sistereurope's Profile
Canal du Midi adventures II: Aude and Herault
Great report. We spent a few days outside of Lagrasse and Auberge du Vieux Puits was on my list, but we never made it there. Now I have a reason to convince the husband that we NEED to return. I love the Corbières...sigh....
Need help deciding on my budget to-eat list (Paris, Nice, Avignon)
Flaveur in Nice is a must. As for the rest...my advice would be to listen to Parigi, DCM and Mangeur...they are a trio to follow for sure.
Reports on L'Auberge du 15, please
looking forward to your real report. :)
bon voyage!
First of Many Paris Threads for Upcoming Trip
Apartments are cheaper and in my opinion better. There's a fridge, and we save money by having morning coffee in the apartment, as well as breakfast (pastries/tartines)...that way we have more $ to spend on lunch and dinner. And wine...
That still leaves your reservation issue. I've never been in September so I'm not sure how busy things are...we usually reserve about 1-2 weeks out when we go in October. Perhaps you can double check the places you're thinking about to see if they're open in August? It seems pretty early to me to make them anytime soon. If it were me I'd focus on the 3 star place first, and worry about the others later. I'll let the experts weigh in on the best of the 3 stars and the best timing (and method) to secure the reservation.
(had MD crabs over the weekend. Not sure if they were WR, but they were mighty good!)
First of Many Paris Threads for Upcoming Trip
OMG, Wye River no less!! My people!
nmprisons, I share your anxiety on making reservations over the phone and I speak passable French (and understand even more). Are you staying in a hotel or an apartment? If it's a hotel, it's my understanding that people often get the hotel to make the reservations for them. Others can confirm as I usually stay in an apartment.
Congrats and good luck! Will look forward to your reports.
Paris with an 8 Year old in Tow ~ It can be done (especially when you get to cheat at least once!) ~ very long, read at your peril!
So glad I scolded you for not posting...this is great and I know it will help other lovers of food AND kids navigate their way through Paris! You gave a wonderful gift to your grandson that he will remember forever. Brava girl!! :)
Ditto on everything you wrote about Chez L'ami Jean. So happy to have shared it with you and the other hounds. Will be glad to help you hone your list for January. Who knows, maybe I'll join you!
Reflections on a week of Paris dining, May 2012. Long!
Back at you Jo!! So enjoyed the fabulous lunch and wish that you could have feasted on the fruits of the sea. Next time.
I will be happy to talk Provence/Lyon...how exciting!! But I won't let you off the hook...you must share your recent experiences in grooming your future Paris hound!! For example, I was happy to hear that you had a nice meal at Jeanne A,
I hate to be this unimaginative, but post-research, pre-trip, might you celebrate or lampoon our choices?
Really great reporting...you should post more rather than lurk :) I just wanted to chime in that we also had a nice lunch at Cafe de la Fontaine in La Turbie...took the bus from Nice. It was a year and a half ago so I don't remember what we had, but I do remember enjoying it and La Turbie too. I know that I drank too much wine because I let my husband convince me that it was a good idea to WALK from La Turbie to Monaco...down the mountain! It was a memorable day all around so thanks for evoking the memory...
Reflections on a week of Paris dining, May 2012. Long!
Leely2, If you're near the Montorgueil market area, Bistrot des Petits-Carreaux also has a really good salad (I was alerted to this place by another Paris Chowhound), Au Clocher de Montmarte was definitely a salad lover's kind of place.
MiniMonster, aside from Paris Chowhound, I read Paris by Mouth (which often leads me to blog posts by Meg Zimbeck, Barbara Austin and others), John Talbott's blog, Hungry for Paris and Le Fooding (the last one's in French). I try to cross-reference as much as I can. I do leave some Paris eating to chance...but usually only for lunch, or for a light meal after a big lunch. There are so many great places in Paris that I am REALLY bummed when I have a mediocre dining experience. I figure why not rely on the advice of people who live there and who eat for a living (Oh no, I'm not jealous of any of them, not at all :) On the other hand, I try to avoid places hyped by guidebooks as much as possible...
Reflections on a week of Paris dining, May 2012. Long!
