Here are our comments about our relatively recent (October - November 2012) dining experiences in France (Normandy, Beaune, Paris). I have said before, but it always is worth repeating so that no arguments ensue, that we are not professional critics; however, we do eat well and we think we know what is good. Of course, as always, these comments reflect our experience on that day and someone else’s experience certainly may have been different than ours (in fact, in some cases I know that must have happened). Thus, please feel free to take the comments below with a grain of Sel Gris.
Trouville – Lunch at Le Vapeur, located directly across the street from the Marche aux Poisson – we drove directly from CDG to this popular and casual local institution (since 1927). This, our first experience with Normandy’s unbelievably fresh seafood, made Xiaopei very happy with terrific mussels and oysters. My sole, on a bed of spinach somewhat surprisingly surrounded by a moat of very rich butter, was quite good. A great start to the eating adventure, and we would return.
Honfleur – Dinner at Bistro des Artistes, on Place Berthelot. Casual and quirky one woman show. We waited quite awhile for service and soon realized the owner/chef truly does almost everything herself, which makes for an intimate but somewhat awkward dining experience. The food is very good, and rustic in style, and we felt as if we were eating in the home of a very talented chef, but one with too many guests. Everything was prepared well and delicious: really good bread, a tomato tarte, winter vegetable soup, a great veal chop, and my first dish of the addictively tasty and creamy Norman rice pudding, called Teurgole. We might return.
Honfleur – Lunch and dinner at L’Homme de Bois, on Rue de l’Homme de Bois. A charming, smoky, warm neighborhood place, seemed to attract locals as well as us tourists. Started off on a high note with our first “Kir Normands” (cidre, crème de cassis, Calvados), a wonderful aperitif. Very good oysters and mussels, well-prepared grilled Daurade, and a delicious berry and pear crumble. The service was friendly and we enjoyed our lunch very much. Dinner a few nights later was less agreeable, with beautiful large gambas overcooked and an average, nothing special steak (sad because the raw material – Normandy beef – is terrific). We might return.
Honfleur – Dinner at Le Bréard, on Rue du Puits. An extraordinary value, this modern “restaurant gastronomique” is a very good restaurant run by a very fine Chef. Several prix fixe menus, different prices for fewer or more courses (29 Euros (not available Friday or Saturday night), one for 45 Euros and one for 55 Euros). We enjoyed a fine procession of dishes, including excellent duck and beef dishes and first rate desserts, all prettily presented. We definitely would return.
Honfleur – Dinner at Sa Qua Na, on Rue Haute. This a definite “wow” place, owned by Chef Alexandre Bourdas and his wife. He cooked for Michel Bras in Japan, and here modern French cuisine, respect for beautiful local ingredients, and Japanese inspiration meld into a fantastic 2 Michelin star dining experience. Some of the most perfectly prepared seafood and fish dishes we have encountered, wonderful meat dishes, a fabulous cheese course, and light, beautiful desserts. Despite the amazing quality, it manages to be almost casual with a very modern and open décor and warm service (his wife has the front). We would definitely return; in fact, this place alone is worth the trip to Honfleur and it may have been the best meal of the entire trip.
Grandcamp-Maisy – Lunch at Brasserie la marine, on Rue de la Liberation. A fine little seafood place, along the beach. Simple dishes, well-prepared, with the freshest, local ingredients. A heaping platter of the local sea bounty for Xiaopei, and surprisingly good lamb chops and frites for me (I know, why am I ordering lamb? So, sue me). Friendly, noisy, filled with locals and tourists, we would return if in the neighborhood again.
Honfleur – Dinner at Cote Resto, on Place St. Catherine. Yet another amazing platter of fruits de mer for Xiaopei, and delicious lamb shanks for me. Our first Tarte Tatin of the trip, with Normand crème fermière, and it was great! We would return.
Honfleur – Lunch at Le Bouchon, on Place St. Catherine. Excellent oysters and sole, along with a beautiful “seafood salad.” We would return.
Honfleur – Dinner at Restaurant Boucherie Honfleuraise (also called La Petite Boucherie), on Place de la Porte de Rouen. After days and nights of some of the finest seafood anywhere, even Xiaopei felt it was time for some meat! This local favorite is famed for its very fine beef and the owner’s specialty, tripes. (I believe he was the French Champion of tripes; who even knew there was such a title?) This is a small, bustling, crowded, happy place, and we enjoyed a ginormous kilo of Normandy entrecôte, perfectly cooked, with heaps of simply amazing roasted small potatoes. Rustic and delicious cooking, with a homemade feel, especially with desserts, such as the immensely satisfying Norman rice pudding. We waddled back to our inn feeling very satisfied indeed. We would return.
