Danny Chan

Located in a perfectly central location, the Hotel Fontaines du Luxembourg is a true hidden Gem that you do not want to miss when staying in Paris. Walking distance from the trendy Latin Quarter, chic St Germain des Pres and across the street from the Gardens of Luxembourg, this boutique Hotel offers a calm and tranquil stay with room’s so cosy you might not want to leave.

Fully renovated in September 2009 the hotel boast’s a colourful yet elegant vibe that relaxes you from the moment you enter. Although modern, there is still a presence of history that consumes you in this ancient building.

I had the pleasure of staying in a Junior Suite, which was a large and spacious area with a beautiful modern bathroom. The room was decorated in soft and peaceful colors and clearly modelled with a Baroque inspired theme. The layout was perfect and included a giant comfy bed fit for King Louis XIV himself. Also in the room was a massive closet space, desk area, flat screen TV and an armchair/coffee table set up that allows for guests to relax and even entertain a guest or two if needs be.

In the morning I nipped down to their vaulted underground dining room for the complimentary breakfast. This room has a beauty and elegance of it’s own that makes you feel like you are dining in a piece of history. On offer was an assortment of delicious pastries, breads, croissants, yogurt and the standard juice and tea/coffee. What a great way to start your day in Paris.

Calm and comfy rooms, choice location and paired with a staff that was undoubtedly professional, warm and friendly (one staff member even lent me his own personal umbrella, cheers fella) makes this Boutique an absolute perfect choice for your stay in Paris.

4 rue de Vaugirard
75006 Paris, France
01 43 25 35 90

How did your mother, Annick Goutal influence your love for Perfume?
She did not really influence me as she wanted me to do what I wanted. It was really important for her to be passionate by the job you are doing so she wanted me to find my real passion and it was photography. I started as a photographer and when my mother was really ill she asked me if I can continue her work with her assistant and friend Isabelle Doyen. I did not have the chance to work with my mother but I had my own teacher at home Isabelle. She is teacher at ISIPCA our nose school in Paris. It was quite easy and normal for me to become a perfumer as I always saw my mother working her notes and as it is another way than photography to express your feeling.

What are your most memorable childhood olfactive memories:
My grand father house scent and also all the walk I did with my mother when she crumbled leaves in her hand and try to educate my nose….

What are some of your favorite notes?
The white flowers…I am a real fan of those very fragile flower that have a so strong sensual scent. I have created a perfume for me called Songes and it is really the kind of scent I treasure. It was in memory of my honeymoon in Mauritius. When you are walking at nightfall on the beach there a very strong scent is surrounding you and it is frangipani flower so when I came back to Paris I wanted to capture my feeling on that beach and this particular flower in a perfume. I took me 5 years to create it and each time I spray it on me I travel on an island!

What’s is the fragrance that you’re currently working on?
We are working on our vision of an Italian romantic garden called Ninfa. We imagine it through pictures and word of mouth and we have created a perfume based on that as it was really inspiring. It is a very wild luxurious private garden with so beautiful plants and trees that we were completely travelling out of time. Our perfume is called Ninfeo in homage to the river of that garden.

What is the most enjoyable part of creating a perfume?
Tough question…I like the whole process. I like when smelling completely new ingredients as you imagine new perfume, you are being inspirited and also the step when you found a new mix or a new ingredient to add that match perfectly your idea. It is another step to your final scent….

What are some of your personal favorite classics created by your mom?
My favourite perfume is Ce Soir ou Jamais (Tonight or Never), undoubtedly because I watched my mother working on this perfume for a ten year period, even at the hospital, looking for her ‘perfect rose’. It is the story of a rose she smelt in a garden near an abbey in the South of France, over 15 years ago now. The smell of this rose intoxicated her so much that she obsessed over it and wanted to make a fragrance from it. The result is a delicate breathtaking rose ensemble. It is a magical fragrance, carrying an incredible trail. This was her last creation; probably the most personal, i is therefore very moving for me today to smell it.

