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Food Alleys/Night Markets and Food Courts?
We are going to Tokyo in a couple of weeks for five days. I've been reading chowhound posts for the last several days and I haven't come across any threads about food alleys/night markets and food courts.
One of our favorite things to do is graze and try all different sorts of foods while wandering around. Are there areas in Tokyo like the hawker centers in Singapore or the night markets in China? Our dream would be to visit a small alley or area teeming with food stalls like hot, fresh, and delicious ramen, yaki tori, etc.
Any leads would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!
SF: Ice Cream Tour: one afternoon
Forgive my ignorance please. What does MMM stand for?!
Pizza Pilgrimage to Bay Area
A hearty thanks to all who responded with such thoughtful comments. You SF Chowhounds sure do love your pizza. There were so many choices that we ended up adding a day to our trip so that we can eat as much pizza as possible. Here's our itinerary. It's ambitious, but we're good eaters and will walk as much in between meals, since the baby is happiest when being strolled. We won't have a car, but plan to cab when necessary.
Thursday: Lunch at Little Star; Dinner at Oliveto (for Annual Heirloom Tomato Dinner!)
Friday: Early lunch at Tony's (to be sure to get the Margherita); Early Dinner at Flour + Water; Late night dash to Pauline's Pizza (small pesto to go)
Saturday: Lunch at Cotagna; Early Dinner at Pizzaiolo; Walk to Emilias to pick up a pizza for late night.
Sunday: Lunch at Zero Zero; fly home fat and happy!
The glaring omission is Una Pizza Nepolitana. Just couldn't fit it in, and from what I've read, I'm worried that waiting for a table, and then waiting for the pizza, might be too much with a baby. We'll have to catch this place next time we are in town. Also, somehow we have to manage trips to Bi-Rite and Humphrey Slocombe. Not sure when, but we'll try!
Will report on our pilgrimage when I return. Thanks again!!
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Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
Pauline's Pizza
260 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Oliveto Cafe
5655 College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618
Zero Zero
826 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Pizza Pilgrimage to Bay Area
How does the seating situation work? Is it first come first serve to snag one of the two tables? Or can we call at 4:00 pm and say "I'd like a sausage onion pizza to eat in at around 8:30" ? We want to experience this pizza at it's hottest. So assuming we can't snag one of the tables, is there somewhere to sit nearby? A bench? Some steps? I suppose we could also sit on the curb... We will be staying in SF and I fear the pizza will be cold by the time we get back to our hotel room.
Pizza Pilgrimage to Bay Area
Hi Chowhounds - We are pizza fanatics. My husband built a mud oven in the back yard so he could bake his pizzas at 800 degrees, and we plan our vacations around pizza. We're going to San Francisco for three nights to celebrate our fifth anniversay and we want to eat as much fantastic pizza as possible. I've been doing some research and it seems like places to hit are:
1) Tony's
2) Una Pizza Nepolitana
3) Flour + Water
4) Pizzaiolo
5) Little Star
6) Zero Zero
We have been to Delfina Pizzeria (loved it!), and my husband had his share of Zachary's when he want to Cal. So those are off our list.
I'm I missing any place? We have two dinners and two lunches. We have no particular criteria for our pizza. We love all types of crust and toppings, and appreciate both purists and innovators when it comes to pizza. We just want excellent, tasty pies. Oh, and we'll have a baby with us, so a long wait is less than ideal, but we'll wait as long as it takes for the perfect pie. GUIDE US PLEASE!
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Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
Delfina Restaurant
3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Zero Zero
826 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94107
December Paris Report (Long)
Alas, the weather did not permit us to go to the palace. It was snowing and somewhat icy, and in my pregnant state, I was afraid of slipping. So we scurried to his bakery and back to the Metro. We went to try his award winning baguette, but his levain bread was our absolute favorite.
December Paris Report (Long)
We were sitting toward the back near the stairs and the kitchen. We lingered and were one of the last tables to leave the restaurant. How funny that you were there as well. I wish I would have known, so that I could have come over and thanked you for your active participation on the board.
