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Paris à Table: 1846
Described by Le Monde as "the richest view of Balzac's time seen from the table," Paris a Table: 1846 is an essential text in the history of gastronomy, along with Brillat-Savarin's The Physiology of Taste and Dumas's Dictionary of Cuisine.
Its author, Eugene Briffault, was well-known in his day as a theater critic and chronicler of contemporary Paris, but also as a bon-vivant, celebrated for his ability to quaff a bell jar full of champagne in a single draft and well-qualified to write authoritatively about the culinary culture of Paris. Focusing on the manners and customs of the dining scene, Briffault takes readers from the opulence of a meal at the Rothschilds' through every social stratum down to the student on the Left Bank and the laborer eating on the streets. He surveys the restaurants of the previous generation and his own--from the most elegant to the lowest dive--along with the eating habits of the bourgeoisie, the importance and variety of banquets, the institutional meal, and even the plight of "people who do not dine," artists and intellectuals who fell on hungry times. He records the specialties, the decor, the patrons, and the restaurateurs and their waiters. A fine storyteller, Briffault collected culinary anecdotes, from the tantrums of a king deprived of his spinach to the tragedy of "the friendliest pig that was ever seen." The volume includes the humorous drawings of the caricaturist Bertall that cleverly reinforce the witty and ironic tone of the text. Along with J. Weintraub's introduction--which provides the first modern biography of the author and analyzes the place of Paris a Table in the literary culture of the time--the text is copiously annotated, acquainting readers with the events and characters that enliven the narrative.
Paris a Table provides a delightful and delectable entryway to Briffault's Paris, the city Walter Benjamin characterized as "the capital of the nineteenth century."
Its author, Eugene Briffault, was well-known in his day as a theater critic and chronicler of contemporary Paris, but also as a bon-vivant, celebrated for his ability to quaff a bell jar full of champagne in a single draft and well-qualified to write authoritatively about the culinary culture of Paris. Focusing on the manners and customs of the dining scene, Briffault takes readers from the opulence of a meal at the Rothschilds' through every social stratum down to the student on the Left Bank and the laborer eating on the streets. He surveys the restaurants of the previous generation and his own--from the most elegant to the lowest dive--along with the eating habits of the bourgeoisie, the importance and variety of banquets, the institutional meal, and even the plight of "people who do not dine," artists and intellectuals who fell on hungry times. He records the specialties, the decor, the patrons, and the restaurateurs and their waiters. A fine storyteller, Briffault collected culinary anecdotes, from the tantrums of a king deprived of his spinach to the tragedy of "the friendliest pig that was ever seen." The volume includes the humorous drawings of the caricaturist Bertall that cleverly reinforce the witty and ironic tone of the text. Along with J. Weintraub's introduction--which provides the first modern biography of the author and analyzes the place of Paris a Table in the literary culture of the time--the text is copiously annotated, acquainting readers with the events and characters that enliven the narrative.
Paris a Table provides a delightful and delectable entryway to Briffault's Paris, the city Walter Benjamin characterized as "the capital of the nineteenth century."
272 pages, Hardcover
Published April 10, 2018
About the author
Eugène Briffault
16 booksEugène Briffault was an editor, journalist, theater critic, and man of letters. As a chronicler of contemporary Paris, he contributed to many anthologies and periodicals of his day and was an acquaintance of many of the important literary figures of the time. His book 'Paris à Table: 1846' has become a classic work of gastronomy.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 6, 2018
A must read for any foodie to have a glimpse of the tables before. Interesting to learn of the first failed attempts of restaurant delivery back in 19th century Paris compared to what has grown to be the mainstay of urban restaurant culture; GrubHub, Seamless and UberEats. "The sound of a small bell was needed to alert the residents to the passing of the vehicle that would bring...dinner...small delivery services... attempted...dead in the street...still alive in some imaginations"- Briffault. Paris A Table is a colorful narrative of how Parisians and other cultures dined centuries ago with references of the origins of many modern day dining experiences and culinary rumors. Chinese restaurants and dog meat comments pervaded even back in the 1800s. Really loved the mention of signage on one of the first restaurants in Paris, "Oh you whose stomach cries out, come running, And I, I will restore you."
November 27, 2022
Better suited to scholarly researchers than the average reader.
May 16, 2021
A commentary on the food and restaurant scene in Paris, from a journalist and active participant in the social scene in the mid-1800’s - the time of Balzac and Victor Hugo. The author, Eugène Briffault, is one of those who helped create the language that is shared among the French to describe its special food culture. This common language surrounding food and eating is just as important as its shared cuisine and techniques.
Some of the commentary about fine dining could have been from a French critic in our era - “... from [our dinner’s] desire to be all things from all countries, it ends up no longer being from its own. Such is the fate of today’s dinner, it is no longer delectable, it is no longer joyful, it isn’t no longer various, it is no longer, in style and spirit, French.”
Not only does Briffault describe fine dining, he also talks about other classes of society and their food habits. We get a good feel for what it wasn’t like to live in the Paris area at that time, and it becomes more clear why French food has survived for centuries and is so important to its culture today.
Some of the commentary about fine dining could have been from a French critic in our era - “... from [our dinner’s] desire to be all things from all countries, it ends up no longer being from its own. Such is the fate of today’s dinner, it is no longer delectable, it is no longer joyful, it isn’t no longer various, it is no longer, in style and spirit, French.”
Not only does Briffault describe fine dining, he also talks about other classes of society and their food habits. We get a good feel for what it wasn’t like to live in the Paris area at that time, and it becomes more clear why French food has survived for centuries and is so important to its culture today.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews