John Talbott's Paris

The Beaupassage from one entrance to Pierre Herme.

 

Allenotheque in the 7th: Same names, totally different presentations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allenotheque in the 7th opened only a month ago or so and already has a loyal French following, so much that, as on my last visit, it was totally full, inside and out, by 1:30 pm.  The difference is that, excepting Mersea, all the other restaurants and shops in the Beaupassage are open now.

We installed ourselves and figured out that we couldn’t possibly eat 2.5 courses as I had before so we each settled on a main and shared dessert.  But first we indulged ourselves in Alleno’s wonder bread and butter.

For firsts, Colette had what was called monkfish, which she usually finds boring but was very different in flavor and came with a velvety white bean, chorizo and tiny shrimp side and I had sweetbreads, again, not done the usual seared way but cooked or at least presented in a thick sauce in a crab shell with what normally be an entire dish of sautéed girolles, which alone were worth the price of admission.

Then we shared what was called a poached pear but was really a poached pear in pear purée with a dollop if caramel ice cream on top.

With a glass of white wine and half a bottle of red, plus two coffees, our bill was 102€.

Mumi in the 1st: another stunning meal from chef Angelo Vagiotis

Mumi in the 1st is another place where a talented chef rolls out dishes, one more interesting than the last and it hardly matters what the named dish is called because the accompanying ingredients come together to make it new composition.  As an aside, as our waitguy was pouring the sauce over the pintade, he said the equivalent of “not your Mothers’ coq au vin, eh?”  In any case here’s how they played out:

An Amuse-Bouche

Tartare of mackerel with mussels

Pintade with bacon and girolles

Myrtilles with chocolate

Figs with mushy brioche and chocolate

Raspberries, passion fruit and cream

Our bill, with two bottles of wine, one chosen by my wine expert friend and one by me, and coffee, was 219€ or 109.50€ a couple. 

Condesa in the 9th: Indira Carillo just keeps getting better and better.

Condesa in the 9th is one of our current favorite places anywhere and when visitors planning to come to town asked if I could make reservations, I couldn’t wait.

If you’ve ever been to Condesa you know that Chef Indira Carillo constantly mixes his palette of ingredients and flavors and certainly for me, despite taking notes and photos, I never can recall everything, so instead, I’ll give you a glimpse of one meal where he rolled out:

A goat cheese, corn cream delight

A mushroom tempura

A cold soup of tomato sorbet, cucumber and crumble on top

Spicy spaghettis of peppers, melon grass and ginger

Place fish with white beans

Lamb with eggplant

Figs, ice cream and a biscuit 

Our bill per couple with a bottle of wine and coffee was 120€ for another simply terrific meal.  Keep 'em coming Indira!

Omertà among food writers, never diss a place.

A recent exchange on Chowhound France reminded me of a gripe I have with many food/restaurant reviewers or commentators. They never, or hardly ever, write a negative review/report.  Ok I realize if you’re being paid by a glossy magazine, they don’t want negative reviews.

I and a popular French food reviewer had the silly idea of writing an article on what Alec Lobrano subsequently called “zombie restaurants,” much beloved by Yankee tourists, like L’Ami Louis but pitching it to publishers turned out rather badly.

And I’m told by those who follow sites like Trip Advisor and Yelp, that only folks with a gripe or who have never tasted a real sauce, complain or go nuts over a restaurant they tumble onto in France.  

But I know others, who boldly confess they suck up a bad meal and never report on it because otherwise they wouldn’t be comp’t to the next one.  

I also know 2 people who won’t post anymore on Chowhound France because of the attacks they’ve suffered because of their negative comments, one by me unfortunately, and have chosen to blog rather than contribute to websites like Chowhound.

I’m a pathetic follower/reader of French food news/critiques, and to my memory, failing as it is, only the old G/M and Emmanuel Rubin, ever publish(ed) a negative review.

Don’t our readers want our opinions - good, bad or indifferent?

Omertà is bad. Bad!

Review of reviews: The week of September 17th, 2018

Monday-Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Alexis Chenu’s reviewed Gregory Marchand’s new FTG (between Fast and Good) on the Rue du Nil, illustrated by a hot dog with mustard; Philippe Toinard gave 3/5 to the osteria Chez Marius in the 10^th and Jerome Berger gave 4/5 dots to the new Mexican (via New York City) chef at Fulgurances serving FrancoMexican food.

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed his usual 5 places, this week giving 3 hearts to Bien Ficele, 51, blvd Voltaire, in the 11^th, 01.58.30.84.88, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, where for 35-55 (lunch menus at 14, 18 & 20E) one dines on items such as veal with compte, pork belly and a lemon millefeuille for 2.  Two places merited 2 hearts: the Japanese Ryukishin in the 2^nd and the Indian (pizza, burgers, tacos) Cinnamon in the 6^th.  Finally, Cravan in the 16^th got one heart.  M. Rubin’s Hache Menu this week covered the previously mentioned Joia, by Helene Darroze.

The Dossier by Alice Bosio, Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint Phalle discussed places to eat at a counter, including: Deviant, Les Enfants du Marche, L’Avant-Comptoir, L’Attache, La Cave a Michel, La Cave du Paul Bert, Benichat, La Cannoniere.