December Paris Report (Long)
We spent five great nights in Paris in early December and had some amazing meals, thanks to the great recommendations on this site. Here’s the report (with multiple typos that I hope you will forgive):
1) Dinner at Le Violon de Ingres: Overall a great meal, save for one dish. We were here on a Sunday night and the mood was very subdued. My husband was somewhat suspicious of the fact that the restaurant was half empty and that the diners were mostly non-French speaking, but all suspicions evaporated when the food arrived. He had a venison meat and goose foie gras terrine that was meaty and unctuous and punctuated by bright notes of acid and parsley. I had the eggs in red wine sauce with chunks of bacon. It was so delicious that I sopped the plate clean with bread. Then I had the cassoulet, which was also very delicious. The beans were perfect, soft without being mealy or falling apart. The confit duck still had some chewiness to the meat, which I enjoyed very much. (Too often, I feel like duck confit is cooked beyond recognition.) The portion was huge and I sadly had to leave my plate unfinished. My husband had a pheasant dish. The pheasant was tasty, but a bit dry and the pasta that it came with was undersauced. For dessert, we shared an excellent vanilla soufflé with a salty caramel sauce. The service was impeccable. Attentive and friendly.
2) Dinner at Au Petit Marguery: My husband is really into game and I love traditional, hearty cooking so we were both excited about this restaurant. Unfortunately, we had our most disappointing meal of the trip. We sat in the back room of the restaurant, where there were about 5-6 other tables. The room was rampant with flying gnats. Throughout the entire meal, we (and the other diners in the room) would swat at them with our hands and/or clap our hands to squash them mid-air. It was very distracting. The food was good, but not great. I started with scallops in a chestnut sauce. The scallops were overdone (to the point of being rubbery) and the sauce, while nicely redolent of chestnuts was very underseasoned. My husband had the selection of house pates and terrines. They tasted fine, but nothing beyond what we could find in the States. I then had the grouse for my main plate. It was overcooked in some parts, and too bloody rare in other parts. It came with a wild mushroom sauce, but there were very few mushrooms (perhaps 2 or 3 total). My husband had hare that was braised and then served with a sauce made of the hare’s blood. The meat was nicely braised and shredded, but the flavors of the dish were muddled. We tasted blood, butter, and not much else. We shared the gran marnier soufflé, which was the best part of the meal, but still not as light and tender as the vanilla soufflé we had the night before. Overall, not a terrible meal, but not memorable as well.
3) Lunch at Spring: Excellent, excellent, excellent. We arrived early for our reservation, thinking we would use the extra time to walk around the neighborhood and spur our appetites into action. But then it started to snow, and we weren’t properly dressed. So we ducked into the nearby Spring wine shop. We were warmly greeted and the manager/wine director kindly offered to let us join him in a tasting that he was participating in with some winemakers from the south of France. He spoke English to us, French to the winemakers, and everyone had a great time. We offered to pay, but he declined. When it was time for our reservation, we walked over to the restaurant and they sat us at one of the best tables – the two top by the large picture window. We started with a house made terrine that was delicious. Then our starter was a poached egg with sautéed wild mushrooms. Phenomenal. The mushrooms tasted like they had just been foraged that morning and their earthiness mixed with the runny, rich egg yolk was simply divine. It took the upmost restraint not to pick up my plate and lick it clean. Our main was equally satisfying. It was a veal pot au feau. The veal was sweet and tender, the vegetables (cabbage and carrots) were still crunchy, and the broth was rich without being fatty and had a mild acidic tang that played off the sweetness of the veal perfectly. The chestnuts in the pot au feau were some of the best I’ve tasted. Sweet, nutty, but with none of the mealiness that chestnuts often have. Dessert was an ice cream with a crumbled biscotti. The sommelier offered us some great wines by the glass. With each description of the wine, she mentioned the price without us having to ask, which was nice. My husband and I left feeling full and sated, without feeling heavy or overindulgent. We would eat here every week if we lived in Paris. A simply fantastic restaurant.
4) Dinner at Les Papilles – This is the other restaurant we would go to on a regular basis if we lived in Paris. This was homey, uncomplicated cooking at its best. The restaurant itself is warm and cozy and perfect for the cold winter evening that we were there. We started with a brilliant lentil soup. The base was blended lentils with a rich stock. And that was served with lentils cooked al dente and crunchy, tasty bits of bacon. The tureen held a generous portion of soup but my husband and I managed to polish off the entire thing. Our main was beautiful cooper pot of pork curry with carrots and aubergine, served with a basmati rice seasoned with almonds and raisens. It was simple, but still rich and complex in flavor and utterly satisfying. I had one helping of the curry and then cried uncle. It was absolutely delicious, but the lentil soup had kicked in and my stomach would have no more. My husband was thrilled because he got to finish off the curry. The owner selected a great vacquerays that went beautifully with both courses. Dessert was a delicious panna cotta with an orange marmalade.