What is the story behind Mon Petite Cherie?
This is a fragrance my mother composed for me in 1998. She gave it this name, since it was what she used to call me. It’s always an irresistible fragrance and is one of the best sellers among the Annick Goutal perfume range. It takes you back to childhood with its fruity notes of pear combined with musk rose and freshly cut grass softened with vanilla. When you breathe in this alluring fragrance there’s an irresistible desire to embrace it.

BONUS: If the city of Paris was a human woman, which fragrance in the collection do you think would be her signature fragrance?
Grand Amour as it is a very chic, sensual and feminine perfume. This scent has a very strong temper and could be Paris signature fragrance… Grand Amour is also a declaration of love to my mother’s husband…the man of her life, who offered her a bunch of white flowers, usually lilies every single week so it is very romantic like Paris.

www.annickgoutal.com

For days in advance I was eagerly looking forward to visiting 114 Faubourg. The new restaurant located within the ultra-fabulous Hotel Le Bristol in Paris. The restaurant is known for its traditional French cuisine set within a more casual Brasserie-Rotisserie style atmosphere in contrast to its high gastronomy 3 Michelin starred big sister known as “The Restaurant” in the same hotel. This hot new destination restaurant is so popular that there is currently a one week reservation wait just to get a table. So needless to say the walk down Saint Honoré leading up to the hotel was filled with as much anticipation as the traffic filled streets were filled with pedestrian shoppers. I was joined by my friend Danielle for dinner. She’s a down home American Southern lady by birth, but has as broad and sophisticated a palette as anyone I know and hence the perfect person to join me at 114 Faubourg.

After a short walk through Le Bristol upon entering the restaurant the hostess was enthusiastic and while leading us down to the lower level floor of this two level restaurant, she helped create a feeling that we were going to receive something very special. The giant, colorful Dahlia’s gracing the walls in contrast to the wide open-faced kitchen with chefs making their magic within our site added to the enthusiasm that was flowing in the air. We were greeted by our maitre’de, Pedro for the evening who suggested a glass of champagne to start and we agreed without hesitation. Our much needed glasses of Diebolt-Vallois bubbly arrived. Oh boy did this champagne deliver -the chalky under tones were balanced by a sweetness that made my tonsils sing as it swished down my throat ever so gently. I couldn’t resist an encore of this delightful champagne so I enjoyed a second glass of the Diebolt. I’m normally not one to drink two glasses of champagne in a row but I was feeling spumante and the Diebolt was just marvelous and worthy of acclamation.

Now it was time for us to navigate the menu. We were handed French menus which we stared at for about one minute before Pedro came up and asked if we would like to look at the English menu –we said yes. I expected the menu to be challenging, for everything I order, there’s going to be something else I want. After flipping back and forth through the pages I decided we would first start by ordering a few simple yet ace starters. The Butternut Squash Soup with Delicate Cepe Mushroom Foam and the Hard Boiled Egg with Fresh Mayo and Shredded Crab looked like the best options –simple and uncomplicated yet highly appetizing. The soup was the first thing I tried and it sent me reeling and a wheeling, splishin’ and a splashin’. This was no ordinary butternut squash soup, I literally had to sip very slowly to comprehend all the flavors happening at once. The Hard Boiled Egg had some big shoes to fill, which it did with its tangy and creamy taste of egg and mayo combined with the crab –I was in heaven and I let it be known right then and there. Danielle ordered the Poached Egg and judging from the look on her face, she had no regrets over this decision.

All this and we still had not ordered our main course. Once we cleared the table again we opened our menus, endorphins surging and a few glasses of wine emerging, decisions…still not forthcoming. I must say, our maitre’de was a real pro; he had great suggestions and gave real substantive detail on the dishes. Danielle was also indecisive, but I kept repeating the words, “Spit Roasted Fish” in a hushed whisper until she was hypnotized into ordering the fish, in the aforementioned rotisserie style. The menu at 114 Faubourg offers both seafood and meat including chicken, steak, lamb and more. Since Danielle decided to “surf”, I decided to take a walk on some “turf” and I ordered a Beef Rib.

