John Talbott's Paris

FAQ: What bistros are just like L’Ami Jean and Paul Bert?

Recently a reader wrote me that “I'm looking for any recommendations for good bistro type food...as an example Paul Bert’s is a favorite....also L’Ami Jean” and it wasn’t the first time this has been posed to me. I’d say it’s one of the commonest questions people ask when preparing for a trip to Paris.

So let me try to answer it.

First off, what sort of places are L’Ami Jean and Paul Bert? In the language of culinary classification, I’d say they were classical bistros as opposed to neo-bistros or gastro-bistros. That is, they offer good hearty, familiar food from terrines and crispy-crusted bread, through roast birds to classical desserts at reasonable prices in a setting that looks all the world to me like a movie set. Neo-bistros, on the other hand frequently present updated versions of old dishes in a setting that may look more like a contemporary restaurant. And gastro-bistros or gastronomic, terms I believe the famous food critic and TV reality show star Sebastien Demorand coined, designate places that serve slightly fancier food on tablecloths in places that do look like a restaurant. But of course, one person’s classic is anothers neo or gastro, so maybe it’s all pilpul anyway.

It may be hard to believe, but another website I once worked at devoted over a dozen erudite posts to the subject of definitions and I have tackled the subject at least once before.

Let me stick with the academic nomenclature dilemma for a minute. If challenged to name perfect examples of classical and neobistrots in Paris today, I’d look at two conceived by the talented chef - Rodolphe Paquin - the original Repaire de Cartouche and the newer offshoot, the misnamed Cartouche Café (which is certainly not a café.) Oddly enough, I would define the newer version, the Cartouche Café as a classical bistro and its older brother, the Repaire de Cartouche, as a neo or gastro-bistro.

Of the bistrots that date before this year (2011), I would consider Afaria, the original La Regalade (in the 14th) and Chez Georges to be the closest my reader is searching for while Doucet’s newer version on La Regalade (St Honore in the 1st) is more towards a neo or gastrobistro as is Le 122, correctly subtitled the bistro of yesterday and today. As I have written elsewhere “Le Petit Marguery [is] the perfect restaurant (masquerading as a bistro of yore)” and La Cerisaie, the perfect example of a bistro masquerading as a restaurant.

This year’s newly opened places are represented in all three categories; for classical, I’d suggest Septime, Vivant and the Café des Musees; for neo, propose Tintilou and Les Coulisses; and falling in the gastro bin, are l'Antre Ami, Le Galopin and l'Hedoniste. But in the end, as I said above, this all may be just pilpul anyway, a useless search in the culinary Talmuds of today for distinctions without a difference.

The coordinates:

Le Regalade St Honore
123, Rue St Honore in the 1st (Metro: Louvre-Rivoli)
T: 01.42.21.92.40
Closed weekends
Menu at 33 E.

Chez Georges
1 rue du Mail in the 2nd (Metro: Sentier I suppose)
T: 01.42.60.07.11
Closed weekends and holidays,
A la carte 60-80 E.

L’Hedoniste
14 Rue Léopold Bellan in the 2nd (Metro: Sentier)
T: 01.40.26.87.33
Closed Sundays and Mondays
2-courses for 28,50 E at lunch, 3 for 35 E.

Le Café des Musees
49, rue de Turenne in the 3rd (Metro: St Paul)
T: 01.42.72.96.17
Open everyday
Plate of the day 13.50, a la carte about 45 E.

l’Ami Jean
27, rue Malar, 7th, (Metro: La our Maubourg)
T:01.47.05.86.89
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Menus 32 + 50 €

Le 122: Bistrot d'Hier et Aujourd'hui
122, rue de Grenelle in the 7th (Metro: Solferino)
T: 01.45.56.07.42
Closed weekends, open for lunch Mondays-Fridays, dinner weekdays except Thursday and has an "afterwork apero-dinatore" from 6:30-10 PM except Thursdays.
Lunch formula at 16,50, menu-carte at 35 and 20 €.

Les Coulisses Vintage
19, rue Notre Dame de Lorette in the 9th, (Metro: St Georges)
T: 01.45.26.46.46,
Closed Saturday lunch
Costing 16 for the lunch formula and menus at 34.50 and 39.50 E (with wine)

Vivant (not Le or La or Les as himself reminded me)
43 rue des Petites Ecuries in the 10th (Metro = Chateau d'Eau or Strasbourg-Saint-Denis)
T: 01.42.46.43.55
Closed Saturday and Sunday
A la carte 40-50 E.

