Wide-eyed Wonder at Restaurant David Toutain

Emily Buchanan April 8, 2016

Pigeon and Asparagus at Restaurant David Toutain

One of my wine-loving friends says of a new wine discovery, “I’d like to have a bottle of this once a month for the rest of my life.” I could apply the same sentiment to dining at David Toutain’s outstanding Paris restaurant in the 7th arrondissement. Toutain stunned us several years ago as head chef at Agapé Substance before opening his own modern dining room in 2014.

Not many chefs today can offer total satisfaction in a single bite, but Toutain achieves it right off the bat with a brilliant red bundle of beef carpaccio, silken, glistening, set on a bed of pristine ground hazelnuts and topped with sharply flavored oxalis leaves.

The wide-eyed wonder continues throughout the meal as Toutain distinguishes himself as a chef who follows no one but himself, always experimenting, searching for the surprise and joy that a single bite can deliver.

Toutain has worked with the best – Pierre Gagnaire, Alain Passard, Bernard Pacaud – and has certainly been an exemplary student. But what I love most about his approach and his daring is the way he translates nature’s treasures to the plate. We marvel at some of his combinations – kiwi and oysters or salsify and white chocolate – and applaud when something as down to earth as a tender, juicy pigeon breast is paired with perfectly cooked first-of-season asparagus (photo). And who could resist a pair of brilliant green parsley tortellini floating in a sublime pork consommé?

His multicourse menu is restrained and you don’t leave this understated restaurant feeling as though you never want to eat again. Portions are small but not skimpy. The food is picture-perfect and always eye-opening, but not precious. Some dishes are more exciting than others: I could have lived without the abrasive smoked eel with black sesame. And I find that some of the chunky contemporary pottery – especially jet black plates and bowls – do little to flatter the visual appeal of the food.

Toutain’s attentive staff are not at all aggressive and I am always happy to put myself in the hands of sommelier Guillaume Lescoliere. We have similar tastes and I applaud many of his selections, including the vibrantly refreshing 2014 Vouvray Sec from Domaine du Clos Naudin, the lively Saint Romain pinot noir by Alain Gras, and the syrah-infused Saint Joseph from Domaine Gripa.

For a restaurant of this caliber prices are a veritable bargain with a 55€ lunch menu and 80€ and 110€ lunch and dinner menus (130€ and 180€) with wine.

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition, or download the app!

Fulgurances: A bold, brave concept

Emily Buchanan December 3, 2015

A fulgurance is like a lightening bolt – a moment that is intense in emotion, unique, exceptional, mystical, and cannot be reproduced. These are the words of the Parisian restaurateur Rebecca Asthalter, who, along with partners Hugo Hivernat and Sophie Coribert opened Fulgurances l’Adresse on October 14th of this year. The concept is a new one: The restaurant will change chefs every six months, working with sous-chefs from well-known restaurants who are eager to go it on their own.

Their first featured chef, Chloé Charles, worked most recently as a sous-chef at the nearby Septime, under the tutelage of Bertrand Grébaut, and earlier she passed through the kitchens of l’Astrance with Pascal Barbot and David Toutain during his days at L’Agapé Substance. The restaurant – a casual, modern, clean little 36-seat spot in the city’s 11th arrondissement – is not far from the scene of the city’s horrors of November 13th. On that Friday evening police came to the restaurant, directing the owners to lock the doors, turn off the lights, and wait. By 1 am the police returned, allowing guests and the owners to vacate. Obviously, a rather challenging beginning to an already brave adventure. Parisians have shown themselves in the wake of these events to be extremely resilient, and restaurant was close to full on the two occasions that we visited the restaurant in the last two weeks.

Locals, as well as diners who had already experienced the trio's pop-up restaurants at various venues around Paris since 2010, have become loyal supporters, and on a recent evening the small, elegantly casual restaurant was overflowing with tables full of 30-somethings sharing Chloé Charles's inventive cuisine. Her food is modern, vibrant and forward flavored, ranging from a sumptuous starter of giant artichokes bathed in a touch of red wine, bone marrow and a hit of Roquefort, to an unusual and soothing salad of smoked eel, paired with a broccoli puree seasoned with a bright touch of mint and orange.

A main-course of plump, moist farm guinea hen was stuffed with herbs beneath the skin, seasoned with a yogurt sauce that included pepper, pear, and bit of grilled bread, a very modern bistro dish if there ever was one.

She boldly pairs squid and sweetbreads with a mixture of winter vegetables, meat juices and a bit of lemon, and offers a super-fresh portion of rouget barbet (red mullet), served with generous portions of pleurotte and chanterelle mushrooms as well as crisp chestnut chips.

One of the best tastes of the evening was her very bright flavored appetizer of mulet rillettes, served with the crusty sourdough bread from baker Olivier Haustraete of Boulangerie Bio near the marché d’Aligre. When baking the bread, the floor of the oven is spread with ground olive pits, which smoke as the bread bakes, giving each loaf a unique, smokey flavor.

The brief wine list offers some appealing selections, including Domaine Valette’s satiny, mineral-rich Maçon Chaintré.

Desserts were far less convincing, with a very dry poached pear with touches of quince mousseline, and a rather unimpressive chocolate cream dotted with bits of chocolate sablé.

The lunchtime menu is more low key, offering two choices for starters and mains, a cheese course and one dessert. The thick textured mushroom soup was adorned with the flavors of autumn: paper thin slices of pair, crumbled tangy Roquefort, onions and chestnuts. The pork braised in white wine was impossibly tender, served with simple garlic potatoes, shitake mushrooms and topped with a handful of arugula and fresh herbs that were a welcome refreshing touch. The 19€ 2-course / 22€ 3-course lunchtime menu is a fantastic bargain, even if the dessert did not inspire.

I’m eager to go back again, to watch the bustle of the open kitchen, see the restaurant progress, and share in the creation of this unique, brave, bold idea. Chloe Charles will be resident chef until May 2016.

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition, or download the app!

Freddy's: A name you're not likely to forget

Emily Buchanan October 29, 2015

Not content with their already sizeable portion of the Rue de Seine restaurant real estate – Cosi, Fish, Semilla and their wine shop La Dernière Goutte around the corner – American Juan Sanchez and New Zealander Drew Harré have now added a quick-stop wine bar, Freddy’s, to their lineup. The wine bar is named for Drew’s wine-loving grandfather, who called everyone whose name he could not remember, Freddy. Grandpa’s photo, in his last years at a bar with a glass of wine, graces the menu.

The small plates menu and excellent wine list makes this an ideal place to pop in alone, in search of a glass of wine and a quick snack, lunch, or dinner or with a quartet of friends who plan to let loose with good conversation and pleasant sips.

I’ve lunched here several times since they opened late in the summer of 2015, and there is no question that, once again, Juan and Drew know what they are doing. But never taking themselves too seriously, the staff in the wine bar wear t-shirts that read “Work in Progress” and in their typical style, these boys are always fine-tuning day by day, along with talented, modern, inventive Semilla chef Eric Trochon. Start, with platters of Corsican ham and chorizo, sliced paper thin, with sips of whatever wine appeals. I like to go for the 100% Marsanne Cairrane, from the Domaine l‘Oratoire St Martin Reserve des Seigneur, or the always table-pleasing Burgundy Chardonnay Viré Clessé from Comte Lafon.

When it’s on the menu, try the meaty, hearty, coeur de canard, duck hearts that appear so seldom on menus. One of my favorite versions was sampled at the restaurant Bones, then run by chef James Henry. Henry and his duck hearts have since moved on, so I am happy to find a pleasing replacement here where these morsels are moist, tender, a revelation. Freddy’s falafel – crispy chickpea balls – are light, spicy and well-seasoned, and could serve as a meal all on their own. These are small plates, with prices ranging from 6 to 9€, so you can order and re-order as hunger dictates. There are no tables, just stools, in a warm setting of exposed stone walls and wooden floors. Remember, no phone, no reservations, but open noon to midnight daily!

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition, or download the app!

La Bourse et La Vie: Daniel Rose gets it right again

Emily Buchanan October 22, 2015

American Daniel Rose, of Spring fame, has opened a nostalgic, classic French bistro in a landmark-worthy café near the Paris Bourse, with such traditional fare as pot-au-feu, calf’s head in ravigote, mackerel in white wine, and, of course, steak-frites. He is clearly moving against the current grain of bistronomy sites run by non-French chefs. And bravo!

