John Talbott's Paris

La Fabrique de Bouchons in the 17th: Chef Fabien Sam turns up the heat metaphorically.

The Fabrique de Bouchons in the 17th was a place I liked a lot just a month ago and was delighted to be able to return to today with Colette and two friends.  The offerings were totally different but just as delicious.

With a 2-2-2 "menu" at 23 E it was easy to decide.  We started with portions of ham and melon and tuna ceviche; moved on to daurade and tataki of beef; and finished up with strawberries and creme anglaise and dark chocolate and ice cream.

With a bottle and glass of the cleverly named "Le Temps est venu", a bottle of Chateldon and 3 coffees, our bill was 135 or 77.50 E a couple.

Le Cellier in the 9th: Simple, oh so simple food, why can't every block have one?

Le Cellier in the 9th is Stephane Pitre's bistro d'a cote as it were, serving a "simple" "menu" of 2-2-2 food for 28 E at lunch.  You may recall I said on eating here before that the Chef talked to us about how difficult it was to find chefs who could cook "simple" classics.  Well, he seems to have found them

We started off with two portions of tomato gazpacho, that was, well, gazpacho, simple and cooling and a pate (replacing the ham on the chalkboard which looked good on another diner's plate.)  Then Colette had the roast chicken with carrots which she deemed roast chicken and my longest serving French friend and I had something not so simple, a creamy, cheesy risotto with mussels and cauliflower, a dish I maintain cannot be made well more than 20 klicks from Modena - but I was wrong - it was superb! To finish off we had diced watermelon with the hint of a sweet sauce over them.

Our bill, with a bottle of wine and three coffees was 113.50 or 75.66 E a couple.

L'Escient in the 17th: Back to the Future.

L'Escient in the 17th is a place I had an OK meal at in 2012 (6.5) but then returned a few weeks ago and was much more impressed (7.8).  Today, however, I'd judge it back at 6.5.

They started us off with chorizo slices which JJ had last time and I found wonderful and then both moved on to gambas, hers chilled on a bed of chilled avocado and mine crusty on the outside, tender on the inside.  For mains Colette had the merlu with artichokes and I had tiger (aka Thai) beef cooked blue, both of which were OK, no better.  Finally we shared the "menu" dessert, strawberries and rhubarb with verveine ice cream.

Our bill, with a bottle of chilled just right Valencay and 2 coffees was 106 E.

Reviews of reviews: The week of June 24, 2019

Wednesday Heidi Ellison in Paris Update reviewed La Bécane à Gaston, 24, rue Lucien Sampaix in the 10th, 09.80.73.22.98, open Wednesday-Thursday, for dinner only, Friday and Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for brunch, costing 24 at lunch and a la carte 43 E for items such as asparagus, pintade and cherry clafoutis.

Thursday, in l’Express Styles, they reviewed Mingway in the Centre National de la Danse in Pantin, lunch weekdays and brunch on Saturday, where for 16 E one gets three courses with items such as white asparagus and a filet of beef with beets and spelt.

Sunday, in the jdd, Aurelie Chaigneau reviewed three places already mentioned: Chinaski in the 5th (7.5/10), MOB Hotel in 93 (6.5) and Le Petit Pergolese in the 16th (7).