text:
DOD's new policy 'likes' social media, but with caveats

For all its benefits and the enjoyment it brings to the people who use it, social media has a dark side. When it comes to military users, one slip — such as an inadvertent mention of a deployment timing or location — can endanger lives. But given its intrinsically open nature and constantly changing boundaries, how can the Defense Department effectively manage social media?

Pentagon officials at the highest levels recognize the importance of social media for communicating with the public and collaborating within the department, as well as providing troops access to their loved ones even when they are stationed thousands of miles away. But leaders know they must weigh those advantages against the sensitive security needs inherent to military operations.

To strike a balance, DOD officials are focusing on regulating, not restricting, social media use.

Currently, DOD’s social media policy is governed by a directive-type memorandum (DTM) from 2010 — a two-page document that superficially outlines the rules and responsibilities those under Pentagon jurisdiction must follow in their use of social media. That policy will change in the coming months as the department prepares to issue more permanent and detailed DOD instructions that will expand the existing guidance.

“Because the DTM was the first ever, it was galvanizing for the department to work its way through the potential rules around social media use at DOD,” said Rob Carey, DOD’s deputy CIO. “As you can imagine, with a very structured, hierarchical organization such as ours, we were dealing with ‘How do I use this thing?’”

The DTM was meant to be a quick set of guidelines governing activities in the social media space. It was set to expire July 15 but will remain in effect until the new policy comes out. Even now, two years after its release, the department is still determining just how to use the still-developing and sometimes unwieldy tool. With a rapidly evolving capability like social media, a hot new trend can catch fire and fizzle within a matter of weeks, so it’s difficult to issue hard-and-fast rules.

“The underlying effort of the DTM was to work toward breaking down some of the silos of keeping information together, allowing a broader perspective of options out there and seeing what we could gain,” said Jack Holt, who helped write the DTM while serving as senior strategist for emerging media at DOD; he is now director of policy analysis at Blue Ridge Information Systems. “It was partly about communicating with the American public and understanding what else we can do within the medium and how it can work behind the firewall as well.”

Where the DTM laid the groundwork by establishing definitions, responsibilities and the importance of information sharing, the new guidelines incorporate a more thorough and detailed look at social media, at least as it exists today, Carey told FCW in a preview of the new policy.

Two areas will receive particular emphasis: making sure the rules are clear and making sure security is adequately covered. Both areas will be clarified when DOD unveils the policy in the coming months, but according to Carey, the exact release date is still to be determined.

“It’s currently at the legal sufficiency review; the lawyers look at the final version one more time and determine what to address,” Carey said. “Right now there’s no date set. I can only say to stand by.”

Clearing the fog of Facebook

Social media has permeated the lives of most Americans, but for the military, it’s a relatively new capability, and rules for its use haven’t always been well understood.

One prominent misconception is that the use of dot-mil e-mail addresses on social media is forbidden. That simply isn’t true, Carey said. What matters is how a social media account associated with a dot-mil address is used. The key designation is whether or not someone is officially conducting job-related business.

“The secretary of the Navy, the commander of European Command, the defense secretary — they use social media [for an official] purpose,” Carey said. “The account that is set up is an official account, so dot-mil e-mail addresses are used to support official presences. If you’re using Facebook or any of the others for social purposes — and there’s nothing wrong with that, consistent with all the other [operations security] guidelines we have in place — you should use some other e-mail address.”

No social network sites are universally banned from military use, but there are certain circumstances in which the use of one or another might be temporarily suspended. For instance, after the tsunami struck Japan last year, access to YouTube was shut down on some military networks to free up the bandwidth needed to coordinate disaster response efforts.

The new policy will address those issues and some newer ones that have begun to crop up around the downloading of information, such as the growing and evolving use of advertising, endorsements, image alteration and gaming, Carey said.

The elephant in the room

Perhaps the biggest issue in the military’s use of social media is security. And one of the biggest problems with security is that the traditional, bureaucratic approach isn’t flexible enough to keep up with the rapidly changing social media landscape.

“The issue is not social media; it’s new software techniques that need various degrees of safeguards,” said Paul Strassmann, distinguished professor of information sciences at George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering and former director of defense information at DOD. “It’s a new set of applications…and whether I’m in Kabul or Mogadishu or any other place, I need to be able to communicate. [Existing systems can be] too onerous, difficult, expensive and hard to execute. So what people do is work around using social media. Social media is a big bootlegging operation. It breaks down the structure.”

Carey believes that the new policy, combined with existing training and education, are enough to combat much of the threat that social media potentially poses. The two main concerns are cybersecurity and information security, he said.

Although social media receives the same cybersecurity treatment as any other form of DOD desktop activity — including perimeter defense, firewalls and other traditional measures — information security hinges on the training and education that are mandatory for all defense personnel, both military and civilian.

At the heart of information security is operations security, which in turn might be the pinnacle of social media security concerns.

“A lot of social media policies try to address the breadth [of concerns] not to scare people to death but to let them understand this is not the same thing as having a conversation in your living room or over a cup of coffee with a friend,” said Laurie Schive, outreach director at the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

There are plenty of stories about military families inadvertently revealing too much information online about a service member’s location or a geotagged photo getting publicly posted, for example.

“It’s just like someone saying it at a crowded bus stop, just the media has changed,” Carey said. “The problem with the Internet is that it’s viral to those friends. It can be a social media issue, but the first problem is that information shouldn’t have gotten there.”

Are the current efforts in training and education enough to counter security worries? Although Carey expressed confidence in existing programs, most would agree that there’s always room for improvement, even beyond military applications.

“There are a lot of things we give lip service to that before weren’t a big deal but today they are,” Holt said. “Especially for DOD and social media, they need to be addressed in basic training and for new civilian employees. But this is also something that needs to be addressed even in children. We should train kids to be on and off the Internet the same way we train [them] to cross the road — and probably at the same time.”

Young or old, good cyber habits should include understanding the potential dangers of bogus URLs, bad links and malicious attachments. Inside the federal government, preparedness rises to another level.

“It’s not just [operations security], it’s proper decorum,” Holt said. “After all, it is publishing. When you put something on the Internet, you’re still liable for defamation and things that, before ubiquitous publishing, only journalists, public affairs people, and those producing products and content for mass distribution had to consider. It’s a different story now.”

Filling in the gaps

Although DOD has unique security requirements, the concept of operations security and the protection of internal information have implications at other agencies, where officials are also grappling with social media use.