He has a good head on his shoulders and a will to please, as well as a talent for knowing what people want to eat today. And he’s realistic. I so totally agree with a recent quote from him: “Food is 20% about cooking, 50% about buying, and the rest is cleaning up and organizing.”

I am a pushover for oysters of any kind, and his rendition of warm oysters broiled with a touch of spinach and a healthy dose of thick Normandy crème fraîche totally made my day. The serving was of three oysters, I could have easily had six!

The first-course salad of beets and smoked eel, bathed in a horseradish-rich cream made me feel very energetic, but I found the eel rather tough and out of place in this creation.

The pot-au-feu was totally satisfying, more of a modern and light version, blasted with fresh herbs and lime, offering a voluminous amount of fresh vegetables, including thick rounds of leeks and plenty of cabbage. Less convincing was his rendition of steak-frites, perfectly cooked but the beef was rather tasteless and without character. The frites however were crisp, delicious, welcome.

Desserts included a perfectly moist and successful autumn fig tart and a thyme sorbet that was, unfortunately, far too aggressively infused to be appealing.

Service is direct, friendly and quick. Giant rounds of gougère welcome you at the table, and the wine list offers many treasures, including my favorite Grenache-rich Domaine Saint Prèfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape from talented winemaker Isabelle Ferrando; Léon Barral’s always reliable red Faugères; and Lucien Crochet’s white Sancerre.

Although the décor and the space are classic bistro, with a long, narrow dining room and space so elbow-to-elbow you almost injure your neighbor, I would have preferred a lighter look than the olive-grey tones of the dining room. But I’ll be back, maybe even for breakfast, when they are open Monday through Friday from 9am.

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition, or download the app!

Another side of Montmartre

Patricia Wells September 18, 2015

My fantastic assistant, Emily Buchanan, is taking over the blog today with a guest post about her Parisian neighborhood in the l8th arrondissement. Follow her here for the latest on dependable restaurants, wine shops, bakeries, and more!

Patricia

Au Bon Coin – a neighborhood institution

Another side of Montmartre

[Guest post by Emily Buchanan]

Over the past five years or so, the outer boroughs of Paris have become hubs for gastronomic renewal. Lower rents and young restaurant-loving locals make the outer arrondissements, particularly in the north of Paris, favored locations for young chefs and restaurateurs to set up shop and make a name for themselves. Of course, not all the outer neighborhoods guarantee fine croissants, good coffee and satisfying bistro dining, but when one does spring to life and the old mingles with the new it’s always exciting to watch.

Just north of the Caulaincourt metro, away from the throngs of tourists on nostalgic Amelie tours and wandering the steep cobbled streets in search of the Sacré Coeur, is a quiet, very residential neighborhood, fast making a name for itself as a culinary hotspot of the 18th.

How do I know this? Because it’s my neighborhood. When I moved here four years ago, there was scarcely a decent bistro to speak of. Now, I can barely keep up with the new openings all over the neighborhood, from new ethical grocers, to hip, modern bistros.

If you find yourself hungry in Montmartre, skip the terraced cafés on rue des Abbesses and head north of Caulaincourt for a more authentic bite of the local Paris dining scene. Here are my favorites, old and new.

Montcalm - Modern French bistro

After only five months, this small 14-seat bistro has hit its stride, serving a simple but flavorful menu. Dishes change daily but you can expect such elegant dishes as an entrée of zucchini gaspacho adorned with thin slices of haddock, or an original take on a salmon tartare with preserved lemons, showered in salty salicorne (sea greens). Or for main course a falling-off-the bone, succulent, slow-cooked lamb from the Limousin, served with a butternut squash puree. It has a certain zeitgeist feel – modernist décor, open kitchen, bar and a menu that only gives a list of ingredients. But the food is honest, and the service genuine and friendly. An excellent addition to the neighborhood.

21 rue Montcalm | +33 1 42 58 71 35 | Open Monday to Saturday. Closed Monday dinner and all day Sunday | À la carte 30-35€.

Au Bon Coin - traditional café

A neighborhood institution, Au Bon Coin is a welcoming place to refuel at just about anytime of day: for a quick morning coffee at the bar (this is no craft coffee, just straight up French espresso with no frills), or for a more leisurely beer or glass of wine later in the day. The menu remains staunchly classic – good but not spectacular. The sautéed pommes de terre, however, are completely addictive.

49 rue des Cloÿs | +33 1 46 06 91 36 | Monday to Saturday 8am to midnight (lunch daily, dinner Monday to Thursday).

Bululu Arepera – Venezuelan café

This shoebox of a restaurant is run by a super-friendly Franco-Venezuelan couple, Joss and Victoria. The mainstay of the menu is traditional Venuezuelan areperas, baked and fried cornmeal pockets with freshly made fillings, like chicken, avocado, black beans, cheese and baked plantains. A recent favorite lunch menu entrée was a deep flavorsome beef broth with cubes of white sweet potato, and spiced up with some coriander and hot chili sauces.

20 rue de la Fontaine du But | +33 1 42 54 96 25 | Wednesday to Friday noon-11pm, Saturday-Sunday noon-5pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday | individual areperas 7€, lunch menu 14€

Owner Victoria preparing for the lunch service at Bululu Arepera

Melali Coffee Riders – Coffee bar

This new coffee bar (by the owners of Bululu, above) brews one of the best coffees you’ll find in this part of the Montmartre neighborhood, using Belleville Brulerie roasted beans. On hot days their iced coffee is hard to beat, but as the weather gets cooler it's a toss up between the guayoyo (filter coffee) or their perfectly executed cappuccino.

10 rue de la Fontaine du But| Open daily, Monday to Friday 7:30am-3pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm | coffee 2 – 4.50€

Esquisse – Modern French bistro

Another new bistro addition, the bustling, convivial Esquisse (meaning 'sketch') serves up classic bistro dishes with a modern twist. I loved their hearty reinvention of a caillette (round, pâté-like pork sausage mixed with vegetables and wrapped in caul fat) using veal, a lighter, more contemporary version of its traditional Provençal counterpart.

151bis rue Marcadet | +33 1 53 41 63 04 | Open Tuesday to Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday | À la carte 30-40€.

Le Ruisseau – Hamburger bar

At Le Ruisseau you can find a fine burger: a seriously respectable classic cheese and bacon, or go for the more unusual goat cheese burger made with Saint-Maure de Touraine, caramelized onions, honey, mustard and baby spinach. The ubiquitous hamburger joints across Paris aren’t all good, but this one is a keeper.

65 rue du Ruisseau | +33 1 42 23 31 23 | Open Monday dinner-Sunday. Closed Monday lunch | Burgers 12 – 14€ (served with home made fries or salad).

Boulangerie Bel Ange – Bakery | Pastry Shop

The breakfast pastries in this unassuming-looking bakery are buttery yet light and perfectly flaky. And try the tasty rustic pain aux cereals, mixed grain loaf.

145 rue Marcadet | +33 1 42 58 75 74 | Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday 7:30am-8:30pm, Sunday 8am-8pm. Closed Wednesday.

Delmontel – Bakery | Pastry Shop

The dessert pastries in the window will have you pressing your nose up to the glass and reconsidering your latest diet. Their tourte auvergate, a dense nutty rye loaf, is worth a detour, but I give mixed reviews to their viennoiseries (breakfast pastries).

57 rue Damrémont | +33 1 42 64 59 63 | Open Tuesday to Saturday 7am-8:30pm, Sunday 7am-8pm. Closed Monday.

Il Brigante – Pizzeria

Calabrian chef/owner Salvatore Rototori was voted the best pizzaiolo (pizza thrower) in Paris by French food guide Le Fooding last year and they are not wrong. Using the freshest ingredients direct from his home region in the south of Italy, everything is good here – try the Garabaldi with buffalo mozzarella, arugula, cherry tomatoes and spicy Calabrian cured meat capicollo or La Salina white pizza with broccoli rabe (cime di rapa), buffalo ricotta and marinated anchovies and transport yourself to Italia.

