Septime - A Return Engagement, At Last

In a slight paraphrase of Paul Bremer's immortal words heralding the capture of Saddam Hussein on Dec. 14, exactly nine years ago to the day I am writing this, I can proudly boast, 'We got 'em.'  'Em' being two chairs at a table inside the much heralded Paris Michelin-starred Septime.  ON A FRIDAY NIGHT.  Let me repeat that.  ON A FRIDAY NIGHT. Read it and weep.  Perhaps even more elusive than a deposed despot on the run, I have chronicled the difficulties I have experienced snagging a Friday night reservation since my first inaugural visit to Septime in Nov. 2011.  If you are asking yourself, 'What's such a big deal about Friday night?' I could say, 'It's personal.'  Or I could explain how I am a creature of habit when it comes to eating in fancy restaurants. Or I could explain how it fits the agenda, especially in light of the restaurant's closing on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday afternoon.  Take your pick, and 'all of the above' is a possibility.  If you are wondering how I finally met with success, I am afraid to say that I am unwilling to disclose such precious information.  Yes, there is a trick.  If you send me a personal message, I will explain, but if I reveal it to the entire blogosphere, or the 50-60 daily visitors to this site, whichever comes first, I am afraid the competition will be too fierce and I will never get lucky again.

Given this preface, one would likely conclude that Septime is absolutely fantastic, to be that difficult to snag a coveted Fri. night reservation.  Well, that might be stretching it, but I am confident - now after two visits - to proclaim that Septime is very, very good.

What can you expect on the menu?  I have absolutely no idea.  Seriously.  The menu changes regularly, and upon arrival, you will be given a small tablet upon which a sheet of paper is attached barely describing what to expect.  "Carte Blanche' 55€, hinting at what will soon be fully explained by a waiter, that you will be brought in succession two entrees, one fish dish, one meat dish, and a dessert, and you don't get to find out what those plates will consist of until they arrive at the table (or until you espy a fellow diner beating you to the punch).  As Co. and I arrived at an early serving's 7:30 p.m., we had no idea what to expect.  As is pretty much the case in most of the better establishments in Paris, such arrangements always allow for dietary or health requests (e.g., fish instead of meat, no lardon, etc.).  No, the French are not soup Nazis, even if asking to have carrots instead of whatever other vegetable the chef has selected would result in the waiter looking at you as if you were a complete idiot.

Among the highlights of our meal was an epic dish of near-raw bonita fish with pieces of strawberry  and persil (1st photo), as well as a merlu with cresson (third photo).  Unfortunately, without a menu or the time to jot down each offering, I can't provide the entire repast, but as mentioned, it'll be different by the time you get there (if you get that reservation) anyway.

The dessert was humble, a growing trend in some of the local bistrots, with the chef eschewing the pyramid/foam motif for something elegant in its simplicity.  The wine, advised upon request, was excellent, a 2010 Girolamo Russo A Rinas Rosso Etna Sicilia.  Yes, Italian again.  If 2011 was the year of the beet in Paris, 2012 surely must be the year of the Italian wine.  And yes, you do get an eclectic and tempting wine list from which to choose, although I think I remember the waiter asking if we wanted glasses delivered 'carte blanche' as well.

There you have it.  If Septime is so difficult to reserve, there is good reason.  We all saw how little effect the capture of Saddam turned out to be - caught hiding in a hole on a farmstead 10 miles south of Tikrit - except to make matters worse in the US counterinsurgency efforts.  Dinner at Septime had a more positive effect - a perfectly satisfying Friday night dinner out in the capital.  Parisians - including some celebrities - knew this already.

SEPTIME
80 rue de Charonne
Paris 11
tel. 01 43 67 38 29 

Dinner for 2 (55€ per person) + wine (38€) : 148€



Before bidding adieu for this installment, I should mention a couple of other very positive experiences leading up to the Septime return visit.  Two PRAB favorites- Fabrique 4 and Le Chateaubriand.  Which is another reason you haven't heard from me for a while.  Around the end of the year I seem to get a craving to go back.  I've already favorably reviewed both at this site, so I'll be brief.  Whereas Fabrique 4 was very good, Chateaubriand, as I have come to expect, was fantastic.

