John Talbott's Paris

Le Bistrot de Marius in the 8th: Great total experience: inconsistent food.

Background: First off, I’d read that this old place had reopened under new management and chefdom, quite successfully, where the Petit Marius used to be.  Second, I’m asked a lot where to eat before and after concerts at the Theatre Champs-Elysees and I’m stumped. And third I was scheduled to eat with the blogger who invented for me the phrase “the total experience” in judging dining experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.0 Le Bistrot de Marius, 6, Avenue George V in the 8th, 01.40.70.11.76, open 7/7, (Metro: Alma Marceau).  I entered before my friends and was warmly greeted although I haven’t been here or at the adjoint, Marius & Jeanette, in a ton of years.  The fish rillettes with toast were really good so I got my hopes way up.  They have a 27€ two-course “menu” with 2-2-2 choices but my friends went a la carte.

To start my “total experience” friend had a poached egg concoction with some mushrooms within which was really quite weak and I had sautéed mushrooms with a single soft egg that tasted nasty, way too much woodiness.

For mains, the husband of the blogger had a superb piece of lieu jaune on top of some lovely fall vegetables, I had an almost as good fried lemon sole with a terrific crisp skin, but the “total experiencer” got screwed again with a weird ravioli of langoustines that tasted to me like curry, though it wasn’t.  None of us particularly likes mashed potatoes so while we tasted them, we aren’t inclined to judge them.

For dessert we all shared JJ’s baked apple on top of quinces and topped with raspberry sorbet.

Our bill with two bottles of wines from the Pays d’Oc, one white, one red, two coffees but no bottled water, was 160€ or 106€ a couple.  Sound a deafening 87.5 DB’s.  (Thats over the level where one should wear ear protection.)

Go? No, my friend is right, it is a “total experience”.

Review of reviews – the week of October 23rd 2017

Monday, in A Nous Paris, Alexis Chenu reviewed but didn’t rate the bar-club-resto Pachamama, 46-48, rue du Faubourg St-Antoine in the 12th, 01.55/78.84.75, open 7/7 at 5 PM, serving Latin American food; and Jerome Berger gave 3/5 dots to Yoshinori, 18, rue Gregoire de Tours in the 6th, 09.70.38.36.28, closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Monday lunch, where there are 35 and 45 E menus on which are items such as half-cooked chinchard, over-cooked echine of pork and dark chocolate desserts.

Tuesday, Le Fooding reviewed the American grilled meat place, Mulko in the 10th.

Wednesday,in the Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin awarded 3 hearts to Savarin La Table, 34, rue de Bourgogne in the 7th, 09.86.59.19.67, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays where for 28 and 35 at lunch and 65 E at dinner one dines on items such as fried eggs, colvert with cepes and crème caramel and the Japanese Ao Isakaya in the 9th.  He gave 2 hearts to the Sri Lankan Kanna Tanna in the 2nd and the Cave Elmer, 19, rue Notre Dame de Nazareth in the 3rd, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, no telephone, which costs one 20-35 E without wine for items such as tarama, charcuteries and mackerel. One heart went to the maize-focused salad/sandwicherie Corn’R in the 9th and no hearts to the Italian-American Little Italy in the 17th.  Rubin’s Hache Menu covered Spoon 2 located where Terroir Parisien Right-Bank, used to be.

The Dossier by Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint-Phalle reported on places to get souffles and included: Le Souffle, Champeaux, Les Souffles de Recamier, L’Auberge Bressane, Pantruche, Bistro Belhara, Shirvan Café Metisse, as well as Gallopin, Bistrot Paul-Bert, Au Violin d’Ingres, Astier, Joseph-Chez Dumonet, Frederic Simonin, not forgetting the Maison Rostang and Dames de Granville.

Thursday in L’Express Syles, Francois-Regis Gaudry reviewed the previously mentioned Le Canailles de Menilmontant in the 20th and Carbon in the 3rd and Delphine Le Feuve reviewed Wim a Table in the 17th.

Review of reviews – the week of October 16th 2017

Monday, in A Nous Paris, Alexis Chenu reviewed but didn’t rate Wynwood a Mexican-American place in the 3rd.

Tuesday, Le Fooding reviewed Les Planeurs in Toulouse.

Wednesday, in the Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin awarded 3 hearts to Comice, 31, Avenue de Versailles in the 16th, 01.42.15.55.70, closed Sundays and Mondays and Tuesday and Wednesday lunch, costing 60-80 € for items such as oysters, mushroom soup and baked monkfish.  Two hearts each went to three places, Marrow, 128 rue du Fauboug St-Martin in the 10th, 09.81.34.57.00, open for dinner but not on Sundays or Mondays, where for about 35€ one gets items such as mackerel tarama, a sausage roll and beef cheeks; the classic Boeuf Couronne in the 19th, serving snails, faux-filet and Grand Marnier omelets for 40-50€ (menu at 34€); and the Brasserie Thai in the 18th.  Getting just one heart was the Cafe Ineko in the 3rd.    Rubin’s Hache Menu covered the sushi bar Congress Auteuil in the 16th.  In the Dossier this week, Colette Monsat, Hugo de Saint Phalle and Emmanuel Rubin covered places in and around the rue du Douai in the 9th, mentioning: Pink Mamma, les Frangins, Maison Lautrec, la Relance, les Pinces Pigalle, Tsubane, Balls and also Flesh, la Ptite mousse, Depanneur.

