Paris seafood restaurant

On Earl's recommendation we wnet to have dinner at Garnier, opposite St
Lazarre, tonight. Unfortunately it was closed, so we decided to go to the
seafood restaurant next door, called Mollard or some such thing.

The food was good, but the service was a sort of caricature of French
restaurant service - truly appalling - rude, condescending, slow. We left
without having dessert or coffee as we just couldn't be bothered for the
waiter to come back to take our order: we did ask him but he just buggered
off somewhere.

Some restaurants have grumpy staff that sort of adds to the charm and
authenticity of the experience - Chez Denise at Les Halles springs to mind.
This wasn't like that, it was just rude.

Stay away.

J;

Dans l'article , Jeremy a
écrit :


On Earl's recommendation we wnet to have dinner at Garnier, opposite St
Lazarre, tonight. Unfortunately it was closed, so we decided to go to the
seafood restaurant next door, called Mollard or some such thing.

The food was good, but the service was a sort of caricature of French
restaurant service - truly appalling - rude, condescending, slow. We left
without having dessert or coffee as we just couldn't be bothered for the
waiter to come back to take our order: we did ask him but he just buggered
off somewhere.

Some restaurants have grumpy staff that sort of adds to the charm and
authenticity of the experience - Chez Denise at Les Halles springs to mind.
This wasn't like that, it was just rude.

Stay away.

J;

We have never thought much of Mollard, even the food is not as good as
Garnier in our opinion. Our policy is: if Garnier is closed, don't look for
a quickie substitute. Wait until you can get the real thing.

Donna Evleth

On 2/5/04 14:50, in article , "Donna
Evleth" wrote:




Dans l'article , Jeremy a
écrit :


On Earl's recommendation we wnet to have dinner at Garnier, opposite St
Lazarre, tonight. Unfortunately it was closed, so we decided to go to the
seafood restaurant next door, called Mollard or some such thing.
[...]
Some restaurants have grumpy staff that sort of adds to the charm and
authenticity of the experience - Chez Denise at Les Halles springs to mind.
This wasn't like that, it was just rude.

Stay away.

J;

We have never thought much of Mollard, even the food is not as good as
Garnier in our opinion. Our policy is: if Garnier is closed, don't look for
a quickie substitute. Wait until you can get the real thing.

Donna Evleth

Lesson learned the hard way!!

J;

Jeremy wrote:

On Earl's recommendation we wnet to have dinner at Garnier, opposite St
Lazarre, tonight. Unfortunately it was closed, so we decided to go to the
seafood restaurant next door, called Mollard or some such thing.

The food was good, but the service was a sort of caricature of French
restaurant service - truly appalling - rude, condescending, slow. We left
without having dessert or coffee as we just couldn't be bothered for the
waiter to come back to take our order: we did ask him but he just buggered
off somewhere.

Some restaurants have grumpy staff that sort of adds to the charm and
authenticity of the experience - Chez Denise at Les Halles springs to mind.
This wasn't like that, it was just rude.


I ate at the Mollard on my last trip to Paris. We had a fabulous meal and good
service. Maybe it helped that we were seated next to an elderly character who
was obviously a regular customer, apparently wealthy and somewhat demanding.
Ever time the checked on him they checked on us. It was one of my wife's
favourite meals on that trip.

Dave Smith wrote in message ...
Jeremy wrote:

On Earl's recommendation we wnet to have dinner at Garnier, opposite St
Lazarre, tonight. Unfortunately it was closed, so we decided to go to the
seafood restaurant next door, called Mollard or some such thing.

The food was good, but the service was a sort of caricature of French
restaurant service - truly appalling - rude, condescending, slow. We left
without having dessert or coffee as we just couldn't be bothered for the
waiter to come back to take our order: we did ask him but he just buggered
off somewhere.

Some restaurants have grumpy staff that sort of adds to the charm and
authenticity of the experience - Chez Denise at Les Halles springs to mind.
This wasn't like that, it was just rude.


I ate at the Mollard on my last trip to Paris. We had a fabulous meal and good
service. Maybe it helped that we were seated next to an elderly character who
was obviously a regular customer, apparently wealthy and somewhat demanding.
Ever time the checked on him they checked on us. It was one of my wife's
favourite meals on that trip.

Mollard has a nice "belle epoque" interior, it takes one back in time.
There are others in Paris, like le Train Bleu, Julien, etc; Often one pays
for the decor with a slightly (or greatly) lower quality of cuisine.
At one time LaPérouse was a *** place, and in fact we ate there
in the 1960s when it still had stars. Its interior is magnificant
and problably worth a mediocre meal just to see it even today.
It has lot if private dining areas which were used in the Belle Epoque
for Paris "gentlemen" to entertain their mistresses. The implication
that meals were accompanied by some hanky panky. But frankly
after a lot of wine and a lot of good, I prefer to sleep.

I don't remember Mollard's food being good or bad, one can be influenced
by the interiors at times. Paris has such a wide spectrum of good places
that one can never exhaust the supply. But once we find a place we
don't fish around any more.

Neither place is in the Guide Michelin, why i don`t know. We live in Montparnasse
and "le Dome" is known for its sea food but we have only gone there rarely
in our 25 years in this area.

One thing is that sea food places are always expensive.

Garnier, by the way, had a real cheese selection, rare these days anywhere
in France.

Earl

(Earl) wrote in message . com...

Mollard has a nice "belle epoque" interior, it takes one back in time.

It does indees - we had plenty of time to look at it while hoping for
the waiter to condescend to acknowledge our existence.

J;

Any thoughts on Prunier? The one near La Madeline...not the spin-offs.
I have always heard that they are one of the best seafood spots in
Paris, but we have never managed to get there. It was very pricey as I
recall.

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 was at Maison Prunier a few years ago (I have their card stuck on my
fridge even now) and the food was excellent but expensive (luckily a
business partner was treating us!). Service formal and attentive, somewhat
old fashioned. I had a tuna steak with balsamic vinegar that I enjoyed.
The oysters I started with were wonderful, but so big I almost couldn't
handle them! The Art Deco raw bar downstairs should be on everybody's "to
see" list in Paris.

"Adella" wrote in message
nk.net...
Any thoughts on Prunier? The one near La Madeline...not the spin-offs.
I have always heard that they are one of the best seafood spots in
Paris, but we have never managed to get there. It was very pricey as I
recall.

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.

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 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