On Wednesday as well, Heidi Ellison, in Paris Update went unenthusiastically to the previously mention Allenotheque in the 6^th.

Thursday, L’Express Styles, Francois-Regis Gaudry gave 3/4 to Le Cadoret, 1, rue Pradier, in the 19^th, closed Sundays and Mondays, with lunch menus at 17 and 20, a la carte 30 E for items such as lees, mussels and white beans and tuna; Jordan Moilin covered Coup d'oeil, 80, rue Sedaine in the 11^th, Mondays and weekend lunches, 01.43.57.59.68, serving a 16 E lunch formula with items such as kidneys (it’s a bistro at lunch, a bar a vins at night) and Charles Patin O’Coohoon covered the previously mentioned Bleu in the 6^th.

John's Top Ten+ in 2018

As usual, the rules are - only in Paris and surrounds, only meals eaten at new places this year, only at lunch and only supplying the total bill, usually with wine and coffee but not bottled water.

8.0 L’Ours, Allenotheque

7.9 Mumi, Vent d’Armor

7.6 Sellae

7.5 Grive, Baita, Sauvage

7.4 The Dude (closed), Pianovins

7.3 Bulots Bulots

7.2 Chez Delphine, Yard, Les Tourteaux

7.1 Capitaine, Berty, Pilgrim, O Divin

7 Automne, Reine Mer

Reviews of reviews: The week of September 10th, 2018

Monday-Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Alexis Chen’s reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to Chez Jules, in Printemps, a French hotdog place charging 10€.

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed his usual 5 places, this week giving 4 2 hearts each: l’Ascension, 67, rue de Clichy in the 9th, 01.42.40.28.47, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, where for 22 or 28 at lunch or 40€ a la carte one can have items like tomato and beef, cod with red curry and Eton-Mess from this ex-Alleno chef;  the well known Dome, which has a new Japanese chef but still costs 80-100€ for the usual;  the Japanese Sanyo in the 1st; and the Breton Les Tourteaux, 86, rue de la Boetie in the 8th, closed weekends, 01.45.61.02.02, serving items such as crab meat, a pastille of crab and a palet Breton for 40-45 a la carte, lunch formula is 20€. In last place, with one heart only is Yaai Thai in the 2nd.  His Hache Menu covered the pricy (80-120€) Girafe, already mentioned, serving seafood on the Seine.

The Dossier by Alice Bosio, Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint Phalle covered places around the Square Gaudet, most already mentioned, including: Double Dragon, Brutus, Nha-que, Broken Biscuits, Blitz, los Gueros and also: La Guinguette d’angele, Yemma, Square Garrett’s, Oxymore, Antepasto, Les Nicois, Balis, la Buvette and The Beans on Fire.

On Wednesday as well, in Paris Update, Heidi Ellison went enthusiastically to the previously mention Sellae in the 13^th. 

L’Ascension in the 9th: Superb staff, incredible street noise, quite nice food.

6.6 L’Ascension, 67, rue de Clichy in the 9th, (Metro: Place de Clichy), closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, 01.42.40.28.47, is a place made for me and my friend from the 20th: a real modern bistro, with wide, interesting choices, at fine prices.

I entered to find the banquette reserved and the majority of seats crushing for my back; no problem, between the main waitguy and the chef, they quickly exchanged a padded chair for my spare one - high marks!  The “menu” even at 22 and 28€ did not beckon but the carte sure did.

We wound up with salmon gravlax and potato rounds with crisp chopped veggies, a generous veal poitrine and then two desserts - a deconstructed delicious Vacherin and a delicious deconstructed Eton Mess.

Our bill, with a bottle and glass of wine and 3 coffees, one offered, was 68.00€?

Go back?  Except for the decibels, which went from 77.3-97.7, this was a terrific experience.

Les Tourteaux in the 8th: A rare find in the 8th; Fresh fish, reasonable, fun.

7.2 Les Tourteaux, 86, rue de la Boetie in the 8th, 01.45.61.02.02, closed weekends (Metro: St Philippe du Roule) is 3 months old and today was almost full of locals who were enjoying themselves, unfortunately to an ear-breaking point (db’s = 86.8). But excepting that.......

The carte is different from most, as you’ll see, and the menu at lunch incredible (20€).

My friend chose to go with the “menu” and started with a perfect egg in a St Marcellin cheese sauce topped with greens and I went with a rare dish at least in the joints I frequent - crispy fried eperlans with a lovely aioli sauce, marked on the carte “to share, or not.”

Then he had the “menu” main, a piece of veal (in a seafood place?) with lovely potatoes while I had what was technically another first, piquillos stuffed with shredded crab meat (European not Chesapeake crabs). With a nice enough salad.  Delicious.

We ended up sharing the dessert of the decade, a palet Breton, which I’m not sure I’ve ever seen or had in my life; chocolate, cream, bits of cake - in brief superb!

Our bill, with a bottle and a glass of Chardonnay and 2 coffees, was 68.00€.

Go?  I’d heartily recommend it in this area that has so many thousands of restaurants, so many ordinary.  This is a breath of Breton fresh air.