John Talbott's Paris

L'Agrume in the 5th: A second time, off the cartes and charts.

The last time I ate here it was bloody cold and the walk from Metro St Marcel was horrid, I was alone, and no one had really reviewed it.  But I had a great time, got out inexpensively (30 E) and subsequently the world has beaten a path to its door with good reason.  Today, it was off-and-on rainy, we were four, Colette and a pair of Parisian chefs and we really test-drove the vehicle.

As we were installing ourselves, the he-chef looked around and said "I used to eat here when I was a student, it was a pizza place; it was awful.  But now the walls are pretty cooly-decorated.

We looked at the "menu" which had there trio of starters -  shrimps with seaweed and ginger that I'd found delicious last time, sliced chicken with endives and apples (it was celery remoulade last time) which really worked as a combo for me then, and a langoutine bisque, but the mains struck none of us as compelling (at the start, more later, read on.)  So two of us ordered the trio and we more or less shared everything around and across.

 For mains, the ladies/women ordered bar with teeny-tiny oyster bits which they and I found good despite being vapeured and the men/boys had sweetbreads with a warm orange sauce (that the he-chef declared the first he'd had that "worked") which were really fresh and properly undercooked.  1/3rd of the way through, he looked up and said, "I should have ordered the veal mignon with carrots and potatoes" (which with the trio of starters was a "menu" item - total 16 E); she-chef asks "why"; "because I want to see how he does it"; my response, then have it for dessert, which we all did, bringing back memories of his of a two-dinner friend and me of two-lunch Apple (RW aka Johnnie) and prompting a two-finger photo.

 

Did that stop us from ordering real desserts; nope!  The west side of the table had strawberries and raspberries, the she-chef had enough gorgonzola for the entire Italian army and I had two superb chocolate balls with a peppermint schnaps sauce.

 

 With 4 coffees, fine bread, 2 bottles of wine and minus the extra main, the bill would have been 217 E for four.

Go again?  You betcha!

 

 
 

Bonney, Therese & Louise: A Shopping Guide to Paris, Robert M. McBride, New York, 1929.

Bonney, Therese & Louise: A Shopping Guide to Paris, Robert M McBride, New York, 1929.

This book is described on Abe as “Published just months before the start of the Great Depression, the essential guide for all American shopping in Paris: intended for a different sort of "Lost Generation." 

Its chapters are largely uninteresting to me, for instance, those on Dressmaking, Accessories. Window Shopping, Men’s Clothing, Antiques and Doctors to see. 

However, the ones on Two Hours for Lunch and Department Store are. 

The first thing I noted was that the prices were about 35 Francs at the time, what I shoot for in Euros now. Second, with 350,000 Americans a year visiting then, Yankees did know about food. Third, meals consisted of hors d’oeuvres (varies & oysters), a fish course, entrée, a separate vegetable or salad course and desserts. Americans then, as now, want the entrée with a veggie and salad with cheese.

And fourth,
- some of the restos they described/recommend are still around – Drouant, the Tour d’Argent, Laduree, the Ritz, Café Voltaire, l’Escargot and Laperouse;
- other popular ones have shuffled off – Voisin’s, Larue’s & Montagne’s; more recently Prunier-Traktir
- Barsac was a popular wine I’ve never seen on a carte
- bonne femme preparations are often mentioned
- Andre Terrail ran the George V too
- the IHT was in full flower and described recipes such as chicken a la Josephine Baker
- American restos were all over (the Little Brown Jug, Shevlin’s, Margaret Brown’s, Elza-Lee’s, Butler’s Pantry)
- Russian restos sprang up after the war
- Javanese restos were around and
- outdoor dining occurred at Ledoyen, Les Ambassadeurs, Laurent and the Chateau des Isles.

Interesting as well that Le Train Bleu is simply described as the restaurant in the Gare de Lyon.

From Watteau to Degas: The Frits Lugt Collection at the Institut Néerlandais until 11 April.

The show now showing at the Institut Néerlandais is the collection of Frits Lugt (1884-1970), the founder/instigator of one of our favorite art sites in Paris (especially since the SEITA Museum closed) which started the whole venture off. 

