Most of these folks either live in Paris or get to go there more often than I do...and they definitely get to eat out more. I find their blogs to be a fun read and give me ideas on what to try when I do get to Paris.
Esme Vos: http://www.mapplr.com/2008/07/08/mapplrs-favorite-restaurants-and-cafes-in-paris/
David Lebovitz (former pastry chef at Le Panisse in Berkeley, CA): http://www.davidlebovitz.com/paris/ also LOVE his book "The Sweet Life in Paris"…highly recommended. David also has a Facebook page...he's fun to follow.
Clotilde Dusoulier: http://chocolateandzucchini.com/. She also has a great cookbook of the same name...have made and enjoyed several recipes from it.
John Talbott: http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/john_talbotts_paris/. Great restaurant reviews
the incomparable Patricia Wells: http://www.patriciawells.com/paris/ptables-bistros.htm
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Mi-Va-Mi on rue des Rosiers
Okay, I committed heresy, and went across from L'As du Falafel to Mi-Va-Mi. Definitely less frenetic and harried, but next time I'll return to L'As du Falafel. I had their "royal" platter so I could taste a lot ---falafel, hummus, cabbage salad, broiled eggplant ---but, overall, it was disappointing. The falafels were neither as light and crispy nor as flavorful as the ones on the other side of the street, and the hummus had little flavor. I'd read raves in one of my favorite Paris food blogs about Mi-Va-Mi, but don't agree at all that it beats L'As du Falafel.
revisiting three old favorites...
Sadly, I'm back in San Francisco. But, in an orgy of fine dining, we ate at Le Square Trousseau, Chez Janou and L'Itineraire in our last three nights in Paris (plus a falafel lunch at Mi-Va-Mi - see my next post). And, unbelievably, I came back to SF at the same weight I left it! It's all that walking...
We met San Francisco friends at L'Itineraire for a birthday celebration. The chef's wife usually holds down the front of the house, but she was absent, so the welcome was not quite as warm as it has been in the past. I'm realizing why blogs have to be done immediately after one eats...as the specifics fade. Suffice it to say that the price is still 3 courses for under 40 Euros, the entrees creative and yummy, and the desserts sparkling. The main courses, tho, disappointed a bit...the beef which two of our party had was not as flavorful as it's been in the past, and my slow roasted veal was tremendously fatty. I would have thought that a "24 hour" braise would have rendered most of the fat, but not in this case. The service was also not as on point as it has been in the past...with both the food and service maybe showing some early vacation doldrums (though it was not quite August). I'll give it another try, as I love the room --but this meal was not as fabulous as others have been.
Chez Janou, on the other hand, hasn't changed a bit...it's lively and loud, with really good food and reasonably priced wines. There were 6 of us, and we had a side table, which protects those on the inside from the frequent comings and goings. I had a simple salad with chevre to start, followed by the delicious mussel gratinee; also got to taste the brandade, gazpacho, and ratatouille (all good), and finished, of course, with a sinfully big heap of the chocolate mousse.
On our final nite, we went with a close friend to Le Square Trousseau. The waiters here seemed friendlier than ever, and the room was filled with locals. We continued our gazpacho tasting (from Paris to Barcelona and back), and then I followed it up with a beautiful carpaccio. Fortunately, C. ordered the tartare, so I got to munch on what I think are some of Paris' best pommes frites. The waiter, who flirted shamelessly with our French friend, then brought us some sweet chocolate nibbles at the end with our cafe. It was a great last meal...and definitely keeps this bistro on the top of my list.
We met San Francisco friends at L'Itineraire for a birthday celebration. The chef's wife usually holds down the front of the house, but she was absent, so the welcome was not quite as warm as it has been in the past. I'm realizing why blogs have to be done immediately after one eats...as the specifics fade. Suffice it to say that the price is still 3 courses for under 40 Euros, the entrees creative and yummy, and the desserts sparkling. The main courses, tho, disappointed a bit...the beef which two of our party had was not as flavorful as it's been in the past, and my slow roasted veal was tremendously fatty. I would have thought that a "24 hour" braise would have rendered most of the fat, but not in this case. The service was also not as on point as it has been in the past...with both the food and service maybe showing some early vacation doldrums (though it was not quite August). I'll give it another try, as I love the room --but this meal was not as fabulous as others have been.
Chez Janou, on the other hand, hasn't changed a bit...it's lively and loud, with really good food and reasonably priced wines. There were 6 of us, and we had a side table, which protects those on the inside from the frequent comings and goings. I had a simple salad with chevre to start, followed by the delicious mussel gratinee; also got to taste the brandade, gazpacho, and ratatouille (all good), and finished, of course, with a sinfully big heap of the chocolate mousse.
On our final nite, we went with a close friend to Le Square Trousseau. The waiters here seemed friendlier than ever, and the room was filled with locals. We continued our gazpacho tasting (from Paris to Barcelona and back), and then I followed it up with a beautiful carpaccio. Fortunately, C. ordered the tartare, so I got to munch on what I think are some of Paris' best pommes frites. The waiter, who flirted shamelessly with our French friend, then brought us some sweet chocolate nibbles at the end with our cafe. It was a great last meal...and definitely keeps this bistro on the top of my list.
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