Years later, shortly after moving here, I met a woman at a party who turned out to be the food editor for TimeOut Paris. I asked her, as I’m sure everyone does, to recommend one really special place that I could afford. After a moment of appraisal (in which she might have seen that I was both eager and broke), she decided upon le Bistrot Paul Bert.

Click here to continue reading… or click here to see what happens when I discover my computer’s “movie maker” software after sharing three bottles at le Paul Bert.

]]> http://megzimbeck.com/2010/01/le-bistrot-paul-bert/feed/ http://megzimbeck.com/2010/01/chez-la-vieille/ http://megzimbeck.com/2010/01/chez-la-vieille/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:42:23 +0000 Meg http://megzimbeck.com/?p=2158
I first learned about this tiny bistro from Hungry for Paris, that excellent book of bedtime stories by Alexander Lobrano. He recounts, in the review of Chez la Vieille,  the story of his first encounter with the namesake old lady (Adrienne Biasin), as well as the things (classic dishes, cheek-pinching) that came from her hand.

My first meal there was memorable for reasons that had nothing to do with the food. The evening began with a visit to (the soon-to-be) Spring restaurant on the rue Bailleul, where I found the construction site overrun by models and wolves. As the fashion shoot was winding down, Daniel Rose proposed a late dinner across the street. He punched in the door code (required to gain entry), and we entered a time machine that took us forty years into the past. I tried to keep my mouth closed as I took in the scene: faux wood paneling on both the walls and the bar… a clock that would not have been out of place at my grandparents’ country club in South Dakota… and Juliette Binoche.

>>read the rest of this review at The Girls’ Guide to Paris

But perhaps there’s another reason for my tardy arrival at the door of chef William Ledeuil: his reviews were, and still are, very mixed. More than perhaps any other restaurant in Paris, ZKG divides its diners into fans and full-on haters. After two recent visits, once for lunch and once for the dinner degustation, I find myself (surprised to be) counted among the fans.

>>read the rest of this review at The Girls’ Guide to Paris

In a city with so many incredible restaurants to try, repeat visits are a sure sign of love. Until this week, I could count on one hand the places to which I’ve returned more than three times: Spring, Frenchie, L’Avant Comptoir, Le Baratin and the crêperie Josselin. Chez Michel, the Breton bistro near Gare du Nord, has just joined the ranks and forced me to open a second hand.

My fourth visit on a frozen December evening was nearly perfect. Having arrived early, I waited for my friend with a glass of Cerdon - a sparkling pink wine that’s rarely seen in restaurants (€6). The extra time was devoted to studying both the printed menu and the lengthy chalk-drawn list of specials.

Chez Michel is a single restaurant with many very different ways to dine. The foundation of any experience is the prix fixe menu with three courses for €32. It includes plenty of good pork and seafood options, with 8 starters, 6 mains and 7 desserts. You could stick to the plan and be very happy with a good fish soup, a stellar brandade de morue, plus the famous 36-hour Paris-Brest dessert. I don’t know anybody who does this.

Most people fall victim to the Board of Temptation - a dangerous chalkboard full of dishes that can be substituted for an additional price. Such supplements can be found on prix fixe menus all over town, but Chez Michel takes the concept to another level. Instead of offering one or two slightly special ingredients for a modest €4-5 euro supplement, Chez Michel has a board filled with 25 incredibly special dishes with supplements ranging from €5 to €120. The vast majority are dishes rarely seen anywhere else, which makes it very easy to stray from the prix fixe.

My meal was a fairly typical mix of moderation and splurge. I stuck to the menu for my starter and loved the aigre-doux de choux rouge au lard rôti - sweet and sour cabbage with a fat slice of smoky bacon. I struck out with the main and ordered sea scallops for a €10 supplement. Served in the shell with algae butter and a celery root puree, they were both comforting and refined. I also picked up an €8 surcharge for my dessert - a creamy vacherin du Mont d’Or cheese, sized for two and served warm inside its wooden box, to be eaten with a spoon. With the Cerdon, my half of one very reasonable bottle of wine (a Cheverny Villemade for €26) and un petit Calvados to finish (€3), my bill came to €64 - exactly double the price of prix fixe.

Now let’s talk about the guy next to me. A small-framed older gentleman, he arrived alone but was well-known to the staff. I almost gasped when his starter arrived - the tartine of foie gras topped with a mountain of shaved truffles was almost the size of my forearm (supplement €26). He polished it off quickly, washing down the luxury snack with sips of artisanal beer. What arrived next was something I’d read about but never seen - a bowl full of tiny and rare baby eels called civelles (supplement €60). He then went on to eat a mountain of biche (female deer, supplement €25) for his main dish, to be followed by dessert. It was one of the most impressive dining performances I’ve ever seen.

Like I said: a single restaurant but with many different ways to dine. A moderate eater can be perfectly happy with the standard three-course €32 menu. A gastronomic god disguised as a grandpa can splurge on rare and expensive treats and spend more than €160. Most people end up somewhere in the middle, and most everyone leaves happy. Those who are less pleased tend to be English-only tourists who don’t understand the concept (a €32 minimum with 3 obligatory courses) or become frustrated when the staff fail to properly translate the long list of changing and obscure ingredients. Those who are less fluent should bring a dictionary and a sense of adventure.