The entrees arrived and affirmed the feeling that we could do no wrong. My Beef Rib was nearly the circumference of a baseball, set upon parsnip puree, surrounded by wild mushrooms, game sauce that had a taste of a smattering of chocolate. Danielle’s spit roast chicken looked impressive as well, but I could hardly take my eyes off what was in front of me. The chop was cooked to perfection, seared on the outside and just the shade of pink I like to see on the inside. The puree was decadent and dreamy mixed with the compressed pear. In all of this I had lost sight of Danielle who was having a sensory overload of her own. I hadn’t noticed that she had given me a little sample of her fish. This fish was heavenly; it practically melted in my mouth as I heard that faint voice repeating, “Spit Roasted Fish”.

Our maitre’de had informed us well in advance about the desert selection because there are so many good things to choose, and we knew we would need some proper time to decide how to approach the ending an already amazing dinner. At this point a Homemade Rum Baba sounded like a very good idea to be split between Danielle and me. Once it arrives we start dipping in, Danielle and I are both reeling at this point from a parade of amazing flavors.
114 Faubourg raised the bar in terms of staff, atmosphere and of course the out-of-this world amazing food. I highly suggest taking my lead and refrain from over analyzing the menu and just allow your inner chef to guide you. With no advice or guidance on my part, 114 Faubourg proved incapable of being anything less than impressive across the board.

114 Faubourg (Inside the Le Hotel Bristol)
112, Rue Du Faubourg
Saint Honoré; Paris
011-33-1-53-43-43-00.
Métro: Miromesnil

Review and Photos by The Cobrasnake

The Hidden Hotel. What can I say. It’s hidden on a quite street in the 17th Arrondissement of Paris. Its only been open for a few months but it has some character. The concept is that you should feel like you are in a cabin or something. I didn’t really feel that way but I tried to pretend. There are some cool chairs in the lobby made out of dead animals and tree stumps. Also there’s a “library” of books. The hotel smells nice. The girl at the front desk was extremely helpful especially for being in Paris. The internet is free. Breakfast might be free but not really worth waking up for. The room was very clean. Really nice flat screen TV. And comfortable bed. The room has an open layout so you can watch someone taking a shower from the bed. The shower is great and they have soaps and washcloths to use. No q-tips and not much else to offer in the toiletries department so bring your own. The hotel was quiet and peaceful and easy to relax. Doesn’t really feel like you are in Paris which is silly…

3.5 / 5 Cobrasnake Stars

28 Rue de l’Arc de Triomphe
75017 Paris, France
01 40 55 03 57
www.hidden-hotel.com

Liana fondly refers to her atelier as her “little nest.” High ceilings, white walls and parquet flooring the color of honey create a haven where she can escape and tend to her creations undisturbed. Only the sun peaks in through large windows, its rays reflecting off of floor-length mirrors and elegant crystal chandeliers that bathe the atelier in peace, clarity and light.

The spacious, 105m² workspace also doubles as Liana’s showroom where admirers and the curious can gather to view her exclusive table creations. Her extraordinary collection is unlike any other, as novelties like glass baubles, crystal bubbles and entire chandeliers are somehow magically encased in a transparent veil of glass. Once inside Liana’s atelier, the connection between its luminous character and her ingenious table collection is revealed.

Liana’s stunning atelier is only 300m away from the artist’s home. It is a warm, tranquil and inspiring place where she is able to channel her inner peace and deeply connect with her artistic ideas and creativity.

Enjoy tea-time in the classic atmosphere of the winter garden at Hotel Crillon in Paris. Tea-time at the Crillon has become an essential must-visit for anyone who spends a day shopping nearby at the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Making tea-time even more special each month will have its own unique theme. The November tea-time will feature cupcakes, éclairs, sweets and other treats inspired by a Gourmandises Acidulées (Tangy Delights) theme.