 

From Fabrique 4:

 

 

Tuna (main course) - 24.50€

Argentine entrecote (main course) - 26€

The main dishes were preceded by a plate of huitres a la flamande (14€) and a pancake de foie gras (15€), with desserts of creme brulee (9€) and cafe rizzotto (8.50€)

FABRIQUE 4

17, RUE BROCHANT

PARIS 17

TEL. 01 58 59 06 47

Dinner for two 3-course meals + wine (Pinot Noir '09, 30€) + 1 cafe : 127€

Here was the lineup for the 9 Nov. visit to Le Chateaubriand:

3 amuses bouche

Encornet, pomme de terre, raifort  (photo 1)

Cabillaud, pissenlits, agrumes (photo 2)

Pintade, navets, tandoori (photo 3)

Lait ribot, herbes, beurre noisette (photo 4)

Tocino del cielo (photo 4)

(with the option of replacing the last two items - dessert - with fromages du jour, a tough call).

And some of the results, albeit with blurry photos (I keep experimenting with different devices, and unfortunately, this test with a new camera app for my ASUS Transformer tablet didn't do the job, but you'll get the idea):

 

 

Works of art, and they tasted damn good as well.  That lait ribot and herbes plate - amazingly, for dessert - was epic.

LE CHATEAUBRIAND

129 Avenue Parmentier\

Paris 11 

Phone:01 43 57 45 95

Dinner for 2 (60€ per person for 8 courses, including 3 preludes) + wine (35€) : 155€

Notes:

1.   If you are in the mood to read a sad and tragic story, you could do worse than to read Thomas Ricks's Fiasco - The American Military Adventure in Iraq, which I finished around the time of these restaurant visits.  The title says it all.  And the aforementioned Paul Bremer doesn't come off very well - in fact, everybody hated him.

2.  I know I've been re-covering some old ground lately, but my list of new Paris eating establishments to try continues to grow, so keep checking as we get into the new year.  Just a reminder, that will be 2013.  Mark it on your calendar.  Before that, my annual end of year wrapup, coming soon to this very site.

3.  Any comments?  Comments, recommendations, gripes, etc. are more than welcome.  Just click on '(Aucune) Commentaire below.

April in Paris Wrapup - From Blech to Bravo

Back in Paris after my short swing through eastern Brittany, still dodging raindrops, but some catching up to do.  Fine eating is an integral part of life, but life is not all about eating, and indeed my recent Parisian cultural highlights bear mentioning, even if they entailed only the liquid variety of ingestion.  First there was the Ballet De L'Opera's homage to Jerome Robbins and a return of Mats Ek's Appartement.  The JR set may have been way too ballet retro for my own tastes, but the modern Appartement really hit the spot, especially the dances La Television, Marche des Aspirateurs, and Grand Pas de Deux, with the dancers accompanied onstage by he Fleshquartet.  Here's an idea, although in the video Alice Renavand (who I saw) is replaced by Sylvie Guillem.

Next up, I caught the rising star Sharon Van Etten at Point Ephemere.  If you've got to do, then you've got to do it, as expected, a terrific performance.  If you missed her and her band this time, she'll be back in Paris at La Maroquinerie on 24 May.

And now, on to the food.  Regular readers of this blog know I am a big fan of La Gazzetta, so it won't surprise you to hear that Co. and I had another terrific meal there, benefiting from Petter Nilsson's menu for the week of 26 April to 6 May.

 

What I like about Monsieur Nilsson is that he doesn't stop experimenting and creating - his 7-course meals are always inventive.  That means his dishes may include some misses, but mostly they are hits, including the Bouillie d'orties...(1st photo below) and the ravioles de carottes (2nd photo below).  Bravo.

