John Talbott's Paris

Reviews of reviews: The week of March 6th, 2017

Monday, in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed Shirvan Cafe Metisse serving North African to Indian food, while Philippe Toinard covered the Italian Le Quosy.

Tuesday, in Le Fooding, they noted the move of a Japanese place in Pau.

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin went back to the well-known Le Duc in the 14th for its 50 year anniversary then reviewed his usual 5 new places, awarding 3 hearts to the previously mentioned Accents in the 2nd and 2 hearts each to the French l'Atelier Carnem, 5, rue du Pot-de-Fer in the 5th, 01.72.34.56.94 open 7/7 serving, as one would expect from the name, meat if all sorts at 40-50 E pp, and the trattoria Il Cuoco galante in the 9th. Garnering one heart each were Imago in the 9th and Bon Pot in the 2nd.

In the Figaroscope Dossier, Alice Bosio, Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint Phalle listed places serving South-West cuisine, including: Le Troquet, La Cantine du Troquet Pereire, Bistrot Belhara, A.Noste, Au Bascou, Pottoka, Iratze, Mangetout.

And in her Paris Update, Heidi Ellison also reviewed most enthusiastically Iratze in the 11th.

Fulgurances (under Celine Pham) in the 11th: I've just never had a bad meal here, no matter who is the #1 Chef.

 

8.1 Fulgurances, 10 Rue Alexandra Dumas in the 11th, 01.43.48.14.59, closed Sundays and Mondays (Metro: Rue des Boulets), changes chefs every so often, sometimes after a few weeks, sometimes many months - but I've always found the food outstanding.  The most recent addition is Celine Pham, who has rotated through the kitchens of Ledeuil, Chartier, Grebaut & Zampetti.  Her cooking has Asian and Italian influences but is still solidly French.

My dining partner and I looked at the menu (which is a 2-2-2 one) and decided to go 50-50; so we started with raviolis of beef with an incredibly rich, spicy bouillon and cilantro and daurade snacke with rice noodles and an incredibly spicy endive.  Then for mains we had a great Basque pork belly and confited pork with okra and encornets with a tamarind sauce (this was the only weak dish, it needed some oompf.  Finally we both had the basil sorbet with agrumes and a cookie of white chocolate and tea.

The a bottle and glass of wine, no bottled water, OK bread and 2 coffees our bill was 95 E.

Go again?  And again and again.

Basilic in the 7th: I was going to rate it 7.1 but a rip in the banquette shows it's aging.

7.1→6.1 Basilic, 2, rue Casimir Perier in the 7th, 01.44.18.94.64, open 7/7 (Metro: Solferino) is a place I went to years ago because Adam Gopnik had written about going for lamb with his son and I had a pleasant but not incredible meal.  Recently I read about some change in ownership, chef, dishwasher, I forget, that prompted me to return.  It looked absolutely the same - hustle-bustle, lively, full, upbeat and welcoming.  I felt at home, picked up the menu and ordered -

"I'll have the foie gras to start and then an entrée portion of fried calamari."  "We're out of calamari"  "OK"

"I'll have the foie gras to start and then the veal Milanese."  "We're out of veal."   Hummmmm

"I'll have the foie gras to start and then the tartare of tuna."  Yesssss.

The foie gras was nice, and nicely offset by a roasted pear and strips of tangy apple.  The crowd was warming up and I looked around at all these Ministerial types, Whoa, they let guys with red pants in here.  Shocking.  Then I had the tuna, which was also quite nice although the roll I wished to spread it on was dead, defunct, gone.

My bill, that's with two starters and some wine and no bottled water or coffee, if had by two would wind up about 100 E a couple.

Go back?  As I was calculating the rating I would give, I looked to my side and there was a big rip in the banquette.  To me, that's a sign of dying, so whatever is new in this place better get its act together or it'll be a long time before I return.

Le Bistrot d'Yves in the 17th: How has this gem evaded my regard for 3 years?

7.7 Le Bistrot d'Yves, 33, rue Cardinet in the 17th, 01.43.80.63.60 (Metro: Wagram), closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, is a place that found itself on my "list" this week and called to me.  Lucky me.  The awning looks like from forever but the inside is hopping, largely with elegantly dressed working guys and women.  My guest and I regarded the menu, I had no trouble finding what I wanted; he hesitated.

 

My friend started off with some smoked salmon that was as good pieces of nova as have ever had from Zabar's and I had a superb salad of gizzards as good as the late great Tony's in the 18th.  Then he had rather bland turbot and I, knowing it came with curry and coco sauce, chose the shrimp which I swear were frozen they were so tough.  To finish off, we both had the dessert of the day - poached figs and quince - fabulous.

Our bill, with so-so bread, one bottle and glass of wine and one coffee, was 99.90 E.

Go again?  For certain; this is a bistro worth the trip.  As our friend Randy of Paris requires, this place provides you the "whole experience", including a great host whom I assume to be Yves, great delivery of plates, reasonable prices, tolerable noise (93.2 db) and charm.

