The Politics of Food

What are you talking about?  There are no politics in food. Ah ha.  No.  Well, in the recently concluded campaign/election, food was not an insignificant factor, at least by me.  Vignette #1: A food writer friend, a confirmed lefty, in the midst of an otherwise awful meal at Le Bistro des Faubourgs, suggested that I fill out the self-assessment questionnaire that Le Monde had helpfully posted on its website before the 1st round of balloting a few months ago.  I assumed that it would demonstrate whether I was truly committed to the most beautiful and only smiling, left-wing woman ever to grace the electoral lists or the calme-calme-zen-zen-cool-cool righty who will, by trying to bring about economic reform, cause me misery next year when I have to walk across half the city to eat because of ongoing transit strikes.  So quite innocently I took the quiz – answering some 16 or 17 questions that each had 4 answers garnered from quotations made by some of the 12 candidates.  Surprise, it was neither Sego nor Sarko or not even Bayrou nor Le Pen I should back – it was Frederic Nihous.  Who?  Frederic Nihous, google him, you may actually find him.  But he’s in favor of all I hold dear in France and indeed in life – fish, game, the outdoors and tradition.  In fact, he heads/headed at least, the party of Chasse, Peche, Nature et Traditions – how logical, how sensible, how could he lose?  Given the statistic that 12.5% of the French eat out at least once a week, (I made that statistic up, but it’s got to be true,) it insured him victory. So appreciate my discomfort when I awoke Monday morning several weeks ago to learn that he had garned less than 2% of the vote, falling short of the too intense “Green” candidate, Marie-George Buffet, whom he regards as the mortal enemy of fish, game, etc., as well as the loopy Trotskyist Arlette Laguiller and only slightly ahead of Jose Bové, the only other food-man (a goat and Roquefort guy) in the race. Vignette #2: Three days before the second tour I was lunching at the Fables de la Fontaine with a charming American visitor who follows French politico-cultural things and she asked, in the open air, the unimaginable: who was I backing Sunday, May 6th.  Well, I said (we were the only folk in the place speaking English) I will do the same as the Guignols in 2002 suggested viewers do with Chirac, hold my nose (and I pinched it with my fingers) and vote for Sarkozy.  I thought the elderly woman on my left would split a gut; of course she had been listening and understood every word and nodded complete agreement – as she subsequently did with our judgments on the food; speaking of which was very good.  P.S. I think M. Constant did the “right thing” selling part of the place to David & Sebastien – the quality and variety and purity of the fish has gone up (along with the prices – stardom does have its downside) but it’s quite, quite good.    Vignette #3: The day before the election, I was dining at M Comme Martine in the 17th and a bunch of regular guys my age or older were giving odds on the results.  No question that they saw a landslide coming and were most dismissive (not sexist-wise at all) of Madame Royal’s campaign and debating style.  However, they were truly appreciative of the food served, so I figured that once again, opinions on food and politics do correlate.  My recommendations this week are:  Fables of Fontaine 131, rue Saint-Dominique, 7th (Metro : Ecole Militaire) T : 01 44 18 37 55 Closed Sundays A la carte about 40 €.  M Comme Martine 33, rue Cardinet, 17th (Metro:Wagram) T:01.43.80.63.60 Closed Sundays and Monday dinner Menu (lunch and dinner) 30 €.    ©2007 John A. Talbott