John Talbott's Paris

Reviews of reviews: The Week of November 23rd, 2009

Tuesday, in Le Fooding, Julie Gerbet reviewed Le Take away - Favella Chic described as serving “Exotic smoojies, trendy sandjuiches and feijoadinha in a shaken up ex-hair salon for the famous Brasilian club's new take-away...”  in the 10th.

Tuesday in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to Rech, coordinates well-known, under Jacques Maximin and Philippe Toinard gave 3/5 dots to La Fabbrica, 19 rue de l'Etoile in the 17th, 01 55 37 90 00, with a 19 € lunch formula and a la carte costing 30-45 €, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, serving Italian food start to finish.

This week in l’Express, Pierrick Jegu, reviewed as his resto under 30 €, Chez Marie-Louise, coordinates given two weeks ago, which he calls not bad and not expensive; and Elvira Masson reviewed Autre Sens in Rennes.

Wednesday in Le Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin gave his photo, long description and 2 hearts to Les Debats, 6, place Victor Hugo in the 16th, 01.45.01.22.22, open 7/7, with lunch formulas at 25 and 28, menus at 35 and 45 € (lunch), serving lisettes and encornets, crab in a bouillon and lemony vacherin; two hearts also went to the aforementioned Chez Marie-Louise, where he noted the langoustine raviolis, veal kidneys and sable with quince. One heart each were awarded to Rue de Verneuil, 33, rue de Verneuil in the 7th, 01.42.60.04.04, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, costing 13.50 for a lunch formula and 35 € a la carte for eggs meurette, blanquette and lumpy chicken with ecrevisses; the half-business, half-showbiz l’Arc, 12, rue de Presbourg in the 8th, 01.45.00.78.70, open 7/7, costing 35 at lunch for the formula and a not-worth-it 60-70 € at dinner, for a cepes cappucino and pollack. He gave a busted heart to the Franco-Italian l’Angora, 3, bvd Richard Lenoir in the 11th, 01.47.00.25.00, closed Sundays, costing 6 for a terrine, 16 for veal scallop and 11 € for spaghetti bolognese.

Wednesday as well, in Figaroscope, Colette Monsat’s “Dossier” rated the best fruits de mer platters in town from 1 to 16 on several scales. The results were:
1. Jarrasse
2. l’Huitrier
3. Garnier
4. Rech
5. l’Ecallier du Bistrot and in order:
Chasse Maree
Prunier
Le Dome
L’Ecaille de la Fontaine
Bar de la Mer (Sebillon)
And the others:
Le Stella, Bar a Huitres, Tropical Café, Comptoir des Mers, Le Wepler, La Lorraine + Boeuf sur le Toit

Francois Simon went to Wepler, where the plateau was slow (30 minutes) in arriving and which was substandard excepting the crab; it was very expensive (184,30 € with three kids) and despite that, he might go back.

Also this week in Le Figaroscope, Colette Monsat wrote about the week of Fooding running from Nov 30-Dec 7.

Wednesday, Richard Hesse in Paris Update went to the new Spring Boutique.

Saturday in Le Figaro, Francois Simon in his “Croque-notes” wrote a most strange review of a meal at the Cap Seguin across from 27, quai Le Gallo on the Seine in B-B, 01.46.05.06.07, costing about 45 €, recently taken over by Manuel Heurtier. Simon complains (I think) that one night when it was pouring (hasn’t it been every night?) the place was nigh empty but the food good - boudin noir and salad, beef two ways and generous desserts, making it either like pasta awaiting a sauce or a performance without an audience .

Over the weekend, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp reviewed Thoumieux and John Talbott wrote an essay entitled “Change your reservation? Of course, Sir, no problem.”

Les Debats in the 16th: Paydirt at last.

6.8 Les Debats, 6, place Victor Hugo in the 16th, 01.45.01.22.22, open 7/7, looks like every other overly-snooty, over-priced, over-decorated, over-the-top, over-brasseried, shellfish and fish oriented place in the 16th; in short, a place you or I wouldn't be caught dead in.  It arrived under the radar screen and from the one photo shown in Figaro looks sterile and well, uninviting.

But showing that even I can correct mistaken first impressions, I didn't turn around and walk out but led my two fellow 18th-denizens up the lavish black marble stairs to the vast 2nd floor that must seat 100.  The chairs looked as uncomfortable as those at Passage 53 or Zinc Caius or Nominoë, but were surprisingly firm and comfortable (meaning good back support) for me.