Some agencies are collaborating on the best approaches to social media — for example, via interagency working groups and by sharing information through websites such as Despite the differences in their missions, most organizations have a number of issues in common.

“We not only have to read tea leaves of where technology is going to go in the next five to 10 years, it takes a lot to revise federal policies, so it has to be evergreen,” said one government official who is familiar with federal social media strategies and agreed to speak on background. “It also has to provide for a range of operations [because] there’s not going to be one toolset that works for every department or component.”

DOD’s goal for the new policy is that it will be broad and flexible enough to fill in the gaps that have emerged as social media has evolved and governance has taken shape.

The task will be ongoing and it won’t be easy, but social media has become too powerful as an information and strategic messaging platform to be dismissed, Carey said.

“Some of the tools that we use to frame this discussion will not exist in a few years, and there will be new ones out there in their places,” Carey said. “We have to set a broad context. Implementation is targeted around the as-is, not the what’s-to-be, and that means you have to be careful about it.”

Social media missteps

Defense Department officials hope their soon-to-be-released social media policy can help service members avoid the kinds of incidents detailed below.

The appropriation of Adm. Stavridis’ identity

Adm. James Stavridis, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, is often held up as a prime example of military social media done well. Stavridis is famous for his use of Facebook and Twitter to interact with the international public, and he does it all himself.

But his prominent social media use made headlines of a different sort earlier this year when hackers created a fake Facebook profile pretending to be Stavridis and reportedly managed to befriend other NATO officials and glean some personal information. The U.K.’s Telegraph reported that Chinese hackers were behind the social engineering tactic, but like most cyber incidents, attribution is difficult.

DOD officials downplay the dangers of that kind of ploy but note that it’s yet another reason for thorough and routine training and education. “The social engineering aspect of social media is just another point of awareness that anyone, including senior leaders, need to manage and diligently monitor,” said Rob Carey, DOD’s deputy CIO. “Once an anomaly has been detected, we contact the specific sites — Facebook, Twitter, etc. — and they remove them.”

Marine dismissed for Obama-bashing on Facebook

A fierce free-speech debate was sparked in April when Marine Sgt. Gary Stein faced disciplinary action — and later, a less-than-honorable discharge — for posting remarks criticizing President Barack Obama and launching an Armed Forces Tea Party page on Facebook.

Stein drew the attention of Marine Corps officials after he wrote that he would not take “unlawful orders from Obama,” among other remarks. The comments went against a military policy, dating back to the Civil War, that limits service members’ free speech, including criticism of the commander-in-chief. Stein is reportedly fighting the dismissal in court.

Geotagging slip backfires big time

Today’s high-tech smart phones and other mobile devices include features that can come in handy but also pose huge risks. Software that tracks location is a big one, including the ability to geotag items such as photos uploaded to social networks.

The dangers were exposed in 2007 when Army soldiers snapped and uploaded photos of a new fleet of helicopters arriving at a base in Iraq. According to the Army, adversaries were able to access the pictures and, more importantly, the geo-location information that was embedded in them. Using that data, they were able to determine the exact location of the AH-64 Apache helicopters and launch a mortar attack that destroyed four of them.

Indian, British and Israeli service members leak confidential data online

Social media mistakes are not limited to the United States; a number of other countries have suffered from similar blunders.

The Times of India reported in January that a group of four Indian naval officers were caught leaking confidential information, such as the location of warships, via social networks.

Back in 2010, 10 employees of the British Ministry of Defense faced disciplinary action after they were found to have leaked sensitive information via social media sites, including Twitter, 16 times in the course of 18 months.

That same year, an Israel Defense Forces soldier posted information on Facebook that detailed the time and place of an upcoming raid on the Palestinian territories, as well as the name of the combat unit involved. According to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, the soldier’s friends reported the status update to Facebook, leading to the soldier being relieved of combat duty and the raid being called off.

FCW in Print

In the latest issue: grid security, agile development, BYOD and more!

Reader comments

Wed, Aug 15, 2012

The Date : Sometime between 1979 and 1981.
Location: A military base in California.
The Scene : Unknown attackers are trying to infiltrate and destroy.
Mission : To thwart the enemy.
Result: Mass casualties and destruction of the unit's mission capability.

The unit did good on the protection of data via the "normal" channels like trash, telephone, and military radio communications (cell phones and computers were not an issue yet). But the enemy still knew what to do to get into our facility and blow us up.

How did that happen?!?!?!?

Back in the 70's early 80's the big "Social Media" was the CB (27 MHz Citizen Band) radio. By monitoring the traffic of the military and civilian personal on the CB frequencies, they were able to tie together the random data pulled from the traditional spy methods and make a successful attack. Subject matters that would not be discussed over the phone or via military radio were spread out for the world to see, nothing very important from any one transmission, but over the two weeks of the exercise it made for a lot of compromising information that allowed the other tidbits to be glued into a comprehensive map of our security efforts.

I know, nobody would be that foolish today.....yet the article has examples of it happening. Use to be you went and talked to the hookers to find out what your unit was doing, now you just skim the blogs and posts.

Please post your comments here. Comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately after submitting. We will not post comments that we consider abusive or off-topic.

Please type the letters/numbers you see above

More from 1105 Public Sector Media Group


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Truncated: length

WARC-Type: response

text:
Lake Gibson CB names early leaders

In August every year, all across the state, hundreds of young men put their helmets on with the hopes of still wearing them into December. Last season Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson did just that by m...

Premium Content

Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.

  • Member-only message boards
  • Exclusive highlights and recruiting interviews
  • Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
  • Breaking recruiting news

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-153-172-175.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2016-36
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for August 2016
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


text:
Uncensored Sound Off: Post-game reaction

Former and current Florida Gators, as well as college football analysts, took to Twitter during and immediately after the team topped the South Carolina Gamecocks 44-11 on Saturday in the Swamp.

Premium Content

Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.

  • Member-only message boards
  • Exclusive highlights and recruiting interviews
  • Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
  • Breaking recruiting news


text:
Weeknight CookingWhat to CookDinner, Faster

Salmon Kedgeree

27 Save

If you like it, save it!

Save and organize all of the stuff you love in one place.

Got it!

If you like something…

Click the heart, it's called favoriting. Favorite the stuff you like.

Got it!

Salmon Kedgeree

- Jenny

Many days when I am sitting at my desk charged with thinking about suspension bills, my mind wanders to other things. Why does my family own so many washcloths shaped like farm animals? Am I too old to wear a shirt fashioned from synthetic feathers? What should I do with all this leftover salmon?