5) Dinner at Aux Lyonnais – We came for the special menu prepared by a guest chef from Lyon. (His name escapes me right now.) My husband had the special menu, which consisted of a delicious lardon, frisee, and soft egg salad. All of the elements were separated, almost in a deconstructed style, which was a preparation we had never had before for this particular dish. I started with a potted pork rillette. It came with warm bread, which melted the congealed pork fat nicely. The pickled vegetables provided the perfect acidic contrast to the fatty pork. I only wish there had been more pickeld veggies though. I was out before even half of the pork was finished. For our mains, my husband had various pork parts chopped up, stewed, and the fried into a think pancake. It was fried porkiness at its best. I had the brochet quenelles, which were fantastic. They were light and airy and went beautifully with the rich crawfish sauce. The atmosphere was perfect – each table was occupied with animated diners who were happy to be there. It felt very Parisian and we were happy to be part of the conviviality.
6) Lunch at L’Ami Jean – We were here about two years ago and had an amazing meal. This time around was just as amazing. We started with a plate of the house made sausage. My husband (who spends a lot of his free time making charcuterie, including fermented sausages) said the sausage was excellent. He then had a soup with a rich lobster base, aged parmesan shards, and bits of toasted grain (perhaps grouts?). It was a unique and tasty soup. With every bite we had, we kept discovering a new taste and texture. Truly superb. I had an egg dish that defies description. At first I thought it was a poached egg, or perhaps a coddled egg. But I think somehow the chef made a custard of the yolk and yet managed to retain the overall integrity of the egg. In any event, it came with a rich eggy sauce and was studded with chunks of bacon and other yummy bits. As with the soup, with every taste of my egg dish, there was a new dimension that kept my husband and I guessing. We both pretty good cooks at home with a fair amount of knowledge between the two of us and can usually guess at how a chef executes a particular dish (even if we could never execute it ourselves at that level), but we were both left guessing with Mr. Jego’s techniques. For his main plate, my husband had a roasted pheasant with a pheasant meat roulade. Unlike the pheasant at Le Violon De’ Ingres, this one was moist and juicy and tender. I had a scallop dish that was also delicious but I can’t remember the details of it. We passed on dessert as we were stuffed to the gills. This seemed to disappoint the waiter, who urged us to try the rice pudding. We both knew that it was a house special, but were simple incapable of bringing ourselves to eat more. There’s always a next time!
In addition to the places mentioned above, we visited some superb patisseries and other food shops. Here are some highlights: Mille fuille and tea at Jacques Genin salon. An experience not to be missed. The mille fuille was crisp, shattered perfectly with each forkful, and the pastry cream was rich without being cloying. The tea came with an absolutely delicious tiny chocolate pyramid filled with a salty peanut puree. Baguettes and croissants at Eric Kayser. We stayed near Place Maubert and had the pleasure of daily morning baguettes, bread, and croissants at the Eric Kayser shop near there. The croissants were pillowly, flaky, buttery, but not too bready inside. His pain au cereal is divine. Pastries at des Gâteaux et du Pain. I got a chocolate pastry from here that was amazing. It looked like a simple dome, but inside it was filled with multiple layers of cream, ganache, cake and crunchy cookie. My husband used his fork to cut a cross section of the dome and kept saying “How did she get so many layers into such a small package?!” Each layer came together to create a harmonious bite of chocolate heaven. Another highlight was the Gilles Verot charcuterie shop. We are both fans of head cheese and his award winning head cheese is truly outstanding. We also had from there an excellent duck pate with green pepper corns and slices of Jambon de Paris. One afternoon, we ate the ham with slices of pain lavain from Anis Boubsa’s bakery slathered with some Bordier salted butter. Words cannot describe how happy we were.
So that was our trip. And it was fantastic. Thank you Chowhounds for your tremendous help in making our trip so memorable.
Chez Georges, Chez Michel, Saturne, or Garnier on a Monday night?