The left side of the menu was all about our crustacean ancestors with print at the bottom indicating the shellfish and special formulas (25 and 28 E) and two and three course menus (35 and 45 E); on the right were the non-shellfish dishes.  The wine prices were not punitive, so I took heart.

For firsts we ordered the entree du marche (dorade tartare) as well as a raie terrine and marinated bar - all way above average.

Then we had a chunk of Angus beef (which for me being no longer quivering, was overcooked), the plat du marche (a wonderful filet of bar) and a barbu with the Duglere sauce - the latter the best piece of vapeurered fish I can recall.

I almost told my mates that we should stop there while we were ahead but they only eat one meal a day (as I count it) so we ordered pineapple beignets, a vacherin (pastry not cheese) and pain perdu, which were sort of dollar-sized broche discs with a super caramel sauce.

Coffee was quite good (the waitress even knew what ristretto was), the bread-rolls fine and butter top-drawer.

So what's wrong?  Ahhh, actually, nothing.  Except my hand must'ave dropped the camera, it's so blurry, so much for Fuji Finepix's hype.

Go?  You bet, it's on the list for Colette to have as good a meal as I later this month.

Spring Boutique in the 1st: Fine food, expensive sure, but fun.

The Spring Boutique, 52, rue de l’Arbre Sec in the 1st, (ergo around the corner from the new Spring on the rue Bailleul) 01.58.62.44.30 is open Tuesday-Saturday 10:30 AM – 9 PM and has the same sign as in olden times.

Daniel Rose and Marie-Aude Mery and Josh Adler hold forth selling high end sausages, fruit, coffee, wine and well, everything one might need for a late light dinner after a long day’s work (which is when they get really busy).

I cannot attest to all the products but their grey pleurotes in olive oil (10.75 € from Camille des Lys in Autoire) served on a bed of very thick (#14) spaghetti and an organic apple ensured that I’ll be back. 

Oh and he has a new card replacing the fruit-laden bicycle basket:

 
(permission granted to post)

Matisse & Rodin at the Rodin Museum (Paris)

(Photos by Edward Steichen: Matisse left, Rodin right)

Well, having just been last weekend to the Matisse drawing show at the Walters in Baltimore (see above) I was not dying to see more of his works on paper, thinking wrongly, that I had pretty much exhausted the genre.  But of course, Matisse, in reflecting on Rodin's work, did a lot of such and in this exhibition, one can see Rodin's work juxtaposed with Matisse's - many seeming almost unrelated.

The most fun art here (as it was in Baltimore) was/were actually the paintings, many of which bordered on the grotesque and were from all over.

2 Wows!

Thoumieux in the 7th: How far the mighty (Piege) have fallen (to a Costes level).

4.8* Thoumieux, 79, rue St Dominique in the 7th, 01.47.05.49.75, open 7/7, is supposed to have a 20 € lunch (weekdays only I guess) with a la carte costing 40-50 € and wines running from 18-80 €.  It got 3/5 from Rubin, was called the new "hot spot" by Gaudry (they were turning folks without reservations away) and Francois Simon’s said it’s one of the best things happening this season, and reasonable.  On the other hand, just as we installed ourselves, my newest friend in the food writing/blogging/reviewing biz (BNFFWBR) said our critic-pals A & B had been recently and were not as enthusiastic.  Would that have changed my mind if I'd known this inside info two days ago?; hummmm.

Anyway, I haven't been in years and to tell the truth cannot recall if the Costes machine ruined the decor or it was always this garish with the tables bumping up against one another.  In addition, my BNFFWBR indicated that the women's stalls were so compressed one bumped one's knees on the door.

OK, the menu (I had called to be sure they had the regular lunch "menu," eg prix fixe, on Sunday and not brunch and was told not brunch, yes 20 € menu - well, 50% ain't bad.)

Starters are all 10, desserts 8 and in-betweens go from 19 €-way up.

The only starter of any interest (now that's an indictment of someone of Piege's pedigree and standing, in't it?) was/were the wild (?wild?) calamari made a la carbonara; and indeed they were in a creamy sauce which, with the egg yolk, Italian parsley, parmesan and pancetta, was perfect.

Then I had a lackluster poitrine of pork with a crackling crust of something nicely strange with lentils; OK, but no shooting stars; and she had an enormous chunk of  incredibly dry (I know, that's the way the fancy/schmancy, rich Kobe resto diners like it) "slow cooked" rump of veal that sure looked like beef to me.  It was only edible by combining it 50/50 with the tart purple potatoes and another condiment and even then she didn't finish it.

Desserts: her vanilla ice was nice but my baba from my ex-favorite tarte tatin place (Millet) up the street was only minimally OK.

With a well-made cafe serre and OK bottle of Syrah our bill just came in under the magic number, thus 99 €.

Go?  Well, it was nowhere as good as the print-boys said.  As my BNFFWBR said (and I'll shamelessly steal what she'll no doubt say in her review): if it's Sunday, you're wealthy, lazy, need a voiturier and work-study coat check person as well as "beautiful," tall, rail-thin, tanned, slit-skirted waitresses, it's better than Bofinger.

*Recall, I use the full 0-10 scale, so 5.0 is average and 4.8 not horrible.

Chez Marie Louise in the 10th: One of those meals where he said, she said.

5.0 (she 6.0, me 4.0) Chez Marie Louise, 11 rue Marie et Louise in the 10th, 01.53.19.02.04, closed Sundays and Mondays, formulas at 14 & 18 (weekdays at lunch), a la carte 25-34 €, has gotten not great but not bad reviews after it opened recently - and I think I know why.

I arrived earlier than my old co-conspirator and proceded to have a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau from the House of Meyran to see if the hype about this year's product was anywhere near my palate (fruity, yeasty, cheer, berry).  I donnnnnn't think so.

Looking over the ardoise - I said to she - "I'm going to do something really stupid."  She's known me long enough to realize that this ranges from extreme stupidity to a minor connerie.  "What?"

"I'm going to order two shellfish dishes - the langoustine bisque and the ecrevisse risotto" - say I.  She shrugs, signaling no big deal (oh, but it was, Dear Reader, as you shall see shortly).

She ordered a millefeuille of aubergine, tomato and something else (courgettes i think); in short - a cold decontructed ratatouille; wonderful, while I had the quite good bisque of langoustines with a great deal of cream a top.  So far so good.

Then she had raviolis of langoustines which were superb and I had the risotto (which few people on earth make correctly with the appropriate Italian rice, prepared per order, not swimming in the same crustacean sauce as the 1st course) with what seemed to me to be morsels of barely-thawed frozen ecrevisses sprinkled on top; yuk.

We shared a fried banana dessert with caramel sauce and banana ice which was again very good. 

So why am I giving a 4.0 to my meal when the bisque and banana were so good?  Just because they couldn't do risotto, which hardly anyone who lives/cooks more than 5 Km from Modena can anyway?  Plus it was my stupidity (declared like a losing bridge hand in advance) to order two dishes where the exact same base had to be made from the exact same shells.  So as many have accused me of, I plead guilty to both stupidity and meanspiritness.

Our bill, with a bottle of Syrah, (half the wines were bio,) 2 Richard coffees and no bottled water, was 73.90 €.

Go?  Only with my old pal who orders intelligently.

Stone of Destiny: Cinema Saturdays

The Stone of Destiny is another ideal airplane movie.  Released in 2008, it retells the story of a bunch of beautiful Scottish nationalist young people who (if you have any Scots blood in you) restore the stolen Stone of Scone to Scotland.

I thought the cast was wonderful, the plot no matter how well known, well-rendered, and the denouement sad for those of us who think the British royalty deserve a poke in the eye every now and then.

Why it’s easier to review bad places: an archival* essay.

I can’t believe I’m writing this. Why? Because the minute you get into it, you’ll say: of course, why didn’t I think of that.

In my night job I [used to] write reviews for the eGullet Society of Culinary Arts and Letters whereas on Bonjour Paris I try to write essays so that I don’t overlap with Margaret Kemp whose views and reviews I’ve admired for years.

In any case, I find that I follow a rather set pattern when knowig I’m going to report on a meal. I more unconsciously than consciously record in my mind the interaction over the telephone when calling for a reservation and make some mental notation of the streets down which I walk to get there. If I’m meeting someone, I get there early and begin to take notes on the welcome, setup, room, décor, kitchen if visible, etc. If I’m eating alone I do the same while awaiting a carafe of Chateau Delanoye.

