John Talbott's Paris

Polpo in Levallois-Perret: Beautiful setting, not bad seafood.

5.1 Polpo, 47 quai Charles Pasqua in Levallois Perret, 01.41.34.32.86 (but La Fouchette available), open 7/7 (Metro: Pont de Levallois-Becon) is situated along the Seine as it snakes back from La Defense.  I convinced one of my pals with a car to drive us there on a brilliantly clear but cold day and the river scene was impressive.

I had the 19.50 E "menu" with the fish soup and then suited up for a tussle with the mussels.

My friend had the poulpe with chorizo which she noted lack sufficient ooompf and I had the mussels which my friend from Normandy noted she could do as well, as can Colette.

She finished up with floating islands with caramel and I with crepes with poached pears, both OK but not mind-blowing.

Our bill, with a bottle of white wine from Gascony, so-so bread and 2 coffees, was 65.65 E.

Go?  Not really.

Maison Lautrec in the 9th: Go expecting the worst; come out satisfied with the best.

5.6 Maison Lautrec, 63 rue Jean Baptiste Pigalle in the 9th, 01.53.12.07.78, closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Mondays (Metro: Pigalle) is one of those places you go to on a crap shoot; could be bad, could be awful, could be OK, could be good, could surprise you - who knows?  Well, my two supremely wonderful friends agreed to meet me here rather than Les Tablettes de..... because on my months Colette-less, I eat at new places, untried by most human beings, at least those that are sensible or sentient, and I never know the results.  But today we hit it.  Just look at the ardoise on the yellow bike; that's 1 point to begin with.  And the carte - stunning, except none of it (esp the scallops I was deprived of yesterday) is available for lunch - minus 1 point.

For firsts one of us had the onion confit and two had the poulpe, both with suspiciously Jane Brody/Mark Bittman-type things - quinoa would it be?; spelt?, ah buckwheat then it is.  But delicious nonetheless and I expected kale next.

But no, there were three slices of normal looking onglet and two beautiful pieces of cod with potatoes, whoops, no, turnips half-cooked - delicious.

For dessert M. had the cheese, Mme. the apple tart and myself the chou stuffed with pineapple bits (unpictured); all quite good.

Our bill; ahem, our bill, well let me just say that after two bottles of wine, two double coffees, no bottled water, good bread and a few digestifs I saw what looked to be 202E before their credit card covered it up and they treated me as a lost orphan in the neighborhood. So lets say it might be 100 E for a normal couple who didn't spend the afternoon Sartre-like, albeit without tobacco, enjoying our company.  dB's = 74.5

Go?  As my friend the RFC says "It's not urgent."  But it was terribly pleasant; oh to have been here with the lost generation!

 

Le Bordeluche in the 17th: Really terrific and totally unexpected; a wonderful surprise.

 

6.8 Le Bordeluche, 103, rue des Dames in the 17th (yah where the pizzeria place Al Chilo used to be, but as you can see it's been totally renovated), 09.52.91.95.28 (but rez's also thru La Fourchette), closed Saturday lunch and Sundays (Metro: Rome) has been open about 3 months and already has a loyal local following if today's customers were any indication.  They have an 18.50 2 course and 24 E 3 course "menu" but I went with the carte which despite the fact that the Breton boats were not on the water yesterday due to our weird weather, had everything except the scallops.  However, the chef, one Mickael Janetzki, who has passed through the kitchens of la Tour d'Argent, Le Plaza Athénée and the Bristol, certainly was there, all 8 feet of him (or so it seemed).

I started with a fine tart of marinated sardines with fennel and red onion with bits of pungent green olives which packed some punch; then a big piece of baby colin (hake) with a delicious nut crust on a bed of fresh spinach leaves; finishing with a crème brulee of dried Madagascar bananas with Tonka beans - all simple, well-sourced, well-cooked and delicious.

My bill, with a half-bottle of Valencay, no bottled water, decent bread and a coffee, was 48.20 E or 96.40 E a couple.  Music so wonderfully low that the dB level was only 69.