Hi Chowhounders - Heading to Paris at the end of the week armed with great recommendations for places to eat while we're there and places to shop for food items to take home. I'm struggling, however, with where to eat on Monday night. I've narrowed it down to four places - Chez Georges (the one on rue de Mail), Chez Michel, Saturne, and Garnier.
The rest of the time in Paris, we have reservations for Le Violon d'Ingres, Le Regalade St. Honore, Chez Ami Jean, Les Papilles, Aux Lyonnais, Spring, and Petrelle. Which of the four above would you add to the list?
I orginally planned on eating at Le Gaigne on Monday night, but when I called, I was told it was closed. Then I booked at Chez Michel, but recent Chowhound reviews have suggested that the restaurant is slipping in food quality and service. Recent reviews of Chez Georges have been quite positive (specifically JT's reviews), although I wonder if should mix things up a bit with more modern cuisine or a seafood dinner. Your thoughts would be most welcomed! Of course, I will write a detailed report when I return (certainly fatter and happier).
Thanks so much!
Food Bloggers and Paris Restaurants [split from France]
Although the OP points to a problem, he or she does not suggest a solution for those of us who are not lucky enough to live in Paris or have the means to go regularly. What are those of us who go once every couple of years supposed to do? Consult only mainstream publications, who usually (but not always) visit a restaurant several times before writing a review? Bloggers are soldiers on the ground, who are generous enough to take their time to report their experiences to the rest of us. While I rarely rely exclusively on one blogger, when a consensus of bloggers really like a place, I give it serious consideration for a coveted slot of my list of places to eat when in Paris. I genuinely want to know what sources the OP consults when he/she
is about to visit a new destination known for its food where he/she has no friends or family who can give trusted recommendations.
What edibles or food related items do you bring home from a visit to Paris?
Is your "dedicated macaron box" simply an airtight tupperware type container? (I can't tell by looking at the picture.) If so, it's a fabulous idea. Snacks for the plane ride to Paris; little treasures for the trip back home!
What edibles or food related items do you bring home from a visit to Paris?
Thanks to everyone for their wonderful suggestions. I now have a list of places I'll certainly visit to pick up some yummy stuff for home. And stops at Dehillerin, Detou, MORA are in order. Some specific questions: (1) Anyone have a particular brand of French salt packed anchovies that they adore? (2) What is the shelf life of La Duree macaroons? My mom is dying to try some but we leave Paris early Saturday morning (which means I'll have to buy them on Friday) and don't return to LA until Sunday evening. Will they survive almost 72 hours? (3) Are there chef's tools that you've picked up in Paris that you can't live without? We'll have limited packing space so bulkier items (i.e., pots, pans, serving ware) are out. That cheese cutter (girole) looked pretty great.
Place for great sandwiches or early lunch near Westin Michigan Ave.?
Thanks for everyone's suggestions, especially nxstasy's breakdown of how long it will take us to get to O'Hare. Yes, that's the route I was thinking of taking. I assumed it would take me about 45 minutes. I'll also be about six months pregnant so will be moving a bit slower than normal. I'll have to adjust my food choices accordingly. Looks like sandwiches from L'Appetito are in order!
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L'Appetito
875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
What edibles or food related items do you bring home from a visit to Paris?
Hi Chowhounders - We're leaving for Paris in a couple of weeks and thanks to the tremendous help of the posters on this board, we're all set for restaurant recommendations. We'll be there for six nights so will have some more time on this trip to explore the city. Are there certain edibles or food related items that you always bring home from your trips to Paris that you simply can't find at home? (One that is on my list are salted caramels from Jacques Genin.) For those who live in Paris, I would love to hear of your favorite Parisian items that you've noticed aren't available elsewhere. I will be traveling to Chicago for one night from Paris and then back home to LA. I will have access to a small hotel fridge in Chicago.
Thanks so much!
Review - Spring Restaurant
Pierre - could you please clarify what you mean by discovering a more reasonably priced wine list? Did you have to ask for the cheaper wine list after presented with the more expensive one? Or was it presented to you after it became clear to the server that the first wine list was too expensive?
Place for great sandwiches or early lunch near Westin Michigan Ave.?
My husband and I are staying at the Michigan Ave. Westin (909 North Michigan Avenue) on Saturday and leaving for the airport on Sunday morning. Our flight leaves from O'Hare at 3:05 pm. I figure to be safe, we should hop on the train by 12:30. Are there any places near our hotel walking distance that has great sandwiches to go for the plane ride? How about any places for an early lunch? Thanks Chowhounders!
