QUOTE(marc @ Aug 7 2006, 06:46 PM) 
Hi Karen,
Never fear. I'm always ready to volunteer for restaurant duty.
Marc
As am I !!!
Paris,City of Lite Lit
Hi Karen,
Never fear. I'm always ready to volunteer for restaurant duty.
Marc
As am I !!!
Hi Karen,
Never fear. I'm always ready to volunteer for restaurant duty.
Marc
Never fear. I'm always ready to volunteer for restaurant duty.
Marc
QUOTE
When I get back to Paris, I'll have to give it a try--for sentiment or science, I don't know which--and I'll report back.
Marc - No matter the reason, we'd be most appreciative. It's hard (and expensive) for the BP team to eat EVERYWHERE.
In advance, thanks!
Hi Al and Karen,
(Yes, Al, as a native Chicagoan, "Say it ain't so" was very much in my mind.)
From your posts, it sounds to me like Al's bad experience pre-dates my last (good) experience at LGC. And it's curious to me that not only did the kitchen do well that day, but it was the service that I remember as being superior. It was New Year's Eve Day; we were an unwieldy group of 7 with a rather late reservation for lunch (since #7 was arriving from London on the Eurostar). When we arrived at the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was a handwritten sign saying the restaurant would close at 3 p.m. that day because it had been rented for a private party for dinner. Nonetheless, we were never rushed. By the time we got to dessert, we were the last clients in the room. Still no hurry, no dirty looks, totally professional. I was impressed.
That said, I've certainly known restaurants to hit the skids and everythhing to fall apart, sometimes for obvious reasons, sometimes inexplicably. Much less frequently, I've known restaurants to recover from that. If that's what's happened to LGC, I, for one, would like to see it recover. (It certainly remains popular, that's for sure. Near the end of July, when it seemed that every Paris restaurant was at least half empty, I tried to reserve for dinner there and was told the earliest they could seat us was 10:30.)
When I get back to Paris, I'll have to give ot a try--for sentiment or science, I don't know which--and I'll report back.
Marc
(Yes, Al, as a native Chicagoan, "Say it ain't so" was very much in my mind.)
From your posts, it sounds to me like Al's bad experience pre-dates my last (good) experience at LGC. And it's curious to me that not only did the kitchen do well that day, but it was the service that I remember as being superior. It was New Year's Eve Day; we were an unwieldy group of 7 with a rather late reservation for lunch (since #7 was arriving from London on the Eurostar). When we arrived at the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was a handwritten sign saying the restaurant would close at 3 p.m. that day because it had been rented for a private party for dinner. Nonetheless, we were never rushed. By the time we got to dessert, we were the last clients in the room. Still no hurry, no dirty looks, totally professional. I was impressed.
That said, I've certainly known restaurants to hit the skids and everythhing to fall apart, sometimes for obvious reasons, sometimes inexplicably. Much less frequently, I've known restaurants to recover from that. If that's what's happened to LGC, I, for one, would like to see it recover. (It certainly remains popular, that's for sure. Near the end of July, when it seemed that every Paris restaurant was at least half empty, I tried to reserve for dinner there and was told the earliest they could seat us was 10:30.)
When I get back to Paris, I'll have to give ot a try--for sentiment or science, I don't know which--and I'll report back.
Marc
QUOTE(Karen @ Aug 7 2006, 08:09 AM)
QUOTE
Do say it isn't the Grand Colbert.
It is the Grand Colbert. Goes to show you that much PR can be the death of a restaurant. Can you imagine the numbers of Americans coming for a look/see and ordering roast chicken.
Suspect the chef and the staff grew weary and sloppy. Who can blame them? MOI!
True. Except that my episode happened before the film and the die already had been cast as to the restaurants c haracter.. The success at that time was due to a very pretty restaurant with a simple menu and reasonable prices.Strange, but alot of restaurants with the ability to crowd them in seem to survive despite their shortcomings in dealing with their "success".
QUOTE
Do say it isn't the Grand Colbert.
It is the Grand Colbert. Goes to show you that much PR can be the death of a restaurant. Can you imagine the numbers of Americans coming for a look/see and ordering roast chicken.
Suspect the chef and the staff grew weary and sloppy. Who can blame them? MOI!
QUOTE
Do say it isn't the Grand Colbert.
Hey, Marc....it sounds like the young baseball fan who pleaded "say it ain't so Joe" to Shoeless Joe Jackson the Chicago White Sox star involved in the World Series scandal of long ago.
Ah yes it was indeed the Grand Colbert which I had been to once before this event. Not only was the food not great but on the undelivered plat for my daughter it was included on the check and required effort to get it removed.
Even Zagat gives it low ratings in Food and Service and while I usually don't go by their ratings, when it is applied to a "noted" eatery I do take note of it. In retrospect, when a very attractive restaurant presented a totally classic menu with no innovations I got the feeling that they realized their capabilities.
Hi Al,
Do say it isn't the Grand Colbert. I've had some swell meals at there, though I haven't been in about two years. One memorable Thanksgiving--plateau of fruits de mer, then steak tartare and frites. As far from turkey as possible. (I hate turkey.)
As to their bathrooms, they used to have (I hope still do) amazing self-cleaning toilet seats. I had to take a short movie of it, I was so astounded. And I thought no one would believe me. Another restaurant, Baracane, used to have one, but replaced it. Maintenance was a problem, I understand. It tended to break down.
Marc
Do say it isn't the Grand Colbert. I've had some swell meals at there, though I haven't been in about two years. One memorable Thanksgiving--plateau of fruits de mer, then steak tartare and frites. As far from turkey as possible. (I hate turkey.)
As to their bathrooms, they used to have (I hope still do) amazing self-cleaning toilet seats. I had to take a short movie of it, I was so astounded. And I thought no one would believe me. Another restaurant, Baracane, used to have one, but replaced it. Maintenance was a problem, I understand. It tended to break down.
Marc
QUOTE
The meal may not be too good there but the bathrooms are another thing.
Le Grand Colbert, n'est-ce pas ? Don't know about the bathrooms, that's not my department.
QUOTE(BPAL @ Aug 5 2006, 11:12 AM)
WHOOPS......it was the restaurant in "Somethings Got to Give" ....not Le Divorce....that I had the lousey meal (and my daughter Judy didn't even get her plat). Guess you spotted that, or at least the situation.
The meal may not be too good there but the bathrooms are another thing.
WHOOPS......it was the restaurant in "Somethings Got to Give" ....not Le Divorce....that I had the lousey meal (and my daughter Judy didn't even get her plat). Guess you spotted that, or at least the situation.
QUOTE
even more so when I remember being there.
Al: I'm probably the only person alive who has watched "Something's Got to Give" that I've worn out more than one copy!
QUOTE
I have to confess that I cry whenever I see a movie that features Paris.
Karen: Pas moi!! I usually get an elated feeling when I see a spot that I recognize...and even more so when I remember being there.
However I was close to crying during Le Divorce in the famous romantic restaurant scene since it brought back memories of the AWFUL dinner I had there.
Al:
I have to confess that I cry whenever I see a movie that features Paris. EVEN when I am in Paris!
I have to confess that I cry whenever I see a movie that features Paris. EVEN when I am in Paris!
The last time we had activity here on novels in English taking place in Paris was Le Divorce. In light of this it is interesting to note an article in the Weekend Arts section of the NYTimes by Elaine Sciolino. She feels that any literary value of such non- fiction about Paris is beside the point. Paris sells. Elaine goes over a list of about a dozen...in case you're interested.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/04/books/04...oks&oref=slogin
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/04/books/04...oks&oref=slogin