at Les Ambassadeurs at the Crillon – there’s not much to be said, except that regardless of who’s cooking, these places will always be near perfection. Also, one cannot really go wrong at Taillevent, Apicius, Lasserre, Laurent & Pierre Gagnaire no matter when or who’s in the cuisine. But that’s not what makes for a “new hot quarter” in the Wall Street Journal’s definition.

No, they’d be interested in folks taking over more humble spaces and going wonderful things. For example, multi-starred Bernard Loiseau started his tante phenomenon with Tante Louise in the 8th, Catherine Guerraz, for years served up topnotch food at Chez Catherine, cheek to jowl next to Galeries Lafayette before decamping for a bigger bucks and bigger time locale, Flora Mikula moved from her left bank Les Olivades to the 8th, Dominique Bouchet left the Crillon after thirteen years for his eponymous place, the estimable Prunier reinvented itself as a Seafood Bar and Alain Senderens, who breathed new life into Lucas Carton years ago, surprised the world by giving up his stars and establishing a 7/7 reasonably priced re-invention.

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Now though, turning to the 20th, things look quite different. For an area that most of my younger French friends look to for relatively more reasonably priced housing, we’re in a different world. Palace hotels – bah, great rests – I don’t think so, walks and sights – not a lot.

No this is a place to live not visit. And I know since I used to camp out here when a bit younger. And, as well, I used to visit Jim Morrison’s grave in Pere Lachaise every few months for the second-hand marijuana smoke if nothing else. Plus there’s Belleville, which while lacking in great Asian restos (at the level of San Francisco or Hong Kong, for instance) does have nice Asian produce and product.

But for a “new hot (gastronomic) quarter,” I’m sorry. Yes, for a short while there were a few places, such as the Zephyr, that gave one hope, but only with the arrival of Le Baratin and La Boulangerie did solid modernity arrive.

My favorities among the new places in the 8th and 20th:

Senderens
9 place de la Madeleine, 8th (Metro : Madeleine)
T : 01 42 65 22 90
Open lunch and dinner everyday
A la carte from 80-100 €.

Dominique Bouchet
11 rue Treilhard, 8th (Metro : St Augustin or Miromesnil)
T : 01 45 61 09 46
Closed weekends
A la carte about 60 €

Le Baratin
3, rue Jouye Rouve, 20th, (Metro : Jourdain)
T : 01.43.49.39.70
Closed Saturday lunch, Sunday and Monday
A la carte from 28-32 €.

La Boulangerie
15, rue des Panoyaux, 20th, (Metro: Menilmontant)
T: 01.43.58.45.45
Closed Saturday noon, Sundays, lunch in August and other major holidays.
Menus: 16 €, 18.50 € (dinner), a la carte 30-35 €.
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*Since this was written in August, 2006, the 8th has seen dozens of new places open but not many I would recommend. Strangely, my one new “find” is A La Chataigne, a Corsican place.

As for the 20th, precious little of note is new.

A La Chataigne
22, rue Miromesnil, 8th (Metro: Miromesnil)
T: 01.40.07.90.86
Closed Saturday lunch and Sundays
A la carte about 35-45 E

l’Escarbille: Fun and fine food: An archival* review and update*.

8. l’Escarbille, 8, rue de Velizy in Dept. 92 (Meudon @ the Bellevue train stop on the Rambouillet/Mantes line from Montparnasse – 4.10 € RT), 01.45.34.12.03, closed Saturday lunch and Sunday night and Mondays, at lunch 1sts are 21 €, mains 22 and desserts 8, but the menu = just 36.

You get off the crummy aluminum train that is 50 years old, exit the Bellevue station on the north side and walk just to the end of the cars parked besides and there is a charming French inn that could just as well be 500 miles away in the country. (By the way l’Escarbille is a small partly burned piece of coal that escaped the train’s engine, as if you care.)

