April 30, 2013
Paris Restaurant Picks: Bones, Walaku, Jeanne B., Septime @ Wanderlust
Eel / Trout / Beet / Horseradish @ Bones
Dispatches from my favorite Paris restaurants for April.
BONES
My top pick this month! Bones is a bare-bones (ha!) bistro that operates half as a wine bar, with many natural wine choices by the glass and lots of sharable nibbles, and half as a gastronomic restaurant, showcasing Aussie chef James Henry's inspired cuisine.
The single tasting menu is composed of four courses for 40€ (add 8€ for the chees...
"Paris Restaurant Picks: Bones, Walaku, Jeanne B., Septime @ Wanderlust" continues »
June 16, 2007
Hidden Kitchen
Late last summer, a young chef from Seattle wrote to tell me about his underground restaurant project: Hidden Kitchen was to be set in an apartment somewhere in Paris, where he and his girlfriend would serve a tasting menu with matching wines to twelve diners each week. The price would be reasonable and chef friends visiting from out of town would be invited to cook there on occasion, too.
He had the vision, the name, the funding, the location...
August 22, 2006
Barcelona Favorites
Our dinner at El Bulli last week was bookended by a few days in Barcelona. This was our first time in the city, and we had a splendid time strolling around, admiring the architecture, dodging pickpockets, and wondering where to eat next.
Our diet over those few days was mostly composed of tapas and pintxos, eaten at casual restaurants. If you are unfamiliar with pintxos (pin-tchos), they are the little morsels of food, plopped on a slice of b...
"Barcelona Favorites" continues »
August 18, 2006
Dinner at El Bulli
I remember reading about El Bulli four or five years ago in the French newspaper Le Monde. I remember the yearning, and I remember the pang that followed closely: considering the small number of guests that the restaurant could accommodate each season, the dream seemed out of reach. But a few years later, I learned from a well-informed friend that getting a reservation was a bit like playing the lottery: the odds were low, but it didn't cost mu...
"Dinner at El Bulli" continues »
September 6, 2005
Soul Food in Paris: Chez Haynes
This post is in honor and memory of the victims of Katrina. Please donate what you can to the Red Cross or the charity of your choice. Thank you.
In 1949, Louisiana-born Leroy Haynes opened the very first American restaurant in Paris. He was a cook, an actor, a wrestler and a sociologist, he had many friends from both sides of the Atlantic, and his restaurant quickly became a favorite hangout for the local African American community and visiti...
"Soul Food in Paris: Chez Haynes" continues »
May 21, 2005
La Végétable d'Alain Passard
Le Printemps (literally "the spring") is one of the four Parisian department stores, located in the ninth arrondissement on boulevard Haussmann. In addition to the twice-yearly sales and the promotion weeks, they occasionally organize themed events in their stores, setting up temporary stands and attractions, and showing artists' work.
One such event was Les Invasions Gourmandes in November of last year, during which I hosted a Bar à Veloutés...
"La Végétable d'Alain Passard" continues »
May 12, 2005
La Colombie à Paris
Update: Sadly, Tienda Nueva is now closed. If you're looking for Colombian goods, however, there's a new shop selling Latin American goods just a block from there. It's called Mercatienda Latina, and it's at 78 rue de Dunkerque in the 9th (01 45 26 11 80).
Isn't it amazing how you can still discover new things right in your neighborhood, even after living there for two and a half years and spending a large part of your free time walking around...
"La Colombie à Paris" continues »
April 10, 2005
Chez Gianni, Ferme-Auberge Le Castelas
GO:: Granted, reaching today's featured restaurant requires a little more effort than the usual metro ride. This ferme-auberge*, owned and operated by Gianni from Sardinia, is located atop the Luberon mountain range and can be reached after a breathtaking -- both literally and metaphorically -- two-hour walk up curvy dust paths. Nothing superhuman though, and this guarantees rosy cheeks when you reach the top, not to mention a lion's appetite a...
"Chez Gianni, Ferme-Auberge Le Castelas" continues »
March 30, 2005
Au Fil des Saisons
GO:: Au fil des saisons had been on my to-try list for a while: I had been told good things about the chef, his use of fresh products and his "homemade everything" approach (including bread and sorbets). I had dinner there with my friend Marion a few weeks ago, when it was still remarkably cold -- hence the wintery menu choices as you'll see below.
The restaurant is located on a teeny tiny street off the Place de la République, and the room it...
"Au Fil des Saisons" continues »
September 21, 2004
Chocolate & Zucchini Meets Chez Pim (and Vice-Versa)
Pim and I had been talking about meeting for a while : it was just a matter of patiently waiting for the opportunity to arise, since her job has her fly into Paris regularly. It finally did, and we had dinner yesterday at Flora, a restaurant operated by the young lady chef Flora Mikula, and about which I had read good things.
We had a fabulous time together, talking animatedly about myriads of things, blogs and food and restaurants and wine an...
