John Talbott's Paris

Zebulon: Off my feed so not fair to judge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zebulon in the 1st is another old-faithful for us and we went back with someone who likes it equally well.  They were out of both the pigeon and St Pierre, which was a bummer, but that doesn't explain my malaise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were all on a short leash, so the ladies had the supreme de volaille (perfectly cooked) with bok choi - which our guest felt was drenched (too drenched) in sauce; I had the sweetbread, foie gras-and corn entree, which was just what I needed/wanted, and Colette finished off with a very good  pear with honey and almonds.

With a bottle and glass (Ajaccio) of wine, no bottled water and 3 coffees, our bill comes to 80.66 E a couple.

Problems:  Yes, aside from being out of two main plats, we had to 'hail' the wait staff too often (they were not paying attention!) and once we ordered the delivery of plates was incredibly slow versus prior visits.  Not sure what the problem was.

Reviews of Reviews: The week of 8 June, 2015

Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed (3/5) the Italian Ida in the 15th and Philippe Toinard gave 3/5 dots to GrandCoeur, 41 rue du Temple in the 4th, 01.58.28.18.90, open 7/7 with a lunch menu at 23 and dinner at 30 E for items such as a cream of asparagus, paparadelle with lamb ragout and fig clafoutis.

Tuesday, in Le Fooding, they reviewed a new VietNamese restaurant Do & Riz.

In Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin’s Hache Menu reviewed the Grand Coeur mentioned just above, which he urges one to go to.

And, in his usual 5 reviews of new places, he gave 3 hearts to one place, the above-mentioned Ida in the 15th.  He then awarded 2/5 hearts to 4 places:  Beckett, 8, rue Godot-de-Mauroy in the 9th, 09.53.31.68.68, closed Sundays with a la carte items running about 50 E of daurade and citrus sorbet; Jo, 5, rue de Fleurus in the 6th, 01.45.49.00.58, closed Sunday night and Mondays, running one about 45 E for items such as leeks vigaigrette, veal liver and chocolate mousse; the Korean Saam in the 10th; and the contemporary bistrot Partisan, 3, rue Rougemont in the 9th, 01.42.46.23.16, closed Sundays and Mondays, with lunch menus at 18 and 23, menu-carte 35 and 50 E for items such as St Pierre and a millefeuille of citrus.

The Dossier by Alice Bosio, Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint Phalle was about 15 pleasures on the Rue du Bac, including:
Coutume
Gaya Rive Gauche
Les Climats
Atelier Robuchon.

Thursday, L’Express published an article on Jean-Francois Piege leaving Thoumieux and reviewed the previously mentioned Ida in the 15th.

Saturday-Sunday, Figaro ran an article about chefs in starred-restaurants using vegetables that included the Shangri-La, Joel Robuchon & Yves Camdeborde.

And finally, Sunday, Aurelie Chaigneau in the JDD, listed as her address of Sunday – Le Burger fermier des Enfants-Rouges (7/10); her discovery of the week Cazes, 44, Joseph-de-Maistre in the 18th, 01.85.09.14.99, closed Sunday nights, Mondays & every lunch except Sundays running one between 20 and 30 E serving simple small plates (5.5/10) and her return to as Coretta (7.5/10).  In the version femina JZ reviewed the above-mentioned Ida.

Les Enfants Rouges in the 3rd: Beautiful French food, perfectly executed, wonderfully presented.

Les Enfants Rouges in the 3rd has been a favorite of ours since it was taken over Tomoko and Dai Shinozuka, he the long-time ex of Camdeborde's, not that we didn't adore Dany Bertin-Denis' version of a wine bistrot plus.  Today our center table had an extra feature, a vegetable centerpiece that could have come straight from Giuseppe Arcimboldo.  The menu, printed up each day (take a lesson Louis) had many old delights but a few new ones.