The following is the tea-time theme schedule at the Crillon:

November: Gourmandises Acidulées (Tangy Delights)
December: Tout sur le Chocolat! (All about Chocolate!)
January: Vert Amandes (Sweet and Green)
February: Le Blanc dans tous ses états (All Shades of White)

Tea Time at the Crillon : served in the Winter Garden from 3pm to 6pm daily
Price: 32 euros per person for unlimited tea and pastries
For reservations: +33 (0)1 44 71 15 16

Hotel Crillon
10, Place Concorde
75008 Paris, France
+33 1 44 71 15 00
http://crillon.com

Have you ever wondered what it means when someone says, “It’s so European?” This airy 1 bedroom + extra living room with roll out couch / 2 bath apartment known as “Sheherazade” by Paris Hideaways is a good answer. Inspired by modern European décor and fused with Moroccan influence. The townhouse features a serene private garden, perfect for having a casual little fête with friends or lounging solo on the hammock. Sheherazade provides a very tranquil environment with floor-to-ceiling glass doors overlooking the garden. The townhouse also has a fully equipped, modern kitchen with a dining room which seats up to eight people. Situated in the hip Marais area, right off Rue Des Archives there are plenty of markets, shops, café’s, art galleries, vintage shops and more all within your reach at Sheherazade. This location can’t be beat because it’s in a really cool area yet if your desire is to visit all the tourist must-sees, the Eiffel Tower is a 10 minute drive by taxi, The Louvre roughly a 20 minute walk and Notre Dame is a 10 minute walk away. If you’re curious about anything in Paris, your greeter will not only show you the ins and outs of the apartment but will also tell you all about the area. So cork open a bottle of your driest red, click your heels twice and slowly repeat: there is no place like an 17th century home with 21st century comforts.

Sheherazade by Paris Hideaways

To check out more apartments by Paris Hideaways visit:
http://studio.provaction.com/

Fran co•phile adj.: A person who admires France, its people, or its culture. Here is a guide to help you find the perfect gift for the French obsessed person in your life.

1 A Trip to Paris: Open Skies
You can’t beat surprising your loved one with a ticket to Paris. Open Skies flys direct to Paris from New York. With Open Skies, gone are the days of long and harrowing flights stuffed like sardines in the economy section. Economy? What’s “Economy”? PREM+ is a new service category offering business class comfort without the business class price, featuring wide leather seats with a 140 degree recline and 52 inches of legroom. Both BIZ & Prem+ receive fresh and healthy meal services, bottle poured wines, electric outlets at every seat, entertainment systems and much more. http://flyopenskies.com reservations: 1-866-581-3596

2 Taschen’s Paris: by Angelika Taschen
Now that he/she has a ticket to Paris, they will need an essential guidebook that will tell them where they can get the best macarons in the city or where Hemingway ate the herrings he wrote about in A Moveable Feast. How about Picasso’s favorite restaurant, La Palatte? This is the most stylish Parisian guide book out there. Buy it at: http://taschen.com

3 Brigitte Eau de Parfum by Tocca
I highly suggest giving this gift to the woman in your life whether she is a Francophile or not. It smells so good that it literally uplifts your mood. Actually it has a “sexy” scent which is why it’s named after and inspired by Brigitte Bardot at the height of her sexiness and the imagery of her riding her bicycle in Farm Markets in the South of France. The notes in the scent are delightfully sweet Morrocan rose, papaya, ginger, rhubarb, sandalwood and musk. http://tocca.com

4 Ooh La La Soap by Lush
Help her calm her frazzled nerves with a pretty bar of Ooh La La Soap by Lush. This lovely lavender scented soap lathers up into a pretty shade of fucshia pink. She’ll feel like she’s bathing in a French garden. The smell of lavender is known to have a soothing and calming effect. http://lush.com

5 Rosetta Stone: Learn to speak French in a matter of months!
Le meilleur cadeau que vous pouvez donner est le cadeau de langue! What better way to tell the Francophile in your life how much you love them than to give them the gift of learning a new language -French! Rosetta Stone allows the user to learn at their own pace as quickly or slowly as they want. It’s used by the US State Department and Military and you know they mean business. So if your Francophile regrets not paying attention in high school French class, they can make up for it by dedicating a few months to Rosetta Stone. http://rosettastone.com

