While I saw much of this show at the Whitney a bit back and certainly (given my age) have seen almost everything the Whitney holds of his, it was still a pleasure to go through it. The Circus film still enchants, and our two 10 yo’s loved it. It’s open til July 20th, do go, even if you saw it in NYC and even at the outrageous prices.
But, as an amateur and poseur, I often wonder.
How do you, (read how does one) keep interest up when you simply want to say – “OK Go,” or “This place really, maximally, sucks?”
This issue came stark face in front of me at a place in Florence (Italy, not Mass) when I realized that the meal was in serious descent and there were no ropes or axes to bind me to the rocks.
My buddies in Paris seem to have no problem.
One says “I don’t write up bad meals,”
Another says “I try to encourage young people to experiment and eat out” (implied meaning, they usually eat take-out or crappola from Monoprix.)
Yet another says “I try to pair a bad review with a bad one or tuck it into a longer piece.”
One other says “what’s the problem?”
And finally, one said “Why bother, it’s done.”
Well, as a guy who likes to tell the truth and has considered the last 8 years in the US to have caused us to have lost all respect globally for honesty, intelligence and values, I think telling it like it is, up or down, positive or negative, warts and all is what counts.
“Da Nose Knows” Jimmie Durante used to say and while the title of this show “Born to smell” at the Palais de la Decouverte might not seem appealing, it’s a fun experience especially for kids.
There are, in addition to the requisite models of noses, etc., about 80 different scent spots in the exhibition; some in bottles, some in bags of spices, some behind small sieve-like receptacles; there are sweet scents, foul ones, easily identifiable sniffs and puzzlingly complex ones.
As an adjunct, there’s a permanent exhibition on the same floor on animal communication, which shows how some animals use touch, others vision or chemistry and still others – yes, smell, to communicate.
Tuesday in Le Fooding, Sebastien Demorand reviewed La Bouche, pl Maurice-Chevalier, 1 rue d’Eupatoria in the 20th, (right near Le Baratin), 09 53 56 24 14, closed Mondays. is open from 10 AM - 7 PM and 8-10:30 PM with formulas at 12 (lunch) and 23-29 and glasses of wine starting at 3 € where one has wine and coffee and munchies (gazpacho) like at a café at lunch, but is more like a bistro at night with foie gras maki, udon and rascasse.
Tuesday as well, in ANP, Philippe Toinard wrote a page on Jacques Genin – Chocolaterie-Salon de the {coincidence that Nicholas Lander wrote it up last week in the weekend FT?}
Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin in Figaroscope gave 2/5 hearts to two restos: the good place to go during this recession Le Petit Ampere, coordinates already given, which serves up bobo food such as sardines, a paleron of beef and chocolate mouse on a 18 € formula and 25 € menu; and l’Invitation, 82, rue Boileau in the 16th, 01.46.47.87.19, closed weekends, serving basque ham, beef tartare and Alleosse cheeses for between 30-60 € with lunch formulas at 35 and 42 €. Then he gave 1/5 hearts to the other three, the now Colliot-less l’Orenoc in the Meridien Etoile which is not only expensive but just corporate/business/airport food; the California/sushi/esque Rollifornia Gril, 47, blvd Henri IV in the 4th, 01.42.74.88.28 open 7/7 serving ravioli soup, diced beef and tiramisu for less than 20 €; and Mon Resto in Mon Hotel, 1, rue d’Argentine in the 16th, 01.45.02.76.76, open 7/7, serving smoked salmon, cheeseburgers and St Marcellin for between 35-50 €.
Figaroscope’s Dossier this week by Colette Monsat et al listed the [url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/scope/articles-restaurants/2009/03/06/08004-20090306ARTFIG00613-les-nourritures-de-la-culture-.php]quick bite/drink places around cultural landmarks:
Olympia, Opéra Garnier, Théâtre Edouard VII ...
