Not too late! I travel there at the end of this week.
Thanks for the tip. Will definitely get that cauliflower. And heck, may taste test both falafels.
You know what, now that I think of it, they may not have falafel. They do have really good kebabs/pita sandwiches though and I maintain that the cauliflower is stunning. Enjoy!
I found this from a knowledgeable poster on another site I frequent:
Miznon, by the way, scared me. One of the kitchen employees seemed like he must have many tracks up his arms, while the other was handling our food while constantly scratching whatever uncomfortable condition was going on around his face and neck… brr… doesn’t help that the place is dirty, tahini stands there in the open like it’s Tel-Aviv or something… still, the lamb kebab pita was tasty and didn’t kill us.
Hmm, well I went there 5-6 times last April and the place was never even kinda dirty. Things could have gone downhill though I guess.
Dunno what this means. You either do or you don’t have tracks up your arms, but I think it’s kinda messed up to judge people on their past scars. If anything I applaud Miznon for hiring someone who may have been an ex-addict. Also, God forbid the tahini in the open, glad that no place in LA has ever had salsa in the open or anything crazy like that!
To the OP, Miznon is in the middle of the Marais and about twenty feet from L’as du Falafel so if the reports are true and Miznon has become an addict-infested wasteland, you will have plenty of other good options.
Merely passing along what I read. Feel free to ignore.
The only place I ever had a kebab in Paris was at some long forgotten Greek spot on rue Mouffetard.
Sorry for the late reply!
I love Champagne (both the region AND the bubbles)… Yes, I have visited the region before.
My favorite pommery tour in the area is actually Ruinart. (Skip the bigger names, IMHO.) Ruinart Maison, the first established house of Champagne, since 1729
… and favorite place to eat (AND stay): Chateau Les Crayères. http://www.lescrayeres.com/
(we hosted a family wedding at Le Chateau a few years back, so yes, fond memories - But also I remember the process being very selective about venue AND of course food - oh the FOOD!)
The patio overlooking the back lawn at Les Crayeres is heaven. Some champagne, some toast points, some smoked salmon, some foie, some caviar. In the dining room, you feel Deneuve is about to appear at any moment.
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A big big big thank you to everyone who provided recommendations / thoughts. The trip was a grand affair. Had an incredible time. Here’s a lil recap. Well, not really little. We went to more places, but these are the ones I can remember at the moment and have pictures of. Sorry that some of the pictures are bunk. I also realize that I should have taken more menu/wine pictures.
Overall, the thing I already miss is the bread and the butter and the cheese. Cliche, I know, but hot Hoover Dam were they good. And more wine, please.
(In chronological order, I think)
SEMILLA
Great place to have our first lunch. Walked in without a reservation, although dinner time looked to be busier when we walked by later.
Basil cake / radish salad / cauliflower soup
el pollo loco
Some sort of veggie mix dish
L’INCONNU
This place was bonkers. Believe the concept is Japanese/Italian, and boy does it work wonders. Highly highly recommend. This meal stuck with me the whole trip.
Carrot froth - very light and had a crazy caramel-y texture layer at the bottom that was a nice surprise.
Two “snacks” - potatoes covered in some sort of crunch dust and two lil green bites.
“Asparagus Carbonara Salad” - the sauce-type glob on the right with the crunchies on top brought the carbonara. This was a very special dish, in my eyes (and mouth). So light but the carbonara flavors were there and somehow gave the same warmth/comfort as a traditional carbonara dish.
Fish in a pea broth. You can’t see from the pic, but there were a load of tasty peas underneath. Very light and clean.
Not pictured - seafood pasta. This was actually the only miss. Felt a bit heavy-handed, especially compared to the other dishes of the night.
Dessert - grapefruit sorbet with meringue crisps and orange clouds. Tart and magic.
BASTILLE FARMERS MARKET
http://equipement.paris.fr/marche-bastille-5477#local-calendar
Awesome rotisserie chicken not pictured, but here is the unappetizing picture of the very appetizing potatoes that were placed underneath the rotating chickens to catch all of the delicious juices.
Look at these strawberry spheres!
L’AS DU FALLAFEL
http://www.yelp.com/biz/l-as-du-fallafel-paris
It was a solid fallafel. As @mrsjoujou mentioned, it’s not anything mind blowing, but the line moves quickly and it was tasty enough.
MIZNON
Lucked out with counter seats at peak lunch. Not pictured is the fine enough chicken salad pita, but what we really went for was the cauliflower tete. On it’s own, fine, but with the three sauces (one red, one green, one white) and some salt? A MOTHER FUDGING TREAT.
CLOWN BAR
http://www.clown-bar-paris.fr/
This was probably my most anticipated restaurant. I won’t go into too many boring details, but the experience wasn’t the best, unfortunately. Maybe in part because of my high expectations. The stars just didn’t align for us this night. Still, some of the food was quite memorable.
Foie gras with smoked eel and mushroom. I wish I would have gotten a picture with the smoked eel, because it really made this dish a splendor and felt like a great representation of the Japanese/French concept. My first bite was only foie, and I was like, “Nice, foie gras,” but then my second bite had the eel, and I was like," NICE, FOIE GRAS & SMOKED EEL!"
Langoustine Beignet. Like eating a fried cloud. The texture was insanely light. Could have eaten a sky’s-worth. (Sorry that the pic is kinda ick.)
LA PARISIENNE
http://parisbymouth.com/paris-best-baguette-in-2016/
No pics, but this place recently won the “Best Baguette in Paris,” and it was a perfect baguette. Crispy without ruthlessly ripping open the roof of your mouth and so fluffy on the inside. The lingering taste was of perfect baguette. Also had a wonderfully flakey Kouign Amann.
