Champagne and foie gras (another mostly food Paris & Reims report)
Mar 25th, 2012, 08:16 AM
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Champagne and foie gras (another mostly food Paris & Reims report)
Mark and I just returned from 10 days of eating our way through Paris and Reims, and drinking champagne too!
Here are the photos from our trip http://pix.kg/p/8404022241105%3A1916938612/scl
We decided to dine less extravagantly this time, no Michelin stars, oops one restaurant was awarded their first after we booked. We also attended a GTG, took a bakery class and even fit in a few museums
We flew Air France and stayed at the Park Hyatt in Paris again (what would I do without miles and points)? No upgrade at the PH this time but we did get comped drinks and breakfast, not sure why unless they’re still trying to make up for the problem I had last time. It was appreciated even if I only woke up in time once to have brekkie. In Reims we stayed at a really lovely 2 room B&B, Maison d’hotes Les Telliers (more on that later).
<b>First day’s lunch at Zinc</b> www.zinc-opera.com
We picked this place because it was close to the hotel and seemed to offer the perfect sort of refined comfort food for our jet lagged state. Mark had the foie gras to start followed by scallops and I had the salade Lyonnais and onglet de veau from the daily ardoise. With a carafe of wine, it was €80. I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here but it’s a good “if you’re in the neighborhood” kind of place. We appreciated the quick service as we both desperately needed a nap so we could stay awake for that evening’s GTG.
Here are the photos from our trip http://pix.kg/p/8404022241105%3A1916938612/scl
We decided to dine less extravagantly this time, no Michelin stars, oops one restaurant was awarded their first after we booked. We also attended a GTG, took a bakery class and even fit in a few museums
We flew Air France and stayed at the Park Hyatt in Paris again (what would I do without miles and points)? No upgrade at the PH this time but we did get comped drinks and breakfast, not sure why unless they’re still trying to make up for the problem I had last time. It was appreciated even if I only woke up in time once to have brekkie. In Reims we stayed at a really lovely 2 room B&B, Maison d’hotes Les Telliers (more on that later).
<b>First day’s lunch at Zinc</b> www.zinc-opera.com
We picked this place because it was close to the hotel and seemed to offer the perfect sort of refined comfort food for our jet lagged state. Mark had the foie gras to start followed by scallops and I had the salade Lyonnais and onglet de veau from the daily ardoise. With a carafe of wine, it was €80. I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here but it’s a good “if you’re in the neighborhood” kind of place. We appreciated the quick service as we both desperately needed a nap so we could stay awake for that evening’s GTG.
Mar 25th, 2012, 09:02 AM
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Hi Patty - welcome home!
just looked through all your pics - my, you have been busy. I didn't realise that you had the calamari risotto at Neva cuisine - how was it? the pic looks good. How did NC compare with the other places you ate at? we really enjoyed meeting you and Mark - the GTG seemed to go past in a flash!
looking fwd to reading more - especially about the baking lesson - it all looks very professional!
just looked through all your pics - my, you have been busy. I didn't realise that you had the calamari risotto at Neva cuisine - how was it? the pic looks good. How did NC compare with the other places you ate at? we really enjoyed meeting you and Mark - the GTG seemed to go past in a flash!
looking fwd to reading more - especially about the baking lesson - it all looks very professional!
Mar 25th, 2012, 12:15 PM
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Hi Ann,
It was great meeting you both! The calamari risotto at Neva was really good and I enjoyed it more than the one I had at Albion later in the week although that was a very nice meal overall too. There were so many good meals this trip with the highlights being Sola and La Table d'Aki. We really liked Les Saisons and Au Passage too but I'm getting ahead of myself. Food in Reims with the exception of Le Bocal was a bit of a letdown after Paris but the champagne made up for it!
It was great meeting you both! The calamari risotto at Neva was really good and I enjoyed it more than the one I had at Albion later in the week although that was a very nice meal overall too. There were so many good meals this trip with the highlights being Sola and La Table d'Aki. We really liked Les Saisons and Au Passage too but I'm getting ahead of myself. Food in Reims with the exception of Le Bocal was a bit of a letdown after Paris but the champagne made up for it!
