2013 - End of the Line

As the hours tick down to Jan. 1, it's time to put a wrap on 2013.  I had a bad feeling about '13' last year at this time and I was right.  Was 2013 a shitty year or what?  Anyway, as commissioner, owner, president, and CEO of this here  restaurant blog, it is my duty to provide my readers with something I am sure they are waiting for regarding 2013 - closure.  So without further adieu, some highlights and lowlights, from my own personal, egocentric, and biased perspective.  I promise to keep this short and sweet and keep my fingers crossed for good things in 2014.

• Bones - despite all the hype, I liked this new entry into the Paris bar/tapas/bistrot scene anyway.  Co. was less than impressed, but I'm looking forward to a return trip.

• Alain Milliat - way over there near the Eiffel Tower, this venue has a lot of potential.  Small but innovative dishes.

• 6 Paul Bert - Paul Bert has expanded into more gastronomic country.  This may have been my  favorite new venue of the year.

• For tapas, Mary Celeste rose to the top of the list.  Innovative food and drinks, lively place.  Braisenville didn't reach those heights, but there's something intriguing about braised tapas.

• L'Apibo - enjoyable late summer dinner, bears watching.

• The grilled fish in Lisbon.  I want more.

•  Les Caves du Roy (31 Rue Simart, 75018 Paris) - finally I find a place that sells bitters for my martinis.  And where else in Paris can you find Aviation, Citadelle, and 6 Ravens gins (for the martinis)?  And speaking of the Ravens - the ones from Baltimore, that is - thanks for bringing the Lombardi trophy back to my original starting point Baltimore (Super Bowl 2013).

• The Splendid Table - with nothing else to listen to on the radio on Sunday mornings, this show really fills a void (via TuneIn's WNYC feed on my tablet).  Lynne Rossetto Kasper's laugh and other vocal mannerisms are nerve wrenching, but boy does she know food, or does she know food?  http://www.splendidtable.org/

• My new Fang laptop and Nexus 7 tablet.

• Old favorite: Les Magnolias. . . keep on truckin'.

• Le Gaigne - RIP.  Why, why, why?  Please come back, as you promise online.

• La Gazzetta - au revoir chef Petter Nilsson, who returns to Sweden.  Bienvenue to  Luigi Nastri, who has big shoes to fill

• Mansouri - I remember when this was a very good couscous restaurant.  Not any more.

• Mama Shelter - interesting place, lively bar, blah food.

• Septime - such a great restaurant, such a nightmare to reserve.

Au Revoir 2013, less than 7 hours to go.  And don't come back.

“Top of the world, Ma!” - Bests 2011

In fact, before that gas tank explodes in White Heat, James Cagney actually yells, “Made it, Ma. Top of the world!” But let's not nitpick. It's that time again, actually, it's 10 days past that time again, to name my top five restaurants of the year, in this case 2011. Hard to believe, but Paris Restaurants and Beyond is now entering its fourth year, with somewhere around 80 or so restaurants reviewed, so I first have to give myself an award for keeping with it. Congratulations, me. It would be nice to hear from more readers, especially with your own recommendations, but I know, you are shy and I don't want to press you. I'm happy you come to this site and welcome your contributions.



As mentioned in previous PR and B 'best of' installments, I have no claim to suggest that any restaurants named here are in fact the 'best' restaurants, which would be a ridiculous claim to verify anyway - only that my best meals outside my own kitchen were found in the venues listed. 'Best' for me includes originality from the chef, fresh and inventive ingredients, and an overall enjoyable and memorable experience, the latter of which includes conviviality, atmosphere, and service from staff and fellow diners. Without further ado, here are my top five for 2011 (full reviews and addresses by clicking the relevant links in the 'restaurants reviewed to date' list to the right):



1. Le Gaigne - two really terrific dinners at Le Gaigne in 2011. I don't know why we don't hear or read more about this little gem situated between Beaubourg and the Marais, but the menus degustation for the two visits were inventive and completely satisfying. You've read my reviews, now check out another from the One Spoonful at a Time blog. Le Gaigne is tiny, but chef/owner Mickael Gaignon performs some grand magic in his kitchen.



2. La Gazzetta - regular readers of this blog should not be surprised by this choice, as I have been praising the restaurant since 2010.



3. Chateaubriand - I wouldn't go so far as to agree that this is the best restaurant in Paris, as has been claimed, but it's damn good. Multi-dishes pass before you in a blur, creative and hip, but alas, some of those dishes are just too tiny for their own good. And they are good.