"Chocolate & Zucchini Meets Chez Pim (and Vice-Versa)" continues »
September 12, 2004
Lunch at Bürestubel
Oh what a wonderful feast of a lunch we had yesterday!
Maxence, our friend Baptiste and I drove to Strasbourg for the day, and decided to have lunch at Bürestubel, a small Alsacian inn recommended by the GaultMillau guidebook. It is located in Pfulgriesheim, a village just outside of Strasbourg, in a beautifully renovated farm building. The weather was magnificent and we sat at a table in the cool shade of the semi-covered little courtyard.
W...
"Lunch at Bürestubel" continues »
August 26, 2004
Lunch in Dijon : Restaurant Stéphane Derbord (Part II)
[Continued from Part I]
The menu we had chosen offered a choice of two main courses among which I chose, quite uncharacteristically, the "chicken dish" : I usually stay away from chicken in restaurants as it is, more often than not, a bland and disappointing experience, but I thought, if there's one good place to eat chicken, it's at a gastronomic restaurant. Besides, how could I have resisted what was thus announced on the menu :
"La Poulard...
"Lunch in Dijon : Restaurant Stéphane Derbord (Part II)" continues »
August 24, 2004
Lunch in Dijon : Restaurant Stéphane Derbord
My work recently took me and a coworker of mine (whom we'll call H. to protect her privacy) on a day trip to Dijon, the capital of Bourgogne. As it happens, many of us at my company are very much into good food and wine -- although it doesn't quite get to such proportions for them -- and H. is luckily no exception. When she told me about that meeting, the twinkle in her eye could not fool me, and I suggested we arrange to have lunch somewhere n...
"Lunch in Dijon : Restaurant Stéphane Derbord" continues »
July 18, 2004
Couscous at Le Dattier (IMBB6)
My cooking resume, if I had one, would have to say "Grilling experience : little to none".
Growing up in the city, in a non-grilling family at that, BBQ has never been part of my gastronomical landscape. In fact, I attended my first barbecue in the US, at the ripe old age of 21. I do love it though -- the smell and taste of grilled food, but also the atmosphere, the joy of cooking outdoors and the fascination of working so close with fire, ki...
"Couscous at Le Dattier (IMBB6)" continues »
July 12, 2004
La Laiterie
One of my projects at work has sent me to Lille for a few days at a time these past few weeks. I'd had the opportunity to travel out of town on business before, but this was my first time staying overnight, and it turned out to be a very pleasant, if tiring, experience. I enjoy being on my own from time to time, and find it thrilling in a very unique way to be the lone stranger in an unknown city, taking cabs and sleeping in hotel rooms, feelin...
June 25, 2004
Amorino
I am not the biggest ice-cream fan you'll ever find. I like Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's, but in fact I have realized that I would love it even more if they would just cut the ice-cream itself and leave me with the chunky things inside, chocolate chips, fudge, cookie dough, caramel, pralines, macadamia nuts. And when you really look at it, eating ice-cream as an alibi to eat chocolate chip cookies isn't really going to hold in court, is it?
B...
June 22, 2004
Le Sandwich Corse de Clotilde, vu chez Cojean
[Clotilde's Corsican Sandwich, as seen at Cojean's]
I cannot begin to tell you how gratifying Chocolate & Zucchini has been, since the very early days. But this, having a sandwich named after me at one of my absolute favorite lunch places, is a benefit I clearly hadn't foreseen. You must forgive my candor, but : how unbelievably cool is that, I ask you?
Okay, a little explanation is in order. Cojean is a sandwich and salad restaurant, founded...
"Le Sandwich Corse de Clotilde, vu chez Cojean" continues »
June 16, 2004
La Table de Lucullus
[Update: La Table de Lucullus is now closed. Nicolas has plans to open a new one on L'Ile d'Yeu, but I don't have the details yet.]
This past Friday, I took Maxence out to dinner at La Table de Lucullus. The official excuse was to mark a job-related occasion, but in truth, I had wanted to take him to that restaurant for a little while, and was just waiting for an alibi. In fact, it was second on the list when I invited him to Aux Lyonnais for ...
"La Table de Lucullus" continues »
January 15, 2004
Aux Lyonnais
Last Friday, on the eve of my darling Maxence's 25th birthday, I took him out to dinner. Usually, I know exactly where I want to take him, and like to make the location a surprise. Last year was easy : I had heard great reviews about a restaurant called "Le Maxence", where the chef was the talented David Van Laer. It fit the bill perfectly and we had a lovely evening with wonderful food.
But this year, for some reason, I was very irresolute a...
January 6, 2004
Chez Catherine
A couple of weeks ago, Maxence and I celebrated our seventh dating anniversary. To mark the occasion, we had decided to treat each other to dinner at a gastronomic restaurant. Our friend Baptiste happens to be a very good source for top-notch dining recommendations, a trait he gets from his father : let it be remembered that he's the one who introduced us to Le Troyon. He was duly asked for counsel, and his answer was, without so much as the sh...
