L'Ambroisie in Paris receives a visit from The Wandering Epicures
"This meal should have made us feel
that we had found perfection. It had all the elements I like. The
dishes did not suffer from the over-complexity that I frequently
complain about. The ingredients were superb and allowed to shine.
The service and ambience were impeccable. The noise level was ideal,
just the gentle babble of conversation from the four other
well-spaced tables in the room. But we came away feeling unsatisfied
and frustrated. The obvious explanation is that with L¡¯Ambroisie¡®s
reputation and extraordinarily high prices, each dish of the meal
should be extraordinary. That they were not was certainly was a big
factor, but, beyond that, the cuisine seemed to lack joie de vivre
in its perfection."
Pierre Gagnaire restaurant in Paris - the A Life Worth Eating review
"This was a complete roller-coaster
ride and it wasn¡¯t exactly fun. Some of the dips were just too steep
and the rest was kind of flat. Two or three courses were absolutely
exceptional, but this was no where close to compensate for the lows.
This sentiment has been pretty consistent among my visits. So why do
I keep going back? In the back of my mind there is the hope that the
slot machine will stop in my favor, that this could potentially be
the highlight meal of my life. I just haven¡¯t won yet. Maybe if I
roll the dice one more time I¡¯ll win."
The Wandering Epicures April 2010 visit to Le Bristol restaurant in Paris
"The meal lived up to its three-star
rating and price. It did not have the panache of Pierre Gagnaire,
but had some imaginative touches to liven up the basically classic
French foundation of the cuisine. We are happy we went."
Francis Bown enjoys one of the best lunches ever at Le Grand V¨¦four
"Meals can be memorable for many reasons. They can mark life¡¯s
greatest moments, of both joy and sadness. Meetings and partings can
take place over them. They can be times of love and times of anger.
Yet seldom do they remain in our minds because of that coincidence
for which every gourmet seeks ¨C when exquisite food, ravishing wine,
beautiful surroundings and solicitous service come together to
create a moment which reveals perfection. Such occasions are rare,
indeed. But they do occur, and then the memory turns the key in the
lock and opens the door marked ¡®Never To Be Forgotten¡¯. Allow me to
tell you about my lunch at Le Grand V¨¦four."
Food
Snob enjoys a delicious early Sunday lunch at L'Ami Louis
"The cuisine here is easily described: excellent, often humble,
ingredients cooked consummately and served generously."
