Oh my, I’ve ruined this place

By John Talbott Recently when I left l’Epigramme, a place I’m really fond of and have written fondly about, I realized that many of the tables were full of very American looking couples who had all the appearances of the demographics of my readers and my heart sank; thinking “I’ve ruined this place.” I left sadder than when I entered.

Aside from the pure audacity and grandiosity of such a thought, I mean how could I, who get only a couple hundred hits a day, prompt a run of Anglo-Saxons on a new restaurant in Paris, I actually would be upset if my rave reviews brought about a “tilt” in the balance of clients in a place like l’Epigramme.

Why? What’s so wrong about Americans or others from the blogosphere who know about and love food and consult what’s hot on blogs of the big guys, such as Toinard and Simon or the little folk like me and websites such as eGullet and Bonjour Paris?

One of my eating pals gently ragged me one day for constantly praising Spring shortly after it opened, implying that I was raising expectations about Daniel Rose and potential clients. It was true, I was enthusiastic, perhaps too much so. But no, in retrospect, Spring and Rose have held up ever since and he just keeps turning out consistently good, solid meals.

And it’s also true that I keep plugging Ze Kitchen Galerie where William Ledeuil’s inventiveness and consistent excellence lure me back and back again.

I also have a notion that if one sees oneself as a journalist rather than a public relations agent, you are obliged to recount what you encounter, even if it’s boringly repetitive. 

So again, once more discounting my self-inflated view of myself, I’ll soldier on, praising where praise is due and mentally grimace a little less when encountering a room full of Anglos and expats.

These thoughts were prompted by my thoughts at:

L’Epigramme

9, rue de L’Eperon, 6th (Metro: Odeon)

T: 01 44 41 00 09

Closed Sunday nights and Mondays,

Menu-carte: 28 € 
 

Blog: John Talbott’s Paris
©by John Talbott 2008
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COMMENTS

  • Joseph Lestrange

    Parisian Lover 13 Comments
    Don't make faces John, why grimace when les amérloques patronise a good resto? Some of them, like you and Alec Lobrano and people who don't review restaurants for fun and profit, know good food when they eat it and think it's worth finding. A good review is supposed to let people know a restaurant is first-rate or less. The alternative is simple, stop writing reviews or write them under a pseudonym--not for yourself, but for the restaurant. You'd certainly never ruin a place if you did that. Enjoy what you do and consider your self a valuable public servant.

    Joseph Lestrange

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