Heidi Ellison
Adriana et Margot & Miznon
Old-Fashioned Good, New-Fashioned Good
My friend Susan told me recently about something I’d never heard of before: a trendy Polish lunch spot. Called Adriana et Margot, it was reputed to be so good that it was packed with young people every day. We had … Read More
Rosalie Blum
The Stalker Stalked
Rosalie Blum, the directorial debut of screenwriter Julien Rappeneau, is a feel-good film in the tradition of Amélie, with its quirky storyline and many twists and turns of plot. Those twists and turns make it difficult to write about it … Read More
Caillebotte: Painter and Gardener
Cultivating Modernism in His Own Backyard
Gustave Caillebotte may be considered a leading light of Impressionism today, but that wasn’t the case in his lifetime, as the curators pointed out at the opening of the exhibition “Caillebotte: Painter and Gardener” at the Musée des Impressionismes in … Read More
La Cevicheria
The Infinite Adaptability of Raw Fish and Citrus
The Cevicheria has taken over the generous ex-industrial spaces that used to house the restaurant Pan. Its pleasing decor includes a funky-chic pink wall that hasn’t been painted in years and a wall of climbing vines, complete with a blooming passion flower, big windows and interesting hanging light fixtures.
L’Empreinte du Geste
Interpreting Tradition
A small exhibition, “L’Empreinte du Geste” (through April 3), at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, part of the annual Journées Européennes des Métiers d’Art (see “Events” below), celebrates the use of traditional crafts techniques by artists, with some impressive results. … Read More
Le Clandé
Aiming for A Perfect Ten
Friendly, attentive service in a restaurant can make an evening sparkle even if the food is less than outstanding. At Le Clandé the other night, we were spoiled on both counts: the service, provided by the chefs themselves, Chiho Kanzaki and Marcelo Di Giacomo, was totally adorable, and the food was great.
Cher(e)s Ami(e)s
That's What Friends Are For
The new rehang of the Centre Pompidou’s contemporary collection, “Cher(e)s Ami(e)s” pays tribute to the museum’s “friends,” those who have donated works during the past five years, whether patrons or the artists themselves. It’s a disparate group of pieces, with … Read More
Ara Chocolat
Organic Bean-to-Bar Chocolate
Bean-to-bar chocolate makers are control freaks who want to make their goodies from cocoa beans they roast and grind themselves instead of buying bulk chocolate from a wholesale supplier. While bean-to-bar is all the rage in the United States, until … Read More
Wasteland: New Art from Los Angeles
L.A. Comes to Paris and Pantin
After a couple of years of dormancy, the Mona Bismarck American Center has come back to life under its new artistic director, Raina Lampkins-Fielder, who has inaugurated a rich program of events held in the Seine-side mansion of the eponymous … Read More
George Desvallières: La Peinture Corps et Âme
Painter of Body and Soul, Forgotten but Not Gone
George Desvallières (1861-1950) is one of those bygone French painters blessed with a long, successful career but whose work has been more or less forgotten. The reason may be that, although he was a highly talented painter who absorbed many … Read More