Paris seafood restaurant

Part of the problem is distance...Europeans don't think fish is fresh unless
the boats dock next to the restaurant. My brother, currently in Sicily, was
surprised to find that the menus were based on meat when he went inland,
after getting used to the seafood heavy ones of the costal towns.

In Nice last fall, I also enjoyed walking through the fish market. I'm
always struck by how much hornets seem to enjoy tuna! The big, red and
bloody hunks that are offered up seem irresistable to them. Markets are, of
course, one of the great pleasures. We saw one woman being interviewed for
TV when she had the first seasonal wild mushrooms for sale! I also noticed
that all the harbours, besides the luxury yachts, also had many traditional
open fishing boats still. So some things haven't changed...yet.

"Earl" wrote in message
om...
On 4/05/04 4:30, in article
t, "Adella"
wrote:

One of my most favorite activities in Paris is to cruise around the
"poissoneries" and just feast on the sight of the myriad types of fish
and shellfish. This continues to be one of the big differences between
France and the US. No matter how cosmopolitan the city, or how large
the fish market, no American vendor can match its French counterpart in
variety.

I have never seen a large American fish market, but I suspect that New
York
might compete because of its foreign population. Americans don`t have
the same love affair with sea food the French have, or Southern
Europeans.

We sometimes shop for fish at Alesia in the 14th, just across
from the corner were Avenue de Maine meets. There is a well known
market on the rue Daguerre also in the 14th. There are others
in Paris, Rambuteau is another sea food market street. This is
near the Pompidou museum and a stone's throw from Les Halles.

Our local out door market (three times a week) on the Blvd de Raspail
between Cherche Midi and rue de Rennes has one very good fish market;
One has to shop
around since some "nice looking" fish is not quite as fresh as
at other places. However, refrigeration is better and better and I
have
not had "ammonia" come pouring out of a fish when cooking it at
home in years. Some of the items sold are still alive ("vivant"). My
wife
often eats "boulot" but wants them already cooked.

Some varietes are very expensive, like Bar, and almost all the Salmon
sold in Europe now is "farm raised". Years ago the Loire use to have
salmon but if there is any left they are commerical. Salmon prepared
by a top chef is an experience in its own.

In the summer we often have langoustine cold. These come in various
sizes and prices, the "royale" at the most expensive. The price
various madly during the year, and can often exceed 20 euros a kilo.
Lobster is usually more expenisve, and the Bar run over 20.

In restaurants, the fish is often served whole, head and all, which
shakes up some Americans. The Japanese appreciate the soft flesh
just under the eyes.. Some cultures appreciate the heads. So
chopping and throwing away the heads is throwing away
a delicacy.

Some fish is cheap, like sardines. Grilled in oil they are very good
but require some fine surgery.

As most people know, the big medical question is why French heart
disease
rates are a third the American, or North European and even lower
than the Spanish, italian and Greek rates. Fish consumption is not
the reason since the Med diet leans towards fish heavily, olive oil
and garlic.

I have noted that while living in France and consuming more garlic
we have had no vampire problem. France is a vampire-free zone.

Earl

On 4/05/04 20:43, in article
, "Mark Fagan"
wrote:

Part of the problem is distance...Europeans don't think fish is fresh unless
the boats dock next to the restaurant. My brother, currently in Sicily, was
surprised to find that the menus were based on meat when he went inland,
after getting used to the seafood heavy ones of the costal towns.



Paris may be a big exception since it is inland and maybe
6 hours by truck from Bretagne ports. The sea food is
sometimes better looking here than in Bretagne!

The country has nationwide shipping of oysters and these
are available in regional restaurants throughout the nation.

Earl

You really brought back some wonderful memories, Earl! I spent a month
in the 14th and remember the fish markets very well, especially the
Daguerre market and Alesia. I hadn't expected to enjoy the 14th all
that much because it seemed so far from everything, but we found the
lack of tourists quite refreshing. It seemed more like a provincial
town than a part of Paris.

I used to cook "colin" during the summer and serve it cold with a good
mayonnaise. As far as I know, it isn't available in the US. As long as
I'm reminiscing, I have to mention my nostalgia for "quenelles."
Impossible to find in the US and you can't really make them yourself
(I've checked recipes and, believe me, you don't want to try) Some
enterprising Lyonnais needs to set up shop in the US and crank out some
decent quenelles.