Honfleur – Dinner at La Lieutenance, on Place St. Catherine. Another “restaurant gastronomique,” that manages to be cozy and charming, and elegant at the same time, with friendly service and very fine seafood and fish dishes quite reasonably priced. My notes for this, our final Honfleur dinner, say a “terrific value.” We would return.
Beaune – Dinner at Ma Cuisine, on Passage Sainte-Helene. As far as we are concerned, this friendly, casual, boisterous place, always and quickly filled with locals and foodie tourists, never disappoints. We enjoyed two wonderful dinners here on this trip. First night, scallops and mushroom soup were our starters, followed by a veal chop and pigeon, deceptively simple yet perfectly prepared and delicious. A few nights later, I had the scallops again, she had a rocket salad, and then came duck for me and she opted for the côte de veau because she had so admired mine from the previous dinner there. Of course, there also is a great wine list, from which we selected on both nights ’09 Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny. We definitely will return.
Beaune – Each morning’s ritual at la Pâtisserie Wagner & Salon de Thé, on Rue Monge. Here we regularly find our favorite coffee, croissants, and exceptional pastries of our Beaune visits. Small, with just a few tables, you are greeted upon entry by a beautiful display of pâtisseries fines and macarons, and the aromas you’d expect, with every thing (at least every thing that we sampled) as delicious as it looks. The coffee drinks are expertly prepared (and the teas looked just as good). For us, this is one of those unassuming, prototypical “French” places where you sit and savor and recognize your good fortune at being able to spend lazy time in Burgundy. We will return.
Beaune – Afternoon “wine and cheese” at La part des Anges, on Rue d’Alsace. We very much enjoyed dinner here during our 2009 visit. This time we stopped by for a short escape from a small rainstorm. Very nice selection of cheese, along with a glass of their house Burgundy and friendly, helpful service made for the perfect interlude. We would return.
Beaune – Dinner at L’Ecusson, on Rue Lieutenent Dupuis. Another “Restaurant gastronomique.” Burgundian cuisine is often considered “hearty,” “rustic” even, so it was something special to find it so elegantly interpreted. A terrific and creative eight course extravaganza with very friendly service, in a subdued modern room, for 80 Euros. We thought it was an exceptional value given the quality of the meal. Each course was beautifully prepared and presented, and we enjoyed the meal thoroughly as we progressed from a beautiful fall salad with prawns, to a mousse of apples, truffles, escargot and mushrooms, to scallops prepared in citrus and Campari, to wild, local duck, to another fantastic cheese course, and much dessert (they seem to love apples and pears and, at this time of year, who doesn’t?). It all was great (except for an unusual blackberry/potato foam dessert, which we thought missed the mark). It was a wonderful dinner and we definitely would return.
Beaune – Lunch at Le Gourmandin, on Place Carnot. Serendipity and a rain storm led us into this small, very cozy, very friendly, and crowded place essentially in the center of town. Little did we know that we would end up very pleased with our choice, so much so that we ate here two more times. The menu was intriguing, especially when I translated one dish to “stuffed cabbage,” a longtime, home-made favorite of mine, prepared often, long ago and lovingly during my childhood by my Grandmother and Mother. However, this was not the Eastern European beef stuffed in sweet and sour cabbage of my memory. No! With eyes gazing heaven-ward, I then and there apologized to my dear departed Mom and Grandma and declared this the most amazing stuffed cabbage ever. It was made with finely minced chicken infused with an amazing blend of seasonings unknown, plus black truffles, wrapped in cabbage leaves flecked with even more truffles, which were sliced and distributed generously. In all seriousness, this was one of Andrew’s three best bites of 2012 (the other two, in case you are interested, were a green chile, roasted leg of lamb burrito at Atrisco Café in Santa Fe, and a sugar- dusted, truffle and foie gras filled bao at Xinrongji in Shanghai). Other dishes we enjoyed during our first visit were salmon with potatoes, grilled Barbeau (a freshwater fish, somewhat similar to a carp, I think), and some terrific local mushrooms, along with an ’08 Pavelot Savigny Dominode. On subsequent visits, a chicken was delicious but a tad over-cooked, and a quail dish was very good, and more stuffed cabbage was enjoyed (so many dishes of it were ordered that the owner felt compelled to visit with us). Not only would we return, we did return.