But first a little BoBo - in the form of 3 slices of tete de veau with several new, marinated veggies and greens plus some black olives puffs - Thanks Chef!  And with them a Syrah, well-beloved by the table.

For firsts, (Colette was missing in action), my colleague from the deepest 19th had the thick carpaccio of bar on veggies, her husband - the asparagus with black olives, parmesan and veggie garniture and I had wild baby asparagus with a fricassee of veal kidneys and soft-boiled egg - sounds simple, eh?  well, it's not!

Now in a way, our mains all resemble each other, because the Chef has the Japanese sensitivity to layering and using lots of vegetables and greens: but they were all quite different: Madame's "apple" of foie de veau, her husband's echine de porc and my pigeon (of which 1/2 came home it was so generous).  All superb.

They "offered" us a pre-dessert- 2 "first black cherries (Burla) of the year" with a mousse of almond milk; then we had the real desserts - strawberries, apricots with tapioca and a made-at-the-last-minute baba au rhum.  Scrumptious.

Our bill, with fine bread, 3 coffees, 2 bottles of wine (and 27 E in supplements) was 142.66 E a couple.

On my way to the Metro I passed street art in progress.

 

The Bistrot Belhara in the 7th: Like CSN, as good as ever if not better.

On our way over we saw this poster for CSN; brought back great memories.  Keep it up guys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bistrot Belhara in the 7th is a place we've been coming to since 2013 when our good friend and trusted source Laidback, steered us to it.  It's got that crusty old bistrot look but delivers modern/traditional food, whatever that is.  And deciding what to have is tough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, the ladies started off with a veloute of green asparagus atop crevettes (very nice); my friend from nearby had the jambon of Bayonne with "just-opened mussels"; and I had an oeuf mayo done traditional-modern, which I learned was an uncut hardboiled egg sitting on green asparagus with a warm runny mayo sauce - actually living up to its description.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then my friend and I had the echine de porc which was as tender and flavorful as described with a bowl of ratatouille which one was expected to put the rork on, but it didn't work for me - the rata was too sweet for the pork - so I ate them enjoyably, separately.  The ladies, meanwhile had the maigre (meagre, bocco d'oro, corbina, sari agiz, grb, sjenka, mayatico - says my trusty McClane's Fish Buyer's Guide) with veggies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To finish up, the boys had the Ossau-Iraty with a black cherry compote, our friend from the district had framboises and Colette had - what else? - riz au lait.  All fine.

With 2 bottles of wine, terrific Poujaran bread and demisel butter and 4 coffees - our bill came to 113 E a couple. 

GrandCoeur in the 4th: 2-star seafood with finesse; what you'd expect from Mauro Colagreco from Le Mizazur in Menton.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.9 GrandCoeur aka le Grand Coeur, 41, rue du Temple, (Metro: Rambuteau) open 7/7, 01.58.28.18.90, opened rather softly a few days ago while I had expected a flurry of buzz largely because it's the first northern outpost of Mauro Colagreco (he, the Argentinian-(Italian) chef of the 2-star Mirazur in Menton); also I fully expected he had set up his Argentinian-team and gone back home - but no - as you will see. 

Since I'm still bus-dependant, until the new knees arrive, Colette asked our invitees to go as early as possible and snare a seat in the outside courtyard-terrace (of the former Tex-Mex horror - The Studio - named for the adjacent School of Dance, Music and General Noise).  And they did and we had superb seats in the shade - with the arrival of a brioche-roll and olive oil from Menton and some wine from Bordeaux.

First off our friends ordered the carpaccio of ceviche'd fish which was ab-fab and I had the sardines a la plancha with olives that set their tone perfectly.

For mains we had the poularde with what I assume were Noirmoutier potatoes; the fish of the day, described as "very, very tender" but whose name we, among whom were 2 professional translators, could not fathom; the bar with divinely poached fennel; and (unpictured) my fish soup with their very special bread and rouille.

