John Talbott's Paris

Coretta in the 17th: Eating with Beatriz Gonzalez is always fun, really fun.

Coretta in the 17th s a place we return to joyfully Sundays when my wife is in town and we were joined by two writer friends, one of whom has been bold enough to do a long running TV Cooking show.

Cheffe Gonzalez herself started us off with cool wooden spoons of diced ceviche of langoustine with lime; followed by again cool multi-colored tomatoes, spicy galanga and burrata, 2 maybe 3 ways. (Cheffe Gonzalez and her staff are terrific- helpful, warm, and very skilled) 

For main dishes we had pork, monkfish and sweetbreads with tiny mushrooms; all of which were perfectly sauced.

The ladies ordered the Paris-Brest for two but miraculously four portions appeared accompanied by celery - that's celery - ice cream and raspberries; very yummy indeed.

Our bill, with the amuses and extra desserts offered, a bottle and two glasses of wine, a bottle of Badoit (which M. has discovered prevents heartburn), a tea and three coffees, was 217 E or 108.50 E a couple.  What fun!

 

Baltard au Louvre in the 1st: Nice lunch; very nice lunch.

Baltard au Louvre in the 1st was a pretty good choice for what was predicted to be the hottest day since 1943.  Air-conditioned, certified by the Pirouette/Zebulon gang and chef'd by Ewout Vranckx.  The menu was appropriate for the hot day and the interior room free from sunshine.

One of us had green tomatoes with an avocado puree and two the smoked bass on top of pureed mushrooms; both perfect for today or any day for that matter.

For main courses we had cod, lomo Iberico and ox tail, all with lovely, light but off-setting sauces.

For desserts we had tapioca with strawberries, Basque cakes and a chocolate cake.

With a bottle and glass of wine and three coffees, our bill was 194 E or 97 E a couple.

Condesa in the 9th: Still one of the greatest places in town.

Condesa, 17 rue Rodier in the 9th has been a favorite of ours ever since it opened.  One thinks that Chef Indra Carrillo has pulled out all his magic tricks and then he pulls a centime out of your ear, or the culinary equivalent.  In contrast with every other place in town that has a surprise or no-choice menu and you struggle to remember all the ingredients - he handed me list of what I'd had as I left. 

 

So there you have it: everything from abalone to poularde, goat cheese to Greek yogurt and gombo to tarragon.  Wow!

With three glasses of Champagne (offered), a bottle of Chinon, 2 bottles of their filtered water and three coffees (needless to say their bread is as good as always), our bill was 181E or 120.66E a couple. 

Reviews of reviews: The week of June 17, 2019

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin did his end of the academic year summary listing twenty restaurants and the (alternatives): Les Cuistots Migrateurs (Bonne Aventure), Fogon Ultramarinos (Tigermilk), Pardi (Badaboum, Octopus (Brasserie Paris Longchamps), Laperouse (le Ran), Coco (l'Apicius), Beau Regard (Pierro TT), Brasserie Bellanger (l'Hotel Drouot), Marso & Co. (le Malro), Tontine (le Creatures), Affinite (Rooster), Cheval d'Or (Petit Bao, Kodawari Tsukiji), Yaya Secretan (Citron), Aux Crus de Bourgogne (Mamie), La Bicyclette (Le Maquis), La Regalade du Faubourg (Brasserie Lutetia), Bouillon Chartier Montparnasse (Bouillion Julien), Adar (Daily Syrien Veggie), Anona (Sergent Recruteur), Pastificio (Pastore, Eataly).

Wednesday as well, Heidi Ellison in Paris Update reviewed the previously mentioned Trois B.

Thursday, Francois-Regis Gaudry, in L'Express Styles, gave 3/4 to the Solstice, 45, rue Claude Bernard in the 5th closed Sunday and Monday, 06.52.31.83.84, serving items such as poularde, sweetbreads and a strawberry dessert for 65 (4 dishes), 90 (5 dishes) at dinner and 35 E (two dishes) at lunch.

Reviews of reviews: The week of June 10, 2019

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin rated two restaurants 3/5 hearts – the well known Laperouse, reprised by the Moma group with “sulfureuse” prices – 100-180 E – open nights except Sunday and the previously mentioned Chinaski in the 5^th.  Getting 2 hearts was Mar’co, 4, rue de la Soudiere in the 1^st, 01.44.82.03.74, closed Sundays and open 9:30-7 PM, costing about 40 E for a vegetable Croque-madame, salmon and Mont Blanc.  1 heart went to Avocateria in the 2^nd and a broken heart and unpleasant words for Monak in the 16^th.  His Hache Menu was about the return of Alberto Herraiz to Fogon Ultramarinos in the 7th.

Wednesday as well, Heidi Ellison in Paris Update reviewed the previously mentioned Le Maquis in the 18th.

John's Tops in 2019

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.