You’re met with gravel, flowers, a warm welcome and three separate rooms. The menu had 4 starters – a sharp, intense, not overly-creamed bisque of cooked langoustines and their shells with four tender ones floating on top of a lot of reduced dead critters, a large portion of white asparagus, crab and a “croque monsieur” of foie gras; 6 mains – pigeon that was simply awesome, rivaling the gold standard at Bon Acceuil with peas in a fluffy sauce (yah, he’s into the Detourbe handheld mixer “thing”), a luscious lamb, beef, barbet, carrelet with nicely toasted skin and loup; then desserts of a tarte tatin (his only slump – while the caramelized top was the tops, it doesn’t rival the apples underneath provided by Millet, for example) with ice cream, a cheese plate (7, count them 7), pineapple and passion fruit, and extra bitter chocolate three ways (truffle, ice cream and ohmagawd I forget the third).

The amuse bouche was a nice tampenade, the canelés at the end were high standard and the coffee was straight from Naples.

Wines were pricey (for me) starting only at 24 altho they had ample half-bottles; the rolls were too doughy; and the local male crowd from work in the next room was too noisy – don’t I have to find something wrong?

Very wisely but disappointingly, the French critics give the cost of the train (as I said 4.10 € RT) to add to the bill, but hold it, so many folks never cost in the 2 € RT metro or 20 € RT taxi, that it’s not necessary.

My bill was 62 but with two sharing the wine, a couple can get out for 101 €.

Go again? You bet, with or without an extension afterwards to Rambouillet or Versailles.

*Originally published in May 2006; last meal (very good) in July 2007.

New Year, Old Friends.

2009! Wow! Who thought it would ever come after the campaign that seemed to last forever and the plunge in the economy and the news that French restos were 20% less booked than last year.

But this economic disaster doesn’t stop new places from opening, by my and Figaroscope’s count, five a week for the working year and it doesn’t stop the old places from chugging along.

Just this first month of this New Year, Colette and I did a tour of old faves that brought to my attention how one treats old friends differently than new acquaintances. Then, my chum Atar and I were chatting a while back and he asked me if I’d changed my rating standards from before because he detected a difference.

Thinking about where we’d eaten recently: specifically, Agapes, Clocher Pereire, Vieil Ami, l’Epigramme, Lao Lane Xang 2, Goumard and Bistro 121, I realized that not everything about every dish had been perfect. But I’d cut each some slack; more slack the sixth or tenth time than when I go to a place just once. And that holds for relatively new “old friends” such as Jadis, La Table d’Eugene, Minoir, l’Assiette, Le Gaigne and l’Idee. Perhaps only Spring and Ze Kitchen Galerie were flawless and Spring, as we all know, is closing February 26th to reappear who knows when.

Such a cutting slack of old friends vs new finds is unfair, inconsistent and unjust.

Guilty as charged!

But these old friends still please again and again and new acquaintances are often jarringly rough, uneven and inept even with the simplest of ingredients.

So I’ll stay consistently inconsistent and enjoy myself.

Reviews of reviews: The Week of January 12th, 2009

Tuesday, Le Fooding, Anna Polonsky reviewed Glou a wine plus food place at 101, rue Vieille du Temple in the 3rd, closed Tuesdays, featuring grands crus and natural wines plus the usual charcuterie but also boudin noir, pork belly and yogurt with jam for about 30 €.

Tuesday as well, in ANP, Jerome Berger wrote a “portrait” of the Rose Bakery both the original in the 9th and 2 in the 3rd.

Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin in Figaroscope gave two hearts to only one place, Glou, coordinates see above, which he calls the bobo-baby-loft bistro next door, serving smoked white tuna, sardinillas and an ample wine list for about 25-35; lunch formula = 17 €. The one heart reviews were of Les Tontons 2, 73 rue Brancion in the 15th, 01.45.33.87.22 open 7/7 (a spin-off of Les Tontons in the 14th) features tartars of horsemeat, an aller-retour and brie on menus of 12.9 (lunch), 15.5 and 19 €; another Bistrot de l’Entrecote, 10, pl Marechal-Juin in the 17th, 01.46.22.01.22, open 7/7, (inspired by the Relais de l’Entrecote), serving a 25 € menu and a la carte 30-35 €, serving a “pathetic” fricassee of cuttlefish and sad pot-au-feu; and the revived Comptoir Tournon, 18, rue de Tournon in the 6th, 01.43.26.16.16, serving oeufs mayo, cod filet and lots of lentils for 25-35 €. He also awarded a busted heart to the Japanese Oto-Oto in the 6th, with menus of 58 and 78 €.