Au Cochon Gaulois in the 18th: Can the nabe take another top restaurant? Ans: You bet.

Backstory: In October the old Chez Papa space in this area of the 18th that is little known save to keen shoppers for the cheesemonger Virginie, baker Delmontel, oysterman Gillardeau and master of the kuing-aman Arnaud Lahrer became the Cochon Gaulois, all but unknown except to Emmanuel Rubin in Figaroscope who somehow found it for his Hache Menu.  "Oh well" I thought, as I passed it each day on the bus #95, another single product place like Pomze, Rouge Tomate and Melt, maybe someday I'll try it.  Well, what a welcome surprise.

6.9 Le Cochon Gaulois, 185 Rue Marcadet in the 18th, 09.80.92.35.07 (Metros: Guy Moquet or Lamarck Caulincourt), closed Sundays and Mondays, is a welcoming place, with an astounding 17 E menu at lunch.  However, I chose to do my piggy otherways.

I went first for the pigs feet in a crusty exterior which was about as good as they come.  Fabulous!  Then I had the braised pork, which truth be told, I'd seen in their website shot, and was every bit as good as that. Plus they were topped with we called chicharrones at 118th St.  Finally I had the café gourmand, with a 5* chocolate, 4* finanacier and pretty good choux and coconut thing as well.

The bill for a couple, with no bottled water, but 1 bottle of wine shared, would come to 99 E.  dB's = 79.3

Go?  Are you kidding?  Take your 10 best friends too and sit at this very cool tablein frint.

Aux Pres in the 6th: Lignac breaks all the rules in presenting old dishes, but the Yankees seem to love it.

So, here's the blow by blow as Howard Cosell would say:

It's pouring drenching rain from Tempete Zeus (that gets your attention, doesn't it?) and I'm schleping my poor body with one cane over to the Rue du Dragon to one of Cyril Lignac's newest places.

Now I have a checkered career with Cyril or he does with me; I hated "Oui Chef", I cannot tell you why - it's concept, his arrogance, I couldn't stop watching but I hated every minute and vowed I'd never eat at his place(s).  But a dear friend talked me into eating at his new place in the 11th and we hated it.  So why did I go here today?  Pure masochism.  And to be honest, the reviews and a personal rec from a trusted friend.

I enter 27 Rue du Dragon, the Bar des Pres, and nope, there's no record of my reservation.  None, nul, a non-person am I.  "Try next door" says the helpful bar guy.  So, I schlep my poor body and soul next door.  Et voila, I do have a reservation here, at Aux Pres.

6.8 Aux Pres, 27, rue du Dragon in the 6th, 01.45.48.29.68, open 7/7, (Metro: Got me, but the 95 Bus is good).

The place looks like one of many, about 1/2 full of lots of Yankees who speak no French, ordering burgers and frites, Yikes, what have I gotten into?  I look at the Carte, hummmm, not bad, crusty shrimp and crispy sweetbreads, my sort of stuff.

So the shrimp comes out in a bowl, they are all cut up and decorticated amidst a sea of wonderfully spicy Japanese seaweeds, yum, but not what I expected.

The sweetbreads, crispy skinned, cut up again, in a bed of carrots and spinach, with butternut to the side, not what I expected, but.......

At this point I'd already observed one Yankee lady startled by her cheeseburger expressed surprise and then another French woman besides me looked at the tower of shredded cheese on hers and shrugged the equivalent of WTF, and I leaned over, which I never do and said in French "Bizarre, eh?"  Translation "bizarre, eh?" and she agreed or vice versa.

So, I ordered a dessert knowing at this point it would not be my French Mother's version of pain perdu, and it was not.

At some point I had pulled out my handy dandy decibel meter that showed 85.8 and a sharp waitguy asked what it was, so I was outed either as an EC noise inspector or busybody.  Whatever!

Ok, my bill, for a couple, with no bottled water but a bottle of wine, awful bread and two coffees with their madeleines, count on 133 E.

Go back?  Were it not for the prices, yes.  Ah, screw it, I'll come back.  And go next door too.

Reviews of reviews: the week of February 27th, 2017

Monday, A Nous Paris kicked off the week with Jerome Berger’s review of the previously mentioned Odelle and Alexis Chenu wrote about Saucette, the sausage-centered place also previously mentioned.

Tuesday, Le Fooding covered the Austrian Otto.

Then Wednesday, in Figaroscope Emmanuel Rubin had a wonderful meal at the previously mentioned Polissons in the 18th but quite a disappointing week for his 5 other new places: giving 2 hearts to the Nordic Maison Nordique in the 8th; and one heart each to the biblical-oriental Shirvan in the 8th; Indian Bollyman in the 9th; Asiatic Co Ba in the 2nd; and reprised French place – Aux Crus de Bourgogne in the 2nd.

Figaroscope’s Dossier by Alice Bosio and Colette Monsat rated lemon tarts in the city; deeming the top to be from Des Gateaux et du Pain in the 7th.

Wednesday as well, Heidi Ellison in Paris Update covered the already mentioned Vivre.