 

 

 

LA GAZZETTA

29, rue de Cotte

75012 Paris

tel: 01 43 47 47 05   web: lagazzetta.fr 

Edging into May, despite this entry's pithy title, a reunion of sorts with The Moose, fresh in town from his worldly travels.  After the obligatory pit stop at that little bar across from the Verlain Hotel on rue St. Maur, heavy with Johnny Cash on the evening in question, we took the metro over to Le Marais and the little tanqueria (Mexican cantine) Candaleria, a few minutes walk from the Filles de Calvaire stop and the Cirque d'Hiver.  If Lefooding.com's weekly preferred restaurants link for the hip and wonderful local celebs is to be believed, Candaleria must be the place.  It was a bad sign when I peered through the restaurant's window and wondered where the restaurant was, because all I saw was a spatially-challenged version of a kebab carry-out, packed to the gills with the three or four stools at the counter taken, the two or three tables in the front filled with small groups of cute 20-somethings with no apparent intention to budge for the rest of the evening.  The rest of the place was occupied by diners standing with taco in hand.  The Moose quickly turned pale, but I lingered long enough to check out the chicken scratch on what apparently served as the menu on the wall and noticed that the tacos and tostados on view looked like the real deal.  Alas, another time.  Unseen from the rue de Saintonge location(but visible once you round the corner) is Candaleria's hidden, funky little lounge that specializes in varieties of tequilla, meaning I will most definitely be back.  And no, you can't grab your tacos from the front to eat in the lounge.

 

CANDALERIA

52 rue de Saintonge

75003 Paris  

 tel.: +33 (0) 1 42 74 41 28   web: http://www.candelariaparis.com/

On Moose's recommendation, we hied over to a Candaleria alternative just around the corner, another bar & restaurant Latino-American themed spot, Bodega Bay.  In the near empty dining room, absolutely vast by Candaleria standards, I made my way through a perfectly square seafood chimichanga Pacifico (12.50€), with a side order of gambas Santa Cruz (6.50€).  It only occurred to me the following day that the chimichanga was supposed to contain seafood.  In a nutshell, I can sum up the meal at Bodega Bay thusly: blech.  Not that I had any expectations - this was an 'I need food' situation, not a gastronomic exploration, but I should have known better as soon as I saw the two apparently Pakistani cooks in the kitchen.

 

BODEGA BAY

116, rue Amelot

75011 Paris

tel: 01 43 55 83 77      web:   http://www.bodega-bay.fr/

No need to end on a sour note, I am happy to report.  Co. and I finally made a long-delayed return visit to Fabrique 4 where the really young couple Jade and Thibault hold court.  I've previously reviewed F4, so no need to rehash the details, just a couple quick observations.  The newly remodeled (at least since our last visit) restaurant is handsome and welcoming, once you get past the locals drinking, smoking, and chatting with Thibault.  Co. and I, aged codgers that we are, typically reserve during the early 8 pm hour.  By 9 pm the small bistro still was nearly empty and we rued another quality establishment falling on undeserved hard times.  Nonetheless, the bus must have pulled up at 9:30 pm, because couple after couple started entering for dinner.  The moral of this story is that F4 gets rocking late.  The food doesn't reach the quality standard set by La Gazzetta, but we couldn't complain about our dinner, which makes it a hat trick, this being our third straight satisfying visit.  And the dishes are copious.  You won't leave F4 hungry, I assure you.

 

 

What you see below, in order: the original maquereaux/maki, gaspacho (a highlight, with its healthy dollops of tourteau (crab), the ample bouillabaisse F4, vol au vent, and the homemade rhubarb/strawberry tartelette.  You'll have to check out the cheesecake on your own - you won't be disappointed.  With a Cahors '09 carafe and no menu deals, the bill for two three-course dinners, wine, and an espresso to finish up came to 122€.  F4 - a nice spot to add to your list.

 

FABRIQUE 4
17 rue Brochant
75017 Paris
tel: 01 58 59 06 47     web:  http://www.fabrique4.com/

Paris Bests 2010 - Mortstiff Opens the Envelopes

Where were my all-around most satisfying Paris restaurant experiences in 2010? I’m glad you asked. Here they are, more or less in order of preference. Each links to the more complete reviews. Three-way tie for number 5 – these were restaurants that may not have been at the starry-eyed Michelin level, but where I had some really tasty meals and I want to go back in 2011. Good enough.

Top Five (or Seven)

1. L'Agrume – best smile in Paris, surprising fixed menus,
great price/quality. Two trips, both equally great.



2. Le Chateaubriand – I said it before, I’ll say it again – best meal I had all year in a Paris restaurant. Hip and noisy (the atmosphere), multi-course meal with plenty of experimentation and unique ingredients. Possible to get a table! Possible to get a table!