Wednesday, as often happens in France, they worry about “detoxing” from the holiday calorie/sugar gluttony and Figaroscope’s “ Dossier” by Colette Monsat, Alexandra Michot & Sylvain Verut was all about such places:
Le Bar a soups for soup
Le Bar Regency du Prince de Galles for a chic salad
Rose Bakery 2 for veggies
O Jardin for a plat du jour
Pouse Ouse for herbal juice and raw chocolate
97 Bio for a lunch formula
Phyto Bar for green tea and goji berries
Myberry for fresh fruit juice
Hotel de Sers for a “light” meal
Diet Café for good an sane food,
and then a brief interview with a diet “coach” from San Francisco – Valerie Orsini – who recommends ‘saba.”

In his “Hache Menu,” Francois Simon reviewed the almost empty Citrus Etoile in the 8th where the 49 € “menu” is especially light at lunch with an asparagus (in January) amuse bouche, 1980-era salmon and caramelized marinated roast cod made like herring. Go again? Not so sure despite the good service.

Wednesday, as well, Richard Hesse in Paris Update reviewed a favorite of his: Alfred, (the one in the 1st not the 16th), where he sampled the artichoke hearts, celery soup, stewed lamb, roast veal, a Beaufort and apple tart. {He questions if the cost (50-60 € without wine) has kept people away and I must say that’s why I’ve looked at the carte but not entered.}

Wednesday, the NYT had an article by Elaine Sciolino on Francois Simon entitled “In Paris, a critic criticized” of which we have a topic running.

Jean-Claude Ribault, in this Wednesday-Thursday’s Le Monde wrote about ice wines and where to get them (Caves Augé in Paris).

Thursday in l’Express, Francois-Regis Gaudry reviewed La Mere Brazier in Lyon and the less than 30 E restaurant in Paris with an impeccable menu was Le Beaujolais d’Auteuil

Thursday in Le Point, Gilles Pudlowski said to follow La Paiva, that the Antoine is in good shape and gives several places to eat at in Champagne and the Rhone Alps.

Saturday in his “Croque Notes” Francois Simon wrote about Glou, coordinates given before, that he calls the restaurant of the month.

Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp wrote about “Goodbye Gaston Lenotre & Bristol“ and John Talbott wrote an essay on “The Hero’s Farewell: Stepping off the Stage.”

Sunday, in the NYT there was a “Bites” piece on Itineraires by Ann Morrison; and an article on Fontainebleau suggesting the Hotellerie du Bas Breau + Chez Bernard.

What makes Ze so great? An archival* essay and update.

Why is Ze so great? Let me count the ways.

Every once in a while, a restaurant comes along that is so consistantly great, while still changing its menu with inventive regularity – that you find yourself going back time and again. In the early 1990’s, it was the Bistro Du Dome that was such a place, although it was more consistent than changing; a few years later it was the Bistro Cote Mer; and now it’s Ze Kitchen Galerie. It’s probably no coincidence that all three lean heavily on their fish supplier, since that’s what made and makes, especially in the case of Ze, them sing.

But that’s not the only reason. While I liked William Ledeuil’s cooking and menus at Les Bookinistes, it wasn’t until he moved 50 feet away that I was captivated.

I think the quality of the experience starts with the reservation taker and door greeter. Every resto has the capacity to have “caller ID,” but few do have it (cf La Cerisaie) and fewer still know how to capitalize on it. One of the countless books on what makes a good business, noted that when hotel staff-members recognize you, the customer, it’s an indication of caring and it gets your visit off to a good start. No different with restaurants. (In the spirit of disclosure, while I try to make my first visit to a new place anonymous and accept no free rides, once I’ve reviewed a place and my feelings/judgments are in print, I don’t mind being identified, as long as I continue to pay.)

Then there’s the “acceuil” which can be perfunctory or warm or resentful, but at Ze is always warm. I recall many years ago at Boulay in New York being treated by the maitre d’ like a leper, until the person making the reservation came in and indicated that I was with him - suddenly snottiness turned into relectant acceptance. I blamed David Boulay for the attitude conveyed by his “face” to the world and I hold William Ledeuil equally responsible for ensuring that Ze’s face is warm, welcoming and personally engaging (you feel the “how are you” is genuine and answer genuinely.)