Beaune – Dinner at Bistro de L’Hotel, on Rue Samuel Legay. This highly anticipated dinner, at which we were finally to experience the renowned and pricey Poulard de Bresse, in a restaurant highly regarded and highly rated, proved utterly underwhelming. Service is definitely not warm and certainly is not helpful concerning any questions one might have, even simple ones like, “Can you tell us the place of origin of the wonderful oysters devoured by my wife?” While her inadequately described oysters actually were very good, my scallops were merely okay (and in Beaune, for some reason, it seems quite difficult to get anything other than fantastic scallops). And the 100 Euro Chicken? Overcooked, yet tasty; but in no way the special, life-altering experience for which we had been prepared. In addition, attitude issues abounded, from a chef who thought he should hang out at a few tables rather than stay in his kitchen and actually check to see that very expensive birds were not cooked entirely too well, to a captain who acted as if his mission was to prove singlehandedly that French service truly can be officious and condescending by acting as if we were intruding on his time, to a bottle of wine poured entirely by myself. The evening was just off. I know that I have friends, whose tastes in fine dining I admire and trust, that love this place. We, on the other hand, would not return even if someone else were buying.
Beaune – Dinner at Caves Madeleine, on Rue Faubourg Madeleine. We have been hearing about this place for years, and during this visit it again was highly recommended to us by some of our local wine merchant pals (as an aside, please check out Adrien at “Wine Connection”). All I can say is I am sorry it took us so long to go there, as it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. A wall of bottles of wine, some rare and hard to find, and all fairly priced, which you can buy and take away or enjoy with your dinner. (Another ’09 Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny gave its all at our little table. Yes, I indeed am a creature of habit.) If you don’t see the wine you seek, ask the wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable owner, Laurent (apparently also known as Lo Lo), and he’ll most likely be able to find it among the additional thousands of bottles downstairs. The food was terrific, just perfectly prepared, lovingly sourced, rustic, homemade and delicious Burgundian classics, as well as some specials, all described on a small chalkboard and enthusiastically explained by Laurent. That night we happily discovered he sometimes brings in from Spain some amazing and hard to find, very high quality Jamón ibérico, which really hit the spot as a starter, as did some shaved porcini mushrooms. We also really enjoyed our fish and beef dishes. We definitely will return.
Chambolle-Musigny – Lunch at Le Millésime, on Rue Traversière. I believe there are only two restaurants in this, our favorite village, and our little tradition of lunch here continues. This is an elegant, sleek place, and you will not find simple, rustic Burgundian fare here. Starting with the glassware and then the breads, you know you are in for something a bit finer. An amazing amuse bouche of a soft egg in mushroom foam inside the shell inspired me to select another egg dish, with two poached eggs in red wine sauce, followed by a terrific pork shoulder dish. Xiaopei’s fish was a bit over-breaded, but still tasty. One issue to keep in mind: if you have a tasting appointment after lunch, do not cut it too tight, this place paces slowly. We will return.
Beaune – Dinner at Loiseau des Vignes, on Rue Maufoux, right next door to Hotel Le Cep. On our final night of this trip to Beaune, a one star extravaganza, the only dinner where we went ahead with the wine pairing, since the restaurant has a truly amazing selection of wines by the glass. The evening was a marathon with somewhat slow but warm service. The dining rooms are colorful, but feel slightly cold because the tables are placed relatively far apart. The sommelier was quite good, gently offering however much information you indicated you wanted about the seven different wines we were served. The dishes were beautifully presented and boldly flavored: “heart of salmon” with pickled radish; poached eggs (with bacon!); poached pike in eel bouillon foam; pigeon breast in cassis with fois gras; a truly fantastic cheese course; and a very nice pear dessert. A rather rich meal, from which we waddled homeward. We probably would return.
Paris – Dinner at Huiterie Regis, on Rue Montflaucon, near Boulevard Saint-Germain. During our time in Normandy, while enjoying the local bounty, we reflected on our last time in Paris, and Xiaopei and I formulated a theory that, perhaps, the finest oysters often find their way to the capital. So, in my ongoing quest to find the best for her, on this trip’s first night in Paris, we waited outside this ridiculously small and unassuming shop and restaurant where people regularly line up and wait for the opening, which may or may not happen as posted. If you are among the first 14 on line, you get in and the place then is full. If you are number 15, you are directed to a bar across the street and told to wait for the call. We were among the first 14, so we crammed into our seats at our tiny table and I watched my wife take down two dozen of the freshest oysters (number 2s) we’ve seen (you are required to order no less than a dozen for each person and I chivalrously gave her mine), while I devoured beautifully fresh shrimp, and a plate of sausage. That meant we tasted everything they offered. A nice bottle of Poully Fumé completed the meal. This place is so small that it cannot help but be noisy and cozy. The service is friendly and informative, but by necessity efficient, as this is not a place for lingering since you know they will need your table relatively soon. But, if you love oysters, you should go. We would return.