The last question vexes me often, as I am always long on lovely, expensive salmon, due to the incipient pescetarian’s love of the fish. The bottom line is that no matter how delicious any fish recipe is, its re-heated version is usually not that great.

Enter Salmon Kedgeree. This is about as weeknight friendly as a recipe can get, because it involves left over protein, spices and stuff that you probably have laying around (and ingredients that you can skip and not be worse for the wear), and one pot, unless you are making fresh rice, which I did.

Here is the drill: get home, say hello to whomever happens to be waiting for you, and mix up a gin rickey while you put up some rice. (deensiebat wants you to use long grain; I chose basmati.) Then you move in a linear fashion along with the recipe, chopping up your onion, garlic and ginger while your mustard seeds pop, and grabbing the various other things it calls for, too.

If you don’t have turmeric, or cilantro, you will survive. I think even a cook strangely remiss in garlic ownership can make this dish, the only thing you really cannot live without are the mustard seeds, which give this dish its special nutty flavor, and obviously the curry paste.

If you have a curry paste you like, go ahead and use it, but making your own is fast and simple and may yield a better result, as will making sure your rice has some moisture left, otherwise the only thing that can really go wrong with this dish might, which is that it can be a tad dry (add a little broth if needed).

There are so many flavors at work here, and given the match of a healthy blast of salmon, this may be your perfect Monday night meal. Or you can have it for breakfast, as is apparently a tradition in England, even though the dish, which always consists of flaked fish, originates in India. Best case scenario: make it on Tuesday. That way you can eat it while watching Glee.

Salmon Kedgeree

By deensiebat

Serves 4

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil (or ghee, if you've got it)
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1-2 tablespoon Indian-style jarred curry paste, such as Patak's (if you don't have this, you can substitute 1-1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder (depending on your taste and the spiciness of your curry), mixed with a splash of oil and 1/2 tsp tomato paste)
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, julienned or grated
  • ~5 cups cooked long-grain white rice (yeah, my picture has overcooked short-grain brown rice, but long grain white would be better)
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • salt
  • 1 pound cooked salmon, flaked into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 bunch spinach, washed, dried and roughly chopped (optional)
  • 1 bunch cilantro, washed, dried and roughly chopped

1. Heat the oil or ghee over a medium-high flame in a heavy pan. When the oil is rippley-but-not-smoking, add the mustard seeds and cover. The seeds will sputter and pop.

2. When the popping has subsided, add the turmeric and curry paste or powder (start with the smaller amount). Let the seasonings toast for a few seconds, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent (~5 minutes).

3. When the onion is cooked, add the rice and stir gently but thoroughly to combine. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste, and more curry paste if desired. When it's seasoned to taste, add the salmon, spinach (if using), and ~ 3/4 of the cilantro, and stir gently to combine. Cook until the fish is warmed through and the spinach has wilted. Garnish with remaining cilantro and serve (yogurt and chutney make nice accompaniments)

By day, Jennifer Steinhauer, aka Jenny, covers Congress for The New York Times. By night, she is an obsessive cook.

Jennifer Steinhauer

Tags: everyday cooking


text:
How to CookTips & TechniquesVegetarian CookingVideosVegetables

How to Trim Artichokes

4 Save

If you like it, save it!

Save and organize all of the stuff you love in one place.

Got it!

If you like something…

Click the heart, it's called favoriting. Favorite the stuff you like.

Got it!

In the video below, Amanda & Merrill demonstrate for The Today Show's Cooking School series how to get down to the good stuff of an artichoke -- the heart! -- without injury by choke or thorn.

Once freed from their protective gear, the hearts are ready for braising in olive oil or herbs or pan-frying, a la dymnyno's Heart of Gold (with creamy cumin-lime dipping sauce).

You can also watch a larger version of the video -- which was shot and edited by the multi-talented Katie Quinn -- here.

Tags: video


text:
Le Pré Catelan, Paris

Le Pré Catelan - l'Enseigne

As of 1976, Le Pré Catelan has been part of Lenôtre, the eponymous and celebrated catering company founded by one of France’s foremost pâtissiers, Gaston Lenôtre. This former dairy farm, however, was first opened by a respected Parisian restaurateur as du Pré Catelan in 1906. To attract customers, he charged what he advertised as bourgeois prices. To his own cost though, locals did not agree with his interpretation of bourgeois whilst the moneyed Americans that pervaded Paris turned their noses up unanimously at any thing that even smelt of cheap. Therefore, he was forced to quickly sell out to the eminent Monsieur Mouriez, who already included the Café de Paris, restaurant d’Armenonville and the Abbay Thélème in his stable of iconic dining/drinking institutions. He made immediate changes, namely raising prices, which actually worked wonderfully well at attracting hordes of American tourists, but he also kept some of the restaurant’s old customs like bringing cows into the dining room to be milked by the more adventurous clientele.

In its current incarnation, Le Pré Catelan spent most of the nineties under the charge of Roland Durand, during which time Thomas Keller and Andy Needham both passed through the kitchen. In 1997, incumbent chef, Frédéric Anton took up the reins. He had prestigious pedigree. Originally from the Lorraine spa town of Contrexèville and graduating from l’École hôtelière de Gérardmer in 1978, he had his first employment at the nearby Grand Hôtel. He then went to Le Capucin Gourmand (1*) in Nancy to work under Gérard Veissière, whilst simultaneously pursuing a diploma in pastry and chocolate making. Next came Le Flambard (2*) in Lille with Robert Bardot before the big move to Gérard Boyer’s Château des Crayères (3*) in 1986. Five years on, Joël Robuchon took him on as chef de partie at his fabled restaurant Jamin (3*), where he rose to chef de cuisine by 1993, the same year that the pair moved to avenue Raymond Poincarré together. In 1996, Robuchon relinquished his stars to Michelin and his restaurant to Alain Ducasse; Anton stayed on for the next six months, supervising the transition, prior to eventually joining Le Pré Catelan.

