Helmut Newton's photos, largely of nude women, indicate that he indeed, as he boasted, was a professional voyeur. They are also stunningly beautiful women in beautifully composed portraits.
2 Wows! until June 17th.
April 2012
April 23, 2012
Les Jalles in the 2nd: "Bombinette exquise" or "un must, un 'it'?"
7.0 Les Jalles, 14, rue des Capucines in the 2nd, 01.42.61.66.71, open 7/7, has a 42 E forced choice lunch "menu," and a la carte runs one from 50-75 E.
A few weeks ago Delphine Alcover of the Bistro Volnay, which she and Magalie Marian also run, invited four of us who were dining at the Mothership to see it a few days before it opened and we were wowed. Since then, Adrian Moore predicted that it would be the "most talked about opening," Laidback called one dish extraordinary and Simon and Berger used the quotes in my header.
Said hostess/co-owner greeted us warmly and immediately supplied us with geneous portions of piggy matter along with which we had two bottles of the very wine she recalled us having at the Bistro Volnay.
While one of us ordered the foie gras we were invited to share it and it was lovely; as well, the Medoc special - grenier medicain - pigs' feet and stomach re-made with garlic and spices, was delicious.
Then 2 of our crew of 5 had cod and monkfish, which my camera balked at, so you'll just get a blurry look at the cochon du lait and veggies the other 3 of us loved.
For the finale, three of us shared a rather banal baba au rhum, but all of us indulged in the mignardises and coffee. And I should note that like Laidback, I too couldn't tell the difference between the doors to the lady, the tiger and the bathroom.
The bill, per couple, with a bottle of Chateldon, amounted to 112.80 E a couple.
Go? After all the buzz, you gotta; especially in that Bombinette exquise, which I guess we'd call a "little deuce coupe."
April 22, 2012
Abbott and Weiwei at the Jeu de Paume: Exhaustive & Exhausting; Shameful and sameful.
As many times as I've been in and around the Place de la Concorde, and I remember most memorably entering it in 1955 on a two-wheeled rocket, after a long slog from Istanbul, I got out of the subway today, gasped looking at the Jeu de Paume and thought - "this really is spectacular."
Now maybe I'm jaded and past my shelf life, as some readers have suggested, but despite the museum's statement that many of Abbott's photos were displayed here for the first time, it seemed to me that I had unfortunately "been there, seen that." As for Al Weiwei, what the Chinese government is doing to him is a scandal but pictures of middle fingers in front of buildings and dropping pots are hardly a reason to put someone in jail without a trial.
I rated them both sans Wows.
Axuria in the 15th: "John, this is the best run of places ever."
Today, our oldest Paris friends who are still speaking to us accompanied me out to the outer banks of the 15th where we had a meal every bit as good as Colette and I had a few Sundays ago.
The house started us off with some sliced Iberico ham, puffy bread sticks and a fine veloute of green asparagus which was perfect for the chilly rainy afternoon.
M. had the BBQ of gambas with quinoa, Mme. the pressed leeks and microtomed scallops and I the escargots with the requisite amout of garlic and butter and a new twist - chopped nuts - all quite tasty.
Madame then had a nice piece of daurade, Monsieur the tete de veau fashioned as a bric and I a perfectly cooked 1/2 cote de boeuf - all with an incredible amount of both spring veggies and potatoes.
For desserts they had a 3 sorbets (mango, orange citron and whatever) and a moelleux of caramel while I was content with the rest of the Chateau Darzac.
With OK bread, no coffee nor bottled water and two of the Bordeaux our bill was 160.70 E, thus 107 E a couple. And it's open for Sunday lunch folks.
April 21, 2012
Repaire de Cartouche in the 11th: "Splendid....best lamb ever" he said.
My friend Paga, whom I've eaten more meals with than anyone else excepting Colette, in France or New York, suggested we go back to the Repaire de Cartouche, even though he'd just been a week ago and me, 6 months ago. He took one look at the carte and said "This is pretty much new stuff."
We started off with Paquin's signature rillettes, his superb bread and some (20 E) Cahors, just right for a typical gutsy Paquin meal.