HUITRERIE REGIS
http://www.huitrerieregis.com/
What a wonderful place. Barely enough room for 10 people and the only thing you can get is oysters. And some salami. Oh, and wonderfully wonderful shrimp.
CHEZ L’AMI JEAN
http://lamijean.fr/
Word to the wise: always trust @Porthos. This was probably the trip favorite. What a restaurant. Wish I could have had more, but I was stuffed to the gills by the time we left.
The best kind of filler.
Mushrooms. Full of flavor and spring.
I had no idea what this fish was. The texture was wild. Had a chew. Nice dish, but I regretted not going for a beef.
Strawberry yogurt. Simple and great.
THE WORLD CHAMPION RIZ AU LAIT. Immediately placed on my death row meal. Good god on high this was amazing and it comes as a mountain. I ate more than I should have and still took a significant amount back to the hotel to consume the rest of the next day. The best dessert I’ve ever had.
SOME BISTRO IN CANCALE
I have no idea where we went, but in this little town, I don’t think it matters where you go. What matters is that it’s filled to the brim with oysters. Ironically, no pictures of the oysters, but the moules et frites were top drawer and finished it off with a Far Breton, which is a regional flan/prune cake. I want to move here.
LA MAISON DE JOSEPHINE (RENNES)
Great little creperie in Rennes ran and operated by one sweet lady. Had the traditional galette complete and her house crepe for dessert. Had this great regional cidre - http://www.coat-albret.com/
ROYAL KEBAB (RENNES)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/royal-kebab-rennes-2
Glorious in its terribleness. Best if consumed after many cidres.
MARCHE DE LICES (RENNES)
One of the biggest markets in France. So lovely. Not pictured is the Galette Saucisse, which is a galette hotdog. YEAH BABY.
Another kouign amann. At first I was put off cuz it wasn’t Flake City, Utah, but after getting to know it’s sticky sweetness, I grew to love it.
L’AVANT COMPTOIR
The side bar of Comptoir is a gem. The bread here was as thick as something that’s really thick and so, so great. Everything in this picture was also complimentary.
These tiny squares tasted like the best Cheeze-It you’ve ever had.
Foie gras citron macaron. Admittedly gimmicky, as evidenced by the knowledgable waiter having a tough time finding it in their system to ring it up. It was fine. Would I get it again? No. But then again, sure, why not?
FREDDY’S
http://www.yelp.com/biz/freddys-paris
I believe this is owned or started by the same guy that owns/started the first place we went to, Semilla. A small plates place with a Mediterranean/fish focus that is fine enough, if not destination worthy.
Fallafel.
Some sort of fried “beignet.”
Riz au lait. Had to get it to compare. With the toppings, it was actually pretty great. But on its own, the rice pudding lacked the rice decadent depths of L’Ami Jean’s.
Now, off to the poor house I go!
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No worries! Thanks for the thoughts.
By the time I saw this, we had already come and gone to Reims / Epernay and had a grand old time. Since it was just a day trip from Paris, and we didn’t have a car, we decided to stick to the big houses - Veuve and Moet & Chandon. The tours are fairly similar, and I would have loved to go to some of the smaller houses or venture outside of the towns more. That said, it’s hard to have a bad day walking through caves full of champagne and then drinking different champagnes. Next time!
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Wow. Amazing looking trip.
Glad you enjoyed that riz au lait!
I can almost taste it just looking at that picture.
Hella report. Hope you have something good to sip when the credit card bills hit your inbox.
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The best crepes ever. The place is absolutely packed until all hours of the night so I would definitely recommend reservations.
@mrsjoujou - Just saw your post on the LA Board which reminded me to ask… how did your France trip turn out? Would love to hear about some of the places you went. Did you end up going to L’Inconnu??
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really? that’s too bad… that was kind of our secret place years ago… guess they finally blew up
Last time I was in Paris, we had lunch at the Grand Vefour. It was an amazing meal. I had the tete de veau. Lunch is a cheaper, though not less grand, option.
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Hi Guys,
Which of the spots mentioned above are relatively modest in price (for Paris)? My kid and his friends are there. He just called and mentioned that they are not enjoying the food. I can’t have that! Calling @Nemroz & @ebethsdad and all Food Talkers.
They are staying on Rue Meyerbeer, 75009, Paris, if that helps.
Thanks!
Tell them to look at johntalbottsparis.typepad.com. Far more info than I have and organized by neighborhood.
At work without my computer so best I can do right now.
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I know, it’s a tall order. 
This is great. Thanks!
They’re L.A. kids and budding seekers. They’re not going to be impressed by tourist spots, but haven’t a clue where to go in Paris. Thanks!
Try “A la Biche au Bois”. Stick to your bones classic french country fare, very good deal.
Hang with the kool kids in Le Marais and check out Marché des Enfants Rouges, the Moroccan & Crepe stand are recommended. Grab some ham sammies at piggy heaven Caractère de Cochon. Pickup roast chicken and accoutrements to go at Rôtisserie Stévenot. Finish with fancy chocolates & dessert at Jacques Genin, alternatively also check out one of Pierre Hermes patisseries.
Relais de l’Entrecôte for affordable steaks in a casual atmosphere
Buy mommy some 2018 darjeeling nouveau tea from Mariage Freres (Place de la Madeleine branch, looks like something out of Harry Potter…)
If they are tired of french food and need a taste of LA, Pho Banh Cuon 14 (129 Avenue de Choisy branch)
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