Robuchon’s protégé, who as a youngster had no desire to cook and ‘thought it was for women’, was given full control and total freedom of this kitchen. Within two years he repaid this faith shown in him with two Michelin stars. The following year he was named Meilleur Ouvrier de France. More recently, in 2005 he was endowed with an espoir ahead of the real thing two years later. Anton has a reputation for being meticulous and precise. He is said to run a tight ship and have a keen eye for detail.

lLe Pré Catelan - le Jardin 2 Le Pré Catelan - le Jardin Le Pré Catelan

Le Pré Catelan itself is found deep within the Bois de Boulogne, a forest on the western fringes of the 16e and of Paris proper. These woodlands, which can trace their origins to the fifth century, were once filled with oak trees and a royal hunting ground. Actually, it is from Louis XIV’s Captain of the Hunt, Théophile Catelan, that the particular pré or meadow that the restaurant rests within takes its title. Le Pré Catelan, whose gardens date from the mid-eighteenth century when Baron Haussmann was hired to redesign the whole bois before it was gifted to the city, is housed in a Napoleon III style lodge and its property shares an entrance with the Jardin Shakespeare, which holds specimens of all the plants mentioned in the poet’s plays.

Arriving at Port Dauphine almost late already, I stood near the large roundabout in an attempt to attract the attentions of any passing taxis. For some time, none came. Then a few finally did appear, though these were all filled. At last, one stopped. ‘Où?’ He demanded. ‘Le Pré Catelan, s’il vous plait,’ I squeaked. ‘Jamais entendu cela,’ snapping that he had never heard of it, he drove off. It’s a restaurant, I called out, but it was too late. I started walking. I should have been at the restaurant fifteen minutes earlier, so I called to let them know I would be a little tardy, but I was still coming. On the phone, they asked me where I was, but after informing them that I was making my way there on foot, they would have none of it and ordered me back to the roundabout with instructions to wait there. I did as I was told. Within five minutes, a car had pulled up alongside, a tuxedoed and bow-tied gentleman behind the wheel, ready to whisk me away to my destination…

Le Pré Catelan 2

The main dining room sits in the larger of two small châteaux on the site. In 2007, Pierre-Yves Rochon redesigned the interior; his briefing was ‘to celebrate the natural surroundings’ of the historic building. Inside, a sprinkling of spotlights on the fifty-foot high ceiling, quadruple-decker chandelier suspended in its centre and triple-forked wall sconces that surround its sides make the space glisten. Tall mirrors, intermingled with marbled Grecian columns, rim the room. Classical capitals are intricately crafted and carved friezes follow Caran d’Ache stencilling. A fireplace is the focus of one wall, which is also bordered with lush, myrtle banquettes; opposite, a spacious bay is wrapped with tall windows. The floor, carpeted fern-green to evoke the garden outside, is filled with circular tables and dark wooden serving stations topped with black vases bearing white orchids, chrome urns and onyx pots. Grey silk curtains correspond to the grey undercloth beneath the white that has been laid over the well-sized and spaced tables. These are straightforwardly set with silver salt-and-pepper shakes; a single white rose stowed in a small, sterling boule; and monogrammed ebony and ivory Bernaudaud crockery. The room is elegant and ornate but clean, fresh and open. The mood was comfortable, merry and spirited.

Le Pré Catelan - la Table Le Pré Catelan - la Carte

I was welcomed and shown to my table by maître d’hôtel, Monsieur Jean-Jacques Chauveau. After speaking with him, I asked if he would order for me and he obliged with the Menu du Pré

Le Pré Catelan - Amuse Bouche 1: Potage chaud d’oignons; crème de champignons de bois

Amuse Bouche 1: Potage chaud d’oignons; crème de champignons de bois. Frothy wild mushroom cream was poured at the table into a bowl of warm, silky onion soup. Earthy, woody and sweet trompettes de mort, pieds de mouton and champignons de Paris came combined with caramelised onion. This had strong and comforting savour.

Le Pré Catelan - les Pains: Baguette et pain des céréales Le Pré Catelan - les Pains et les Beurres

Les Pains: Baguette et pain des céréales. The bread basket brimmed with baguettes and cereal rolls made on the premises. The former were crunchy if a little dry, whilst the latter were nicely flavoured, light and seedy. Circular cakes of Pré Catelan-embossed butter, both salted and unsalted, were supplied by Pascal Beillvieve. This smooth, rich beurre was very good.

Le Pré Catelan - La Sardine: A l’huile, Capeaux de Beurre et Pain aux Olives; Sardine et persil plat frits; Gelée de Bouillabaisse, Sauce Rouille

Entrée 1: La Sardine: A l’huile, Copeaux de Beurre et Pain aux Olives; Sardine et persil plat frits; Gelée de Bouillabaisse, Sauce Rouille. A triptych of pearly plates of differing size and shape were served.

Le Pré Catelan - la Sardine: Gelée de Bouillabaisse, Sauce Rouille

First and largest of these was a big bowl bearing shallow gelée de bouillabaisse de sardines; its ritual rouille rested atop, embodied as creamy white dots of garlic and gold of saffron with interspersed silver spots of sardine. Reduced and jellified fish stock, vegetables, tomato and white wine had clean, lively savour and smooth consistency. Its topping had subtly spicy bitterness and conspicuous fishiness. The presentation of the plate was appealingly unusual, but the overriding flavour was an underlying slight harshness.

Le Pré Catelan - la Sardine: Sardine et persil plat frits

Secondly, a long rectangle featured three sardine/pilchard cross-sections, lightly breaded, filled with parsley then fried; the middle morsel bore some butter whilst a slice of lime lay on the side. The simply and well cooked fish, coated in crunchy breadcrumbs and egg, were completely greaseless. Their herb farce had crisp grassiness, whilst the lime was a competent and classic acidic counterpoint.

Le Pré Catelan - la Sardine: A l’huile, Capeaux de Beurre et Pain aux Olives

Last, little olive oil suffused sardines, garnished with coriander, Thai garlic, thyme, stitchwort flowers and another curl of butter, were teamed with toasted olive bread. These literally flash-fried filets had surprisingly delicate taste and were distinctly infused with quality, fruity oil. There was faint citrus and freshness from the trimmings as well as slight sweetness from the garlic (Thai being less aggressive than European). Brittle bread with great olive essence went well.

Le Pré Catelan - La Saint-Jacques: Jus de Pommes à Cidre; Galet « chaud »; Crème de Noix écrasées et torréfiées; Fines Lamelles juste tiédies, Citron vert

Entrée 2: La Saint-Jacques: Cuite au Plat, Jus de Pommes à Cidre; Galet « chaud »; Crème de Noix écrasées et torréfiées; Fines Lamelles juste tiédies, Zestes de Citron vert. A second course of scallops was composed of four component-plates.

