John Talbott's Paris

Terroir Parisien and the Repaire de Cartouche. Disappointing hearsay.

I wrote an essay a while back about what to do when readers note that places are not up to snuff or not the way I wrote them up, so here goes - hearsay but people I trust.

The Terroir Parisien has come to my attention as being disappointing to two persons, one a long-time Paris resident and friend, the other a loyal contributor to Chowhound.   And the Repaire de Cartouche's food was found by my friend, who's been a dozen times and always loved it, to also be very off.

Again this is hearsay but in the spirit of "the best surprise in no suprise" - there it is.

Les Enfants Terribles in the 11th: Surprising (across the board) for a fall-back place.

 

 

 

 

5.2 Les Enfants Terribles, 63, rue Saint Maur in the 11th (no not that in the 8th or 12th), closed Sundays, was a serendipitous find; I was headed to 67 where was located both a restaurant/brasserie/bistro/bar which didn't look right and La Buvette where a photo shoot was clearly underway inside, so I mosied around the quartier until I fell upon Les Enfants Terribles which looked doable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the ardoise outside it said plate of the day osso buco formula 14 E and that met my needs, so in I popped; first I had oeufs mayo (maison) with some of the nicest mayo I've had in a long time, then genuine, but surely Metro osso buco with a wonderful peppery aftertaste and then a quite decent but again Metro I'm sure - creme brulee.

The bill, with a 1/2 bottle of a Cotes du Rhone and a coffee, was an easy 29 E.

Go?  I wouldn't plan on it, but if forced, grin and bear it.

Circonstances in the 2nd: Another blow-out meal; let the good times (continue to) roll!

 

6.6, Circonstances, 174 rue Montmartre in the 2nd, 01.42.36.17.05, closed Monday nights and weekends, (Metro: Grands Boulevards) has seen the gang from Caractères leave for elsewhere in town and that of D'Hier et d'Aujourd'hui in the 17th (which I took quite a shine to and not to be confused with Le 122: Bistrot d'Hier et Aujourd'hui, 122, rue de Grenelle in the 7th which I also love) take over and the food is better than ever.  The menu is much bigger, the wine list more impressive and the place much spacier.  NB Apparently they also do tapas at nite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My dining partner, who has a quick, decisive manner looked paralysed - "I cannot decide between 5 things" "You go ahead, I'll pick what you dont."  OK.  I ordered, then she said 'Oh, I wasn't even considering those."  So over on the shelves of wine was a sign that said for take out a "Terrine de la maison - 36 E."  "Must be good" says she,"I'll have it."  And I thought ot was spectacular, she less so, maybe I'm deprived of such.  And I had the Tarte of beef Thai-style, fresh cut, good product, spicy, oh Boy!  With superior bread.  Superior!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then she had the tuna with artichokes which I a non-cooked tuna guy thought was good but I much more liked my scallops a la placha with beans like you ordinarily only get in Milano.  First rate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally she had the rice pudding with caramel beurre sale (about as good as it gets) and I had the chocolate mousse was equally impressive.

Our bill with a bottle of wine and no bottled water but two coffees would have amounted to 90 E a couple had I not insisted on a small dessert wine.

Go?  Unreservedly.  I mean reserve, fast.

Le Lulli in the 1st: A starred-type meal at non-star prices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.5 Le Lulli in the Grand Hotel du Palais Royal, 4, rue de Valois in the First, 01.42.96.72.20, open for lunch only weekdays (Metro: Palais Royal) is a knock-out looking restaurant in a knock-out looking hotel across from the Palais Royal Gardens.  (It's the sort of place where the waiters wear white gloves when handlng the silverware.)  I entered way ahead of time and so ordered some wine and they immediately produced bread (OK), butter (fine) and battered fried strips of sole with a tartare (picture disappeared) that made all the others I've had over the summer and fall taste pathetic.  My friends showed up, got the same pre-amuse and then we all got the main amuse of a dense, dark, intense lobster bisque with some cripsy things on top.  "Top top" as Chirac would say.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We perused the carte and Madame decided to forgo to 42 E three course "menu" which the two men decided to have, starting with a tourte of grouse, veal liver and foie gras with a dense, dark, intense sauce that had a pepper after-taste - heaven!

Then Madame had the blue lobster which was as tender as can be and the two guys had the "hearts" of cod with wonderfully roasted endives and a perfect sauce.  At this point we got another starred resto touch, a palate cleanser of stark white lemon ice in a stark white bowl with stark white chips - blinding perhaps but delicious.

 

 

 At this point I began to lose track of things - Madame, it seems without ordering it, got what was called a lemon tart with meringue, M. a tart of Poire Williams and I a tart of chocolate.  Wonderful all.

Our bill, now I'm not going to lie to you, just fiddle a bit with the numbers, with two persons ordering the 42 E menus and wine and coffee, amounts to 126 E - no kidding.

Go?  Another for my better half.