Le Regalade is also a repeated favorite, although regrettably not for the past few visits. Glad to read that it's still worth the schlep! thanks for sharing the missing Paris pain..,
Bread-Who Loves Ya Baby ?
And so... I read this after I get back from staying two blocks from said bakery?!?!...Argh!!!
Reflections on a week of Paris dining, May 2012. Long!
Of course not!! It was a highlight of the trip...just didn't want to evoke seafood envy amongst the masses so I alluded to it in the chez eux part (yum). But now that it's out in the open I will say that our 2 seafood platters included excellent large mutant shrimps, salty like I like em oysters, big crabs and some surprisingly good tender bulots. Homemade mayo...ummm, a nice chilled wine...all consumed by 5 people. Satisfied people.
Note to fellow visitor hounds...if you find yourself in Paris on a holiday, and have an apartment, get thee to a poissonnier and order a such a platter (order early in case of a big holiday). It's WAY cheaper than a restaurant. Just make sure that you have them shuck the oysters and crack the crab claws...
Reflections on a week of Paris dining, May 2012. Long!
Just returned from a week in Paris with my girlfriends. Feeling incredibly lucky to have been able to visit twice this year. My husband and I had a food-centered extravaganza visit in January…this trip was a bit more challenging as I had varying tastes and a limited budget to meld into one awesome experience. And I was in charge of the food!
That said, I did my best to show my Paris newbie friend the glories of dining in one of the most wonderful food cities in the world. Montmarte was on our itinerary on our first jet-lagged night, and I decided that Au Clocher de Montmarte would fit the bill of something light and tasty. I had the salade du bout du monde and my friends had soup, a sandwich and an entrée of pork. It’s a nice space, the food was fresh and the service was pleasant… perfect for our sleep-deprived states of mind, although I agree with Mr. JT: “my only beef with this place is that its menu has too much tilt towards club sandwiches, salads and brunch stuff and too few traditional French food offerings.” But if that’s what you want, I think they do it well.
The next day, I disobeyed my own golden rule and switched up on my carefully and painstakingly researched list (culled from my obsessive daily perusal of Paris Chowhound and several other Paris food blogs) at the last minute. Mistake. On the second night we wanted something close and bistro-y so I consulted my b list. I read about Le Petit Cheval de Manège in Le Fooding, Hungry for Paris. John Talbott, etc, and it seemed to fit the bill for a close to our apartment neighborhood bistro. I should have known that something was amiss when I looked at the carte…they switched menus from the typical entrée/plat/dessert to a tapas menu. I was disappointed but soldiered on. The tapas weren’t bad…they just weren’t anything to write home about, which made me wonder if they’ve changed chefs? Service was great and it was a good space (with a nice Cote du Rhone) so all was not lost, but it wasn’t at all what I was looking for…and we didn’t feel like tapas 2 nights in a row, which made me alter the next night’s plan for Dans Les Landes (mistake #2). Well, not really a mistake, as we had fun at Jacques Melac. Wine was delicious and reasonable and I had my first foie gras fix (I start to shake the minute I get to Paris). Food was hearty and filling…I had the veal and my friends had a steak (not so great) and trout (the best dish of the 3). It was crowded and the service was rushed and brusque, although the owner was charming and welcoming. I had always wanted to try it and it was one place that my friend had heard about so no regrets.
Ahh, but Thursday evening I was back in my happy place after a successful return to Vivant in the 10th. Love the space, love the vibe and really love the food, and the bio wine. Friends had a yummy pasta/chicken dish with a creamy Parmesan sauce. I had the palombe, cooked perfectly, with lovely baby spring vegetables. There are only 3 choices of entrees and desserts Make sure you get the ganache and or the gateau de zoe for dessert. Wonderful. One of my favorites in Paris now.
The next day we skipped breakfast to prepare for a lunch feast at my all-time favorite in Paris, Chez L’Ami Jean. I know, I know, CLJ gets so much love on this board and many wonder why (while others defend it to the death). To me it represents all that I love about Paris…a passionate chef cooking with seasonal ingredients, in a fun lively relaxed space. Good food at, to me, still pretty reasonable prices. And it has consistently wowed me with at least one dish (usually most) for the past 7 years. Is it for everyone? Of course not. (side note: My favorite restaurant in Baltimore is in a skinny row house that used to be a bar…it is one of the most unfussy places around. But the chefs, like Jego, just care about the food, and the menu changes weekly. It’s boisterous and fun. When anyone asks for restaurant recommends I always say Peter’s Inn…knowing that while not everyone won’t fall in love, people like me will be just as enamored as I am, and that makes me happy).