Le Galopin
34 Rue (and Place) Sainte Marthe in the 10th, (Metro: Belleville)
T: 01.4206.05.03
Closed Sunday and Monday
Lunch menu 25 E

Le Repaire de Cartouche
8 blvd des Filles du Calvaire, 11th (Metro : Filles du Calvaire)
T : 01.47.00.25.86
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Lunch menus 13 & 24 €, a la carte 35-45 €.

Bistrot Paul Bert
18, rue Paul Bert, 11th (Metro: Faidherbe-Chaligny)
T: 01.43.72.24.01
Closed Sunday and Mondays
Menu 16 (lunch), 30 €. (dinner)

Le Tintilou/l'Aiguiere
37, bis rue de Montreuil in the 11th, (Metro: Faidherbe-Chalingny)
T: 01.43.72.42.32,
Closed Sundays
Lunch bento= 25 E; 35 E a la carte

Septime
80, rue de Charonne in the 11th, (Metro: Charonne)
T: 01.43.67.38.29,
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Costing 36-50 € a la carte but with 21 and 26 lunch ‘menus.’

Cartouche Café
4, rue de Bercy, 12th (Metro: Cour St Emilion)
T: 01.40.19.09.95
Closed Saturday noon and Sundays
A la carte about 30 €

Le Petit Marguery
9, Blvd de Port Royal, 13th (Metro: Gobelins)
T: 01.43.31.58.59
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Lunch menus at 23 (2 courses), 26 (3) and dinner for 30 (2) and 35 (3) €.

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 €

La Regalade
49, avenue Jean Moulin, 14th (Metro : Porte d’Orleans)
T: 01 45 45 68 58
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Lunch menu 32, a la carte 30-40 €.

L’Antre Amis
9, rue Bouchut in the 15th, ((Metro: Sevres-Lecourbe)
T: 01.45.67.15.65
Closed weekends
Menu-carte 32 E.

Afaria
15, rue Desnouettes in the 15th,
T: 01.48.56.15.36
Closed Sunday and Monday lunch,
Lunch menu 21, others 24 and 45 E.

Of note is the absence of places in the 8th and 16th (no surprise about the 4th, 5th, 6th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th.)

I’m sure I will have left somebody’s favorite off; if so my apologies (I realized I omitted the Biche au Bois, Beurre Noisette & Troquet myself).

Post Scriptum: In one of those incredible twists of fate, while I had written this a few weeks ago and had intended to post it yesterday (Tuesday), current events delayed it and this morning’s Figaroscope delivered an article by Colette Monsat, Alexandra Michot, Hugo de Saint Phalle and Francois Simon on the “15 Best Bistrots in Paris” that also included: Le Comptoir du Relais, Fish La Boissonerie, Le Café Constant, L’Ourcine, L’Entredgeu, Le Baratin, L’Office, Racines 2. Le Pantruche, Le Garde Temps, Philou + Chatomat.

 

Reviews of reviews: The week of November 14th, 2011.

Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to the ramen/etc place Naritake in the 1st and Philippe Toinard reviewed and gave 3/5 to another Argentinian place La Recoleta in the 20th; while a short blurb appeared in the middle-bar on the Garde-Robe des Batignolles.

In Tuesday’s Le Fooding, the editors published their Le Fooding Guide honors, specifically:
Prix Fooding Guide 2012 de la meilleure table
Chatomat, Paris
Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur bar à vins
Frenchie bar à vins, Paris
Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur delirium
La Grenouillère, Montreuil-sur-Mer
Prix Fooding d’amour Guide 2012
Au Passage, Paris
Prix Fooding d’honneur Guide 2012
Bertrand Grébaut Septime, Paris
Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur “régalez-vous !”
L’Agapé Substance, Paris
Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur retour de pêche
Le Cabanon, Ajaccio
Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur livre de cuisine
En cuisine avec Alain Passard, Christophe Blain, Gallimard
Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur décor
Pier Schneider et François Wunschel (1024 Architecture)
Les Grandes tables de l’île Seguin, Boulogne-Billancourt
Prix Fooding Guide 2012 des meilleurs bistrots ex aequo
Le Pantruche, Paris
Le Grain de Sel, Marseille

