Dolce Far Niente....the sweetness of doing nothing (well almost) in Paris
Jan 3rd, 2015, 05:42 AM
#42
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Love the report Denise. Love, love Chanel too! My husband bought me a beautiful necklace last year. It's going to be soo hard not to buy another one when we go in February. When you can, please post a photo. I'd love to see what you bought.
Lisa
Lisa
Jan 3rd, 2015, 07:14 AM
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Looks like both of us bought a necklace last time, Roberta. I did post a photo not sure about Lisa. We hit a few new restaurants this trip and a few favorites from last time. It was nice to go back to Le Souffle this time.
Jan 3rd, 2015, 09:29 AM
#47
Now you really have me drooling---blue cheese, pear is one of my favorite combinations and done in a souffle sounds lovely. Next I would order the Grand Marnier souffle but here I sit eating some crappy cottage cheese for lunch! Regardless, thanks for taking me away!
Nice shopping spree. BTW, I'm curious. How do you get 6 champagne flutes home? I'm guessing that you check your bag and then carry them on carefully. What is your favorite brand of champagne? What brand did you order at Gal. Lafayette?
Nice shopping spree. BTW, I'm curious. How do you get 6 champagne flutes home? I'm guessing that you check your bag and then carry them on carefully. What is your favorite brand of champagne? What brand did you order at Gal. Lafayette?
Jan 3rd, 2015, 11:44 AM
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Lrock--if I remember correctly the photo was "demanded" by fellow Fodorites! I never would have gotten a necklace photo posted. I am not good with photos, even if I a pretty good with getting TRs posted,��
The champagne flutes were a bit of a challenge but you got it. I checked my bag home (full of my dirty clothes) and we split up the 3 flutes between us in a shopping bags/totes. And we took up the entire bin over Chaz' seat on the flight home. Each flute was in a pretty large box but nestled in foam. I will say I was relieved we were in biz class and less likely to get flight attendant flack on this.
We have too many favorite Champs these days but usually prefer a Rose. these are the favs and some are not easy to find in the US---Alfred Gratien, Desmoiselle, Tsarine and Barnaut Grand Cru. A new fav sparkling wine Sea Smoke (Sea Spray) Blanc de Noir.
At Galleries Lafayette, another favorite that is easier to find....Veuve Clicquot yellow label.
The champagne flutes were a bit of a challenge but you got it. I checked my bag home (full of my dirty clothes) and we split up the 3 flutes between us in a shopping bags/totes. And we took up the entire bin over Chaz' seat on the flight home. Each flute was in a pretty large box but nestled in foam. I will say I was relieved we were in biz class and less likely to get flight attendant flack on this.
We have too many favorite Champs these days but usually prefer a Rose. these are the favs and some are not easy to find in the US---Alfred Gratien, Desmoiselle, Tsarine and Barnaut Grand Cru. A new fav sparkling wine Sea Smoke (Sea Spray) Blanc de Noir.
At Galleries Lafayette, another favorite that is easier to find....Veuve Clicquot yellow label.
Jan 3rd, 2015, 12:22 PM
#49
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We were able to upgrade to business on our flight over last year on Air France. We had bought premium economy and we have miles so we were charged 200 euro and 15,000 points. Totally worth it. Hoping to do so again at the end of February. I am making note of restaurants. We can't wait for the food.
Jan 3rd, 2015, 01:27 PM
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I was definitely one of the posters who demanded the necklace pic. Can you tell me a little more about the wine bar at Verjus? Always wanted to try it. What time did you show up to get a seat?
The best part of our soufflé was the waiter leaving the large bottle of grand marnier on our table.
The best part of our soufflé was the waiter leaving the large bottle of grand marnier on our table.
Jan 3rd, 2015, 03:44 PM
#51
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We will do almost anything to fly in biz class to Europe. You just arrive feeling better and Chaz just struggles in economy...his shoulders are just wide enough that he can't get comfortable enough to sleep. Worth it for us, especially if we can use my miles!
This wine bar entrance is on rue Montpensier around the corner from the restaurant entrance on rue de Richelieu (and below the restaurant). There is a staircase that leads to and from the restaurant.
It is small but cozy and charming with some nice small plate offerings. I believe they serve sandwiches at lunch but not completely sure of that.