Le Pré Catelan - La Saint-Jacques: Galet « chaud »

Upon a big, black, white-hot basalt pebble, a single half-scallop, soused in soy sauce, was sprinkled with spring onion. The shellfish was decent with a soft and creamy texture; the onion offered crunch; whilst the soy, nice saltiness. Although the sizzling stone was to some extent sensational, it was certainly more for show than anything else. The Saint-Jacques – which had unwontedly (in France anyway) and unwantedly been bisected – was heated only from beneath, which meant that without one’s immediate attention, the scallop would either be left raw on one side, cooked on the other or cooked on one side, overdone on the other.

Le Pré Catelan - la Saint-Jacques: Cuite au Plat, Jus de Pommes à Cidre

A whole scallop, firm without yet moist within, sitting in an apple, cidre brut and honey emulsion was crowned with chive and Grenoble nut kernel pulp that also contributed an interesting consistency. Reinette d’Orléans and Granny Smith apples added sweet acidity as did the dry cider, zing. The garlic and shallot in the sauce struck a chord with the chive crest, whilst the honey in it offset the slight bitterness of the nuts (the only in the world classified as A.O.C.).

lLe Pré Catelan - la Saint-Jacques: Crème de Noix écrasées et torréfiées

Another Saint-Jacques, nicely caramelised, came floating atop a zephyr of hazelnut oil and sprinkled with more of the same nut, crushed and roasted. Made also with cream and agar-agar, this zephyr was light and cool in contrast to the hot shellfish and had strong, noticeable nuttiness.

Le Pré Catelan - la Saint-Jacques: Fines Lamelles juste tiédies, Zestes de Citron vert

The fourth formulation of this theme comprised a tepid trio of scallop-slither sandwiches containing caviar d’Aquitaine and covered with lime butter. Each ‘sandwich’ consisted of a couple of thin, supple slices of Saint-Jacques (each segment one sixth of a single scallop) that made a pocket packed with French caviar. This caviar was rather salty and lacked the creamy burst of Iranian and Russian variations, but the aromatic beurre de citron vert was invigorating yet light.

Le Pré Catelan - la Langoustine: Préparée en Ravioli, Servie dans un Bouillon á l’Huile d’Olive vierge, Au parfum « poivre et Menthe »; La Coque, Beurre de Corail; Nem de Langoustine frit, jus de Romaine et Cacahuètes torréfiées

Plat Principal 1: La Langoustine: Préparée en Ravioli, Servie dans un Bouillon á l’Huile d’Olive vierge, Au parfum « poivre et Menthe »; La Coque, Beurre de Corail; Nem de Langoustine frit, jus de Romaine et Cacahuètes torréfiées. An Eastern-influenced, four-pronged play on langoustines was presented next.

Le Pré Catelan - la Langoustine: Préparée en Ravioli, Servie dans un Bouillon á l’Huile d’Olive vierge, Au parfum « poivre et Menthe »

Opaque olive oil foam, perfumed with pepper and mint, mewed a langoustine raviolo. The shellfish filling, sweet and confit-like in consistency, had been poached in stock before being stuffed into the delicate, soft pasta. Both pepper and mint were rather faint. This was somewhat reminiscent of a Cantonese wonton.

Le Pré Catelan - la Langoustine: Nem de Langoustine frit, jus de Romaine et Cacahuètes torréfiées

A tray had two tempura, one of langoustine and another of romaine lettuce, on one end, a cup of peanut sauce on the other; a demitasse, on a different dish, held dark green romaine lettuce jus. The shellfish, wrapped in warka pastry with a little mint and fried in peanut oil, was clean and crunchy; again the meat had nice savour. Romaine leaf, prepared in the same manner, had pleasing springiness but was a touch greasy. The cold lettuce jus had a very vegetal concentration with a hint of bittersweetness from nutmeg; neither was it unpleasant, nor particularly pleasing either. The peanut concoction, conversely, was intriguing and addictive. It had complex, heady flavour – spicy, nutty, smoky, sweet heat – that came from a mix of lime, Birdseye chilli, sugar cane and poussin jus (fish sauce – fermented fish paste popular in Southeast Asia) and may have been an adaptation of traditional Thai satay sauce, just without coconut milk.

Le Pré Catelan - la Langoustine: La Coque, Beurre de Corail

A langoustine, still resting in its shell, was roasted in coral butter and brought out with broccoli froth brimming forth. This example had good firm texture, but tasted quite mild, whilst the broccoli was bland. The fact that it was the final plate of four also meant that, once eventually reached, it was no longer warm.

Le Pré Catelan - le Chevreuil: A la façon du « Senateur Couteaux », Pâtes au Beurre demi-sel

Plat Principal 2: Le Chevreuil: A la façon du « Senateur Couteaux », Pâtes au Beurre demi-sel. The meat main course meant a return to customary one-plate convention, although all creativity was not lost, as the crockery used was quite unusual. The recipe itself was classical too: venison confit, smothered in sauce poivrade partnered with penne pasta, layered with parmesan wedges and drizzled with truffle butter and more poivrade. The roe deer had been cooked long and slow until it had begun to melt and lose its solidity – this was the first time I had had this meat prepared in this fashion, but found it very agreeable. The superimposing peppered brown sauce was of vegetable and venison stock, reduced and thickened with the deer’s blood and red wine to which bouquet garni and juniper berries had also been added. These ingredients imparted intense flavour – the wine, from Rhône-Alpes (I assume from north of the river), was full-bodied, meaty and slightly spicy; the hearty juniper, always good with game, worked well here again; whilst the blood brought a new unexpected, but not unwelcome punch. The pasta, prepared in milk, was harder than expected however, but at least its garnish gave off some whiff of truffle.

L‘honneur referred to here is Senator Aristide Couteaux, alleged creator of the legendary lievre à la royale. In November 1898, instead of his usual political column in Le Temps newspaper, he published notes of his week spent in Poitou hunting hare and of, once catching the ‘right one’, taking it Paris and having his famous chef-friend, M. Spüller in Rue Favart, prepare it. This recipe, also retold in Elizabeth David’s A Book of Mediterranean Food, was included: one requires (and I summarise) a hare, ‘cleanly killed…so not [to] have lost a drop of blood’; goose fat; bacon; good wine vinegar; red wine; twenty garlic cloves; forty shallot cloves; carrot; onion; bouquet garni; plus optional cognac for the hare’s blood. The meat is stewed for hours in wine and sauce thickened with blood; if properly prepared, it is ‘needless to say, that to use a knife to serve the hare would be a sacrilege. A spoon alone is amply sufficient.’ These instructions must have inspired Anton and, with mild mitigation, he applied them to roe deer. For the record, he serves it with a spoon.

