John Talbott's Paris

Reviews of Reviews: the week of March 25th, 2019

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin covered 5 places awarding a rare 3/5 hearts to Affinite, a sister restaurant to Alliance, which is located at 52, blvd St-Germain in the 5th, 01.42.02.41.71, closed Sundays and Mondays which as 29 and 50 menus, 50 E a la carte, serving such items as foie gras raviolis, veal and panna cotta.  Garnering 2 hearts was the Japanese Hara-kiri Ramen in the 10th and one heart went to Pedzouille la Bassecour in the 2nd, Les Fines Lames in the 18th and Au Coin in the 17th.  In his Hache Menu he wrote about Top Chef Jean Imbert's Mamie in the 16th.  Alice Bosio wrote about the conversion of Chez Jenny in the place de la Republique to a second Bouillon Pigalle.

Wednesday as well, Heidi Ellison in Paris Update went back to the established Quedebon in the 19th where she liked the new chef and owner.

Thursday, in L'Express Styles Charles Patin O'Coohoon rated 3/4 Les Pères Siffleurs, 15, rue Gerbert in the 15th, 01.48.28.75.63 closed Mondays which costs about 40 E a la carte.  Francois-Regis Gaudry reviewed the previously mentioned Lomben.

Sunday, in the jdd, Aurelie Chaigneau reviewed the Taiwanese Foodi Jia-Ba-Buay in the 2nd (7/10), 6 Paul Bert (8) and Jaja (6).

Wepler in the 18th: Under new and not altogether management.

6.5 Wepler, 14 place de Clichy in the 18th, 01.45.22.53.24,open 7/7, has been under the "new" management of the Groupe Joulie, which runs Sebillon, Chartier, etc., for over a year and I finally had a craving for oysters and nearby.  It and its menu look pretty much the same but "management," ah, that's another matter.

Colette started with a traditional brasserie fish soup which had some texture and good taste and our art historian friend who lives nearby and I enjoyed oysters and bulots (unpictured).  

Colette finished with their traditional floating island which we all agreed was very good.

Our bill, well, ahem.  Just as I called for it, an older gent at a neighboring table got his bill and called the manager over to dispute it. Oh, oh.  So I inspected ours extra-carefully.  Wait!, we ordered portions of 6 and 9 oysters, but were billed for another 6.  There ensued a heated discussion between our native francophonic friend and the waitguy, ending with his stomping off and producing a new bill,  which with a bottle of wine and two coffees, was 106.50 or 71 E a couple.  dB's were 75.3 until the dispute.

Go back?  I figure I've been 3 times in 30 years; that's about right.

Joia by Helene Darroze in the 2nd: I went expecting the worst, and well..... it's a mixed bag.

7.3 Joia par Helene Darroze, 39, rue des Jeuniers in the 2nd, 01.40.20.06.06, closed Sunday nights (Metro: Grands Boulevards or Bourse) is a place I went to great trepidation; my last two meals with the cheffe have been among the worst in my life and I vowed never again to darken her door.  But time softens the negativity and trusted tasters prompted me to give her another try.  The site is impressive. the open kitchen and décor welcoming, although the EXTREMELY LOUD (82.6 dB = about the level of the beginning of a hearing loss), intrusive and awful music is a huge turn-off.

The carte encourages you to share and has lots of small and big plates, so we started with:

• a raddichio salad with walnuts, pear and a terrific dressing that Madame swooned over
• a perfect egg with black truffles and Jerusalem artichoke cream and chips that Monsieur swooned over
• a tempura of kokotxas (under the jaw) merlu which Colette thought was tough with a tasteless batter and I deemed soft and tasty (go figure!)
• a terrine with pistachios which all liked

To finish up, we shared a pavlova and light baba not with rum but rather 8 year Darroze family Armagnac.

Our bill, with great bread, a bottle of Bordeaux and two coffees, was 136 or 90.66E a couple.

Go?  If you're 20-30 and like LOUD, OK; otherwise caution!

 

Flaubert (Le Bistrot d'a Cote) in the 17th: Back in the saddle again.

Prequel: 30 years ago on a flight to Paris a seatmate who lived in the 17th told me about a bistrot Michel Rostang had opened a cote de his starred place.  Needless to say, we went that week but we did not return until we recently heard a new chef had  taken over.  So,... fresh from 60 days of inactivity due to a new "reverse" right shoulder, we went.

6.0 Flaubert (Le Bistrot d'a Cote) de Michel Rostang, 10 rue Gustave Flaubert in the 17th, 01.42.67.05.81, (Metro: Ternes)closed Saturday lunch, Sunday and Monday looks much the same as in 1989.  And it still has an unbeatable 29E 3 course lunch.