Last visit (same Friday before Christmas) it was packed at 7pm...maybe 6:45pm. This year, only 2 people at the bar and two in the corner when we arrived at a few minutes after 6pm. It opens at 6pm. It was filling in when we went up to our table for dinner at 8pm. I think there are probably 8 seats at the bar and 10-12 along the wall and back corner. We stood last year and no one would make any room for us to stand at the bar or along the wall. The food at Verjus has not slipped at all and maybe it is just because we got there earlier and had a later dinner reservation that we got seats. If we were staying in the area, we would go there a lot before dinner. We love it.
Totally agree about that Grand Marnier bottle on the table!!
This wine bar entrance is on rue Montpensier around the corner from the restaurant entrance on rue de Richelieu (and below the restaurant). There is a staircase that leads to and from the restaurant.
It is small but cozy and charming with some nice small plate offerings. I believe they serve sandwiches at lunch but not completely sure of that.
Last visit (same Friday before Christmas) it was packed at 7pm...maybe 6:45pm. This year, only 2 people at the bar and two in the corner when we arrived at a few minutes after 6pm. It opens at 6pm. It was filling in when we went up to our table for dinner at 8pm. I think there are probably 8 seats at the bar and 10-12 along the wall and back corner. We stood last year and no one would make any room for us to stand at the bar or along the wall. The food at Verjus has not slipped at all and maybe it is just because we got there earlier and had a later dinner reservation that we got seats. If we were staying in the area, we would go there a lot before dinner. We love it.
Totally agree about that Grand Marnier bottle on the table!!
Jan 4th, 2015, 03:17 AM
#52
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Sunday, December 21 2014
The day started in the usual way. Café Bonaparte with Pierre and a double espresso (or 2) for Chaz. We got a bigger breakfast and I decided on a tartine baguette, yogurt and croissant. Chaz got ham (they call it bacon) and eggs with a green salad. Both were very good. Love the yogurt in France!!! Pierre filled me in on where Henri Le Roux is located (literally down the street). I wanted to hit Le Bon Marche since I had not been there in several years. I hadn’t made a decision on the necklace I left behind at Chanel, which told me maybe there was something better out there.
There is something about that area that always gets me turned around…not sure why. We made it there without getting super lost and as soon as we walked in, there was the in store Chanel boutique. I decided it had to be a sign and we went in. As I turned to my left, I saw a very unique necklace and some of the stones appeared blue to me. Hmmm, I would need to examine this more closely. Our sales person was very helpful and we looked the necklace along with another one. I went back and forth with them and decided we needed to put the choice to a vote. So Chaz, the sales person, the security guard and I all voted and chose the original one. They rang it up and I went upstairs to the VAT office and was expecting an awful line. No line, got my refund and the people there were super nice and actually offered me some homemade banana bread. It felt like I was in the South and not in Paris. The guy who waited on me was friendly and told me he wants to go to Texas to live. Again, I want to live in France and they want to live in the US. Maybe the grass really is greener……
A few laps around the store and we went on the big food halls. Why can’t that be in my neighborhood?? I love browsing there. We hoped to snag a seat at one of the bars (especially where the charcuterie is)…but it was quite crowded and no seats turned up. I think I love the seafood area the best. We have nothing like this here and the huge langoustines are always my favorites. We don’t even have really big prawns here and there are always several sizes of langoustines and all are gargantuan to me!! We decided to head out in search of a light lunch and maybe a stroll around our ‘hood.
I kinda knew how to get back and decided that we should walk down rue Cherche-Midi. Just as I was thinking about Bar de Cuisine and about to tell Chaz that it is very small and to be on the lookout for it (or we would miss it), there it was right across the street. It was nice and warm inside and we managed to get a small table in the back.
They have a nice little lunch combo with a tartine, side salad and wine. I got tomato/mozzarella and Chaz got a ham/prosciutto like tartine (not sure what kind of cheese was on it). These were truly excellent and hit the spot. Bubbly, toasty perfection. The French make the best salad dressing and the little side salad was almost as good as the tartine. Sadly, we decided to skip the tarte tatin but it looked good. We did skip SOME sweets and treats on the trip (but not many)!
On back to the St Germain area. We took a few turns around Place Furstenburg and rue de Bourbon le Château areas mainly to visit Henri Le Roux for salted butter caramels. The gentleman in the shop is very helpful and speaks English. The SBCs are delicious!! Everything in the shop looked very good. We passed Le Derniere Goutte also. We had heard good things about this wine shop owned by the people behind Fish, Cosi and Semilla which are all in the area. It’s a charming shop and returned a few days later to buy some Champs. There are so many cool shops in the area. One on rue Bonaparte is Peterhof. In the window, they had the most elaborate and comprehensive display of Russian nesting dolls of I have ever seen. They had one in the window that probably had 35-40 in the set and the tiniest one was about the size of my pinkie fingernail.