Go back?  It's on Colette's list.

Reviews of reviews – The week of November 21st, 2016

Monday, in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to Cleo, 19, bd de la Tour-Maubourg in the 7^th open 7/7, 01.40.60.44.32, where for 29 at lunch and 38 & 42 E one dines on items such as half-cooked tuna, grilled octopus and a chou au chocolat; while Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to the aforementioned Ore in Versailles.

Tuesday, in Le Fooding, Aitor Alfanso reviewed Bonhomie, 22, rue d’Enghien in the 10^th, 09.83.91.86.31, open 7/7 where for 36-50 E one dines on items such as raviolis, octopus and a crème caramel parfait.

Wednesday in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed his usual 5 new restaurants; awarding 3 hearts to the previously mentioned Ken Kawasaki in the 18^th and two each to Le Bordeluche, 103 rue des Dames in the 17^th, 06.66.30.70.90, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays where a young chef from the Tour d’Argent for 40-50 E presents dishes such as gnocchi, duck filet and fig tart and the previously mentioned (V)ivre in the 2^nd as well as the Franco-Sino L’Atelier Mala in the 9^th. Garnering one heart was Les Levres Rouges in the 18^th.

And Emmanuel Rubin also went (in his Hache Menu) to the afore-mentioned L’Etoile du Nord, Thierry Marx-designed place in the Gare du Nord where for 40-60 E one can have such dishes as onion soup, filet-frites and a pear tart.

In Figaroscope’s Dossier, Alice Bosio, Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint-Phalle wrote about new restaurants in the 7th that included:
Loiseau Rive Gauche
Tomy & Co
Divellec
Le Petit Varenne
Reataurant T
Plume
Jais
Fitzgerald
And also: La Fontaine de Mars, Miss Marple & Karamel.

Wednesday as well, Heidi Ellision in Paris Update went to the previously mentioned Les Arlots in the 10^th which she wishes was “around the corner.” N.B. Paris Update is having a Crowd Funding to update it if you’d like to pitch in.

Thursday, in L’Express Styles, Charles Patin O'Coohoon reviewed Le Petit Sommelier, 49, avenue du Maine in the 14th, 01.43.20.95.66, closed Sundays where for a menu at 35 or a la carte 35 E one dines on items such as pumpkin soup, cromesquis and entrecote ; and Francois-Regis Gaudry reviewed the natural wine-focused Sauvage, 60, rue du Cherche-Midi, in the 6th, 06.88.88.48.23, closed Sundays and Mondays with seasonal plates (sweetbreads, cuttlefish) at 10, cheese at 16 and a la carte about 40 E. 

Finally, Sunday, in the jdd version femina, E.D. reviewed the previously mentioned Loiseau Rive Gauche and Aurelie Chaigneau in the regular jdd gave 8/10 to the previously mentioned Bonhomie in the 10 ; 6.5 to Via Emilia in the 9th and 8 to Uma in the 1st.

Cleo in the Narcisse Blanc in the 7th: Don't be put off by the fancy-schmanchy hotel: this unheralded place is about as good it it gets - from nuts to coffee.

7.9 Cleo in Le Narcisse Blanc, 19, blvd de la Tour Maubourg in the 7th, 01.40.60.44.40, (but rez via La Fourchette), open 7/7, (Bus: 28), is one of those places in 5* "palace" hotels open 7/7 for their upscale clientele that you cannot imagine will be good on weekends when their star chef (one Canadian Zachary Gavillier, who passed through Frenchie, Saturne, Yard, Bones, Pan & the Beast would not be present).  But I, a believer in the Ducasse rule - ie the same guy cooks when he's not here as when he is, took a chance on the sous-chefs - a sort-of American and Austrian and their multicultural staff (Poland, France, who knows what else).  And my bet paid off.

Have I ever commented on the nuts served with some cocktails?  Never.  But these served with my wine were so above the level that United Airlines pushes on its poor suckers in Business Class they deserve comment.   The bread was also above standard.  And then the amuse bouche - a gigantic oyster with EVOO.  "This isn't a belon," I said "Where's it from?" "Brittany."  "Brittany's big, where exactly?"  "Actually Utah Beach, in Normandy."  "Ah, that explains it."  Off to an extremely good start.

