Paris and London, May 2026

[JimHow]

The lobby restaurant/bar at Hilton Paris Opera was particularly vibrant as we arrived for early check-in in rainy Paris, my go-to hotel centrally located for one of my favorite things to do in Paris: walking. Jet-lagged but immediately in the mood! We had a delightful dinner a short walk away in the spring rain, at Bistro Volnay (on Rue Volney), a charming little place with a very friendly staff and ambience, a wonderful way to start off the trip. Oui oui!
Le Canard: Mariné aux épices, Blettes, déclinaison à l’Orange et amandes torréfiées.
Le Boeuf Simmenthal: Entrecôte, Pomme de terre Grenailles, Pôélée de champigons et Sauce aux Poivres.
Le Chocolat: Coulant au chocolat de Samana, glace au poivre, noix de Pécan caramélisées.

We had a nice little chat with a couple of friendly women from Texas seated nearby, they were ecstatic to be in Paris, they in turn were chatting with a young professor from Belgium who was dining with his iPhone and a bottle of a Bourgogne rouge off the superb Burgundy list, I couldn't quite catch the label. Fun, fun!

Highly recommended!

https://www.bistro-volnay.fr

[JimHow]

The weather cleared yesterday, inviting an afternoon stroll through Le Marais, stumbling into Galerie Alaia, home of the Foundation Azzedine Alaia, and shopping, shopping at Sezane for a petite ladies trench coat, just like the Parisian women wear. Lunch at Le Ju, everyone so friendly everywhere.... Dinner last night was at Perception, a lovely little place that Timmy recommended to me a couple years ago, I highly recommend the tasting menu featuring light on its feet French and Korean fusion. It has been all wines by the glass, Champagne, white and red Burgundy. We've struck up conversations with several Americans who seem in pure ecstasy to be in Paris, who can blame us. The French have been so charming and nice, multiple times offering sua sponte to take pictures of us. As long as you don't act like a dumb (especially American) tourist I find the French to be some of the most welcoming and friendly in the world. A gorgeous sunny day today, time to take in more French food and culture!

[JimHow]

Last night it was another Timmy McCracken recommendation in the Latin Quarter, Oktobre, he and I dined there last year and we really enjoyed it. It did not disappoint again, this restaurant rivals some of the top restaurants I've been to in Paris, impeccable, friendly, engaging service, French haut cuisine infused with Asian influences, the go-to wine by the glass combinations that I've been following throughout the trip -- Champagne, white Burgundy, and a 2023 red, in this case a Cote Rotie -- matched perfectly. We were among the first to arrive at 7pm but soon every table was filled on this Thursday night with what appeared to be mostly a younger crowd of local Parisiens. We had the six course tasting menu, with the lobster course, harvested from Normandy, a particular highlight. I told the manager I was from Maine and he anxiously awaited my verdict on the lobster. I told him that I could give it the highest compliment: It was as delicious as Maine lobster! Tonight... La Tour d'Argent!

https://oktobre.fr

[JimHow]

...

[tim]

Very nice! Wish I could have been there to crash your party. Looking forward to seeing you in the South hopefully later this year!

[JimHow]

We had a 2009 La Lagune at La Tour d'Argent with le canard. What else is there to say? This is a once in a lifetime dinner (well, okay, I've been there twice now), a magnificent view as the sun set over the chimney tops. The friendly service was nothing short of amazing, I did not count but there had to be more staff than patrons. The youthful La Lagune was a big wine matched with the big meal. Heavenly....

[JimHow]

Le Tout-Paris atop Hotel Cheval Blanc was the highlight of the first leg of the trip in Paris. We had "Table 300," just a spectacular view stretching from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. The vibe was just so much fun, the young staff so friendly, not snobby at all, we drank multiple glasses of 2015 Dom Perignon and ordered, yes, a 2009 Chateau d'Armailhac with the spectacular lobster tasting menu. What a night, it was fun to hob nob with the beautiful people, including Russian models posing with the Eiffel Tower. Life is good!

[JCNorthway]

Life is indeed good!

[Comte Flaneur]

Jealous!

[DavidG]

Living life well!

[Nicklasss]

Very nice Jim.

What an epicurean trip!

[JimHow]

Now in London. Jolly good!

[stefan]

OOh-la-la!!

[JimHow]

Dinner at Ian’s house in London last night, lamb chops, Grand Siecle, 1999 Le Pin, 1999 Lafleur, and some 1986 Gruaud Larose with cheese. The wines were spectacular, in a very good place at age 27, stunning bouquets on the Pomerols, the colors and palate clear and defined. Epic Pomerols, elegance, pure class. It was so great to be able to analyze the wines over the course of an evening. I think Ian preferred the Lafleur but I don’t know, they were both 100 pointers to me but if I had to choose one I might go with the Le Pin, perhaps just a notch more evolved. A real treat, I’ll post a picture or two after I have coffee and get feeling back in my jaw. We discussed politics into the late hours, a great time, so much fun to catch up with a longtime BWE friend. We got Mr Maltais on Facetime for a brief chat. Thank you Mr Flaneur for your incredible generosity. Life is good. Long live BWE.

