John Talbott's Paris

Ze Kitchen Galerie in the 6th: “this is the best I’ve ever had.”

Ze Kitchen Galerie in the 6th has stood up fabulously well over the years. We can recall back to when William Ledeuil used to dash from its kitchen of 3 or 4 back to that at Les Bouquinistes (which he had previously run) next door for a cup of sugar or whatever. Now the kitchen is so jam packed it’s a wonder no elbows meet flesh and the food pours out seemingly effortlessly, tastily and without fault, even when he’s not in residence. We entered, looked over the carte and ordered.  

First, of course, came a spicy soup with sesame seeds amuse followed by a spicy Thai broth in which langoustines and gamberi rossi, lemon grass and other exotic stuff had been perfectly undercooked.  Then without warning came small bowls of pasta with parmesan, nuts and pieces of pancetta - a "house specialty."

For a main, Colette had wonderfully cooked lieu jaune with teeny, baby cauliflower and broccoli florets, baby coques and baby mussels and I had slices of poulette with an assortment of other fall-winter vegetables.  We finished up with white chocolate ice cream, litchis and pineapple and I’m sure other ingredients we missed.

Our bill, with 2 glasses of bubbly and 2 pastas (offered) and a bottle of wine, was 0.  That’s right, 0.  When I asked for the check, the major domo leaned over the table and said in English “the bill has been picked up by someone else.” “What?” “Who?” “The gentleman in the corner.” I looked, I waved, I went over and thanked him, but he said something like “thank you for all your advice and steering me to Tomy & Company, that alone was worth it. In fact I'm eating there tonight”  

Well, in case others want to follow his example I’m open to such.  Better than contributing to the Talbott Foundation which is in deficit 115,000 Tanzanian shillings that the Communists stole from me.

Gaya in the 7th: "Yah gets what yez pays fer," my Iowan Dad would say.

Prequel: So, when we had our first sabbatical in Paris, we tried to relearn our rudimentary French at EuroCentre on the passage Dauphine over the summer.  On a professor's half-salary for a year, we did things to save money as silly as not ordering coffee in restaurants and taking yogurt and apples to have for lunch, and in extremis, followed my instructor's advice to have lunch at one of those 10-12 Euro (francs at the time) joints nearby.  I'd say I lasted a week and gave up, having found a jolly bartender who at the counter served a glass of wine with some toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic and tomatoes for practically nothing.  The place was called Gaya.  It moved, was taken over by Gagnaire, moved again, and now is settled into the spot where the Ferme St. Simon, once a favorite of the man who taught me the most about how to eat, R.W.(Johnnie) Apple, used to be.

Gaya by Pierre Gagnaire, 6 rue Saint Simon in the 7th, has been written up overly since it moved locations and while everyone lists the lunch menus at 30, 39 and 45E, anyone sentient knows these are sucker prices for "forced choices" and the real cost is much more more like 85-100E.  But still....

After the super breadsticks with a broccoli-anchovy sauce and amuse which I've forgotten, we more or less shared a huge artichoke heart with pickled cuke slices and many tasty herbs on top, surrounded by a sauce with big small pieces of salsifis.  Then while Colette had a nice piece of skate wing with very good  potatoes, I had an equally impressive piece of lieu jaune with tiny mussels and mushrooms.  To finish, we shared their delicious lemon tart followed by some mignardises.

Our bill (NB who else besides Le Fooding actually gives you the real (not the sucker) price?), with a bottle and glass of wine, approved of but not chosen by the friendly som, no bottled water but two coffees (7E each, albeit they "offered us" two more), was 159E.

Go back?  Despite the noise level and prices, I would.  My sacred Dad was right - "Yah gets what yez pays fer." 

La Canonniere in he 11th: A perfect bistrot du quartier: nothing more, nothing less.

6.9 La Canonniere, 57, rue de la Fontaine au Roi in the 11th, 09.83.22.05.09, closed Mondays and Tuesdays (Metro: Faggedaboudid), is the sort of place Food Business : La face cachée de la gastronomie française would have picked as a winner: while not in a food desert, indeed it is in the food hall that is now the 11th, it has a talented chef, 150 bottles of wine (10E corkage) and sane prices (15 for 2 and 18 E for 3 dishes at lunch).  As we entered, the odor of fresh vegetables cooking in a broth overwhelmed us - ah, "Lafayette, we are here."

So, Colette, captivated by the smell of the soup into which the chef seemed to be ever-adding ingredients, had it with an egg in the middle, while the friend I've known the longest in France (1953) and I had the duck livers, which were OK but not up to the gold standard of A. Noste, but then.... Then all of us had the stew of bit of leg of venison with veggies which as usual for game, were more dry than I wish, but then... Finally, the ladies had the cream of lemon with cookie bits, not terrific.

Our bill, with two bottles of red, one marked Poisson Rouge, the next Poisson Regale, both wonderful, no bottled water but three coffees (my pal from nearby, ordered hers noisette, no milk here, so the genial waitguy hustled next door to the Thai joint, and came back with some - Extra Points for that!), was 83 or 55.32E a couple.