3. La Gazzetta - Rounds out my favorite fixed-menu triumvirate, fresh offbeat combinations – sea urchin and beet, oysters under crushed tomato. Take me back, sweet viginie.

4. Rino – Not the pinnacle as I had been led to expect, but still the best rouget I’ve ever had. Some work on dessert and who knows how high we go next time.

5. Lilane / Fabrique 4 / La Beure Noisette – decisions, decisions:
Lilane for being so unexpectedly good and laid back.
Fabrique 4 for its potential.
La Beure Noisette for the old-timey bistrot feel – we got in the last day before their renovation, so the return should be revealing.



Honorable Mentions

Yam ‘Tcha – Innovative, fresh cooking with an Asian twist. Would have made
top five (or eight?) if they hadn’t kicked us out in the pouring rain to wait and if they hadn’t dramatically raised their prices as soon as they got that star. Rename Yam ‘Tsk?

La Table d’Eugene – I know it was good, but not as memorable as my first visits there.

Le Gaigne - see above. Very good meal near Beaubourg, I'm just sorry I don't remember it better.

Ze Kitchen Galerie – Would have been listed if I had actually eaten there in 2010. Shocked to realize I never got around to it. That will be corrected in ’11.

Biggest Disappointments -better luck next time . . . if there is a next time.

Pramil - Rated at TripAdvisor as number 14 out of 6354 restaurants in Paris. It's good, but it's not that good. I would go so far as to say nothing to write home about. I did write, to TripAdvisor, and they quickly pulled my critique. Boo to TripAdvisor and their censors.

L'Aromatik - They try, but my ears are still ringing from the din, and the bloody summer heat reminds me of an evening spent in hell.

Au Petit Marguery - just couldn't get into those wild birds.

Random Bit(e)s
Lafayette Gourmand, Blvd Haussmann - a mind-boggling cornucopia of colors and aromas, including two of my favorite spots in Paris:

Best Take-Away Thai - Blue Elephant stand at the food court. You'll want one of everything. They also have a chain of restaurants in major world cities. The one in Paris is at 43-45 rue de la Roquette (Bastill) - worth a visit?

Best Alcohol Selection - Bibliotheque du Vin, Lafayette Gourmand, Blvd Haussmann.
Why they stopped carrying my favorite single malt, Bunnahabhain, I do not know, but there are many alternatives. And where else can you purchase a bottle of Remy Martin cognac Louis XIII dans sa carafe for a mere 29,080€?

Le Gaigne - Another Winner

Le Gaigne, close enough to the French 'gagner' (to win) and 'gagnant' (winner) to project a boastful, winning facade even before one enters, but the name itself is reference to owner and chef with the strong pedigree and substantial CV, Mickael Gaignon.

Am I detecting a pattern here? Small storefront restaurant just off the beaten path of a trendy quarter (I counted a mere 12 tables at Le Gaigne), run by a dynamic and young couple - he of culinary expertise manning the kitchen, she of efficient and amiable hosting and serving in the dining room, evidence of a creative flair in the dishes (sometimes a hit, sometimes a miss, but who's counting?), fresh produce, unique ingredients, modestly priced menus and a decent price/quality rapport. If this reminds you of some of my previous reviews (see Fabrique 4, L'Agrume), then I rest my case.

Co. and I reached Le Gagne, which sits on the edge of the Marais, following a leisurely stroll that commenced at the Forum Les Halles. Three or four blocks along rue Rambuteau, past Beaubourg (Pompidou Center), navigating around the hordes of tourists in the center of Paris on a mild Friday, August evening, past the little cheesecake shop that I fortunately espied for the first time (but certainly not the last), one reaches the tiny rue Pecquay and the now off-white restaurant Le Gaigne. Lucky enough to reserve on their last weekend before the restaurant joins everyone else on vacation until the end of August, I wasn't expecting much of a crowd during our meal, bearing in mind that a 'crowd' in Le Gagne would comprise about 20 patrons. And as it turned out, as we entered around 8:30 pm. we had our choice of all but one table, the one occupied by a sole woman contentedly already having begun her first course, working on an especially difficult New York Times crossword puzzle (I'm still only half done myself). Well, it didn't take long for the restaurant to fill up, until only one tiny, lonely table remained unoccupied, it's intended diners having bailed without notice, much to the chagrin of the couples, sans reservation, who were turned away during the course of the evening.