It features works by Watteau, Boucher, Fragonard, David, Prud’hon, Corot, Delacroix, Ingres and Degas and is quite impressive.  During the time he (actually they, the wife Jacoba who had all the dough, gets scant credit) collected (1925-1956) he got some fine show-pieces.

A definite 3 WOWS!

 

L'Aromatik Bistro in the 9th: A breath of fresh bio air in the quartier.

5.9. L'Aromatik Bistro, 7, Rue Jean-Baptiste Pigalle in the 9th, 01 48 74 62 27, closed Sunday evening but open for Sunday brunch (Metro: Trinite d'Estienne d'Orves), 2-dish lunch menu at 15.90, 3-dish dinner 35, plat du jour 13.50 E, opened in 1928 but underwent a facelift and reopened with new chefs (Jean-Charles, ex-Costes system and Olivier, ex-Marco Pierre White) in 2009 but to my ken has only been reviewed by Alexander Lobrano in Hungry for Paris which is astonishing.  Why astonishing?  Well for starters, the decor is stunning:

 

and would constitute another example of what we Yankees think French bistrots do or should look like.  And second, the food is really quite good and like that of so many of their interesting young peers opening bistrots in Paris demontrative of a new spin on familiar food.  Examples:

Above is/are pal J's scrambled eggs with ham and truffles and below my daurade cerviche with cilantro whose juice was so impressive I did the uncivilized and drank it from the plate.

Colette had the free-range chicken with undressed salad greens and mushrooms, pal J. the cod with many veggies and I the veal liver with a caramelized pineapple slice that worked exceeding well.

Desserts consisted of orange slices with a zambaglione sauce, pear with chocolate sauce and apple with caramel; all of which J. thought were the hit of the meal, while Colete and I were less exuberant.

With two pitchers of the house bio Cotes de Rhone, the bio (dry inside) bread, caraf'd water and five Illy coffees (Pal Joey sez for that an extra point,) our bill for three was 94.70 E (thus 63.13 a couple).

Go back?  Well, as a matter of fact, next week, since it looks from the menu and staff that it's an entirely different deal at night.  On verra.
 
 

  
  
 
 

The Bistro of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

When will it ever end, this opening of new bistrots that throw a glance in the rearview mirror while looking straight ahead. I realize that the names – Hier & Aujourd’hui in the 17th and Le 122: Bistrot d'Hier et Aujourd'hui in the 7th have already been taken, but just recently I ran into yet another. 

But first what do I mean about a bistro or resto of yesterday, today and tomorrow? Well, Jadis is an example of a spin on food, taking old recipes and using modern products and equipment to produce interesting results. And Ze Kitchen Galerie is forever blazing a trail ahead, always pushing and innovating without going too far. But it also nice to see folks mixing up old school/old boy stuff with newer ingredients and newer ideas. Places like Le 122, l’Assiette & Bouchon, Chez Grenouille, etc. 

At Le P'tit Caillou in the 8th, they’ve clearly found a loyal clientele and are packing ‘em in. And with a formula, in the menu design not menu price meaning, that seems very successful.
Thus they have light stuff such as cucumber salad, long cod, daurade and fromage blanc as well as heftier fare such as gizzard salad, terrines, a knuckle of lamb aka mutton and chocolate cake. 

Thus I was able to satisfy both urgings with a sautéed foie gras lobe on top a mound of sliced red apples followed by veal kidneys with a futuristic glass-full of mashed potatoes. 

Where to go for the food of yesterday, today and tomorrow: 

Le P’tit Caillou
2 rue Maleville in the 8th (Metro: Miromesnil)
T: 01.45.63.20.87
Closed weekends and Monday nights
Lunch formulas at 22 and 25, a la carte 41-51 €.

Ze Kitchen Galerie in the 6th: How does it do it?

Ze Kitchen Galerie, coordinates well-known in the 6th, has been open almost a decade and William Ledeuil never ceases to astonish Colette and me.  You figure, he's got to change the menu at least four times a year with the seasons and product-availability, but while some things remain forever - wasabi in unlikely places, e.g, desserts, lemon grass all over the place and exotic/Asian vegetables in almost every main course - the rest is kaleidoscopic.