My first consisted of slices of daurade, not microtomed nor chunky but between, dosed with more EVOO and so delicious I ate them nonstop.

I looked at the mains and couldn't decide, eventually choosing "pulled pork" (written as such on the French and English menus) on mashed potatoes, figuring the chef must have picked up something at The Beast.  Well, he did indeed, and they were not smothered in icky American BBQ sauce; and the potatoes were potatoes rather than Robuchon's butter with a hint of potato.  Excellent.

The dessert was a sponge-cake with pulverized bits of pistachio that didn't have that over-salted pistachio flavor, they were more, in Dustin Hoffman's words - "honest."

A puzzle for puzzle historians - who does the whipped cream topping's face resemble - Sartre, Socrates, Dante?  It's driving me mad.

My bill, with their 7 days a week Narcisse "menu-carte", no bottled water, 1/2 bottle of wine and excellent coffee, was 54.50 E.  The dB level was 65.9 largely because their designer has padded walls - others should learn from him or her.

Go again?  In a flash.

 

La Fontaine de Belleville in the 10th: "No way I'm going to eat bar food" my friend said. So I went alone.

Backstory: Two weeks ago I suggested that a long-term expat here join me for lunch at a formerly "outdated café-bar" (according to Le Fooding) near Belleville renovated by the gang from the Brulerie de Belleville and Ten Belles. "No way," she said "I'm going to a bar for lunch, I want real food."  I explained that the jdd and Le Fooding said it now served "brasserie food French style."  No dice!  So today I went alone.

 

4.0 La Fontaine de Belleville, 31-33, rue Juliette Dodu in the 10th, (Metro: Colonel Fabien), 09.81.75.54.54 (but no reservations), is open 7/7.  The carte is pretty much soup and sandwiches with some charcuterie and cheese thrown in for good measure.

I started off with a plate of Bellota chorizo that was ultra thin and very tasty.

Then I moved on to a croque-monsieur that had sourced cheese and ham, making it high end, albeit not as much as sophisticated as that at Le Marloe.

The coffee, as one would expect at a brulerie, was especially good.

With two glasses of Bordeaux, two types of bread and no bottled water, my bill was 32.30 E.  dB level was 88.3 (from Louis Armstrong and his era).

Go?  If I lived across the street, which a dear friend did for many years, maybe after a tough day's driving, otherwise unh unh.  Lots of English was being spoken (not just by Anglophones) and read (The Observer) and it's gay/lesbian and Bobo friendly

Mangling French Addendum: At some point the nice wait-person asked if I was disappointed (decu) in the sandwich and I, thinking she said pleased (plait), said "yes" which was honesty creeping past my ears and tongue.  Oh well, at least I was amused.

Reviews of reviews – The week of November 14th, 2016

Monday, in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 4/5 dots to the patisserie La Goute d’Or in the 18th.

Wednesday in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed his usual 5 new restaurants; awarding 3 hearts to the previously mentioned L’Arcane in the 18th and 2 hearts each to the new version of the well-known Roger La Grenouille in the 6th and the Maison Lautrec, 63, rue Jean Baptiste Pigalle in the 9th, 01.53.12.07.78, closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Mondays where for about 40 E one can have roast onion, scallops and apple tarts.  Garnering one heart each were the Thaixpress in the 8th and the renamed Belle Armee in the 16th.

And Emmanuel Rubin also went (in his Hache Menu) to the afore-mentioned Chez La Vieille in the 1st as did Colette Monsat, published on Saturday in Le Figaro.

Wednesday as well, Heidi Ellision in Paris Update went to the previously mentioned Belle Maison and liked it very much.

Thursday, in L’Express Styles, Mina Soundiram covered the previously mentioned Istr in the 3rd and they also reviewed 2 restos in Strasbourg.

