Paris Restaurants

Those Americana who think thatNew York is an expensivo place ougbt to go to Paris. There is no doubt that the prioes of New York at flrst class places aro high, but the New York restaurants have not reached such expertnesa in rnuking out bilis as they have in Paris. Therefore it is not at all nncommou to nofice r.n Anerican vv'ith his wife going over his bil! with the hair slowly rieiug cpon his bead. There are plenty of places in Paris where yon can get a dinner cheaper - the bouillons Duval, for example. restaurants are sprinkled all over Paris, and they give you plain fond very well cooked at a reasonable figure. But the average American generally goes to the swell places, whioh are abont 12 in number. There is the Cafe de Paris, Cubat's, Chevillard's, Dnrand's, Joseph's, tho Restaurant Larue, the Tour d'Argent, Maire's, Paillard's, the Maison Doree, the Cafo Voisiu and tho Restaurant Lucas, together with the Cafe Anglais, the Lion d'Or, Foyot's and Marquery's, if yca choose to include them. Tho Cafe Anglais is no longer first class, the liion d'Or has been closed, Foyot's is in the Latin quarter and Marquery's is only middlo class. The highest priced places are Durand's, Paillard's and the Cafe Voisin and these are me most irt'quuiiitju. xj;u;ij jüih tno restaurant freqfleuted by the "swells" changos. Two years ago it was Durand's, last year it was Paillard's and this year it is Voisin's. Americana are generally disappointed in the appeaiance of these places becauso they are frequently small and by no means gorgeous in their eqnipments. They are all arrauged iu about the same way - a row of cnshioned seats or divans running around the wall, with tables placed next to them. The guests nearlv always ensconce themselves on the seats next to the wall and are served from the otber sido of the tables by the waiters. Occasionally, wheu the place ia .crowded, people will seat themselves on the ontside, but ordinarily they are fotmd on ouly one side of the taWe. As for tho tablelinen, the china, tie knives and forks, thcy are 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 cali primeurs. Their Paris epicureau guests seem to want to eat things out of season. For example, they are fond of serving you peas in Januaiy. Then, they will give yon pheasants and birdnest soup and other exotio dishes. Here is a sample dinner and a very plain one for two at a Paris restaurant. They charge you, by the way, 50 centimes, or 10 cents, to sit down. Therefore for the two places, or couverts, put down 1 franc; an aperitif, the substituto for our American cocktail, another franc; a bottle of ordinary white wine, 3 francs; a bottleof ordinary burgundy, 7 francs; a turesn of bouillon, anotber franc; a solé with norinandy sauce, 8 francs; a duckling with turnipg and cream, 15 francs; asparagus with a delicate saúco, 12 francs; ice creara tart, 5 francs; coffee, half a france ; liqueurs, 1 franc; tip, half a franc; total, about 60 francs, or about $12. The Frenen have many ways of cooking eggs most deliciously. For example, eggs with shrirnps, scrarobled eggs with chicken gravy, and scrambledeggs with almost everything, much better, yon find, than in America. They also cook many things in covered sancepans which are most appetizing. Their saucepans are earthenware, of the kind called casseroles, and by keeping thora covered they can ccok a chicken en casserole which will make your mouth water. The average American chicken is baked in an oven - althongh the cook thinks she is roasting it when she is ; only baking it - and, as a rule, it is dry ! and tasteíess and unfit to eat. You can get a lunch, or what the French cali a brcakfast, at auy of these restaurants, including a bottle of ordinary wine, butter, shrimps, eggs and ! mushrooms, chicken with artichoke i hearts, strawberry tart, coffee and ■ cheese for about 25 francs, say $5. But i all of these bilis that I am giviug you are the dinners and breakfasts ordered by people who are careful. The average American is apt to take things which are suggested to him by thewaiter, and when he has eaten with his table companion say four dishes and finds that it costs$10 apieceitrnakes him verytired. If you will notice, I have put on the bilis of tare above ouly ordinary wines. If you place yourself in the hands of the sommciller, or wine steward, and teil him you want something very good, he will bring you up an old cobwebby bottle of burgundy without any tag on it and will teil you that it is good. So it is. It will generally cost you more than champagne, and by the samo token it is betterthan champagne. Americans soon find out the places where they have good burgundy and bordeaux, but they have to pay for them. I would advise these Americans always to trust in the Bomineiller rather tbau attompt to find things themselves from the wine list, because tbe wine list is meaningless. All it can teil you is vintage and prices,