Then there’s the prompt offer of aperitives and prompt delivery of menus, no fussing about searching for available ones, and prompt taking of orders. And watch M. Ledeuil. He usually stands just outside the kitchen entry, like a midfielder able to dash back into the kitchen to show someone how something should be done, finish a dish or help out when the pressure’s high, or move slowly to the front to welcome or thank a regular diner, fix something at the bar or survey the situation. Not one, like Passard, to avoid the kitchen, or Lalanne at La Cerisaie, to never leave it, like Dominique Bouchet, you get a sense that it’s all his domain.

Now, however, to what really makes it great – the food. I can only imagine the hours and days of thought that went into his menu-planning before opening several years ago or the attention that goes into the product and supply ordering weekly and daily but both are integral to the place’s success. The fish is incredibly fresh, it has to be, to prepare so much sushi-style. And the veggies and meat are impecable.

Would that be enough? Probably. But then, what he does with the basic ingredients, the spices and preparations and finally the presentation are all uniquely Ledeuil. It’s no wonder that the Generation “C,” “Le Fooding” and “Le Jeune Chef” bunch see him as a role model for breaking into the next level of French cuisine.

And all the while, that great smile, handsome face and winning manner. If Hollywood needed a prototypical chef for the movies – he’d be my nomination.

Why is Ze so great? I have counted the ways, but I suspect underpinning each is one overwhelming element – M. Ledeuil.

My favorites:

Ze Kitchen Galerie
4, rue des Grands Augustins, 6th (Metro: Saint Michel)
T: 01 44 32 00 32
Closed Sundays.
A la carte 30 €.

La Cerisaie
70, Boulevard Edgar Quinet, 14th (Metro : Montparnasse-Bienvenue)
T : 01.43.20.98.98
Closed Saturdays and Sundays
A la carte 25-30 €.

Dominique Bouchet
11 rue Treilhard, 8th (Metro : St Augustin or Miromesnil)
T : 01 45 61 09 46
Closed weekends
A la carte about 60 €

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Just a week ago today, as Colette and I were settling our bill at Ze, one of the head-guys came over and said he apologized for the first which was being served for the first time that day.  I countered that such great innovations were exactly why we came here - no apologies necessary at all - it was terrific.

*Originally published in July 2006

Chez Julien the the 4th: Funny, funny place; beautiful site, mixed food. An archival* review

2.5 Chez Julien, 1, rue Pont Louis Philippe in the 4th, 01.42.78.31.64, closed Sunday night and Monday (provisionally), recently reopened under the hand of Thierry Costes (Hôtel Amour, Café Etienne Marcel) and is admittedly a beautiful monument with a ceiling to die for and renovated furniture that is so, so wonderful. Facing the Pont itself, just down from the Monastery honey shop, it is ideally suited to become again a great destination. But not yet.

There are lots of choices and a 20 € 2-course menu that today was a platter of sausages from the Pyrenees and three big pieces of daurade. I didn’t need any more sausages after my Italian sojourn and last nite’s supper so I opted for the cuttlefish and calamari a la plancha with a huge fennel and haricots verts salad with a small cup of cold potato salad with garlic and chives – my, it was really good.

As were the bread and Pascal Beilleraire butter and for that matter the “amuse-bouches” of olives and crisp/crunchy almonds and mignardises cookies. But then I chose the daurade which I had trouble eating more than three bites of, one from each filet; I tried each but they were simply bad product; over-the-hill, foul-tasting and nasty (And yes, contrary to habit I said so). (I know in the US one avoids the specials because they’re yesterday’s rubbish, but here one expects more.)

The saving grace, however, was one of those strange juxtapositions that starts out badly but ends felicitously: I was seated (the only person inside) at the table facing the pont, and wouldn’t you know the 30-ish yo Costes’ responsible (who could’ha been Thierry himself at 31) plunked down in the seat just outside “my” window with two grubby “designer-types,” dressed all in black whose conversation was at the same time both boring and fascinating (the last time I had to listen to such talk was at Cannes, but it was all film, all dinner long).

In any case, I learned a lot about menu design, sizing and content which I’ll write up sometime. I also learned that despite Emmanuel Rubin’s 1 heart condemnation, Optimum and other glossies wrote it up with lots of photos.

The bill with two glasses of a pretty good Cotes du Rhone = 43 €.