4. Septime - This new addition to my 'go to' Paris restaurant list, along with Chatomat, were the most promising restaurants I dined at in 2011. Not great, but enough to suggest that they may soon be. I really enjoyed my dinner, particularly at Septime, last Fall, but it's hard to jump to conclusions after just one visit. I'm really looking forward to the next time.



5. Chatomat - see no. 4 above, and it's true, I did call this one 'great' in my review. In retrospective, let me just amend that by saying 'we'll see.'





Co., my dining cohort, is pretty much in agreement with these choices, although she'd probably nudge Septime or Chatomat from their mutual slots to include La Table D'Eugene, one of her personal favorites.



Best tapas - Aux Deux Amis - chaotic and crazy in the early evening. That herring ended up on the floor, but too much fun to care. And even the simple tapas were fresh and memorable.





Best oyster restaurant - Le Pleine Mer. 'Restaurant' may be stretching it, but there's no denying this is one of the top, if not the top 'o the world, places to eat oysters in Paris, especially if you are seeking authenticity down by the seashore in the heart of Paris.



Best online shopping for Mexican condiments - Dos Mexicanas, hands down. Based in Villepinte (France metropolitan). Sauces, hot peppers, chipotle, you name it. Great selection, reasonable prices, and I've already received orders within one or two days of ordering online.



Best movie about food: El Bulli - Cooking In Progress. This documentary about Ferran Adrià's majestic, but alas now closed, greatest restaurant in the world is mesmerizing from the opening shot of Adrià tasting a flourescent lollipop, to the final close-ups of the 38 dishes served during a typical meal. The film covers the six months the El Bulli team spent in their experimental labs in Barcelona, and follows the evolution of the new menu items for the restaurant's upcoming season in Roses, Spain. At one point during the experimental phase, Adrià tells his chefs, 'Don't worry about the quality of the taste, it must be magical!'



Disappointments of the Year - there were a number of these, although if you're not expecting much (see Millesimes 62, La Cerisaie, and Tintilou), it would be unfair to classify a venue as disappointing. But when Frenchie and JaJa get so many rave reviews (albeit 'rave' is an exaggeration for JaJa), disappointment definitely does apply. People talk about Frenchie like it's the bees-knees, so maybe I hit a bad night, but I was distinctly underwhelmed. And as for Jaja, fuggedaboutit.

Septime - Settling For Better

I don't know what it is about this time of year, but people in the capital are definitely more frazzled than usual - the streets, stations, and trains are more packed than ever; the weather has that ambiguous seasonal mix that spells 'blah'; and the Parisian disposition seems to be especially ornery - or maybe it's just me. Anyway, as a fellow diner at Le Gaigne astutely observed around the end of another exceptionally satisfying meal at that venue, 'You're lucky to be living here!' And after back-to-back weekends of excellent dinners at Septime and the aforementioned Le Gaigne, I would have to agree.

As I've already done my due diligence regarding Le Gaigne, I turn my focus in this installment on Septime, another one of those hot bistrots of the moment that many have been raving about. And when that happens, my warning antennae start signaling caution. I've been to enough over-hyped, over-priced bistrots in Paris to know that the raves often can result in a significant letdown - good, but not good enough. In fact, among the many raves for Septime are more than a few 'disappointed/decu' customer comments, and I must admit, I wasn't expecting much. Yet, as this review's title suggests, this time I settled for better than expected. Other than my personal gripe at not having a mise-en-bouche, the meal was thoroughly satisfying from the opening entree to the understated, yet epic, dessert.

Septime is a venue that I took a quick liking to as soon as Co. and I were guided into the far dining room, which sported that uncanny combination of unfinished/ modern, with a rustic far wall sporting a long horizontal mirror, an iron spiral staircase, potted plants embellishing the large storefront window looking out on rue de Charonne, and a young, upbeat and friendly waitstaff. Yes, we eased into our wooden butcher block square of a table and were quickly handed a little clipboard on which a sparse carte of offerings was attached. This was a no-brainer, a 5-course 55€ 'menu' consisting of a sampling of items from the a la carte offerings selected by 30-year-old chef Bertrand Grebaut. A basket of mouth-watering country bread (did I just say 'mouth-watering'?) arrived at the table shortly before our 35€ Pinot Noir Binner. I love good bread and here there was no complaint.







