John Talbott's Paris

Restaurant Paul in the 1st: Over-priced truck stop food your Grandparents would have loved.

3.0 The Restaurant Paul, 15, Place Dauphine in the 1st, 01.43.54.21.48, closed Sundays (Metro: Pont Neuf) has probably been around as long as there were cops and robbers, but the Place Dauphine and the Palace of Justice have been sand-blasted and spiffed up after years of work so thought I'd take a sample of the food the folks in the correctional system here eat.

The menu is traditional, boy is it, and pricey.  The two folks I dragged here had the eggs mimosa (not bad but runny in a watery way) and salmon tartare (not outstanding).  I figured the gambas (hot) with avocado (cold) would work - it/they did not, kind of flavorless.

Then they had respectively - the bar and tete de veau - which again were OK but nothing special and I figured a sucker for the "traditionnelle blanquettte de veau [sic]", also no great shakes.

To finish, they had the chocolate ball and cafe gourmand and I the Ile Flottante in honor of Colette - at this point the food blogger/expert turned to me and asked "anything you liked, John?" having picked up my lack of enthusiasm and body language.  "Ah, yah, T's nut ice cream and baba was good and the wine and oh, yes the eggs were OK."

Our bill, with two bottles of decent Bordeaux, no bottled water, oh-so bread and another coffee, was 197.90 E; thus 131.93 per couple.

Go back?  Not unless I'm arrested and even then I'd scope the other 5 places in the square that look like they've been spiffed up.

Grand Central in the 19th: Such a great spot but few of my readers will go.

6.3 The Grand Central in the old city Mortuary 104 at 5, rue Curial in the 19th, 09.51.22.76.44, closed Mondays, (Metro: Riquet) occupies the space of Les Grandes Tables du 104, I place I thought rather well of, but apparently didn't survive economically in this wonderful mixed cultural space in the faraway 19th.  Well, it's been revived by the gang from the adjoining Cafe Cache and I think quite well.

As I was watching the dancers in the huge stage that they practice on, I was not sure what to order but finally settled on a lovely piece of cod and roasted corn with thin strips of zucchini; then some ice cream with a cone.

My bill, for no bottled water, 50 cl of a nice house Cheverny, pathetic bread and a coffee, was 40.80 E.

Go?  If you have any excuse to be way up here in the 19th, sure.

Dersou in the 12th: Not what I'd expected, but then....

 

Dersou, 21, rue Saint-Nicolas in the 12th, 09.81.01.12.73, closed Mondays, open Tues-Sat for dinner which has paired cocktails and runs 90-130 E and weekends for lunch which runs more like 50 E, (Metro: Ledru-Rollin) is a place I initially avoided due to the sticker shock and sense it was Japanese food which I don't normally "do" in France, but Rubin's 4 heart rating eventually got under my skin.  The outside is this almost now required signless gunmetal, the menus are hung on clothespins and the interior has jammed-together wood tables, chairs and stools for 25 persons, all of whom were Asian for most of my meal.

The carte consisted of about 5 mains, then 6-8 "sides" and finally 3 desserts.  Most of the language I needed translated/explained but finally settled on (OK) cold soba with a 69 degree egg and cold sliced duck breast; sides of great palourdes with harissa and so-so minced lamb croquettes; and super excellent coffee.

With no bottled water but some wine by the glass and the best breat (nut bread) of the year, my bill was 54.50 E.

Go?  Well, it sure was no 4 heart meal, it sure was uncomfortable and loud (75.1 dB), it's way to hell and gone, and I cannot imagine howthe cocktails the barman was vigorously shaking would go with the food, but then.....

Vivant Table in the 10th: Better than ever and more vegetables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vivant Table, same old spot on Petite-Ecuries in the 10th, has changed hands from Pierre Jancou to David Lanher some time ago and I wondered if it had changed style or quality - today two friends from the nabe were willing to assist me.  Looks pretty much the same, great bird tiles etc and approachable and affordable menu (2 courses= 28 E, 3 = 34).

The three of us covered the spread of starters with the raw veal/eggplant/salicorne, razor clam/watercress/chorizo and banka salmon trout/cucumber/cream; each quite refreshing and full of exciting vegetables.  A vegetarian could do worse than order two starters here.

