More macaque!
Waitermonkeys seem to be, for the time being, exclusive to Japan. But it’s just a matter of time before some clever entrepreneur (Daniel Rose?) catches on…
Mu Picks: October
Mu Picks
Some video seduction for the concerts that should be rocking your world in October. A full list of shows is in the scrolling calendar on the sidebar, and let me know in the comments what I missed. Advance warning at the bottom alerts you to November and December shows that you might want to book now. Enjoy!
Jenny Lewis 10/08 @ la Maroquinerie
L’Entêtée
L’Entêtée has been on my mind ever since John Talbott pronounced it “the new Spring” and advised “run don’t walk.” Seeing as that was ten months ago, I’m clocking in at a crawl.
Nonetheless, I finally made it there to try the €20 lunch menu. I was psyched about everything I ordered, and on that basis would highly recommend l’Entêtée. On the downside, both of my friend Sophie’s dishes were totally boring. Not awful, just meh. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first:
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Billy Bragg
In Which We Talk About Tumescence
Billy Bragg is a big talker. He talks more than he actually sings. He talks and talks about everything from YouTube to the financial crisis to Woody Guthrie’s swollen groin. See for yourself:
Le Balbuzard
In Which We Make a Scene
I was terrified, during my first months in Paris, of waiters. In this Time Before Friends, waiters were the principle audience for my stabs at the French language. They were also, I quickly learned, quite attentive to the unfinished contents of my plate. Any left-over mound might generate wild arm-waving and a stream of undiscernable sounds.
Over the years, these incidents became less frequent and then entirely disappeared. My tastebuds (or the brain behind them) adapted to the place, and I grew more adventurous. I also stopped eating in crap restaurants.
The opposite of crap, in Paris terms, is not necessarily expensive. There are dozens of modestly-priced restaurants who are are putting out great food from fresh, seasonal ingredients. In short, these are places that actually care about what they’re doing. There are unfortunately twenty times as many places in that price range who serve frozen and pre-packaged nonsense. My obsessive interest in restos springs partially from the desire to avoid these depressing places. There is of course the occassional misstep.
Misstep, thy name is Balbuzard. A Corsican restaurant between République and Strasbourg Saint Denis, this place was booked by a colleague for an after-work dinner. The menu was just as convenient as the location - only €19 for three courses. At that price, it’s hard to complain about anything. But somehow I managed to do it. In my defense, it was practically at gunpoint. Read More
The Paris Techno Parade
In Which We Find the Kids are Allright
I didn’t set out to see yesterday’s Techno Parade, but accidentally rolled right into the middle of it and couldn’t get out. Rather than fight against the tide of a thousand dancing lycéens, I decided to park my bike and join them. It was, to my great surprise, the most fun I’ve had in a long time.
Techno is not by any means my favorite music, and I’m a good ten years older than this scene. But it was still inspiring to see such a diverse and happy young mob taking over the city for an afternoon. The video below shows the parade in all of its drunken adolescent glory, and includes as the final scene a pretty awesome tecktonik street battle.
For those who need a little background, check out this handy Tecktonik primer that I wrote last year: Dancing French Electro-Mimes Battle in the Streets
The Lemons vs. the Future!
In Which We Host a Retrospective and Prizeless e-Battle
Last night’s concert at la Maroquinerie brought us a true double-header (sorry) with the Futureheads and the Lemonheads splitting the Inrocks Indie Club bill. Tahiti Boy opened, but they don’t fit the joke. They should think about changing their name.
Anyway, as fan of both varieties, I was surprised to learn that only one Head was remotely listenable live. The other… well, let’s just say that somebody found a new Drug Buddy.
Perhaps I’m being a little harsh? Take a look at this little video, and then tell me what you think in the poll below.
Express Bar
In Which Paris Goes Bonkers for Burgers
As an American, I am periodically subject to intense cheeseburger cravings. While I thoroughly appreciate the local cuisine, my soul sometimes just needs the food of my youth. In the past, whenever this happened, I ran to my old standby Joe Allen. I didn’t like the corporate ambiance or the fact that it was filled with tourists, but I survived by ignoring everything but the bacon cheeseburger between my hands.
Photo of Le Burger by Biskuit
Those blinders are no longer necessary. I am happy (and also a bit baffled) to report that Paris has been gripped by Burger Mania. My national sandwich has ventured out from the sports bars and can now be found at some of the city’s trendiest spots.
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Cul de Poule
In Which We Get All Up in the Ass of Hen
Call me a toddler, but I can’t help giggling over the name of this new much-ado restaurant. I do realize that a cul de poule is something used in cooking - what anglophones refer to in sterile terms as a double boiler. Nevertheless, the name still translates as chicken butt, and any review that does not include at least five crass jokes is simply taking itself too seriously. Toward that end…
Question: What does chicken butt taste like?
Answer: It tastes a bit like… head cheese! And a very fine head cheese at that. The sliced radish and cucumber from Alain Passard’s garden add crispness and help you forget what you’re eating. Chicken butt also tastes a bit like pork chop, a thick côte de cochon fermier that’s juicy as all hell and swimming in a pool of mustardy sauce. My friend thought the chicken butt tasted like steak, a bavette served simply with chutney on the side. I find that a little chutney always helps.
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