Wednesday, Figaroscope’s Emmanuel Rubin reviewed five new places, one of which merited two of four hearts : the Chinese La Taverne de Zhao in the 10th. The rest got one heart and included : the second Corsican Terra Corsa, 1, cour des Petites-Ecuries in the 10th, 01.45.23.18.94, open 7/7 with a formula at 12, a la carte 20 E for quiche, charcuterie and an adroit selection of wines ; the Cafe Campana in the Orsay, no reservations, closed Mondays, serving salads, Croque M’s & churros nutella 10-5; L’Ere du Temps, 145 rue Saussure in the 17th, 01.42.27.35.55 closed Sundays and Mondays, in the old Hier & Aujourd’hui space (yes way out there), menus at 17 and 19 for lunch and 30 E dinner with scallop soup, civet de lievre and a creme nature ; and the salad/vegetarian Bioboa, 93, rue Montmartre in the 2nd, 01.40.28.02.83, closed Sundays, costing about 15-30 E.

The Dossier this week by Colette Monsat, Francois Simon and Alexandra Michot covered places where the big CEO’s go :
Le Bar du Bristol
Dali
Market
Stresa
1, place Vendome
Tong Yen
L’Arome
Apicius
Pichet de Paris
Le Germain
Casa Bini
Chez Georges
Bistrot de Paris
Chez Rene
Pulcinella
Rose Bakery
Kinugawa
Orchidees
Ze Kitchen Galerie
L’Alcazar
Au Bon Saint-Pourcain
LeDoyen
Laurent
Farnesina
Dessirier
Taillevent
Lasserre
Plaza
Marius & Janette
Orient-Extreme
Hanawa
La Corniche
Le Souffle.

And Francois Simon’s Hache Menu covered the non-CEO Ecole Ferrandi in the Chambre de Commerce building on the rue de l’Abbe Gregoire, a cooking school where he says you must go to once.

In another article on BB, Colette Monsat named :
Le Salon de The Paul
Cafe Seguin
Le Cafe des Arts
La Blanchisserie

Finally, there was one of their pieces on areas, this the 16th, mentioning :
L’Astrance
La Matta
Settebello
Non Solo Cucina
Comme des Poissons
Kura
Chaumette
Tablettes de Jean-Louis Nomicos
Etc
Bistrot 31
Maree Passy

In l’Express, Charles Patin O'Coohoon reviewed Le Balancoire, 6, rue Aristide-Bruant in the 18th, 01.42.23.70.83, with lunch menus at 15 and 18, a la carte about 30 E, closed Sundays and Mondays, serving veal, a vegetable cocotte and tiramisu with brownie, Marie-Amal Bizalion reviewed l’Atelier de Georgina in Marseille.

Sunday in the New York Times « T » remix, Abby Aguirre wrote a piece on Cedric Casanova’s Tete Dans Les Olives.

 

Les Ombres in the Musee du Quai Branly in the 7th; I don't get it. An archival* review.

1.01 Les Ombres, 27, quai Branly (in the Musee du Quai Branly), 7th, 01.47.53.68.00, closed Mondays. I went to this over-priced (entrees 18+, mains 26+, wines up to 180 €) but beautifully-sited place with my eyes wide open. My terribly perspective food critic friend called it “crappy food,” an acquaintance who uses our apartment when I flee the summer canicules said that “the roof restaurant has an amazing view” (Note bien: no comment on the food) and GaultMillau, that largely now toothless and pale imitation of its past incarnation, called it “chic et cher” and suggested it should be serving brasserie food at brasserie prices.

Good things first, it does have a great, really great, 180° view (from left of the Eiffel Tower to right up the Seine); second, it’s not crushingly expensive if one takes the 3-course market menu for 32 €; third, the waiters are dressed in black tees with custom-fitted really cool off-white linen suits, next, the men’s room had urinals with lids, lids I say, and a little black fly painted near the bottom of their bases, (yes, I peeked at both) and last, the coffee was respectable.

Ah, but the negatives: first the noise: between the wait-staff (the women in heels were worse than the men) clattering across the admittedly beautiful parquet exotic wood floor endlessly (remember the way the waiters at the St James, outside Bordeaux, paced back and forth in the railway car salle like guardsmen outside Buckingham Palace?) and the kitchen staff shouting up the passage between the kitchen and salle like workman maneuvering I-beams at a construction site – one could hardly think.