In a nutshell: Come to Chez Michel for classic Breton fare - heavy on both seafood and pork dishes - and well-sourced luxuries available as a supplement to the €32 menu. The long list of (25+) specials has plenty to tempt the adventurous foodie, including an excellent selection of wild game during the season. Grandmotherly decor with friendly service, steps away from Gare du Nord.

Chez Michel
10 Rue de Belzunce in the 10th arrondissement
Closed Saturday and Sunday
01 44 53 06 20

If you like the sound of Chez Michel but want to take your supplements further south:
La Régalade
14 avenue Jean Moulin in the 14th arrondissement
01 45 39 71 54

Reprinted with permission from the Girls’ Guide to Paris ]]> http://megzimbeck.com/2010/01/michel-ma-belle/feed/ http://megzimbeck.com/2010/01/le-baron-rouge/ http://megzimbeck.com/2010/01/le-baron-rouge/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:40:45 +0000 Meg http://megzimbeck.com/?p=2021

As a young person growing up in Kansas, I couldn’t imagine anything more disgusting than a raw oyster. They seemed slimy, stinky and squirmy - why would any sane person want to pop one in their mouth?

I managed to avoid the mollusc until I was 25 years old, when I was confronted by a raw bar at a friend’s wedding. Trying to fit in at this chic affair,  I swallowed my inhibitions and a couple of oysters. To my surprise, I didn’t die. I ate oysters a few more times while living in Boston, but never with much enthusiasm.

That all changed when I moved to France, where fresh oysters during winter are part of the culture. There are more huîtres consumed here than in any other country - around 130,000 per year. The majority are pried from gleaming seafood platters in polished restaurants and brasseries. But my favorite place to eat them is on the hood of a parked car.

>>read the rest of this review at The Girls’ Guide to Paris

The Big Winner:

It’s Sophie! She earned 24.5 out of a possible 27.5 total points.

The runners up:
1st runner up: Kelaine, with 22.5 points
2nd runner up: Lil, with 21.5 points
3rd runner up: Zeva Bellel, with 18.5 points

The Prizes:
Each of our winners received a bid on their preferred prize from the Menu for Hope campaign. Let’s cross our fingers and hope that they all win!

In addition, our dear Sophie also takes home the big drinkable prize: a bottle of Champagne Drappier Brut Nature Sans Soufre. This unsulphered bubbly is one of my favorites - I hope you enjoy!

Thanks so much to everyone who participated. I had a great time doing this, and wish you all the best possible holiday. Merry Christmas!

Quickie reminder:

To read my earlier post about the campaign, click here. Or you can go directly to the bidding form here.

Thanks to all who have contributed!

Today’s FINAL challenge as part of the Edible Advent Calendar!

That meal last winter was a revelation. I arrived at opening time (8:00) with two boys and ordered more food than is really polite. We shared and devoured nine plates - starting with some fat white beans and sliced gizzards and a pucker-making goat cheese with piquillos. We also nibbled bravely on the pig ear salad.

We smiled through a rascasse and some pleasing seared scallops, then came close to stabbing eachother with forks to get the last bite of the poitrine de porc. Served with a side of well-salted and crispy frites (magically refilled throughout the night), this belly was by far the winning dish of the night/week/season.

We finished with a slice of tarte, some sautéed peaches, and a bit of Basque brebis with black cherry preserves. We also consumed two liters of wine and a round of coffees. At the end of the night, we walked (ok, staggered) away having spent less than €40 each.

I returned last night with a girlfriend and the intention of restraint. I had the idea that one could eat well here for a mere €20. I still believe that this can be done. Just not by me.

To fight off a bitterly cold December night, we both started with soup (€6.50). As seems to be the trend these days, two bowls of garnish (toasted pine nuts and buttery crumbs) were served with a pitcher on the side. And by pitcher, I mean an enamel goddess that poured six bowls full of warm delicious.

Grilled razor clams (€8) arrived next and were a nice change after our creamy cauliflower bath. The bowl was overflowing, but we made quick work of the couteaux and cleared a path for the coming lomo (€14). This dry-cured pork loin was lovingly lathered by a sauce spiked with piment d’Espelette. To avoid the oncoming coma, we opted for salad instead of dessert. Of course it was topped with half a pound of creamy Roquefort (€7.50).

The meal was a delight - every bit as good as I remembered - and our €30 per person tally included an absurd amount of food and a liter of wine. The more reasonable man sitting next to us dined solo on oeufs mayonnaise (€4.50) and that delicious lomo, bringing his own bill under €20. I may not be able to hit that magic number myself, but I can attest that other, more moderate souls, have done it.

In a nutshell: La Cantine du Troquet is a generous table where you can eat and drink big for €30-35 and with restraint for around €20. Safe choices like roasted chicken and steak frites coexist with more adventurous nose-to-tail preparations. Informal and buzzing, with friendly service and a very local clientele.

La Cantine du Troquet
101 rue de l’Ouest in the 14th arrondissement
No phone and no reservations. Open from 8:00 p.m. on weeknights (closed Saturday and Sunday).
Arrive at opening time for your best chance of being seated.

If you like the sound of la Cantine but want to spend more and have a proper reservation:
Le Troquet (the mothership)
15 Rue François Bonvin in the 15th arrondissement
01 45 66 89 00

Reprinted with permission from the Girls’ Guide to Paris