The Press., 1897-06-03
PARIS RESTAURANTS.
INFORMATION FOR THOSE WHO IN-
 TEND VISITING THE GAY CITY.

TEND VISITING THE GAY CITY. The "Swell" Eating Places and Samples of Their Charges-Prices That Some
 times Astonish Even High Rolling Americans.
 Those Americans who think that New York is an expensive place ought to go to Paris. There is no doubt that the prices of New York at first class places are high, bat the New York restaur- ants have not reached such expertness in making out bills as they have in Paris. Therefore it is not at all uncom- mon to notice an American with his wife going over his bill with the hair slowly rising upon his head.
 There are plenty of places ill Paris where you can get dinner cheaper the bouillons Duval, for example. These restaurants are sprinkled all over Paris, and they give you plain food very we'll cooked at a reasonable figure. But the average American generally goes to the swell places, which are about 12 in number. There is the Cafe de Paris, Cubat's, Chevillard's, Durand's, Jo- seph's, the Restaurant Larue, the Tour d d'Argent, Maire's, Paillard's, the Mai son Doree, the Cafe Voisin and the Res taurant Lucas, together with the Cafe Anglais, the Lion dor, Foyot's and Marquery's, if you choose to include them. The Cafe Anglais is no longer first class, the Lion d Or has been closed, Foyot's is in the Latin quarter and Marquery's is only middle class. The highest priced places are Durand's, Pail lard's and the Cafe Voisin, and these are the most frcquented. Each year the restaurant frequented by the ''swells" changes. Two years ago it was Du- rand's, last year it was Paillard's and this year it is Voisin's.
 Americans are generally disappointed in the appearance of these places be- cause they are frequently small and by no means gorgeous in their equipments They are all arranged in about tho same way-a row of cushioned seats or di- vans running around the wall, with ta- bles placed next to them. The guests nearly always ensconce themselves on the seats next to the wall and are served from the ct her side of the tables by the walters. Occasionally, when the place 1 is crowded. people will s,at themselves on the outside, but ordinarily they are found on only ono side Of the table. As for tLo tabl'. linen. the china, the knives and forks, they arc by no means as fine as we find in many of the American hotels and restaurants. The cooking, | however, is hard to excel The reason that tho Paris restaurants obtain such high prices is owing to their peculiarity of getting what they call primeurs. Their Paris epicurean guests seem to want to eat things out of season. Fol example, they are fond of serving you peas in January. Then, they will give you pheasants and birdnest soup and other exotic dishes.
 Hero is a sample dinner and a very plain one for two at Paris restaurant. They charge you. by the way, 50 cell times, or 10 cents, to sit down. There fore for the two places, or converts, put down 1 franc; an aperitif, the substi. tute for our American cocktail, another franc; a bottle of ordinary white wine, 8 francs; bottle of ordinary burgundy, | 2 francs; a tureen of bouillon, another franc; a sole with normandy sauce, francs; a duckling with turnips and cream, 15 francs; asparagus with de. licate sauce, 12 francs; ice cream tart, 5 francs; coffee, half a france liqueurs, 1 franc; tip, half franc; total, about 60 francs, or about $12.
 The French have many ways of cook ing eggs most deliciously. For exam pie, eggs with shrimps, scram bled egg with chicken gravy, and scram bled egg with almost everything, much better you find, than in America. They alsG cook many things in covered saucepan which are most appetizing. Their sauce pans are earthenware, of the kind call ed casseroles, and by keeping them GOV cred they can cook a chicken en case role which will make your mouth wa ter. The average American chicken il baked in an oven-although the cool thinks she is roasting it when she il only baking it-and, as a rule, it is dry and tasteless and unfit to eat.
 You can get a lunch, or what tn, French call breakfast, at any of thes restaurants, including bottle of ordi nary wine, butter, shrimps, eggs ant mushrooms, chicken with artichok hearts, strawberry tart, coffee ant cheese for about 25 francs, say $5. Bu all of these bills that am giving yo1 are the dinners and breakfasts ordered by people who are careful. The averag American is apt to take things which are suggested to him by the waiter, ant when he has eaten with his table com panion say four dishes and finds that i costs $1 o apiece it makes him very tired
 If you will notice, have put on tn bills of fare above only ordinary wines If you place yourself in the hands O the sommeiller, or wine steward, ane tell him you want something very good he will bring you up an old cobwebb, bottle of burgundy without any tag ol it and will tell you that it is good. S. it is. It will generally cost you nor than champagne, and by the same tokel it is better than champagne. American soon find out the places where they hay good burgundy and bordeaux, but the have to pay for them. would advis these Americans always to trust in tn sommeiller rather than attempt to fin' things themselves from the wine list because the wine list is meaningless All it can tell you is vintage and prices and sometimes not even that.-Pari Cor. San Francisco Argonaut.
 Enlightened.
 Tarry de Windt, the Siberian traveller