Colette and our friend from Provence went with the terribly intense, perhaps too much so, artichoke soup while I had a soft boiled egg on lentils with a mornay sauce and sliced fresh mushrooms.

Then the ladies had perchettes and scallop roe risotto while I had, for the first time ever, a presse of chicken with glazed Spring vegetables, quite unusual and very good.

To finish up we had café gourmands.  With a bottle of Cotes du Rhone and water, our bill was 122.50 or 81.66 E a couple.

Reviews of reviews: he week of March 18, 2019

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmaluel Rubin judged 4 restaurants 2/5 hearts: the previously mentioned Adjuge in the 9th; the pizzaria Uno in the 1st; the epicerie Gramme in the 3rd; and the tapas bar Boca in the 9th.  Garnering one heart was the Cafe Coco in the 17th.  His Hache Menu covered the Asian Wagamama near St Lazare.

The Dossier this week by Alice Bosio covered the Paris food extravaganza this week.

In addition, Heidi Ellison wrote up the previously mentioned Robert in the 11th in Paris Update.

Review of reviews: The week of March 11th, 2018

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin tested 5 places, all garnering. 2/5 hearts: Presqu’ile, 57, rue de Bellechasse in the 7th, 06.45.47.94.70, open evenings and except Sunday and Monday, where for 20-40€ one dines on items such as tarama, oysters and Merlan; Lombem, 52, passage des Panoramas in the 2nd, 01.45.08.54.45, closed Sundays serving burgers, ribs and a pavlova for 15 at lunch and 25-35€ a la carte; the previously mentioned Bonne Aventure in St Ouen; the second Mersea, this in the Beaupassage, 53-57 rue de Grenelle in the 7th, open 7/7 where for 19 and 24 at lunch and 25€ at Sunday brunch one has items such as fish balls and fish burgers; and the pizza place Caterina in the Grand Epicerie, Right Bank, closed Sundays. His Hache Menu covered the 30-year old Caves Petrissans in the 17th. The Dossier this week recounted new wine bars in Paris.

Also Wednesday, Heidi Ellison in Paris Update, reviewed the Korean Jium in the 15th.

Thursday, in L’Express Styles, Francois-Regis Gaudry and team reviewed (3/4) Capitaine, 4, impasse Guéménée in the 4th, 01-44-61-11-76, lunch menu 27, a la carte 50 € closed Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays at lunch and l’Escalier, 6, rue de la Fontaine du But in the 18th, 01.42.57.13.29, open 7/7, where for 16-19€ at lunch one has items such as beef raviolis, perfectly cooked fish and rice pudding.

Reviews of reviews: The week of March 7th, 2019.

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin gave 2 hearts to three places - Paulette, 52, ave de Le Marne in Asnieres, 09.54.37.74.15, closed weekends and Monday night, where a la carte runs 28 and 38 and lunch 16.90€ for items such as winter vegetables, magret and poached pear; Sadarnac, 17, rue Sainte Blaise in the 20th, 01.72.60.72.06, closed Sundays and Mondays, where for 25 and 37 at lunch and 35 and 57€ at dinner for 2, 4, 3, 5 dishes, one dines on items such as cauliflower soup, veal and a Paris Brest and the Chinese Petit Bao in the 2nd.  Garnering one heart was the fast food Poulet Rouge in the 17th and out of the running was the second Inaro in the 9th.  Rubin's Hache Menu covered the Japanesey RAN.

The big news was that Ducasse has taken over Adjuge at Drouot, open 11-18, except Thursday’s, 9 pm, not on Sundays but if sales on Saturday serving items such as oeufs mayo, a blanquette and floating island.

The Dossier wrote up the rue des Martyrs in the 9th. 

Heidi Ellison, in Paris Update, reviewed the Venetian Il Bacaro in the 11th.

Thursday, Francois-Regis Gaudry gave the previously mentioned Joia 2/4.

Review of reviews: The week of February 25th, 2018

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin reviewed five places, giving 3/5 hearts to the Asian fusion Fanfan in the 17th and the Italian Pastificio in the 3rd.  Getting 2 hearts was the previously mentioned Early June in the 10th and one heart to Stephane jego's Ground Control in the 8th as well as Jinao Buns in the 6th.  His Hache Menu covered the Greek Ya Ya Secretan.

Heidi Ellison in Paris update liked the previously mentioned Astair.

Finally Thursday in l’Express styles, Francois-Regis Gaudry awarded 2/4 to the Franco-Lebanese Hebe and 3/4 to la Vierge.