Mar 25th, 2012, 03:08 PM
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Judy,
We ate at Le Jardin, the more casual restaurant at Les Crayeres. We thought the setting was lovely, the service was great, the food was beautifully presented but lacked flavor. The dessert however was wonderful. Did you eat at their formal restaurant, Le Parc? Perhaps we should've eaten there instead. In any case, we still had an enjoyable time and it was a very convenient place to eat before our tour at Ruinart.
Thanks everyone for your comments!
GTG coming up next.
We ate at Le Jardin, the more casual restaurant at Les Crayeres. We thought the setting was lovely, the service was great, the food was beautifully presented but lacked flavor. The dessert however was wonderful. Did you eat at their formal restaurant, Le Parc? Perhaps we should've eaten there instead. In any case, we still had an enjoyable time and it was a very convenient place to eat before our tour at Ruinart.
Thanks everyone for your comments!
GTG coming up next.
Mar 25th, 2012, 03:21 PM
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Patty, we stayed there for my husband's birthday and ate at Le Parc. We've eaten at many high end restaurants and that was one of the best meals we've ever had....beating out several Michelin 3 stars in Paris! It was, however, over ten years ago and things certainly could have changed.
We'll be interested in your Paris restaurants. Have resevations at Verjus and Le Pre Catalan....still deciding on others. Our apartment is very close to Willi's but too early to reserve.
We'll be interested in your Paris restaurants. Have resevations at Verjus and Le Pre Catalan....still deciding on others. Our apartment is very close to Willi's but too early to reserve.
Mar 25th, 2012, 04:44 PM
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<b>GTG with Mr & Mrs AGM_Cape_Cod, Mr & Mrs annhig, Nikki and Toucan2</b>
First the GTG planning, we initially wanted to dine at Frenchie (ha, ha), then tried La Regalade Saint Honore (nope, big table already reserved and not taking any more groups that evening), then Dans Les Landes (oops, closed on Monday) before deciding on Neva Cuisine (woo hoo, we got a booking)! Mark and I had dined there in November and really enjoyed it. The restaurant is large enough to comfortably accommodate groups but not too large. But first, we decided to meet at Lavinia for pre-dinner drinks only to find that their bar was closed for a private event. Not to worry, we just popped into the place next door instead (sorry don’t remember the name). After drinks, the 7 of us walked to Neva Cuisine where Nikki met us. We had a great time meeting and chatting with everyone and AGM_Cape_Cod brought us all goodie bags filled with delicious homemade candied orange rinds. The menu consisted of 4-5 choices per course with 2 courses at €29.50 and 3 at €37 with supplements for some of the items. Mark had the foie gras followed by the entrecote and I had the calamari risotto (yummy) and sweetbreads and of course, I had to have that choco bomb again
I hope everyone else enjoyed their food too. We couldn’t believe how fast the 3+ hour dinner flew by. Even more, we couldn’t believe we were still awake at the end of the evening
First the GTG planning, we initially wanted to dine at Frenchie (ha, ha), then tried La Regalade Saint Honore (nope, big table already reserved and not taking any more groups that evening), then Dans Les Landes (oops, closed on Monday) before deciding on Neva Cuisine (woo hoo, we got a booking)! Mark and I had dined there in November and really enjoyed it. The restaurant is large enough to comfortably accommodate groups but not too large. But first, we decided to meet at Lavinia for pre-dinner drinks only to find that their bar was closed for a private event. Not to worry, we just popped into the place next door instead (sorry don’t remember the name). After drinks, the 7 of us walked to Neva Cuisine where Nikki met us. We had a great time meeting and chatting with everyone and AGM_Cape_Cod brought us all goodie bags filled with delicious homemade candied orange rinds. The menu consisted of 4-5 choices per course with 2 courses at €29.50 and 3 at €37 with supplements for some of the items. Mark had the foie gras followed by the entrecote and I had the calamari risotto (yummy) and sweetbreads and of course, I had to have that choco bomb again
I hope everyone else enjoyed their food too. We couldn’t believe how fast the 3+ hour dinner flew by. Even more, we couldn’t believe we were still awake at the end of the evening
Mar 25th, 2012, 06:13 PM
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<b>Lunch at Au Passage & bakery class at 134 RdT</b>
We met up with Mr & Mrs AGM and Nikki again the following day for lunch at Au Passage. I chose this place because it was very close to the bakery where we were taking the class later. Lunch is a basically a no choice daily changing ardoise except for the main where there are 2 choices. Today’s menu consisted of a trout starter, a choice of merlu or magret de canard for the plat, a cheese course (I forget what they were) and chocolate ganache for dessert. You can have as few as 1 course or as many as 4. The courses were not too big and I think we all had 3 or 4. The price was amazingly low considering the excellent quality of the food, something like €17 for 3 courses. I think it cost the 5 of us just over €100 including a bottle of wine. I vote this the best value in Paris! Dinner is a completely different tapas format and I would like to return to try that too.
