The great glory of Voisin's is its cellar of red wines, its Burgundies
and Bordeaux. The Bordeaux are arranged in their proper precedence, the
wines from the great vineyards first, and the rest in their correct
order down to mere bourgeois tipple. Against each brand is the price of
the vintage of all the years within a drinkable period, and the man who
knew the wine-list of Voisin's thoroughly would be the greatest
authority in the world on claret.
Mr. Rowland Strong, in his book on Paris, tells how, one Christmas Eve,
he took an Englishman to dine at Voisin's, and how that Englishman
demanded plum-pudding. The _maitre-d'hotel_ was equal to the occasion.
He was polite but firm, and his assertion that "The House of Voisin does
not serve, has never served, and will never serve, plum-pudding" settled
the matter.
If the Anglais and Voisin's may be said to have much of their interest
in their "past," Paillard's should be taken as a restaurant which is the
type and parent of the present up-to-date restaurant. The white
restaurant on the Boulevard des Italiens has kept at the top of the tree
for many years, and has sent out more culinary missionaries to improve
the taste of dining man than any other establishment in Paris. Joseph,
who brought the Marivaux to such a high pitch of fame before he
emigrated to London, came from Paillard's and so did Frederic of the
Tour d'Argent, of whom I shall have something to say later on.
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