After cleaning up for dinner, we decided to walk along the Seine for our first look this trip at Notre Dame and a glance at the Hotel de Ville from the bridge. From there, a stroll on rue St Louis en Isle---love that little street. Then on to our dinner at L’Atelier Maitre Albert, a Guy Savoy restaurant. We had never been to any Guy Savoy restaurant and this one appealed to us because of the fireplace in the dining room and they specialize in spit roasted meats.
We did get the table right in front of that fireplace and that was very nice. There is a vertical rotisserie in the kitchen that is visible from the dining room. We were brought a gougere and a small shot of soup. These were left with no introduction or explanation and were both stone cold. Disappointing. Was the soup supposed to be cold? Probably not, in December, but who knows since no one bothered to tell us what it was. Cold gougeres? I don’t think so.
We got our Champagne and that helped make things better- a little Billecart-Salmon Rose. Our server was so-so. Chaz started with a crispy mussel cake (kinda like a crab cake) and I had lentil soup. Nothing really special here. Maybe the main course would be better? We both got beef that was supposed to be something like prime rib and although we asked for medium rare, it was pretty much well done. Not terrible but not especially good. The scalloped potatoes that came with the beef were easily the best thing we had here (they were very good). We didn’t bother with dessert here. The meal was just OK. Can’t say I would recommend the restaurant but it was pretty and we wanted to try something new. Sometimes the meals are a miss but we do want to try a few new places every visit.
We walked back to the apartment after dinner for another night’s rest.
Next up – Chaz gets his fantasy item and Paris by Mouth St Germain food tour
The day started in the usual way. Café Bonaparte with Pierre and a double espresso (or 2) for Chaz. We got a bigger breakfast and I decided on a tartine baguette, yogurt and croissant. Chaz got ham (they call it bacon) and eggs with a green salad. Both were very good. Love the yogurt in France!!! Pierre filled me in on where Henri Le Roux is located (literally down the street). I wanted to hit Le Bon Marche since I had not been there in several years. I hadn’t made a decision on the necklace I left behind at Chanel, which told me maybe there was something better out there.
There is something about that area that always gets me turned around…not sure why. We made it there without getting super lost and as soon as we walked in, there was the in store Chanel boutique. I decided it had to be a sign and we went in. As I turned to my left, I saw a very unique necklace and some of the stones appeared blue to me. Hmmm, I would need to examine this more closely. Our sales person was very helpful and we looked the necklace along with another one. I went back and forth with them and decided we needed to put the choice to a vote. So Chaz, the sales person, the security guard and I all voted and chose the original one. They rang it up and I went upstairs to the VAT office and was expecting an awful line. No line, got my refund and the people there were super nice and actually offered me some homemade banana bread. It felt like I was in the South and not in Paris. The guy who waited on me was friendly and told me he wants to go to Texas to live. Again, I want to live in France and they want to live in the US. Maybe the grass really is greener……
A few laps around the store and we went on the big food halls. Why can’t that be in my neighborhood?? I love browsing there. We hoped to snag a seat at one of the bars (especially where the charcuterie is)…but it was quite crowded and no seats turned up. I think I love the seafood area the best. We have nothing like this here and the huge langoustines are always my favorites. We don’t even have really big prawns here and there are always several sizes of langoustines and all are gargantuan to me!! We decided to head out in search of a light lunch and maybe a stroll around our ‘hood.
I kinda knew how to get back and decided that we should walk down rue Cherche-Midi. Just as I was thinking about Bar de Cuisine and about to tell Chaz that it is very small and to be on the lookout for it (or we would miss it), there it was right across the street. It was nice and warm inside and we managed to get a small table in the back.
They have a nice little lunch combo with a tartine, side salad and wine. I got tomato/mozzarella and Chaz got a ham/prosciutto like tartine (not sure what kind of cheese was on it). These were truly excellent and hit the spot. Bubbly, toasty perfection. The French make the best salad dressing and the little side salad was almost as good as the tartine. Sadly, we decided to skip the tarte tatin but it looked good. We did skip SOME sweets and treats on the trip (but not many)!
