John Talbott's Profile
Just One Saturday dinner...
As my sainted Mother used to say "You're all right."
"I am worn out from searching for a perfect restaurant in Paris..."
So am I. INDEED
I am amazed by the infinite patience of contributors on the France board. Literally, it's the same question every other day, yet contributors keep responding. INDEED
Look at parisbymouth.com and do a search on that site (which you can do by day of the week). INDEED
Fish, INDEED
PS I would add:
Jeanne A.
http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/john_talbotts_paris/2010/11/jeanne-a-in-the-11th-my-kind-of-place.html
Fables de la Fontaine
131, rue Saint-Dominique, 7th (Metro : Ecole Militaire)
T : 01 44 18 37 55
A la carte about 40 €.
Shan Gout
22, rue Hector Malo, 12th (Metro: Gare de Lyon)
T: 01.43.40.62.14
Closed Mondays
A la carte about 30 €
Lao Lane Xang 2
102, Ave d’Ivry, 13th (Metro: Tolbiac)
T: 01 58 89 00 00
Closed Wednesdays
Lunch menu 10,80 €, 20–25 € à la carte
Astier
44, rue Jean Pierre Timbaud, 11th
T : 01.43.57.16.35
Open 7/7
Lunch menus 19.50-29.50 €, a la carte 30-35
Drouant
16-18, place Gaillon, 2nd (Metro: Quatre-Septembre)
T: 01.42.65.15.16
Open everyday
Plat de jour 20 €, Lunch Menu 45 €, Menu-carte 67 €.
Le Reminet
3, rue des Grands-Degres, 5th (Metro : St Michel, Maubert-Mutualite)
T : 01.44.07.04.24
Open 7/7
Lunch menu 13.50 €, dinner a la carte 40-60 €.
Paris: your advice re Frenchie and Spring
"Mr. Talbott is "part of the problem" "
Gee it's fun to drop off a forum for a while and find out that you're either feared dead or dreaded.
As my Mother would say to my sister and me when arguing - "You're both right."
I do rate Spring and Frenchie highly, but both are nigh-impossible to get into, but it's not the end of the world if you don't. There are a ton of other great places out there - just recently - Dans Les Landes, Le Dauphin and l'Hedoniste (a view not universally shared, but that's why I'm a proud contrarian.)
John Talbott's Paris
La Table D'Eugene--18th Arr.
"Has he abandoned us?"
Yes, I'm elsewhere occupied.
"he may have been unwell."
Very well, now that I've stopped answering the same questions day after day, the pounding headache has stopped.
L'Hedoniste: the find of 2011, but the year is young.
If Moustache was last fall's "knock you over with a feather" place, L'Hedoniste, 14, rue Leopold-Bellan, in the 2nd (Metro: Sentier or Etienne Marcel), 01.40.26.87.33, closed Sundays and Monday, weekday lunch formulas at 18 and 23.50, about 40 E. a la carte, is 2011's.
We were dazzled today by the warm outside/cool inside croquette amuse bouche of foie gras, a sliced ceviche of chinchard (horse mackerel, scad) that came with tiny calls of avacado on small sections of grapefruit, confited duck surrounded by thousand-time-fluffed potato puree and butter with hazelnut-halves, sea scallops in a bed of root veggies with an Asian-inspired sauce, a thin faux-filet on a bed of reduction of parsley with meaty mushrooms on top and what were almost cruller-like fried extruded potato batons and a classic baba au rhum with creme fraiche and most unclassic cooked pineapple slices. All most creative, solid and just plain good. Our bill came to 100 E. Some pictures can be found at John Talbott's Paris.
Arundel Mills Mall area Fri nite
Timbucktu (My sons-in-law and I decided to take a break from Gunnings.) . Nice folk; huge menu, reasonable selections.
Starters included one of the two crab soups, the Marylands not the cream ones, my SIL's being biker and runner respectively, OK - and Timbuktu Caesar salad - with weird tasting, not bad, but weird tasting, salad dressing.
Then came a pulled pork Memphis/type BBQ sandwich, a chicken jerky on salad and a forgettable-entity with fries; none disgraceful, none worth a detour.
The bill - ah this year it was on them (wine OK though).
Go? Ah next year, I think we go inland to Ellicott City.
John Talbott's Pais
Alchemy
"a new, good restaurant in Hampden is always nice to see"
Yes it is good to see, esp in the snow/ice/Baltofear/mode. Been open three weeks. Went with the ever-ready Colette, back from big P.
"Food yuck!"
I wouldn't say "yuck!" Too busy, maybe; too many choices, sure; tin ceiling, awful idea.
Our Stone Mill hot rolls were terrific; Mojito mussels were most interesting; catfish, sauteed correctly; side-dishes of carrots/mangetouts and pepped up young spinach, great.
Bill $59.36 with a bottle of Aussie red blend, no bottled water or coffee before the tip.
Go back? You bet, if only to thumb my nose at that pretentious place across the Avenue that says it owns the word "Hon", Hon, you can't copyright soul.
John Talbott's Paris (back tmrw)
Suggestions for Parisian Bistros
It's been a long time.
I have my four fine meals in 2004 recorded but not the last one in 2005 which was a bust.
Maybe it's time to let bygones be bygones.
