by phyllisflick on January 16, 2012
If Fernand Siré has his way, menus in French restaurants will soon have to disclose if a particular dish is made in-house and whether it was prepared with fresh, frozen or canned products.
Sadly, in a country known for its gastronomic heritage, more and more restaurants in France are relying on prepackaged, industrially made products rather than making food from scratch. Some estimates say that up to two-thirds of France’s 120,000 restaurants rely on industrial products.
Two exposés on French television this past year painted a shocking image of the French restaurant industry by filming unscrupulous restaurateurs filling their shopping carts at Métro (the restaurant industry hypermarket) with ready-made traditional French dishes and desserts that only need to be reheated and served to customers. [click to continue…]
by phyllisflick on December 10, 2011
I was excited to hear that Romain Tischenko, Top Chef winner and Ze Kitchen alumuni, had recently taken over Le Galopin, a neighborhood bistro just a short walk from my apartment on the colorful rue Sainte Marthe.
The Rue Sainte Marthe, if you don’t know it, is worth seeking out. It’s an interesting street lined with colorful doorways, artist’s ateliers, cheap ethnic restaurants, a few charitable associations and apartments— some of which are pretty run down–but it all makes for an appealing mix. At the top is the Place Sainte Marthe, a quiet cobblestone square, which is where the pretty blue Galopin sits.
My first visit for lunch, exceeded expectations. Seared calamari, thin slices of brightly colored green meat radish, and crisp fennel made for an amazing dish. But the main course was even better. What was simply listed on the menu as Barbue, Parmentier, Câpres (brill, potatoes, capers) turned out to be a wonderfully executed dish with unexpected contrasts of textures and flavors. Desserts included a heavenly walnut financier with pear and hazelnut and the Agrumes, Piquillos and Meringue-an original apple cake topped with meringue and piquillo peppers.
Lunch was so good that I returned two weeks later for the more elaborate 42 € 7-course set menu at dinner. [click to continue…]
by phyllisflick on December 5, 2011
Like most American Expats in Paris, there are times when I crave things you can only get back home. BBQ, buffalo wings, a corn beef special, and a great burger all come to mind.
You can get burgers in Paris of course and will find them on just about every menu, but they’re usually average at best and rarely great. So, when I heard about a burger truck that was being launched by a Californian who studied at the French cooking school Ferrandi, I couldn’t wait to try it. Maybe, finally, we’d have great burgers in Paris.
So tonight in the rain, I took my step son to try what I hoped would be a real American burger, at a food truck no less which tweets their location by Twitter (and Facebook) everyday. [click to continue…]
