Heidi Ellison
Alliance
A Happy Marriage of Two Top Talents
There were no hints of the delights to come when we entered the restaurant Alliance in the fifth arrondissement, but it was a good sign that the kitchen was fully visible through a rectangular window that stretched across the entire back wall. Chef Toshitaka Omiya and his sous-chef appeared to be laboring away in a fish tank.
Cézembre
Fishing for (and Catching) Superlatives
It takes a talented cook to get me excited about any kind of fish other than shellfish, and Breton chef Anthony Hamon at Cézembre knows how to do it. You won’t find any boring, overcooked fillets here.
Oscar Wilde: L’Impertinent Absolu
Forced into the Gutter, but Looking at the Stars
Like all tragic figures, Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) fell from on high. He had it all, except perhaps beauty, but he made up for that with his brilliance, charm and wit, which were rewarded with fame and fortune. It all came … Read More
Osteria Ferrara
Sicilian Goodness on the Plate
I’ve been waiting a long time for Sicilian chef Fabrizio Ferrara, who made his name in Paris with the minuscule Caffè dei Cioppi, to open the new restaurant he promised when he launched the deli and lunch spot La Dispensa in the 10th arrondissement last year. Ça y est. I ate at the new Osteria Ferrara the other night and was overjoyed on all counts.
Victoria
American Touch for French Comedy
Director Justine Triet admits that for her third film, Victoria, she set out to make an American-style comedy. Being French, however, she chose as her chuckle-generator the subject of depression, not everyone’s idea of a barrel of laughs. But what … Read More
Loiseau Rive Gauche
Tante Marguerite Rebranded and Updated
At first glance, the newly rebranded Loiseau Rive Gauche (formerly Tante Marguerite) seems irredeemably stodgy and old-fashioned, decorated with orange-accented gray banquettes and colonial-style wood paneling, with insipid, unnecessary music playing at low volume in the background.
Anatomy of a Collection
Precious Used Clothing Makes Rare Appearance
There is something especially moving about seeing clothing once worn by an admired historical figure that goes beyond the impression given by a visit to the person’s former home or grave, I suppose because clothing is so personal and often bears … Read More
Canard & Champagne
Duck, Duck . . . Champagne?
Normally I would avoid a restaurant with a name like Canard & Champagne, but a recent review in a French magazine convinced me that in spite of its gimmicky (and misguided – what do duck and champagne have to do with each other, aside from both being delicious?) concept, it was well worth a visit. Another attraction was its location in the lively and lovely Passage des Panoramas, Paris’s oldest covered passage, dating from 1800, which is gradually filling up with restaurants of varying quality (one excellent choice: Noglu) without giving up its traditional philately shops.
Le Marché Noir
Vintage Emporium
Forget about that rancid, musty smell of used clothing. Forget about bins and creaking racks of clothes about to collapse from the weight of so many once-loved, now-rejected garments. When you walk into Le Marché Noir (18 rue Perrée, 75003 … Read More
Mensae
Bittersweet Feast on Bastille Day
When we arrived at Mensae last week, we were greeted by the welcoming smell of garlic cooking (okay, if it had been fish I would have found it less welcoming) and huge smiles from the staff.