After lunch we said goodbye to Nikki and the 4 of us walked over to the boulangerie 134 RdT run by Benjamin Turquier. We had a fun 2 hours making baguettes and croissants and sampling other baked goods. It was also an interesting insight into how a real bakery is operated. We had taken a baguette class last year at La Cuisine Paris which was very good too and more geared toward home baking (they used flour close to US all purpose, regular ovens, pans, etc) so this class in an actual bakery complemented the other class well. We thought the baguettes we made at La Cuisine were good but these were on another level and we’re now even more spoiled. The class was €75 per person. There’s no set schedule. It’s basically whatever time/date you and Benjamin agree on. No early mornings because they’re too busy baking. After the class we stopped at a wine bar in the Marche des Enfants Rouge and chatted some more before wishing Abby and Tomas a fun time in Dordogne.
<b>Verjus Wine Bar</b>
We slowly meandered back toward our hotel and decided to stop in Verjus wine bar for nibbles and drinks (I know, do we ever stop eating)? We ordered the pork belly (very nice), veal meatballs (OK), cheese plate (good) and ricotta cake (loved this). With a bottle of wine, our bill came to €71.
We met up with Mr & Mrs AGM and Nikki again the following day for lunch at Au Passage. I chose this place because it was very close to the bakery where we were taking the class later. Lunch is a basically a no choice daily changing ardoise except for the main where there are 2 choices. Today’s menu consisted of a trout starter, a choice of merlu or magret de canard for the plat, a cheese course (I forget what they were) and chocolate ganache for dessert. You can have as few as 1 course or as many as 4. The courses were not too big and I think we all had 3 or 4. The price was amazingly low considering the excellent quality of the food, something like €17 for 3 courses. I think it cost the 5 of us just over €100 including a bottle of wine. I vote this the best value in Paris! Dinner is a completely different tapas format and I would like to return to try that too.
After lunch we said goodbye to Nikki and the 4 of us walked over to the boulangerie 134 RdT run by Benjamin Turquier. We had a fun 2 hours making baguettes and croissants and sampling other baked goods. It was also an interesting insight into how a real bakery is operated. We had taken a baguette class last year at La Cuisine Paris which was very good too and more geared toward home baking (they used flour close to US all purpose, regular ovens, pans, etc) so this class in an actual bakery complemented the other class well. We thought the baguettes we made at La Cuisine were good but these were on another level and we’re now even more spoiled. The class was €75 per person. There’s no set schedule. It’s basically whatever time/date you and Benjamin agree on. No early mornings because they’re too busy baking. After the class we stopped at a wine bar in the Marche des Enfants Rouge and chatted some more before wishing Abby and Tomas a fun time in Dordogne.
<b>Verjus Wine Bar</b>
We slowly meandered back toward our hotel and decided to stop in Verjus wine bar for nibbles and drinks (I know, do we ever stop eating)?