6 Stylish Clothing by French Label Manoush
French label Manoush is known for offering mixes of leather and lace, embroidery and sequins. It’s bohemian meets Alice in Wonderland and couldn’t be anything but French. http://manoush.com

7 Macarons by Paulette Beverly Hills
Yummy yummy doo! Not to be confused with “Macaroons” (double o), Macarons are a traditional and delicious French pastry made of egg whites, almond powder, icing and sugar and shaped into little round mini burger-like domes. They are also stylish, coming in all sorts of colors from pastel yellows to bold reds & purples. Although this gift could be eaten up in one sitting, it’s still an eventful goodie. Macarons can’t be easily found anywhere in the US as they can be found at any random bakery in Paris but luckily there are a few bakeries that sell them. $18 per box of 18 Macarons. www.paulettemacarons.com/

Built in 1909 by the architect René Sergent, best known for designing the Plaza Athénée in Paris, the legendary Trianon Palace & Spa was built on the site of an old convent. Situated at the end of the avenues in the royal gardens of Versailles, it quickly became the favorite holiday destination for Parisian high society. The beauty and elegance of the palace and its legendary gardens attracted the literary world including Marcel Proust, Sarah Bernhardt and René Lacoste. Other notable guests included The Duke and Duchess of Windsor who spent their honeymoon at the Trianon Palace & Spa, and Sacha Guitry who stayed there with Yvonne Printemps during the filming of “Si Versailles m’était conté” (Tales of Versailles).

Nestled in the heart of the town of Versailles, on the edge of the Château grounds, the Trianon Palace & Spa is located across from the famous Château de Versailles in the town’s historic district. It is also close to the some of the region’s most prestigious golf courses and is less than 30 minutes from Paris.

The legendary hotel has recently completed an overall refurbishment and transformation which includes guest rooms, public spaces and restaurants, spa, and gardens. Noted interior designer Fiona Thompson has overseen the renovation of the 199-room property, located just steps away from the famed Chateau de Versailles, while landscape designer Louis Benech has restored the hotel’s famed gardens.

This first part of the Trianon Palace’s transformation was completed in September 2007, including the 100 rooms and 23 suites in the Palace wing, and pays tribute to the existing historical architecture while incorporating a new level of sophistication, refinement and modernity. The 99 rooms located in the Pavillion wing (which had remained open for guests during the Palace room renovations), along with a fully-refurbished spa by Guerlain.

The Trianon Palace & Spa
1 Boulevard de la Reine
Versailles 78000
www.westin.com/trianon

An exhibition organized by the Reunion des Musees Nationaux in collaboration with The Andy Warhol Museum, Puittsburgh. Sponsored by LVMH / Moët Hennessy.

In 1962, Andy Warhol painted the portraits of Marilyn Monroe and her rival Liz Taylor, reinterpreted the Mona Lisa and Elvis Presley. From 1967 until his death in 1987, he produced commissioned portraits of dozens of personalities, famous or obscure, creating a world fascinated by appearances, a vertiginous flattering mirror. He revived a neglected genre, applying new codes which deeply marked the history of portraiture. Alongside film and rock stars (Brigitte Bardot, Jane Fonda, Mick Jagger, Sylvester Stallone), we find portraits of artists (Man Ray, David Hockney, Joseph Beuys, Keith Haring), collectors and art dealers (Dominique de Menil, Bruno Bischofberger, Ileana Sonnabend, Leo Castelli), politicians (Willy Brandt, Edward Kennedy), fashion designers (Yves Saint-Laurent, Sonia Rykiel, Hélène Rochas), businessmen and jet-setters (Gianni Agnelli, Lee Radziwell, Princess Grace of Monaco, Gunther Sachs). Famous or less famous, they all glow with the aura of Warhol’s genius.
In this series, Warhol painted a picture of an entire society and invented a new form of artistic production – serial and almost mass produced. In his studio, “The Factory”, Andy Warhol developed a systematic process in the early 1970s: he made up his models and photographed them with a Big Shot Polaroid (the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh has several hundred of these photos, some of which will be presented in the exhibition). He carefully selected the shots, then painted and silk screened the portraits.
A selection from the thousand or so portraits that he painted from the early 1960s onwards is here presented by themes focusing on the key points in Warhol’s work: Self Portraits, Screen Tests, Mao, Dollars, Disasters, The Last Supper…, which situate them in a retrospective view of his production.

