Micromanage my Life - Paris Edition

[Steve R.]

 

doing as many museum-y things as Ginny can drag me to)

 

Have you been, or will you be going to the Louis Vuitton Foundation? Or, as it's known: Fondation Louis Vuitton.

 

Highly recommended, for the current exhibition, as well as the grounds and the building itself.

Thanks. Its now on the list of places for Ginny to drag me to.

[Wilfrid]

I think choucroute has had its days in Paris.

 

It used to be all over the place, but in recent years it has become difficult to find a good one.

L'Alsaco is no more (and gone are the nazi chants that could sometimes be heard at dessert-schnaps time), Jenny is going to be replaced by something else (a bouillon if I remember correctly), Terminus Nord can't patch up a decent one and I'm not even mentioning the corner brasseries like L'Européen and the various Maître Kanters

 

People like to make it at home (they generally buy stuff from Schmidt, facing the gare de l'Est) or go to Bofinger, where the choucroute is not bad at all. It is, at least, far better than the poor caricature of a choucroute I was served at Olivier Nasti's Le Chambard in Kaysersberg (Winstub side).

Wepler, supposedly, still makes acceptable choucroute.

 

I wonder if it's still ubiquitous in Germany?

[joethefoodie]

Thanks. Its now on the list of places for Ginny to drag me to.

 

I don't think you'll be disappointed - be sure and take a walk around the grounds before or after!

 

As far as food goes in that neighborhood, don't ask me - we ate at the bistro-y place right outside the Metro exit. It was - lunch.

[Steve R.]

We had a full day planned but, when I went to the Bastille Market this morning, it started drizzling. Then it stopped and we went off to St. Sulpice as planned. Although we thought the L’Avant Comptoirs would be packed (as usual), the weather was threatening so we decided to try anyway. Well, at 3pm de la Terre had only 10 or so people inside, so we parked ourselves at the counter (near the free butter and bread) and had some great wine and small plates. So nice that we stayed for over an hour then walked the 2 blocks to du Marche, also sparsely populated, & repeated with different plates. Too full to try de la Mer. Next time. If we can ever get in again. Both bartenders mentioned that it was packed yesterday, every day & will be again later in the afternoon. I can see why. All the small plates are great & there are 50 to choose from. We had a couple of Croque Jambon w/Artichoke sandwiches, a Coeur de Canard, a foie gras Citron, a Rissole Raviole Fromage & a Rognon de Veau. All excellent, as were the red and white wines by the glass.

Stumbled home. Wrote this. Nap time.

[Orik]

And you didn't stop for oysters at St. Regis? (even if you're full, oysters don't count)

[Steve R.]

We’re too busy eating & drinking (& doing as many museum-y things as Ginny can drag me to) to post about each, so let me just list the “so far” & “reserved” places in case anyone wants immediate details and cant wait for specific posts (or doesnt believe I will) - also, I’m editing/updating this list as we go, so its not your imagination (if there are any “you’s” out there actually reading this) if you think that the list keeps changing.

So far:

-Aux Bons Crus

-Ma Borgogne

-Le Mary Celeste

-Clown Bar

-Fulgurances

-Bofinger

-Robert & Louise

-Le Saint Sebastien

-Waly Fay

-Korus

-La Bicyclette

-L’Ange 20

-Breizh Cafe

-Grive

-Fish La Boissonniere

-Amarante

-Le Comptoir du Relais

-L’Avant Comptoir de la Terre

-L’Avant Comptoir du Marche

-Fifa

-The Brooklyn Pizzeria (go ahead - say something - I dare you)

-Chez La Vieille

-Chez L’Ami Jean

-Cafe Moderne

-Detour

-Brasserie Bellanger

-A La Biche Au Bois

-Au Passage

Well, after tomorrow night, we’re heading back home, so I thought I’d re-post the list. Thankfully, the apartment did not have a scale and I neglected to buy one when we arrived. We haven't yet been to Au Passage (tonight) and still have to eat tomorrow night, but we’ve reserved for a 2nd meal at Korus for that so it wont change the listing. I still plan to write more about some of these places, as we had things that others may wish to hear about (or I may just want to write about and remember vicariously). I want to publicly thank Voyager and Ptipois (and John Talbott — even though he’s not on this board, you know who he is) for making many recommendations, answering many questions & even breaking the virtual friendship “wall” and getting together in person. And “joethefoodie”, who always shares his experiences and recommendations with me after he & Ms. Foodie (okay: “Significant Eater”) do their own explorations. And, although I didnt get to all those chicken places that I told Splinky I would, I do appreciate the interest in my fowl habits.