Le Gaigne's carte changes on the first of each month, but can be consulted online prior to one's visit (September's will appear on August 31). The relatively short August menu, a continuation of July's for obvious reasons (August only equals one week in this case) nonetheless posed more than one difficult choice dilemma, easily leading us to opt for the 5-course menu degustation. I guess I can gripe about the fact that Le Gaigne doesn't offer the standard menu for dinner (lunch offers a 17€ two-plate menu and 23€ three-plater), but the 42€ menu degustation is a great deal, and relatively speaking, the far better alternative to ala carte. For an additional 17€, your dishes come accompanied by three glasses of wine (Sancerre 'Les Grands Champs' blanc, Cotes de Brouilly 'Les Muses', and a Muscat de Rivesaltes 'Chateau les Pins'). Never having understood the point of vin blanc, I went the traditional route and selected a Bourgogne Pinot Noir (29€) and was glad I did.

On to the food. Up first was a millefeuille de legumes aux olives noires de
Kalamata, a delicately prepared entree that was summer refreshing, with (if memory serves me correctly) pieces of cauliflower, green beans, and eggplant (see photo - the one I got without anyone looking). I don't think the payoff warranted the obvious amount of preparation that went into this dish, but it was a more than functional start. As is often the case with menu degustations, portions often are about mid-size what you can expect if you just order the damn dish off the carte, but happily, M. Gaignon didn't scimp here, but instead presented the full-size version. This was followed by a plate consisting of two croquettes de queue et pied de veau au curry, requettes et amandes fraiches, salade de sucrine et lange de veau (try saying that five times in a row as quickly as you can). Not a veal eater myself, I was granted permission to exchange dish 2 with one of the following from the ala carte menu: (a) Filets de sardine farcis d'une creme d'avocat a la brunoise de radis et concombre, artichaut poivrade marine, or (b) Poelee de champignons du moment, marmelade d'oignons de Trebons, omelette aux oeufs bio de la ferme de Champignolles. I was torn, and sans coin in my pocket, drum roll please, I chose (b). Bingo - this was a terrific dish, the taste growing in complexity as I delved deeper, the rectangular slab of omelette with onion marmelade topping providing a nice counterbalance to the mushrooms. A highlight.

Moving on to stage 3, the fish dish, which consisted of a relatively small filet de daurade cuit au plat et brandade, coulis de persil, pommes-de-terre grenaille mitraille aux oignons nouveaus. I really appreciated the complements to the fish with crispy skin intact, a tasty mound of brandade and the accompanying dish of small rounded potatoes with persil and 'new' (whatever that means) tasty onions. Dish four was perhaps the most inventive - Lapin en trois facons, aubergines grillees, poelee de courgettes. None of the three rabbit preparations looked anything like you would imagine a rabbit dish, and without attempting to describe them, please just take my word for it. Another hit. At this point in the festivities, one has the option to take a cheese detour with a nuage de camembert fermier, but it'll cost you an additional 3€ supplement (M. Gaignon, come on, why not just throw it in the deal?). I overheard the crossword woman really raving about this dish to a couple of guys at the next table, and if I had still been hungry, and a little less drunk, I would have sprung for it and been in a position to explain what the fuss was about. To finish up, for dessert we received a plate of peches pochees, parfait glace a la verveine, meringue et noisettes caramelisees. Call me strange, please, but I am not a big fan of peaches. Still, even beyond the half poached peach (try saying that . . ., oh forget it) there was enough about this rather original dish to keep it interesting, especially the minty verveine leaf and the caramelized nuts.