14 rue du Ruisseau | +33 1 44 92 72 15 | Open Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday | Pizza 9 – 18€

Chez Virginie – Cheese Shop

Simply one of the finest cheese shops in Paris – and one of just a handful that ages their cheese in their own cellar beneath the shop (cheese tours and cheese tastings are available in English and French). It's always a difficult decision given the vast choice of excellent cheese here, however you can't go wrong with one of their raw milk goat cheeses such as the thyme-infused baguette du thym. If you’re a cheese lover, don’t miss this gorgeously displayed and extremely well stocked shop. They also carry superior quality milk, Bordier butter, and various condiments to accompany cheese.

54 rue Damrémont | +33 1 46 06 76 54 | Open Tuesday-Saturday 9:30am-1pm, and 4pm-8pm, Sunday 10am-1pm. Closed Monday.

18 sur Vin – Wine Shop

If natural wines are your thing, or you are curious to learn more, owner Alban Le Cam knows the story behind every bottle and has an extensive selection of natural, biodynamic and organic wines, mostly from small French producers, all at modest prices. A recent summer discovery is the bold yet refreshing Côte-du-Rhone white, Vigne du Prieuré blanc 2014 from Château Gigognan, a southern Rhône white blend of Roussanne, Marsanne and Clairette.

154 rue Ordener | +33 9 81 44 10 16 | Open Monday 5-7pm, Tuesday to Thursday 10:30am-1:30pm and 4:30-9pm, Friday 4:30-9pm, Saturday 10am-9pm. Closed Sunday.

Primeur Ethique – organic grocer

I am addicted to this newly opened organic fruit and vegetable shop, mostly for its fabulous heirloom tomatoes that taste like they have been grown in the earth and sunshine, as tomatoes should. I love the fact that they have a section of produce that does not carry an organic label but has been minimally sprayed, so there’s a price point to suit all budgets.

64 bis rue du Ruisseau | + 33 7 82 59 73 40 | Open Monday 2:30-7:30pm, Tuesday to Sunday 9:30am-7:30pm. Free home delivery for online orders at

Soul Kitchen

For some California sunshine in Paris, try this breezy hillside café that serves up excellent Coutume-roasted coffee, granola, breakfast muffins and healthy daily-changing lunch menus.

33 rue Lamarck | +33 1 71 37 99 95 | Open Tuesday to Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm. Closed Monday and most public holidays.

Patisserie Boris – Pastry Shop | Bakery

One of the prettiest, and most delicious pastry shops in the 18th, if not the whole of Paris. Recently reviewed here.

48 rue Caulaincourt | +33 1 46 06 96 71 | Open Tuesday-Sunday 7:45am-8:30pm, Sunday 7:45am-7pm. Closed Monday

Slightly further afield from this Caulaincourt-Lamarck pocket, but still worth a mention:

La Table d’Eugene – Modern French restaurant

This has been, in my view, the best restaurant in the 18th for many years. Previously, the room was a little pokey but every dish was perfectly conceived, using the freshest of ingredients, and the prices were truly affordable. A recent interior décor makeover helped it get its first Michelin star this past March. Prices have gone up a bit, particularly in the evening but the Tuesday through Saturday lunch menu still remains very reasonable, and worth every penny.

18 rue Eugène Sue | +33 1 42 55 61 64 | Open Tuesday to Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday | lunch menu 31 – 38€, dinner dégustation menu 79 – 99€ (120 – 160€ with wine pairings).

La Rallonge – Wine bar

Meaning ‘the extension’, La Rallonge is the wine bar annex of La Table d’Eugene. Some favorites from the Table d’Eugene menu have migrated next door to join the wine bar offerings, including the much loved ‘risotto’ de coquillettes (tiny pasta shells with cèpe mushrooms and truffles).

16 rue Eugène Sue | +33 1 42 59 43 24 | Open Monday to Saturday from 7pm. Closed Sunday | small plates 5 – 14€, cheese and charcuterie platters 8 – 33€

Les Caves du Roy – Wine Shop

You almost can’t go wrong in this wine shop, who specializes in rare wines and supplies wines for La Table d’Eugene’s extensive and well-selected list. Vintages from Eric and Joël Durand and La Domaine de la Janasse have become go-to favorites.

31 rue Simart | +33 1 42 23 99 11 | Open Monday 3-8:30pm, Tuesday to Friday 10am-1:30pm and 3-8:30pm, Saturday 10am-8:30pm. Closed Sunday and Monday morning.

For the complete reviews of some of these addresses and for other recommendations of where to eat in Paris, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition book or the App for the iPhone (also works on the iPad).

All photos © Emily Buchanan.

An inspired meal at Ellsworth

Emily Buchanan September 4, 2015

Fried clams, corn, cream, marinated peppers, basil

Braden Perkins the immensely creative chef behind Palais Royal restaurant Verjus, and the adjacent Verjus wine bar, is going for a third win with his latest tapas-style endeavor, Ellsworth (a tribute to Perkins’s Grandfather). Perkins has installed 22 year old Canadian Hannah Kowalenko as head chef, who adds a brand of inventiveness beyond her years to Perkins’s already impressive repertoire.

The evening menu, which offers nearly a dozen substantive little tastes, a cheese selection and two desserts to choose from, is perfect for a quick snack or a multi-course feast, depending upon one’s appetite of the moment. The food is generally full of bright, vibrant flavors, well-seasoned (although at times a little heavy handed with the salt), and cleverly conceived, with no theme that screams “you’ve seen this all before too many times.” Most dishes are priced at 10 to 13€, each copious enough for two to share.

The long, narrow dining room, with plenty of bright window space, is sober but not cold, with light wooden floors, crisp white walls, 1930s style bistro chairs, antique brass wall sconces, and slate grey banquettes. The small white marble tables, white linen napkins (thank you!), and beautifully engraved Ellsworth wine glasses give the place a touch of class, freshness, and modernity.

As if Kowalenko had been given a list of my personal preferences, I happily discovered the seasonal menu (which changes regularly according to market offerings) replete with some of my current favorite ingredients and dishes: seasonal corn, green beans, pork meatballs, deep-fried clams and grilled squid. Each dish has a personal signature and when a dish sings it does so loud and clear. My favorites were the fried clams (palourdes) set on a bed of fresh corn kernels bathed in a light creamed corn soup, a touch of basil, and a few slices of marinated baby peppers. The clams were heavily breaded and fried to a perfect golden crunch, with the sweet corn serving as fresh, lively foil.

I loved, as well, the fresh green beans and pencil-thin baby carrots that were seriously wok-style sautéed over high heat, giving them a smoky, meaty personality. She is clever with flavor pairings and pays close attention to how texture plays in a dish. Here the smoky vegetables were set against a bed of mild creamy houmous, a touch of sesame, and covered with a shower of deliciously crunchy bread crumbs, a combination that awakened one’s palate and could almost have been a meal in itself.

The least interesting dish of the meal was the homemade mozzarella, thin as lasagna, wrapped like Vietnamese rice paper around a very good blend of tiny cubes of sautéed tomatoes and zucchini, seasoned with herbs and capers. While the filling was truly satisfying, the mozzarella itself lacked flavor and substance, and left me wondering why bother making such things in-house when the results are so underwhelming. The dish’s visual appeal cannot be denied though.

The baby squid was decisively seared to a smoky high and was set on a bed of timidly seasoned riced potatoes and leeks – good but I would have preferred a bolder pairing. One of my favorite dishes of the meal – the beautifully seasoned and well-seared pork meatballs – were sadly marred by an unforgivably harsh harissa.

Desserts were winners, with a very moist and intense walnut cake topped with a colorful, generous, full-flavored blend of seasonal fruits – cubed peaches, nectarines, blueberries and giant blackberries just slightly warm – finished with dulche de leche, a dollop of cream and bits of crunchy, crumbled walnuts (photo below). The pairing of malt ice cream and chocolate sorbet was brilliant and quite irresistible, even after the marathon sampling of little plates.

I’ll go back for sure, as this meal rates among the most inspired I have had in many months, and I am keen to follow the culinary adventures of both Perkins and Kowalenko through the seasons.

At lunch time there is a set, fixed price menu, with a trio of choices at each course. The wine list offers a good selection of sips by the glass, and service is swift and pleasant.

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition or download the app.

Taste of the week: Where to eat in Paris

Emily Buchanan July 16, 2015

I never like to say there is the perfect restaurant when it comes to dining out in Paris. So much comes into play when chosing where to eat – season, weather, who you're dining with, the kind of mood you're in, your budget. But I do have a list of favorite places which I find myself going back to again and again, because I always come away feeling inspired and like it has been time and money worth spent. Here are a few must-try addresses that currently top my list, for all budgets and moods. I'll be updating this list from time to time, here on my website.