Brief sketches from Sept. through November
What would a typical meal at Violon d’Ingres cost? By typical, I mean two entrees, two plats, two desserts, and a coulple of glasses of wine. I went on Christian Constant's website but there was no menu listed for Violon d'Ingres. I know it's pricier than Cafe Constant and Les Cocettes, but not sure by how much. Thanks!
Chez Georges or Chez Michel for dining ??
John - I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect by referring to your wife as your canary. I was trying to be funny, and just came off daft. Thanks very much for the follow up on Chez Michel and Chez Georges (and for all the invaluable information on this board).
Chez Georges or Chez Michel for dining ??
I'm somewhat confused. I thought John's canary sensed the deterioration of Chez Georges, not Chez Michel. Is Chez Michel no longer what it used to be? We had an absolutely love meal there in May 2009. Standout dishes included morels cooked simply but divinely with cream and eggs, and a beef cheeks pot a feu that melted in our mouths. Plus the Paris Brest, although not particularly ground breaking, was truly satisfying and delicious. Has it gone downhill since our last visit, or did we just experience an unusually good meal?
Les Terrines de Gerard Vie and Blvd. Raspail Sunday Market
Yes, thanks tartlet for being the tester. While I'm always willing to risk an average meal in Los Angeles and San Francisco (my home towns), my time in Paris is so limited that I would not be so selfless as to venture to a place not pre-Chowhound certified. I will, however, prepare a detailed report of the places I am going to dine at (so far CAJ, Chez Michel, Les Papilles, Spring, Le Regalade SH, and hopefully Petrelle once I get somone on the phone).
Les Terrines de Gerard Vie and Blvd. Raspail Sunday Market
Thanks for the responses Chowhounders. I'll take Les Terrines off our list of possible places to eat. As for where we will be staying, we are renting an apartment on rue Frederic Sauton, very near the Maubert-Mutualite stop. Any suggestions for nearby boulangeries, patisseries, or charcuteries open on Sunday so we can gather some lunch provisions? Thanks!
Les Terrines de Gerard Vie and Blvd. Raspail Sunday Market
We arrive in Paris on a Sunday on a red eye flight from NYC. Will be in Paris at around noon. I was thinking of either getting lunch at the Raspail Market or trying Les Terrines de Gerard Vie. (We'll be staying in the St. Germain area.) (1) Are there favorite purveyors at the Raspail Market that I shouldn't miss for lunch fixings? (2) Has anyone recently been to Les Terrines de Gerard Vie? It had a positive write-up in NYTimes a while back, but I've noticed it doesn't get much mention on this board. Merci!
Is there a kind soul who could help me with a reservation at Les Papilles?
Hi Mangeur - I was afraid that reservations would not be accepted over e-mail. E-mail would be easiest for me, so I'll do it. Thank you.
Just to confirm, is there an underscore between "les" and "papilles" ?
Is there a kind soul who could help me with a reservation at Les Papilles?
My French is admittedly bad, but passable, and so far I've been able to make reservations in French at most restaurants I want to go to in December in Paris. (Except Frenchie, which has this outgoing message that I can't quite understand.)
I'm struggling with Les Papilles. I've tried three times now, and each time a very nice man tells me to call back in the morning at 9:00 am when there is someone who speaks English. The only problem is that it's midnight in Los Angeles (where I live) and I don't have access to a land line at the time, and my calling card does not work on my cell phone.
So, if you are fluent in French (or simply much better in French than I am) and you are game to make me a reservation, please let me know and we can exchange e-mails and I'll send you pertinent information including calling card information.
Merci!
Where to go after L'Ami Jean, Chez Michel, and other fantastic meals?
Hey Chowhounders -
We went to Paris in May 2009 and thanks to the recommendations on this board, we ended up having one of the most memorable (eating) trips of our lives. Specifically, we had fantastic meals at Chez L'Ami Jean, Chez Michel, Chez Renee, Chez Dumonet, and L'Atelier Robuchon. We also had a lovely meal at Auberge Bressane and indulged at Pierre Herme, Lenotre, and Gerard Mulot.
