John Talbott's Paris

Comme Chez Maman in the 17th: "Disappointing;" "How disappointing?"; "Very disappointing."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comme Chez Maman, coordinates given before, has been a favorite of ours (and good friends who live upstairs from it) since it opened and the French woman who knows the most about food in France agreed this was a "dandy" idea for a Sunday lunch.  When Colette and I arrived, she had
done the American "thing" and ordered some Bordeaux and we plunged into the carte and "menu."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She (the French woman who knows the most about food in France) ordered the oeufs Mayo and they and my ceviche of langoustines (third pix) were both prepared just before serving, not yesterday, and thus warm and delicious and Colette had the carpaccio of mushrooms which were equally good.  Great start to a great meal - well, "Minute Papillion."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, CRASH, everything came tumbling down.  Madame, the the French woman who knows the most about food in France had the entrecote which was by itself OK, but ruined by a strange mustardy-tasting sauce; Colette had a piece of farm chicken which was OK but the chopped veggies were a strange color, due to a sauce that was strangely spicy; and I had sauteed girolles (at 14 E mind you) that were overcooked to crispitude. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But we were not about to be defeated by Wim Van Gorp, whom our friend the the French woman who knows the most about food in France informed us, had, at Market, used the same goofy-off-putting sauces, so we ordered some strawberries, and when the orange-green pots of creme appeared I thought we were on our way to heaven; but halt, stop, achtung, stoppen, without said cream and lots of sugar, they were not much of a much.  Indeed our sharp-eyed friend noticed that some at the bottom of the pile "were just plain rotten."

So there we were, charged the equivalent of 118 E a couple and our wait-guy completely reversed our bills and indeed charged our friend a ficticious 158 E (out of a bill of 177 E).  It was at this point that our friend, the French woman whom I most admire.....etc., who had previously said she would not write this place up negatively on her blog or guidebook, looked at me and said "let 'er rip."  Meantime, Colette, who has dined at Comme Chez Mama 3 times, is not ready to toss in the towel.

Terminus Nord in the 10th: Goodbye old love.

Le Terminus Nord, 23, rue de Dunkerque in the 10th is a place we've been coming to off an on ever since I moved here some 25 some years ago, usually when meeting folks coming off the Chunnel-trains/etc. and today we were seeing our two delightful, well-behaved, adventuresome 14 yo grand-kids off to the US of A and since I've had United delay my last three flights for hours, I didn't want to go to a destination resto - because who knew when we'd see their plane's wheels go up, I imposed Le Terminus Nord on Colette.  Big mistake, should'a'had yogurt at home.

 

 

 

I started off with onion soup which was despite its watery dilution not too bad; Colette had the fish soup with all the trimmings which she deemed "awful" but I guess it paled when compared to that which we had from the fish market in Trouville a few days ago, e.g. it was not worth it.   I then had their specialty - the ris de veau with morilles - again, not totally disgraceful but not worth almost 33 E.

To save the day I ordered some crepes, which again, were OK, but hardly worth the trouble.

With a carafe each of white and red, plus a tad more, so-so bread, a dB level of 80.4 and 2 coffees our bill was 112.30 E.

Go again?  I'm afraid not.

Le Bar a Huitres Saint-Germain: A nice revisit

 

Le Bar a Huitres v. 5 aka Saint-Germain was a place I visited in November 2010 after it opened and my memory of it was pleasant, so when we went by it on the way to Les Degres with the kids, we looked at the menu and decided it fit our bill.  During our visit I noticed several of the Dorr's touches I hadn't seen on my first visit: the iPad menus, the iPad-like signage on the toilettes and the raised mini-lazy-Susan with olive oil, salt, pepper and butters.  The amuse bouche was a lovely mussel and curry soup and the bread was good.

Colette said she just wanted the snails and the kids both just wanted the mussels, whereas I started with oysters on my 26 E 3-course "menu."  All were quite good.

 

 

 

Then I went on to have the dorade which was quite boring and the sorrel sauce which was more than boring (only after i got home did I read my 2010 review where I said next time get my fish fried, sauteed, a la planch'd).  The spinach that came with it was also boring until I added some vinegar that had come with the oysters.  The girls enjoyed the copious portions of mussels but declared that the ones we had bought and cooked at our friend MFD's home in Deauville were better - I think the addition of creme fraiche (a touch our hostess employed) to our Deauville mussels was the key factor, plus of course the freshness of the product.  Colette almost finished the mussels the girls left over.  The coffee was OK and I shared the mousse and biscuits that came with it with the girls who were enthusiastic about them.

With a bottle and glass of Muscadet, horrible music and one more coffee our bill came to 57 E a couple.