Go? They’re trying hard to be Benoit, Drouant, Bofinger etc., but don’t go til they buy fresh fish.

* Originally published in September 2006.

The hero’s farewell: stepping off the stage.

In 1988, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Professor at “the” Business School, published “The Hero’s Farewell: What Happens When CEO’s Retire” that suggested that such masters of the corporate universe can be categorized in four ways: "Monarchs," such as Edwin Land, who do not leave voluntarily, "Generals," such as William Paley, who leave reluctantly and plot to return, "Ambassadors," such as Thomas Watson, who leave gracefully and "Governors," such as Reginald Jones, who leave willingly to pursue new challenges. (Descriptions courtesy of Publisher’s Weekly.)

More interestingly, to me, however, are some non-corporate examples such as Douglas MacArthur, who “died with his boots on” after famously declaring that “old soldiers never die, they just fade away;” President Herbert Hoover, who reinvented himself as a humanitarian; and others who step off the stage with varying futures.

In the culinary field, probably the most famous exit was that of Francois Vatel, who killed himself in 1761 after the fish he was to serve the King was delayed. Journalists, with no knowledge of Bernard Loiseau’s biological depression, attributed his suicide to a similar motive, but this time, to his fear of the loss of Michelin stars in 2003.

It’s unusual for French chefs to voluntarily give up their stars, but in 1996, Joel Robuchon, who was only 51 years old, did just that, but has re-emerged with a vengeance, designing and overseeing three places in Paris alone and others around the world.

More recently (in 2005) Alain Senderens down-scaled and down-starred his eponymous resto ex-Lucas Carton to a less pricey and more accessible place with a second-floor bar with eats, but just this year oversaw the opening of Mama Shelter, so he’s not exited except from the pressure-cooker of the top.

Then Gerard Vie stepped (or was it was pushed) away from his stars at Les Trois Marches in Versailles to make way for Gordon Ramsay and re-emerged in the unstarred Terrines de Gerard Vie downtown.

The newest to join the starless group was Olivier Roellinger who (seemingly quite abruptly) abandoned his three star resto in Cancale but kept involved with his other unstarred operations.

And then, there’s Antoine Westermann, who like Alain Ducasse, never stepped down but stepped away from stars and up to opening a set of places in Paris. This is not a real re-engineering a la Herbert Hoover, but moving from chef in a cuisine to mastermind of a network.

In any case, I have lent my two copies of Sonnenfeld’s book to one exiting Governor, several fatigued physicians and even more world-weary friends enough times to know that there are a lot of models out there and that “retirement” can happen at 50, 90 or never.

These thoughts were prompted by two recent meals at:
Le Passage
9 place de la Madeleine, 8th (Metro : Madeleine)
T : 01 42 65 22 90
Open lunch and dinner everyday
Menu = 36 €, a la carte 50-70 €.

Les Terrines de Gerald Vié
79, rue du Cherche Midi, 6th
T: 01.42.22.19.18
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Formula of two dishes plus wine at lunch for 24 and 30 € at night.

Reviews of reviews: The Week of January 5th, 2009

The Week of January 5th, 2009

Tuesday in Le Fooding Sebastien Demorand reviewed Mon Oncle, coordinates given before, where he encountered Quentin Tarantino and Melanie Laurent and good food such as an anthologic côte de bœuf, cochonnailles, l’os à moelle, morteau aux lentilles and a Mont d’Or and good well-priced wine.

Tuesday as well, in ANP, Philippe Toinard reviewed Antoine, coordinates already given, prices a bit more elevated (198 E for a whole bar de ligne) than the prior review indicated. His colleague Jerome Berger reviewed Le Bouco ex-Boucleon, coordinates ditto, where he commented on the reasonable prices and smiling service. The sidebar briefly noted La Fidelite, coordinates given, commenting on the cod and pot-au-feu.

Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin in Figaroscope opened the year with two two-heart reviews: La Fidelité, coordinates given, which he calls a “sincere effort” offering asparagus blanquette, pot-au-feu of pork cheeks and lemon tart and the Café Moderne, ditto, noting that it has regularly changed hands but now has a more expensive carte but OK menus (30 and 39 €, noon and nite) for fois gras, beef filet and a vanilla millefeuille. His three one-hearters included: the Italian Romantica Caffé Villiers in the 17th (an offshoot of the one in Clichy;) Les Enfants Perdus, 9, rue des Recollets in the 10th, 01.81.29.48.26, closed Sunday dinner, lunch formula = 13 and a la carte 35-40 € for pumpkin soup, a tartine, chicken and overcooked scallops; and the Restaurant du Marriott, 70 ave Champs-Elysees, 01.53.93.55.00, open everyday, lunch formula = 35, menu = 45 and a la carte 50-60 € for crab cake, chicken fricassee and chocolate tart fondante.

In this week’s “Dossier” Emmanuel Rubin listed the openings/events of 2009 {some of which have already been mentioned here or in the “Restaurant, Food and Chef News” topic:
January
Le Glou, a bistro launched by Julien Fouin, formerly editor of Régal and now with Cuisine TV, on the rue Vieille-du-Temple,
Le Barbezingue, a new hangout will be opened in Châtillon by the bistronomic Thierry Faucher (L'Os à Moelle, la Cave de l'Os à Moelle + Les Symples),
Le Cristal Room will pass from the direction of Thierry Burlot to Guy Martin, (Le Grand Véfour + Miyou)
Le Bus, 6, rue Pierre Fontaine, in the 9th, will open a resto between nightclub shows,
February-March-April
Daniel Rose version large will be opened by the “Jack Kerouac of the ovens,” on the rue Bailleul,
L'Arbuci, Corso + Balto on the rue Buci, place Frantz-Litz + blvd Magenta, respectively by Costes Junior,
Le Thoumieux, 79, rue Saint-Dominique, by Thierry Costes and Jean-François Piège, of Les Ambassadeurs,
Food in shop [sic]
Ralph Lauren
Bilboquet, 13, rue Saint-Benoît, again by the Costes,
Camdeborde côté comptoir, 3, carrefour de l'Odéon, for l'apéro,
L'Energie Lounge Café, 32, avenue George-V ex-Renoma Café, by Thierry Marx from Cordeilhan-Bages, Ozu + Laboratoire,
May-June
Le 104, 5, rue Curial, a bar run by the Tokyo Eat team, in June, a resto run by the gang from the Friche Belle de Mai, from Marseille.
Later
Le Bec, Nicolas, from Lyon takes over a restaurant at the Opéra Garnier,
Royal Monceau, avenue Hoche, opens several restaurants,
Shangri-La, in the 8th
Mandarin, in the 1st.
Last minute
D'Chez Eux, sold,
Brespail, replaced by an Italian place,
Relais de l'Entrecôte, opens another on the place du Maréchal-Juin,
la Pizzetta, opens a “little sister.”
And also
The Hôtel Hi of Nice will open a twin on the rue de Charonne in September,
Délicabar, at Bon Marché, henceforth run by the Italians from the Casa Bini, will host pâtissier Sébastien Gaudard’s tea salon
Ippudo, a Japanese ramen chain, will open several places.
Without forgetting several places that opened in 2008
La Table du Palace
Derriere
Jadis +
Antoine.
Comings and Goings
L'École du thé du Palais des Thés, 7, rue de Nice,
L’École de cuisine Alain-Ducasse in the 16th, www.atelier-gastronomique.com.
New sales sites
www.fraicolo.fr, an online supermarket,
www.albertmenes.fr, from Albert Ménès,
Shopping tours in Paris
Succulent Paris, www.succulent-paris.com.
New concepts
Les Mécanos du gout, butcher-drugstore at 4 bis, avenue Joffre, in Houilles,
Les Marguerite, in Paris next March.

In his “Hache Menu,” Francois Simon says about going to the Casa Luca in the 8th – an Italian place occupying the ex-Cap Vernet space - “Naaaaaaan!”

Wednesday, as well, Richard Hesse in Paris Update reviewed the Delices Shandong in the 13th, liking it.

Jean-Claude Ribault in this Wednesday-Thursday’s Le Monde wrote about how chefs are adapting to the economic crisis. {I’ve posted his findings here.}

Thursday in l’Express, there was a “last interview” by Francois-Regis Gaudry with Gaston Lenotre and on their website there’s a slide show.

Thursday in Le Point, Gilles Pudlowski said to follow Meating + Laduree le bar, that the Relais Plaza + Momoka are in good shape and gives several places to eat at in Compeigne and Vienne.