Suggestions for Parisian Bistros
Yes but since we dumb Amuricans don't differentiate between or among bistros, brasseries, cafes and restos, who cares? I would however endorse Ferrandaise but question when you last tried l'Oursine, since our mutual buddy, the RFC, and I did not do well there last time.
Suggestions for Parisian Bistros
The OP said a fireplace was a plus; so far my research reveals suchlike at Guy Savoy's and Robert + Louise.
Paris: Vicinity of Marriott Rive Gauche (14th arrondissement), Christmas week, on a budget
Two in northern lower Montmartre - Virginie on Damremont and Quatrehommes on the rue du Poteau
Paris: Vicinity of Marriott Rive Gauche (14th arrondissement), Christmas week, on a budget
It seems to me that many fewer places are open Monday than Sat & Sun.
Suggestions for Parisian Bistros
Well, I've now done a lot of snoozing on this issue and concluded that for us, the Repaire de Cartouche and Bistro Paul Bert come closest (no fireplaces, no Left Bank, though).
Assembling a gourmet picnic for NYE
"Four Seasons is famously fengshui-approved. Most propicious start. :-)"
Oh oh, Parigi. How is the Garnier fengshui-wise? I'd hate to get off to a bad start on my quickie journey.
Assembling a gourmet picnic for NYE
I am told confession is good for the soul and a grand "shopping" is bad for my soles, so here's my plan - lunch at Garnier with the ever-ready Colette, caviar, foie gras and Bellotta-B at the Galeries, bread from 6 corners and oysters from my Gillardeau guy at the NordSud. WIne, I guess I've got some in the cave.
Paris: Vicinity of Marriott Rive Gauche (14th arrondissement), Christmas week, on a budget
Quite correct; the flea/etc markets step down Mondays anytime.
Paris: Vicinity of Marriott Rive Gauche (14th arrondissement), Christmas week, on a budget
Miroir (on Martyrs I think) is good and so is Mon Oncle if they ever show up; I don't think Guilo Guilo is worth the E's and another denizen of this forum and I were disappointed by Le Restaurant, which I remember put out good stuff 21 years ago. On my side of the Mont only the Table d'Eugene is worth a detour
Paris - innovative - moderately priced?
Exactly.- this year was after whatshisname left.
Paris - innovative - moderately priced?
Herewith are this year's results:
Methodology: The numbers below represent a ratio of my rating(s) of a resto on a scale of 0-10 divided by the price per couple of a luncheon(s); higher is better, lower is a worse deal.
Warning/beware/attention: Price/Quality Qualité/Prix all depends. For example December 10th, a good eating pal and I ate at Monsieur le Prince in the 6th. Now, were we calculating the bill as my Mother and her crowd did at Schrafft’s in the 1950’s, instead of a bill of 88 E in a restaurant I rated as a 5.2, earning it only a 59 on the prix/qualité index, his meal at 23 E would merit a 113 and mine a paltry 04. “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” indeed.
Of my top 11 new places:
92 Jeanne A.
81 Les Grandes Tables du 104, aka Street Food
80 Saturne
75.5 Mini Palais
74 L’Agape
73 La Regalade St Honore
69 Concert de la Cuisine
68 Spring
67 Moustache
(63 Chez La Vieille – Adrienne – which exists differently today)
57.5 La Regalade (original)
The next 12:
79 Philou
78 Le Pavillion du Lac
77 L’Agrume
76.6 Chez Grenouille
74 Casse Noix
61 Villa Victoria
60 Chalbens & Tico
58.5 Bistro Volnay
50.6 Chez Georges
45 Desserier
41 l’Agape Bistro
A few more (both outliers) thrown in for fun:
126 – l’Alcove – best deal of the year – rated 5.3 but only costing 42 E a couple
26 – La Tour d’Argent – worst bargain of the year – 5.5 costing 208 E a couple
And the 13 Golden Oldies where we still eat:
107 Astier
100 Le Repaire de Cartouche
95.23 Frenchie
91.8 Le Marcab
82 MBC + l’Agape
77.7 Bistro Paul Bert
74.6 Ze Kitchen Galerie
69 Fines Gueules
67.3 Le Gaigne
65.5 Le 122
64.8 Rech
Reviews of our Anniversary trip to Paris
Parigi, I'm with you, but I sent my cousininlaw there with his sailing team leadership a coupla weeks ago and they too reported great stuff.
Suggestions for Parisian Bistros
You knew Soup, except for you Lobrano is the most graceful, accurate and wonderful judge of Parisian restos there is.
Suggestions for Parisian Bistros
If the truth be told, I loved it in spring '08, giving it a 7.0, went back with Colette et al a few weeks later, and have never "thought it warranted a return.". But still not bad, just, well no return.
Suggestions for New Years Day Dinner
Ah, so upscale we go. In the snow, the Grande Cascade is a great idea.
restaurants near Montparnasse with kids?
That he is. Do the kids, well the 5yo, do seafood, if so the Bistro du Dome is fun. Vavin.
Suggestions for Parisian Bistros
Hide is Japanese but cooks classically French. Not bad place.
What edibles or food related items do you bring home from a visit to Paris?
Well mine at Dulles early November was totally different from earlier ones at either Dulles or CdeG.
Train fare
Well, with 12 in tow, I've had to schlep on lots of food from the Super near Montparnasse, but think about it, plan your trip to start after lunch near a Gare and arrive long before sup, unless you're going to Menton, in which case, go back to the Super.
