I thought travelers list was in jest. At least I hope it was as it made me laugh.

Chipotle is alive and well in Paris, two locations and soon to be a third since they multiply like rabbits here in the states. To each his own. We traveled with a guy who wanted wings and was so happy when he found them on a menu in a pub. I eat local when traveling but not all people do and that is ok with me but I am not going out of my way to find you wings.

Article in the Times today about Ralph Lauren's new restaurant in New York. It mentioned that he opened one in Paris a few years ago, after being unable to find a good burger. It's called Ralph's. The menu looks like something from a country club, and it's supposed to be very popular.

So it's a Paris version of Hard Rock Cafe but with a fashion twist instead of Rock n' Roll? I like it.

I agree to each his own. We don't go to Paris to eat the same food we can get at home though. I can't get fois gras at home. I eat way too much of it when I am in Paris and am soooo looking forward to it.

Not much pigeon is available at "home" either. Squab/pigeon is sold at our local store, but it seems that the pigeon in France is larger. Squab was frequently on menus in San Francisco about 30-40 years ago - but I see little of it (if any) on menus today.

Sauternes is ridiculously cheap in supermarkets in France. Not here!!!

Stu Dudley

What an elitist arrogant number of responses. No wonder the OP never responded. I Should think one would want to encourage tourism. Instead some of you make it appear daunting.

The OP was simply trying to drum up business for her blog.

She doesn't have much to say.

What is the over under re how quickly PQ gloms on to MarySteveChicago's post to call everyone mean Fodorgarchs????

Janis you really do not get the meaning of Fodorgarch do you - it need not be a negative - for example you are the most Fodorgarch of Fodorgqrchs - apparently spending all your waking hours seemingly on here and that is what a Fodorgarch is - a clique of people who act like they own the site - taken from oligarchs -

Wiki says of oligarch:

Oligarchy (from Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía); from ὀλίγος (olígos), meaning "few", and ἄρχω (arkho), meaning "to rule or to command")[1][2][3] is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people. These people could be distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, education, corporate, religious or military control. Such states are often controlled by a few prominent families who.

so Fodorgarch ain't necessarily negative - lighten up!

I've wondered what the people who do actually own the site, think about the Fodorgarchs (if indeed they think of them at all). Are they as amused onlookers as we are. In any case, an excellent assessment, PalenQ. And don't hold your breath regarding the "lighten up" part. I think the state of Fordorgarchness forbids it.

Shouldn't it be Fodorarch?

There's no such verb in Greek as γαρχω, and the many words in Greek compounded with derivatives of ἄρχω - like those generating our monarch, anarchy, matriarch and patriarch and the Modern Greek demarchos (Mayor) and limenarchos (harbourmaster) - don't insert a random γ.

A "Fodorgarch" would be someone who would kept on inserting "for" in posts. "I always wear a collar and tie to go to a London play. For those Londoners don't understand how to dress for the theatre" Or "I always tip maitres d' 20% in Europe. For those Europeans don't treat staff properly"

Thanks MmePerdu: What especially gets me dnder up is when a new poster comes here looking for kindly advice and is imeediately met by some Fodorgarchs who are just plain rude saying 'we can't do your work for you' - 'get a guidebook"; your itinerary is more than crazy" etc and othef Fodorgarchs pile on, sometimes seeing how amusing they can be in cutting someone to threads.

Someone who innocently asked some simple question that is ludicrous perhaps but still should be given some curtesy and since the person janis references in regardles to her wager is not a Fodorgarch as her/his history shows - a regular contributor but really only occasional posts - unlike some Fodorgarchs who live on this site and make this site their life it seems!

And these newbies who get viciously attacked at times often react with complaints abuse rudeness and never come back and this hurt Fodor's - it's the newbies that click on the banner ads, buy the guides - react to the advertising, etc - the lifeblood of Fodor's I suspect and being chased away by rudeness thtus hurts Fodors.

but Janis will lose future wagers because quite a while ago I gave up the cause of defending newbies so attacked as it just did not have any effect.

I too an a Fodorgarch but one that tries to help control something by pointing out rudeness and hoping to lessen it, especially when newbie posters are concerned - that said this newbie OP is promoting some blog and obvivously registered just to do so so that is something different too.

I try to be fair although I do not always succeed, but it was very clear from the moment that this thread began that "GLM" was just trying to drum up traffic for her blog (and television show!). Anybody who was harsh has absolutely no reason to feel guilty in a case like this.

I'm guilty of suggesting a guidebook on occasion, but have made an effort to reform. Instead, I try to resist relies to posts that don't particularly interest me and also try to resist attempts at cleverness, not useful and the F-garchs leave them lying on the path, stepped over in their disdain. Or more likely don't notice, so small am I.

I once was in the same room with the F-garch mentioned, at a N. California GTG, and I realized how very small I am. While others in the group were kind, she carefully did not acknowledge my existence. One said to me, "she's not as bad as she seems", but I have no evidence of that.

On this I totally agree with kerouac who I've always found to be amongst the nicest of Fodorgarchs - in this case for sure.

Shouldn't it be Fodorarch?>

naybe technically if I could follow your thought lines on that better but I coined the word Fodorgarch from oligarch - especially the oligarchs now running or ruining some would say today's post-Soviet Russia. Since I made it up I can define the word, right old chap?

How is the flananerpooch? See he/she has stopped congri buting to Fodors and thus is no longer considered even to be a Fodorgarch, which again needs not have a negative connotation as some think.

I accept your definition, PalenQ, as coiner. And acknowledge your view that the word doesn't necessarily have a negative connotation. But one cannot ignore your own view above regarding "the oligarchs now running or ruining" Russia, and the forums by association.

<Anybody who was harsh has absolutely no reason to feel guilty in a case like this.>

I would disagree. Being an ass, for any reason, is just that, being an ass. One's own assiness isn't lessened by someone else's. That's akin to "he started it".

I would surely appreciate the ability to be able to select someones name and have a drop down box that gave me the opportunity to hide their posts. There are certain "Fodorgarchs" (like that term btw) that I simply have to scroll past when their name shows up. I know what they are going to say, and it is usually the you're an idiot, I'm a genius.