MARIANI’S

  January 23, 2005                                                         NEWSLETTER

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DINING IN PARIS HIGH AND LOW by John Mariani

"Ma Cuisine" by David Furer
 
NEW YORK CORNER: ÕNERA by John Mariani

QUICK BYTES

Dining High and Low in Paris

 The most obvious question about dining out in Paris these days is, can anyone, particularly Americans, afford to do so?  Are prices at deluxe restaurants into the stratosphere?  The simple answer is, yes: There is no way you can have a Michelin three-star  meal  without spending a at least $150 per person. And it goes way up from there, with some appetizers costing $75 and main courses  often  above $100.
     For Americans with a battered dollar in their wallets, this is horrifying; to a European, it is very, very expensive.  Restaurateurs are hurting badly. Business expense accounts have been cut way back in France:  A Parisian corporate executive  told me that to take a client to dinner at a star restaurant would require  at least three levels of approval from management, and that the meal had better result in business.  Not like the old days when two or three meals with several businesspeople were the norm before clinching a deal.  
     Which is why most restaurants in France are frantic for American customers. Americans spend more and, for a long time, formed a significant percentage of famous restaurants' tables. So while there are many celebrated three-star restaurants tough to get into on short notice, there are hundreds of others where you can walk in off the street and get any table you like, which has resulted in most restaurants giving very good value to locals not about to fork over €100 for a meal on a regular basis. 
     So the good news is that you can still eat very well and quite reasonably at the more modest restaurants, bistros, and brasseries, where a bill of $100-$120 for two people is absolutely attainable, again, including wine, tax, and service.  (And tax and service are always built into the bill, so there's no requirement to tip further.)    
      I returned to Taillevent (15 Rue Lamennais; 44-95-1501; www.taillevent.com)  with both joy and slight trepidation. I always look forward to the experience of dining in such a grand salon, whose name commemorates a medieval master chef, knowing that owner Jean-Claude Vrinat is one of the true gentleman of Parisian dining. Always on premises (he closes Taillevent if he cannot be there), always meticulously dressed, ever cordial to everyone but boors, he is constantly trying to maintain the glory of French haute cuisine and genteel service. 
    Taillevent is located in  an 1852 townhouse, once home to the Duke de Mornay, then for years the embassy of Paraguay. The restaurant was opened in 1946 by Vrinat's father and by 1956 had two Michelin stars; the younger Vrinat came into the business in 1962, and in 1973 Taillevent had won its third star, which it has kept now for 32 years.  The Michelin Guide describes the restaurant as  having "exquisite cuisine and a sumptuous cellar," which is very true.
    But in earlier earlier meals here over more than two decades, I had always been less impressed with the cuisine than I was with the correctness of the entire experience.   I found the classic cuisine impeccable but less than thrilling, beautifully prepared, finely wrought, but unenticing.  Taillevent is Vrinat and Vrinat is Taillevent, and the kitchen brigade, including the chef himself, was left very much in the shadows and given little freedom to diverge from sacrosanct traditions established by their employer over decades.  As Philippe Legendre, chef from 1992 until 2000, now at Le Cinq (to be reviewed in part two of this article) told Andrew Todhunter in A Meal Observed (2004), "There is no relationship.  The food goes out into a vacuum.  If the food were bad, I would hear about it.  Therefore, I must tell myself it's fine. It's not easy. It's very hard."
    So on my last visit, aware that Taillevent's new chef, Alain Solivérès, had retained the restaurant's three stars,  I feared perhaps nothing would have changed. I am happy to report, therefore, that Taillevent has in fact moved smoothly into the new century.  For one thing, it was recently refurbished, with a smart new entrance and very   modern color field artwork, while the once staid dining rooms are now polished to a vibrant sheen that has done nothing to compromise the classic, sophisticated look of the restaurant.  Also new to Taillevent is a downstairs after-dinner tasting room where you may retire to sample cognacs and eaux de vie.  I regret to report that Taillevent no longer requires neckties, though jackets seemed ubiquitous on gentlemen.

