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Gail Simmons’ Paris favorites

When we learned that Gail Simmons (reigning queen of the Top Chef franchise) would be returning to Paris for the first time in a decade, we asked our Twitter followers to share some favorite spots for food & wine. Your most frequent suggestions? Le Comptoir du Relais, Chez l’Ami Jean, & Gérard Mulot.

At the end of her stay, I caught up with Gail for dinners (she put away two full meals that night) and to ask which mouthfuls had made an impression.

Gail Simmons’ Top Paris Tastes

  • The boudin noir (blood sausage) and roast coquelet with potatoes and root vegetables at Le Comptoir du Relais
  • The cod with smoked eggplant and pleurotes (king oyster mushrooms) at Frenchie

Your full set of Twitter suggestions

L’Arpège and l’Ami Jean not to be missed. – @101points

L’Epi Dupin for lunch, rice pudding at l’Ami Jean. – @lvd123

Must go to Angelina pâtisserie rue de Rivoli of course and Le Comptoir – the bistrot of Yves Camdeborde! – @fpnegroni

A meal at Yves Camdeborde’s Le Comptoir du Relais. Macarons at Gérard Mulot. Green tea millefeuille at Sadaharu Aoki. – @frogprincesse

Pâtes de fruits from Pierre Hermé by St. Sulpice. Amazing amazing dinner at Le Chateaubriand, including duck heart… L’As du Fallafel in le Marais. Tea from Nina’s Salon de Thé in the 1st. Macarons from Gérard Mulot. – @KiraTV

Dinner at Spring Restaurant. – @drjenniferbaer

We recommend dinner at Pizza Positano followed by dessert at Gérard Mulot! – @TwelveOaksBakes

Has @gailsimmons hit up Le Baratin? So much better than RL’s limp hamburger-serving Ralph’s! (Luv your clothes tho Ralphie!) – @literarygroup

Don’t miss Un Dimanche à Paris, chocolate concept shop. – @flavorsofparis

Septime is a must but I also recommend Pomze, my favorite. – @LostNCheeseland

Le Gaigne (near Pompidou), and Le Dali in Le Meurice Hotel. – @phlu

It’s not “fine cuisine” but for delicious seafood & great wines in a fun atmosphere, try Fish near Rue de Buci! – @PeteyNYCHHI

Chez Gladines in the 13th! Used to live in Paris, ate there weekly. – @ThePlebeReport

You must shop and taste at Le Grand Epicerie at Le Bon Marché. Also Guenmai – vegetarian in 6th arrondissement. – @NEVlondon

Le Petit Bofinger has the world’s best gazpacho! – @yabastaal

Restaurant Pasco in the 7th arr is a hidden gem! The goat cheese stuffed peppers are divine! Also all of Rue Cler. – @2Plus2NYCReview

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4 thoughts on “Gail Simmons’ Paris favorites”

  1. My dear Malcolm,

    Never change. I love your biting, curmudgeon-y comments elsewhere on the site, so I’ll accept to be in the crosshairs today.

    It’s true that we fawned a little bit. And that any sort of television celebrity, especially in the reality genre, carries a strong whiff of the artificial.

    Having said that, and after having spent a small amount of time with Simmons this week, I can assure you that she knows her stuff and had plenty of insightful things to say about the aforementioned dishes and the Paris restaurant scene in general.

    I won’t apologize for the occasional fluff piece, but I also understand that celeb profiles aren’t for everyone (and they’re not really our stock in trade). We’ll balance it out with some extra snark, just for you.

    And if you (or others) have ideas about what you’d like to see more of, we’re all ears.

    Cheers,
    Meg

  2. Hate to be a curmudgeon, but I couldn’t care less what restaurants Gail Simmons likes. She’s an artificially manufactured celebrity, and it’s surprising to see Paris by Mouth fawning over her.

  3. I can’t speak for Gail, but at least half of the Paris by Mouth contributors are in fact runners, with John Talbott clocking the most miles every week.

    In fact, a lot of high-profile food writers are fitness fiends. Mark Bittman writes a blog for Runner’s World. Patricia Wells sometimes runs health & fitness focused cooking weeks down in Provence. And Frank Bruni talks at length about the occupational necessity of sweating in “Born Round.”

  4. Since you already brought it up: Could you food writers tell us how you manage to eat out almost every day and still fit into your clothes? How many marathons do you guys run every day?!

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