We're heading back to Paris this December for a week and I've been researching the board for some new recommendations. It appears that the following places seem like worthwhile destinations: Le Gaigne, Frenchie, Le Regalade, Le Comptoir Relais, and Spring. What do people think? Should I try to book at these places for dinner? Would lunch be better than dinner at any of these places? Are there other restaurants/bistros we should consider trying? How about some not-to-miss boulangeries and patisseries?
Our priority is delicious French food, first and foremost. We love all kinds of food, but want to focus our energies on uniquely French and/or Parisian eating experiences. Thanks for your help. As I mentioned, we had an incredible experience last year and are hoping to have another one.
Paris Report
Sorry for the delay. Since we returned, I haven't checked the board for a while. We went to Chez Georges in the 17th. As noted in my original post, our meal was absolutely perfect.
As for macaroons, I had them at Gerard Mulot, Pierre Herme, and Lenotre. They were all excellent, but the ones at Pierre Herme were easily the best. They practically melted as soon as I put them in my mouth. I couldn't believe something so light and airy could exist in a solid state. I didn't mention them in my original post because my lengthy description of the other pastries made me too sad that I was back in the U.S.! If you stop by Pierre Herme, check out the icecream too. My husband and I split a cup of Caramel Fluer de Sel ice cream that was divine.
Paris Report
Just returned from our trip in Paris. We are happy, relaxed, and fat. Here’s a report of our eats, with many thanks to Chowhounders for their great recommendations.
Chez Michel – Absolutely fantastic in all respects. Food was amazing. We had an egg poached in some cream with morels that was transformative. So simple yet so rich and flavorful. We also had a braised beef cheek that was impossibly tender and confit pigeon with bacon that was quite flavorful. I ended the meal with the Paris-Brest (delicious and so big!) while my husband had the cheese plate (delicious and all you can eat!). Unlike what was reported in the NY Times, the service was friendly and attentive.
Chez Renee – We sat at a corner booth overlooking a packed restaurant full of French people and felt blissfully happy that we were in Paris. The service was attentive even though the waiter was taking care of at least eight tables. We had the salad with chevre (delicious) and the smoke duck rillettes (fantastic) to start. My husband loves to smoke poultry and make rillettes so he was particularly excited about the smoked duck rillettes which married two of his favorite things. We had the coq au vin and the beef bourginon as mains. Both were delicious, but perhaps too similar. It was our mistake. We should have realized two braised meats in red wine would taste similar but perhaps failed to do so because we were so excited to see both on the menu. We had a fantastic St. Marcellin from Quatrehomme that was rich, unctuous, and mouth filling for dessert.
Chez Dumonet –The food here (stuffed morels, duck confit, and another main that escapes me right now, and warm apple tart) was perfectly fine with the duck confit being outstanding, but the service was atrocious. We had to wait almost half an hour after our starters arrived for the wine and had to ask several times for simple things like water, etc. The waiters weren’t so much rude as just inattentive. I speak a passable amount of French and made the effort to engage them in French, but to no avail. We were ignored the whole night. Perhaps if we lived in Paris, we would give Chez Dumonet another chance because the food was good. As a visitor with limited meals, however, we will not return.
Auberge Bressane – The food was extremely rich and comforting and just plain delicious. We had poached eggs in red wine sauce and a comte cheese soufflé to start. Both were executed perfectly. My husband had a gargantuan plate of veal sweetbreads and morels and I had the fish quenelles. Like the starters, both main plates were great. The service was attentive and friendly. The one drawback was that we were there on a Sunday evening and it was empty but for three other tables which made the environment too quiet for our liking.
Chez L’Ami Jean – Amazing, amazing, amazing. Really amazing. We had the house pate campagne, which came in this huge ceramic dish plunked right in the middle of our table with a jar of the BEST cornichons I’ve ever had. And the roasted bone marrow which caused my husband to moan every time he had a bite. For the main plates, we had braised rabbit with amazingly fresh and ripe tomatoes and grilled stone fruit and juicy suckling pork. And a pot of mashed potatoes that were infinitely better than the mashed potatoes we had at Joel Robuchon. For dessert we had incredibly ripe and flavorful strawberries in a strawberry soup with ice cream. As full as I was, I could have eaten five more of these desserts. It tasted like the most perfect way strawberries should taste. Phenomenal.