So that said, I was even more blessed to join several other hounds for a much-anticipated CLJ lunch feast. We placed ourselves in the chef's hands, and had the added benefit of sitting right under said chef’s hands (albeit one bandaged…how did he do it with just one functioning hand?!). Oh, and before I go on, please please make SURE that ALL of your fellow dining companions are REALLY OK with that if you choose the "let the chef decide" option. My one friend repeatedly told me that she was ok with eating anything, only to find out that she really doesn’t like seared raw tuna and calamari…, which of course we were served. Not cool....
Anyway, we started with the yummy bread (which I thought was delightful) and that spread that they serve (and I am blanking on what that is, creamy cheese?) Then came the soup…the crunchy bits of deliciousness at the bottom of the bowl, upon which a creamy Parmesan and fresh pea soup was ladled. I slurped up every last drop. Then came my favorite dish…squid ink risotto with calamari, and a ground pork-stuffed calamari ring. Oh yum. We of course had a lovely white wine, and I can’t remember the name (help!) But it was perfect with all dishes, including the next course, seared rare tuna with lovely spring baby vegetables, including one stalk of wild asparagus. And edible flowers. So good. This was followed by the surprise slab of seared foie gras atop pork medallions. I repeat, so good. And the butter loaded creamy potatoes soaked up the sauce…mmm. I was totally stuffed but couldn’t pass up the rice pudding…put me in the camp that thinks it is one of the most heavenly tastes on the planet. Oh, and we also had some light and refreshing fresh fruit…sigh. It was a wonderful meal with some fellow hounds and I am most happy that I got to break bread with everyone.
Whew, this is getting long so I’ll try to wrap up. Most of the remaining meals were spent with friends, either dining chez eux (yum!) or in their neighborhood bistros. Several of my friends live in the 20th so we shared a “planche mixte” at Lou Pascalou (which was actually quite good, a nice selection of cheeses and charcuterie) as well as a meal at L’Estaminet in Oberkampf, which, while I wouldn’t cross town for, delivers a great salad if you find yourself in the hood. We also had some fine salads at Café Place Verte on rue Oberkampf for lunch one day, and we ended our trip with steak frites at Charbon Rouge in the 8th. (Really good frites, a bit pricey. OK steak, more delicious grilled chicken).
Of course, interspersed with all these meals were a few picnics, including pastries, and chocolate from my most favorite shop, Michel Chaudun, which just happens to be down the street from CL, making it a twofer. Feeling sad and depressed that yesterday’s lunch was at Chipoltle…Really missing Paris! Now time for a chocolate to ease my pain. Thanks as always, Paris Chowhounds! I will hopefully return in the fall, just in time for game season...
Trying to sort great chowhound pics into different categories
Mangeur, it has to be your spirit...until you started saying things like " When my husband and I walk in the door, the age scale dives to the far right." I was convinced that you were MUCH younger than my 50-something self. :) All that to say that your advice is spot on as always.
Paris- L' Estaminet on Des Enfants de la Marche in the Marais @ 39, rue Bretagne. WARNING.
I had a really nice lunch there a few years ago, so make that 4 and 1/2 (since I am unfortunately only a part time Paris Hound)
My French food adventure Part 1 - Lyon
I'm happy to read these positive reviews on Les Bouchon des Filles. It was our favorite in Lyon 2 years ago and there was very little mention on chowhound. Looking forward to your experiences in Avignon!
Rue de Rivoli - 75004 PARIS
I had lunch at Monjul a year ago...not bad at all if you;re in the neighborhood...great service and a nice bargain for what it was. Nice space too..
Question about Lyon dinners
Loved Le Bouchon des Filles so in my opinion that's a great start! I just wanted to throw it out there that the whole Lyon bouchon experience is so unique to Lyon, and truly not like anything I've ever experienced elsewhere in France (pr anywhere), that we didn't really have a problem doing a horizontal bouchon experience for the 3 nights we were there. Chez Paul was quite the memory, As was Aux Trois Maries.