One thing that fries me about American fish markets is that you can't,
at least on the west coast, get "finnan haddie" that hasn't been
frozen. In France, I have eaten fabulously silky "haddock fume," but
once it is frozen it becomes tough and stringy.

O, j'ai faim!

On 5/05/04 2:30, in article
et, "Adella"
wrote:

You really brought back some wonderful memories, Earl! I spent a month
in the 14th and remember the fish markets very well, especially the
Daguerre market and Alesia. I hadn't expected to enjoy the 14th all
that much because it seemed so far from everything, but we found the
lack of tourists quite refreshing. It seemed more like a provincial
town than a part of Paris.


Most neighborhoods have their own personality. Ours is changing,
gentrifying and has been for years (Cherche-Midi near rue St Placide).
So our needed food stores change over to shops shell fancy stuff.

I sometimes blame my wife. We lived in Los Gatos California and in the
1960s and early 1970s it was a pretty normal place, then the down town
become a place for people to come on Sunday, shops selling
non-essential
items. Every place she ends up living turns in this direction!

Like the 14th the outlying arrondissements can have some interesting
areas.
it is not poor like some of the outlying areas of the 18th, 19th and
20th.
The housing is cheaper and the people more varied. I like a lot of
regular
commerce (near the rue de Commerce in the 15th would be interesting to
live).

Here are the singer Renaud lyrics of a humorous song on the 14th,
self-mockery since he is a bit of an anarchist.

Earl

(Le blues de la Porte d'Orléans)
*

Puisque les Basques et les Bretons
Les Alsaciens les Occitants
Les Corses les Chtimis les Wallons
Y veulent tous être indépendants
Puisqu'y veulent tous l'autonomie
Qu'à priori y ont pas torts
Bah c'est décidé moi aussi
J'prends ma guitare et j'cris bien fort

Que je suis le séparatiste
Du 14ème arrondissement
Oui que je suis l'autonomiste
De la Porte d'Orléans

Le 14ème arrondissement
C'est mon quartier d'puis 25 berges
C'est dans ses rues que j'passe mon temps
Dans ses bistrots que je gamberge
Quand je m'balade au long d'ses rues
J'peux pas oublier qu'autrefois
Vercingétorix s'est battu
Tout près du métro « Alésia »

Moi je suis le séparatiste
Du 14ème arrondissement
Oui moi je suis l'autonomiste
De la Porte d'Orléans

Le 14ème arrondissement
Possède sa langue et sa culture
Et l'autoroute Porte d'Orléans
C'est le début d'la côte d'usure
Dans le 13ème j'ai des copains
Qu'on un peu les mêmes idées qu'moi
On va faire un programme commun
Aux élections on s'présentera

Car moi je suis l'séparatiste
Du 14ème arrondissement
Oui moi je suis l'autonomiste
De la Porte d'Orléans

Bien sûr la Seine nous arrose pas
Mais ça peut toujours s'arranger
A coups d'pétitions pourquoi pas
On pourrait p't'être la détourner
Tout ça pour dire que l'14ème
C'est un quartier qu'est pas banal
A part les flics qu'y sont les même
Que dans l'reste de la capitale

Moi je suis le séparatiste
Du 14ème arrondissement
Oui moi je suis l'autonomiste
De la Porte d'Orléans.

Loved the song about the 14th! Thanks!

As for Los Gatos, well, I know exactly what you mean! I live not so far
from there and have watched the area change since the early '70s. Too
damn many people for one thing...if I want crowds I'd rather be in a big
city where I can at least find good restaurants and off-beat movies.

An area in Paris I like a lot is the Canal St. Martin area. We once
came close to buying an apartment on the Quai Valmy. I blame my husband
for chickening out.

In article ,
(Earl) wrote:

On 4/05/04 20:43, in article
, "Mark Fagan"
wrote:

Part of the problem is distance...Europeans don't think fish is fresh
unless
the boats dock next to the restaurant. My brother, currently in
Sicily, was
surprised to find that the menus were based on meat when he went
inland,
after getting used to the seafood heavy ones of the costal towns.



Paris may be a big exception since it is inland and maybe
6 hours by truck from Bretagne ports. The sea food is
sometimes better looking here than in Bretagne!