This is where my review breaks down - blame it too much Pinot, blame it on interference from my dinner at Le Gaigne last night, blame it on the Macarena - but details as to our particular dishes are lacking in my memory networks. I took some photos, but they really don't do justice to the dishes, so I've just added a couple from other sites. Here's what I can tell you: the meal got off to an interesting start with a light combination of delicate scallops with cresson. This was a subtle dish whose pleasures slowly snuck up on me. It wasn't the highlight of the meal by any means, but a sign that chef Grebaut has a talent for bringing forth flavors without overcomplicating a meal. Let's just say elegantly simple. The opener was followed by couteaux and beurres des herbes arrayed in a long narrow shell. This dish was perfumed and tasty (what the hell, here's my photo.



Now for some professional images from redvisitor:










Next up was a rouget dish accompanied by topinambour--the Jerusalem artichoke has made its way to every Parisian kitchen on the planet--and cabbage, another home run. Next, poulette de patis/racines - if you're thinking there isn't much you can do with chicken that hasn't already been done, you should have tried this. Not exceptionally creative, yet the meat was succulent and plentiful. Yes, when I say plentiful, it was nice to have a tasting menu for a change that consisted of more than microscopic dishes. All I can remember about the dessert - maybe it was the pinot afterall - is that when I saw the little block of chocolate and mango accompaniment, my first words to Co. were along the lines of 'not very interesting.' Wrong. This was one of those dishes that starts out slow and quickly builds to a crescendo. By the end, I noticed that both Co. and I were still scraping the plate with our spoons to get that last drop. That's always a good sign.

I wish I could relate more about the specific plates, but this is another one of those places with rapidly changing menus - no complaint, change is a good thing, of course. But in the wake of Le Gaigne's killer dinner last night, it's kind of difficult to think of anything but. Nonetheless, Septime reminded me more than a little of Le Chateaubriand, one of my favorites, so I'm looking forward to a return visit. Why 'Septime'? Check out this video link. The film was Le Grand Restaurant, and the character played by Louis de Funès aspired to open a 'great restaurant' called Septime. Monsieur Grebaut is obviously a film buff, and in his case, life imitates art.

SEPTIME
80 rue de Charonne
75011 Paris
tel: 01 43 67 38 29
no website

Millésimes 62 - Middle of the Road

What to do when you need a place to eat in close proximity to Gare du Montparnasse? Well, if you know Paris, that's kind of a stupid question, because there are eateries coming up the wazoo. But this was the situation I was in, looking for a decent, last minute spot after picking up Co. at the station. La Cerisaie would have been perfect, just a hop, skip, and a jump outside the door of the station, but if you checked my last review, you know, been there, done that, and I didn't much like it. I thought of some of the famous Montparnasse brasseries like La Coupole and Le Bistrot du Dome, but I wasn't really up for the atrocious price/quality ratio they promised.

Now, how I came upon Millesimes 62, I cannot recall, but my 2008 Pudlo Paris guide recommended it highly, to wit: "Elegant and charming, flavorsome and vinic." I ask you, who the hell says "vinic"? I read somewhere what a great guide the Pudlo is (not so humbly named after its author, Gilles Pudlowski). Let me be the first to correct that. The Pudlo may not be the worst restaurant guide I have on hand, but it's pretty close. In fact, why mince words? It's lousy. Yet, ever in need of confirmation of my numerous, strongly-held opinions, I gave benefit to the doubt and reserved at M62. Situated elegantly and charmingly in an imposing batiment at the Place de Catalogne, right down the bvd Pasteur from the station, we were vinically welcomed by the friendly maitre-d Jean-Marc. I said 'Bonjour," Jean-Marc responded in English, always a bad start for your's truly. We were guided to an artifact-rich, nicely appointed dining room, which somehow gave me the impression that I was on someone's elegant and charming yacht. I don't know what gave me that nautical impression, but there was hint of a curiously unpleasant aroma in the room, probably attributed to an overly exuberant cleaning product.

I'm afraid my memory of the meal itself, unfortunately, is not as vivid in my long-term memory as Jean-Marc, the nautical ambiance, and the weird smell. We opted, as we are wont to do, for the three course menu, modestly priced at 29€. Co. was underwhelmed by her crumble de chevre chaud, sirop a la tomate. I fared better with a tartare de saumon. As for the main plates, check out my award-winning accompanying photos. To tell you the truth, I can't remember what the hell Co. ordered, nor can she, but I think it is very probable that she partook of the poitrine de canard roti, carmel d'epices. Whatever, her main dish came in a nice little container, with a nice boring half tomato on the side. I am afraid that her selection was neither flavorsome nor vinic. I selected the filet de bar a la plancha, courgettes confites (with a 1€50 supplement, quoi?). I remember the rather crispy skin of the fish and the rather tasty meat, but for some reason I had the impression it was taking me forever to finish the damn dish. I kept talking, eating, and drinking, as per habitude, yet the fish never seemed to diminish in size. There were desserts, and whatever they were, I'm sure they were okay. Co's impression of the whole Gestalt was decidedly more negative than mine, but basically let's just say the meal was nothing to write home about, wherever home may be. Too bad, because the Millesimes team really seem to be making a concerted effort to succeed. The aforementioned aroma notwithstanding, they've got an elegant and charming, and perhaps at times vinic, bar and dining room, they offer money-off discounts online, and the staff is friendly enough. Now if they could just do something to perk up the food, they might be on to something. (The bill: 87.50€, including a 28€ bottle of St Nicolas Bourgueil.)






