Why Do I Like Ledeuil and Pacquin over Aizpitarte and Barbot?

Must be crazy, eh? The darlings of the Anglo-Saxon web and buzz are chefs like Inaki Aizpitarte (La Famille→ Transversal→ Chateaubriand) and Pascal Barbot (School of Hard Knocks (i.e., self-taught)→ Arpege→ Astrace) rather than William Ledeuil (House of Savoy→ Les Bouquinistes→ Ze→ KGB) or Rodolphe Paquin (House of Constant→ Repaire de Cartouche→ Cartouche Café), but I, as usual, am swimming against the flow. Let’s look at their cooking; Aizpitarte is forever pushing the envelope (for instance, one night at La Famille he sent me up a shrimp burned at the tail and raw at the head), Barbot is inventive and fresh; whereas Ledeuil is constantly pushing the envelope (sending me out, for instance, at Ze, his as yet unadvertised chocolate cappuccino dessert) and Paquin is clever and fresh. Wait a minute, they sound the same. Well, they’re not. Aizpitarte tires me with his pushing, which doesn’t always work, whereas Ledeuil entertains and refreshes my palate; Barbot tries too hard (often falling on his face), whereas Paquin seems to want to do a good steady job every time (it’s no wonder he’s a marathoner not a sprinter).  Sure Paquin puts forth gutsy food whereas Ledeuil’s has more finesse, and Paquin is rooted in French tradition while Ledeuil is influenced by Asian flavors, but I walk out of their places feeling I’ve had a treat not a treatment, as Aizpitarte and Barbot make me feel. Maybe the big tent of French cooking is big enough for all four and indeed lots of others and maybe chacun a son gout, but for me the choice is clear. Their newest are: Cartouche Café 4, rue de Bercy, 12th (Metro: Cour St Emilion) T: 01.40.19.09.95 Closed Saturday noon and Sundays A la carte about 30 €. Ze Kitchen Galerie bis 25, rue des Grands Augustins, 6th (Metro: Saint Michel) T: 01 46 33 00 85 Closed Sundays. Menu at lunch: 34, a la carte 60-80 €. Please post your comments and let them flow. Register  HERE to do so if you need a user name and password.