    The winelist is perhaps the finest in Paris, with the most carefully chosen  modern wines and vintages, with 1,500 labels and 550,000 bottles, with still more not yet on the list, still aging at three locations around Paris. About 8% are non-French bottlings.    Head sommelier Marco Pelletier, formerly at Michel Rostang, presents every table with a wine card of about 320 selections, most quite young from the mid-‘90s and 2000 vintages, with dozens priced under $50. Mark-ups seem to average about 2-3 times retail prices in the U.S. (restaurant wine prices in France always include both tax and service).
      Despite my not having been back to Taillevent for several years, I was greeted by Monsieur Vrinat not as an old friend or regular (which I assuredly am not) but as an occasional guest he seemed genuinely happy to see again.  That he showed such deference to everyone in no way undercut what I believe to be his sincerity, and I suspect the only things Vrinat cannot abide are fools and show-offs.
       Our table opted for a 7-course tasting menu, which at 130 Euros ($170), including tax and service, was quite reasonable.  We started off with duck foie gras preserved in its own fat with grilled country bread. It was silky and superb, served with a glass of '90 Chablis that showed just how well Chablis can age. Next was  a risotto made of épeautre (spelt), topped with girolles mushrooms and parsley with a rich demi-glace (below). The wine was a '96 Hermitage Blanc.  Lovely red mullet, perfectly cooked to its tiny bones, came next with a light, delicate brandade and tapenade that gave the dish its Provençal ring.  Ravioli with a wild mushroom stuffing in a mushroom broth (a little salty) showed an Italian drift, as did the sautéed potato gnocchi with roast lamb with skewers of its innards, and peppery artichokes, with which a delicious '76 Corton went impeccably. Fresh goat's cheese with a confit of sweet peppers atop mesclun was accompanied by a '00 Silex Sauvignon Blanc, and then came two desserts--a fondant of guanaja chocolate with vanilla ice cream, and cooked plums served on a skewer, also with vanilla ice cream, and, of course, the mignardises at the end of the meal.
        Here was a meal that clearly showed Solivérès talent for both classicism and modernism, with regional accents beyond the formulas of Parisian haute cuisine.  It had a lightness and delicacy that was admirable, and while the ideas were certainly not extravagant, they were brought off with flair and finesse in every dish. 
        So, as I left Taillevent that night, I was smiling very happily, assured that not only would this great restaurant endure as it always has but would get better and better too.
        Prices at Taillevent are certainly not cheap, although, as I indicated, the 130 Euro tasting menu is quite modest; there is also a 180€ menu ($235). À la carte, it all depends on what you order.  Three courses will range from about 110-140€ ($144-$183), with tax and service included.
   

       Vrinat also runs one of the most attractive and very contemporary restaurants in Paris--L'Angle du Faubourg (195 Rue du Faubourg St. Honore; 40-74-2020; www.taillevent.com)--where I had a terrific meal at a very good price.   It is a casual spot set, as its name indicates, on a corner, and you, along with a large complement of Americans, Brits, and Japanese, will be cordially welcomed and seated in a richly colored but failry minimalist room (below) with a sparkling, good bar to the rear.  Here appetizers prices 13€-20€ ($17-$26), the former for a delicious, cool veloute of peas with fresh mint;  the latter for crabmeat is set in a light jelly with a foamy anise sauce.  Tuna belly of unsurpassed quality is arranged in small cubes and spiced, with crisp shredded vegetables.
    Main courses run 19€-$29€ ($25-$39), remarkably good value, with tax and service included. For this you may enjoy roasted foie gras with yellow peaches and fresh almonds.   Here mullets are quickly cooked a la plancha with zucchini and dried tomatoes, with each flavor sparking the others.   A shoulder of lamb is slowly braised and caramelized into sweet shards, serves with baby vegetables cooked in butter. There is also a risotto of the day, like the one I had with cèpes, though they hadn't much flavor.
    Three cheeses are available or desserts that run 8€-12€ ($10.50-$15.75), including a fabulous, crispy macaron framboises et pistaches, a confit of black figs flavored with vanilla, and a croustillant of chocolate and   praline, with which several fine dessert wines from 5€-8€ ($6.50 -$10.50).