December 18, 2003
L'Homme Tranquille
Nov. 2010 update: L'Homme Tranquille is now under new ownership. Fabrice Le Glatin, the new owner, also runs a handful of good wine shops in Paris, including Raisin, at 64 rue d'Orsel, just around the corner. Prices are slightly higher, and the atmosphere is completely different, but the service remains friendly, and the wine list features artisan vintners. Although there is no vegetarian dish on the menu, the kitchen is open to such requests.
...
"L'Homme Tranquille" continues »
December 16, 2003
Le Bar à Soupes
Laurence, one of my best friends, works at the Opéra Bastille, and sometimes has to work Saturdays. She had joined me a few times for lunch close to my office, so I decided to return the favor, and met her during her lunch break this past Saturday. We had an hour, so fast food was the way to go. In its healthy trendy Parisian version of course!
Le Bar à Soupes, as the name implies, serves mostly soup. You can buy it to take away or sit in the ...
December 12, 2003
L'Avant-Goût
From time to time, my dad offers to come and treat me to lunch on a weekday. My company offices used to be located in Nanterre, a cheerless suburban town, where we had to make do with an ordinary brasserie randomly called "L'Européen". But last summer, to everybody's relief and joy, we moved to the 13th arrondissement of Paris, close to the Parc Montsouris and the Butte-aux-Cailles and the Place d'Italie. A much much much better environment, it...
December 5, 2003
Brochette De Mini-Sandwiches
[Skewered Mini-Sandwiches]
The boulangépicier store, or "be", opened a year ago in Paris, and is owned by Alain Ducasse and Eric Kayser, the famous restaurant and bakery emperors. The name, as well as the concept, is a fusion of "boulanger" and "épicier" - baker and grocer.
On the grocery front, they sell a range of gourmet goods (unusual spices, condiments, jams, chocolate, candy, pasta...), a small selection of organic produce and dairy pr...
"Brochette De Mini-Sandwiches" continues »
November 30, 2003
Rose Bakery
Rose Bakery is a small bakery/restaurant of British inspiration in the rue des Martyrs, close to where we live. I love this place and find myself going, on my own or with friends, as often as the opportunity arises. It is run by a couple - he's French and she's British - who used to own a similar operation in London.
A low semicircular wrought iron door opens onto a long and narrow room. Historically, this used to be a "chartil", where produce...
November 27, 2003
Where Do I Eat The Best Tartines?
As a complement to my post about The Wonderful World Of Tartines, here's a list of my favorite restaurants for tartines in Paris :
Boulangerestaurant
85 bd Malesherbes, 75008 Paris
01 45 22 70 30
(Baker Eric Kayser's restaurant)
Androuët sur le Pouce
49 rue St Roch, 75001 Paris
01 42 97 57 39
(tartines starring the best cheese in season, several other addresses in Paris)
Le Potager du Père Thierry
16 rue des Trois Frères, 75018 Paris
01 53 28 ...
"Where Do I Eat The Best Tartines?" continues »
November 11, 2003
R'Aliment, une Cantine Bio
2005 Update: Unfortunately, R'Aliment is now closed -- my friends and I mourn the loss. You can still however go to the sister restaurant Biotifull Place, on the 1st floor of the Printemps de la Beauté department store, at 66 Bd Haussman in the 9th.
R'Aliment is a small modern restaurant in the 3rd arrondissement, that I would label "cantine bio" : "cantine" is French for a school or office cafeteria, and is sometimes used to mean a restaurant...
"R'Aliment, une Cantine Bio" continues »
November 8, 2003
Le Troyon
Update, spring 2004 : Le Troyon is now closed, but the same team now runs Caïus at 6 rue d'Armaillé in the 17th (01 42 27 19 20).
[Very surprisingly, Le Troyon does not give out little address cards like most restaurants do, so I don't have a picture for this entry!]
Last Monday, my parents invited Maxence and I to dinner at Le Troyon, Maxence's favorite restaurant in Paris. This was our fourth time eating there, we had raved about it to my par...
November 5, 2003
La Famille
La Famille is a restaurant that opened a few months ago in Montmartre. It got an impressive amount of flattering reviews in the press (whoever takes care of their PR would get my business!) which naturally teased me into trying it. I'm a sucker for new restaurants, and when they open just two blocks from us, what's a girl to do?...
October 22, 2003
Brunch at Joe Allen's
On Sunday, we went out for a brunch with friends of ours, Baptiste and Véro. We decided to go to Joe Allen's, a place our neighbor Stéphan had talked to us about, that was also mentioned in our "Guide du Fooding". This is a very good guide to eating out in Paris. It is issued by Nova Mag, a hip Parisian magazine that could be compared to Time Out. We have had luck with most of the places they recommend, so it has become our trusted little compa...
"Brunch at Joe Allen's" continues »