Restaurants

Bistrot Paul Bert: Classic French Bistro

This here is the quintessential Parisian bistrot that remains completely authentic and honest despite its wild popularity.

18 rue Paul Bert | Paris 11 | +33 1 43 72 24 01 | Metro: Faidherbe-Chaligny or Rue des Boulets | Open Tuesday - Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday and August.

Le Servan: Casual Modern Bistro

Casual Parisian bistro dining at its best – Le Servan has a great neighborhood vibe, the food is simple but interesting, the ingredients impeccably fresh, and the price very reasonable.

32 rue Saint-Maur | Paris 11 | +33 1 55 28 51 82 | Metro: Saint-Ambroise, Rue Saint-Maur or Père Lachaise | Open Monday dinner-Friday. Closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday lunch.

Le Severo: Classic bistro

A carnivore's dream – owner William Bernet, a former butcher, really knows his meat and even has his own aging cellar beneath the restaurant. Don't go near this place if you are a vegetarian.

8 rue des Plantes | Paris 14 | +33 1 45 40 40 91 | Metro: Alésia or Mouton-Duvernet | Open Monday-Friday. Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Porte 12: Modern French

This has all the elements of great dining in the capital: bright contemporary decor, sincere attentive service, and sophisticated, signature fare.

12 rue Messageries | Paris 10 | +33 1 42 46 22 64 | Metro: Possionnière | Open for lunch Tuesday - Friday, dinner Tuesday - Saturday. Closed Saturday lunch, Sunday, Monday and public holidays.

La Table d'Akihiro: Modern French

Akihior Horikoshi, worked in the kitchen of 3 Michelin starred L'Amboisie, before opening his own fish and seafood restaurant. The influence of this pedigree is clear and his seductive cuisine is always elegant and worthy of the effort it takes to secure a table at this post stamp-sized restaurant.

49 rue Vaneau | Paris 7 | +33 1 45 44 43 48 | Metro: Vaneau or François-Xavier | Open Tuesday-Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday

Ze Kitchen Galerie: Modern French | International

I never get tired of dining on chef William Ledeuil's creative, inspiring cuisine, based on traditional French training, injected with a modern international flare and a love for Asian ingredients.

4 rue des Grands Augustins | Paris 6 | +33 1 44 32 00 32 | Metro: Saint-Michel or Pont Neuf | Open Monday-Saturday. Closed Saturday lunch and Sunday.

Astrance: Modern French | Haute Cuisine

A magician in the kitchen, Pascal Barbot never fails to inspire me with his ethereal nuanced dishes. His 70€ week day lunch menu is one of the best buys in the city.

4 rue Beethoven | Paris 16 | +33 1 40 50 84 40 | Metro: Passy | Open Tuesday - Friday. Closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Saint-Germain: Modern French | Haute Cuisine

Always at the forefront of innovation, Joël Robuchon in my opinion is the best chef cooking today. I am always happy to sample whatever Chef Axel in his Saint-Germain atelier suggests.

5 rue Montalembert | Paris 7 | +33 1 42 22 56 56 | Metro: Rue du Bac | Open daily 11:30am-3:30pm and 6:30pm-midnight

Shops

Jacques Genin: Chocolate maker

Truly one of the finest chocolate makers in France. Not to be missed for chocolate lovers.

133 rue de Turenne | Paris 3 | +33 1 45 77 29 01 | Metro: République or Filles-du-Calvaire | Open Tuesday - Sunday 11am-7pm, Saturday 11am-8pm. Closed Monday and August.

27 rue de Varenne | Paris 7 | +33 1 53 71 72 21 | Metro: Rue du Bac, Sèvres Babylone or Varenne | Open Tuesday - Saturday 10.30am-7pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.

La Derniere Goutte: Wine shop

Owner Juan Sanchez has a rare palate, and carefully sources his selection of largely organic and biodynamic wines from small independent wine makers. For those curious to learn more Juan holds regular tastings at the shop.

6 rue Bourbon le Château | Paris 6 | +33 1 43 29 11 62 | Metro: Saint-Germain des Près, Mabillon or Odéon | Open Daily: Sunday 11am-7pm, Monday 3-8pm, Tuesday-Friday 1:30am-1:30pm and 3-8pm, Saturday 10:30am-8pm

Quatrehomme: Cheese Monger

Marie Quatrehomme was one of the first women to be awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France title, and her dedication to quality shines through in her well-tended shop, one of the finest in France. Whether you know a lot or a little about cheese, her shop is always educational.

62 rue de Sèvres | Paris 7 | +33 1 47 34 33 45 | Metro: Vaneau or Duroc | Open Tuesday - Thursday 8.45am-1pm and 4-7.45pm, Friday and Saturday 8.45am-7.45pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Poîlane: Bakery

Known for their country sourdough loaves, to my mind and palate, they make the best bread there is. My Paris cooking class includes a visit to the wonderful, flour-dusted underground cellar to watch the famous loaves being kneaded, shaped and then baked in the ancient wood burning oven.

8 rue du Cherche-Midi | Paris 6 | Metro: Sèvres-Babylone or Saint-Sulpice } Open Monday - Saturday 7.15am-8.15pm. Closed Sunday.

Market

Marché President Wilson: Roving market

This is the market I bring my students to. It is the market that Parisians will cross town for.

avenue Président Wilson, between rue Debrousse and place d'Iéna | Paris 16 | Metro Alma-Marceau or Iéna | Open Wednesday and Saturday 8:30am-1pm

For the complete reviews of these addresses and for other recommendations, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition book or the App for the iPhone (also works on the iPad).

Patisserie Perfection: Boris Lumé

Emily Buchanan July 3, 2015

Summers for me are almost exclusively a Provençal affair. With temperatures soaring into the 80s and 90s, I bunker down in the cool stone kitchen of my hilltop farmhouse in Vaison-la-Romaine, to test recipes, cook from my bountiful summer vegetable garden and prepare for my late summer cooking classes.

So for those of you travelling to Paris this summer looking for gastronomic inspiration, I leave you in the capable hands of my good friend and co-conspirator on the fifth edition of The Food Lover’s Guide to Paris, Emily Buchanan.

Patisserie Perfection: Boris Lumé

[Guest post by Emily Buchanan]

If the original Belle Époque exterior of this immaculate Montmartre patisserie (a classified historical monument, built in 1900) is not enough to draw you in, then the rows of Boris Lumé’s signature finger-shaped tarts, glistening in the glass vitrine, surely will. The pastries here have as much charm as the décor, with its off-white and duck-shell blue wall tiles, butterfly-themed tile frieze, and original heavenly ceiling fitted out with a crystal chandelier – this is what dreams of Parisian pastry shops are made of.

Pastry chef, baker and owner Boris Lumé opened his first shop with his Japanese wife Mihona (also a baker) on the leafy rue Caulaincourt in the 18th arrondissement in 2013, after time spent under the tutelage of the likes of Joël Robuchon in Tokyo, and Cyril Lignac and Meilleur Ouvrier de France Frederic Lalos (of Le Quartier du Pain) in Paris.

His selection of tarts and viennoiseries (breakfast pastries) is small, but finely tuned – each creation a small work of art, but without pretension. His tarte citron doesn't have many rivals with its irresistibly crisp base, thick pillowy lemon cream that has just the right balance of acidity, sweetness and creaminess, hiding a thin layer of soft cake-like hazelnut biscuit.

Among the lineup is an excellent version of the classic Paris-Brest, a light choux casing filled with praline cream and punctuated with a crispy praline crunch. Other offerings include tarts with seasonal fruit toppings such as strawberry or fig, and a less traditional matcha and black sesame tart with red fruits, a nod to Mihona’s Japanese origins.

I love their homely tartelettes, soft pastry casings filled with dark acidic cherries (griottes) and an earthy pistachio cream.

The viennoiseries are without fault: buttery, light and perfectly flaky. The baguette tradition has a flavorful crumb, although I prefer my baguette a little more bien cuite – well baked – with a crunchier crust. I’d rather go for their near-perfect, nutty pain d’épeautre (spelt loaf), and I can hardly pass by this shop without grabbing a loaf.

If you’ve been searching for the perfect Parisian pastry shop, you may well have just found it.