       La Fontaine Gaillon (1Place Gaillon; 47-42-6322 ), opened two years ago near the Bourse,   is currently one of the hot spots in Paris, not least for the fact that actors Carole Bouquet and  Gérard Depardieu  are the owners of this splendid two-story establishment (left) in a historic hôtel particulier built by Hardouin-Mansart in 1672, with a lovely baroque fountain added in 1707. When the actors are in  town, they are usually here at their restaurant. often with artist friends; if not, they are making movies or tending to their vineyards on the Italian island of Pantelleria.

                             

                         Gerard Depardieu & Carole Bouquet with Francis & Eleanor Ford Coppola

 
   There are tables outside in good weather, and the inside dining room, in tones of ochre, has an unstudied  grace and modernity without the cliches of minimalism.  A fireplace brings warmth, and a glass wall of 150 wines enticement. Upstairs are several private dining rooms decorated in various styles, one with an extraordinary array of Japanese erotic art, another featuring the culture if India.

     Chef Laurent Audiot cooks in a medium that might be called hearty Parisian, without bounding into haute cuisine.  The menu runs beyond the usual bistro and brasserie items and focuses on some beautifully grilled meats.   We began with lovely, thin ravioli of langoustines simply dressed with parsley butter, and a platter of mixed wild mushrooms--girolles, cèpes, and chanterelles quickly sautéed with fine olive oil. Filets of red mullet were roasted to a turn and scented with saffron and anise, while a roasted sea bass came with sweet peppers.  The food is simple and sumptuous, without flourishes beyond the fineness of the ingredients. Thus, I had one of the best veal chops I've ever eaten in France, with a purée of buttery potatoes.  Desserts included a sablé of figs perfumed with vanilla  and a crisp millefeuille of strawberries and cream.  It was an immensely satisfying meal, especially after some of the richness of other meals I'd had in Paris.  Of course the presence that evening of the beautiful Madame Bouquet (the "Face of Chanel") did add to its luster.
     The winelist is selected for those who love wine, not merely for free spenders; thus, there are good Loire Valley bottles like Sancerre "Clos de la Terre des Anges' '02 at 36€ ($47) and Depardieu's own Château Tigné "L'Insoumis' '00 at 45€ ($59), along with bigger names like Clos de Vougeot '97 at 164€ ($214) and a Château Latour '53 at 1,028€ ($1,346).
     Given La Fontaine Gaillon's popularity, you never know whom you'll run into there, but the chances it might be Bouquet and Depardieu are very good indeed.
       Appetizers run 14€-16€ ($18.25-$20.85), main courses 28€-34€  ($36.50-$44.30).

(Part Two of "Paris High and Low" will appear in the February 2 issue of this newsletter.)

