John Talbott's Paris

L'Office in the 9th: Charles Compagnon maintains his ability to pick fine chefs. And Richard Nahem to supply the photos.

6.5 L'Office, 3, rue Richer in the 9th, 01.47.70.67.31, closed weekends, is the first of several places Charles Compagnon has run around the rue Richer in the 9th for almost a decade.  At L'Office, he brings in good chefs who stay one or two years and the cycle repeats.  The newest chef has already settled in and drawn an adoring clientele. 

I went with a fellow blogger, Richard Nahem, a superb photographer and tour guide, whose photos I have posted since all my systems were "down," also passionate about food, and also familiar with the restaurant.  One look at the menu (22 or 27 E at lunch) and carte, 40-50 E, and we were off and running.

First came a perfect egg in a sea of butternut, chunks of Comte and nuts, which was a revelation in its mixture of textures and tastes.  

Then beef cheeks in red wine with mushrooms both cooked and raw.

Finally, a panacotta with cooked pear chunks that was creamy and delicious. 

Our bill, with three glasses of wine, no bottled water, good bread and one coffee, which is roasted and ground in the house was 71.30 E.  dB's = 82.2

Go back?  I'm never disappointed here, so you bet.  And again thanks that Richard Nahem's camera was working.

Les Tables d'Augustin in the 17th: Unfortunately, it's in the shadow of its parent 975.

3.0 Les Tables d'Augustin, 44, rue Guy-Moquet in the 17th, closed weekends, 09.83.43.11.11 (Metro: Guy Moquet) is the little sister of the nearby 975, who brought in Herve Daniel from the George V who has also worked under Legendre and Briffard. Sounds impressive, doesn't it? Well, we'll see. I entered a rather complicated entrance, was seated at a fine table which was located next to a couple who were either shouting over their phones or shouting to each other or puffing on an ecigarette, which when they were joined by a real stoner, revealed its true nature, once they puffed they quieted down. They have a 2-2-2 menu which is very reasonably priced.

I was eager to see what the chef would do with goyzas with pigeon and lemon grass, not much actually; and the paleron of beef was a pale representative of its class, needing both salt and pepper to bring it halfway to life; and the biscuit with marmalade and fluff was equally not much of a much.

My bill was astonishing though, 33 euros for 3 courses, a 50 cl carafe of red Languedoc, no bottled water, rather drab bread and a coffee.

Go? As convenient as it is for me, no.

Apollo in the 14th: Along "tourist row" there's a hidden treasure.

6.9 L'Apollo, 106, blvd Montparnasse in the 14th, 01.43.35.53.66, open 7/7 (Metro: Vavin) looks like one more fungible red themed restaurant along the South-east end of the blvd Montparnasse, between Le Dome and La Coupole, tourist traps if there ever were any.  I'd read that it has opened or reopened a while back and hesitated to go to this "sluggers' row" of bistros/brasseries/junk and fast food places here, but I figured, hey, it's Sunday lunch, what can be so bad.

I entered and was greeted very warmly although I'd reserved on la Fourchette and had never seen these folks in my life.  They had no halfliters or pots so I ordered a very nice bottle of Pont du Gard that I used as apero, wine and digestif.  With the wine, or vice versa, I had a terrific piece of foie gros sautéed in butter and placed on decent toasts; then a foie de veau, ordered blue and when it came out long and bumpy, thought I'd been screwed, but no, it too was terrific; and on the roll I had their version of a cafe gourmand, whose chocolate thingie was out of this world.  And the coffee was not half bad either.

My bill, with no bottled water, but all the above, was 65.40 E.  The dB level never exceeded 78.9.

Go?  Hey with 20% off from La Fourchette for my loyalty, why not?

Reviews of reviews: The week of February 20th, 2017.

Monday, in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger revisited and gave 3/5 dots to the well-known Vivant in the 9th; while Philippe Toinard gave 4 to Les Tables d'Augustin, 44 rue Guy Moquet (down the street from their mothership, 975), 09.83.45.11.11 (Metro: Guy Moquet), costing one 16 and 19 E at lunch and 39 and 45 E at dinner for items such as pot au feu of duck, supreme de canard for two, and apple crumble.