Paga started off with a wonderful cabbage salad of fat and fat (it was called a salad of bacon and lard, but he deemed it just like college rowing table scapple) [I too loved it]; the arty/histy/archy types had salmon cru with what was called a cauliflower tabouli but was truly oversalted cauliflower florette bombs; and I had what may have been my best ever tender/tasty/trumptious octopus salad with baby artichoke heart quarters and oversalty capers. Whoa!
Then our friend from Cantbrigia had a really tough pave de boeuf, even in France where the beef ipso facto is lean and mean; Madame Elan had the veal which was dry and kinda tough for her to take and the Master and I had the best milk-fed lamb's leg of the century, take that back, the 20th and 21st centuries; 5 WOW's. It came with beans and roasted garlic; oh boy, "gone to heaven" time.
At this point P. and I passed on dessert, happily digesting our gigot and beans, and the two deprived artsy mecs journeyed on to a spicy kiwi fruit and macaroon with raspberries, which they much liked.
Our bill with two bottles of wine, no bottled water and four coffees was 115 E a couple for the greatest lamb ever; no contest there or here.
Go? Patricia Wells says that one must go once a year and I'll enthusiastically endorse that.
April 20, 2012
La Cerisaie in the 14th: "Better than ever," my old friend said.
The other day, my main food guy whom I've known long enough to have been in our wedding, said 'Let's go to Cerisaie." "Good idea," said I. "Let's do it."
To some extent, nothing's changed since 2003 when it opened under Cyril and Maryse Lalanne's control; it still has an astonishingly comprehensive carte plus 4 specials; something for everyone.
We argued among ourselves as to who got the best starter; all were superb; the fresh morilles with egg, white asparagus and a cassoulet of beans, escargots and chorizo.
For mains we had sauteed foie gras (which could have been a bit warmer but I think chef wanted to retain the moist inside) with polenta, a civet of tripes, that Paga had dropped by the resto earlier this week to ensure was on the carte, and a lovely salmon; again all the dishes were, like Lake Woebegon, above average.
And I hesitate to say it again, but all our desserts were terrific as well; from the fluffy/runny caramel mousse through the dried fruit jam with roquefort ice cream (you read that right) to the strawberries and ice cream.
With super bread, 2 bottles of Pays de l'Herault wine and 4 coffees our bill came to 100.50 E a couple; right there on the price line.
Discoveries at Dulles: Shuttle-flights and Wine-flights.
I had a couple'a hours to kill at Dulles and have been seeing signs for the Art & Space Museum for months/years and my ex-boss told me that his (grown) son said it was terrific so I went. As I tried to park (entrance is free, parking is $15 until 4 PM) hundreds of folks bypassed the lines and I had a sinking feeling - I'll bet there's something for Discovery today.
So I entered the main hanger and was overwhelmed; everything from WWII Japanese planes shot from submarines to an Air France Concorde. I'm a cynic about almost everything but this was astonishing; beautiful, colorful and exhausting. As I was wandering bedazed about I saw a huge crowd facing another hanger and was told that they're hooking up Discovery "soon." But another terrific guard said, if you really want to see it, go outside - there.
And indeed, "there" it was, all burned up and worn out, first stationary, then towed slowly by the Rover towards the hanger, past Endeavor, which now goes to New York. It was incredible to see thousands of adults and kids awestruck by this event, essentially the end of the Space Era as we enter the Planetary one. Like a funeral, it was sad, respectful but terribly moving. The end of an era! How often will we witness one of those?
Then off to Dulles and Vino Volo where I had their cheapo house wine ($15 but with a $12 corkage fee - whoa!)
For fine dining with my wine I had a decent platter of artisinal charcuterie and an absolutely miserable soggy "taco" with an absolutely unspicy bunch of shredded pork and coleslaw and absolutely tasteless sauce.
My bill was $42 before tip.
Go again? Un unh. Next time it's fine dining in Tyson's Corner.
April 19, 2012
April 18, 2012
John Talbott
I was surely born in France of a chef father and food critic mother.
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