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.