May was a washout for me keeping up this blog, but a few eating experiences to point out before bringing this installment to a close. I'm not much of a lunch guy when it comes to dining out, yet circumstance--some non-French visitors during the month--required that I scope out a few spots in unfamiliar quarters for lunch. My research pointed me to two venues that more than proved to be up to the task. The first was just off the Champs-Elysee, near the Etoile, and around where my visiting companion was holed up in a 600€/night hotel. Not far away I found the small bistrot Oscar (still referred to as Bistrot Bizet in outdated guidebooks). We had a nice private table next to the opened facade, kind of half in/half out and had a very satisfying three-course lunch menu, a bit pricey at about 35€ per person with two glasses of wine a piece, but copious, and as I have always advised, if you can afford a 600€/night hotel room, you can afford a 35€ lunch. Oscar proved to be everything an extended lunch (over two hours) in Paris is supposed to be.

The second worthy lunch of note was around the eastern edge of Paris in the 20th, La Boulangerie. Just in town from the US left coast's sunny California via NYC to an overcast Paris, my companion and myself ambled over to La Boulangerie, one of those spots that has long been on my 'to do' list since Time Out Paris used to have a little English section in Pariscope. La Boulangerie met all the necessary requirements for a welcome to Paris lunch--a genial staff and full house, and well prepared three-course menu. Affordably priced 17€ menus, three glasses of wine, and two cafes came to a measly 54.50 for two. With savings like that, you'll have plenty left over to check out that 600€ hotel, if that's your cup of tea.

Just to add,the highlights of the month of May were two dinners at a couple favorites: La Gazzetta and Le Gaigne. Go there now.

MILLÉSIMES 62
Sandrine & Stephane Savorgnan
13/15 place de Catalogne
75014 Paris
tel. 01 43 35 35 35
website

OSCAR
6, rue de Chailoot
75116 Paris
tel. 01 476 20 26 92

LA BOULANGERIE
15 rue des Panoyaux
75020 Paris
tel. 01 43 58 45 45

Le Gaigne - Good Things Come in Small Packages

My first visit to Le Gaigne last August had that ‘we’re closing for vacation tomorrow and may never come back’ feel about it, which is why I relegated the restaurant to my honorable mention list for 2010 but no higher. I vaguely remember at least half the tables unoccupied, an above average though not particularly exceptional meal, and not much more except for the suspicion that no one really had their heart in it. Well, last night’s return visit left a distinctly different impression – a restaurant nearly at the top of its game, full-speed ahead, damn the torpedoes mode.

When I say that good things come in small packages, I mean that literally - Le Gaigne’s storefront restaurant on the quiet rue Pecquay off the far busier Rambuteau is so small, that squeezing into it and your place at the table is not unlike trying to zip up your tightest pair of jeans after binging during the Xmas season. I counted seating capacity at about 20, with the distinct impression there were twice as many diners. Each time another couple of patrons entered what I thought (my back to most of the other tables) was a filled to capacity room, I was afraid the damn place was going to burst. All those winter coats and other rainy, gloomy January accessories (umbrellas, scarves, etc.) added to the bloated feel, which is probably why things felt a lot airier in the summer. But it wasn’t just that, everything looked and felt more elegant than it had during the first trip - the seating, the lighting, the spiral staircase leading to the cave just to my left, a precarious juxtaposition two-thirds into the bottle of the Co.-preferred light but tasty 2008 Anjou Village Rouge - Chateau la Francaie (21€).