Huitrerie Regis
Jeremy, my experience was very similar to yours. Really delicious oysters...some of the best I've ever had...but the owner was SO rude to some of our fellow diners (to us he was simply brusque, which I can handle, not that I like it, but I can overlook it for good food) that I would never go back.
Shamefully unprepared for a week in Paris!
I'm with PattyC...I've had some bad luck winging it. It IS most certainly possible to get bad food in Paris, believe me, even when one is fairly knowledgeable (i.e. knows to avoid obvious tourist traps). In my humble opinion it's even a greater shame in Paris, as there is SO much wonderful food to be had! A little research goes a long way. A simple search of some recent threads here should give you a fine start.
Which "outer" arrondisement is best for good restos?
And I'll be right around the corner on Ave Parmentier. I want to know more about Jelly Lady too...
Which "outer" arrondisement is best for good restos?
I go to Paris at least once a year,and have migrated from the inner to the outer arr gradually...right now my favorite areas are the 10th and 11th. For a visitor, close enough to a quick metro ride as well as great restaurants and a more "local" vibe. For a first time visitor I would probably recommend someplace closer to the center, but for anyone who has been to Paris several times. getting out from the "tourist ghetto" can be exhilarating.
Enough for a year, help me fine tune it to a two-week trip!
Saticoy...all I have to say is: I am REALLY looking forward to your reviews :)
Lyon Restaurants
that's true CJ - resting on past laurels is dangerous in the age of the internets!. I was so looking forward to our meal at Chez Lea, but they were SO unwelcoming and we had such a negative overall experience that I would never ever go back.
Lyon Restaurants
I have to agree with you Woofs. I was also disappointed in our meal at Chez Lea. We chose the menu which was not bad ...but what stood out for me was the UNwelcome service. We too speak French (my husband pretty well) so there's no passing it off on language differences - the server was not happy to be there. I found it tired and sad...had a much better time at Bouchon des Filles, a less expensive really fun bouchon with much better food, as well as Chez Paul, a WAY better experience all around (even though I feared a tourist trap.)
Paris & France
I don't think it's all that hard to scroll through the threads...or (and I know I might be in the minority, but still) to use the search. I personally look at both the Paris and not Paris threads because sometimes we visit Paris and sometimes we go to other parts of France and sometimes we do both. I can't imagine people being turned off from a France board because so many posts are about Paris...just sayin'. At least France has its own board and isn't dumped in with the rest of Europe. ;)
If you want to see some real CH territorial issues, visit the Baltimore/DC Board. Two different places in so many ways, including culinarily...if any Board should be split it's that one!!
Solo lunch in Paris for foi gras cheese and wine thursday April 5
I can vouch for both statements above...here are pics of my foie gras and the awesome cheese plate at Chez Casimir, from January of this year:
A few specific questions about œufmayonaise, bœuf tartare, huîtres, le Baron Rouge, Le Quincy and marche d'alilgre/beauvau
We have been to Le Baron Rouge several times, most recently in January of this year....always on a Sunday, with the crowds. Maybe we've just been lucky but we've always had wonderful experiences there. They oysters, while not the most fabulous I've ever had (in Paris or elsewhere) were still very very good, and the atmosphere/ambiance memorable. This past time we met a young French boy and his girlfriend from Berlin and had a fun long conversation about American politics :). And our table-mates shared their charcuterie platter with us. Same thing happened several years ago...we met the nicest people. As they say in the internets, YMMV (which I never understood until a kind soul told me that it was your mileage may vary ). But I plan to return in May, even if it isn't an R mois...
Paris Dining on a Family Budget...with Adventurous Teens
Jo, at least the day we were there. there were SO many choices on the menu that I can't imagine that you couldn't find something that he would like...the beauty of some place like that is that you can choose many things at once, and even if he doesn't like everything, I'm sure there would be something that he would like. I was there for lunch so I don't know about dinner, but I think I would have taken my kids there at 8 and felt ok...I know that he is a chowhound in training...:)