 

Anyone who wants to know anything about any of the above places doesnt have to wait for me to write about them, but should just contact me (on this thread or off it, by pm or e-mail). Several of you already have &, hopefully, my answers were helpful. And, yes, we did a lot of sightseeing, shopped at markets and attended many events (ie; Roland Garros) that I’ll be happy to go on about if there’s any interest. The Paris Metro system is unbelievably great, but the miles of walking was the only thing that has kept me from, well, being even more rotund.

 

And, damn if that fraise de veau memory wont stay with me forever (that’s mainly meant as a dig at Sneak, who’s never had any! Hah!)

[Anthony Bonner]

Mrs. B is staying in the 9th arr all week and looking for good places for solo dinners. Any thoughts? I don't think she's amped to travel much around town.

[voyager]

We have long loved Le Galopin in the 10th.     https://www.le-galopin.com/l-equipe     Particularly recommended when Romain is cooking, i.e., ask when making reservation what nights he will be in the kitchen.    When there, she can tell them that "Charlie" recommended them.   (That's our code name there because they could never get our name right.)

 

Also Clown Bar  http://www.clown-bar-paris.com/    and Korus  http://restaurantkorus.com/      for solo diners, both in the 11th.    (Can use Pilgrim at those.)

[Steve R.]

Not from personal experience, but John Talbott spent a lot of the past couple of months liking several places in the 9th:  https://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/john_talbotts_paris/johns_reviews_the_9th_arr/

Granted, he only does lunch, but still.

 

Since the 11th is where we wound up eating quite a few very good meals - and its only a 5-10 minute Uber ride - I'll echo voyager's Korus recommendation.  We went twice for their chef's tasting menu and loved it both times.  It was a small, very friendly, comfortable place & dropping the "Pilgrim" name with Yann (ever present foh person) didn't hurt either.  Now she can add "that couple from NY who were Pilgrims friends" too.  Seriously inventive, excellent food.

 

Clown Bar can be crowded and impersonal, with a little attitude but we liked it enough to return twice as well.  Loud, raucous place during dinner hours.  Like a West Village bar.  Small plates are the way to go.  

 

Other place we liked a lot was Grive in the 11th.  Not innovative like Korus, but a very solid meal of fresh ingredients used intelligently with tasty results.  Again, a very friendly place but somewhat plain.

[voyager]

re woman alone at Clown Bar, reserve a seat at the bar.    Pierre Derrien, som, will take care of her.     Super nice guy and very cossetting.  

[voyager]

Also suggest a stroll on rue Lancry.    La Cremerie cheese shop, Sur Mer innovative seafood among others.    Across the canal, Ten Belles coffee bar

[Jesikka]

re woman alone at Clown Bar, reserve a seat at the bar.    Pierre Derrien, som, will take care of her.     Super nice guy and very cossetting.  

Pierre hasn't worked at Clown Bar in quite awhile- he's at Table.

[Jesikka]

Not from personal experience, but John Talbott spent a lot of the past couple of months liking several places in the 9th:  https://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/john_talbotts_paris/johns_reviews_the_9th_arr/

Granted, he only does lunch, but still.

 

Since the 11th is where we wound up eating quite a few very good meals - and its only a 5-10 minute Uber ride - I'll echo voyager's Korus recommendation.  We went twice for their chef's tasting menu and loved it both times.  It was a small, very friendly, comfortable place & dropping the "Pilgrim" name with Yann (ever present foh person) didn't hurt either.  Now she can add "that couple from NY who were Pilgrims friends" too.  Seriously inventive, excellent food.

 

Clown Bar can be crowded and impersonal, with a little attitude but we liked it enough to return twice as well.  Loud, raucous place during dinner hours.  Like a West Village bar.  Small plates are the way to go.  

 

Other place we liked a lot was Grive in the 11th.  Not innovative like Korus, but a very solid meal of fresh ingredients used intelligently with tasty results.  Again, a very friendly place but somewhat plain.

Very weird to read Mouthfuls POV from the context of living in this city.  Without being a jerk about it, I'd take John Talbott's recos with a serious grain of salt.  Feel free to PM me if you're heading to Paris and you want some current ideas.

[Sneakeater]

This writer seems to have bought into the so-called bouillon revival.