John Talbott's Paris

Brasserie Victor Hugo in the 16th: Seb Demorand, we would have had such a discussion about it: peasant food, David Rathgeber twisting our tail, or a step forward in the 16th?

Pre: When I heard that Chef David Rathgeber of L'Assiette, described by Alec Lobrano as "not only the best bistro in Montparnasse, but one of the best bistros in Paris," was opening a brasserie in the food dessert of the 16th, my first thought was "he's crazy" and my second was "Lemme call Sebastien Demorand and we'll go together and see what's up." But Sebastien died a week ago, at 50, and there's no one else I can argue about categorizations, reinventions, revisions or progressions of French food like I could with him.  So I went with my former co-host of the best French food website in the world (second place goes to Paris By Mouth) and my wife of almost 60 years, both of whose judgment I trust.

6.8 The Brasserie Victor Hugo, 4, pl Victor Hugo in the 16th, 01.42.73.30.43, open 7/7, (Metro: Victor Hugo) looks like a tiny spot on the square with maybe 16 chairs outside and then you enter and realize that it's a long railway car space.  I was way early and requested a banquette - they couldn't have been nicer - "Have a seat and when three seats clear out, we will seat you."  And they did.  The ladies entered and we ordered.

OK, it's a brasserie, so I've gotta have some oysters, six of which, "DE MARENNES OLÉRON N°3 Huîtrière de la Seudre Amélie Allais" were top of the line with an excellent sauce mignonette (really, it was better than usual).  Then my former co-moderator, beefing up for a Marathon, had a huge chunk of  beef ribs with January vegetables; Colette had standard scallops in butter; and I went all peasant-food with lentils, escargots and mushrooms. To finish up we sort of shared their "famous" Toblerone mousse and a slice of lemon tart.

Our bill, with a bottle a glass of Bordeaux and three coffees, was 143.50E or 95.66E a couple.  db's = 80.9 at the peak (it got better)

Go?  "What'd'ya say Sebastien?"  I thought so.  Peasant food, right up my alley but not bistronomic.

 

 

Substance in the 16th: Very pricey off the "menu" but very good.

Substance in the 16th is a place dear friends "found" a few months back while the paint was still wet.  The "menu" is a very reasonable 3-course no choice 39E one while a single bass course is the same.  But I wanted what I wanted; the hell with the prices.

So after the totally blah papadum-like wafer and great smoked potato puree topped with salmon eggs, my ex-co-host at a  food website had the "menu" perfect egg with grilled artichoke and Colette and I shared a very generous portion of foie gras with sauteed girolles and lime vinegar drops (20E; see what I mean!) but well worth it.

Then Colette had the 39E bass, our friend had the "menu" lieu and I had the 40E filet of beef with BBQ corn and spinach.  Worth it?  You bet.

For dessert, the "menu" carried a chou with cream of course and we made do very well, indeed, with the mignardises.

Our bill, with a bottle and glass of Collines Rhodadienne and 3 espressos, was 192.60E or 128.40E a couple.  Btw, the bread was terrific.

Substance in the 16th is a place dear friends "found" a few months back while the paint was still wet.  The "menu" is a very reasonable 3-course no choice 39E one while a single bass course is the same.  But I wanted what I wanted; the hell with the prices.

So after the totally blah papadum-like wafer and great smoked potato puree topped with salmon eggs, my ex-co-host at a  food website had the "menu" perfect egg with grilled artichoke and Colette and I shared a very generous portion of foie gras with sauteed girolles and lime vinegar drops (20E; see what I mean!) but well worth it.

Then Colette had the 39E bass, our friend had the "menu" lieu and I had the 40E filet of beef with BBQ corn and spinach.  Worth it?  You bet.

For dessert, the "menu" carried a chou with cream of course and we made do very well, indeed, with the mignardises.

Our bill, with a bottle and glass of Collines Rhodadienne and 3 espressos, was 192.60E or 128.40E a couple.  Btw, the bread was terrific.