by David Furer
      It had been a hard rainy day, after a long day at the  bi-annual Grand Jours du Bourgogne. My  five friends from California and I showed up promptly for our appointed 9 o'clock reservation at Ma Maison, the final seating, but unfortunately our host, Pierre Escoffier, had mistakenly given our table away to another David. He suggested we return in 45 minutes, so the Belgian beers at Bar Route 66 around the corner were welcome. 
   We re-entered Ma Cuisine  to the cheers and singing of a packed two-tiered room of wine folk from all over the globe. Our table was hastily arranged on the main floor, and we sat  down to enjoy an apologetic bottle of Jean Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Blanc '00 while acknowledging the tribute.
    Everything from starters to desserts is posted daily on two chalkboards, emphasizing the simple truth that every dish served at Ma Cuisine is prepared to order.  The regional speciality jambon persillé, our amuse bouche, was light and meaty, with plenty of parsley and accompanied by briny southern French olives.
    Pierre assured us that our first wine, a Côche-Dury Meursault '94, would be fine with the silky-smooth goose liver terrine, and he was right. Too bad the wine didn’t arrive until after the food. That wine didn’t fare as well with tuna tartare in a fresh ginger-shallot-chive marinade with a light soya-balsamico-olive oil sauce, which went better with the remains of the Boillot.  Since the table next to ours (the owners of Freeman winery in Sonoma County)  was drinking '69 Huët Clos du Bourg and we a '64 Huët Le Mont, we swapped glasses with them--a wise choice, as the Huët was great with the goose liver.
     Ma Cuisine opened in September 1996, converted from a bookstore into a wine cellar shop. Considered by many as the best “wine restaurant” in Beaune, Ma Cuisine is now respected for its food, especially since Pierre's  wife Fabienne brought up the level of the cooking over the past 2-3 years. Now locals go there as much for her cooking as for the fabulous wine list. Still, as when she  worked with her parents as wine waitress at Ermitage Corton near Beaune, she takes all initial food orders, explaining the day's creations.
      "We were searching for a nice place to open a wine bistro because we want to share our wine passion with amateurs,” says Fabienne. In due time wine professionals discovered them, too. The wine list is heavy on Burgundies (about 350 selections), because early on the Escoffiers  thought there weren’t enough Burgundy wines on local wine lists. One can also find vertical offerings of various Rhône producers such as Guigal, Combier, and Beaucastel, along with Provence’s Trevallon, Bordeaux's Yquem, and others. 
     Ma Cuisine is closed three days a week, "Wednesdays to conduct wine tastings," says Pierre, "Saturdays and Sundays to relax and have fun with friends sharing good food and good wines and also to be with our family." The Esoffiers’ teenage son can sometimes be found on the floor helping dad; he also trains as a barman at Beaune’s Le Bout du Monde.
     For our main courses, we had magret de canard, as blue as I asked and as fresh as I could hope for.  Boeuf à la bourguignon was as stunning as the '96 Dujac Morey St.-Denis that accompanied it, and wild pigeon was sublime with the Jean Boillot Volnay Fremiets '99. Cheeses were served perfectly ripe, with a Rabasse-Charavin Cairanne  Cuvée d'Estevenas '99.
     As the evening wore on, our fellow diners cheered and sang on their way out, leaving us to close up at one AM, with the Escoffiers dining while we with sipped '61 Lamarché Marc de Bourgogne.
    If one were to rate Ma Cuisine as one would an ordinary restaurant, then it would rate as mediocre, owing to the chaotic service. But one would search long and to find a restaurant with as much heart, fun, and passion for good times and a good table. The warmth shared by the Escoffiers (and sometimes their patrons) more than make up for service shortcomings. As one of my dining companions said, “you can’t substitute for the love here.”