Then the food; to be charitable, it wasn’t crappy, it was pathetic. The amuse bouche was strange but passable; the bread unimaginably bad for anyplace but Auchan; the carpaccio of bar lacking in zip (one teeny, tiny miniscule piece of lemon when it needed tons of it; one had to scoop up the bar and try to eat it with a teeny slice of radish and grain of salmon egg to offset the blandness); the rouget was that type that was gamey as can be (I take responsibility for that – rouget is always a crap shoot) but refuse to be responsible for the tasteless baby artichokes which I left without eating; a moelleux of chocolate that was lukecold (now that was a first for me - the King of Moelleux); and the mignardises were not much of a much.

Was it worth the 48 € sitting by the window watching the clouds go by? Funnily enough – almost. (P.S. Downstairs, on the ground floor, the café was doing a land-office business and the moules/frites looked pretty good after my miserable fare.)

Oh, by the way, you didn’t ask, but did I like the museum without a name? (Clearly in anticipation of calling it le Musee Chirac after he leaves office). Actually no, I hated it; OK, so put me in the Philistine/Michael Kimmelman box. They took art collections I love and know well, stuffed them into glass boxes in a building that only an architect who thinks taking Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim stairwell and smooshing it into Richard Meier’s Barcelona Museum, could love and called it macaroni. The museum deserves the restaurant and vice versa; you’ll never catch me at either again. By the way, don’t even try to enter by the entrance gates indicated as such on the map, like the Metro entrance to the Bibliotheque Francois Mitterand, they’re just there to fool the tourists.

*Originally published in September 2006.

The Finest Life You Ever Saw: Hemingway's Boat: A Book Review by James Salter

In a book review entitled "The Finest Life You Ever Saw," crackerjack novelist and even better short story writer James Salter writes "The Finest Book Review I've Read in a Long Time" in the NYRB recently.  The review is a stand alone piece that makes Hemingway and "Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, 1934-1961" even more fascinating than they were.  A terrific read.

What’s in and what’s out in Parisian restaurants.

If memory serves me correctly, it was the art critic Russell Lynes writing in Horizon (both are long gone) who first popularized the concept of what’s in and what’s out, now transformed into what’s hot and what’s not. Lynes was also the editor of Harper’s and in 1949 published the hilarious “Highbrow, Lowbrow, Middlebrow” book.

In any case, October 26th, Colette Monsat and Alexandra Michot in Le Figaro performed a similar service for diners in Paris, by giving examples of what’s in and what’s out and where to get the trendy dshes:

Après le gaspacho, les œufs mollets
Septime
Chardenoux-des-Prés
Pantruche

Après le tartare de thon, les couteaux
Cobéa
Dauphin

Après la mozza, la burrata
Vivant
Gazzetta

Après le Saint-Marcellin de La Mère Richard, le comté 24 mois
Glou
Saturne
L'Entrée des artistes

Après la souris d'agneau, la pluma de porc ibérique
Drouant
Septime

Après le croque-Poilâne, le club sandwich
The Club
Flore
Société
Costes

Après la crème brûlée, la panna cotta
Bon
Frenchie

Après les macarons, les choux
Pâtisserie des Rêves
Popelini
Garde-Temps
Après le mojito, la Piscine
Schmuck

That’s a pretty comprehensive list. By my lights they only missed a few items :
Slate not plate
Barbe de papa and marshmallows instead of real desserts
Italian & Spanish places replacing the French ones
Beer instead of wine, and
Tipsy glasses and carafes rather than properly seated ones.

Reviews of reviews: The week of November 7th, 2011.

Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 4/5 dots to the Cave de l’Insolite, 30, rue de la Folie Mericourt in the 11th, 01.53.36.08.33, closed Sunday evening and Mondays, serving bistrot and terroir food for about 30 E and a lunch menu at 14 E, with items such as sautéed and pureed cepes, a bavette and crumble with “ natural” wines; and Philippe Toinard covered and gave 3/5 to Le Galopin, coordinates given before where he mentions the seven dishes at dinner with red meat, lots of vegetables and citrus fruit. In a sidebar, they mention the charcuterie/cheese wine and mets place – Aux vignobles du Plaisir, 88, rue Didot in the 14th, 01.45.40.05.20.