Substance in the 16th is a place dear friends "found" a few months back while the paint was still wet.  The "menu" is a very reasonable 3-course no choice 39E one while a single bass course is the same.  But I wanted what I wanted; the hell with the prices.

So after the totally blah papadum-like wafer and great smoked potato puree topped with salmon eggs, my ex-co-host at a  food website had the "menu" perfect egg with grilled artichoke and Colette and I shared a very generous portion of foie gras with sauteed girolles and lime vinegar drops (20E; see what I mean!) but well worth it.

Then Colette had the 39E bass, our friend had the "menu" lieu and I had the 40E filet of beef with BBQ corn and spinach.  Worth it?  You bet.

For dessert, the "menu" carried a chou with cream of course and we made do very well, indeed, with the mignardises.

Our bill, with a bottle and glass of Collines Rhodadienne and 3 espressos, was 192.60E or 128.40E a couple.  Btw, the bread was terrific.

Girafe in the 16th: spicy, pricey and good.

8.1 Girafe (Palais de Chaillot), 1  place du Trocadero in the 16th, 01.40.62.70.61, open 7/7, (Metro: Trocadero) Has been open for 1 year and a month and I’ve been saving it for my cherished former cohost at the food website that wouldn’t fire me from my unpaid position, but harassed me, insisting I resign - PS I refused.  In any case, what used to be a cafe in the back of the ground floor has been turned into an elegant restaurant by the team that did Loulou, Monsieur Bleu, & Perruche and has a big terrace looking out over the gardens and pool of the Trocadero facing the Eiffel Tower.

I was greeted by three lovely couture-clad young ladies who frankly seemed rather more decorative than useful and for 10 minutes I was treated to a modern ballet of staff members scurrying back and forth between the kitchen and terrace in such numbers that I figured out why the prices were so inflated.

There are no menus and dishes run from 18-59€, white wines starting in the 50’s, so I went for the Talmar Bordeaux (inside joke), but of course they ran out of it two weeks ago.  

To eat, my cohost pal started with spicy (espelette) infused calamari with chorizo and I had spicy slices of a ceviche of daurade with coco and lime - both first-rate.  Then she had tuna tataki with grilled avocado and I, the octopus with spicy aioli with spiced up and pickled vegetables.  We ended up splitting a cafe gourmand which was quite adequate.

Our bill, with the above, was 169€. Db’s were quite acceptable and there is a small elevator for wheelchairs.

Go?  Well, it depends.  It’s certainly great food, and we had superb service from our waiter Romain, and the clientele was straight out of Vogue and Rothschild and France Televisions, but of course, they’re all on expense accounts.  So for my readership, I expect, except for special celebrations, the price-quality is off the charts.

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.

Substance in the 16th: "Interesting......Very interesting."

7.5 Substance, 18 rue de Chaillot (cnr Rue de Bizet) in the 16th, 01.47.20.08.90, (Metro: Alma-Marceau) closed Saturday and Sunday opened quite a while back, but another cyber-writer who lets restaurants mellow before trying them, asked me to hold it for her.  All well and good.  We entered and immediately were off to a bad start - they seated us at a table beside a pipe which I couldn't possibly squeeze by; there was no offer of help. (Colette pulled out the heavy marble table for me.)

Then the first amuses arrived and were absolutely tasteless comte and thyme wafers - "Oh, oh. We're in for rough sailing" I thought.  But then the second amuse arrived and the whole meal came alive - smoked potato on a slice of something pickled topped with trout eggs.  My oh my! delicious.

 

For firsts, my colleague in culinary crime had the 39 E menu's perfect egg with salsifis and terrific mushrooms and I had what looked like a tiny ball of tartare of beef sitting in a big lake of jelly - well, it was, but the jellied consume perfectly offset the raw beef and the combination was stunning.

For mains, the ladies went with meat - a bavette with curled potato and mignon of pork with baby artichokes and I had another entree, encornet slices on a puree of white asparagus with black wafers - the combination had a bitter taste until you added in tiny bits of sweet strawberries, then it all balanced out.

