John Talbott's Paris

Going Green in Gallons: Water and wine without wessels.

Today, I got to chatting with our amiable waiter at KGB, the spicy not the torturing one, about William Ledeuil's nifty new (1 month old) machine that "makes" bottled water (fizzy and flat), thus saving the environment all sort of polluting effects and afterwards Colette found an article in the IHT about the New York resto Sojourn serving red wine from 10 liter barrels instead of..... well you get the point. 

For historical accuracy's sake, the bag-in-box in restaurants was adopted by Christian Constant in his Les Cocottes de..... from its opening (in a terrific, groovy, made-for-him wine rack holding a dozen or so boxes) and I was introduced to the concept in 1989 by a French pal who kept his outside his kitchen window.

Chef News: Eric Frechon Scores Again: Best Chef by "Le Chef"

Today's Metro rag announced that Eric Frechon, who recently got battered by reviewers after the opening of a new cafe at the Bristol called 114 Faubourg, was voted chef of the year by 6000 other chefs in France for his three star Bristol.  Christelle Brua of the Pre Catalan was awarded pastry chef of the year.  Runners-up were not announced.

Chef and Restaurant News for the Summer 2009

Figaroscope today revealed several newsworthy items:

- Eric Frechon will open a new made to measure restaurant at the Bristol this autumn as well as taking over supervion of the menu at the MiniPalais - previously Gilles Choukroun's job.

- Philippe Conticini is opening up the Patiserrie des Reves which will have places to eat "classic desserts" at 93, rue du Bac in the 7th sometime in September.

- Finally, Daniel Rose's 2nd place will open on the rue Bailleul in the 1st this autumn.

- The Cuisine Creative/Nomiya gang will do a stint in the Tuileries Sept 11-15 - contact here.

- a new Maison de la Truffe will open in the old Vignon space,

- a restaurant will open in the art space Centquatre (5 rue Curial in the 19th),

- there'll be a chic cantine in the new Ralph Lauren boutique on the blvd St Germain in the 6th,

- a branch of the ramen chain Ippudo will open

- Lyon chef Nicolas le Bec will take over at the Opera Garnier's primo resto

- Sebastien Gaudard (ex-Delicabar) will open a tea salon

- Jacques Genin, chocolate maker, will be at a new dinette and

- Claude Colliot (ex-Bamboche, Orenoc) will perhaps return to the Marais.