In 1979, the Whitney Museum exhibited about fifty of these paintings, but since then – despite the fact that many of them have become “icons” – they have not been shown in a single-artist exhibition. With the aim of recreating the effect of the principle of repetition which Warhol had in mind when he painted them, the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais is presenting, for the first time, this large set of paintings which constitutes an unprecedented archive in the history of painting and photography.
“All my portraits have to be the same size, so they’ll all fit together and make one big painting called Portraits of Society. That’s a good idea, isn’t it? Maybe the Metropolitan Museum would want it someday.”

Information Courtesy of: http://frenchvision.com

Galeries nationales du Grand Palais
3, avenue du Général Eisenhower
75008 PARIS
Metro : Elysées Clemenceau

Located in the center of one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities in the 4th Arrondissement, the historic and prestigious Ile Saint Louis sits on an island between the right and left bank and simultaneously strikes the perfect balance between traditional elegance and exceptional style. Guest Apartment rentals offer luxury flats and villas with an emphasis on the “luxury” and highly desired locations on the Ile Saint Louis and nearby.

Guest Apartment Services offers lavish rentals that are cozy, yet gorgeous and filled with ultra stylish touches. The exquisite apartments are the epitome of French taste, with their Louis XVI décor. Sometimes homes that are “over styled” can feel unlivable and stiff, this is quite the contrary with Guest Apartments. Everything is designed with comfort in mind: bathrooms fit for a princess, full gourmet kitchens perfect for cooking and entertaining, upholstered settees where possible. Every modern amenity has been thought of: extra telephone outlets for WiFi, plasma flat screen TV’s, direct incoming telephone lines upon request. All of the modern conveniences are at hand yet the apartments retain their old world charm. The owner of Guest Apartments, Christophe will go out of his way to make sure that everyone of their guests is taken care of and satisfied by offering concierge service and even so much as giving guests his own personal cell phone number in case of emergency.

The Ile Saint Louis itself is very small yet somehow manages to be filled with specialty gourmet shops, excellent restaurants, adorable little clothing boutiques and more. It feels great walking the narrow streets and experiencing all the Paris has to offer on this exclusive island.  Celebrity home owners on the Ile Saint Louis include Jodie Foster and Linda Evangelista.

My experience:
I arrived at Paris’s Orly airport around seven am riding high after a very comfortable flight on Open Skies. Vinny, my chauffeur held up a sign with my name on it. The ride to Guest Apartment was filled with anticipation. What a great way to kick off a trip to Paris but to spend a few days on the historic Ile Saint Louis. The apartment that I was staying in is known as the “Magnolia” and is located on the beautiful Quai d’Orléans. Upon arrival I felt right at home walking into the luxurious 2 bedroom apartment with creaky yet charming hard wood floors and luxurious details all around. I felt a little bit sad knowing that I couldn’t share my time here with my loved one but instead with a person that I rather disliked at the same time I was excited to experience all that my Guest Apartment and Ile Saint Louis have to offer. The Magnolia apartment features a balcony with direct views to Notre Dame and is located “on the Quai” which means “on the river”. I corked open a bottle of wine and sat on the balcony looking across the river and daydreaming about Napoleon’s grand procession to Notre Dame. I fantasized that when his procession took place, there were people sitting right here on the same balcony I was sitting on, watching it as it took place. I could imagine the people cheering with joy and happiness at their newly crowned emperor.