Then all of us had the perfectly lovely pintade with shitake mushrooms, red carrots and (first we three had ever seen in Paris) - okra, called gombo here, hence gumbo in New Orleans.  For dessert my friends had a lemon cream with coriander and I had the chocolate which made my meal an over-the-top success.

Our bill, with a 2 E supplement for the veal (huh?); no bottled water or coffee, one bottle and glass of wine and superior bread, was 142 E; thus 94.66 E a couple.  dB = 97.1.

Go?  In a flash, despite the lack of light, hence the dark photos.

La Maison Plisson in the 3rd: Chirpy waitstaff; some interesting food from folks like Doucet & Bordier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.5 Maison Plisson, 93 blvd Beaumarchais in the 3rd (no reservations) open 7/7 (Metro: Chemin Vert) was written up with great buzz at the beginning of summer.  How can you not try a place where the food is supposed to come out of the heads of stars like Bruno Doucet and Benoit Bordier and the write up in A Nous Paris mentions Angelina Jolie and Eataly?  It is really two spots, one a restaurant/bar/takeout and the other a grocery/wine/etc shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The carte was soups and salads really and the place reminded me of a loud (86.9 db) Merci, complete with 20 year old patrons and waitstaff.  My friend who's lived and worked around here for forever was perfectly happy with here haddock tartine but I was less so with my lardons tart which was really a pricy/fancified kiche.  The chocolate dessert, called a Viennois, though, made us sit up and pay attention.

With 3 glasses of Chinon (no bottles sold), and iced tea and 2 coffees, our bill was 59 E.

Go?  Their grocery next door is worth a visit but I'd never be induced to shove into these jammed tables where you can't talk and chirpy waitresses cannot be hailed.

Les Ombres in the Quai Branly Museum in the 7th: Pristine view, pricy stuff, pathetic management and pretty-good food.

 

 

 

6.4 Les Ombres in the Quai Branly Museum, 27 Quai Branly in the 7th, open 7/7, (RER: Alma), 01.47.53.68.00 was reported to have a new chef last year and so I was willing to go back after a very disappointing meal Nov 18, 2011 when I gave it a 1.01.  I invited my good friend in the food biz, who while just off the airplane, was game. 

Jean Nouvel seems to have reduced the terrible clacking sound of the floor somewhat but he and the management have done nothing to steady the umbrellas outside (where all of us were directed to eat) and three successive gusts of wind blew several over 3 times, once on a patron's face, and the staff's reaction was to rush out, add a piece of concrete and carry on.  It is a spectacular view but doesn't safety come first?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ordered in kind of a screwy way: she ordered two starters: a thick crustacean soup/chowder/stew of razor clams, cuttlefish and arugula that I thought was super-superb but she was ho-hum about and heirloom tomatoes with zebra clams, etc. that I was more ho-hum about.  Then I had a superb filet of daurade with appropriate garnitures and a "soup" of strawberries with "Fjord" ice cream which again I thought was over the top good.

With a bottle of wine, no bottled water, good bread and 2 coffees, our bill was 123 E.

Go?  For the view and food but not prices or management of the kitchen or terrace.

Le 975 in the 17th: An interesting spot in an interesting spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.25 Le 975, 25 Rue Guy Moquet in the 17th, 09.53.75.67.11, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, got a rave review at the beginning of this summer from Figaroscope and then the food-world shut down and seemingly forgot it.  It's in an interesting part of the 17th, right on the #31 bus but in an area that's just waking up.  They have an incredible 16 E formula with an mise en bouche, plat du jour and coffee gourmand for 16 E, that's right 16 E.  And my fellow blogger grabbed at that when she heard what the special was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd started off with an apero of a nice Touraine which we decided to have throughout the meal and went well with both our soups; hers of corn, nuts and spice bread; mine of lettuce, wonderful ham, coques and other crunchy things

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then she had two lovely pieces of cod, garnished properly and I had another starter, two just-right sized mounds of beef tartare with "green" espilette.  We finished off sharing her lemon and mango and sable and coffee.