L’Atelier de Joel Robucon – We had lunch here. I had the tasting menu which numerous dishes including crab, eggs poached with morels, an excellent asparagus soup, braised beef cheek, and a couple of other dishes I can’t recall. My husband constructed his own tasting menu of sardines, foie gras with morels and chicken oysters (this was excellent), spring lamb, and several other dishes (that I can’t again remember – sorry). The staff was attentive and friendly and even funny at times and the sommelier chose great wines by the glass with our meals. Overall, a positive experience, but we left somewhat disappointed having been wowed by our other meals in Paris, which were half the price. I don’t regret coming here as it was a unique experience given the level of refinement in the food, but I don’t think I will return when visiting Paris again.
Chez Georges – We had our last dinner in Paris here and it was absolutely perfect. We started with the complimentary pork rilettes which were very tasty. Then we moved to some gargantuan snails that were tender and brimming with the taste of butter and parsley and garlic, along with eggs poached in red wine sauce with chunks of bacon and perfectly cooked pearl onions. My husband had the entrecote with frites and I had the roast chicken (the Sunday night special) in a reduction sauce. Both were delicious. Instead of fries, I ordered a green salad with one of the most delicious shallot vinaigrettes I’ve ever tasted. The salad was simple and perfect. We ended with profiteroles (I couldn’t help but clap when the waiter swaddled the profiteroles in a blanket of melted chocolate) and the pot de crème trio, which was excellent. We definitely had more exquisite food while in Paris (e.g., Chez L’Ami Jean) but overall, this was one of the most memorable meals I’ve ever had in my life time given the level of service (friendly, attentive), the atmosphere (surrounded by Parisians happily enjoying a Sunday dinner), and the food (comfort, comfort, comfort), and the city (oh Paris!).
In addition to these places, we visited Rue Cler (great food stores especially Davila, very touristy atmosphere), the Saxe Bretuil outdoor market (very fun and a beautiful setting), and the Gran Epicerie (really great cheese selection) for our lunch provisions.
Also, I selflessly took it upon myself to discover the best chocolate éclair and mille fuille in Paris (my two favorite sweet treats). For me, the winner was Jacques Genin in the 3rd for both items. The choux pastry for the éclair was spot on, but what made the éclair superb was the quality of chocolate in the pastry cream. It was unbelievable. And they made the mille fuille to order, which resulted in impossibly crisp layers of pastry with rich pastry cream perfectly punctuated by Tahitian vanilla. But Paris has an embarrassment of riches that I am envious of. Even if I could not have the éclairs at Jacques Genin, I would be more than happy with the éclairs at Gerard Mulot (and the strawberry tart), Lenotre, and Arnuad Delmontel, and the mille fuille at Pierre Herme. (The chocolate mousse dome at PH was killer as well.) The only disappointment of all the pastries I consumed (I consumed a lot) was a mille fuille at GM that was plain soggy. As for bread, we loved the pain levain at Max Poilane and the Renaissance baguette at Arnaud Delmontel. Also, I want to recommend Fougasse bakery in the Third. We rented an apartment near there so this was our first stop each morning. The croissants and pains au chocolat were excellent!
That’s the report. Thanks again for all the wonderful suggestions. We can’t wait to return to Paris!
Where to picnic in Paris, if at all?
Hi Chowhounds - My husband and I plan to spend much of our time in Paris (we're headed there next week - yeah!) exploring food shops and markets tasting all the wonderful bread, charcuterie, cheese, pastries, and veggies/fruits that the city has to offer. I have this image/fantasy/daydream of us spending the morning shopping on rue Montorgueil, rue Poncelet, or rue Cler for provisions and then settling down on a picnic blanket to a long, leisurely lunch on the grass in a park somwhere nearby. BUT, a friend who used to live in Paris (many years ago) recently burst my bubble by telling me that Parisians (unlike Americans) don't really picnic on the grass. Many people will eat simple lunches on benches in the park, but not the grass! Is this true? If so, are there any spots where a discrete blanket and picnic won't be looked at as odd or rude? Thanks for your advice.
Rome Trip Report (2 of 2)
Could you tell me more about the Testaccio market? We are in Rome at the end of May on (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and half of Sunday). Will the market be open on one of those days? Also, are there enough vendors to put together a picnic lunch? Thank you!
Is financial crisis affecting gastronomy in Paris?
Several weeks ago, I tried to book a table for the dinner service at Le Comptois Relais for the end of May. The hostess informed me that their first opening was in November. Apparently, Msr. Cambordes' restaurant is not suffering from the downturn in the economy!
