Eating at Mandoobar bears little resemblance to most restaurant experiences; it is more like like being invited to the home of a foodie friend for a Zen-like culinary ritual. Once you have found the place, hidden behind scaffolding on a … Read More
Trying to get a table at a good Parisian restaurant on a Monday evening is like trying to get an invitation to a big-name designer’s fashion show if you are not Anna Wintour – nearly impossible. Since I have recently … Read More
I was surprised by how easy it was to get a reservation the very next day at Blue Valentine, supposedly the hottest new restaurant in Paris. In spite of its odd but poetic name, the title of an anguished song … Read More
The title of Les Garçons et Guillaume, à Table!, the movie that swept this year’s Césars (the French Oscars) with five awards, including best film and best actor, says it all. When he was a child, that was the phrase … Read More
Now that burgers are ubiquitous in Paris – mostly of decent and sometimes excellent quality – the trick is to make a better burger. After reading a few complimentary reviews, that was what I expected of the new Bar à … Read More
The revival of the previously nondescript streets south of the Canal St. Martin continues apace. Just a month or so ago another new restaurant replaced a pizzeria behind the facade of a rustic-looking building at the corner of Rue Lucien … Read More
Clandestino’s pleasing decor warms up an otherwise ordinary interior. Last week, a British friend who lives in Paris e-mailed me from New York City with an urgent message: I must eat at Clandestino. Ever obedient, I reserved a table for … Read More
Three-martini lunches were never a thing in Paris, but long, wine-soaked ones were. While lots of Parisian office workers still have a hot midday meal in a café or restaurant, many now grab a sandwich or salad for lunch, more … Read More
After watching director Guillaume Brac’s Tonnerre, you might be inclined to make the distinction between forgettable works of art that are pleasurable because they entertain, and unforgettable works of art that are at once pleasurable and disturbing. I would place Tonnerre … Read More
Can a foodie have a quick lunch in Paris without compromising his or her culinary standards by going to a fast food restaurant? Absolutely. And it is getting easier and easier as more and more quality-conscious places open. All of … Read More