Tuesday in Le Fooding, they reviewed Madame Pang in Bordeaux.

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin awarded 2 hearts to Iratze, 73, rue Amelot in the 11th, 01.55.28.53.31 (Metro: Richard Lenoir), evenings only excepting Tuesday and Wednesday, where for a menu at 44 or degustation (68E) one dines on items such as escargots, pigeon and feta.  He then gave one heart only to 4 places: Amadae in the 2nd, Le Grand Breguet in the 11th, Le Carreau in the 3rd and Ademi in the 2nd.

His Hache Menu this week dealt with the previously mentioned L'Archeste in the 16th, which he suggests you hurry to before Michelin awards it a second star.

The Dossier this week dealt with one dish places: Alma (chimney cake), Tomo (doroyaki), Corn'r, Crabe Royal, Saucette, Les Petits Rolls de Paris, Mamy therese (madeleines), and also:Lala Lasagna, Arsene, Amour de Baba, Karamel & Bul. 

Heidi Ellison, in Paris Update reviewed the well-known Chez Leon, 32 rue Legendre in the 17th, 01.42.27.06.82, closed Monday night and Brunch Sundays, where she liked the celery remoulade, pork & Pollock, and Paris-Brest.

And Friday, Charles Patin O'Coohoon reviewed the previously mentioned Le Passage in the 5th.

Sunday, in the jdd, Aurelie Chaigneau reviewed the previously mentioned Ellsworth in the 1st (6.5/10); Tables d'Augustin in the 17th (7); andL'Office in the 9th (7.5).  In the jdd version femina, they reviewed the aforementioned Jean in the 9th.

Haddock & Co in the 17th: If a gastronomic train can run off the tracks; this was it.

1.0 Haddock & Co, 18bis, rue Pierre-Demours in the 17th (Metro: deadzone), 06.47.20.74.49, closed Mondays was intriguing enough sounding - oysters, tapas of seafood and other shellfish that I convinced a fried to share it with me - what a mistake.  First of all, they have only two tables, the rest are stools and high tables.  Second, even with my 20/20 vision, I couldn't read and the ardoise and getting up and memorizing it was a pain. And third, even for wines it was the chalkboard or nothing.

My friend and I both started with the maki of shrimp (granted our mistake, doubling down if the dish was bad, which it was); there was what the description said was sweet and sour sauce, but it may have contained wasabi and soy but it had a weird taste; we both did better eating them with the salad dressing. Then my friend had accras balls and I their signature dish - haddock salé cubes in a sea of lentils.  I started eating and noticed my friend had put her cutlery down.  "What's up?"  "It's inedible."  "No" I couldn't believe it.  I tried a bit - awful and weird at the same time. At this point we gave up.

Our bill with a bottle of Sauvignon, small one of sparkling and two coffees (OK bread BTW), was 81 E.  dB's not obtained because the place was empty 80% of the time.

Go?  To the worst price-quality place of 2017?  Not on your life.

Polissons in the 18th: Montmartre, incredibly good, inventive food? You must be kidding, John!

So, today, as every few weeks, I search for a restaurant in the 18th that the youngest daughter of one of my, recently deceased, dearest friends can get to from her acting classes.  On my eating weeks when Colette is not here, I eat at places I've never been before or which have shifted chefs or owners, etc.  But it's a crap shoot, could be great (rare), average (often), or subpar (frequently).  I go expecting nothing - who knows?  So today it was

7.8 Polissons, 35 rue Ramey in the 18th, 06.46.63.57.50, closed Sunday and Monday (Bus: 85 or Montmartrobus) opened 2 1/2 months ago under the chefship of Romain Lamon (ex-Ritz, ex-Richer) and frontship of Julia Sfez. I entered a bit early and immediately saw an open kitchen with three chef types and two front of the house types.  Ok.  Very modern pictures on the wall.  Immediately felt welcome.  We both inspected the menu which was unique in having dishes for one and a meat and fish to be shared; humm, I'm thinking someone has put some thought into this menu.

