When close friends from San Francisco decided to join us for our second week in Paris, we saved a lot of our faves for that week: Alliance, Nomicos, Korus and Pianovins. Added to Automne and Sourire of the prior week, these six are inevitably returned to in the last few years. Montée used to be on the list, as did Pertinence, but the repetition of their dishes as well as the very quiet ambiance in these small places caused us to move on.
Huîtrerie Régis - When our friends arrived we took them here for dinner because you can now reserve and I was afraid the other option, Huguette, would be too much of a madhouse for their first night. Everyone loved the oysters and shrimp we ordered, but I thought the Spéciales de Claires that I had were a little too salty. Usually I eagerly slurp down the brine but this time I was pouring it off and adding vinegar or a squeeze of lemon. That fixed the problem. Are the oyster beds getting saltier? Must try some of the huîtres Gillardeau Parigi’s been touting.
Two unrelated issues. We had a 8:30 res and were seated a little past 9pm, the four of us waiting outside on the sidewalk. After 10 minutes I asked the owner if he could just call me on my cell (local number) when the table was ready so we could walk around the neighborhood. He didn’t like that idea, but made the waiting a little easier by comping us all a glass of wine. The other problem was that when we were presented the bill, the server said “without the tip”. I looked at him quickly and said “Comment?” He didn’t say anything further. Usually I interact with restaurant staff in French, but because our friends didn’t speak French I used English at the table. Was that the reason? First time it’s happened. (When outside I spoke to the owner in French, but he was not the server).
Pianovins - One of our favorites in the 12e since it opened a few years ago in the old Les Deserteurs venue. It’s a no-choice menu but it changes every week and is posted on their website. If you don’t like it, don’t go. The chef, Michel Roncière, ex-Guy Savoy, is incredibly talented, if not always innovative. We’ve never had a bad meal here. He seems to bring out the best in every ingredient. We love everyone at this place which is kind of traditional and kind of modern.
Ortensia - Ortensia is very elegant and very composed. The 3-course lunch was also elegant and composed but left me feeling a bit cold, although I knew I had eaten a delicious meal. Everything about the lunch seemed a bit sterile, although our table of four was having a great time. The first course was salmon, but was served on three little plates done in different ways à la Pantagruel. Each plate was a little like an amuse bouche. Then the most serious flaw, for me, was that the St. Pierre was not only slightly overcooked (do they assume Americans like it that way?), but also over-salted. In fact, I’ve never seen so much seasoning on top of a piece of fish. We had been to Pilgrim Restaurant three or four times, previously under Chef Saito, and always loved our meals. I’m sure the fish at Ortensia was a one-off mistake, but the hushed coolness of the room, almost reverential, has me debating whether to return.
Korus - This is another one of our favorites in the 11e. Yann and his wife Afrae Brasseur make everyone feel incredibly welcome. We chose the 7-course dinner which includes the amuses and post-dessert tidbits as courses, which really makes it a more manageable 5-course dinner. From the first few bites, however, I knew the chef had changed. The talented Maxime Elan, hélas, has moved on to Le Bel Ordinaire Rive Gauche. (Do I follow him there?) He has been replaced by Eugenio Anfuso, alongside chef patissière Cecilia Spurio. The sommelier Vincent is also gone, but Arkady helped us in his relaxed friendly manner. But the change of chef doesn’t mean we didn’t still love the dinner.
It seems that Chef Anfuso is willing to attempt more innovation than his predecessor, and perhaps not all of the dishes succeed perfectly. But most were very very good and we will return without hesitation.
Nomicos - We also never come to Paris without having lunch at least once at Nomicos in the 16e. There is a generosity of spirit that prevails and pervades Jean-Louis Nomicos restaurant and menus. His lunch menu for 58€ includes amuses and mignardises, and two choices for each of the three courses. For 68€ you can order the same plus a glass of wine and a cup of coffee. And as at Sourire, we did not detect other anglophones in the dining room. Altogether a very relaxed ambiance among the staff and in the dining room, despite its location in the 16e. During the week there will be more ‘suits’ coming down from La Defense, but that doesn’t seem to change things. In any event, the lunch menu is available on Saturdays.
La Fontaine de Mars - Our friends visiting from SF wanted to have Sunday lunch here because of fond memories from the past. R and I had a fine meal because we ordered St. Jacques off the daily ardoise. They on the other hand each had a chicken from the carte that tasted like it had been boiled for hours before it was roasted. How can you mess up a chicken in Paris? I had a small bite and it was like sawdust. They were very happy with their entrées and desserts, and with wine we all had a grand time, but I was embarrassed for the restaurant.
Alliance - Alliance seems to keep getting better and better. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve been here, but this time it was for lunch with our two friends. They totally loved it, and, in fact, it was their favorite of their whole trip. FOH Shawn Joyeuse, aptly named, is also the sommelier and he always adds something special to the visit. (Jake, you can chime in here if you’d like 
). Our four-course lunch included a tomato-tatin as entrée with melty tomatoes cooked for hours to get just the right intense flavor. Perfect place to spend a rainy day Monday lunch.