[Comte Flaneur]

It was such a pleasure to host Our Dear Leader for whom I did my best to roll out the red carpet as is fitting for BWE Royalty. We had an extensive and frank discussion on BWE - the richness of the institution, its people and its direction of travel - politics, religion, ethics and morality. We left no taboo subject untouched.The time flew and we could have talked for many more hours.

As for the wines the LPGS #24 was a beauty, a 55/45 chardonnay pinot mix from the 2007, 2006 and 2004 vintages and grand cru vineyards. The Le Pin and Lafleur were both fully mature and in a good place. The Lafleur had a bit more on the mid palate than the Le Pin, which was the more elegant wine. Both I would say 95 pointers. I pulled out the Gruaud because we ran out of the red stuff for the cheese. I thought I pulled out the 1985 but it turned out to be the 1986. It was a great bottle with no Cordier funk and was a match for the two Pomerols.

[Nicklasss]

Was fun to have a quick chat with Ian and Jim last night. Both were in great shape and Ian raised the level for bottles opened in presence of BWE BD.

Thinking i’ll will be in London myself in just 40 days, as MC/Simone/Béatrice are going to Wembley Stadium to see Harry Styles show. I’ll stay with Julien in town, to enjoy Beaujolais with Ian…

[ericp]

The food looks incredible! Thanks for sharing the pictures, a little vicarious living of some amazing meals.

Topping that in London is going to be difficult!

[dstgolf]

Fabulous read with Jimmy living large in Paris and London. Love the new sophisticated look Jim. Must be love or something going on. Ian's taking on the How scruffy look. Food and wines all amazing through this trip. Thanks for sharing.

[JimHow]

Back in Paris after a quick stop in London. We went to L'Europeen, a fun brasserie near Gare de Lyon that I have dined at several times when I am staying in the area. A fun family styled atmosphere, friendly food and service, a local Parisien crowd. I always enjoy it. I once had a great conversation with a young Parisien lawyer there over a glass of Lagrange.

Last night we went to La Closerie des Lilas in the Latin Quarter, frequented by Hemingway, the Fitzgeralds, and other expats in the 1920s. A piano bar and busy Wednesday night local crowd brought us back a hundred years, we had the signature Hemingway tenderloin and French fries and a delicious veal dish that matched perfectly with a 2015 Branaire Ducru that opened up beautifully throughout the evening, revealing a gorgeous full blown St. Julien elegance by the ice ream dessert.

Lots of Champagne on this trip, including a nightcap in the elegant Les Ambassadeurs bar at Hotel de Crillon with more beautiful people, more piano, a second rendition of La Vie en rose of the evening. Sigh. À la recherche du temps perdu. I don't want to go home!!!

[ericp]

Jim, oh man - you've got me jonesing for Paris! Haven't been in a few years, seems that needs to change and fast lol

Have you considered a long term rental (3-6mo?) in the city of light? If that's something of interest, hit me up offline and I can give you a brain dump.

[JimHow]

I wish, Eric, but my eight murder cases and trips to Bangkok would make that difficult. I'm starting a strangulation murder trial next week. Yuck.

[ericp]

I guess those retirement rumors are not true!!

[stefan]

EIGHT murder cases?

I hope that they are not all in Lewiston. Last year there was only one homicide in your home town.

[JimHow]

Ha indeed, my murder practice is statewide. I have the one Lewiston case from 2026 so far, a 25 year old girl who shot a 22 year old girl to death in a drunken brawl. Next week we start an awful strangulation case in Bangor. Eight murder cases is actually better than the 200 felony cases I was managing coming out of the pandemic. I can do a lot of work remotely, like from here in Paris, or from Bangkok, and then I go back for a couple of weeks for trial. I've got three younger lawyers back home who walk through walls for me handling a lot of pretrial stuff. My plans for "retirement" have been a running joke now among the local defense bar for about the past 10 years.

[JimHow]

My anecdotal observation on the UK, it seems on edge. The very pleasant young taxi driver from the hotel to the train station had the BBC on the radio, the announcers bemoaning some awful racial statements by members of parliament, like that Nigerian immigrants should be melted to fill all of the potholes, among other disturbing thoughts. The driver seemed very pleasant and I said to him, gee, it sounds like a lot of the same problems we are having in the US. He proceeded into a rant against Labour, against immigrants, just like what you might indeed expect in the US. Sigh.