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition book or iPhone app.

L’Oustalet: another Perrin family success

Emily Buchanan June 12, 2015

Strawberries, raspberry macaroon and mint sorbet

The Perrin family of the winery Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape – led by brothers Jean-Pierre and François and their seven offspring – has over the past 30 years created a very specific and appealing, contemporary style that has become an environmental model in organic wine making, and a leading global brand. Their portfolio is impressive, whether it be an august old-vine red, such as their rare Hommage à Jacques Perrin, their more simple daily-drinking red Côtes-du-Rhône, or their spectacular wine boutique in the Provençal village of Gigondas (population 585). Included in this incredible package is their welcoming restaurant L’Oustalet in the center of town, where an interior decor seamlessly blends ancient and modern. The outdoor tables spread out onto a stone terrace overlooking the renovated square, which is peppered with ancient sycamore trees – a spot that was once a parking lot and is now a sybaritic space filled with picnic tables and a spot for sitting, strolling, reflecting.

I wouldn’t even want to try to guess the number of meals I have savored in this setting over the past 35 years, the best of which were relished at the hands of the Perrin family and their slim, self-effacing, and super-talented chef Laurent Deconinck. Here, like most everything the Perrins do, nothing is overwrought, or laid on with a heavy hand. There is thought to the balance, energy, look and feel of both the interior design and the food itself.

Laurent’s summer bouillabaisse, which I wholly appreciated this week, is like a modern love poem to this Provençal fish soup classic, a dish that is often too hackneyed, boring, overcooked, even in the most famous establishments. Laurent’s soup – a mix of fish and shellfish that includes lobster tail from Corsica, and a medley of rockfish stars of the sea: monkfish, John Dory, and rascasse or scorpion fish – is a modern masterpiece. The fish all look and taste as though they just leapt from the sea, bathed in a thick broth, enlivened by dollops of velvety, spicy aioli or garlic mayonnaise. Thick strips of crouton-like toast come along, for dipping in the bright-flavored broth or for slathering with the aioli.

The genius in Laurent’s food is in its balance and freshness so that, despite having had a multi-course, two-hour feast, you walk away with a forceful pep in your step. His recent dessert creation is a case in point: strawberries at their peak of ripeness are topped with a single half of a raspberry macaroon, teamed up with a brilliant green mint sorbet, flanked by cubes of fresh berries and paper-thin strips of mint (photo).

The all-male staff at L’Oustalet is at once forwardly familiar and professional to a fault. You feel they are having a great time at work, and why shouldn’t they, with all the great seasonal ingredients of Provence, the sun shining, and a wine cellar that would make almost anyone weep? I won’t even begin to tick off the great wines one finds here, but suffice it to say that if you have a favored wine from the northern or southern Rhône, you’ll find it here, at such great value prices you’ll squint and look twice. My latest discovery is the Châteauneuf Clos St Pierre, an ancient Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard taken over in 2009 by Carole and Pierre Perveyrie. Their tannic cuvé Urbi, with 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre, is truly appealing and pleasing, especially for those who love a bit of leathery, animal sensation that so many southern Rhône wines can produce.

Wine lovers should not miss a visit to their wine shop just up the street from the restaurant. There are also three modern hotel rooms above the shop, if you’d rather not walk too far “home” after lunch or dinner.

The new Guy Savoy

Patricia Wells May 18, 2015

The red carpet is out for Guy Savoy all over the city of Paris. With his new restaurant celebrating an official opening Tuesday, May 19th, this three-star chef and his almost giddy staff are luxuriating in their new sunlit home inside the 6th arrondissement Hotel de Monnaie de Paris along the Seine. With no less than five dining rooms boasting huge windows, the restaurant overlooks tall shimmering chestnut trees, the Seine, out onto the Louvre, Pont Neuf, the Île de la Cite. and beyond.

For Savoy, 62, the adventure and the dream began in 2009, when he visited the oldest institution and oldest factory in France, the French mint. He bid, and won a chance to move his 17th- arrondissement restaurant on rue Troyon to the mint. Construction proceeded more slowly than anticipated, since asbestos was found in the structure and needed to be eliminated. Today, the restaurant sits on the top floor, with spacious kitchens just below, sporting welcoming windows with the same bright view as Savoy’s diners.

One enters the august, newly renovated space walking regally up the red-carpeted stairs decorated with medallions and laurel wreaths. Dining rooms are warm and cozy, in colors of brown and anthracite with touches of modern lighting, all fully respectful of a building founded in 1864 and rebuilt in the 20th century.

Two “soft-landing” preview lunches in the new dining rooms attest that Savoy’s food remains on the same steady course he has followed since first opening in Paris in 1977, achieving his third Michelin star in 2002. Guests will find many of his signature dishes, such as the landmark soupe d’artichaut à la truffe noir et brioche feuilletée aux champignons et truffes (a masterpiece that marries earth with earth, the earthy flavors of artichokes and the wild mushroom essence of the truffle, embellished with an unforgettable mushroom brioche brushed with fragrant truffle butter). His famed huîtres en nage glacée never fails to excite or delight, nudging the briny, iodine-rich essence of oyster to new heights as a mildly creamy oyster puree lines the oyster shell as the real deal sits atop it like a king. A spoonful of jelly created with the oyster liquid tops it all for a celebratory hit of oyster heaven.

Savoy constantly works to capture the essence of an ingredient and bring it to your palate: His pea soup, made with peeled peas (!) and a puree of that regal vegetable, topped with a soft-cooked quail egg, blends on the palate with intensity and clean, welcoming, spring flavors.

And there are new dishes --- such as salmon “cooked” on dry ice at the table – with the fresh, brilliant strips of salmon embellished by an avalanche of varied citrus, including lemon, lime, and the rare Australian caviar citron, sporting little, citrus-flavored beads that look just like the caviar of our dreams.

Savoy’s masterful pastry chef, Christian Boudard, has outdone himself with spring desserts: In one, rhubarb is sliced paper-thin and dried to bring out its brilliant flavors, molded in the shape of onion skin, which serves as a perfect vessel for his vibrant rhubarb sorbet. He works the same idea with this season’s strawberries, a fine sorbet, paper-thin slices of strawberries, dried to bring us its very soul.

Do not forget Sylvain Nicolas, Savoy’s sommelier, a man I trust with my wine life! He has never steered me wrong, visit after visit. Discoveries at a recent lunch include Josmeyer’s Grand Cru Brand Riesling, 2009, a wine that is at once authoritative, regal, lively, and pure. As well, Domaine Rebourgeon-Mure’s pinot noir Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Arvelets moved everyone at the table, emerging with a purity of fruit, finesse, and expression of delightful ripe tannins.

The Hotel de la Monnaie restaurant is not his only project for the moment. In December he opened L’Huîtrade on rue Troyon, a compact oyster bar offering some of the world’s finest oysters and oyster dishes; the former Restaurant Guy Savoy on Rue Troyon will become a fish restaurant, d’Etoie sur Mer in June of this year; and already famous for his brioche, Savoy will open a brioche boutique, Goût de Brioche, at 54 rue Mazarine, Paris 6, in June.

Sa Qua Na: An ethereal touch in Normandy

Patricia Wells February 27, 2015

Miso-laquered lieu jaune (pollack) — Miso-laquered *lieu jaune (*pollack)

Alexandre Bourdas is a fine painter. And an extraordinary chef. Within his modern and demure, nine-table restaurant just steps from the harbor in Normandy’s historic Honfleur, he paints joyous, colorful works on white porcelain plates, brushing tender lieu jaune with a pungent dose of Japanese miso, and conducts in the background a nearly all-white culinary symphony, tossing in grated cauliflower and semolina, potatoes and white coco beans, going a bit overboard with the whipped cream come dessert time.

I have wanted to sit at his table since he opened to fanfare in 2006, quickly garnering two Michelin stars. And it was a deep desire to sample his signature poached monkfish paired with lime and lovage, coconut, and expressive kaffir lime oil, that transported me there at last.

