Everything is relative — at least those canned and candied phrases (Ca etait?, etc.) are not as bad as what we still get in many U.S. restaurants — “are you still working on that” — a truly inelegant and unwelcome utterance.

(PS: Thanks also for the notice/ review of Le Tourbillon — we will try it as soon as we can, probably in early February. And by the way, thanks also for your other notes about dining in the countryside, and for reminding us that there is much more to France than Paris.)

Jake Dear

Regarding the “service problem” — and specifically, your “pet peeve,” the failure to serve wine before the first course arrives — this happened to us four times recently, three in the countryside (all were fine restaurants) and once in Paris. (And two of the occasions, ironically, concerned demis of St. Pourcain — we were in the Allier, and wanted to start with something local.)

Anyway, all three times we were being served by very young staff who had obviously been trained at a hotel & restaurant school (we confirmed this in discussions with the proprietors). One server (at the Chez Michel in Paris) admitted to us that she really didn’t know how to open a bottle. This is something we’d expect in some places in the United States, but in France What are the hotel schools teaching (or not)?

PS: We’ve read your work for years in Bon Appetit, etc., and have been enjoying your blog. And for what it’s worth, we have mentioned your site on our own little site, http://parisandbeyondinfrance.blogspot.com/. Now I have to get your book, which should not be difficult. From the reviews I’ve seen, it does indeed seem a worthy successor to Patricia Wells’ great "Food Lovers’ Guide."

Jake Dear