8.2 L'Office

8.1 ERH, Sadarnac

8.0 Le Cellier

7.9 Bouillon 47, Marcore, Bicyclette

7.8 Rooster, Picotte, Petit Boutary

7.7 St Sebastien, Vermillion, Willette, Fabrique de Boutons

7.6 Chameleon

7.5 Substance, Democratie

7.3 Joia, Clown Bar

7.2 Oyster Club

7.1 Nord Nord

7.0 Fulgurances, Yoshinori

8.1 ERH, Sadarnac

8.0 Le Cellier

7.9 Bouillon 47, Marcore, Bicyclette

7.8 Rooster, Picotte, Petit Boutary

7.7 St Sebastien, Vermillion, Willette, Fabrique de Boutons

7.6 Chameleon

7.5 Substance, Democratie

7.3 Joia, Clown Bar

7.2 Oyster Club

7.1 Nord Nord

7.0 Fulgurances, Yoshinori

Reviews of reviews: The week of June 3, 2019

Wednesday, in Figaroscope, Emmanuel Rubin rated one restaurant 3/5 hearts – Anona, 80, blvd des Batignolles in the 17th, closed Sunday and Monday, 01.84.79.01.15, where for 25 and 29 at lunch ot 75 and 95 at dinner or 50 E a la carte one dines on items such as chinchard, stuffed tomato and picanha. He awarded two hearts each to two places, the aforementioned Le Maquis in the 18th and Augustin, Marchand’vins, 26, rue des Grands-Augustins in the 6th, 09.81.21.76.21, closed Mondays, costing one 25-45 E for sausage, smoked salmon and cheese. One heart each went to the Cezanne Brasserie in the 16th and Wholywood in the 2nd. His Hache Menu covered Kodawari Tsujiki in the 2nd, termed “Disney-Tokyo.”

Wednesday as well, Heidi Ellison in Paris Update reviewed Padum Padum in the 18th.

La Gare by Gaston Acurio in the 16th: How very 16th, including rich ladies vaping inside.

6.0 La Gare, 19, Chaussee de la Muette in the 16th, open 7/7, 01.42.15.15.31 (Metro: La Muette), is a place you've passed hundreds of times on the way to or from the Marmottan, looked at the menu and kept walking.  And there was a good reason for that - it was an expensive, noisy, not very adventuresome brasserie in the heart of rich folks' territory.  But Gaston Acurio, a 52 year old Peruvian who runs about the same number of restaurants all over the world, renovated this ancient station beautifully and promised a worldly menu from several kitchens including Europe's largest BBQ.  And a friend who works nearby tested it twice and indicated that it wasn't half-bad.

There is no elevator and the dining space is down many many stairs making it tough going for the mobility-impaired but I made it.  My friend arrived and we chose what I thought was an interesting set of dishes:

• ceviche nikkei
• a maki salmon roll
• strips of beef flank
• a tarta de Queso

All were well sourced and nicely prepared.

Our bill, with a bottle and glass of wine and 2 coffees, was 107 E.  dB's were so insignificant that I never measured them

Go?  I see no reason not to, but then I see no reason to.  It's world food, good if you're on the run, but nothing to knock your socks off.

Sadarnac in the 20th: Oh boy, this cheffe, Lise Deveix, knows how to cook. No wonder, she came via Alain Solivérès and Akrame Benallal.

Pre: So I'm walking down the Rue St Blaise, number 17, right?

Wait a minute, the Croque d'Or, with lots of stickers going back years, but it says 17.  Enter, "is this Sadarnac?"  "No, next door" with a weary look like "why does this happen all the time?"

8.1 Sadarnac, 17, rue Saint-Blaise (on the right downhill from the Croque d'Or), in the 20th (Metro: Porte de Montreuil), closed Sunday and Monday, 01.72.60.72.06, has been open 8 months and by Jingo! it was pretty full today, so the word is out.  I have no idea where I'd heard about it, maybe Le Monde, but it was well worth the 15 E Uber ride.  I was going to order the 3 courses for 25 E, but the French friend I've known the longest, who lives walking distance away, said "Come on, let me order the 4 courses for 37 E and we'll test the kitchen."  I have smart friends.

The amuses were toasts with "champignons neige."  Huh?  Yup, Japanese and super delicious.  Then we had artichokes barigoule; then the 12 E treat - ceviche with petit pois - worth every centime.  Our meat course was pork belly with the crispiest and saltiest skin ever, followed by rice pudding and rhubarb - oh my! Oh my, oh my!

Our bill with a bottle and glass of wine, an Evian and two coffees, was 114 E.  dB's 80.8 even when asked to lower it.

Go?  Oh, my oh my!

Chameleon in the 10th: "3 chefs in 7 years? Well, this guy is the best."

Pre and Post: I'd read about Chameleon in Sunday's jdd and it sounded really great (I'd missed a prior posting in Le Fooding) and so I invited a friend who is very discriminating about food in Paris, his home, to try it out.  As I walked in, I said to myself "wait a minute, when was I here last?  2013. I sure hope things are better." 

After lunch I was sitting outside waiting for an Uber (20% off) and the owner came out and said " Mr. Talbott, good to see you again, I'm Arnaud, the owner.....it's been...what 2012 since you were here?"  "No, 2013. So, how many chefs have you had since then?"  "3 in 7 years....."  "Gasp!"  "No, that's normal."  "Well, this guy (Nicolas Verdera) is the best."

7.6 Chameleon, 70 rue Rene Boulanger in the 10th (not to be confused with Jean-Paul Arabian's now closed Cameleon in the 6th), 01.42.08.99.41, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays (Metro: Jacques Bonsergent).

The menus are 20 for 2 dishes and 23 for 3 so one doesn't fret a lot over the choices: my friend went with a starter of barigoule of vegetables with super supreme bacon (unpictured) and I had sauteed sardines with caponata; then we both had great pieces of echine de porc with potatoes Darphin; ending with ganaches of Earl Grey and mini-brownies and chopped nefles (yah I had to look it up too.)

With a bottle of Old Mule and glass of pinot grigio and two coffees, our bill should have been 76 E but they comp'd us some wine.  db's were 87.8 (more than a "passing diesel truck or snow blower.)  BTW: The service was excellent.

Go?  Essential.