In Tuesday’s Le Fooding, Yves Nespoulous reviewed l'Office, coordinates given before, with two Yanks as chefs.

Wednesday, Figaroscope’s Emmanuel Rubin reviewed five new places, one of which merited three out of four hearts, the Bristol-co-located Epicure, 112, rue du Faubourg St Honore in the 8th, 01.53.43.43.40, open 7/7, costing 250 E (that’s Euros not Egyptian pounds) for farm eggs with truffles, sweetbreads and pears. Two places merited two hearts : the aforementioned L’Os a Moelle costing about 50 E for pate, steak and iced meringue (29 E for lunch) and l’Affranchis, 5, rue Henri Monnier in the 9th, 01.45.26.26.30, closed Sundays and Mondays, which for 18 (lunch), 25 and 32 E gives one items such as a joue de bœuf, celery gratin and pears. One heart went to the epicerie/plus Les Pipelettes, 31, rue Brezin in the 14th, 09.81.29.27.32, closed Sundays and Mondays, which for 20 E at lunch or brunch (Saturdays) and 21 E serves items such as soups and salads and little plates. Finally a broken heart went to the Cafe Boheme, 9, rue des Canettes in the 6th, 01.43.25.31.09 open 7/7, costing 50-60 E (menus at 28.50) for burgers with foie gras and Nutella mousse.

The Dossier this week by Colette Monsat and Alexandra Michot roamed the Rue des Martyrs mentioning :
Lots of food shops as well as :
Terra Corsa
Rose Bakery
Le Cul de Poule
La Maison Mere
Hotel Amour
Le Pantruche
La Pizzetta

Francois Simon’s Hache Menu covered the non-Martyr l’Ourcine, coordinates well-known, saying if you live on the RG Go !

Finally, there was one of their pieces on areas, this the 16th, mentioning :
L’Astrance
La Matta
Settebello
Non Solo Cucina
Comme des Poissons
Kura
Chaumette
Tablettes de Jean-Louis Nomicos
Etc
Bistrot 31
Maree Passy

In l’Express, Charles Patin O'Coohoon reviewed Le Pulperia, coordinates given before, in the 11th ; François-Régis Gaudry, wrote about Alain Passard as a « living god ; » and Marie-Amal Bizalion reviewed La Cadole in Limoges.

Reviews of reviews: The week of October 31st , 2011.

Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger visited and gave 3/5 dots to the “plus, plus gastro bistro, Les Affranchis, 5, rue Henri Monnier in the 9th, 01.45.26.26.30 (another So Pi [slang for South of Pigalle]) place, closed Sundays and Mondays with a lunch menu at 18, dinner 25 & 32 E for items such as turnip soup, daurade and lemon madeleine made by a chef who has passed thru the kitchens of Ducasse and Beurre Noisette; and his sidekick Philippe Toinard went to Les Crocs de l’Ogre (offshoot of l’Ogre), 81 ave Bosquet in the 7th, 01.45.56.96.29, closed Sundays and Mondays, costing about 45 E for (the same stuff as at the Mother-ship) that is, a terrine maison, os a moelle, razor clams, sweetbreads, tete de veau, tiramisu, etc.

In Tuesday’s Le Fooding, Marie-Sophie Boivin reviewed the Square Guardette, 24, rue St-Amboise in the 11th, 01.43.55.63.07, closed Sunday nights and Mondays, opened by two ex-Costes guys but with the Kobe-born chef Masahide Ikuta who’s spent a few months in the kitchens at l’Ami Jean and Paul Bert. It costs one from 16-35 E for lamb shoulder, cod and rice pudding.

Wednesday, Figaroscope’s Emmanuel Rubin reviewed his usual five new places, all of which earned only 1/4 hearts: the aforementioned would food Masa, the brasserie Verballon, 198 bis, rue de Tolbiac in the 13th, 01.45.88.88.83, closed Sundays with menus at 14.90 and 22.40 and a la carte for 20-40 E with œufs mayo, veal and baba, the reborn Le Gorille Blanc, 4, impasse Guemenee in the 4th, 01.42.72.08.45, closed Sundays with a menu at 18 but a la carte 25-45 E, serving duck foie gras, pork and a clafoutis-like apple dessert, Le Garde-Robe des Batignolles, 4, rue Bridaine in the 17th, 01.44.90.05.04, open 7/7, with menus at 12 and 15, a lacarte 20-30 E for charcuterie, and Guillaume, 243, rue du Faubourg-St-Antoine in the 11th, 01.43.73.37.58, closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Mondays with a lunch menu at 14, a la carte 30-40 E ith items such as a carpaccio of scallops, chicken breast and mano strudel.

