July 2013
July 09, 2013
The Hays Collection at the Orsay until August 18th.
Le Marloe in the 8th: So warm a welcome, so well-prepared the food.
Le Marloe in the 8th remains one of the most pleasant places to eat in town, even now when it's bursting at the seams with success.
To start, our friend, a journalist who works for a TV station I much admire here, chose the buratta and tomatoes with balsamic, EEVOO, etc and Colette and I both had their signature gambas in a panko crust with a Dubarry mousseline, Kikkoman caramel and lime. Delicious. Then all three of us (sometimes a mistake leaving "No Exit") had the daily special - daurade royal with green tomatoes and roasted peaches - fish with peachers? - yes and it worked very well indeed.
Then for dessert, Colette had the verrine of "ile flottant" (sort of), our friend had the chocolate cream and macaroon and I had a verrine of mango-passion fruit sorbet, praline mousse, caramel and caramelized nuts. Very pleasant conclusion to a fine meal.
Our bill with a bottle and glass (offered) of Touraine, terrific bread and 3 coffees was the equivalent of 126.46 E a couple.
July 08, 2013
Murano (glass) at the Musee Maillol until 28 July.
I was most eager to go the the Musee Maillol for the temporary exhibition of Murano glass from the Renaissance until now partly because i go to Venice and murano every other year and enjoy it so much.
I wasn't much taken by the old stuff but the last room with big animals is worth the price of admission.
Les Climats in the 7th: Beautiful garden, nice food, attentive staff.
Returning to Les Climats in the 7th today was a quadruple pleasure; it was a perfect day for a lunch in their garden, Colette had hankered to go and had it 2nd on her list, our friends, the culinary guide/writer and Professor/writer were game and I wanted to see what it was like a few weeks after it had opened.
As before, they had wonderful warm gougères (olive and cheese) to start and then the two ladies had a tout petit pois which was peas three ways (superb) and the men had the mackerel which lacked specialness.
For mains, there was again a gender split, the women cloosing the bar with a crisp skin and veggies and the men a rollatine of chicken with said vegetables. You'll note a green cast to the photos which is not due to a filter, a political statement or a camera aberration, but the result of strong sun coming through green umbrellas.
We split two desserts; a sable with rhubarb and raspberries and a dark chocolate cake with white chocolate strips and clementine ice, and then were treated to a plate of mignardises.
Our bill, with no bottled water but 2 bottles of rose and 2 coffees was 103.50 E a couple.
July 07, 2013
Chez Christophe in the 17th: opinions varied.
5.0 Chez Christophe, 148, rue Cardinet in the 17th (Metro: Brochant), crept under the radar screen, opening in January but discovered by me (that means I only woke up to its existence) a week ago. We approached and the staff, typically French, were smoking outside, teeing off Colette who wanted a warm welcome, some water (on this very warm second day of Spring) and some wine. The space is ultramodern, with a stupendous wood-burning grill and an interesting carte.
We were hosting 1/2 of a French-Brit family, and it was semi-celebratory, as their daughter just learned that she had achieved the highest possible Bac score - a wonderful achievement - "Mention trés bien" which meant she was looking at Cambridge or University College London. Her Dad, who is a diplomat in Libya wrote that after yesterday's attack on their "consul a benghazi" "Everything is normal: attentat raté." On to food....Our friend and Colette had the gaspacho (of tomato not cucumber as advertised on the menu) which they deemed good and I had the marinated bar which I found way over-salted.
Then our friend had the daurade royale which was very large and very good, her daughter had the gambas from the grill which she liked. I had the BBQ pork ribs which were smothered with BBQ sauce, overcooked and the portion size was twice as much as a normal 18 year old Texan could put away. (Colette had an entree portion of the marinated bar - she wished I had advised her to have another dish after I had it as a first.)
For desserts Colette had a lemon tart - the crust was awful but the lemon portion was good. Our friend's daughter had the tiramisu.
With a bottle and a half of wine, 3 coffees, OK bread and no bottled water, for the adults it amounted to about 70 E a couple.
Go? If you live nearvy it would be OK for a "cook's night out," otherwise unh unh.
Chez Christophe in the 17th: opinions varied.
5.0 Chez Christophe, 148, rue Cardinet in the 17th (Metro: Brochant), crept under the radar screen, opening in January but discovered by me only a week ago.
July 06, 2013
Dalou, Felix Ziem and Slovinian Impressionists at the Petit Palais.
I think the kindest thing I can say about these three exhibitions at he Petit Palais is that that they were not to my taste.
Les Saisons in the 9th: "This may have been my best meal this summer" quoth Colette.
Les Saisons, 52 Rue Lamartine in the 9th, 01.48.78.15.18, (Metro: ND de Lorette) has become a regular stop for us since it opened. The menu is always so interesting, the staff so warm and the prices so easy that you forget that the food is really really good.
As comprehensive as the carte was I decided to have 3 entrees and Colette was having one plat so I said "listen, order the artichoke with ham and parmesan, I'll eat it." Ha. She almost polished it off before I reminded her and we switched plates, I having had the ceviche of sardines with chopped veggies. Both were terrific. But then suddenly before our seconds appeared unordered gaspacho and little tempura balls of fish and zucchini arrived (just delicious!) Colette, the Gaspacho Queen said "It was terrific!"
Then Colette had the daurade with a crisp skin and sauce to which a lot of crustaceans sacrificied their shells - it was great - and I had the sauteed foie gras on the bed of celery puree and 3 raspberries that Colette declared sweet as could be.
For dessert Colette had today's delicious crumble of strawberries and rhubarb and I the baba with extra rum & whipped cream.
With a bottle of wine, terrific bread & butter, 2 gaspachos & 2 tempura treats, 2 more glasses of wine offered [apparently due to a slight spill]) and two coffees our bill was 94.40 E. We will return!
July 05, 2013
Simon Hantaï at the Pompidou: A strange exhibition.
So, a French friend whom we've known forever said, in response to Colette's query about what exhibitions she'd recommd us to see - Simon Hantaï at the Pompidou. So, I went and the reason I say it's a strange exhibition is because it is.
The throwaway morning rag DirectMatin published a photo yesterday that convinced me to go.
It was a huge show and strange - great stuff and very derivative junk.
So go? I dunno. If you get in for free (like I do because of my Laissez-Passer from Jacques Chirac) go, otherwise look up his images on Google etc.
John Talbott
I was surely born in France of a chef father and food critic mother.
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