Michele and Bob Seass share their thoughts on the best bistros in France’s capital.
By: Ilene Dube
When Michele and Bob Seass are home in Princeton, they enjoy dining at the Blue Point Grill and La Terraza, and occasionally at Enzo’s in Lawrence. But when in New York or Paris, it is fois gras, cassoulet, boeuf bourguignon and bouillabaisse that tempt their palates.
To help others on a quest for bistro fare, the Chicago natives started a small publishing company, The French Connection. Best Bistros and Brasseries: Manhattan, Paris, San Francisco ($10.95) was their first effort, published in 1999. Now the couple has completed Favorite Paris Bistros ($12.95).
Over a tray of fragrant cheeses from Bon Appetit in Princeton, pigeon pea-size champagne grapes and tall glasses of iced tea, the couple, seated in their garden room, describes their mission. (With a garden room like this a glassed-in conservatory surrounded by tall trees, rhododendrons and a pond who needs to go to France?)
Devout Francophiles, they found themselves vexed by the "deluxe temples of haute cuisine that most travelers find stuffy, intimidating and incredibly expensive." They railed against "tourist traps that manage to be both mediocre and expensive." Their books are written for "budget-minded gourmets" seeking satisfying fare in comfortable, charming surroundings and at bargain prices, to boot.
"Michele and I would measure the success of our vacations in Michelin stars," writes Mr. Seass. "But at some point in our travels perhaps our first dinner at André Allard we woke up to the fact that you could dine as well for half the price, and in much friendlier surroundings, in the hundreds of bistros and brasseries throughout Paris."
At André Allard, Mr. and Ms. Seass found charm in abundance, "not snooty or pretentious but great food that is a lot less expensive than places we weren’t all that impressed with," says Mr. Seass.
A bistro is a neighborhood place. The couple defines bistro as a small, comfortable, informal restaurant that serves hearty, uncomplicated and relatively inexpensive fare. A brasserie, "originally an Alsatian beer hall, is, by our definition, a large informal restaurant that does exactly the same thing."
"If you’re looking for the real heart and soul of Paris, you’ll find it in its bistros," says Mr. Seass.
"In Paris, some bistros are very traditional," adds Ms. Seass, "with banquettes, brass railings, globe lights, mirrored walls and classic bistro dishes. There is a movement to modernizing cuisines, adding Asian ingredients."
Their guide describes bistros where three courses can be had for $45 or less, and that serve casual or regional French, New American, continental, Mediterranean or eclectic/fusion cuisine. If it is blatantly ethnic, formal French, fast food or a coffee shop, deli or diner, it is does not qualify as a bistro.
The Seasses, who speak "school French, menu French and wine-label French," took their first trip to Paris in 1977. In the early ’90s, after having enjoyed the bistros of Paris, the couple, then living in Virginia, began discovering bistros in Washington, D.C., and in New York’s theater district. Bistros are plentiful on New York’s West Side because crews from the French liners docking there are looking for a little bit of home cooking, says Mr. Seass, who retired from a career in finance three years ago.
Never planning to become book publishers, the Seasses began a quarterly listing of their favorite American bistros and photocopied it for friends. Over the years, it grew and grew until they were producing paperback books with illustrated covers. "We got a good response so we put it together for real," says Ms. Seass, who serves as the company’s marketing director.
The Paris book came about as a result of a trip Ms. Seass took with some of her women friends. She found herself putting together a bistro guide for the trip. That evolved into a booklet and eventually a book, illustrated by Princeton-based artist Judy Martin. The books are sold through Amazon.com and independent stores in Summit, Greenwich, Conn., New York City, Scarsdale, N.Y., and Princeton.
Not only do the guides describe places to eat, they point out interesting attractions, as well. "We would spend afternoons visiting tourist sites in the same arrondissement as the restaurants so we can recommend sightseeing and hotels, something you don’t ordinarily find in a restaurant guide," says Ms. Seass. And by walking the streets of Paris what Ms. Seass jokingly refers to as their "hard work" they find more bistros.
Their favorite is Le Grille in the 10th arrondissement, near the Gare du Nord. "The menu is actually fairly extensive, but we have no idea why you would order anything except the grilled turbot," says the book. "The beurre blanc sauce that accompanies this fish is a perfect complement… it could make your old sneakers taste good."
"The two owners are so charming," adds Mr. Seass. "Chef Yves Cullèrre is 7 feet tall and cooks in a kitchen the size of a closet, from which he brings wonderful dishes."
Chardenoux, in the 11th arrondissement, gets the Seass’s vote for bistro they’d most want to be stranded on a desert island with.
For dessert, "we like to try different things but are partial to Grand Marnier soufflé. Eating at Le Voltaire (in the seventh arrondissement), the waiter recommended the chocolate mousse, but we were reluctant; mousse au chocolat is so cliché. The waiter insisted, though, and it was sensational a blast of intense dark chocolate."
Mr. Seass marvels at how restaurants in Paris remain unchanged over the years, compared to the rapid turnover of restaurants in, for example, New York. Cave Pétrissans, in the 17th arrondissement, has been in business for more than 100 years. Chardenoux has a turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau façade.
If you only had two hours to spend in Paris, the Seasses recommend the following:
The Jacques Mart Andre 19th-century townhouse museum: "It has a spectacular collection of art antiques. The grounds, too, are superb."
Parc Monceau: "Here is the perfect spot to see the French way of life children playing, the elderly reading their papers, lovers doing what lovers do."
"You must go to the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, but it’s nice to go to something smaller like the Rodin Museum, with sculpture both inside his house and out in the garden, where there is also a café."
The Rue Claire in the seventh arrondissement is "a charming street with a series of open-air food markets and the best cheese store in Paris."
Although they travel to Paris twice a year, the Seasses have also visited Provence, Alsace, Brittany, Normandy, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Cognac and Lyon. "We love Paris we’ll always tack it on to any other trip we take. Just walking the streets is such a pleasure," says Ms. Seass. "The architecture is invigorating. It’s definitely the most beautiful city in the world."
Before departing the City of Lights, they head to Hediard, a specialty food store, where they load up on cheeses and other goodies for the flight home.
Favorite Paris Bistros by Robert and Michele Seass ($12.95) is available at Micawber Books, Go for Baroque and Jordan’s in Princeton, and at www.bestbistros.com and Amazon.com