 

Day 5 in Normandy: Le 4 Saisons in Rouen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.5 Le 4 Saisons in Rouen is a well-rated place right across from the SNCF station where I had to return my fine Ford car before returning via train to Paris.  It's a nice place with elegant nappery etc, a wall hanging of fake moss & other greens (which looked real)  and they served an absolutely first class beet soup with a chives cream topping.  I chose the 25 E three course menu and started with quite nice foie gras shavings and salad (unpictured).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I had a confit of duck with a most bizarre sauce, not bad or inedible, just weird; the kids saw nothing that appealed to them so Colette negotiated vegetarian options - an omelette and a deconstructed mixed salad; and she had a very good nage of langoustines in sorrel sauce.

For desserts, the kids both had assorted sorbets, Colette a sable with caramel ice cream and I a creme brulee (all currently uploadable).

Our bill with a bottle and glass of Bordeaux, terrific bread and rolls and 2 coffees, was the equivatent of 63.20 E a couple.

Day 4:La Terrasse at the Caen Memorial and Le 21 in Deauville

 

3.0 La Terrasse at the Memorial in Caen was the most convenient and interesting looking place during our visit there and since it was finally Spring after 6 months we sat on the terrace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For firsts my long-time French friend had foie gras with a brioche and I had andouille on a brioche-type bun with a rich sauce - both were quite OK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For mains, our friend had some strips of magret of canard which was uninteresting; our grand-kids and Colette had the salmon and noodles that no one was especially in love with, and I had a boring marmite of seafood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For desserts my local hostess had the coffee gourmand, Colette had the chocolate, the kids the apple tart and I a Paris-Brest Normand; all were examples of how good looking food and good looking pictures don't necessarily signal good food.

With a bottle of wine from the Gard (Colette had three glasses of the OK white wine that came with the  3 "Express" menus), great cereal bread and 3 coffees, our bill would amount to 51.20 E for a couple.

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For dinner - "BUT JOHN YOU DON'T EAT DINNER OUT" - "Ah ha Dear Reader, I do after cleaning my flat or help closing up our friend's villa in Deauville."

 

 

 

5.0 Le 21 in Deauville is walking distance from our friend's villa and a place recommended by one of her friends.

 

My friend ordered some strips of sole coked a la fish n'chips that one of our grandkids liked so much she ordered a portion for herself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For our nexts our guest/hostess had the tete de veau, the girls respecively had a plate of crudites and mozzarella and tomatoes, Colette had raie (not very good) nd I had (unpictured) alsatian snails (although I was not able to differentiate them from the usual prep in garlic and butter).  In any case, all were quite average, except the raie, neither awful nor exemplary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For finals, we had from top to bottom, an apple tart, chocolate mousse, floating island and profiteroles.  All OK, not great.

With a Kir, nice bottle of Bordeaux, no coffees but one Calva, our bill per couple comes to about 65 E.

Day 3 in Normandy: La Rapiere in Bayeux

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.8 La Rapiere in Bayeux is sure a "Ye Olde Style" Restaurant that serves "Ye Contemporary Cuisine" that serves very contemporary cuisine.  They started us off with an amuse of a wonderful mushroom soup with bits of truffles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Deauville hostess/friend had the oysters and I started with three roasted gambas with wonderfully offsetting chopped vegetables.

 

 

 

Then I, who had the bigger "menu" had a trou Normand which carved its intended hole.  One of the grandkids had the cocotte of fish and veggies, the other had cod with vegetables, Colette had the gambas, our friend had a (much too dry) pork.   I had an almost perfectly cooked filet of veal to which I added a tad bit of salt; sauce was spectacular - an impressive dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For finales I had a cheese plate; our friend had the cheesecake, the ladies had chocolate mousse and I had the creme brulee with speculoos.

With a bottle and a glass of wine, terrific bread and three coffees our bill was the equivalent of 105.60 E a couple.

Day 2 Normandy: Entre Terre et Mer in Honfleur

 

 

 

6.0 Entre Terre et Mer in Honfleur was not our first or second choice but what a good pick it was.  It has two locations across the street from each other, one more a regular restaurant and the other more of a bar a huitres plus.  The menu is a wow-inducing 23 E for 2 courses and a glass of wine and they started the entire table off with a fabulous warm lobster soup with pulverized rocket cream on top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ordered the cold clam soup and the French friend we've known the longest time who is hosting us at her family's villa in Deauville had warm version - both quite exemplary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our two 14 year old grands both decided to have the wok'd vegetables which they ate half-heartedly;  we three adults polished off what they didn't consume (silly girls), I had a rollade of pintadeau with a forcemeat that was divine, our friend had a merlan and Colette did justice to the three fish of the day.  We realized we were getting quite inventive market-food for a steal.