Yo
Le Duke’s Bar
Paparazzi Ristorante
Comédie Française, Louvre, Palais-Royal
Scoop
Angelina
Bar Defender
Alfred
Le Fumoir
Beaubourg, Châtelet, Clubs de jazz ...
Kong
Le Garde Robe
Georges
Chez Vong
Théâtres des Grands Boulevards
Jeannette
Plomb du Cantal
Arthur
Opéra Bastille, Musée Picasso ...
Le Bar a Soupes
Autour du Saumon
La Plancha
Café du Passage
Théâtre Marigny, cinémas des Champs-Elysées...
La Butik
Jabugo Ibericvo & Co
15cent15
Relais Plaza
Gaïté Montparnasse, Fondation Cartier ...
La Cabanee a Huitres
Exki
Backstage Café
La Cerisaie
L’Opportun
Palais de Tokyo, Guimet, Quai Branly ...
Carette
Tokyo Eat
Victor
Le Coq
Nocturnes Parisiens aka places with a “late” second service
l’Ami Jean
La Regalade
Le Baratin
Atelier Maitre-Albert
Alcazar.
In his “Hache Menu,” Francois Simon reviewed one such, of these, Quai-Quai, where it cost 121 € for two (with a good bottle of Beaujolais) but which had a clientele that was drunk, loud, Texan/American; despite that he says Go!
Wednesday, as well, Richard Hesse in Paris Update reviewed very positively La Maree, coordinates given before.
Thursday in Le Point, Gilles Pudlowski said Aida + Garnier were in good shape and he’s following Café mode 24, rue François-Ier in the 8th, 01.47.20.98.18 which costs about 35 E a la carte and the Chinese Le Lys d'or in the 12th.
Thursday in l’Express, Francois Regis Gaudry picked as his resto of the week, the Petit Champarret, coordinates given before, where he commented on the coppa, rabbit, a fricassée of mushrooms, and tiramisu.
Friday, Jean Claude Ribaut wrote about now being the time to eat out; it’s on the Economy topic.
Saturday in his “Croque Notes” in Le Figaro, Francois Simon wrote about two places offering good food at good prices, the Chinese Shan Gout, in the 12th and La Bouche, coordinates above. On the rest of the page, he and Alexandra Michot do a sort of “how to” best dine at the Palace hotel restaurants, giving their highs and good ideas.
Saturday/Sunday in the weekend FT, Jancis Robinson had an article on the new laws on alcohol, driving and abstinence.
Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp wrote about Les Tontons 2, the second such, in the 15th , a “neo-bistro….starring tartares” and John Talbott wrote an essay entitled “Failure and Success – a History Example Translated to Food?”
Remember the last time you were sitting in a restaurant and someone entered, nodding to the room and saying routinely but genuinely - “Bonjour Mesdames, Messieurs?” It was probably in the country, at lunch, and it was probably the male member, always the male, of an elderly couple. Wasn’t it nice?
But how about when you’re sitting there with your beloved, in an intense, intimate conversation about whether or not the sauce has too much rosemary and salt in it and the old guy next to you, and it’s always a guy, says, excuse me but how did you find this place, this is our favorite restaurant in Paris? (Unspoken subtext: why are you Americans always ruining a good thing?)
The trouble with the latter question is that the restaurant is not always the greatest; in the case of this example it was Chez Georges, the one in the 2nd, 50 years after it had passed its prime, but for this couple from Marne La Vallée, it was “their place.” Another time, at Chez Allard, the French guy was offended that we had discovered “his place,” not withstanding its prominent listing in Gault-Millau in the 1960’s.
