John Talbott's Paris

La Lorraine in the 8th: A perfect New Year's Eve lunch without the gilets jaunes.

 

La Lorraine (Brasserie Fruits de Mer) in the 8th has a lot going for it since its take-over from the last corporate bunch; it's back to the nice type of independent joint that still does a lot of business, is open 7/7 from dawn to past midnight, and is staffed by terribly efficient and friendly folks.

We ordered crazily off the carte ignoring boundaries, figuring that on New Years Eve, rules are broken.  Colette started with roasted langoustines and coques in a tasty slightly herby sauce and I had 6 Normand St-Vaast #3 oysters followed by rock fish soup with the usual rouille and stripped cheese.  She ended with their marvelous Paris-Brest.

The bill, with a bottle of perfect Muscadet and 2 coffees but no cocktails or champagne which surprised our wait-guy, was 101.90 E.

John Top Twenty-Four 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, Fusain

7.4 The Dude (closed), Pianovins

7.3 Bulots Bulots, Bistrot de Madeleine

7.2 Chez Delphine, Yard, Les Tourteaux

7.1 Capitaine, Berty, Pilgrim, O Divin, Rougemont

7 Automne, Reine Mer, Astair, Ensemble

8.0 L’Ours, Allenotheque

7.9 Mumi, Vent d’Armor

7.6 Sellae

7.5 Grive, Baita, Sauvage, Fusain

7.4 The Dude (closed), Pianovins

7.3 Bulots Bulots, Bistrot de Madeleine

7.2 Chez Delphine, Yard, Les Tourteaux

7.1 Capitaine, Berty, Pilgrim, O Divin, Rougemont

7 Automne, Reine Mer, Astair, Ensemble

Reviews of reviews: the week of December 24, 2018

Tuesday in Le Fooding, Julie Gerbet provided her 5 places to go for New Year’s Eve that included: Poule au Pot, Joia, Substance, Astair, Froufrou.

In Figaroscope, Alice Bosio did the same, listing (in Paris) Jones, Poule au Pot, St Sebastien, Virtus, Zebra.

Thursday, in L’Express Styles, they gave their best restaurants of the year; the ones serving French food in Paris were: Les Enfants du Marche, Rigmarole, Biscotte, Cadoret, Laiterie de Paris.

Coretta in the 17th: "This is very good."

Coretta in the 17th; a place we've been often but never with our famous cookbook writer/TV host/friend and academic turned terribly successful popular writer/friend who digs into the nitty-gritty of average folks living in Paris in WWII.  Refs "Soup Nights" and "Sunday Casseroles" & "When Paris went Dark" and "Sudden Courage".

I knowing what I would face with my main course, held off an entree, but our friends had the raviolinis of rabbit and endives two ways (raw and cooked).

Then the Madames had the scallops and lamb, while the gents plunged into the usual sweetbreads, crisp on the outside but not moist enough for me (despite my request) on the inside.

All four of us then dwelt in near-heaven with their brioche with ice cream and caramel sauce.

Our bill, with two bottles of wine, a tea and 3 coffees, was 228 E or 114 E a couple.

Baltard Au Louvre in the 1st: "This is fantastic."

Baltard au Louvre in the 1st is the third in a successful run of restaurants managed by Laurent Frechet following Pirouette and Zebulon (credit also goes to his brothers Jean-Marie and Thomas Chaput).  We were warmly greeted by our host and later warmly welcomed by chef Ewout Vranckx both of whom spoke with the ease of those who have worked all over the world.  The meal started with a most generous offering of glasses of a Sancerre that one of our guests recognized as best of show in the region, and an amuse of lemony mouse on tiny  bits of celery.

The 25 € formula sounded terrific and our co-diners from the Bay Area went with it, starting with a watercress soup and cooked but cool mackerel (“fantastic”) covered with a host of herbs and veggies.

They then had the lieu jaune and boudin noir (for which the “this is fantastic“ utterance came again), while Colette had the a la carte half pigeon in blood sauce and I the a la carte foie gras, first poached, then sautéed or vice versa which dissipated my need to stock up before New Years Eve.

To finish up we all dove into their daily dessert - a  very nice rice pudding.

Our bill with a bottle and glass of wine (St Joseph) and Badoit  and 4 coffees with lovely mignardises, was 177 € or 88.50 € a couple.

(Photos credits for food and wine = Jake Dear).

 

Sens Unique in the 18th: Home food near home.

 

 

 

 

 

Sens Unique in the 18th near home is a place you don't come to, to be dazzled by but welcomed.

Its 2-2-3 lunch menu is super affordable (3 dishes for 20€) but not one you’d cross town for.  Colette held off an entree but I had some lovely slices of veal carpaccio in a mustardy sauce.  Then she had not greatly sourced cod with shredded zucchini and carrots and I had overcooked strips of chicken on a nice purée.

To finish up, she had mixed diced fruit and I the cafe gourmand that came with the same plus a mousse with chocolate sauce and myrtilles with cream.