Friday there were three pieces on the death of Gaston Lenotre summarized on that topic. Jacques Pessis’s obit was one.

Saturday in his “Croque Notes” Francois Simon wrote about la Cigale d’Or in Seillonnaz.
He also wrote a piece of his New Year’s complaints, that included:
Too many types of bread.
4 figure bills.
Beets.
Artistic desserts.
Church service type ceremonial meals.
Amuse bouches the size of dinners.
Forcing the diner to hear a recitation of the menu.
Souless but expensive wines.
The Michelin's somnolence; in Paris for example regarding Paul Bert + Le Comptoir.
Also, in Saturday’s Figaro, Alexandra Michot and Francois Simon wrote an article on the trends we’ll see in 2009:
Return of the dinner show: for example at the Palace, Bus Palladium + VIP Room Theater and jazz at Bilboquet or operatic at the Garnier.
Local food not slow food: 160 km max plus Japanese and artisanal influences.
The Michelin tapping up le Bristol + Michel Roth’s Ritz.
Guy Martin’s replacing his lost star with 10 activities: restos (Grand Vefour, Miyou, Cristal Room), lessons (l’Atelier,) a book and TV.
The fruit of the year – cedrat (Buddha’s hand).
The accessory of the year – an apple-peeler (replacing the mandolin).
Palace news – extension of the Bristol, new brasserie at Les Crayeres, renovation of the Crillon, Piege’s move to Thoumieux and reopening of several places at the Royal Monceau.

Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, John Talbott wrote two essays: on about his Ten Best Meals in 2008 and the other on What it takes to write food criticism well.

Sunday, in the JDD, Aurelie Chaigneau summarized places to go for soup:
Le Bar a soups
Zoe Bouillon
Soup & Juice
Bar a soups et quenelles.

Economic hard times: it all depends. A comment from the eGullet France Forum.

Economic hard times: it all depends.

The last few weeks we’ve been largely eating at, if not golden oldies at least silver and bronzes…..

with very interesting results.

First, no matter what’s happening, some are doing quite well and chasing people away.

The King of reservations, is of course, Daniel Rose of Spring, which has a waiting list into eternity (well, that’s a slight exaggeration – Figaroscope said it’s only five months) and since it’s closing February 26th with no sign of opening soon downtown or elsewhere despite what you read here or in Figaroscope, the seats are cherished.

But also, Le Clocher Periere is bursting (because the chef says he’s trying hard to keep costs down as the economy plunges); Le Gaigne was sending folks coming in for their 22 € formula which features great chow, without reservations away, Ze Kitchen Galerie seems to be holding its prices down too despite the acquisition of a Michelin star (and with changing dishes, which pleases us greatly) and l’Idee was full despite its location outside the city limits. And the Table d’Eugene (Sue) now has two seatings at night, it’s that popular.

L’Epigramme, Mon Vieil Ami, Miroir + Lao Lane Xang 2 were almost completely full.

But Jadis – “the Bistro of the Year,” Goumard “the comeback kid” and the revived Bistro 121, on the other hand, were not and l’Assiette was empty for hours until a few frozen locals arrived.

So, it’s a mixed message, puzzled picture, confusing condition from France right now, for me at least.

For those interested in prices (with the exception of one extra bottle of wine consumed while chatting up a friendly chef over an afternoon) these are the bills in Euros for two with wine and coffee but no bottled water:
Ze Kitchen Galerie, 106.30
Mon Vieil Ami, 100.75
Spring, 95
Jadis, 91
Agapes, 89.90
Goumard, 86
L’Epigramme, 82.50
Bistro 121, 80
l’Assiette, 81
Miroir, 79
Clocher Periere, 77.50
l’Idee, 70
Le Gaigne, 68
La Table de Eugene, 68
Lao Lane Xang 2, 38.70

Delacroix and Photography at the Musee National Eugene Delacroix

 

The show entitled Delacroix and Photography has two intents: the first to show how he embraced the "new" art and hobnobbed and was photographed by the leading photographers at the time.

But the second intent lies across the charming courtyard in the atelier.....

 

...where photos of nude male and female models taken by Eugène Durieu in 1854 sit just under the drawings he made of them.

It's all quite a nice show.  It's on til February 2nd.