That's an interesting point. Birmingham, pretty firmly landlocked, has (or
at least used to have) one of the best fish markets in England. But it's a
big city, of course. I suppose it comes down to transportation networks,
and the size of markets: places by the sea /may/ get the freshest fish (if
small fishermen are landing and selling them locally, as happens where I
live), but if you go to a small town 30 miles inland you're probably worse
off than you would be in a large city 100 miles further on.

On 6/05/04 15:36, in article ,
" wrote:

That's an interesting point. Birmingham, pretty firmly landlocked, has (or
at least used to have) one of the best fish markets in England. But it's a
big city, of course. I suppose it comes down to transportation networks,
and the size of markets: places by the sea /may/ get the freshest fish (if
small fishermen are landing and selling them locally, as happens where I
live), but if you go to a small town 30 miles inland you're probably worse
off than you would be in a large city 100 miles further on.


Some Parisians are "rich" to the best food and wine ends up here.

Even price wise. I suspect there are plenty of people who have toured
around wineries in France, visiting the best ones. Usually, because
one is there, one buys the wine, putting a couple of cases of whatever
in the back of the car and taking it back home.

Later one, at home and at dinner with friends, one recounts the visit
and serving guests this choice wine. This is wine one-upmanship.

The shock some when one's local wine merchant has it for sale and
cheaper!

So for great Bordeaux you go to London or New York, forget about
going to the source in Bordeaux. They will screwing you and you end
up thanking them for being "so nice" and hating yourself later.

Earl


PS I have long imagined selling a can spray which one can spray
on a bottle of wine, giving it a coating of dust and a moldy smell.

This would be impressive when guests come for dinner. You would excuse
yourself to "go to the cellar" to get this special wine, bringing
back the impressive old bottle (I would also sell bottle labels
backdated
20-40 years). You could claim you put this aside 20 years ago for
a special occasion. How grateful you guests will be.

Adella wrote in message link.net...
Loved the song about the 14th! Thanks!

As for Los Gatos, well, I know exactly what you mean! I live not so far
from there and have watched the area change since the early '70s. Too
damn many people for one thing...if I want crowds I'd rather be in a big
city where I can at least find good restaurants and off-beat movies.

We lived on a hillside just above town, near the high school. We had
a nice one acre piece of land and a custom home in redwood overlook
"Silicon Valley. The whole area was natural, no lawn, surrounded by
oak and poison oak.

The big earthquake in the early 90s took out most of the old structures
in downtown Los Gatos, and also Santa Cruz (I tought at UC Santa Cruz
for a number of years but took a position in France in the mid-70s).
I see were Paso Robles "got it" recently too.


An area in Paris I like a lot is the Canal St. Martin area. We once
came close to buying an apartment on the Quai Valmy. I blame my husband
for chickening out.

The area developed over the years. We have a friend, a Boston school teacher
who bought a small 2 pieces just up Oberkampf in the area below
Belleville, it has yuppified a lot over the last couple of years. She got in
before prices rose on this recent surge (it lasted abut 5 years and appears
over). She originally wanted a place near the Place de Vosges but her
pocket book was not strong enough. So I advised the nearby 11th which
looked like it might heat up. It did.

I have no feeling how the Canal real estate has done. We occasionally
go over to a bistrot just off the canal, called the "Bouledogue", taking
our dachshund with us.

The 10-11th areas have a lot of character. To the American eye it might look
like junky area. For Parisians also. The usual advice is if you have
the money buy in the expensive areas since they will go up more!

But if one is looking for space and character and not capital gains
one can go into the lower price areas and have a good time.

Earl

The apartment we were considering was right on the Canal, with a view of
the trees and the barges. Rarely does a day go by that I don't regret
not having it. At the time the dollar was strong and we would have
made out like bandits. Today, alas, I doubt we could afford anything
bigger than a parking space.

I love the "junkiness" mixed in with the "yuppiness". The combination
gives the area real flavor. I don't think I have been to
"Bouledogue"...it's a name one would remember. I hope your daschund
isn't offended. :-)

Talking wine, or the usual repartee you bring to the table Earl?

Tim K

"Earl" wrote in message
om...

PS I have long imagined selling a can spray which one can spray
on a bottle of wine, giving it a coating of dust and a moldy smell.

This would be impressive when guests come for dinner. You would excuse
yourself to "go to the cellar" to get this special wine, bringing
back the impressive old bottle (I would also sell bottle labels
backdated
20-40 years). You could claim you put this aside 20 years ago for
a special occasion. How grateful you guests will be.