After a trip to the loo (Red Door) and a view of the spectacular interior, we got the bill:  with one bottle of Chateldon, 2 bottles of wine and 4 coffees, it was 237.20 E, thus 118.60 E a couple; and then there's the chef - who at this point appeared (no s**t?) and schmoozed us up and I guess still has his hand on the piano.

Go?  If you like seafood, if you like the Riviera, if you like finesse (well, except for the drums at the Music and Dance School) - this is the season's must-go-to-place.

The Musee de Montmartre: "The Esprit de Montmartre et l'art modern - 1875-1910" & Gardens

Today, at Colette's urging, we went after lunch to the Musee de Montmartre for a special exhibition called "The Esprit de Montmartre et l'art modern - 1875-1910."  While this is the closest museum to our home, we don't go much, knowing the collection, but I was convinced that the temporary exhibition would be different from that I was familiar with - Wrong!  Not that it was bad, just more of the permanent collection, dug up from the bowels for the visitors.

It's true I was a bit put-out at having the see the same stuff again, but ever-the-respectful husband that I am, I looked at the exhibits, admired the newly renovated building (with an elevator to the 3rd floor!) and rested for a while in the newly rejuvenated gardens.  The day was perfect and the view of Paris (from the upper floors of the museum's two buildings)  was lovely. 

Art 1 Wow; Gardens 3 Wows.

 

Le Comptoir Canailles: Happy First Birthday, you're holding up very well.

Le Comptoir Canailles opened just a year and a day ago, our delightful hostess, Marie-Caroline Guillot informed us on entering today.  We went with two denizens of the 9th, who had not been, but who immediately saw the possibilities of expanding the menu by selecting some Irish beef from the display case - "the cote de boeuf?"  "Yes, that's possible," came back word from the chef Nicholas Pardo. So onward we went.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For starters one of us had the salmon two ways (marinated & rillettes); the ladies had a mixed vegetable (peas. fava beans, sprouts, asparagus) on an onion puree with a poached egg that came in two services, one with parmesan wafers; and I thought I had ordered the charcuterie of day, today rillettes of pork, but no, it also had a pate of chicken livers, terrine of Grand-mere and tete de veau - well, dinner here we come!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the cote de boeuf came for three of us, perfectly cooked; Colette had the canette with beets and confited turnips, and the table shared a large pot of Swiss chard, onions, potatoes and mushrooms (and I'm sure much else).

The cote sharers were now figuring on who was taking the remains for dinner (me it turned out) so indulged Colette's wish for the cherries, ice of sweet almonds and crispy biscuit.

Our bill, with three bottles of wine, good bread, no bottled water and 4 coffees, was 269.50 E or 134.75 E a couple.

Louis in the 9th: Inventive, innovative, interesting & constantly changing.

 

Louis has a master chef, Stephane Pitre who has cooked around the world but most recently at Metropolitain (the one in the 16th, not that in the 4th that I do not like).  He has 3 dishes for 32 and 6 for 48 E.  His amuses are playful, multi-flavorful and it's almost impossible to tell what's in them.  Since the menus change each day it's useless to point you to any one dish, but I'll give you a brief tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So here we go as best I can recall:
- an etherial soup (maybe of mushrooms & champagne)
- foie gras mi-cuit with black garlic
- potatoes, Corsican pork, quail egg, black pasta and coriander (which I'll return to later)
- salmon with radishes, cherry leaves, burned brioche crumbs and a miso vinaigrette
- canette with black cherries and amazing tiny beets
- squid with veggies
- oh, oh I forgot one; I've got spicy champagne written down, so that'll have to do; although it sounds more like the pre-dessert.

3 different desserts were shared by all:  a chevre with microtomed truffles, chocolate cake (with a melt in your mouth center) topped with rocket ice cream (seriously) and a serving of raspberries with a lovely 'soup'.

The mignardises came with a hit of the chef's stash of cognac from a gigantic bottle.