We ordered the pork belly (very nice), veal meatballs (OK), cheese plate (good) and ricotta cake (loved this). With a bottle of wine, our bill came to €71.
Mar 25th, 2012, 06:21 PM
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Mar 25th, 2012, 06:25 PM
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You are putting me to shame Patty, I've not even begun my trip report! Although I did get my pictures together.
It was great meeting everyone. The baking class sounds really great. I'm looking forward to hearing about your other adventures.
It was great meeting everyone. The baking class sounds really great. I'm looking forward to hearing about your other adventures.
Mar 25th, 2012, 07:04 PM
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<b>Lunch at Pottoka</b>
We thought it would be interesting to try some different regional cuisines this time so chose Pottoka and later in the trip FL. Mark had the lamb cannelloni and chicken from the weekday ardoise (€17 for 2 courses or €22 for 3) and I had the scallop tartare and lamb cocotte. We both enjoyed the food but thought it was just slightly oversalted. The portions were big too so we were both stuffed after 2 courses and had to skip dessert (darn, I wanted the try the gateau Basque). With a carafe of wine and 2 coffees, our lunch came to €68. We’d love some more recs for regional cuisines if anyone has suggestions for next time.
<b>Dinner at L’Office</b>
I had high expectations for L’Office as it had been praised by a food writer who I’ve found we share similar tastes with. While we thought what they were doing was very interesting, we found that not all of the flavors worked for us. Dinner options are written on the wall and consisted of 3 choices per course at €27/€33/€39 for 2/3/4 courses. Mark started with the calamari followed by the chestnut ravioli with beef and I had the beef carpaccio and lotte. We both thought my 2 dishes were better than his 2. We shared a cheese plate of cantal & fourme d’ambert and the chocolate with noisette and mandarine dessert. Based on my 2 dishes, it’s definitely some place I wouldn’t mind trying again. During the meal, we were discussing other restaurants and Septime was mentioned (our favorite last trip). The owner overheard us and came right over to our table. He must have had supersonic hearing He said that Grebaut was a good friend of his and thought that Septime has some of the best food in Paris right now. I sensed some friendly rivalry too. Dinner was €110 with 6 glasses of wine.
We thought it would be interesting to try some different regional cuisines this time so chose Pottoka and later in the trip FL. Mark had the lamb cannelloni and chicken from the weekday ardoise (€17 for 2 courses or €22 for 3) and I had the scallop tartare and lamb cocotte. We both enjoyed the food but thought it was just slightly oversalted. The portions were big too so we were both stuffed after 2 courses and had to skip dessert (darn, I wanted the try the gateau Basque). With a carafe of wine and 2 coffees, our lunch came to €68. We’d love some more recs for regional cuisines if anyone has suggestions for next time.
<b>Dinner at L’Office</b>
I had high expectations for L’Office as it had been praised by a food writer who I’ve found we share similar tastes with. While we thought what they were doing was very interesting, we found that not all of the flavors worked for us. Dinner options are written on the wall and consisted of 3 choices per course at €27/€33/€39 for 2/3/4 courses. Mark started with the calamari followed by the chestnut ravioli with beef and I had the beef carpaccio and lotte. We both thought my 2 dishes were better than his 2. We shared a cheese plate of cantal & fourme d’ambert and the chocolate with noisette and mandarine dessert. Based on my 2 dishes, it’s definitely some place I wouldn’t mind trying again. During the meal, we were discussing other restaurants and Septime was mentioned (our favorite last trip). The owner overheard us and came right over to our table. He must have had supersonic hearing
He said that Grebaut was a good friend of his and thought that Septime has some of the best food in Paris right now. I sensed some friendly rivalry too. Dinner was €110 with 6 glasses of wine.