Roca in the 17th: Pretty much perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.8 Roca, 31, rue, Guillaume Tell in the 17th, 01.47.64.86.04, closed weekends (Bus: PC 3) has been open a few weeks and gotten a good bit of good press.  It's chef'd by Alexandre Giesbert, ex of the Restaurant Richer and he has a wonderful ability to combine different fresh products in new ways and have them presented by two front-room guys who couldn't be nicer.  The front is super-cool, in inside bricks and mortar and there's a table d'hote in a room at the back for 12 available for private parties.  The menu doesn't look all that exceptional but what comes out sure is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Cantabridgian companion ordered the burrata with an escabeche of acidulated vegetables and sauce of Kalamata olives, sounds banal no?  No, exciting, palate pleasing, wake up and small the flowers time.  And I ordered a ceviche of black mullet with Chino Brothers type tiny baby cukes with sorrel and a pistachio sauce.  Nover heard of such a thing, but i want it again.  Then both of us had scallops with a burned endive, zesty flowers of fennel and cedrat.  Again, astonishing stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dessert, I must confess we went from the spectacular to the merely super-excellent.  Still enjoying our Pic St-Loup, my friend had the dense rummy Nantaise cake with sauces and I the apple and rhubarb with nuts and reine des pres (meadowsweet - I had to look it up, at my age, that's embarrassing).  Wow, double wow and so forth!

The bill, hold your hats, with all a la carte, wine, no bottled water and two coffees - 100E even.

Go?  Please don't until Mrs T. returns.

Reviews of reviews: The week of October 21st, 2013.

Monday-Tuesday, Jerome Berger in A Nous Paris, reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to the previously mentioned Enfants Rouges in the 3rd and Philippe Toinard gave the same to Muxu, 16, rue Deguerry in the 11th, 01.48.07.44.43, closed Sundays which has good price-quality food (17 E lunch formula and 22 E lunch menu) with items such as celery rabe soup, a boudin noir and figs.

Tuesday, in Le Fooding, Julie Gerber reviewed the Greek L’Olivier in the 3rd.

In Wednesday’s Figaroscope, Emmanual Rubin awarded 3 hearts to the Japanese Okuda in the 8th and 2 hearts to Circonstances, 174, rue Montmartre in the 2nd, 01.43.36.17.05, closed weekends as well as Monday and Tuesday at dinner, with a 20 E lunch menu and 34 E dinner one with items such as eggs and mushrooms and a brandade of morue.  He deemed the Bar du Moulin in the 2nd and the Café des Concerts in the Cite de la Musique in the 19th worthy only of 1 heart and Marcel in the 7th to merit a broken heart.

The Dossier this week by Alice Bosio, Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint Phalle dealt with various types of new places that feature wine:
Epure
Floquifil
La Grande Cremerie
La Caviste Bio
Septime, La Cave
Les Rouquins
La Buvette de Camille
Simone
Vivant Cave
Buvette
Nicolas
La Cave
En vrac

And Francois Simon devoted his Hache Menu to Le Petit Pan where he ate for 35 E.

Thursday in L’Express, Francois-Regis Gaudry reviewed the Gourmandises in Corneilles; Charles Patin O'Coohoon covered Roca in the 17th, coordinates given before ; and Irene Platet favored Le Bel Oeil in Nice.

Saturday, there was a two page spread in Figaro by Lena Lutaud on celebrity food products covering everyone from Paul Newman to the Duchess of Cornwall.

Sunday in the JDD Aurelie Chaigneau’s Discovery of the week was also Roca (7/10), her address for Suday was the English Bliss (5), and revisit to Le Petit Matieu, 55 rue des Vigaigriers in the 10th, 0146.07.09.49, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, with lunch menus at 14 & 18 E, dinner 20 and 30 E, which is primarily a bistro a vins with some plates.  In the JDD femina, Francois Lemarie reviewed Lazare.

Le Signal in the 15th: Metro almost all the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.0 Le Signal, 21, ave Felix Faure in the 15th, 01 75 85 14 20 (Metro: Felix Faure), open 7/7 for breakfast and lunch, was.... well, let me explain....

Last week, planning the weekend's meals, I emailed my good friend J., asking that he reserve at the Bistro du 15eme; he called, they said "No reservations." I asked "ever?" He said "They were vague.  I'll look for a backup i the area."  "Me too."

So as I emerge from the Metro he greets me, Bistro du 15eme close exceptionally, backup #1 closed exceptionally, backup #2 open but awful looking menu.  "Walk I say."  "Nah," says J's partner, "looks just like what I want."  "Burgers and sandwiches" enquire I.  "Yah."  "OK."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J. orders the Perigourdine salad, I say 'Not Metro", he says "Yes, reconstructed, but fresh."  Indeed.  His partner and I have fish'n'chips - Metro all the way - fish crisp but so what, tartare out of a squeeze bottle, fries not improved by salt or Balsamic out of a spray bottle.  So far, this is a disaster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice pictures eh, looks good?  Well the cheese(s) was/were very good; the sablé avec pistache, citron(?) and a fruit which might have been nectarine. with Rediwhip, so-so and the creme brulee that was "pas mal."