 

 

 For a final act Colette and the kids really enjoyed various sorbets, our friend had a deconstructed creme renversee and I had what was called a baba Calva but if it ever saw a drop of Calvados, I'd be surprised, but it was still quite good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With mignardises, a bottle of Anjou Gamay and three coffees our bill cameout to 67 E a couple.

Go?  Absolutely.

Normandy Day 1: La Couronne in Rouen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.5 La Couronne in Rouen touts itself as the oldest Inn in France and it might well be. There is a quote from the film Julia & Julie on the wall that advertises the fact that Julia Child's first meal in France was at La Couronne.  (and the rest is history).  The restaurant is old - it has wood-beamed ceilings, a duck press and a huge floral arrangement plus a super-nice staff.  The “Impressionist menu” had some very interesting sounding stuff and we plunged in.

 

 

 

We started with terrific oysters, an interesting looking concoction of Bellota-Bellota wrapped around salad greens and some raw tuna with another interesting sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we sampled the duck cooked superbly, nice cod with a greens and custard timbale and cochon fixed “pluma style” all of which Colette and I enjoyed even if the grandkids were not effusive.

Then came the local cheeses and boringly, we all had the deconstructed lemon tart, boringly not because it was boring but we should have experimented a bit with their other desserts.

With a fine bottle of Chinon Dozon Rouge, pretty good bread, fabulous Normand butter and two coffees our bill for the adults was 111 E a couple.

 

Reviews of reviews: The week of June 17th, 2013

Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to the previously mentioned Leo Dupont in the 6th, mentioning the asparagus, veal cutlet and sable with raspberries;  and  Philippe Toinard gave 3/5 to the Russian-sounding Café Kousmichoff in the 8th.

Tuesday, Yves Nespoulous in Le Fooding, reviewed the second Kunitoraya in the first.

In Figaroscope Emmanuel Rubin wrote about the 13 best places of 2013 :
Le Patio
Fish Club
Les Climats
La Pointe du Groin
Edgar
Blueberry
Boucherie Hugo Desnoyer
Table
Le Cafe Français
Le Petit Pan
Goust
Reparate
Manger
And he’s waiting for Grille, Allard, Lazare, Eyal Shani and other changes later on.

On Wednesday, in Figaroscope, a special article was devoted to places along the Seine by Sophie de Santis and Colette Monsat that mentioned:
Omnivores Rives
Mozza & Co
Le Faust
Brunch Bazar
Le Rosa Bonheur sur Seine
Le Flow
MOB
Le Bar Guinguette des Nautes
Tartines en Seine
La Plage
La Plage de Batofar
Restaurant O
River Café
And on the Right Bank:
Paris Plages
Slick
As well as Wanderlust (on the Left Bank).

And Francois Simon in his Hache Menu went to Pouic Pouic in the 6th. He says to go if you live in the area.

In L’Express this week, Marie-Amal Bizalion reviewed Terroir Divin in Nice; Charles Patin O’Coohoon reviewed the Spanish Eusebio in the 15th; and Francis-Regis Gaudry reviewed top chef  Stéphanie Le Quellec’s La Scene in the Hotel Prince-de-Galles, 33, avenue George-V, in the 8th, 01.53.23.77.77, open 7/7 with a lunch menu at 60, dinner 125 and 165 as well as a la carte 120 E for items such as a vegetarian plate, cote de boeuf and blue lobster.

Sunday, in the JDD, Francois Lemaire reviewed La Rallonge in the 18th and Aurelie Chaigneau covered the Swedish Café Suedois (7/10) in the 3rd; returned to the Japanese Foujita in the 1st (6); and declared her find of the week Epure, 33 rue Mazarine, open 7/7, 01.46.34.84.52, costing 15-25 E for items such as their grignotages of meats and cheese with many wines.

The model in French fashion (Le Mannequin - le corps de la mode) at the Docks, Cité de la Mode et du Design

The model in French fashion (Le Mannequin - le corps de la mode) is a special exhibition at the Docks, Cité de la Mode et du Design, as part of the Galleria's attempt to portray fashion outside its walls during its renovation.  For me, an anti or at least an a-fashionista, to say an exhibition on mode is interesting, is quite a shock.  But it is and its opening panel (too blurred I'm afraid) explains the transit from anonymous wearer of famous guys' clothes to named/recognizable top model of today.  For boys of the hetero-persuasion there's enough tits and ass, as emaciated as they are, to perk up ones interest.

Go?  I give it 3 Wows and (don't you hate it when the New York Times reviews a show the day it's closing) it closes tomorrow, sorry.