The Dossier this week by Colette Monsat, Alice Bosio, Anne-Charlotte de Langhe, Alexandra Michot, Hugo de Saint Phalle and Francois Simon dealt with roast chicken and they rated places by taste, crust, garniture and price-quality ratio as follows :
L’Ami Louis
Le Relais Plaza
Chez Flottes, Jeanne A., D’Chez Eux
Père Claude, Allard
Atelier Maitre Albert
J’Go + Hotel Amour

In his Hache Menu, Francois Simon ate at L’Ami Jean saying you should go if just out of prison or coming out of the dessert.

Also of note in this week’s ’Scope is the inclusion of Hugo Desnoyer as one of the 11 most chic Parisiens and a recommendation by the lead singer in Lilly Wood and the Prick [sic] to eat at Aux Petits Oignons in the 20th.

In l’Express, [I think because the issue was all about New York] there were no French restaurants reviewed this week.

On Saturday, in Le Figaro, Francois Simon‘s Croque Notes reviewed Le Bruit de l’Eau in Saint-Quentin-en-Tourmont and the article besides it by him concerned the change on ownershiop of Laperouse.

Denver Eats: Rioja, Panzano, Ocean Prime, d Spot

Rioja: Eating in the Land of "Like" with Deans who text rather than talk to their wives.

Rioja is one of the few places in Denver I could find that was highly rec'd by a friend-colleague that served stuff at Sunday lunch other than the brunch crap I hate.  Unfortunately my fellow congressants and a few locals figured that out too and I was seated between a trio of Valley-girl-types who used "like" as punctuation in their high-pitched guggling, grating talk and a Dean-type texting to avoid talking with his wife.  You can tell Deans of Medical Schools by their white hair, ties, "undertaker" suits and inability to use their thumbs on their appareils (they never learned to type in training, never learned to use a computer as Chairs but figure they're cool, like their adolescent grandchildren, if they text, however awkwardly).

In any case, this company added to the misery of my meal.  The menu was decidedly uninteresting and in a restaurant with dozens of Spanish wines, none was reasonably priced.  About the only thing that looked appealing was the skirt steak, which that great resource Wikipedia notes is "prized for its flavor rather than tenderness."  They got that right, and wrong.  It was, after all the fine steaks I've been eating in France, a disgrace to the great state of Colorado which raises more edible beef than Argentina, Scotland and France combined - I made that up, but it sounds reasonable.

It came with a cloyingly sweet wine sauce and this being the West where everybody imitates Las Vegas and LA, another sauce of a horseraddishy nature along with Brussel spouts, which I've decided after 70 years, I really can live without and croquettes of "mmmmmumble torn."  (See, I can hear waiters' fast talk no better in America than France).  Actually they were, according to the menu, made from chestnut "fregola" (Yah I had to look it up too and it didn't explain why they were so tasteless.)

My bill, with lovely bread, really, 2 glasses of Rioja, a double espresso served with the dreaded lemon peel and no bottled water, before the tip, was $35,40.

Go?  Better you should ask "Can you really judge a supposedly top-notch restaurant based on one dish at lunch on one visit?"  And my answer "Betcha patooty."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Panzano: SNAFU'd* front-room; Weird cooking; Nice service.

Now, I have no one to blame but myself on this one.  No friend, no colleague, no website induced me to come.  I found it all on my own.

I entered and right away got the message that that all was well in the front of the house.  A guy standing chatting, looked like he was waiting for a table, but turned out to be, for all I know is, the maitre d'; one of the two young things at the computer/date-book desk took my name, looked me up and disappeared with someone else without explanation; the other, waking up after a phone-call, asked if she could help me.  "No" I said, "your ahhhh, compatriot checked me in."  Said comrade-lady #1 returns, after long discussion about empty tables with Lady #2, announces "no room in the inn," I'm 30 minutes early, "how about waiting at the lounge aka boozer/loser bar?"  OK.

