Heidi Ellison
Septime
The stark interior of Septime, in Paris’s 11th arrondissement. Pros: Original ideas; delightful flavor pairings; fresh, high-quality ingredients Cons: Can be noisy I went to Septime knowing nothing at all about it, taken there by a friend whose friend’s daughter … Read More
La Cantine du Troquet
Chef Christian Etchebest’s justly popular Cantine du Troquet. Pros: super-fresh, high-quality ingredients; friendly, efficient service; lively ambiance Cons: noisy, TV screen At Basque chef Christian Etchebest’s lively and popular La Cantine du Troquet the other night, my dining companion and … Read More
Jean-François Piège, Thoumieux
The amusing amuses-bouches at Jean-François Piège’s Paris restaurant. My friends Chris and Helen and I had all followed the recent Top Chef series on French TV, so when Chris’s 40th birthday rolled around, Helen and I decided to treat … … Read More
Paquebot France
The original France in front of the New York skyline. Coll. French Lines © French Lines Does anything sound more appealing in the age of agonizing low-cost flights and cramped plane seating than a long, slow ocean crossing in a … Read More
Paléospace L’Odyssée
JURASSIC BEACH Ophthalmosaurus at Paléospace L’Odyssée. Villers sur Mer, a small Norman coastal city just down the road from the famed resort town of Deauville (known as Paris’s 21st arrondissement because of its high population of Parisians on weekends and … Read More
Le Tintilou
The decor of many colors is not to everyone’s taste. Pros: Delightful, original cuisine; charming service; great wine pairings Cons: Decor needs work In many ways, Le Tintilou is still a work in progress – chef-owner Jean-François Renard took over … Read More
Van Dongen & Severini
Paris is hosting exhibitions of two artists, Kees Van Dongen (1877-1968) and Gino Severini (1883-1966), whose work is unintentionally complementary. The two shared nearly identical lifespans, and each chose Paris as his home for long periods of time. Although both … Read More
Savy
A waiter on the run at Savy in Paris’s eighth arrondissement. Pros: Old-fashioned brasserie decor; fast, friendly, efficient service; good, solid food Cons: A bit pricey How many times have I complained that there are no decent restaurants on or … Read More
Les Beaux Mecs
GOOD FRENCH TV: NO LONGER AN OXYMORON Tony le Dingue, played by Simon Abkarian. The French love American TV series, whether schlocky or great. There used to be a regular TV show devoted to American series, and the cable channel … Read More
Messiah
Bass Darren Jeffery surrounded by just a few of the many elements that went into a visually chaotic Paris production of Handel’s Messiah. I couldn’t contain my curiosity when I heard that Oleg Kulik, one of the most outrageously provocative … Read More