On back to the St Germain area. We took a few turns around Place Furstenburg and rue de Bourbon le Château areas mainly to visit Henri Le Roux for salted butter caramels. The gentleman in the shop is very helpful and speaks English. The SBCs are delicious!! Everything in the shop looked very good. We passed Le Derniere Goutte also. We had heard good things about this wine shop owned by the people behind Fish, Cosi and Semilla which are all in the area. It’s a charming shop and returned a few days later to buy some Champs. There are so many cool shops in the area. One on rue Bonaparte is Peterhof. In the window, they had the most elaborate and comprehensive display of Russian nesting dolls of I have ever seen. They had one in the window that probably had 35-40 in the set and the tiniest one was about the size of my pinkie fingernail.
After cleaning up for dinner, we decided to walk along the Seine for our first look this trip at Notre Dame and a glance at the Hotel de Ville from the bridge. From there, a stroll on rue St Louis en Isle---love that little street. Then on to our dinner at L’Atelier Maitre Albert, a Guy Savoy restaurant. We had never been to any Guy Savoy restaurant and this one appealed to us because of the fireplace in the dining room and they specialize in spit roasted meats.
We did get the table right in front of that fireplace and that was very nice. There is a vertical rotisserie in the kitchen that is visible from the dining room. We were brought a gougere and a small shot of soup. These were left with no introduction or explanation and were both stone cold. Disappointing. Was the soup supposed to be cold? Probably not, in December, but who knows since no one bothered to tell us what it was. Cold gougeres? I don’t think so.
We got our Champagne and that helped make things better- a little Billecart-Salmon Rose. Our server was so-so. Chaz started with a crispy mussel cake (kinda like a crab cake) and I had lentil soup. Nothing really special here. Maybe the main course would be better? We both got beef that was supposed to be something like prime rib and although we asked for medium rare, it was pretty much well done. Not terrible but not especially good. The scalloped potatoes that came with the beef were easily the best thing we had here (they were very good). We didn’t bother with dessert here. The meal was just OK. Can’t say I would recommend the restaurant but it was pretty and we wanted to try something new. Sometimes the meals are a miss but we do want to try a few new places every visit.
We walked back to the apartment after dinner for another night’s rest.
Next up – Chaz gets his fantasy item and Paris by Mouth St Germain food tour
Jan 4th, 2015, 05:21 AM
#53
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Love Le Dernier Goutte.....the owner is really pleasant and helped us pick out some good Calvados and Cote de Rhone to bring home and some champs to drink in Paris...nice area...love it too and oh Mulot Bakery oh my!
Jan 4th, 2015, 05:36 AM
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Two Chanel necklaces Denise! Congratulations! I'm sure they are gorgeous. We are looking at restaurants now and have decided to add l'os a Moelle to our list. It is in the 15th. We had one of our best meals there a few years ago and then the chef sold it to another chef. We just found out the original chef bought it back. Hopefully it is back to the original good food. We will see. Looking forward to more.
Lisa
Lisa
Jan 4th, 2015, 08:45 AM
#59
Like the sound of Bar de Cuisine, I'll put it on my list.
I too prefer the Rose Champs.
Sorry to hear bout your so-so experience at Guy Savoy's. I do agree about the L'Atelier Matre Albert beef. We go there for the chicken and the dauphinoise potatoes, MDH's favorite. For me, I eat enough chicken at home but I LOVE those potatoes.
BTW, yes it's winter but how was the weather when you were there?
I too prefer the Rose Champs.
Sorry to hear bout your so-so experience at Guy Savoy's. I do agree about the L'Atelier Matre Albert beef. We go there for the chicken and the dauphinoise potatoes, MDH's favorite. For me, I eat enough chicken at home but I LOVE those potatoes.
BTW, yes it's winter but how was the weather when you were there?
Jan 4th, 2015, 08:46 AM
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<< <i>I hadn't made a decision on the necklace I left behind at Chanel, which told me maybe there was something better out there</i>. >>
Well, it appears that you have good instincts, Denise! I am so glad that you found something that you loved!
It is also good to know that there is a VAT office conveniently located in Bon Marche. I've never had the interest to search for the office at an airport to claim a refund.
I am enjoying reading about your adventures in dining! Sorry that your meal at L'Atelier Maitre Albert was disappointing. But I am anticipating that there are better meals coming in the days ahead!
Well, it appears that you have good instincts, Denise! I am so glad that you found something that you loved!
It is also good to know that there is a VAT office conveniently located in Bon Marche. I've never had the interest to search for the office at an airport to claim a refund.
I am enjoying reading about your adventures in dining! Sorry that your meal at L'Atelier Maitre Albert was disappointing. But I am anticipating that there are better meals coming in the days ahead!
