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‘Menus-Plaisirs’ serves up decadence a la Wiseman

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‘Menus-Plaisirs’ serves up decadence a la Wiseman


Boston-born, 94-year-old non-fiction film wizard Frederick Wiseman turns his gaze to one of the most celebrated restaurants in the world in “Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros,” and I hesitate to say that the results are delicious. Even at a feast-worthy length of 240 minutes, I remained fully engrossed in this unflinchingly exhaustive examination of the way a French restaurant that has had three Michelin stars for over 50 years operates. Anyone wondering if Wiseman made the film in order to get to eat at Le Bois sans Feiulles in France’s Loire Valley for as long as it took to make the film is not alone.

Over the course of the drama, we spend time with restaurateur-patriarch Michel Troisgros, a master of the history of the culinary arts in France and the Far East, and learn about his very high standards as he passes the baton to his son Cesar, while his younger son Leo runs another family restaurant La Colline. We also hear about a third Troisgros restaurant. Guests at these establishments, especially Les Troisgros, often stay at a hotel also operated by the Troisgros family.

At first, we see how greens and vegetables are chosen. But soon enough the conversation shifts to fish: trout, pike and perch. Have you had a quenelle? Could you master a mousseline? In addition to the produce market, we visit a fromagerie, where cheeses are made and aged, a vineyard and a cattle ranch, where we learn about the latest techniques for raising plants and animals in organic, renewable and humane ways. Throughout the film, Wiseman will divide his time between the restaurant and its grounds and the nearby farms and markets where the food is examined and procured.

In the kitchen, a young chef steps away to read a recipe out of Escoffier’s “Le Guide Culinaire.” We watch as artichokes and asparagus are trimmed, cockles sorted, crayfish corralled. We hear about Cesar’s design for a completely open kitchen, divided between hot and cold, where everything from meat and fish to breads, cakes and pastries can be made. Brains and other sweetbreads are on the menu as are humble hams and pigs’ feet. Efficiency, order and cleanliness reign supreme. No one is screaming or having a meltdown. Gordon Ramsay would not feel at home here.

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Bottles of La Tache and Puligny-Montrachet might be had for a breathtaking 10,000 euros or more. Assistants and servers are sent to nearby woods to collect flowers to decorate the plates. A farmer explains how his cattle are directed in the field using movable fences to feed evenly on the grass. Hams are smoked, bread baked. The entire, precision operation suggests something military. Menus are discussed and written. A cheesemonger rattles off the names of 30 varieties on his tray.

For all of his career, Wiseman has been pulling aside the curtain on different institutions: a public hospital (“Titicut Follies”), library (“Ex Libris”), park (“Central Park”), racetrack “Racetrack”), zoo (“Zoo”) and ballet troupe (“La Danse”). Here, he gives us a restaurant surpassing in exclusivity the one in the recent (and not very good) foodie satire “The Menu” with Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy. Le Bois sans Feiulles (The Forest Without Leaves) is a restaurant for the 1%. It is a family restaurant, if your family’s name is Bezos, a subject Wiseman strangely does not address.

Toward the end, we visit a humble shepherd-farmer who supplies the restaurant with goat cheese and identifies his goats by name. A vineyard owner speaks passionately about plants that do not “compete” with the vines. Beekeepers proffer honey. Back at the restaurant, tablecloths are ironed; vases placed on tables, a helicopter lands on a patch of grass outside. We visit a wine cellar full of treasures. Cesar mingles with his guests. How many more helicopters can be expected?

(“Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros” contains obscenely expensive food and drink)

“Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros”

Not Rated. In French with subtitles. At the Coolidge Corner Theater

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Grade: A-

 

A dish is plated in a scene from “Les Menus Plaisirs Les Troisgrois.” (Photo Zipporah Films)



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Boston, MA

What’s that in the Charles River? ‘Oh my gosh! That’s a baby alligator’

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What’s that in the Charles River? ‘Oh my gosh! That’s a baby alligator’


A woman out for a run along the Charles in Boston couldn’t believe her eyes on Tuesday morning — floating on the water was a little reptile.

“I looked a little bit closer and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s a baby alligator!” Whitney Lieberman told NBC10 Boston.

She took some video of the animal encounter, just a crawl away from the Hatch Memorial Shell along the Esplanade.

“I was so caught off guard that I didn’t think to grab anyone else and say is anyone else seeing what I’m seeing here,” Lieberman said.

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Animal educator Joseph Kenney, of Joe’s Crazzy Critters, said the video does show an American alligator, and said it’s not dangerous, though the cold weather in Boston is dangerous to the animal.

And after he spoke to us, Kenney went out to find the gator.

“Actually in that same area — you guys had sent me the location after we spoke — he was tucked into some reeds, kind of along the edge there, in about a foot-and-a-half of water,” Kenney said. “He was just tucked in and laying on the bottom.”

In his social media post, Kenney explained that it took him just 15 minutes to locate the animal.

“With some luck and a couple of bright flashlights after 15 minutes I found the Boston alligator. I was able to capture him safely and he will be warm and housed until we get more information and instructions on what’s next for this little guy,” he wrote.

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MassWildlife told Boston.com that they’d seen videos of the alligator and were working with other agencies to catch it before the cold does.



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Man sustains life-threatening injuries in shooting in Boston

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Man sustains life-threatening injuries in shooting in Boston


A man sustained life-threatening injuries after being shot in Dorchester Tuesday afternoon, Boston Police said.

Officers went to 77 Bowdoin Ave. at 3:15 p.m. for a report of a person shot, said Sgt. Det. John Boyle, the department’s chief spokesman. At the scene, police found a man had been shot and took him to a hospital.

The man’s injuries were initially believed to be non-life-threatening, but police later said his injuries were more severe.

Homicide detectives were called to the scene, Boyle said.

The shooting remains under investigation and no arrests have been made, Boyle said.

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Charlie McKenna is a reporter on the public safety team at MassLive. Based in Boston, he covers the entire state. Before joining MassLive, McKenna worked for The Daily Item, where he covered Saugus, and on The…

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Boston ranks among best U.S. cities for Thanksgiving — and tops New England

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Boston ranks among best U.S. cities for Thanksgiving — and tops New England


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Boston was the only New England city to make WalletHub’s list of the top 100 Thanksgiving destinations — and its restaurant scene helped secure a top 20 spot.

Willow & Ivy Thanksgiving meal. CHRISTOPHER SMITH

Planning to spend Thanksgiving in Boston? You’re in one of the best cities in the country to do it, according to a new report from WalletHub.

The study ranked the 100 best U.S. cities for Thanksgiving based on factors like volunteer rates, weather, safety, and Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions. Boston came in 18th overall — and was the only New England city to make the list.

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Boston’s vibrant restaurant scene helped secure its spot in the top 20. The city ranked No. 1 in the country for the number of restaurants with Yelp ratings of at least 4.5 stars or higher, giving those spending the holiday in the city plenty of dining options for a Thanksgiving meal or weekend outing.

Boston also scored well for “Giving Thanks,” a measure which included volunteer hours per capita, charities per capita, and income donated to charities.


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Cities in Texas and California cities dominated the top of WalletHub’s list, with San Antonio, Texas taking first place overall.

“The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history. Other features make individual cities stand out; for example, San Antonio has great weather, Atlanta has a fantastic track record for on-time flights and Virginia Beach has surprisingly affordable accommodations,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo.

The report also shared that the average American spends $235 over the five-day Thanksgiving period — and 71% aim to avoid talking politics at the dinner table.

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Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving






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