Our bill with a decent bottle of Cotes de Rousillion and another coffee was 64€.

Reviews of reviews: the week of December 17, 2018

Monday-Tuesday there were no restaurant reviews in A Nous Paris.

Tuesday, in Le Fooding, Matthieu Jauniau-Dallier revisited Vivant, which he called Vivant 2, same coordinates in the 10th, after a renovation.

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin listed his 20 Best Restaurants in Paris under various categories, that included: Girafe, Double Dragon, Taillevent, La Poule au Pot, Le Train Bleu, L’Abysse, Substance, Joia, Astair, Baieta, Apicius, Pilgrim, Oxte, Boulom, NE/SO, L’Orangerie, L’Ours, Beef Bar, Froufrou, Ducasse-sur-Seine plus some others: Petrossian, Zebra, Aux Bons Crus, Ground Control, Beaupassage, Printemps du Gout, Hugo et Co., Sauvage, Bien Ficele, Gaya, Ibrik, restaurant du Theatre Marigny.

Also on Wednesday, Heidi Ellison in Paris Update reviewed the previously mentioned Innocence in the 9th.

Thursday, in L’Express Styles, Charles Patin O’Coohoon reviewed the established L’Armandie in the 15th, which has reopened 7/7 featuring items such as oysters, sole and baba.

Reviews of reviews: The week of December 10, 2018

Monday-Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed the previously mentioned Goguette in the 11th.

Tuesday, in Le Fooding, A. Aitor reviewed the coffee shop/bagels/sandwich place Sando Club in the 11th.

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed his traditional five new restaurants: giving 3/5 hearts to Le Saint-Sebastien, 42 rue St-Sebastien in the 11th, 06.49.75.27.90, closed weekends, where for 40-50€ one dines on items such as salsify, encornets and apple tarts.  Getting 2 hearts each were the previously mentioned Billili in the 10th and Le Bistrot de Madeleine in the 9th.  Finally, meriting one heart only were Maurice in the 2nd and Le Vrai Paris in the 18th.  His Hache Menu covered the Balkan restaurant Ibrak featuring dishes from Slovenia to Greece.

Wednesday as well, Heidi Ellison in Paris Update reviewed the previously mentioned Double Dragon.

Thursday, in l’Express Styles, Charles Patin O’Coohoon reviewed Casagala, 5, Cour des Petites Ecuries in the 10th, 01.40.22.02.02, closed Sundays and Mondays at lunch, where one lunches for 18-22 on items such as tuna tartare, filet de bar and vegetables and dinner at 30€ consists of items such as beef raviolis, charcuterie and razor clams.  They also reviewed Mino, 42, rue de Menilmontant in the 20th, closed Mondays but brunch on Sundays, where for 14.90 and 17.90, a la carte 20€ one dines on items such as Parma ham, roast veal and grilled octopus.

Astair in the 2nd: Loud, short-staffed but quite good.

Astair in the 2nd has been open for only a few weeks and it's jam-packed, loud and unfortunately understaffed.  But the food over-rides those elements.

All of us went straight to main courses, our friends having an entrecote and cod, while Colette and I both had the quail with figs and vegetables and potatoes.  For dessert, everyone had the tarte tatin with cream.

Our bill, with a bottle and glass of wine and three coffees, was 195.40E or 97.70E a couple.

Reviews of reviews: The week of December 3rd, 2018

Monday-Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard reviewed the previously mentioned Auberge Pyrenees Cevennes in the 11th and Jerome Berger covered the aforementioned A La Vierge de la Reunion in the 20th.

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed his usual four places giving 4 places 2 hearts each: Le Petit Boutary, 16, rue Jacquemont in the 17th, 01.46.27.76.23, closed Sundays and Mondays, where for 23 and 29 at lunch or 49 and 59€ at dinner one dines on items such as lentils, squid and coques and chocolate crumble; the previously mentioned Goguette in the 11th; the established Strasbourgeoise in the 10th and he pizzeria Marzo Rive Droite in the 16th. Garnering one heart was another Italian place, Gusto Fresco in the 1st. In his Hache Menu, Rubin discussed the previously mentioned l’Orangerie at the George’s V in the 8th, running one 150€ a la carte.

In Figaroscope’s Dossier this week by Alice Bosio, Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint Phalle, they discussed restaurants in the Golden Triangle, including: Jacopo, Beefbar, Les Tourteaux, Edern, Marxito, Les Mermoz, and also: Joel Robuchon-Dassai, La Maison de Caviar, l’Abysse, Abicius, Lamee.

Also on Wednesday, Heidi Ellison in Paris Update was disappointed by Pianovins.

Thursday in L’Express Styles, Francois-Regis Gaudry reviewed the previously mentioned Substance.

Sunday, in the jdd, Aurelie Chaigneau reviewed the Chinese My Noodles (7/10) in the 6th, the Italian Tempilenti in the 11th (8), and the previously mentioned wine bistro, Vin au Vert (7) in the 9th.