We went again today and were greeted not only with palpable warmth and genuine kindness but a new left side (the entrees) of the carte.  In retrospect, we should have ordered six starters, just to push the envelope, but we didn't, and had a lot of fun anyway.

 The dish on the upper left was described orally as duck with foie gras and a bouillon but when delivered was announced as "minestrone" - I swear.  Some bouillion, some minestrone - lots of veggies for sure and big chunks of foie gras and mushrooms - the dish on the lower right Colette spied as a boullion with asparagus -  again, yes, but..... also both white and green asparagus, raddishes, balls of burrata and peas and a soup of intense lemon grass and other flavors.

Then M. LeD sent out two entreactes of raviolis with mushrooms, espilette pepper and goodness knos what else.  It was just wonderful. 

We went halvsies on the mains:

On the left is the merlan (whiting) with broccoli-cauliflower, cabbage, beans and parsnips and middle is
milk-fed lamb with capers, olives, a very spicy tapenade, kumquats and more veggies.

We finished off the meal with a Meyer lemon ice, two balls of a creamy semifreddo-type-thing, kumquats, noisette sprinkles and a sauce I swear was rhubarb but Colette insists was not because he would never serve such out of season.

We were pleased to see two young families dining at the restaurant..... something one rarely sees at weekday lunches.   The youngsters appeared to be enjoying  M. Ledeuil's inventive cuisine just as we and our friends always do. 

With two coffees, the house filtered water, a supplement for my merlan and a bottle of wine our bill was 109.70 E.

Go again?  Indeed, indeedy.
 
 

 
 

Reviews of reviews: The Week of March 22nd, 2010

On Tuesday, Patrick Astor in Le Fooding reviewed a new wine bar in Chinatown L’Age d’Or, 26, rue du Docteur-Magnan in the 13th, 01.45.85.10.58, closed Saturday lunch, Sunday night and Mondays, lunch formulas 9-16, dinner 15-18 (18-24 weekends), brunch 18 € serving cuisine du marche prepared by an ex-Rostang, wine jelly, jams, andouille, ham, cheeses, tuna, crumble and kiwi tarte.

Tuesday, A Nous Paris featured two 3/5 dot restos: Philippe Toinard wrote up Apres vous, 61, rue des Trois Freres in the 18th, 01.42.55.89.77, a la carte 30-45 €, open dinner only except Saturday and Sunday lunches, serving sautéed foie gras, langoustine tartare, a filet of bass, crème brulee and crepes Suzettes; and Jerome Berger reviewed the under-new-management La Grille, coordinates given before, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, a la carte about 45 €, serving cuisine a papa like herring, leeks vinaigarette, charteaubriand, tete de veau and profiteroles.

Wednesday in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin in his « C’est nouveau » awarded 2 hearts to Le Bistrot du XXe, 203, ave Gambetta in the 20th, 01.40.31.86.07, open 7/7, serving pleurotes with port, veal kidneys and a brioche and caramel; to Les Botanistes, 11 bis, Rue Chomel in the 7th, 01.45.49.04.54, closed Sundays (thus perfect for large families Saturdays) lunch menu 17.70, a la carte 30-40 € for a foie gras cake, veal with tomatoes and carrots and apples with calvados; and the French-Italian Costes- Chapon Cafe Baci, 36, rue de Turenne in the 3rd, 01.42.71.36.70, open 7/7 with a « menu a la carte » running 40-60 € with a Burrata, uncooked artichoke, truffle raviolis from La Maison de la Truffle and a semifreddo. Then came a one-heart places; the Italian Nero in the 2nd . Finally, a busted heart went to A l’œil, coordinates given two weeks ago, where he described the food as amateurishly tired.

The « Dossier » this week by Colette Monsat was about the best chocolate mousses in Paris and included :
Reasonable gourmand places
Chez Rene
Cinq Mars
Les Cailloux + Les Terrines de Gerard Vie tie
La Fontaine de Mars + Spoon tie
Les Cocottes
D’Chez Eux
Le Lafitte
Le Square Trousseau
And Francois Simon, in his Hache Menu, reviewed the number 4 Spoon’s light and generous mousse. Go ? « Yes, if good fortune is smiling at you, if not, go elsewhere. »

Wednesday as well, Richard Hesse of Paris Update reviewed most positively Aux Charpentiers in the 7th.