So I chose the daurade carpaccio with mustard and parsley but wait a minute, isn't it topped with rice puffs or one of those sugar bombs Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes, loves?  You bet.  And it was inventive, creative and yummy.  Then my friend had a gigot d'agneau (pause, at this time of year I worry about whether the lamb is the about to be Easter lamb or over-the-hill mutton), this was very rare, a few weeks before Pascal lamb and terrific it was.  My dish was no less spectacular, chicken, chicken, mind you, so soft, adorable with a sauce that was out of this world.  And, and, there were macaronis stuffed with some brown meat - "excuse me Ma'am, what are they stuffed with?"  "Champignons de Paris."  "Nooo.!  Then, my guest had the millefeuille with caramel fluffs that was again simply not what one expects from a neighborhood joint.  At this point, both of us realized we had really hit on an exceptional place.

Our bill, with no bottled water, but a bottle of Shiraz and 2 coffees, was 75.60 E.

Go?  "Shush, don't tell a soul, just between us, this is a keeper."

"Any problems John?"  Just one, the dB level was 82.2 and the music choices were dreadful.

La Table de Marie-Jeanne in the 5th: "If they had put as much money into the food as the decor; this might be better," my guest said.

5.0 La Table de Marie-Jeanne, 4, rue Toullier in the 5th, 01.42.49.87.31, closed Sundays and Mondays (Metro: Cluny), is a place whose original stone walls, new colored tiles, huge rotisserie and clever animal decorations causes you to pause at the amount of money spent on them.  My friend, the French person I know who is most knowledgeable about all things food, was there way before I was and had ample time to size up the situation - well she said "I hope they put as much money into the food as the décor (which is stunning)."  We wrestled with what to have, centering on the cotes de boeuf at 70 E for two.  Wait a minute, that's 70 E a kilogram; Whoa!  Let's look at it before buying. "Unh unh, that at least 2 kilos, no way I can eat even a quarter" I said.  OK, Plan B, the coquelet.  "We only have one left, I'm sorry" the waiter said.  "So be it.  I'll have the sausage."

 

Her coquelet was moist and properly under-cooked but needed salt; my sausage was way over-cooked and was enhanced by the sauce; and the mushrooms we both got we nice but again needed salt as did the potatoes.  For dessert we each had the chocolate cream, which was the hit of the meal.

 

Our bill, with a bottle of Cotes de Bourg that opened up quite nicely as we ate and one coffee, was 89.50 E.

Go back?  For the décor?  You're kidding.

Les Petits Princes, 26, rue du Val d'Or in Suresnes: Soaring high, with global tastes, but far from the well-trodden paths.

6.25 Les Petits Princes, 26, rue du Val d'Or in Suresnes: not to be confused with the couscous place - Le Petit Prince also on Suresnes, 01.41.47.87.61, closed Sunday and Monday nights (Tramway 2) has received rave reviews so I induced one of my longtime pals who has a car to drive out here; it's devilish parking but one can if one tries.  It's in a fresh space, with a glassed in kitchen and on the ceiling is a sculpture resembling an airplane wing, but more about the name later.  The menu is ambitious, with ingredients as far-flung as wasabi and guacamole and the food pushes the palate.

My chauffeur chose to start with an interesting combo of salsifis, haddock and poached egg sauce and I went with the scallops baked with butter and fresh parsley,  Then she had a veal onglet marinated in ginger and I the beef hanche.  To conclude, we shared a chocolate mousse.  Everything was quite different tasting from the usual; this young chef who spent 10 years at Regalade, has learned his lessons well and tried to spread his wings exploring the skies beyond those of his mentors.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes not so much.

Our bill was 115 E with a bottle of wine, nice bread, nice chorizo and sausage amuses and 3 coffees. The db's were high at the height of service but when the office workers cleared out it was quiet.

Go?  No one who reads me will schlep way out here for a meal that cannot be guaranteed to be familiar food I suspect, but maybe so.

Oh by the way, the name, why Les Petits Princes?  Well its in the midst of the huge building housing Airbus and where the Bleriot operation once was.

Odette a l'Auberge Urbaine in the 1st: Heavenly duck breast but prices mesospheric and weird Rostangian twists.