With my friend's "menu" came another interesting combination - of tapioca, coconut strips and banana chips - interesting.....very interesting.

Our bill, with a bottle of wine, no bottled water, but 3 coffees, was 152.60 or 101.73 E a couple.  dB's = 79.6 with no music.

Go back?  It's a tough call; the ingredients and flavors were very inventive, but the hustle of the place ruled out a relaxed lunch. Also, it lacked something.  Soul maybe?

Ensemble in the 16th: much more than tapas and cocktails.

7.0 Ensemble, 11, rue Spontini in the 16th, 01.45.05.14.87, closed weekends, (RER: Henri Martin) advertises itself on the business card of Mathieu Darmont as specializing in “tapas & vins” but more accurately on the other side of their card says “on met les grands plats dans les petits.”  It’s a truly spectacular setting with mirrored walls and ceiling and raw wood tables and a huge bar befitting a cocktail joint in the 16th. Although my dining partner made the reservation in her name, our welcoming hostess recognized me from my meals at their big brother Tous in the 9th and helpfully suggested we order two portions each.  Well.....

My former Co-moderator at the food website that cannot be named started with bowls of lentils with a perfect egg that she swooned over and then very well cooked medium sized gambas on a lovely fresh green salad and I had the best ever in the world thickly cut tuna tartare with herbs, yum, and pot au feu cromesquis that I wish had some pot-au-feu broth in it.

To finish up, my friend had roasted figs with a cream and chocolate chip concoction that was also terrific.

Our bill, with a bottle of fine Bordeaux, 2 bottles of their filtered water (gratis) and two coffees, offered, was 87€.  I didn’t even measure the decibels, it was so pleasant.

Go?  Especially in this food dessert part of the 16th, this place is a treasure, but I’ll bet after the offices close, it’s jampacked and crazy noisy.

Zebra, ex-Zebra Square, in the 16th: I like to be nice but....sometimes the truth will out.

5.5 Zebra, ex-Zebra Square, 3, place Clément Ader in the 16th, 01.44.14.91.91, (RER: Maison de Radio France) open 7/7 7h30-midnight which should trip off some claymore mines in your head, is a place that has gone through all sorts of owners and chefs since it opened decades ago, but the positive press, including someone I tend to trust, Emmanuel Rubin, prompted me to go with my friend who works nearby today.  Well, first a little diversion (You don’t need to read, go to the end like you do with mysteries).

Context: So, I’ve often mentioned Randy de Paris, who writes a good blog, Paris Missives, who is a great friend and supporter, and when I started eating with him, I was of the mind to judge only the food, regardless if it was served on butcher paper, or Louis 14th settings, while he argued restaurants should be judged on the “total experience,” i.e., welcome, decor, ambiance, food, check, etc. etc.  Ok.  I’ve slowly come over to his point of view.  A prime example: today at Zebra, much touted by the French press.

As I do about once a year, I'll show you how I arrive at my rating, 10 being super, 1 being bad.

10 Welcome

10 Seating

11 Decor/setting and manager with black suit and white shoes, extra point!

10 instant attention

10 quick service

1 Intrusive awful music (db’s = 75)

8 Wine offerings and advice

3 Rich American beached blonde types from the 16th

7 Food

2 Price/quality according to the Pierre 45 scale

———————————————

5.5 right? (72 divided by 10 = 5.5) Hey, Tom Lehrer was my Math 101 section teacher.

To start off, we sort of shared a cromesqui of tête de veau, lots of meat, no juice which I expect but nice frisée salad like Aux Lyonnais used to put out.

Then my friend, who puts up with all my nonsense, as does my wife, had a nice piece of daurade with veggies including whole garlic cloves and I had a tartare of boeuf which our great waiter fixed like days of old, spicy and perfectly made, but with soggy fries and only ok salad.

Then we shared a portion of pain perdu with sauce a part, which was quite ok.

Our bill, with a bottle and glass of wine, no bottled water, but 2 coffees, was 151€ or 151€ a couple.