After a little too much daydreaming, I decided to take a walk down to the local restaurant, Sorza for lunch. Just a short stroll away, Sorza features traditional Mediterranean/Italian food such as risotto and beef carpacio yet also features a good amount of French comfort food such as the luscious cheese soufflé (which is what I ordered). After my lunch, I felt the jet lag start to creep up so I walked back to my Guest Apartment and took a nap. My bed featured striking cherry red cover sheets (perfect for an Aries girl who loves the color red) with high thread count and clean-as-a-whistle white sheets underneath. The bed was just so delightful that I didn’t want my nap to end. All in all I had a great experience in my Magnolia apartment. The only thing I would change about my experience is the person that I traveled there with. Other than that, everything was exactly what I could ask and hope for. 

Guest Apartment Services
9 quai de bourbon
75004 Paris, France (Ile Saint Louis)
+33 1 44 07 06 20
http://guestapartment.com

Alcazar is a bright and wonderfully stylish eatery and nightclub with an interesting history. Located right off the St. Germain-Des-Près on a small but buzzing street and set in a 17th century tennis court, Alcazar was also once home to a notorious transvestite bar and nightclub. The former club next door was the infamous “Rock ‘N Roll Circus” nightclub which is known as the last place Jim Morrison was seen partying before he passed away on the same evening. Recently the place has been transformed with a 40 foot high glass roof, trendy decor and a changing series of photographic exhibits. The Mezzanine Bar above the restaurant is adored in Paris, not only for its stiff yet delicious drinks but also for the sounds its DJs mix. Food is French contemporary that includes a nod to the British owners with the “French Style” Fish & Chips. The Tuna Tartare with Apple, Mango and Avocado Is probably the absolute best tuna tartare I have ever had and the Gilt Head Bream Tartare for main dish is to die for. Do not order the St. Marcilin cheese, it comes very dry and not gooey the way St. Marcilin is supposed to be.
Alcazar – Bar Restaurant
62, rue Mazarine 75006 Paris
Phone number : 00 33 1 53 10 19 99
Fax number : 00 33 . 53 10 23 23
http://alcazar.fr

David LaChapelle’s eye popping images run the gamut from the absurd and grotesque to bizarre and peculiar. Whether it’s Lil’ Kim playing the part of a ten year old with first period stains on her white panties or Amanda Lepore looking as fabulous as ever as Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe. Genius celebrity kitsch photographer David Lachapelle is having a big retrospective at La Monnaie in Paris. You may love it or you may hate it but no matter what you will have to admit that his work is beyond fascinating. The retrospective runs until 31 May 2009.
Monnaie de Paris:
11, Quai de Conti,
75006 Paris
Tel.: 01 40 46 56 66
Open daily, 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. (until 10 p.m. on Monday and Friday)
Admission: €10 (approx. $14 usd)
www.monnaiedeparis.fr/musee/

If my time at La Maison Blanche was a practical joke –I didn’t get the joke. Sometimes the gap between logical expectation and ensuing reality can be immense. This is the case at La Maison Blanche. The first thing that struck me about this place is the great location on the seventh floor of the Art Deco-style Theatre des Champs-Elysées, with contemporary, all-white-and-purple décor and sweeping views across the Seine. I really thought I would be in for a treat however the good times end there and I barely know where to begin. Let’s start with the rude “communications” person who “reps” Maison Blanche, Mélissa Bakhos. Miss Bakhos decided that it was appropriate to bring out a couple of Mojito cocktails served with a side of insults. Her first insult was in regard to where I am from –Los Angeles. “Los Angeles is horrible!” she said proudly. Yes, I know that Los Angeles has its good and bad points (Just like Paris! Or any other major city -Fancy that!) however I would expect a person in her position to behave little bit neutral as to not insult the person she was hosting. “If you can’t say anyting nice……” so I brushed it off.
But then I had to contend with the rude host staff. Is it too much to ask for a friendly restaurant host? Hosts that do the job they are supposed to do at such an expensive and supposedly highly regarded restaurant. Simple things such as open the restroom door for me and pull out and push in my chair? I don’t think that it is asking for too much considering that I am comparing Maison Blanche with the superb service I received at other high end restaurants in Paris and after all, Mélissa did tell us that Maison Blanche is one of the top restaurants in Paris(certainly doesn’t seem like it). The first thing you see when you walk into a restaurant is the host staff and for these people to call themselves “hosts” at such a high end (read: expensive) restaurant was beyond comical.