NEW YORK CORNER

ÕNERA



  I really haven't a clue why Greek restaurants have proliferated in Manhattan, but the Upper West Side seems to be developing into a mini-version of Astoria, Queens, which is called "Little Athens."The new Õnera (222 West 79th Street; 212-873-0200), which is Greek for "dreams", on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, is a real, not radical, departure from the reigning midtown champs,  Milos and Molyvos, in that chef-partner Michael G. Psilakis has really tried very hard, and with considerable talent, to bring traditional Greek cooking to even higher level.   He is young, intense, and a very sweet guy to boot--he says he's drawn inspiration from his mother's cooking and reading William Blake's poetry--and you can tell when you walk in that everybody wants very much for you to have a very good time, while you learn more about Greek food than what you thought you knew.
    The narrow bar area leads to a pleasantly intimate, bright 60-seat dining room (below), and you may peruse an excellent list of 100 Greek wines that show just how far and fast Hellenic viniculture has come in just the past five years. The menu is nicely straightforward, beginning with raw mezes like sea urchins on beets (left), scallops in a yogurt-cucumber sauce with pickled fennel and anise leaves, and yellowtail with a roasted orange vinaigrette, leek confit, cracked green olives, and celery leaves: you are already aware that you have departed from the ordinary.  For appetizers try the seared sea scallops with braised cauliflower (which makes them delicately flavorful) and wilted spinach, dressed with a tart cherry-caper sauce and sage-brown butter--a wonderful coalescence of tastes and textures.  Grilled Black Mission figs sounds nice, but they are more than that, wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with kopanisti blue cheese, served with an amaranth salad and paximathi  (barley) toast. Crave tradition? Go with the giouvarelakia meatball and rice soup with a lemon-dill egg broth.
    So far things are light and delectable; main courses are even more interesting and richer: Sheep's milk dumplings with spicy lamb sausage, dandelion greens, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, feta cheese and tomato sauce sounds like too much, but everything is melded to make an outstanding pasta dish here.  So, too, wide egg noodles called helopites comes with a lusty ragout of rabbit.                                                                                                             photo: Karen Wise
     There is grilled branzino with artichokes and a delicious avgolemono sauce, crispy fried red mullet with a puree of roasted parsnips and a crushed lentil sauce, and pork two ways, both as a tenderloin and braised belly, with eggplant and pearl onions and a bobota (cornmeal) fritter.  And for those who define Greek cooking as lamb (Easy Bonus Question: In what movie does a Greek woman say, "He's a vegetarian? Then I serve lamb!"), grilled loin of lamb is done in a sun-dried tomato crust with wilted arugula, tzatziki dip and roasted chick peas--an absoutely perfect dish that sums up all that is best in Mediterranean flavors.
      You may opt for an array of good cheeses (not many Greek varieties though) or go with desserts far more delicate and less sweet than you might find elsewhere--a chocolate-halva truffle with tahini sauce and toasted sesame pagoto; rose-petal scented cream with rose loukoumi (fritters) and rose milk shake and rose petal pagoto (ice cream), and "baklava reinterpreted," with Marsala cream. There is also the option of marvelously rich Greek Skotidakis  Farms sheep's and goat's milk yogurt with clover honey and oats and red plum sorbet you should try.
       Õnera is one of my favorite new restaurants, certainly among the two or three best to open this past fall and winter in NYC or anywhere else. If you love Greek food 21st century style, Onera is an delicious education, and Michael Psilakis is a chef to keep your eye on.
     Appetizers range from $8-$11, raw mezes come as two at $11, three at $15, four at $19, and five at $22; entrees run $14-$25, and the chef does both a seasonal tasting menu and an offal menu ($45, with wines, $65).

HOW ABOUT WE JUST HIRE A DRIVER  THEN TRY
TO GET FAITH HILL STINKO IN THE BACK SEAT?



A marketing survey by beer producer Anheuser-Busch asked people which celebrity they’d choose to be their "designated driver." Top female picks included Faith Hill and Oprah Winfrey.

[TO TRANSLATE INTO ENGLISH, CLICK HERE]

"Anticipating cool weather, braised beef short ribs released hearty juiciness into the accompanying creamy truffled risotto.  Calf's liver was mated classically with onions, apples, and bacon. Slice of mango cloaked a roasted duck half.  Expect mashed potatoes, piped carrot, sliced squash, grape tomatoes, snow peas, fruits, spinach of couscous in whatever combination enhances the meat or fish."--M.H. Reed, reviewing The Arch, in the New York Times (Oct. 10, 2004).

MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly.  Editor/Publisher: John Mariani. Contributing Writers: Robert Mariani,  Naomi  Kooker, Kirsten Skogerson,  Edward Brivio, Mort Hochstein, Lucy Gordan, Suzanne Wright. Contributing Photographers: Galina Stepanoff-Dargery,  Bobby Pirillo. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.

 John Mariani is a columnist for Esquire, Wine Spectator, Diversion and the Harper Collection. He is author of The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink (Lebhar-Friedman), The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink (Broadway), and, with his wife Galina, the award-winning new Italian-American Cookbook (Harvard Common Press).  

copyright John Mariani 2005