Mar 25th, 2012, 08:09 PM
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<b>Lunch at Sola and melting in the Pompidou</b>
Sola was one of the meals I had to cancel last time because we just couldn’t eat another multi course meal. I was still very curious about it so it went back on the list. Lunch is 4 courses (2 entrees/1 plat/1 dessert) for €35 or 6 courses (2 of each) for €50. There’s a choice of fish or meat for the main (they don’t tell you what kind of fish or meat) but otherwise no choice. We decided to go with 4 courses with Mark opting for fish and meat for me. The meal started with a sweet potato amuse followed by seared foie with miso (mmm…). The second starter was smoked egg with calamari and pear. For mains, Mark had brill and I had pork belly and loin (this was delicious). Dessert was vanilla ice cream with chocolate and meringue. No mignardises were served. An excellent meal and you could see the Japanese influence coming through. €110 with 3 glasses of wine, coffee and tea.
After lunch, we crossed the Seine passing Notre Dame. It’s the warmest day since we got here. We made our way to the Pompidou and decided to go in. It was so warm inside (warmer than outside) that we couldn’t stay long. It didn’t help that we’d packed mostly winter-y clothes and were overdressed for the weather. We decided to return some other time and walked back out into the beautiful afternoon.
<b>Dinner at Les Saisons</b> www.restaurant-les-saisons.com
What a great neighborhood bistro! We started with the house made duck rillettes and could’ve eaten pots and pots of these. A 3 course menu for €31 with 2 choices of starter and main as well as a la carte are offered at dinner. Mark started with the perfectly seared foie followed by Basque pork and I took the menu selecting the salmon tataki followed by cabillaud and fruit salad with sherbet for dessert. Simple, well executed food, a great complement to today's lunch. At the neighboring table sat an adorable French bulldog. €93 with a bottle of wine. The owners are a lovely couple, he cooks and she runs the front of house. They’ve been open for 3 months and after I mentioned John Talbott’s blog when she asked how I’d heard about them, she showed me a copy she’d printed pointing to the “my goodness, my gosh, my golly” and saying she didn’t know if that was good or bad. I assured her it was good!
Sola was one of the meals I had to cancel last time because we just couldn’t eat another multi course meal. I was still very curious about it so it went back on the list. Lunch is 4 courses (2 entrees/1 plat/1 dessert) for €35 or 6 courses (2 of each) for €50. There’s a choice of fish or meat for the main (they don’t tell you what kind of fish or meat) but otherwise no choice. We decided to go with 4 courses with Mark opting for fish and meat for me. The meal started with a sweet potato amuse followed by seared foie with miso (mmm…). The second starter was smoked egg with calamari and pear. For mains, Mark had brill and I had pork belly and loin (this was delicious). Dessert was vanilla ice cream with chocolate and meringue. No mignardises were served. An excellent meal and you could see the Japanese influence coming through. €110 with 3 glasses of wine, coffee and tea.
After lunch, we crossed the Seine passing Notre Dame. It’s the warmest day since we got here. We made our way to the Pompidou and decided to go in. It was so warm inside (warmer than outside) that we couldn’t stay long. It didn’t help that we’d packed mostly winter-y clothes and were overdressed for the weather. We decided to return some other time and walked back out into the beautiful afternoon.
<b>Dinner at Les Saisons</b> www.restaurant-les-saisons.com
What a great neighborhood bistro! We started with the house made duck rillettes and could’ve eaten pots and pots of these. A 3 course menu for €31 with 2 choices of starter and main as well as a la carte are offered at dinner. Mark started with the perfectly seared foie followed by Basque pork and I took the menu selecting the salmon tataki followed by cabillaud and fruit salad with sherbet for dessert. Simple, well executed food, a great complement to today's lunch. At the neighboring table sat an adorable French bulldog. €93 with a bottle of wine. The owners are a lovely couple, he cooks and she runs the front of house. They’ve been open for 3 months and after I mentioned John Talbott’s blog when she asked how I’d heard about them, she showed me a copy she’d printed pointing to the “my goodness, my gosh, my golly” and saying she didn’t know if that was good or bad. I assured her it was good!