Go?  I'm cluing my cousin in law's friend who wants reasonably priced places in Paris as soon as I finish this.

A wall of plants that Colette insisted be published as a sign that ecology will win out.

Papillon in the 17th: Sometimes an internet prompt works.

Papillon in the 17th is the type of place that we went to after it opened and liked very much, especially with Laura Portelli's Garde Manger next door which assures that you’ll have two good meals that day.  A few days ago I got an email from Christophe Saintagne, et al, that included some of the sorts of game dishes they’d be serving this Fall.   Well, that set me off.

So when we looked at the carte I was already primed.  But unexpectedly, the chef appeared at our table with some absolutely divine slices of cured beef.  That certainly put us in a good mood.  For mains, then, Colette had the bar with cardamon and cabbage and I, predictably had the colvert duck set on a spicy rich salmis sauce of innards and a layered potato slice with bacon embedded in its crust - yum!

To finish, Colette had a pear and I an apple tart with nuts. 

Winding up came their straight from the oven madeleines with our coffees.

Our bill with a bottle of Julienas, was 140€ (it’s worth noting that many folks around us were have the most reasonably priced 2 course “menu” @18€.

Must have been "bring your adorable kids to work" day.

Bistrot Rougemont in the 9th: Oh, wasn't I a clever boy?

Le Bistrot Rougemont in the 9th is a place I rather took a shine to a couple of weeks ago - so much that I insisted that Colette and a close "food expert" friend accompany me for a repeat visit.  Unfortunately there were a few glitches.

To start, Colette ordered a carrot soup which despite her attempts at "doctoring it" with salt and pepper, remained "tasteless"; while our friend and I had what was called cepes with a perfect egg, but as our friend pointed out was more the cheaper mushrooms of Paris than expensive cepes and had an egg whose yolk was cold.  My dining companions started to question my judgment.

To finish off, two of us had the baba and Colette the Paris-Brest, which were OK, although in a bizarre twist, my baba was served with the ladies' main dishes.

Our bill, which strangely, could not be printed out, was 97.50 E or 65 E a couple for our dishes plus a bottle and two glasses of wine and three coffees.

As we left, the magnificent BNP building greeted us.

Reviews of reviews: The week of November 19th, 2018

Monday-Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger wrote up the neo-bistrot Le Bistrot de Madeleine, 4, ave Trudaine in the 9th, 01.42.85.19.35, closed Sundays and Mondays, where on lunch menu at 18 and 22 or a la carte dinner at 45€ one dines on items such as oeufs mimosa, an onglet and a lemon meringue tart as well as a brief mention of Seoul Mama in the 15th; while Philippe Toinard reviewed Alain Dutournier’s BBM (Bistro Buci Mazarin), 82, rue Mazarin in the 6th, 01.43.54.02.11, closed Sundays and Mondays, where for 25 at lunch or 35 and 45€ at dinner one dines on items such as a cold piperade, various game dishes, cassoulet and a Mont Blanc.

Tuesday in le Fooding, Matthieu Jauniau-Dallier reviewed A La Vierge de la Reunion, 58 rue de la Reunion in the 20^th, closed weekends, 01.43.67.51.15, where from 16-35E one dines on dishes such as ricotta di bufala sald, merlu and poached pear.

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed his usual 5 places, giving three hearts to two: Chez Alfred Lao Cuisine in the 11th and Cocotte et Tire-bouchon, 184 rue Cardinet in the 17th, open 7/7 for dinner at 35€ plus for items such as a oeuf miso, pigs feet croquettes and rhubarb tart.  Garnering two hearts was the Italian Luigi in the 6th and meriting one were the Phenix du Vietnam and  the 3rd burger boite Roomies in the 9th.

Also in Figaroscope Wednesday was an article by Alice Bosio, Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint Phalle on the return of traditional dishes: quenelles de brochet at the Poule au Pot, Chou Farci at l’Ascension, bouillabaisse at Baieta, Pot-au-feu at Chez (V)ivre, epaule d’agneau confit at Accents, Poule au Blanc at Cadoret, cassoulet at l’Auberge Pyrenees-Cevennes and also Le Train Bleu, Bons Crus & Nous 4.

Also Wednesday, Heidi Ellison in Paris Update, related her disappointment in screwing up a date at a restaurant but recovered with a good meal at Chez Phung.

Thursday in L’Express styles, they reviewed the previously mentioned Chartrons in the 3^rd and Billili in the 10^th.

Sunday in the jdd, Aurelie Chaigneau reviewed her usual three places: the pizzeria Marzo in the 16^th (7/10), the Cannoniere, (7) 57, rue de la Fontaine au Roi in the 11^th, 09.83.22.05.09, closed Monday and Tuesdays with lunch formulas at 15 and 18, a la carte 30 and 35 E for items such as beet soup, Lyon sausage and poached pear, and the previously mentioned Buvette (7) in the 9^th.