Le Pré Catelan - la Pomme: Soufflée croustillante; Créme glacée « Carambar »; Cidre et Sucre pétillant Le Pré Catelan - la Pomme: dedans le Soufflée croustillante; Créme glacée « Carambar »; Cidre et Sucre pétillant Le Pré Catelan: la Pomme: dedans le Soufflée croustillante; Créme glacée « Carambar »; Cidre et Sucre pétillant 2

Dessert 1: La Pomme: Soufflée croustillante; Créme glacée « Carambar »; Cidre et Sucre pétillant. Seated in the centre of the plate was a perfect shimmering sphere of harlequin green, its shadow traced by spots of silvery apple sauce of ascending size. Ostensibly impenetrable, access in was allowed with the aid of a spoon and a smart smack. The fruity-fragranced, sugary shell withheld a milky, effervescent mousse of sweet-sour cider scattered with small squares of Granny Smith. Underneath this was concealed crushed Carambar (a caramel bonbon each child in France would be familiar with), caramelised riz soufflé (rice crispies), crushed Bréton biscuit and pop rocks; all upon a Génoise sponge stand. It may read like a mishmash collage of confectionary, but it was fun, individual and, most importantly, yum.

Le Pré Catelan - Le Café « Expresso »: En Saboyon, Ganache fouettée; Créme glacée « Brûlée »; Amandes ecrasées

Dessert 2: Le Café « Expresso »: En Saboyon, Ganache fouettée; Créme glacée « Brûlée »; Amandes ecrasées. A slim biscuit Joconde, the base beneath chocolate mousse layered with crushed, roasted almonds then topped by ‘burnt’ ice cream, was finished with overflowing coffee sabayon; this verrine was enwrapped in a sugar candy cylinder. The Joconde, an almond sponge named after the Mona Lisa (la Joconda), naturally matched the roasted nuts, while the chocolate mousse, thick and toothsome, was a classic combination with the strong coffee cream. In between, the cold ice cream had good taste with distinct caramel that was neither overpowering nor sticky.

Le Pré Catelan - le Banane: Tartelette fondante au « Peanut Butter »; Crème Glacée Rhum Raisin

Dessert 3: La Banane: Tartelette fondante au « Peanut Butter »; Crème glacée rhum raisin. Pâte sablée surrounded banana compote, suffused with rum and spread with salty peanuts, below a bavaroise of peanut butter and single slice of banana; this tartelette was teamed with rum and raisin ice cream. An excellent crust was well-flavoured and crunchy; the buried nuts were excellent; but the peanut butter was very plain; it had none of the dense savour or the gooey viscosity one expects. This was enough to make the dessert a disappointing one. In any case, the quenelle of ice cream contained both plump currants and golden raisins and had a good shot of oaky brown rum.

Le Pré Catelan - Petit Fours: Nougat chocolat; Guimauve; Pâte de fruit; Café chocolat; Caramel au beurre salé. Le Pré Catelan - Café et Petit Fours

Petit Fours: Nougat chocolat; Guimauve; Pâte de fruit; Café chocolat; Caramel au beurre salé. A box boasted squares of chocolate nougat, marshmallow, apple fruit jelly, coffee chocolate and salty caramel. The nougat was full of hazelnut and pistachio, but hard; the very light guimauve had little taste; and the nutty caramel was decent. Apple gelée and café chocolat were the best of the bunch – one, strongly fruity and with a pleasing wobble; the other, sapid with good grainy texture.

Le Pré Catelan - le Plat

The staff were quite terrific. Each serveur was friendly, full of smiles, attentive, informative and knowledgeable. Monsieur Jean-Jacques Chauveau was charming and warm whilst the gentleman who took more constant care over me, but whose name, I regret, I forget as I write this (maybe Jean Claude – answers on a postcard please…), was amusing, engaging and talkative – his having worked previously at Le Gavroche in London meant we had plenty to discuss. The general mood is a relaxed one; service may be in bow-ties and tails, but it is certainly not stiff. There was animation, bonhomie and enthusiasm; it was actually perfectly suited to this belle époque retreat, deep in the fanciful Bois de Boulogne. I mention once more the utterly lovely and unforgettable gesture of picking me up from Port Dauphine. Needless to say, when I finally arrived at the restaurant, I was in a decidedly merry frame of mind, eager to see what would follow.

The single amuse was nice, but nothing thrilling; that said, apparently, one should always start a large meal with a warm soup (it being better for one’s digestion). From the sardine course, naked filets dressed in only a little olive oil and three slices of well-fried fish, a lime wedge left alongside for the diner to squeeze themselves, showed well-measured simplicity and well-placed confidence; deconstructed bouillabaisse however, without a doubt attractive in appearance and applaudable for effort, thought and inventiveness, did not deliver on taste, for me. Saint-Jacques were better; my only complaints would be practical – the hot stone, curious and exciting maybe, was not effective – and with reference to the inferior French caviar – at this (price) level why not use the best ingredients and if costs prohibit this, why use any caviar at all; as it was, it did not add anything benefic. La Langoustine was forgettable really. Once again, nothing was necessarily awry (slightly oily lettuce leaf excluded), but bar the superb peanut sauce, nothing stood out. The next course, le Chevreuil, was more traditional yet interesting and actually more pleasing; the meat was toothsome, the sauce had force, however the pasta was possibly surplus. The kitchen seemed to shift into a higher gear with desserts. The apple soufflé was very good and maybe the most memorable dish of the meal. I thought the playfulness of it accurately judged and never at the expense of one’s eating enjoyment. The second dessert, a customary combo of coffee and chocolate, was well-executed and able indeed. On the contrary, le Banane failed to fulfil its promise – its peanut butter bavaroise was unforgivably vapid. The petit fours were again average and migniardises noticeable only by their absence.

As an aside, having disapproved of the use of pop rocks in my review of Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road last December yet contrastingly complimenting Le Pré Catelan for it, I should attempt to pre-empt any criticism of my critiquing now. The cause of my contraposition is basic: at RHR, the dessert that comprised these gastro-toys was a rather rudimentary vehicle (SPV if you will), its lone purpose being just to deliver the pop rocks (for the record, they came buried in a fruit cocktail); on the other hand, at Le Pré Catelan, the sucre petillant was but one aspect of the recipe which would have been agreeable still, if admittedly a little less, in their absence. Additionally, unlike at RHR, their inclusion was not a gimmick, but spelled out clearly in the course’s description.