6.8 Odette at the Maison Albar Hotel Celine aka l'Auberge Urbaine, 23-25 rue du Pont Neuf in the 1st, 01.44.88.92.78, 7/7 (Metro: Les Halles), looks all the world like what some French designer who has never been to the US thinks a New York hotel cocktail looks like; sleek, a huge banquette and even bigger counter with stools.  You enter and figure out you must be in some Trumpian alternative universe.  The lunch menu is 22 E but once your eyes drift off that main dishes, granted to be split, are 44-68 E.  And the wine, for instance, we had a simple Morgan, was 46 E.  But let's look on the bright side of life, a la Monty Python.

After the amuse of quite nice cheese puffs, my young (he's about to retire and become an "active retiree" at age 68) friend ordered the 22 E "menu" which started with toasts and cheese, olives and I think chives and I had toasts with tartare of veal and tuna, OK but no energy here.  For mains, he chose the pork and I a complicated sounding breast of duck, fried bulots and chips of some sort; the pork was OK, the bulots strangely overcooked and the duck fabulous.  For dessert we both had pots of chocolate with a fresh out of the oven madeleine and coffee.

Our bill with a 10 E Chateldon and extra glass of red wine (6 E) was 121 E for us two.  dB's were 65.04.

Go?  I'm afraid even if SCROTUS, the so-called President of the United States, twisted my arm, I'd find an excuse to skip it.

Reviews of reviews – The week of February 13th, 2017

Monday, in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to the well-known L’Office in the 9th whose newest chef is one Benjamin Schmitt and Philippe Toinard reviewed and gave 2 dots to the well-known Ambassade de l’Auverne which had a change in ownership.

Tuesday, in Le Fooding, they reviewed La Roche de la Vierge in Toulouse.

Wednesday in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed 5 new restaurants: giving 3 hearts to the previously reviewed Sourire in the 13th and the Italian Pacchio in the 9th.  Getting 2 hearts was the Japanese curry place Pontochoux and one heart each: the creperie Candelma in the 6th and the Carrousel Francais in the 1st.

His Hache Menu was on the Israeli restaurant Tavline.

Figaroscope’s Dossier by Alice Bosio, Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint Phalle was on where groups of professionals eat:
Politicians: Chez Francoise, Loiseau Rive Gauche, Auguste, Divellec, Café de L’Esplanade, Chez les Abges, Les Souffles du Recamier, La Mediterranee, La Bastide Odeon
Fasionistas: Hanawa, Kinugawa, Toraya, Suchi Ginza Onodera, La Belle Epoque, Ferdi, Le Café de Flore, La Societe, Clown Bar, Vivant
Editors: Les Souffles du Recamier, Le Montalembert, Le Bistrot de Paris, Casa Bini, Le Dome, Lipp, Les Editeurs, Semilla, Blueberry, Chez Georges, L’Hortensia
Big Captains of Industry: Apicius, Pavillion Ledoyen, Laurent, Marius & Janette, Prunier, Taillevent, La Clarence
Cinema folk: Le Fouquet’s, L’Avenue, Le Petit Lutetia, Les Deux Abeilles, La Mascotte, Honore, Marche des Enfants Rouges, Le Café Charlot.
Medias and TV: L’Avenue, Savy, Diep, Ginger, Hanawa, Les Princes, Le Murat, Le Flandrin, Le San Francisco, Durand Dupont.

Heidi Ellison in Paris Updates went to the Resistants, 16-18 Rue du Chateau d’eau in the 10th 01.42.06.43.74, open for dinner only Tuesday-Sunday for about 30 E apiece.

Thursday, in L’Express Styles, Charles Patin O’Coohoon reviewed the previously mentioned Le Passage in the 5th and Francois-Regis Gaudry went back to L’Ami Louis, named by AA Gill in 2011, the worst restaurant in the world, where he was hardly impressed by the price-quality, noting that the foie gras was 6 E more now.  He also reviewed Le Clos aux Roses in Chedigny.

Sunday, in the jdd, Aurelie Chaigneau covered the previously mentioned Pontochoux in the 3rd (6.5/10), Grazie in the 3rd (6.5) and Boutique Yam Tcha in the 3rd (7)