Thursday, in L’Express Styles, Charles Patin O’Coohoon reviewed the previously mentioned Le Passage in the 5th and Jordan Moilim reviewed the street food B. Bell in the 3rd.

Sunday, in the jdd, Aurleie Chaigneau reviewed the previously mentioned Flora Danica in the 8th (7/10) the previously mentioned Fichon (7.5/10) in the 18th, and the Japanese Soma in the 3rd (7.5/10). In the version femina, Julie Gerbet covered new meat places, all previously mentioned – Brutos in the 11th, Clover Grill in the 1st, Melt in the 11th, and Bien Eleve in the 9th.

Pignon in the 17th: Why are some places hot and others not?

6.0 Pignon, 9 rue Brochant in the 17th, no telephone, no reservations, Facebook website with email address which they answer (Metro: Brochant) closed Mondays, is a place I'd read about some dudes opening a while back, since none have tattoos, they must be refugees from startups or banks. Within eyesight are 3 other joints in the Batignolles, all empty or semi but this place is packed turning at least one couple away.  Why?  First it was the Marais, then St Gemain des Pres, then the 11th, then the Canal St Martin, now the Batignolles.  Hopping.

So I tried to reserve - "no reservations but we'll seat you Sir."  I enter and they present me with an ardoise with a 22 E brunch which is not what I want.  No orange juice, no granola, none of that stuff. But I'd forgotten to ask if it was only Brunch.  My fault.  I spy a sign that says oysters - "Yes, Sir we might have some."  But there were no #3's, 6 for 10 E.  So sausage, "Yes Sir."  Pretty damn good, with excellent warm crispy bread from up the street.

My bill, with 50 cls of Cotes du Rhone, no bottled water and an excellent Nespresso, was 23 E.  db's before screaming kid = 76.5, after = 81.6.

Go?  Got me there.  If you're a young French family out for Brunch OK, otherwise, I'm not so sure.

 

La Villa Corse in the 15th: Pretty much what you'd expect from a new chef in an established place.

6.0 La Villa Corse, 164 Blvd de Grenelle in the 15th, 01.53.86.70.81, closed Sundays (Metro: La Motte Piquet/Grenelle) is a place I haven't been to since it changed chefs years ago, but hearing that Damien Nardecchia who had an Italian grandmother but grew up on the Loire, had taken over, I convinced a dear to see what's up.

They started us off with black and green olives (not pictured) and two large amuses of tapenade on black bread.  Then my eating partner had calamari strips with a poached egg and loads of garlic (unpictured) and I had the brouillard of eggs with the first green asparagus of the season I've seen and figatelle; both were pretty good.  Then she had cold cold shrimp around a mound of warm/hot linguine with tomato sauce, very bizarre, someone must have forgotten to rewarm the shrimp.  I had a decent piece of merlu on more sprigs of green asparagus and creamy polenta.  And finally, we both shared a dessert that was supposed to be a moelleux of chestnut, maybe, OK, but no shooting stars here.

Our bill, with he cheapest bottle of Ajaccio wine (35 E), a small bottle of fizzy water (5 E) and 2 espressos, was 134 E.  dB's were decent = 62.8 but that's because in this huge space there were under a dozen clients.

Go back?  On balance, no, price-quality not up to snuff.

L'Archeste in the 16th: Yugely slow delivery of complex but not great dishes in a Michelin 1 star to boot.

6.5 L'Archeste, 79, rue de la Tour in the 16th, 01.40.71.69.68, closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Mondays, is a place cheffed by another talented two Japanese guys, plus two in the front room who struggle to serve a tiny restaurant of maybe 20 covers with elaborate dishes, failing to keep pace with the timely delivery of dishes, which in the end, aren't that great.

I entered way early and the head waitguy kindly allowed me to sit in the warmth and read my newspapers while awaiting my dining partner.  From the time she arrived, though, until they proposed menus, it was 50 minutes, which is bizarre for such a small place.  The guy then proposed two menus, one of 3 courses and another of 4: we chose the 3 (the whole table must agree).

They started us off with what everyone seems to be serving this month - haddock in some form or other, in this case a light mousse on a wafer of some sort - not bad!  Then we had squid from the Ile d'Yeu with beets and a slice of foie gras that my guest did not take to a lot.  For mains we had onglets of very tough veal that weren't terribly tasty either, surrounded by cooked leafy vegetables and peas.  The veal cried out fir salt but that didn't fix its toughness.

At this point I said in a low voice in English, since the dB's had exceeded 80.8 in the room "I thought this would be the best meal of the year but it's not at all."  A French gentleman next to us leaned over and said "pour moi aussi."

For dessert we had a roast apple that I have no memory of I was so disappointed.

 

Our bill with their filtered water, a bottle of Saumur Champigny and two coffees, was 115 E.  Btw, the bread was very good.

Go again?  Not on your life.  The cooking may be complex, but it's not outstanding and the taking of orders and delivery of plates was so subpar for a Michelin 1 star we were amazed.