The gourmet's guide to Europe

It is kept by two sisters who give their personal attention to everything with excellent results. A very quiet, little frequented eating-house it was, and the prices very moderate. It has of late, however, sprung into fame, and on days when there is racing at St. Cloud, it is wise to retain a table there in advance by telephone. The specialty of the restaurant is the gar bur e, the “ Le Select ’’ Bar, Quai de Billancourt Paris savoury mess of the south, but two days’ notice must be given for the preparation of this delicacy. Across the River The Tour d’Argent on the Quai de la Tourelle, nearly opposite the island on which Notre Dame stands, has been made known to the Tour d’Argent, world by its proprietor, Frederic Quai de la Delair. It is a small old-fashioned Tourelle house, with a narrow entrance hall and a low-ceilinged parlour. I can remember the days when its floors were spread with sawdust, but it has outgrown that sign of simplicity. Frederic much resembles the pictures of Ibsen. He has a wave of hair, now whitened and rather thinned by the years, curving back over his head, and flowing whiskers. A chat with the master of the restaurant is an amusing part of a lunch or dinner. There is a famous portrait of Frederic painted by one of his friends, an artist ; and I once had the satisfaction of comparing the picture and the original. Frederic’s daughter held the picture, and he, having passed a hand over his hair and having spread out his whiskers, stood close to the canvas, assuming the expression which the artist had reproduced. Frederic’s conversation is amusing and instructive. He has some curious theories. He holds that different kinds of fuel should be used for the roasting of different kinds of meat, believing that the spiced scents of some woods transmitted in the cooking add to the pleasure of eating all kinds of game. Frederic is not alone in holding this belief, for the old Roman gourmets thought as he does, and spent large sums of money on the woods for their kitchen fires, as do also the Japanese, that very practical and up-to-date nation believing that burning sticks transmit their essences to that which is cooked before 30 'The Gourmet's Guide to Europe or over them. Every visitor to the Tour is given a paper whereon are printed the “ creations faites a la Tour d’ Argent par Frederic.” The great cook — for Frederic goes into the kitchen to give the finishing touches to the dishes for appreciative clients — has named many of his inventions after well-known people who are, or have been, good patrons to the establishment. CEufs General Williams , Filet de Lievre Arnold White , Filet de Sole Loïe Fuller , are three out of twoscore dishes to which celebrities have become godparents. A poet has sung Frederic’s praises, for the Marquis de Lauzieres de Themines has put into archaic rhyme a eulogy of Frederic and his works and a description of serving Canard ci la Presse : — “ La d’un canard, donte reste la carcasse Dans une boite, on la broie, on la moud. Un rude engin l’ecrase,‘la concasse. II resulte un jus exquis au gout.”