With all that but no bottled water, our bill was 63.50 E.

Go?  Absolutely, this place is a hidden plus price-quality "gem"

Dunkerque in the 9th: Picture perfect, service perfect, food faggedaboudid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.0 Dunkerque, 1, ave de Trudaine in the 9th 01.42.81.11.34 open 7/7 (Metro: Anvers, Barbes-R), is the perfect looking bistro, with lettering like that on channel boats, chairs ditto, attentive over-tattooed staff and a carte that could have been posted in restos on either side of the ferry-dockings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since the recommendation to eat here came from an untrusted source I ordered safely: saucisse seche (great) with fine bread and butter; and fish n chips (not so much, fish fried in some tired oil and fries like cardboard unimproved by salt, vinegar or prayer.

My bill with 1/2 liter of Rhone and a coffee, was 45.70 E.

Go?  No reason in the world it would occur to me.  But I haven't had canned ptipois since 1953 so there you go.

Le Boeuf gros sel in the 18th (Montmartre): So near and yet so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.0 Le Boeuf gros sel, 1, rue Damremont in the 18th (Metro: Clichy I guess), 01.42.58.80.76, open 7/7 (which should warn you it's Metro or sous vide although they told an elderly French couple it was all "fait maison) has a lot of back-stories.

- 1 It's changed names countless times since I've gone by on the #80 or 95 buses in 30 years - last time as the Petit Piaf, which I thought was kinda cute and always intended to go to some weekend.

-2 It appears to be run by 2 brothers of a certain age, whatever that means, so has the patina of trustworthiness despite being 100 meters from Disney-Montmartre-world.

-3 It has a website (Wow) and booking on it (Modern) and 30% off (Got it!).

-4 It had and has pot au feu as its specialty and that burned through my brain all night.  So....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I order 6 escargots (safe eh? - actually not great but zippy kick from the butter sauce), the pot-au-feu (their advertised specialty) and a half-liter of Pinot Noir - "ahhhhhh, we're out of the pot-au-feu," and the wine" - so I have the casserole of sweetbreads, sure to be sous-vide (which was pretty OK if you scraped off the mustard grains and a Bourgeuil (cold from the freezer.)

With that plus a coffee my bill was 46.20 E.

Go?  Once again, if up on the Mont & exhausted, OK, but no expectations, eh?

The Terrass' Hotel Rooftop Restaurant in the 18th: Sectacular view and food pas mal.

 

 

6.0 The Terrass' Hotel Rooftop Restaurant, 12-14 Rue Joseph de Maitre in the 18th, 01.46.06.72.85 (reserve on the website) open 7/7 but Brunch on Sundays (Metro: Clichy I guess, I take the #80 or 95 bus) has been here forever, of course, at least since 1911, but has been undergoing renovation for months, although it seems like years, and has replaced its fair-weather rooftop joint with a really classy restaurant and terrace which one can sit on if it is fair weather.  Today was spectacular with great views of the cemetery and downhill.  They have a weekday lunch "menu" - a great deal - 2 courses, water and coffee for 24 E (3 for 32 E).  But today was Saturday, Right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite a hefty wait for my first course, it was well worth it - deconstructed tender quail with foie gras, couldn't have been foie gras de caille, must've been baby duck.  Then nice, albeit over-cooked, that is not blue/blu, pieces of veal with asparagus, carrot puree and carrot chips (very interesting, wonder where chef Lurthy picked these up?).  Finally a coffee with mini-financiere.

With a 1/2 bottle of wine, good bread (well around here, winners of the best baguette almost every year, it should be), 2 courses and coffee, my bill was 55.50 E.

Go?  Yes, Maybe and No.  Yes if you want not bad food and terrific views, into my friend Randy's "total experience" mode, no if you're a "food is all that counts" nut.  And maybe if you're my price-quality snoop Pierre45.

Quibble: Why tell folks on the days the lunch "menu" is not available that it isn't rather than simply remove that page from the ring binder?

Warning: There's smoking on the terrace and pesky American (1, also the smoker) today anyway.  Courses take a while to arrive and double check the bill for over-charges.