Ore at the Chateau de Versailles in Versailles: Ducasse is at it again; this time it's not bad for a museum cantine.

6.2 Ore (which means mouth not gold), in the Chateau de Versailles in Versailles, 01.30.84.12.96, closed Mondays (RER or SNCF) is Alain Ducasse's latest attempt to bring fine dining to old treasured sites, in this case the Chateau of Versailles.  The setting is as one would expect it, spectacular, the décor fitting and the views out the window stunning.  The only jarring element is that one emerges from the elevator to face not the welcome counter but the pantry in which the dishes are stored.

My friend who kindly arranged transport from Paris to celebrate my Birthday, and I looked at length at the carte (for those who cannot read it clearly here, go to their website) and were struck by how few items we craved.  We both started with epeautre (spelt) with wild mushrooms which was quite tasty; then she went to the coquillettes with ham and truffle bits while I had the supreme de pintade with pumpkin two ways - OK, but no great shakes; and shared the Paris-Versailles dessert which was very, very good.

Our bill, with a bottle of Bordeaux, decent bread and 2 coffees, was 124 E.  dB's = 82.6.

Go?  If tired after walking for hours it's not bad for a museum cantine although I realize that's a low bar.  Me, I'd go a few blocks over to the Table 12 which offers truly spectacular food, from start to finish.  Oh, BTW, eating here gets you into the Chateau as well.

Chez Julien in the 4th: Old carte, new chef? What's up with this Costes tourist trap, John?

5.4 Chez Julien, 1, rue du Pont Louis-Philippe in the 4th, 01.42.78.31.64, open 7/7 (Metro: Pont Marie or St Paul) was not the primary destination today but my dearest old friend from the Marais said she was not up to schlepping from her cabinet/apartment up to Belleville and I wracked my brain for something nearer - and indeed in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin November 2nd noted that Chez Julien had a new chef, one Helmi Derbal, ex-Rendez-Vous des Camionneurs, so how bad could it be?  Backstory:  The last time I was here was in September 2006, just after it came into the hands of the Costes Empire and some dishes were terrific but the fish was bad product, nasty-nasty.

My friend ordered the formule at 26 E of a salmon tartare and veal with 5 spices (a nice osso buco) while I had the 28 E blanquette of beef with a sauce I couldn't stop soaking up with the rice, superb bread and my fork.  The bread with its great crust deserves mention itself.

Our bill with a bottle of fine Brouilly, no bottled water, but 2 coffees, was 91 E.

Go?  You know, I usually advise visitors to avoid tourist traps, but given the scarcity of beautiful venues serving half-decent food in the Marais, I'd say yes if only for the décor, beautiful view and fantastic bread.

Vantre in the 11th: Another neighborhood place that will become a destination once the wine guys find it.

6.3 Vantre, 19, rue de la Fontaine in the 11th, 01.48.06.16.96 (Metro: Goncourt) closed weekends, is a place a wine fanatic friend said was worth a visit and indeed while they are still sculpting our a bigger cellar, their book of wines is heavier than most starred restaurants in town have.  The genius behind the renovation of what used to be Les Fernandises is a terribly friendly guy from Montreal, Marco Peletier, an ex-Bristol sommelier, who along with two other really nice wait-people and chef Iacopo Chomel, who puts out fresh from the market food, make this place more than just your neighborhood bar a vins.

 

To start my fellow blogger had the chestnut soup that he had every drop of and I was very happy with my charcuterie from Tuscany (the chef is Italian); then my friend and I both had the joue de boeuf in red wine sauce, the only difference being he had the sweet potatoes and I requested and got fall squash; finally he had an apple crumble and I the chocolate mousse, both acceptable but not mind-blowing.

Our bill with 2 3-course meals at 19 E, a bottle a fine wine, no bottled water and one coffee, was 64.50 E, a prix-qualité standout of the year. It was noisy but surprisingly only 90.1 dB's.

Go?  Without question and if you're a wine guy in the 11th (hey onzieme), this place is a natural stop (and that's only partly a pun.) P.S. It was totally booked, all French, except for us.