The bill, with a bottle and a half of quite decent Bordeaux red and Sancerre rose, nice Illy coffee and no decibels recorded (the place was empty = no noise), was 108.60, ergo 73.60 E a couple.

Go?  Unh unh, not if you dragged me.

Allard in the 6th under Ducasse: "Les clients ne viennent pas chez nous faire des découvertes gastronomiques mais faire de vieilles connaissances culinaires."

 

6.2 Allard, 41, St Andre-des-Arts in the 6th, 01.43.26.48.23, open 7/7 (Metro: St. Michel, Odeon) came under the control of Alain Ducasse about at the rentree and I went through a roll-call of my usual suspects to find a dining partner ever since then.  And here's what I heard:

- Are you kidding?
- After Aux Lyonnais, Benoît, the Jules Verne and Rech?
- Sorry, John I love yah but....
- I'll never eat at another Ducasse resuscitated restaurant in my life,
- Are you nuts?

As you can see my pals are not very opinionated.  But I approached someone in the food biz whose work impells her to eat everywhere and know every place and and advise searchers/seekers, so I had a partner.  The place looks the same as it did in 1968 when 4 of us were seated in the non-smoking section aka the English-speaking table(s).  The carte, which I've been spying over the years I've walked by (mainly en route to Ze), kept creeping up and so it was no surprise to learn that the main course, frogs' legs, I would have chosen if Croesus were paying, was 5 more Euros than the entire lunch "menu."  Said "menu" resembled those at top places during New York's Restarant week - that is, a salad and farm salmon and creme brulee.

 

The amuse was/were cubes of cucumber with a most unusually nice sauce and dill flakes I believe; our wine (I finally found Waldo in the red Loires) most excellent; and the first course I had was called a cervelas salad but what I call a salad frisee with sausages and hers which was the classic salad frisee with lardons were the likes of which I haven't had since the pre-Ducassian 1960's meals at Aux Lyonnais (our other choice was/were green beans - boring!)  Oh and the cereal bread was outstanding.

Then we ordered the coq au vin (rather than the salmon) and what a let down.  While not as watery as the one at Chez Rene, or with as bad products as one gets at truck stops, it couldn't hold a candle to those of anyone's who has followed Julia Child's classic recipe.  Salt, humm, pepper, humm, Tabasco, no I couldn't go there.

 

 

 

I had the figs in cognac, quite decent; my friend the apple tarte, equally so and we finished with coffees and classic brandied cherries.

Our bill: 101 E for 2.

Go?   Well, Andre Allard said "Les clients ne viennent pas chez nous faire des découvertes gastronomiques mais faire de vieilles connaissances culinaires."  In other words, come for comfort food not a food experience.  So maybe one should for the carte but there's no need for me to return for the "menu" which fell apart in mid-meal, just to have a great salad frisee and figs.

 

La Cape Rouge in Bougival: You'll never go but I did and I'm glad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.0 La Cape Rouge, 6, Quai Clemenceau in Bougival (78380), 01.39.69.18.98, closed Saturday lunch, Sunday dinner and Mondays is a place my good friend the French diplomat, now on R'n'R from one of the hottest hot-spots on the planet, chose that was near enough to his home and mine, to make a visit.  It's not far from the other spot Colette and I have frequented, Le Camelia, en route to Giverny, ever since the wonderful Gérald van der Kemp allowed us to begin visiting the gardens just as they were about to be finished and flower.  In any case, it's a small place that looks like your grandmother's living room, but has four chefs and one front-room guy, an impressive menu and a silky smooth mousse of Paris mushrooms.

 

I let my old buddy from the wine family (now you know who he is) choose a fine Red Chinon (natural, bio and all that) and he started with 3 types of foie gras and I had the sauteed foie gras atop Cointreau-infused poached or roasted apple and/or pear dices.  We were certainl;y off to a great start.  Two notes: it took forever (he timed  it at 45 minutes) to get our firsts, and it was so quiet I didn't use my decibelmeter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then he had the magret interspersed with figs, salad and pears and I four tempured scallops lovely presented with veggies that were a tad too over-salted for me.  The chef and I later had a discussion about this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we did what any self-respected Franco-American pals do, we ordered another bottle of wine, some cheese and a chocolate souffle with mango bits atop.  Quite good all.

Our bill, well, I'm fudging here, but for normal folk, not just back from a war-zone, two three course "menus" with no bottled water but one bottle of wine and one coffee would be 110E.  Oh, disclosure; my friend picked up the check in gratitude for past kindnesses on my part that he recalls but I don't.

Go?  This is tough and will be put to the test when Colette and I head towards Giverny next year - here or Le Camelia?  On verra!

Paris Pix: Retro in the nabe.