Despite my seemingly sociable disposition and love of communicating in writing with/to others, I remain an unchangeably private person in real life and extracting myself from unwanted conversations whether on the airplane or in restaurants is often very difficult. My heroes in this regard remain former Senator Bill Bradley (D, NJ), who on selecting his window seat in coach on the Amtrak shuttle, placed his suit jacket over the aisle seat and put his briefcase on the seat, thus establishing his space, and former Ambassador to the United Nations, Jeane Kirkpatrick, (R), who entered the Eastern shuttle with a huge pile of daily newspapers that she placed on the seat next to her, effectively establishing the same barrier. However, on the plane, one can ostentatiously bury oneself in a book, cover your head with the blanket or put on earphones pretending to watch the 5th rate movie, but in a restaurant, it’s tougher.
After the first query “How is it that you found this bistrot?,” the follow-up is predictable – “Where is it that you originate from?,” but then the branches diverge. Sometimes, the person(s), as happened one summer at the Bistrot Coté Mer before it turned south, genuinely wants to know where else you like to eat because they respect your judgment. This positive response was mirrored in the 1970’s, by the concierge at the Hotel Regina, who when asked to make reservations at several places, said admiringly, “Where did you get this list? It’s great.”
However, more often there is a negative connotation - he/they want to know how you learned of the place, especially, did you read about it in a guide-book or English-language newspaper (read The New York Times); unspoken subtext “Is it just you who stumbled in, or will there be hoards of other Americans to follow?” Or, the person just wants to practice his English, recalling fondly the chocolate bars the GI’s handed out in Normandy after the French had suffered years of gastronomic deprivation. (These are the times one is proud to be an American in Europe and when it’s OK to recount how your father was a Major in the Army who loved the French too.)
Finally, though, I must recount yet another trend, that of folks who recognize you, not invading your space. A while back, two intrepid members of the Confrerie of eGulleteers ate at La Cerisaie and Les Papilles, but a few feet from me, but chose not to disturb my privacy and my conversation, revealing themselves later to me only in cyberspace.
Bottom line: Maybe the combination of “Bonjour Mesdames, Messieurs?” to the crowd, but respectfulness of one’s personal space, even in tight-tabled situations – works best.
As usual, here are the addresses I still patronize:
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 €
Les Papilles
30, rue Gay-Lussac, 5th (RER : Luxembourg)
T : 01.43.25.20.79
Closed Monday
Menu is 28.50 €, a la carte from 30 €
* Originally published in August 2006
The Free Dictionary defines criticism as:
1. The act of criticizing, especially adversely.
2. A critical comment or judgment.
OK, so why don’t they?
A perfect example was a recent dinner at Le Winch. It’s in the nabe and I have a ritual of never eating dinner out, except, except, the night I’ve cleaned the apt, washed the clothes, done the dishes, etc, and I don’t want Colette finding dust bunnies or specks on our very expensive Turkish rug.
So, Sunday night, I go to the only place (except for Sushi and Turkish and pizza joints) open, and it’s a total disaster. Decrepit people (younger than me, of course, but who have never thought of exercising), talking on cell-phones, oy vay.
OK, I’ve been here 3 or was it 4 times; not bad (Back story: Colette with her 100% reliable sh*t detector, hated it.) But it’s Sunday, it’s in the 18th, and I’m not into schlepping out to the Porte de Versailles, so, this is it.
It was from start to finish - Horrible!
OK.
Q. Why haven’t the big boys, who loved it when it opened, gone back and blasted it out of the water?
A. Lack of guts and money and advertisers’ revenge and the tradition of eating at a place once (because that’s all the citizen gets) rather than a Frank Bruni dozen times.
Addendum: On my blog John Talbott’s Paris, somewhat later, I reviewed a place in Baltimore called La Famiglia, saying while the mains weren’t up par, I surely hoped they’d fix the situation since this was my potential neighborhood haunt in the US. I got immediate feedback from “Josh” that “You're review seems little too harsh, you might want to reconsider your ideas about food.”
Aside from the author’s difficulty writing English, if I understand him, I shouldn’t be critical at all. Interesting!
One of the reasons I think cuisine in some cities has grown by leaps and bounds (take DC for example) is because of critics like Tom Sietsema; in Baltimore, chefs are simply not held to a high standard.
