Interesting Thread you've started. We were in France in 2000 and ate at 2 of the restaurants belonging to the "Freres Blancs" consortium and enjoyed both. The highlight was a restaurant called La Fermette Marbeuf. This was our 10th Anniversay dinner 'splurge' and it didn't disappoint. There were two things that we'll never forget about the evening, the first was there dinner promotion which was "The Taste of Canada" featuring Nova Scotia Lobster, Alberta Beef, and BC Salmon on the menu. We told our waiter we had travelled from Canada to Paris for the expressed reason not to eat like Canadians, and that this was our 10th anniversary. He immediately cleared away anything 'reminiscent' of the Canada promotion, including from two neighbouring tables. He then went away, and returned to say that Chef would be happy to prepare a special version of the Table D'hote for us, along with 2 glasses of champagne. The dinner was awesome! The waiter was very attentive, and looked after us very well. The other memory was that of a more elderly woman who was sitting several tables away, dressed very finely, and appeared to be dining alone....until her waiter arrived and we realized that on the chair beside the woman was her poodle, also very finely dressed!! The poodle sat very quietly, but would 'yap' and 'snap' at the waiter whenever he brought anything to the table. He was consumately professional, and very kind to the poodle, speak to it like it was the womans child, and served him/her dinner on fine china, and water in a crystal bowl. This continued throughout the evening, when he brought desert, again the poodle, provided it's usual 'commentary'; again he smiled at the dog and blew it a kiss. As he turned around to return to the kitchen, his eyes met with my wife's. She smiled at him, and he just 'crossed and then rolled his eyes'. She just about laughed out loud, but was able to contain herself. This capped off a great evening for us.

I can't remember the name of the second restaurant, but it was on the Champs Elysees near the Arc de Triomphe (I can find it); and although not as upscale as the first restaurant, was also very good, and well priced.

I tried to get us into Le Procope, but couldn't get a reservation for the evening we wanted....now I'm glad!

Regards,

John Wiernikowski Hamilton, ON CANADA