The 5-course menu dégustation (42€) could not be forsaken - after checking on line, I noticed I missed out on last month's, which looked even better, but ended on Jan. 10. As it turns out, I doubt if it could have surpassed what we ended up with; to wit:

1. Tartelette d'endives parfumées au citron de Sicile, chèvre meringué
2. Gougère aux escargots du pré de Mme Liège à la sauce soubise, salade de laitue, crème d'ail rose
3. Saint-Jacques d'Erquy poêlées au beurre de thym, royale de crabe à l'encre de
seiche, purée de topinambour
4. For Co.: Queue de Boeuf (origine France) braisée au vin rouge, cassolette de
navets boule; for me: Suprême rôti de Chapon fermier du Gers, sa cuisse en
bonbon croustillant, légumes racines et potiron d'or et carottes de couleur à la
marjolaine
5. Nuage de Brie de Meaux, mesclun aux noisettes (Supplément 3€)
6. La Pomme dans tous ses états

It's difficult to say which dish was the more memorable, but I had the distinct impression the meal sort of built to a crescendo by #4. I was wowed by the roti de chapon, very succulent, the taste enhanced by the cubed vegetables spiced with marjoram and nested inside a hollowed-out miniature pumpkin, but the pan fried Saint-Jacques (scallops) were an inspiration, cooked in squid ink and mired in a puree of Jerusalem artichoke. I detected a couple of states missing in the dessert promising the apple in all its states, but the multi-tiered oval of cooked and raw apple hit the spot.

Co. and I shared the supplemental (3€) cheese dish - a wisp of light, spreadable Brie and greens, if anything, the one disappointment of the evening in terms of the food. There were a couple other downsides which bear mention - no amuse bouche, a miscue in my book. And although the pace of delivery of our plates began to slow as the evening progressed and the sole, young, comely blond server began to attend to latecomers, the wait became so interminable between the cheese and dessert that I was wondering if Waiting for Godot shouldn't have been titled Waiting for Giagnon (the 27-year-old chef Mickaël Giagnon). The table of four Americans to my right received increasing attention as they ordered their third or fourth bottle of wine. I guess that's understandable, c'est la vie.

The bill for two menu degustation (definitely the way to go in my humble opinion), plus wine and cheese (for one) came to par for the course: 108€ - a bargain that any reasonable fooding fan should not let pass.

LE GAIGNE
12 rue Pecquay
75004 Paris
tel: 01 44 59 86 72
website: http://restaurantlegaigne.fr
Closed: Sunday & Monday

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€?

La Dinée – Rentrée Reprise

Exactly a year ago I raved about a late August dinner at La Dinée, which sits in the impossible to park except during late August, 15th arrondissement. In an effort to repeat history, Co. and I returned last (Friday) night. Once again, the crowd was sparse - and here I expected that this blog would have had hordes of eager diners lining up at the door. Well, if this blog has had any effect on La Dinée's under the radar success on the Paris restaurant scene, it wasn't apparent during our visit, as only one other table was occupied, unfortunately, by a persistently yapping foursome who seemed unduly obsessed by Montreal. To be fair, these were the first days back from the conges annuel, so the sparse crowd was understandable.

To make a long story short, overall I'd have to say that you still can expect to have an above average meal at Dinée, though perhaps not nearly as transcendent as I suggested a year ago. And it's going to cost you more. Maybe this blog has had an impact after all, though not quite what I had in mind. What once was a rather steep 41€ 3-course menu has risen to an even steeper 47€, with no apparent rise in kitchen creativity, and still no amuse-bouche. Compare than with La Gagne's terrific 5-course menu degustation priced at 42€, or Les Magnolias' far more original 3-course 57€ menu, and you have to wonder what justifies Dinée's pricing policy (there is a less expensive 2-plate alternative at 39€). And to top things off, our 35€ Bourgeuil's (2007) worthiness was only distinguished by its unworthiness. A disappointing, from my standpoint, Brochette de caille aux épices des Indes, taboulé de maïs entree was offset by Co's very good, lemony Poêlée de chipirons aux citrons et tomates confites, salade d'herbettes au parmesan. I accidentally got some of my caille into some of Co's lemon (guilty!), and guess what? It improved.

No complaints regarding the main plates: for me, Suprême de pintade, tombée de chou frisé aux lardons et escargots (nice idea, adding the escargot to the moist poultry); for Co., Daurade royale à la peau croustillante, risotto aux haricts de soja vert (whose success was enhanced by an interesting orange-based sauce). My highlight came at dessert, Tarte fondante au chocolat, sorbet cacao - everything you could ever ask from chocolate and 'more!'; Co's Soupe de fraises, glace au fromage blanc et spéculos - refreshing for a warm summer night, but not much more.
In short, my thumbs are still up for La Dinée, but there are better deals to be had in town.


LA DINÉE
85, rue Leblanc
75015 Paris
tel: 01 45 54 20 49
website: www.restaurant-ladinee.com

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