Paris – Breakfasts at Gérard Mulot, on Rue de Seine, near Boulevard Saint-Germain. Everyone talks of the croissants and pastries and coffee they enjoyed in Paris, including us. This is where we go. It is absurdly wonderful, with aromas and sights to make one dizzy; it is hard to imagine how they prepare so many amazing breads and cakes and tartes and macarons, and I tell you I get hungry just writing this. My notes are simple, “wow! best croissants and pain au chocolat ever, gorgeous displays.” You get the point. Go. We cannot imagine not returning.
Paris – Lunch at Le Bar à Huîtres, on Boulevard Saint-Germain. This is a small chain and we were not sure what to expect; nevertheless, we had been told that the oysters and other shellfish were first-rate, so … It is a sleek, modern place, and they say they are the first restaurant in France to have their entire menu on iPads, no paper menus. That was actually very cool, the iPad has maps and descriptions of the regions whence come their offerings, and great pictures and much information. The service was very friendly and, while the atmosphere is slightly showy and the menu’s descriptions extravagant, perhaps even a little Vegas-y, Xiaopei’s platter of “grand cru” oysters (including a 9 Euro Double 0!) and my scallops were simply fantastic, perhaps the best ever. I also had a wonderful breast of duck. We had a great time and definitely would return.
Paris – Dinner at Le Restaurant at L’Hotel, on Rue des Beaux Arts, between Rue de Seine and Rue Bonaparte. L’Hotel is a plush and apparently quite hip hotel, known as the last home of Oscar Wilde, and the “swinging” place to be in the 60’s. Its one star restaurant is very pretty, elegant and intimate. The service is semi-formal, that hard to define oh so French combination of serious and attentive, yet friendly. We started with cocktails brought from the lobby bar that were so well-made, we knew the evening could turn out to be quite special. And, it did. Call me crazy, but with the possible exception of Japan, where but in a fine French restaurant do you see such truly beautifully presented dishes? The procession we enjoyed was one magazine cover photo after another. Two amuse bouche dishes, one consisting of four different, perfect bites of seafood perfection, and, another, the best soft cooked egg ever, with caviar; then our starters, her Boletus mushrooms and my Normandy scallops, followed by her frog legs and my pheasant hen, then the cheese course – our first “pavé de Betz le chateau,” followed by, what else, a pre-dessert, and then a series of dessert plates that were so pretty we took entirely too many photos. This was Xiaopei’s birthday dinner, and Le Restaurant made me look like a really good husband! We would definitely return.
Paris – Dinner at L’Ami Jean, on Rue Malar. This Basque-inspired “bistronome” is a highly-touted place, the subject of much food magazine, food blog, foodie hype about its “cuisine bistronomique.” When we entered, we found a noisy, very crowded, downright boisterous place, a rock and roll party with a frenzied atmosphere of barely controlled chaos; and yet, despite a general distaste for crowds, we loved it. Once we were packed into our seats, and made friends with our very close neighbors, it became obvious that magic must be happening in the small kitchen in the back (I have seen it described as the size of a crèpe stand). Waiters were bustling by with aromatic and heavily laden plates and bowls, making you twist your neck this way and that to see and attempt to discern what some lucky diner had ordered. Despite the hustle and bustle, the waiters are friendly, relatively patient, very informative, and more than willing to help you decide what to order. We enjoyed immensely my pitcher full of very green vegetable soup, a bowl of mussels, a humongous and perfectly prepared pork chop, and a bowl of mushrooms and scallops in a very complex broth. The chef/owner, Stéphane Jégo, is what I’d call a flavor maniac; this is earthy and not subtly flavored cooking. But, it is fine cooking and truly delicious. And, allow me to repeat what likely has been said by everyone else who has been, the rice pudding (riz au lait) here, with its salted butter caramel sauce, and its absurdly fluffy creaminess, served in a bowl so large that it should signal it is meant to be shared (ooops, oh well), is insanely good and should not be missed. We will return.
Paris – Dinner at Fish La Boissonnerie, on Rue de Seine. This a favorite of my wine board colleagues and this was my second visit. It is such a reliable and comfortable place you expect to see folks you recognize, and that night we did end up seated near some fellow Beserkers! Everyone speaks English and I felt, if I closed my eyes, the place, with its quirky Asian-inspired country French cuisine, easily could be in LA or San Francisco. I am not sure if that is a positive when you are in Paris; however, for American foodie tourists tired of translating menus, it could be just what you need. The food – we had some Chinese inspired buns, carpaccio, scallops, grilled salmon, and duck - is quite good, but it just is not really special. The wine list is very good, the atmosphere is cozy and friendly, and we certainly enjoyed the dinner, our last of our 2012 journey to France. We might return, but feel, in Paris, there is so much more to explore.
I hope these are useful.
Cheers!
Andrew