And then the real stuff starts: the menu presentation, the ardoise, the wine list, the order. And finally the food, first feel the bread, smell it, taste it. Home made, purchased but artisinal, industrial? Then sample and polish off the amuse gueule. Presentation of the first dish: pretty, appealing, tasty, anything off or wrong? Wine: again smell and taste and savor. Second dish, dessert, cheese, mignardises: same drill. Coffee as well.

So how many keywords have I clicked off? - menu, ardoise, wine list, order, bread, amuse-gueule, first dish, wine, second dish, dessert, cheese, mignardises and coffee = 13. Just as the Eskimo language has 40 words for snow but only one for heat; culinary lingo has a hundred words for something bad but few terms when things are good. Plus, when all goes well: what do you say?: good service, prompt delivery, pleasant demeanor – but when it’s a disaster, you spin out at great length the story behind and of each busted plate, rock-solid piece of bread, sour wine sip, mangled preparation, nasty thawing process and inedible side dishes or undrinkable coffee. And, it’s much more fun to poke fun, deflate, scrutinize or discover piccadilloes than repeat a boringly solid meal. Now when it’s dazzling, that’s something else.

My favorite while I was writing this was:

Le Reveil du 10e
33, rue Chateau d’Eau, 10th (Metro: Chateau d’Eau)
T : 01.42.41.77.59
Closed Sundays
A la carte from 20-40 €

*Originally published in March 2007.

Urbane in the 10th: A breath of fresh air: An archival* review.

6.0 Urbane, 12, rue Arthur Groussier in the 10th, 01.42.40.74.75, closed Sunday dinner and Mondays; caution - Sunday noon is brunch.

From Belleville one walks through a souk (en route, I bought three tank tops, two sweaters and one frock for pennies for the poor ladies at home) and arrives at this very unprepossessing place - looks very modern, very hip, chic, Bobo, all white walls and photos and lights dangling.

Terribly brief menu; one starter, two mains and a dessert – already well-described by daemon [in eGullet]. I had the “salad,” in truth, and honestly described by our charming Irish waitress as separate not mixed up – good product, simply presented, innovatively garnished with a clump of mascarpone sauce – was it Bocuse who said you can judge a place by its sliced tomato?

Marvelous, as was the St Pierre, perfectly cooked with a very piquant sauce and Noirmoutier potatoes (folks think I’m nuts for raving about them, but spend a little time on the Ile de Yeu and you’ll understand the difference.)

But, but, the dessert – clenching my teeth, I, me, ordered a brownie – I mean I’ve made them since I was five, a brownie made by a French-person – divine; and the chocolate biscuit was worth stealing it was so good.

Am I gushing too much; sure! What’s wrong with the picture?

(1) It’s (forgive me, women/ladies/female gender folk,) what we in our building call “Girl Food,” much like that at Rouge Tomate + Le Jardinier, (2) It’s to hell and gone, and (3) it’s underpriced and underwined.

The bread consisted of three different types, old-time white, wheaty and oat-covered, all delicious.

The coffee was from tradizione.italiana.com and was, as ordered, serré with the best crema of the year and the choco biscuit with it worthy of Pierre Hermé.

One slight problem; they haven’t solved the issue of controlling one non-stop cigarette smoker coughing from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, poor lady, from polluting the whole room – like Lucullus, Fish, Cerisaie + Spring, places too small for nicomaniacs, they should ban smoking or get a good all-meal ventilation system.

My bill was 40.50 but one could easily get out for 24 €. 

P.S. Their wine by the bottle is overpriced, by the half-liter OK (8 €) and by the glass – a bargain at 2.90 € – go figure! 

Should one go? If you want manageable portions, a manageable menu and a manageable addition – Yes!

*Originally published in April 2007.

Words on Wednesdays: The New Yorker Food Issue: Nov 23, 2009

If you can get a friend in the US who gets the New Yorker to mail the Nov 23, 2009 Food Issue to you, you've got a treat coming.

It has Trillan on Poutine, Jane Kramer on preparing Thankgiving abroad, lunch with a Michelin inspector and an article that tells you more about taste than the one about penguins did about them.

And, it has a wonderful cartoon by Alex Gregory, that echos my experience on Metro North last week, on page 82.