Overall, a very satisfying, relaxing, August meal in the up and coming storefront category of the Parisian gastronomique scene. I'm looking forward to checking out the changing Le Gaigne cartes, once this summer vacation nonsense is over and done with. [Two menu degustation, wine, and one cafe totaled 115.50€]

LE GAIGNE
12, Rue Pecquay
75004 Paris
tel: 01 44 59 86 72
www.restaurantlegaigne.fr

Fabrique 4 – No Reservation

Fabrique 4, or Bistrot F 4 for the more conceptual reader, is a tiny, funky little bistrot in a thriving corner of the 17th. It is in good company, with one of Paris Restaurants and Beyond’s favorites, La Bigarrade, just around the corner, and the overflowing Bloc bar/café a few doors away. It didn’t hurt that Friday evening happened to be one of those rarities in Paris – the weather was nice!: still sunny and mild at 8:30 pm, the hint of a full moon on the horizon, and weekend revelers packing the streets in search of a boisson and a bite. Co. and I were greeted outside F 4 by a youthful couple lazing around at one of the marble tables lined up in front of the façade. The casual duo turned out not to be a couple of layabout Parisian university students as first glance suggested, but F 4 co-owners Jade et Thibault, another pair of conjoint restaurateurs who seem to be spreading throughout the capital. Trust me, I have nothing against youth – I used to be one myself, and anyway, give them another 20 or 30 years and they will be as decrepit as me. It just so happens that these talented neophytes are infusing some imaginative culinary flair into the Paris restaurant scene. It’s understandable that the F 4 duo were relaxing in the waning moments of sunshine, because once they ushered us inside to a corner table for 5, the serious work of the evening kicked into full force.

The F 4 carte is a bit conceptual, with the ‘Food F’ starting off the list of choices: sashimi de boeuf (with roquette salad and parmesan) and a salade Ceasar au gambas, either of which could serve as an entrée or main dish. Next category, clear-cut entrees, comprised the ‘be 4’ category, with options consisting of the likes of foie gras mi-cuit and asperges a la flamande. Then it’s on to the main plates, surf (‘Waters’) or turf (‘Pattes,’ as in paws), with four options available in each category. ‘Happy ends’ rounds out the menu with a choice of--you guessed it--four desserts. Co. and I opted for the two Food Fs, respectively. Great start – Co. waxed effusively over the tenderness of the sashimi beef (10€) – a copious lineup of thinly sliced meat squares with a cornichon, orange, and mayonaise sauce running alongside - a sashimi dish that is rare in French restaurants. Meanwhile, my dish consisted of 3 sizable grilled gambas, on a bed of bulgar grain and young green asparagus, a dollop of anchovy butter, and a few slices of toasted baguette (16€). This was definitely a tasty dish, but I didn’t understand the point of the toast – the slices were hard and uninteresting, as if Thibault had forgotten to add the garlic and butter, which would have served as a more logical accompaniment to the gambas.

On to our main plate dishes. Red mullet is one of my favorites and so it was no surprise I picked the rouget with risotto, a quite satisfying option (15€). Co. continued her carnivorish ways, literally having a cow with her selection of ribs de boeuf (17€), two large slabs of meaty bones—the meat she once again praised for its tendresse—along with vegetables and some lightly fried potato squares. To finish up, my happy ending was happier than Co's happy ending, with a far superior fondant of chocolate with an accompanying nuts/syrup guilty pleasure concoction (6€) vis-à-vis Co’s somewhat perplexing tiramisu (6€). The wine list is short but sweet, with several reasonably priced, interesting bottles. We opted for the unfamiliar St. Pourçain 2008, a red strongly reminiscent of Chinon (24€), bringing the total to a reasonable 94€.

The F 4 interior consists of chandeliered modernity – two chandeliers hanging overhead the stylish tables and bar, with a nicely chosen Impressionistic painting running along the far wall. I counted five tables inside, and five out, which makes reserving essential - don't be misled by this entry's title, I refer to those who didn't get to eat. Jade must have turned away a steady stream of somewhere between 20 and 30 youthful patrons throughout the evening who were hoping to be seated despite the full house inside and out. No second serving, no taking advantage of the empty space inside to set up some more tables. It was pretty clear that the dynamic Jade/Thibault duet was one that played to its own demanding limits. (Jade later explained that in lieu of the five outside tables during the cold weather months, they cram in enough extra seats to accommodate 27 – how they do that I cannot fathom, although I have vague images of an endless stream of clowns pouring out of a VW). In short, F 4 merits a return visit. We’re not in Michelin country, but you could do worse. It will be interesting to follow Thibault’s future creations.

FABRIQUE 4
17 rue Brochant
75017 Paris
tel. +33 1 58 59 06 47
website