Lots of people there, order some wine (while it's outrageously expensive, I find a cheapo Chianti by the glass), sitting peacefully reading the NYRB when it occurs to me that I'll bet the bar menu has stuff at a lesser price than up front and it all comes from the same kitchen - Duh.  Quick look, it's the same as the full-priced dinner menu I'd seen on the web but at 1/2 the price.  Deal.  "I'd like to order and can you tell the ladies up front?"  "Surely Sir."  "And while you're waiting, I'll bring you some bread."

Bread arrives; dull but the Kalamata sauce (Kalamata in an Italian restaurant?) is most excellent. 

See calamari for $4.50 and $9 on the bar menus; "Ah, I'd like the $4.50," "But that's the 'Happy Hour' menu, but it's your lucky day because I can bring you half an order."  "Excellent."  Well, sort of excellent, because it was over-breaded and despite the spicy aoili sauce, filled your mouth with stuffing yuck.

Main course, pizza with sausage, pepperoni, provolone, pomodore, finally, I'm not in France any more, this will be real Italian-Amurican pizza.  Ouch.  No.  Soggy crust, weird tasting sausages, strange taste over all.

At this point, 70 minutes after I'd walked in, Front Lady #2 comes over and says "M. Talbott, your table is ready."  Point to my charming waitguy - "Didn't he tell you?"  "She says, "Ahhhh."  He shrugs.  Just then, the presumed Maitre d' comes over to another table on the so-called lounge and says "Your table is ready."  They say, "but we told them, we were happy [eating] here."  What is this, Ground Hog Day? 

PS the next day Open Table send me an email "No-Show Inquiry from Panzano......We missed you at Panzano.....It appears as though you were not checked in...."

My bill, with 2 glasses of wine, 1 glass of tap water (that's a story for another day) returned and no coffee or dessert, was $38.58.

Go?  What's going on in Denver?  After two meals at top places, I'm thinking of eating at Red Lobster (where my young daughters and I had a fine meal 35 years ago).  Now, full disclosure; I loved the food in Downtown Denver in the 1970's, '80's and '90's when I was either to or fro skiing trips and/or teaching and/or in a flirting with a job here.  There's something going on; something has happened lately, this food is as bad as in Baltimore.

*For readers born after WWII, you might think Snafu just meant "slight hitch;" its origin suggests deeper problems and emotions experienced by soldiers who often found the "situation normal, all f****d up."

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Ocean Prime - Another Red Lobster? But no, finally somebody knows what the **** he's doing in Denver.

OK there's a back story here.  Around 1980, when I was in Denver returning from a ski vacation with my two daughters, then 9 and 16, were staying near the old airport at a motel whose name luckily I cannot recall.  I asked the motelresse where to get some great seafood - "Red Lobster," she said.  Off we went with the girls signing something in the back seat - "What's that?"  "Oh nothing Dad."  Little did I know, they knew the chain's song.  Anyway.

I entered the Ocean Prime in the Latimer Square area with some trepidation; I'd been burned all day yesterday, this was a bloody chain restaurant I learned from Google, with branches in Dallas, Miami, Detroit, Phoenix, Orlando and I later learned from the amiable responsible 7 or 8 in Columbus Ohio, where?  But one of my wise daughters reminded me that there was a difference between Red Lobster and Legal Seafood and a quick look at the menu outside reassured me.  Plus a good friend friendly with food advised me that this less-than-a-year-old-place was high on his list of next hits.

The decor is really cool, I mean, really warm and post-modern.  A nice place to eat, esp. if seated by the window looking out on the Bobo's, wannabee's and bums.  It's also huge with plenty of room and private rooms for parties of 8-12 I guess.

For some reason, despite all the horrid Caesar salads I've had in America, I channeled that Google button, "I feel lucky", and had it - without the croutons supposedly - it was terrific.  Not drenched in dressing, not overinfused with parmesan, capers, anchovies, salt, etc., etc., just right.  My oh my.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I took the plunge - I'd been fantasizing about Legal's seafood soup but there was nonesuch - so how about blackened Colorado bass?   Fantastic.  I ate it like I eat oysters (i.e., 1. the thing, 2. in its juice, 3. with lemon and 4. with vinegar and shallots): thus I ate the fish 1. plain - terrific, 2. with the cheese runoff of the potatoes gratin - terrific, 3. with the mini-corn-tartare sauce - terrific, and 4. with the slightly blanched spinach leaves with slightly Balsamicized red onion slices - terrific.  And who knew American chefs, even CIA-trained ones could make these potatoes?  Not me.