A disciple of the Auvergnat star-chef Michel Bras, a lover of all things Japanese, and a Normandy native, BB weaves all these influences into his very personal, expressive cuisine. In his hands, a simple rectangle of fish -- barely more than a bite full -- becomes a culinary jewel. Monkfish can so easily turn rubbery and banal if not precisely cooked, yet his barely poached, alabaster lotte brought to mind clouds and angels, offering serious gastronomic pleasure. Even potentially explosive flavors -- a generous shower of lime zest, a frothy broth prepared with freshly grated coconut, the oil extracted from the Asian citrus combava (kaffir lime) -- maintain a subtlety that make you believe you’ve been sampling that brilliant combination of flavors all of your life.

I love him for explaining on his menu each simple technique that is used to cook an ingredient: poached, seared, steamed, boiled, grilled, caramelized. The miso-lacquered pollack (lieu jaune) a fish I usually find deeply uninteresting, here was seared over very high heat, but remained light, delicate, full of personality and freshness. Paired with baby leeks and (a favorite flavor here) tiny black and white rolls of paper-thin daikon (white radish) and nori (dried seaweed paper.) His steamed sea bream (dorade) is smothered in an all-white mix of grated raw cauliflower, grains of semolina, and a crunch of powdered caramelized almonds, all tossed in a gentle vinaigrette. Codfish (cabillaud) is treated with equal respect, parting into flat and tender flakes, set in a broth of white beans and cubed potatoes, minced parsley, and a faint shower of minced fresh black truffles.

After all this fanfare, the rectangle of grilled beef fell flat, out of place, seeming to squash all the previous pleasure. Desserts, like everything that comes from his kitchen, shone with forethought, precision, and expertise, but like the beef, they stood in the way of the memories I was already gathering from the spectacular parade of fish. There’s brioche topped with a pineapple flan (with flavors reminiscent of the pineapple upside-down cake of my childhood), a seriously beautiful mandarin sorbet enveloped in a cloud of crème Chantilly, and an underwhelming wimpy chocolate cake.

The wine list is extensive, with treasures from throughout the vineyards of France. We opted for a favorite white, the 2013 100% Clairette Châteauneuf-du-Pape Saint Prefert from the hands of winemaker Isabel Ferrando, who has created a white that was young, fresh, direct, and vibrant, and a perfect match for Bourdas’s fish presentations.

Service here is not on par with what’s on the plate: There’s a military stiffness, a lack of enthusiasm, rote deliveries of each dish, that don’t mesh with the professionalism of the kitchen. It took us three hours to make it through the 115€ eight-course menu but that’s just a comment, not a criticism. And my advice is to delete the pascade, an Auvergnat specialty from his mother’s native region, a sort of flat popover that on it’s own might be ok. As served to us, doused with a strange mixture of sugar, chives, and truffle oil, it was, to my mind, a huge mistake.

The restaurant’s name, by the way, has two meanings. In Japanese, sakena it is the word for fish. His personal translation is SAveurs, QUalité, NAture.

Fish La Boissonnerie – an old favorite that keeps on surprising

Emily Buchanan February 13, 2015

It’s no secret that Fish – the very ambidextrous wine bar/bistro/everyman sort of restaurant in the Saint-Germain neighborhood – is one of my favorites. Every time I eat there I think back to when the space was an ordinary but extremely popular Left Bank trattoria, always bustling, always an event, even if the food did not amaze or surprise. There is surely something imbedded in the walls, in the soul of the place that just seems to make people happy and satisfied. Not to say that owners Juan Sanchez and Drew Harré (personal friends) have nothing to do with the success or the ambience, or that the current chef Ollie Clark (a Shropshire lad) does not add to their accomplishments with his immense talent. Of course they all have something to do with it, from the very laid back but very professional attitude to all things culinary, service and wine related. I am a frequent visitor here, and in the past several months have been surprised, pleased, sometimes even blown away by the quality that comes out of the upstairs kitchen, often at bargain prices.

Chef Clark does not shy away from ingredients you are unlikely find on menus elsewhere: such as lamb’s liver, Bambi (baby white-tailed deer), or baby goat (chevreaux). He weaves these ingredients into his repertoire with grace, roasting lamb’s liver and pairing it with apples, delicately flavored, crunchy sucrine lettuce, and hazelnuts. My cooking mind would never think of combining goat and beets, but Clark brilliantly pairs them on the plate, seasoning the warm dish with the aromatic Moroccan spice mix of ras el hanout, mint, and leeks.

What I love here as well, is that vegetables are never an afterthought, never a simple accompaniment, they are there on their own turf, with their own power to surprise as well as please. At a recent lunch, I was thoroughly delighted to tuck into a winter salad of celery root --he “roasts” the céleri-rave whole in coarse salt, wraps in foil and cooks atop the flat-top plancha -- then slices it thinly and pairs with thin strips of brilliant red radicchio, golden mustard seeds, colorful blue touches of borage flowers, and a few leaves of the intensely flavored oyster plant (mertensia maritima) as a gustatory surprise (photo).

I could simply live on their crusty, olive oil-rich, salty bread oven foccacia-style bread, delivered by hand from their sister-brother eatery, Cosi, right across the street.

As ever, diners will find plenty to love on the wine list, with many of my favorites, including two current wines by the glass, the always dependable, perfectly balanced white Picpoul de Pinet (100% from the grape Picpoul de Pinet) a Coteaux de Langeudoc from Domaines Félines Jourdain; and Mas Champart’s always peppery, rich with dark fruit red Saint-Chinian, also from the Languedoc area.

Le Pantruche: the kind of bistro everyone wants in their neighborhood

Emily Buchanan January 30, 2015

As the cold weather continues – it's been snowing in Paris today! – I'm checking my list of favorite Paris bistros, places I love to go to brighten up the winter months and hide out from the cold. Here's one from the Food Lover's Guide 5th edition to Paris archives:

Le Pantruche, with its 1930s patina – large oak bar, mirrors that make a small place grand, warming chestnut-toned banquettes and simple oak chairs -– is the sort of place everyone wants to have within walking distance of home. Chef Franck Baranger and associates Nicolas Chatelain and Edouard Bobin run their contemporary bistro with enthusiasm and personality, and the Pigalle spot is always filled with the sounds of guests having a fine time. Baranger (who spent time with the chef Christian Constant at Violon d’Ingres and Cocottes) takes the classic bistro repertoire, wraps it around in his mind and comes out with some appealing, personal modern fare. I’ll begin with a few “bones to pick” with Baranger. I begged him to toss his truffle oil (produced in the chemistry lab and nothing more than perfume and no more an ingredient for the table than Shalimar or hand purifier). And I wish he would turn up the heat in his kitchen, for too many ingredients come out lukewarm, their potential lost. That said, I’ll be back to try once again his signature oyster tartare set in a brilliant green cream of lettuce soup (huître en tartare, crème de laitue). The raw, well-seasoned scoop of minced oysters bathes in the creamy soup, topped with a palate-opening dollop of nutmeg-scented cream, a soothing opener if ever there was one. A wintry serving of jet-black braised wild hare sits atop a warming and pungent puree of celery root (céleri-rave), while a daily special of braised beef cheeks left me kicking up my heels. A few sips of Foillard’s Morgon added to the pleasure. Now, if the staff could only speed up the service, we’d all leave with a bigger grin on our faces. The best news is that the bill does not break the bank.

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition book or iPhone app.

À la Biche au Bois: a hearty bistro for cold Parisian weather

Emily Buchanan January 23, 2015

Temperatures are definitely dropping in Paris, and in chillly weather like this, I love to wrap up warm and venture out to a favorite bistro, one with satisfying winter fare, and character. And À la Biche au Bois is one resturant where you definitely get what you came for: hearty food, good wine, a super-generous cheese platter and classic desserts. Whether you’re in the mood for biche (young female deer) or canard sauvage (wild duck), this classic state-of-the-art bistro is sure to please. The soothing potato purée (made with the Agatha variety of potatoes, with 10 per cent butter, the waiter assured) is worth the detour all on its own. So is the sumptuous cheese tray, with treasures stacked one on top of the other, with favorites Brie, raw milk Camembert and bleu des Causses all in perfect ripeness. There’s a parade of terrines – rabbit, duck or a mix of meats – all classic and rich, all outdoing each other. I don’t remember the last time I saw coq au vin on a menu, but you’ll find it here, meaty and bathed in a vibrant red wine sauce. Oh, and yes, the chocolate mousse is the reason you come to Paris to dine. If the always-reliable Clos du Caillou Côtes-du Rhone is still on the wine list, go for it. The meaty red is a worthy stand-in for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is a bistro where you’ll find a mixed crowd, from the well-fed SNCF conductor to youthful locals to happy tourists, all feasting on treasures of the day.

