Tuesday in Le Fooding, Jim Bowie reviewed Le 126, in Lyon.
Tuesday as well, in ANP, Philippe Toinard gave 2/5 to La Cocotte du Saint-Jo, 147, ave Parmentier in the 10th, 01.42.40.15.57, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, with formulas from 16-24 € of tasteless and overcooked food {why did he give it a 2?}; while Jerome Berger gave 3/5 dots to the Thai Khaosan Rd in the 9th. In the side-bar they mention the reopening of D’Chez Eux in the 8th with its XXL portions of traditional French food, costing 60 € a la carte (lunch formulas are 37 and 43 €.)
Tuesday in l’Express, Pierrick Jégu picked as his resto for under 30 € the new Bistrot d’a Cote, coordinates given before, where he found the food better, the wine affordable and the service perfect, {as opposed to prior reviewers.}
Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin in Figaroscope rated three places as 2/5: Le Barbezingue, coordinates given before, which is the Os offshoot, having both a Symples-like buffet and an Os-like resto on another floor, he had garlic chicken in beef bouillon, oysters and pig’s feet and veal breast; Le Petit Champerret, ditto, with a reasonable formula at lunch (22) but inflated a la carte at dinner (40-50 €), serving mimosa leeks, boar or ox tail with mashed potatoes and French toast or tiramisu; and the Italian Caffé dei Cioppi in the 11th. One heart each went to: the Thai Thaim, in the 1st and Café Francoeur, 129, rue Caulincourt in the 18th, 01.53.28.00.15, open 7/7, a Disneyland type place halfway between Peter Pan and Space Mountain, serving stuff like a croque-monsieur for a good 20 Euros.
Figaroscope’s Dossier this week by Colette Monsat et al, discussed good ideas during the economic crisis. Suggestions include:
Truffles at cost at Aux Lyonnais, Rech, Benoit + Spoon,
New lowered “menus” at Goumard, Market + La Maree, 50 (with wine), 34 and 35 € respectively,
A “menu” priced (34-40 €) according to the CAC (eg French Dow Jones/S&P) at Mori’s Venice Bar,
One dish (25 €) at l’Alcazar,
A frequent eater card at Les Ombres, costing one 45 € including water, wine and coffee versus 38 at lunch and 80-100 € at dinner,
1 Euro sandwiches at Goutu,
Without forgetting: Helene Darroze, Maison Blanche, Cantouche Panama + Le Café du Commerce for respectively, meals at 25, 69, 10.50 and 25.50 €,
Or the pioneers: Senderens, Drouant, Violin d’Ingres + Les Petites Sorciers where one can eat at 120, 43-80, 75 and 25-60 € respectively.
In addition, in his “Hache Menu,” in today's Scope, F. Simon says that while the 9.90 € menu at L'Auberge, 124, boulevard du Montparnasse, in the 14th, 01 56 54 01 55, appears to be the deal of the century, the food is banal and more like that at a “train station.”
Wednesday, as well, Richard Hesse in Paris Update wrote a most glowing report on Gilles Choukroun’s new resto MBC {that sounds a lot like what he served at both the Café Very + MiniPalais.}
Wednesday, Gilles Pudlowski in this week's Le Point wrote that Chez Vong + Caméléon were in good form and he's going to follow the Romantica caffè + L'Européen, the brasserie facing the Gare de Lyon, at 21 bis, blvd Diderot in the 12th, 01.43.43.99.70 which has menus at 26, 32 E. a la carte : 50 E and has been revived by the Joulie group.
Friday/Saturday, Jean Claude Ribaut wrote about the revolution at the Michelin, where there have been three editorial directors in the last 8 years, versus three in the prior 56 years. He had another article about how French cuisine was still the living reference point for chefs from Japan to Sweden.
In Le Figaro Saturday in a separate article, called the “B side of gastronomy,” (that great scientific resource, Wikipedia says that “the B-side, or flipside, is a secondary song that often does not appear on a band’s LP,”) Francois Simon provides a number of examples of French restaurants, the A ones better known, but the B ones just as good. The following are his picks (the first being the A, the second B):
Alain Ducasse - l’Auberge Basque
Maxim’s - Le Train Bleu
Helene Darroze - Casa Olympe
Thierry Marx - Ze Kitchen Galerie
L’Arpege - La Chassagnette
Bocuse - La Mere Brazier
Guilo Guilo - Miyabi a Sens.
He then, in his “Croque Notes” and blog, wrote about Maxim’s which he says is dying while remaining in the last century. He quotes the lyrics of the famous Otis Reading song being played by a clarinetist: “Sitting on the dock of the bay/Watching the tide roll away(…)Wasting my time” and suggests it’s time for the Pierre Cardin management to step down/aside.
In this month’s Where, Alexander Lobrano favorably recommends Le Café Lumiere in the Hotel Scribe {haven’t we been down this road before?} as well as golden oldies 16 Haussmann + Le Café du Commerce.
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