So I'm ready to leave a happy man; but waitaminuteBuster (the waitress talked a mileaminute showing once more that I cannot understand rapidwaitpersonspeak in any country), how about dessert? - we've got mmmmmumble sorbet and maplesyrupicecream.  OK I'll look.

Ever seen Maple Syrup ice cream on a menu?  Not me, not even at Ben and Jerry's, located in the center of the Maple Syrup Kingdom, although they had some revisionist version once on limited sale.  It was fab.

My bill with three dishes, 2 glasses of wine, no bottled water, quite nice housemade warm bread and good butter and a very decent coffee, was $66.32.

Go? I think Cameron Mitchell maybe America's new Danny Meyer.

**** Ref: The Onion, Oct 6, 2011 "Last American Who Knew What He The Fuck Was Doing Dies."

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The d Spot: As my friend says "ketchup improves anything."*

The d Spot (not the G spot), is the Marriott City Center's dining/boozing/sports TV watching area that I fell into after realizing that following a filling lunch today and concert tonight I was never going to manage 4 or 6 or whatever courses at Kevin Taylor.  I asked what d Spot meant - no one seemed to know.  Dining, Denver, dishes, who knows?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In any case, as Garrison Keillor says about Powdermilk Biscuits, it did "what needs to be done," that is, fed me in the midst of freezing Denver with snow on the way.  I had one item with several elements: a side-salad with watery oil and watery vinegar and liberal ground pepper and a "Marriott" burger (a cheeseburger with bacon on a huge tasteless roll) but like Jack Nicholson, I asked for the burger terribly, awfully, painfully rare without bacon and they got it 50% correct; so I followed my old friend, the Appelate Court Justice's advice* and drenched it in ketchup; it also came with more lettuce and sliced tomato and a divine sour pickle (in Denver yet?).  But the beef in the burger was a disgrace to the great state of Colorado which raises more edible beef than Texas, Canada and Kansas combined - I made that up too, but it sounds reasonable.

Service bordered between slow and awfully slow until a suited Marriott guy (probably the greatgrandson of Pere Marriott) showed up and hustled the tables and - GOSH - allowed one to grind one's own fresh pepper.

My bill with a 1/2 bottle of cheapo California, no bottled water, first or last or coffee, was $25.92.

Go?  To a place serving high caloric (not colonic) chow and liquor to the biggest bunch of very, very, very ahhhhh weight-challenged conventioneers I've seen in ages, unh unh.

L'Intention in the 3rd: A very friendly, neighborhood place with good intentions.

4.9 L'Intention, 3, rue du Roi Dore in the 3rd, 01.42.74.31.22, closed weekends is a place that only Gaudry saw slip under the radar and when challenged to find a place my oldest friend in France could get to quickly to and from her cabinet, it was a natch.

It's in one of those classic Marais buildings with stone walls that are warm and the couple that run it are equally welcoming.  Inside there are photos of middle America (aka Oklahoma) and Johnny Cash-type music playing - nice!

The carte is supersimple and choices were easy for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We both chose the braised leeks with salad greens and herbs atop and a subtle mustard sauce below which were quite tasty, then diverged to have the chicken (which was overdone & thus dry) with beans and chorizo and French pork with fall vegetables, quite nice; and I finished with a nut financier with mascarpone - again quite nice.  However, nothing was ground-breaking/earth-shaking.

With a bottle of nice Bordeaux, no bottled water, OK bread and two coffees our bill was 65 E (which now that I add it up seems 4 E too much, but is not cause for WWIII.)

Go?  The road to hell is paved with good intentions (St Bernard of Clairvaux) or as Hemingway amended it - The road to hell is paved with unbought stuffed dogs, whatever that means (at 18 it seemed terribly significant.)

Lewis Hine at the Foundation Cartier-Bresson

I started to Photoshop-crop this but realized the peeling paint and plaster was a metaphore for the Lewis Hine show at the Foundation Cartier-Bresson.

In brief I was not as impressed as was James Estrin or Alison Nordstrom, the curator of this exhibit.  The photos may have been ground-breaking journalistic social change agent stuff but I thought they were small, repetitive and so-so. 

Sorry, no Wow's.