This week, in l’Express, Francois-Regis Gaudry’s Resto of the week was Les Flocons de Sel in Megeve and Marie-Amal Bizalion had as her resto under 30 E Brasserie Jacques in Marseille, while Jegu Pierrick had as his P’tit Musset, 132 rue Cardinet in the 17th, 2 courses at lunch 20, 3 for 24 and 28 and 32 € at night, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, serving farm chicken, scallops with celery-rabe juice and a sable of apples with too much caramel ice cream.

Robert Doisneau at the Cartier Bresson until April 18th

The tiny jeweled band-box that Henri Cartier-Bresson bequeathed to all Paris is currently hosting a wonderful show of the down-to-earth real people who inhabited Paris especially during and after WWII.

Except for the iconographic Kiss by the Hotel de Ville,1950 and semi-iconographic Cellist,1957 and Oblique Look, 1948 - this show has it all.

3 Wows!  Run don't walk.  Until April 18th.

Le Marcab: Holding up, a Sunday treat.

Le Marcab in the 15th (coordinates in prior posts or my Reviews of Reviews Digest) is a place we've become accustomed to frequenting Sundays for it's prix-qualite, good food and great products.

Today for the first time I had the Degustation menu at 25 E, while Colette had a single dish for 22 E; both bargains.

From its description, petits pois soup with viande des grisons (which turns out to be dried Swiss beef charcuterie not ass meat as my Robert & Collins would have led me to believe) sounded boring but it was anything but, consisting of slivered charcuterie atop creme freche with some herb flavoring atop pea soup.

 

Next came a small but flavorful piece of rouget leaning against a large parmesan wafer on top of chunky potatoes with chives and a fluffy sauce.

Then I had brochettes of veal, the first of which sent me to heaven, alongside beets, polenta, a spring carrot and cafe noisette sauce while Colette had

two ample filets of bar with morel sauce that flowed over into the shot glass and the same veggies as I had (Photo credit Colette).

 

My dessert was poached pineapple with a lemoncello sauce and mini-Madeleine, a suitable last act.

The bill was 66 E including a bottle of wine (we were comp'd to the coffees d/t excessive waiting d/t the place being chock-a-block full.)

Go again?  I do suspect next time Colette is in town.
  

Rino in the 11th: Great fish, wonderful chef and waitstaff, otherwise OK.

5.5 Rino, 46, rue Trousseau in the 11th, 01.48.06.95.85, closed Sundays and Mondays has lunch formulas at 18 and 22, 38 and 50 E at dinner and has gotten rave reviews from everyone, and when my wonderful, charming, baguette-judging, cooking-school-attending, ex-co-host suggested Rino, I was all set.

Our starter (they have a forced menu with only two choices for mains at lunch and much the same principles at night) was a "risotto" of barley with carrots and chopped bulots marinated in wine vinegar (all this explained by the chef when our wonderful, charming, etc., food-lover now turned journalist, inquired.) It was different I'll say that, crunchy and tasty and the best prep of bulots except for my own, but it was different and definitely not your usual mushy risotto.

Then we three diverged on mains:

  

Madame Colette had the colin (at top) which was superb, Ms. Wonderful, etc., had the grondin (middle pix) which was super (what's the diff?) and I had the ris d'agneau which was quite, quite good; all were dressed with a braised endive half, beets and something else (hummm).

 

The two desserts we all three shared: top was the crusty/crunchy pastry bottomed apple tarte - very differently good and at the bottom the financiere with orange, etc, also equal to the task.

The coffees were apparently so satisfying to the ladies and myself (real ristretto) that we ordered seconds.

With a bottle and glass of terrific Friuli, 6 coffees, barely passable bread and most enjoyable chats with chef and wait-folk (who got at least an extra mark for pointing out that they knew John Talbott from Passione Gourmet  whose judgment has got to be respected because the other French web-link is to Julot: Ze Blog) was 107.00 E for three, ergo 35.66 E pp.

Go?  For the fish; this guy is a genius buying and cooking it.

Final note: down the street is:

  this place.  How about that?