Thus, unfortunately, the food proved a disservice to the service. That may be a touch harsh as there was nothing catastrophically wrong with the fare or any unforgivable errors in execution – there were even some favourable moments and my meal was a pleasant experience – but, and it is a big but, I do feel that within the three-star ‘galaxy’, there are other restaurants I would want to revisit or try before returning to Le Pré Catelan. If I were to go back, it would be more out of appreciation for how welcome and comfortable I was made to feel (…or as someone else’s guest) rather than for the simple deliciousness of the cooking.

Le Pré Catelan - la Sardine: Gelée de Bouillabaisse, Sauce Rouille 2

I am a big fan of beautiful food so I appreciated the extra attention and care that went into the arrangement of Anton’s dishes. The absorbing patterns, elaborate layouts and parade of plates that topped the table were emphatic and attention-grabbing. It was an impressive performance. Additionally, the visual expression and structure of the courses also revealed two things about the chef: first, he is a big fan of Pierre Gagnaire – ‘J’adore l’homme, son côté artiste décalé, un peu marginal’ – with his favourite table, the rue Balzac; secondly, in his spare time, Anton is an artist, a painter in fact. Neither detail should come as a surprise.

Le Pré Catelan is certainly different. In creation, composition and construction, the chef seems to want to differentiate himself and shape a distinctive, identifiable style of his own. I admired his willingness (possibly even determination) to be different. Connoisseurs do claim that one ought to be able to tell great chefs apart from just the look and taste of their food and, if this is true, Anton is at least on the right track. Another aspect that I liked was his choice to centre an entire course on the sardine, thus giving it the same respect he showed the noble scallop, langoustine and deer. These humble fish are tasty and versatile and the chef showed modesty and deference to nature here serving them so minimally.

That being said, upon contemplation, ‘all that glisters is not gold’ is one expression that comes to mind; ‘everything in moderation’ is another – these two slogans seem to sum up well what was amiss with my meal and, as it so happened, what I had at first liked was what I turned out to dislike the most.

As I alluded to above, originality and inspiration in presentation are to be esteemed and encouraged, but should be applied precisely and effectively. I hate to see this taken too far with savours suffering for superficiality’s sake and I must confess that sometimes it felt like additional dishes and elements on those dishes were there for reasons other than to please my palate. Some items seemed present solely to appease the eye or excite the diner, which though (rarely) justifiable, can really never be so when it is to the detriment of the food itself. Another critical point pertains to the multi-component courses, which indeed rousing on arrival, occasionally proved impractical. La langoustine was an example of this: by the time I had worked my way through the raviolo and then the spring rolls, the roasted langoustine was already cold. This same issue applied to a lesser degree to the ensemble of scallops (and especially the afore-addressed galet). The first course, in retrospect, seemed better planned, in that the last plates to be had had come already cold. In addition, there was a paucity of and plainness to the presents that came before and after the meal proper. I do not pretend to have left Le Pré Catelan hungry, but after being spoilt at Paris’ similar-standard restaurants, the singularity of the starting amuse, dearth of pre dessert and deficiency of friandises were keenly felt – not to mention in confusing contrast to the pageant that proceeded in between. I have always thought these occasions as opportunities for the kitchen to have some fun, experiment or indeed amuse the diner – here they appeared to be but an afterthought. In all fairness though, any glaring lack of generosity on the table was made up for by the hospitality of the house.

These concerns could almost be overlooked or may never have arisen, if it were not for this next contention.

Anton apparently has a motto, ‘even if perfection is not of this world that is no reason not to try to achieve it’. He also has a reputation as a scrupulous and rigorous cook, who believes that quality raw materials are paramount to quality cuisine. I was therefore a little let down by what I found at Le Pré Catelan. I cannot say any of the produce was substandard, but I can state that it was not of the very highest standard that is the standard amongst three-stars. I feel right writing this only after having had both langoustines and scallops vastly superior in taste, texture and measure everywhere else. To tell the truth, I am surprised that produce condition and calibre would be a matter that warranted any comment at all as, for years, Anton was the very man responsible for buying, then checking, every morsel of meat, each cut of fish and all the vegetables that entered the Jamin kitchen.

Something else that I have noticed since, but had no bearing at the time, is the staleness of the carte. The menu degustation especially appears to have evolved very little. Reading the reviews of others, the same dishes – la Saint-Jacques, la Langoustine, la Pomme and le Café « Expresso » – are each cited repeatedly (along with l’Etrille, le Ris de Veau and l’Os à Moelle). This lethargy is also common in the aesthetic methods employed: the bouillabaisse’s deconstructed jelly-and-dot design, which I liked, is one that is regularly employed including with such combinations as tomato-mozzarella-basil and urchin-paprika. This might be explained by Anton’s studied, serious technique that favours careful, meticulous and calculated recipes. If proof of this was required, one need only to look at his recently released cookbook, Anton, Le Pré Catelan, wherein instructions call for 4g de sel, 3 grains de poivre, 4g de beurre etc. A slow-to-change carte is, however, a complaint mutual to many ‘modern’ restaurants. The Fat Duck, for example, has had practically the same tasting menu for two or three years. This ‘stagnation’ is a result of the research, experimentation and preparation that this kind of cookery calls for. It is not easy or always possible to devise new dishes or amend and modify them in the heat of the kitchen or even every couple of months. Personally, provided that the result is successful, this is not a problem. Provided the result is successful.

With regards to Anton’s style, besides the prevalence of his proclivity for the pictorial, the most pertinent impression made was that of the chef’s readiness and, in fact, keenness to manipulate his raw materials. This is another manifestation maybe of his drive for differentiation. Whilst many other kitchens are adamant, in adherence to the nouvelle norme, to preserve the integrity of their ingredients – pure flavours, total forms are fundamental – this chef is not afraid to play with his produce. For example, he splits a scallop into six slices; melts down his venison meat; bisects a sweetbread gland; and, removing the fat from a marrow bone, refills it with vegetables. Anton the technician is not an unfitting epithet, but he supplies his own; ‘moi, je voulais être ébéniste‘ – ‘I wanted to be a cabinetmaker,’ he says. ‘I am a handyman, and what I like in the cabinet is the transformation of matter. But at hospitality school, I realised that cooking is taking a raw material and changing it.’