After meeting with Miss Rude PR it was finally time to eat. I was praying that the food was going to be good enough to make up for the previous blunders. I was wrong. Yes, the food was “gorgeous” to look at but as we all know looks aren’t enough and the taste didn’t match with the ambitious looks. I was informed that the menu changes with the inspiration of the chefs and the seasons –so maybe I caught them on an un-inspirational night?
If you happen to be on Avenue Montaigne in Paris and you are considering going up to Maison Blanche, do yourself a big favor and avoid this self proclaimed “gourmet restaurant”. Go next door to the Ducasse restaurant at Plaza Athenee. I won’t say La Maison Blanche is the worst restaurant ever, however aside from the good location and the nice décor it certainly did not live up to any expectations.

La Maison Blanche
15 av. Montaigne, 8e
Paris, France
01.47.23.55.99

Throughout history, the most powerful philosophical minds have striven to define the elusive concept of perfection. Aristotle declared that “pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” while Oscar Wilde was noted as saying “It is through Art, and through Art only, that we can realize our perfection.” The crux of gastronomic perfection is attained at Les Ambassadeurs in the Hotel Crillon. From the gorgeous eye and mouth candy, hyper-creative dishes executed to perfection by Jean-François Piège who is as much a fine artist as he is a chef to the magnificent service and the opulent surroundings of the dining area located in the refurbished ballroom of a Duke who once owned the palace -everything comes together to create a very unique and special experience. Visiting Les Ambassadeurs is more like a visit to the Opera than a visit to just any old upscale restaurant.

Although the seven course meal offered dish after dish of pure perfection, one of my favorites was the Bar de Ligne complimented by endives, ham and shaved black truffles. The image of our Maitre d’ briskly yet passionately shaving the black truffles onto my dish, with a strangely amorous grin on his face was priceless. The feeling around this restaurant is that everyone is out to make you happy. I honestly could not find one fault with Les Ambassadeurs and if you’re lucky enough to ever be able to experience it, then I doubt you will either.

10 Place de la Concorde
In the Hotel Crillon
Paris, France
http://crillon.com

Q & A with Chef Jean-François Piège

Haya Zoubi: If you weren’t a chef what would you be doing?
Jean-François Piège: I would have been a designer because being in charge of the comfort of people is like giving happiness and pleasure when you cook for them.

Q: Describe your cooking style in 3 words:
A: Good, beautiful and made for happiness.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the menu you created for Les Ambassadeurs?
A: First of all I wanted to tell a story. The story of a cook which tells and inspires itself of what he has already done, in order for this story to be engraved in the present times.

Q: The Comme un Vacherin is one of the most beautiful pieces of art/dessert that I’ve seen. Tell me how you developed this dessert and what are some of the ingredients?
A: First of all, thank you. I use the same ingredients that are used for the traditional vacherin, such as meringue, ice cream, sorbet, whipped cream and fresh fruits. Then I redesigned this dessert in a more playful and lighter way in order for this creation to be part of the world it lives in.

Q: What region in the world offers your favorite cuisine?
A: Nowadays, everywhere in the world we can enjoy good food, and we cannot say that one specific geographic area is better than another.

Q: When you just want to make something simple, quick, and delicious, what do you prepare?
A: At home I like preparing fresh spaghetti Bolognese -One steak, a tomato, spaghetti and cheese.

Q:How do you keep your staff inspired?
A: By prompting them because my role is to lead and manage them, to be the locomotive engine. By the way, I like this maxim: “everything has to change so that nothing would change”, always being in movement.

Q: What is your favorite ingredient to work with?
A: I like to cook with seasonal ingredients, such as ceps, tomatoes, strawberries and cherries.

Q: What is your favorite thing about working at Les Ambassadeurs?
A: I like working at Les Ambassadeurs because I feel lucky to work in such an historic place and to be able evolve in a wonderful room which used to be the ball room of the Duke de Crillon.

Q: What are your favorite cities in the world?
A: Besides Paris, I like New York and Los Angeles.