Thursday in L’Express Styles, Francois-Regis Gaudry reviewed the previously mentioned World-French place Condesa in the 9th and the above-mentioned Comice in the 16th; and Charles Patin O’Coohoon covered the Italian Epoca in the 7th and Chinese Kuai in the 2nd.

Review of reviews – the week of October 9th 2017

Monday, in A Nous Paris, Alexis Chenu reviewed but didn’t rate Wynwood a Mexican-American place in the 3rd.

Tuesday, Le Fooding reviewed Les Planeurs in Toulouse.

Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin awarded 3 hearts to Comice, 31, Avenue de Versailles in the 16th, 01.42.15.55.70, closed Sundays and Mondays and Tuesday and Wednesday lunch, costing 60-80 € for items such as oysters, mushroom soup and baked monkfish.  Two hearts each went to three places, Marrow, 128 rue du Fauboug St-Martin in the 10th, 09.81.34.57.00, open for dinner but not on Sundays or Mondays, where for about 35€ one gets items such as mackerel tarama, a sausage roll and beef cheeks; the classic Boeuf Couronne in the 19th, serving snails, faux-filet and Grand Marnier omelets for 40-50€ (menu at 34€); and the Brasserie Thai in the 18th.  Getting just one heart was the Cafe Ineko in the 3rd.    Rubin’s Hache Menu covered the sushi bar Congress Auteuil in the 16th.  There was no real Dossier.

In Paris Update, Heidi Ellison wrote an OK review of the Amadae in the 2nd.

Thursday in L’Express Syles, Francois-Regis Gaudry reviewed the previously mentioned Yacht Club in the 9th and Charles Patin O’Coohoon covered the previously mentioned Camondo in the 8th.

Cornichon in the 14th: Like an old shoe, it’s so easy to go back to, esp. for the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cornichon in the 14th has been an “old reliable” that is, dishing out simple, solid, bistro food served with humor, grace and warmth, for quite a while. We owe our great friend S. for bringing it back into our regular orbit and today we went with another treasured friend, a French pal who dates back 64 years (Yikes!). If you didn’t get the name before walking in, the art on the walls certainly brings it home.

We three, I’m serious, struggled for minutes, to decide what we wanted, the choices were so tempting.  Anyway Colette started with a generous portion of coques in butter, our friend, another generous portion of tete de veau and me, a too big bowl of chestnut soup with bacon and mini-Brussel sprouts, signaling the start of Fall/winter.

The real reason I wanted to go today was to have a touch of game before an extended exit from France, during which I probably wouldn’t have much taste of such treasures.  Our dear friend settled on a cocotte of partridge with lots of veggies, Colette had the paleron of beef with startlingly colored veggies - brilliant greens, vivid red beets and bright carrot-colored carrots.  I meanwhile indulged in a tourte of grouse with its innards accompanied by the bowl of lovely greens.  All were super.

But this being “the last supper” as it were, we had to order desserts - Colette had figs with lettuce, who ever heard of such a thing?, but it worked, our friend the tartelette and I holding up the cheese front, some lovely chèvre cru.

Our bill with no bottled water but two bottles of a Cotes de Roussillon and three coffees, was 206€ or 137.33€ a couple, if my math is correct.

Montee in the 14th; “an excellent meal” our guests agreed.

Montee in the 14th is now a regular stop for us on the Paris food circuit; wonderful welcome, brisk not brusque service and exciting food, of which, one of our exacting guests said today you can taste each ingredient.  As I entered I had a deja vue experience, sitting down a few tables back was a couple I regularly eat with.  WTF?  But not today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lunch “menu” is supposed to be short but Chef Takyuki Nameura doesn’t scrimp on ingredients or courses.  First off came some intruiging amuses of cheese biscuits on toasted shaved mushrooms.  Then shot glasses with layered beets, yogurt and celeriac, followed by shaved calamari, coconut and boulghour.  

Next the big show - cod with a potato, St Pierre with fennel (unpictured) and quail stuffed with innards with currents.

Finally, the desserts - a Palova, chocolate and oreillettes.

Our bill, with their filtered and sparkling water (10€), 2 bottles and one glass of Bordeaux and 4 coffees (20€) was 270 € or 135€ a couple.

Review of reviews – the week of October 2nd 2017

Monday, in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard gave 3/5 to the tapas bar Wim a Table in the 17^th and Jerome Berger gave the same to the previously mentioned Carbon in the 3^rd.

Tuesday, Le Fooding, reviewed the Otonali in St-Malo.

Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin gave a rare 4/5 hearts to the Italian Tosca in the 8th and an equally unusual three to the aforementioned Bistrot Brute in the 8th.  Two places got 2 hearts, the previously mentioned Cafe Mericourt in the 11th and Bidoche, 7 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud in the 11th, 09.81.12.59.81, dinner only except Sundays and Mondays.  One heart went to Bien Venu in the 10th.

In his Hache Menu, he pulled his punches on Radioeat in the 16th.

In the Dossier the gang reviewed Vitello Tonato places finding Mori Venice Bar's best.

In Paris Update, Heidi Ellison wrote a scary review of the new Regalade in the 14th. 

Thursday in L’Express Syles, Francois-Regis Gaudry reviewed as one of the best places of the rentree, Mr. T., 38, rue de Saintonge, in the 3rd, 01.42.71.15.34, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, where for a lunch formula at 19 or 40-50 a la carte, one dines on items such as a "pulpeuse salade en camaïeu de rouge, assaisonnée d'une crémeuse sauce au fromage piémontais, taco calamar/tomate/avocat and une croustillante tortilla de maïs.”

Sunday, in the jdd, Aurelie Chaigneau reviewed the previously mentioned Baltard au Louvre in the 1st (7/10) ; the aforementioned Yacht Club in the 9th (7) ; and Feu, 54, rue de l’Arbre-Sec in the 1st, open every day, 01.42.33.50.00 running one 15 E for either chicken or with one of 4 sauces and one of 2 potatoes, rice or salads. (7)

Louis in the 9th: Stephane Pitre, the genius at the piano, continues to astound. “Incredibly intense” said one of us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louis in the 9th has only been open to me since April 2015 and already is packed to the gills.  I arrived after Colette and our two friends from the Left Bank. On entering Stephane Pitre, at the piano, waved to me and I waved back, knowing we were in good hands. Everyone was sitting around deep in conversation but I plunged in.  All of us ordered the haha 3 course “menu,” I say haha because it’s many more.

First off came the 3 amuse bouches, then scallops, and scallops with spaghetti-ized leeks, followed by carrelet with two radishes with a radish vinegar sauce, followed by three cheeses (Camembert, blue and brebis, unpictured) a lemon tart with dachi (equally unpictured) and mignardises (partially captured).

Then himself appeared with his gigantic bottle of eau de prune and poured us all generous portions to better digest our food.

Our bill, with two bottles of red and two glasses of white wine, no bottled water and 3 coffees was 275€ or 138€ a couple.

Pierre Sang’s Atelier at #6 Gambey, not his Signature at #8 in the 11th: yikes! But the responsible saved the day.

Pierre Sang Boyer’s Signature at 8 Gambey (Right) opened recently and an 11th neighborhood food friend of mine told me it was finally up and running.  So I reserved on line for lunch today but when we showed up it was only doing takeout.  After much cyber-searching it was not clear where the misunderstanding lay, but the manager quickly agreed to seat us at the Atelier (Left) next door where I’d had a terrific meal not so long ago.  He even cleared out the only regular table with chairs so my ruined back could recover.

The three of us settled on the 2 course for 20€ menu, and for the firsts had delightful merlu with veggies, some pickled and all sprinkled with fish powder aka fairy dust, which one of us hated, but I thought was ok. Our mains were large undercooked pieces of Wagyu beef I think (perfectly cooked for me, massively underdone for Colette) with a purée and great spicy sauce.  The three of us shared the dessert, a speculos ice cream with figs and buckwheat.

Our bill, with 2 bottles of water, 3 coffees and a bottle and 2 glasses of wine, was 143.50€ or 95.66€ a couple (check the math Charlie).  DB’s awful at 83.7 prompting our 47 year old guest to say “it’s not for our age customers.”

Iratze in the 11th: mixed opinions on the food.

5.5 Iratze, 73, rue Amelot in the 11th, 01.55.28.53.31, open M, Th, F and Saturday dinner and M, F and Sunday for lunch, has been open a couple of months in the evening but for lunch only recently and its talented chef Matthieu Moity, who (disclosure) is a Facebook friend, notified me.  I went with Colette and a friend who has lived a few blocks away in the Marais for decades.

Our welcome was warm and service good and the 2-2-2 menu for 32€ looked wonderful and challenging.  PS it was.  The ladies started with a “cake” of girolles with mushroom sauce with prunes and salicorns while I had spicy duck hearts with mole and, fantastic leek greens.

For mains they had the chicken with parsley roots and, corn while our friend got a substitution for corn of greens.  I had sausage, beets and myrtilles.  I thought I scored much more than my female companions. (Colette said the large corn kernels were chewy and unappealing)

Desserts were a very interesting blue d’auvergne fluff and figs and crumble, deemed good by all.

Our bill with a bottle and two glasses of wine, with their filtered water and 3 coffees in cool cups was 149€ or 99.60€ a couple.  DB’s=80.1.

Go?  A tough one to answer.  My friend and I would, but Colette was lukewarm.