In summary, a meal at Le Pré Catelan can certainly be enjoyable. I thought it an interesting cuisine, highlighted by an enthralling aesthetic and reinforced by charming service in an attractive setting. However, I also found myself rather growingly concerned and disheartened by the superficiality of it. As mentioned, the dependence on display, but principally, the unexceptional produce, left a sour taste. There is nothing wrong with pretty plating, original recipes and novelty so long as it is governed by a genuine goal (which should be something loosely along the lines of achieving the tastiest flavours actually achievable).

Unfortunately, I found the cuisine distracted. However, I – ever the dreamer – would like to imagine that my issues with Anton’s cooking arise from his trying too hard. A little refinement; a little more focus; a greater effort in sourcing; these are what are required here, in my humble opinion. As it is, I hesitate to recommend Le Pré Catelan to cultured diners. That said, I do think it might be a restaurant with which to introduce one to fine dining. Though it could come across as such, this is not meant to be condescending to any of its fans. Instead, I think the show and sparkle of the food and plethora of plates, as well as the impeccable service and great setting, will be enough to satisfy and charm many. More cynically though, as I do think there are better places one can eat, this would set up an abecedarian diner well for the future – after all, it would be nice if one’s first experience was not their very best, maybe.

Route de Suresnes, Bois de Boulogne, Paris 75016
tel: 0033 1 44 14 41 00
nearest metro: Port Dauphine

15 Responses to “Le Pré Catelan, Paris”

  1. 1 Cathy March 30, 2009 at 4:04 am

    What is the highlight of the meal? La Pomme?😉

    It seems the beauty overrides the deliciousness here. Please correct me if I get a wrong impression.

    Finalement, bravooo!

    • 2 Food Snob March 30, 2009 at 6:49 am

      Probably la Pomme, but la Café was pretty good too.
      It certainly seemed that sweets were more enjoyable than savouries – considering Anton’s nature, he may be predisposed to desserts…

      Unfortunately, I would agree. et Merciii!

  2. 3 Fergal March 31, 2009 at 1:07 pm

    another excellent & absorbing review. I have a couple of questions if you don’t mind:

    1. You seemed to have eaten at all these Parisian restaurants within a few days of each other. Did you ever feel on the verge of gastronomic overload?!

    2. Do you have plans to review L’Arpege? I dined there last May and it was one of the most memorable meals of my life.

    kind regards

    • 4 Food Snob April 1, 2009 at 10:09 am

      Hello Fergal,
      you are too kind. Thank you.
      Of course I do not mind….
      1. I am surprised no else has picked up on that or asked about it at least, but no. I really did not. To be honest, I found each new restaurant so exciting and that rush kept me going. Each eas so different and a completely new discovery. However, once home, I was shattered indeed.
      I should mention I have a truely abnormal, abstemious diet whereby I barely eat outside of restaurants now! And what I do eat at home consists mainly of fruit…
      2. O, Fergal, you have found my Achilles’ heel – l’Arpège is my favourite restaurant and Passard my favourite chef. I was there last May (pre-Food Snob) and had the meal of my life.

  3. 5 Lizzie April 1, 2009 at 4:12 pm

    Excellent review. The thought did cross my mind of how on earth you managed such a gastronimic romp – both on the waistline and the bank balance, but it looks like you coped! I’ve enjoyed this Parisian series a lot.

  4. 6 Desiree April 2, 2009 at 3:16 pm

    Thank you for sharing all your experience with us. Iam actually planning a parisian food trip pretty soon and I am thinking if you can give me a few recommendations.

    I also wonder if you went to try Guy Savoy, since I had a wonderful meal at GS in Las Vegas last year. I also notice that you almost reviewed half of the 3 stars in paris and I wonder if you have more 3 stars reviews to come since Iam enjoying a lot with your parisian reviews.

    Thank You Very Much and Have A Good Day Ahead!

  5. 7 Food Snob April 2, 2009 at 9:29 pm

    Lizzie: Merci beaucoup (encore).
    How did I do it? Well…I am special or Spartacus or something…🙂

    Desiree: You’re welcome and I’m jealous (I know, I know I was just there, but still!).
    Feel free to email me with some more information, like what sort of food you like, how many days you have, budget, etc…and I would be happy to help.

  6. 8 Krista April 6, 2009 at 6:16 pm

    I am dying to know how you bankroll your adventures. You don’t need to tell me this. But I’ll just keep on wondering it all the same.

    Finally going to make it to JR. Thursday, with my dad. Looking forward to it.

    • 9 Food Snob April 8, 2009 at 10:21 am

      Well, if you must know, I am a celebrated three star chef and when restaurants recognise me (and they invariably do recognise me), they refuse to let me pay…
      Life is hard like that.

      I look forward to hearing about it.😛

  7. 10 the_next_meal April 10, 2009 at 9:50 am

    That is an amazing review. Were you to enjoy the services of an editor, you would be as good a reviewer as I have ever encountered (that is a compliment). Bravo!

    Have you eaten at Robuchon’s L’Atelier recently? I would be interested in seeing what you had to say about the food there as it is similar in concept and execution to the above, and would shed some light on your sensibilities for the many of us who have eaten at L’Atelier JR.

    Again, bravo…

  8. 11 Food Snob April 15, 2009 at 1:36 am

    Hello TNM,
    hmm, an editor? Are you suggesting that my write-up could use a little cutting and chopping?

    Still, those are very kind words and warmly appreciated.

    If you give me a day, I shall reply to the remainder of your comment.

  9. 12 Brenna April 29, 2009 at 7:03 pm

    My girlfriend and I will be in Paris next week. We are staying at a friend’s apartment in the 16th. We have all our reservations made for the trip, but I would like to see this place. Would it be the type of restaurant that we could go for dessert and a bottle of champage during the day? Do they have a bar or lounge where we could sit for an hour or so?

  10. 13 Food Snob April 30, 2009 at 10:44 am

    Well, personally, I would think ‘why not?’, but that’s just me.
    It would not hurt to call and ask though – they seemed awfully nice, so I am sure they would oblige you.
    There are several smaller sitting rooms in the main building: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodsnob/3320635515/in/set-72157614572270395/

    Hope you enjoy your trip!

  1. 1 Timeless and Always Fabulous. April in Paris. | One World Portfolio Trackback on April 5, 2011 at 8:38 pm
  2. 2 Jardin du Pre Catelan | Destination Europe Trackback on August 5, 2011 at 7:24 pm

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

Follow FoodSnob on Twitter
Food Snob London restaurants

flickr photographs

More Photos
Creative Commons License

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 208 other followers

%d bloggers like this: