I understand exactly what you’re saying. I don’t order burgers or pizza in NYC- or in Tokyo or Paris- despite the excellent versions in NYC- because I am content with Toronto pizza and burgers.
When I visit NYC, I’m visiting restaurants serving things I can’t find at home, or trying cuisines/ dishes I’m especially interested in, or letting my friends choose the restaurants, so I can experience what they like. That said, I understand why some people focus on specific burgers, pizza or steaks in NYC (or Paris, or wherever)
In Paris, I usually visit in the summer when all the chefs are on holiday, and any plans go out the window.
I’m trying to get back to how I experienced restaurants and Paris and travelling before I became a hyper planner, thanks to Chowhound and the TripAdvisor forums.
I do have a running wishlist for specific restaurants and dishes whenever I visit Paris next.
I think both Phoenikia and Steve make valid points; for one-time comparison I’ve done myself, but then I usually lean the other way.
For the specific instance of steak au poivre, I have to say that the version at Bistrot Paul Bert was indeed very good, the sauce probably the best version I’ve had (my one meal there was otherwise unpleasant, with terrible service, and so I shall never return).
Thank you. I never order that kind of food in the US and Bistrot PB had a delicious version. One of the many delicious things I have eaten in Europe and in Paris and I simply wanted to get advice about a place that could substitute for BPB on this trip which I hear has serious reservations issues these days. Anyway I’m going to figure out my London/Paris trip offline going forward and I’ll do a trip report when we get back.
Actually, you often can get it better in the US than in France. Beef in France frequently is of inferior quality to that in the US. In France, unless I’m sure that I am in a restaurant where the quality of beef will be very good, I usually avoid it.
Although I make what I believe to be a very good French Onion Soup (It takes two days, one full day just to make the stock), I desperately wanted to try it in Paris. I had a bowl at La Rotonde on the first night of my very first trip to Paris. It was fine. Mine is better. I then realized I don’t want to eat onion soup again in Paris. It’s out of my system.
Oh my goodness Carm, I totally love everything about L’Auberge des Trois Chênes, except unfortunately the location, which is out of the way on this trip.
French Onion Soup is one of those dishes I try at all sorts of places. So many nice ways to do it.
I understand getting something out of your system. I got Kouign Amann out of my system last weekends, after sampling Kouign Amanns since August 2008. Canelés are also out of my system now.
The French, like many others around the world, don’t prize tenderness above all else.
Another pitfall, though maybe not for the OP, is that serving it very rare is the default, so even if you ask to cook it extra long, twice bleu doesn’t even get you to medium rare.
Thank you, that’s a great suggestion. We did go there once and it didn’t make a huge impression, but I know the chef has some great places in Paris and NYC. I made a reservation at Bistrot des Tournelles this afternoon so that will be my BPB substitute. Got that and Kubri locked up-only 4 more places to go!
I was absolutely delighted to find that place. In my job, these humble restaurants are really what I crave. I believe there are thousand of them, quietly nooked away in the deep heart of our provinces, away from any kind of buzz and unknown to most foodies.
BTW, just came across this list for steak au poivre. Although theoretically the dish is originally from Normandy, this is just a list of places in Paris:
No irony involved. There is a difference between finding an authentic restaurant and finding an authentic dish served in a restaurant that otherwise falls short of the mark.
This is why I rarely hand out or trust blanket recommendations for restaurants.
I am sorry if I did not make myself clear earlier.
So is pasta in Italy inauthentic because it came from China? Is pasta in Nice inauthentic because it came from Italy? What about the fact that Nice used to be Nizza, a part of the Italian states? It’s all going to depend on your definition of authenticity, and if you define it too strictly, your going to run into some big problems.