Go?  I love to dispute the big boys, who tout places like this, the Poule au Pot and Darroze.  But no, not when there’s a greater place on the 2nd floor of the Radio France monument facing you called Radio Eat.

Radioeat in Radio France in the 16th: if you’re going to a concert in their glorious auditorium, go!

Radioeat, in Radio France, 116, ave President Kennedy in the 16th, 01.47.20.00.29, almost never closed (RER: Radio France), is sited in a spectacular setting overlooking the overflowing Seine and has rather decent food, especially way out here if before or after a concert in their auditorium which has the best acoustics in my opinion in the area.  Plus the wait-guys have this cool "F" rainbow patch.

For starters our fellow blogger chose the entree du Jour, a celery soup and Colette and I went with the Gambas tempura with a “spicy sauce,.....absolutely fabulous” it said in English.  Well, it was neither spicy nor AbFab.  As they say in New Zealand “the people don’t like spices here.”  But it was quite good doused with salt and pepper, freshly ground.

Then our friend sticking to the “menu” had the paleron of beef, which she didn't finish, Oh oh, bad sign.  Colette had the cod which she did not rave about either.  Only I, stuck with the 35€ scallops, which I chose because they were out of squid a la plancha - good move!  The St Jacques were delicious with a brilliant morille sauce and so so black rice.

So onward to dessert where we had the worst galette of Kings of the year and a decent roasted pear.

Our bill with 2 bottles of Bordeaux, no bottled water but three coffees, was 177.50€ or 118.32€ a couple if I got the math right.

Le Rive Droite in the 16th: not a destination restaurant but if you’re there - terrific.

Le Rive Droite, 80 rue de Passy in the 16th, 01.44.14.38.70, closed Sundays normally, (Metro: La Muette) is located smack dab in the middle of the new Grand Epicerie in Passy and today, New Years Eve, the place was hopping but still manageable.  Oddly the restaurant was less crazy than the food counters but as Colette insists “all the rich 16ers have left town.”

We skipped firsts and headed straight for our main courses, Colette and our old French pal having a very generous portion of sautéed scallops while I had perfectly crispy skinned sweetbreads with seasonal veggies.

Then Colette had a lemon tart, our friend a Norwegian omelette and I mini Paris Brett’s - all very tasty.

With terrific bread and butter, a bottle of white wine and three glasses of red, one small Perrier and three coffees, our bill was 199€ or 132.66€ a couple.

Le Rive Droite in the 16th: Beatriz Gonzales pulls another rabbit out of her hat, wow!

7.0 Le Rive Droite, in the Grande Epicerie (Passy), 80 rue de Passy in the 16th, 01.44.14.38.70, open for lunch all days but Sunday without reservations, for dinner Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with reservations (Metro: La Muette) has been open a couple of weeks and by 12:30 was completely full, and it’s a big place, in a beautiful space, with great table settings.  Indeed the entire building is gorgeous, with a domed ceiling above the 2nd floor restaurant which features an open kitchen where herself was cooking today and produce and products spread around the three floors, think Bon Marche with class.

I feared a cantine-like Department store quick food joint but no, one does that in the 16th to your peril.  No, there was a real carte, big wine list and a clientele that was pure 16th.  My pal who walked from her office 8 minutes away and I decided to skip firsts and go directly to mains - super tasty scallops and a lobe of sweetbreads, crispy outside but a bit too cooked for me on the inside, on a bed of pink purée, beets actually and root veggies, terribly good.  Then we shared a deconstructed Paris Brest, if you’re familiar with the desserts at Neva Cuisine, this was right up that alley.

With a bottle of red Graves, no bottled water but two coffees and extra-super bread, our bill was 106.30€.  Db’s = 88.8 a bit noisy granted.

Go?  You bet.  It’s a long schlep for me, but a good excuse if one is at the Marmotton.  Its not Neva or Coretta but a extension of Gonzales' talent.  And our waitress, Valaria, spoke at least 4 languages, English perfectly.