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition, or downloaded The Food Lover's Guide to Paris iPhone app.

Le Servan: A favorite new bistro of 2014

Emily Buchanan January 9, 2015

I am not alone in rating Le Servan one of my favorite new bistros of 2014. Ever since opening in the spring of last year, sister team Tatiana and Katia Lehva (in the kitchen and front of house respectively), have met with rave reviews for their welcoming modern bistro, that serves simple yet impeccable food, striking a happy balance between a local eatery and destination restaurant. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls and celestial remnants of the boulangerie that formerly occupied the space make this a bright and airy setting, with a menu to match, in this ultra-trendy corner of the 11th arrondissement. The food, like the atmosphere and service, has character, showcasing Tatiana’s flare for unusual ingredient pairings – crab,hazelnuts and sweet corn; sashimi mackerel, pomelo and sesame – that hint at her Philippine heritage. Tatiana’s mastery of technique and love of fresh and interesting produce reflects her impressive resumé of working in the kitchens of Alain Passard (Arpège) and Pascal Barbot (Astrance). Everything is immaculately arranged on the plate, even the most simple dishes are presented with care, but without pretention.

A recent meal began with a small zakouskis (hors d’oeuvre) plate of boudin noir (blood sausage) fried wontons, that had a deep, rich and creamy flavor, cut through by a sweet chili dipping sauce, a dish which I found to be a clever and satisfying meal starter. The soupe de courge (pumpkin soup), often a banal and ordinary dish, was brightened up by a creamy sabayon foam and the scattering of katsuo bushi (dried and smoked Japanese bonito or skipjack tuna flakes), that was a surprising element yet felt strangely familiar and comforting. Had the fish dish been the merlu (whiting) as indicated on the menu and not the lieu noir (black pollack – a lackluster, strangely textured fish that I always find a cop-out choice for chefs to put on their menus) that was actually served, this could have been a near-perfect fish course – served with potatoes, broccoli and a lively beurre blanc sauce, with the crunchy addition of just a tiny touch of super-salty salicorne (Breton sea greens grown near salt marshes) and thinly-sliced preserved lemons, for an extra zesty kick.

Tatiana excels at carefully cooked cuts of meat and fish, that marry cleverly with invigorating sauces and garnishes that add personality and drama to the dish. Her desserts, while simple, pretty, and tasty, are often a little underwhelming. Never bad, just perhaps less remarkable than the other dishes she offers.

The 23€-three course lunch menu is unbeatable. Evening menu is à la carte 40-50€.

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition, or downloaded The Food Lover's Guide to Paris iPhone app.

A mindblowingly good meal at Écailler du Bistrot

Emily Buchanan December 19, 2014

I don’t know any better fish restaurant in Paris than Gwen Cadoret’s l’Ecailler du Bistrot. Fish restaurants everywhere are a mystery: They all fall into a banal trap of greatest hits, and all too often fail to deliver on flavor as well as freshness. L’Ecailler –- run by this Brittany native with family ties to some of the best oysters around – gets out of that rut, offering fish and shellfish dishes that are original, creative, imaginative, and full of flavor and energy. Try their couteaux (razor clams, which all too often are as gastronomically appealing as giant rubberbands) which arrive artfully arranged in their shells, lightly flashed with a torch, and beautifully seasoned with an herbal mayonnaise and a stack of verdant baby fennel.

Likewise, the pétoncles (baby scallops) are roasted in their shells (a bit too long admittedly) and flavored with a salty, smokey shrimp butter. Few restaurants can compete with L’Ecailler’s picture- perfect, moist and tender sole meunière, one of the world’s greatest dishes when prepared with expertise and the freshest of sole. How can you not love France when it delivers us this prize?

A daily special – a giant bowl of warming risotto laced with moist and tender coques (baby clams), cooked in a flavorful shellfish broth, and topped with fragrant shavings of Italian white truffles – was a dream dish I would love to make again and again. I would have preferred that the rice be a bit more al dente, but then this is France, not Italy. Don’t miss their ever-changing litany of shellfish platters, including all manner of fresh, briny oysters and clams, not to mention their steamed lobster (often devoured with a giant bowl of crispy French fries.) The wine list is extensive, and includes Vincent Gaudry’s understated yet totally pleasing Sancerre, the biodynamic offering Le Tournebride.

Their citron vert tart (made with organic limes) is a fine close to a truly rewarding meal. If you have not been, go. If you have been, go again. The diner seated next to us at lunch announced his meal “époustouflant!” meaning breathtaking, mind-blowing. I’ll ditto that! (Meat lovers here may also indulge in beautifully seared meat from the bistro next door, Bistrot Paul Bert, run by Cadoret’s outgoing bistrotier husband Bertrand Auboyneau.)

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris book or buy the app!

Ambassade d'Auvergne: Hearty warming fare

Emily Buchanan December 12, 2014

If you find yourself in Paris this winter, looking for a traditional, honest French restaurant, that serves warming, hearty fare, then Ambassade d'Auvergne would be one of my top recommendations. This restaurant is a long-time favorite of mine, which I have been visiting for over 30 years, and it never fails to satisfy. Here's my review from The Food Lover's Guide to Paris 5th edition to whet your appetite!

Returning to the folkloric, dependable L’Ambassade d’Auvergne is like going to visit a favorite aunt and uncle. You are welcomed with open arms and settle in to enjoy a few sips of meaty Cairanne Côtes-du-Rhône from Domaine Brusset while examining the menu that’s familiar and rich in the fiercely staunch traditions of the storied Auvergne, the mountainous center of France. Meat is king here, as in the delicious pot au feu d’agneau, a warming winter classic of chunks of lamb simmered with an avalanche of cold-weather vegetables. There are, of course, thick, seared slices of rich and fragrant foie gras; fat and rare-cooked magret de canard or duck breast; a surprisingly modern take on boudin noir, or an individual upside-down tart with chunks of hearty blood sausage. In abundance is the region’s pièce de résistance, the thick and creamy aligot (being served in the photo above), a potato puree laced with the fresh local cow’s milk cheese, a dish no one can possibly turn away. For the first course – to prepare for the hearty fare that’s to come – try the tartare of sea bass, filled with giant chunks of bar, tons of mustard and fat crunchy slices of celery, a refreshing starter if ever there was one. Save room for the smooth and addictive chocolate mousse, served out of giant bowls, and you are forcefully urged to go for seconds, even thirds.

AMBASSADE D'AUVERGNE | 22 rue du Grenier Saint-Lazare | Paris 3 | Métro: Rambuteau or Etienne-Marcel | Tel: +33 1 42 72 31 22 | Open daily 12-3.30pm and 7.30pm-midnight | À la carte 35-50€, 33€ regional menu | www.ambassade-auvergne.com. NOTE: They are open during the Christmas holiday period but are closed December 25, dinner service on December 31, and all day January 1, 2015.

For more Paris restaurant reviews, get The Food Lover's Guide to Paris book or buy the app!

Bold flavors from Chef Cindy Wolf: Charleston Restaurant

Emily Buchanan December 5, 2014

Rockfish cerviche with lime, cilantro, shallots, and jalapeno peppers

BALTIMORE – For the past 17 years chef Cindy Wolf has been wooing local Baltimoreans with her southern-infused cuisine, offering diners a fresh take on the familiar fare they expect: fried oysters, shrimp and grits, fresh rockfish, and oyster stew. Doing it her way means doing it with flair, and even those of us who don’t have those Southern classics imprinted into our DNA can see that Cindy does what she does with professional expertise and a palate that is right on.

Her fried oysters allow the saline, sea-rich aroma and flavor of the local bivalve to come through vibrantly, carefully encased in a crispy, cornmeal-rich batter made to dip into a forward-flavored lemon-cayenne mayonnaise.

In her hands, shrimp and grits rise to new heights (I would love to eat these once a week for the rest of my life). The creaminess of stone-ground grits pairs with the bite of giant shrimp, set off by the smoky saltiness of Tasso ham, a delicate dish that does not stand on the sidelines but speaks with its own voice.

Dish after dish, flavors come through boldly, so that there is no question on the diner’s mind: mushrooms taste like mushrooms, artichokes scream “I am an artichoke,” grilled zucchini holds its own grassy flavor, and more.