Coretta in the 17th: As good as it gets.

Coretta in the 17th is our "go-to" place on Sunday, especially when the yellow vests are protesting in the inner city and we're skirting along the peripherique in search of great food.  Our friends got there a bit before we did and once all were installed we were served a funkily spicy soup of langoustines.  Then they both ordered the raviolis of rabbit in a spicy sauce with peanuts and bok choi, a delicious winter dish.

Colette had superb quail, our friends had wild boar and barbu/brill and I went with the old reliable sweetbreads, boy you cannot improve on their version!

Two of us finished by sharing Beatriz Gonzales' fantastic caramel brioche with the table.  The middle photo is of the duck-shaped tea-sieve that came with JJ's fancy South African tea and we all got the mignardises that followed.

Our bill, with two bottles of wine, the tea and two coffees was 227E or 113.50E a couple.  I should mention that there was a mixup in the red Bordeaux I ordered but that the gracious staff quickly readjusted it downward, which a less seasoned team might not have done.

L'Arcane in the 18th: Lost in a flurry .... like I was at Spring.

L'Arcane, 39 rue Lamarck in the 18th, is a place Colette and I have found to be a reliable provider of surprises: dishes of such complexity yet simpleness, variety of textures, ingredients, colors and flavors, that it challenges comparisons, but invites blissful memories of Point, Giradet and yes, Daniel Rose, who told me he often woke at mid-night thinking of what to put on the table of Spring that noon and dinner.  Well, here, we never know what to expect, except that the outstanding service, overseen by Madame,  will be on par with the excellent meal and that we will leave happy.  So, once again, I'll put up photos of his astonishing dishes with descriptions of parts of their ingredients.  We look forward to returning in December.  

OK, so here goes: 

• vichyssoise with crab meat and herbs
• scallops with cauliflower
• venison with raviolis of red cabbage and other stuff and terrific spatzle
• a pre-dessert of fluff
• pear with caramel
• a baby tarte tatin
• clemenitine, noisettes and chocolat.

Our bill for three with two bottles of wine, no bottled water but 3 coffees was 266E or 167.32E a couple.

 

Pianovins in the 11th: Our gracious host knew just what we wanted. As did Klimt.

Pianovins, 46 rue de Trousseau in the 11th, 01.48.06.95.85, (Metro: Charonne) is a place I ate at in May and have been meaning to get back to.  Well, today was the day.

The reservation was not in my name but upon entering I was treated as if the Messiah, which included "knowing" exactly what wine I'd like with our lunches.  We were also soon treated to a lovely velvety soup amuse and a stack of bread my two female co-diners insisted I photograph.

We three had the 30E "menu" which started with a perfect egg with two ingredients our host showed us in their uncooked state, a dark pear-like fruit and a light brown Jerusalem artichoke-like vegetable.  Then we all had the lieu jaune that our host insisted had been line caught recently by one of his 150 seafaring friends, delicious.  To finish,the ladies had the "menu" clementine ice cream while our host graciously swapped out mine for a spectacular scoop of chocolate heaven.

Our bill, with said bottle and a glass of wine, no bottled water, but 3 coffees, was 131E or 87.32E a couple.

Afterwards we headed over to the Klimt at the Atelier des Lumieres for a wonderful hour of Klimt in all his states, marred only by the music of Hitler's favorite composer, ironic due to Klimt's life-long passion for Jewish women, and the lack of ventilation which allowed the gas passed in the dark to linger a bit too long.

Le Train Bleu in the 12th: Good food; great service and Peter Lorre.

Le Train Bleu in the Gare de Lyon in the 12th, while founded in 1900, floundered after its heyday, and was the butt of many jokes among the culinary elite related to its decor/food ratio, until the Rostang Group, following Eric Frechon's successful creation of Lazare in St Lazare and Thierry Marx's unsuccessful attempt at the Etoile du Nord in the Gare du Nord, took this project on.  When I read Alec Lobrano's rave a while back I gasped, then went, was pleasantly surprised and took Colette back for our Thanksgiving fete today.  Spoiler alert: It holds up1

Colette went with the scallops a la plancha on a bed of endive and chestnuts, I had a repeat of my last meal's superb leg of lamb, beautifully undercooked with roasted garlic and incredible potatoes a la dauphinoise; ending up with a Mont Blanc of sugar, sugar and sugar - my oh my!

Our bill, with a bottle of red Bordeaux and two glasses of white Bordeaux, one offered, plus two coffees, was 158.00E.

As to my reference to Peter Lorre, no, it's not this Dude, who is dressed as a Station Master circa 1900, the sort who used to announce departures to the (PLM) South, but now declaims Moliere etc., also helps people up the stairs. sing Happy Birthday and is a general dogsbody, in the best of its definitions.  No, in this setting, with affluent folks dashing in and out with luggage besides great administrators and servers dashing in and out with food, you might well mistake it for the era of the Orient Express, etc.