All four of us thoroughly enjoyed our lunch..... what a delightful time we had!  And at the end, a delivery man brought in a big box, some of which was fresh stems of coriander, the small of which was captivating.

The bill: I have no idea but a guess because our friends, coming off equally successful book tours (one culinary; the other historical), picked it up in thanks for my having found such a wonderful place.

Any suggestion John to Stephane?: Yes, with such an inventive set of dishes it would be great to have them printed up daily like Clamato, W and others did/do.

BALM in the 1st: Go for the lemon tart.

BALM (Boeuf a la mode) in the 1st is a place across the street from the Ministry of Culture where the brother of an friend of our holds court and seemed a suitable place to meet up at.

The formula is an easy 25 for two dishes and 33 E for three so we went there with:
- big chunks of tuna that had been marinated in honey & mustard on the bed of salad grees
- a tete de veau, not spread out as usual, but in what I call rondelles
- citron tartes - the high point of the meal.

Our bill, with two bottles of wine, no bottled water and four coffees, was 188 E, thus 94.00 E a couple.

Reviews of Reviews: The week of 1 June, 2015

Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, they discussed three places: Alexis Chenu had another article on the Maison Plisson which has a 200 square meter “salle a manger” with food at lunch designed by Bruno Doucet (La Regalade St Honore) and Benoit Bordier (La Regalade Conservatoire), and Jerome Berger gave 2/5 dots to the previously mentioned Le Bon St-Pourcain and Philippe Toinard gave 3/5 dots to XVII sur Vin, 99, rue Jouffroy d’Abbans in the 17th, 01.42.27.26.16, closed Sundays and Monday nights, offering items such as duck and desserts for about 40 E a la carte.

Tuesday, in Le Fooding, Régis de Closets called Adelaide Grattard the best Cheffe on her return to the well-known Yam’Tcha.

In Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin’s Hache Menu on a new restaurant under the direction of Guy Martin (he of the Grand Vefour) in Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, Terminal 2 E, hall L, open 7/7, which has real food (meat & fish, pot-au-feu, gambas plus burgers and salads and desserts.  It is called "I Love Paris" and has menus at 29.90 and 41 E.

And, in his usual 5 reviews of new places, he gave 3 hearts to three places: the previously mentioned Au Bon Saint-Pourcain and the Relais Plaza as well 975, 25, rue Guy-Moquet in the 17th, 09.53.75.67.71, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, serving items such as iced corn soup, smoked pork belly and grondin for 40-60 but with lunch formulas at 16 and 35 E.  Garnering 2 hearts was the previously mentioned Quai de Meudon in Meudon (92) and getting just one was the Italian Rococo in the 10th.

The Dossiers, such that they were, were on places to have “sunset parties” and where to picnic.  There was also a ranking of Caesar salads with Les Cocottes de Christian Constant at #1

Wednesday as well, Heidi Ellison of Paris Update reviewed the ham sandwicherie JBC, 2, rue Drouot in the 9th, 01 42 29 60 04, open 11am-6pm and closed Saturday and Sunday - sandwiches: 4.50-6.50 E, rather unenthusiastically.

Thursday, in L’Express they published an article on the recently published and discredited 50 Best Restaurants in the World as well as one on développement durable, gaspillage and what they see as an Anglo-Saxon solution - the "doggy bag."

Friday, Colette picked up another A Nous Paris that is un-numbered and un-dated that is a “best of” and lists, for example, under “A Boire & A Manger:”
La Passerelle
Dersou
La Maree Jeanne
L’Huitrade
Louis
Le Vitis

And finally, Sunday, Aurelie Chaigneau in the JDD, listed as her address of Sunday - the patisserie Sebastien Gaudard (8/1) in the 1st; her discovery of the week the previously mentioned beer and charcuterie place El Tast in the 18th; and returned to the chic Korean Madoobar in the 8th.