Ceviche – that ever so lightly marinated fish creation that can range from bland to spectacular – is one of my favorite dishes when done well, and one I often use to judge a chef’s prowess. Joël Robuchon sets the standard with his dorade (sea bream) offering at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris, where the fish is marinated in a lime juice-rich concoction and showered with Espelette pepper and freshly grated lime zest. Cindy’s version, prepared with local rockfish, is a dream come true, arriving as thin petals of fish topped with a crunchy, brilliant, bright-flavored blend of fresh lime, cilantro, shallots, and jalapeño peppers. The dish sings, almost leaps off the plate, and is so very much at home with sips of flinty white Sancerre.

Wolf’s partner, Tony Foreman, selects the restaurant’s wine list, which is extensive, international and well-chosen. Their dining menu also reflects a good deal of thought, and rather than the traditional appetizer/first course/main course routine, they list the 20-or-so daily offerings on a single page, , giving Fresh Artichoke Soup and Grilled Beef Tenderloin equal weight. Diners choose anywhere from 3 ($79) to 6 ($114) courses, and have the option to enjoy wine pairings with each dish. It’s a brilliant concept and one I would like to see more restaurants would embrace.

The dining room at Charleston, in the Harbor East neighborhood, is comfortable, grown-up, understated, and amazingly quiet for a rather large, expansive room open to the bustling, pristine kitchen. My single regret is that Cindy is not in my back yard.

A Ducasse reincarnation

Emily Buchanan November 28, 2014

Cauliflower encased in brioche, scallops, white truffles.

There is much to love about Alain Ducasse’s bold, brave, and dramatic reincarnation of Paris’s Plaza Athénée restaurant. He, along with designers Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku were courageous to remove the traditional, starched white linen “fine dining” tablecloth and replace it with the most beautiful clean wooden table, an earthy, warm, welcome as one is first seated in the otherwise all-white dining room. Service-wise, I vote the restaurant unlimited stars, for director Denise Courtiade, sommelier Laurent Roucayrol, and their staff are models of their métier, and everyone who wants to know how to greet, serve, make diners feel like royalty, should sign up for a lesson, if one was available.

Ducasse, like other top French chefs, is working seriously and earnestly to create a new language and vision for “fine dining,” and their efforts should not go unnoticed. Quite surprisingly, the new menu at the Plaza focuses solely on three groups of ingredients: vegetables, fish and shellfish, and grains. And Ducasse pledges a new definition of luxurious, attempting to turn every element into a radical, minimal, experience. Again, an idea to be applauded, if it works.

At this point, to this diner and critic, it does not. Watching his 15-minute video on the restaurant’s web site, one could become an instant convert, making friends with the man who meticulously selects Ducasse’s fish and shellfish, the earthy and loveable family that organically farms the grains used in the restaurant, the gardener at Versailles who grows the myriad of vegetables that arrive at the table.

In the video, Ducasse promises a return to “pure taste” (as if there was none before), and to a cooking that is not overworked (again, this is not a totally new and inventive concept.)

We began with a brilliant orange-toned juice, a bright blend of carrots and celery served in a clear glass tumbler, with a designer ice cube. Nice, but I would have preferred a glass of bubbly. Why stuff “healthy” down one’s throat in a grand restaurant if it is not spectacular?

The first bite to arrive: Salsify chips in sorrel sauce. Hmm……not exciting.

However I adored the grilled sardine, served with deep-fried head and bones, a perfect blend of smooth and crunchy, with a delicious scent and flavor of the sea – a huge bravo.

To follow, a memorable chickepea puree with dorade (porgy), but I found the fish superfluous, the grains themselves were enough.

Then the main courses began, and I am sorry, they (mostly) did not work: A giant white bowl of quinoa topped with all manner of vegetables (from Versailles) and wild mushrooms. In his video, Ducasse preaches about not overworking food, but this dish was neither well thought out nor treated with the care he professes. During the same week, dining in various Paris establishments, I had better, brighter, less-tortured vegetables, sampled in modest bistros, newcomer star restaurants, and competing grand tables. As I ate the wild mushrooms from the dish, setting aside the characterless vegetables, I wondered if chef Romain Meder or Ducasse himself actually sat down and finished off an entire bowl of this creation.

The best – and most dramatic dish of the day – was clearly the whole cauliflower encased in brioche dough, a thorough beauty, presented untouched to the table. Once sliced, each all-white and fragrant portion was paired with pillow-like scallops and white truffles – quite understated, yet totally memorable.

The lagoustines and caviar that arrived next with a sip of langoustine broth on the side took me back to grand cuisine dining. What’s there not to like? But this hardly speaks culinary revolution to me.

The most disappointing of all was the main-course turbot, to me the grand king of French fish and French cuisine, and an ingredient that must be treated with wholehearted honor, even a bow. But sadly our giant morsel of turbot just sat there on the plate, pouting, no real soul or purpose, overcooked and rather limp and tasteless. The watercress sauce, baby turnips, et al, did not improve its placement at the table.

However, back to the positive: The wine list is a dream. We relished a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape festival, sampling a 2010 Clos des Papes (well-balanced and finely acidic), a 2012 Les Cailloux (Roussanne-rich, with great minerality ), and 2011 Domaine de Marcoux (fresh, with that Roussanne forwardness). The sommelier offered us a discovery of the season, with a 2011 red Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Celestière, a blockbuster old-vine Grenache worth seeking out. Each found its proper place at the table, offering pleasures impossible to describe.

And for a few more thoughts from the dark side. Much of the cutlery seemed as though it belonged on a summer camp table, teeny tiny knives and forks not meant to be held by adult hands. Most of the serving plates are really bowls, with food so hidden inside that only the diner directly in front can detect what is within. Others cannot enjoy the luxury of the visible pleasures of the table. And this is solely a matter of personal taste, but the “I Dream of Jeannie” all-white décor felt out of context, made me more want to put on a white Corrèges A-line sleeveless dress and white boots and begin singing rather than relax and enjoy a fine dining meal. The PR suggests that the décor is a point of humor, but it did not make me laugh, it felt more like a luxury auto showroom to me, with all that glistening silver and white.

Now that Ducasse is a chocolate master (with his two Le Chocolat - Alain Ducasse shops in Paris) I would also have expected something more spectacular than his beautiful yet dull chocolate cake. Sigh… I want to be a fan. But I need more convincing.

Le Petit Lutetia gets a culinary facelift

Emily Buchanan November 21, 2014

What a treat it was the other evening to return to one of Paris’s old 1920s bistro/brasseries to find a new menu, new staff, and a renewed sense of energy in a place that clearly needed a bit of a culinary facelift. To my surprise, Le Petit Lutetia (down from the Bon Marché department store and right across from the new Hopital Linneac apartment complex) has been part of the Costes brothers group for the last several months. For the moment (and hopefully forever) Le Petit Lutetia does not fall into the Costes cookie-cutter mold, where one goes more for style and glamor than the food. Even though our group of six had been relegated to purgatory (way in the back, at the restroom entrance, not far from the kitchen door) we had a celebratory Sunday night dinner, including a raft of old-fashioned fare that showed a fine sense of authenticity, history, and well, just good flavor. What I most loved is how the current, new menu bridges classic bistro dishes – such as delicious seared calf’s liver and moist duck confit – with less predictable fare, like a giant platter of perfectly fresh, perfectly cooked girolles (chanterelles) mushrooms, topped with nothing more than a cracked egg, there to serve as a colorful, flavorful sauce for the mushrooms. It’s brave to present something as simple as this, do it well, and make it work. But more than that, I loved the golden, fried calamari (baby squid) rings, a dish that is so rarely done well, all too often arriving soggy, flavorless, fatty. These were crisp, with the fragrance and flavor of the sea, served with a delicately spicy mayonnaise. A vegetarian could make a meal out of the vegetable salad accompanying the liver, a vibrant green, crisp mix of green beans and fava beans, a dish to admire. Add to this Jean-Luc Poujaraun’s crusty bread and a few sips of Marcel and Mathieu Lapierre’s exuberant, fruit-forward Morgon, and you’re ready to applaud the evening. Let’s hope they clear out the back room, and keep up the good cooking!

Note: There is continuous service in the afternoons but you are advised to reserve if you are planning to dine outside regular service hours i.e 4-7pm so that the kitchen is sure to be prepared for you.

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