Tuesday in Le Fooding, Sebastien Demorand reviewed the Korean Manna, in the 15th.
Tuesday as well, in ANP, Philippe Toinard as well gave 3/5 to Le Petit Ampere, 3, rue Ampere (thus next to Philippe Detourbe’s older brother house) in the 17th, 01.42.27.89.92 which has an 18 € formula and a la carte is 20-30 €, for food such as crostini, merlu and crumble; while Jerome Berger gave 3/5 dots to the Spanish Xato in the 3rd.
Tuesday in l’Express, Francois Regis Gaudry picked as his resto of the week, the Philippe Starked Mama Shelter, coordinates given in the 20th and as his one under 30 E La Bastide de Cabriès in the Bouches du Rhone; and Pierrick Jégu picked as his resto for under 30 € - Xato, the Spanish place in the 3rd.
Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin in Figaroscope gave 2/5 to just one place, the strangely named (for its two owners/principals) Le Marcab, 225 rue de Vaugirard in the 6th, 01.43.06.51.66, open 7/7 with lunch menus at 19 and 24, dinner at 32 and a la carte 40 € with a carpaccio od scallops with wasabi, turbot, chocolate “soup” with bananas; and 1/5 to two places: the Relais de Paris, 13, rue d’Odessa in the 14th, 01.43.21.15.70, open 7/7, serving the entrecote “formula” (salad with nuts, beef frites with a secret “sauce,” and the Indian Taj Mahal in the 4th. Two places merited a busted heart: the Carmine Café in the 7th and Villa Pereire in the 17th.
Figaroscope’s Dossier this week by Colette Monsat et al listed the cantines frequented by women. They include:
Primo Piano
Michi
Les Terrines de Gerard Vie
Racines
Bar Laduree
Chez Charlotte
Sur un arbre perche
Chocolaterie Jacques Genin
ZenZoo
Covo & Co.
In addition, in his “Hache Menu,” Francois Simon reviewed one of these, the “dull, listless” Le Boudoir, where it cost 237.00 € for two (well they had a bottle of 130 € Chateau Talbot) with underheated Jerusalem artichoke soup, Iberique pork not up to its reputation and two disappointing desserts. Go? It’s mediocre.
Wednesday, as well, Richard Hesse in Paris Update wrote about a place he thinks is star-bound - Chamarré Montmartre, despite its “punching below its weight.”
Thursday in Le Point, Gilles Pudlowski said Stella is in good shape and he’s following Le cotte rôti + Glou.
Friday, Jean Claude Ribaut wrote about Heston Blumenthal’s recent doings as well as earlier in the week about the Michelin and Eric Frechon’s third star.
Saturday in his “Croque Notes” in Le Figaro and partly on his blog, Francois Simon wrote about two meals, one lacking soul at Thoumieux, now a Costes operation, and the other where he couldn’t stop – at La Cremerie.
Saturday/Sunday in the weekend FT, Nicholas Lander wrote an article on Auguste and his and others use of Jaques Genin’s chocolates.
Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp wrote about “Meeting the chef at Meeting” and John Talbott wrote an essay entitled “Why aren’t critics criticizing?”
Sunday, in the JDD Astrid T’Serclaes wrote up Glou and Aurelie Chaigneau Le Miroir + La Fidelite.
Alexander Lobrano, in WHERE, wrote up the Café Moderne + Spoon on its 10th anniversary. In addition, he had an article in the NYT T section, comparing good value restos in Paris with those in New York and gave coordinates for Afaria, Le Beurre Noisette, Chez Michel, Christophe, L’Epigramme, Itineraires, La Table d’Eugène + Au Vieux Chêne as well as a photo of L’Ourcine.
Go? To find a place on the Mont(martre) that’s this good, my lord.
I was surely born in France of a chef father and food critic mother.
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