On to the next place: Delaville, a newish addition to the slew of Costes restaurants in the city. When we asked for a table in the shabby chic dining room, we were referred to a tall guy who barely paused between waiting on tables, bartending, and managing the staff to tell us that the wait for a table would be at least an hour, though there was no sign of anyone else waiting. We were welcome, however, to eat in the bar, so we settled in there. Our table on the cold, glassed in patio had all the charm of the old Dallas BBQ on 8th Street. Ah, Paris.

At least the menu was something different: light dishes that even included some vegetarian options, which is not easy to find in this city of meat. The scallop and salmon ceviche (8.5 €) was the best thing we had all night. Buttery, fresh salmon and lightly saline scallops were cut into small strips and tossed with lime and olive oil.

We detected some king crab in the king crab with whipped avocado (11 €), but not a lot. “There’s something in here,” Ms. S. said, prodding the whipped avocado with her fork. Indeed, there was a mystery slice of off-season tomato wedged in the bottom of the cylindrical glass dish. To make the layers look pretty? Or to take up room otherwise occupied by the more expensive ingredients of avocado and crab? This bland tomato certainly wasn’t something you’d want to eat.

We ordered another bottle of wine.

If you are looking for a punch of Thai spices in the chicken in green curry (16 €) you will be disappointed, because there isn’t any. At least the accompanying mango and haricots verts lend some bright flavor to the dish.

Steak tartare (16 €) can be made two ways, traditionelle or aller retour, in which case it’s flash seared on one side then the other before being ground. As at most other places here, the steak tartare is mixed with egg and other ingredients in the kitchen, not tableside, which is disappointing if you like the whole theater of the dish. The quality of the meat in De la Ville’s tartare is quite good, but the final preparation lacked any real seasoning.

Meanwhile, we ate our main courses without any wine, because the bottle never arrived. “Is that our waitress out there…smoking?” Ms. S. indicated a woman smoking and laughing it up outside. Yes, that was our waitress. She finally brought our wine just as our plates were taken away, just so we’d have some more time to enjoy that glamorous patio.

There are no photos with this article because I left my camera at the restaurant. When I called about it, I was told that no one had turned it in.

Bien sûr.

Delaville Cafe
34, boulevard Bonne Nouvelle
10th arrondissement
Paris
01 48 24 48 09
delavillecafe.com

A patterned cape and exaggeratedly long black legs with wedge boots.

Sitting by the pond in a quirky but cool outfit that combines a parka and black knit hat with the traditional French silk scarf.

A photo blogger in a pom pom hat and bronze metallic Doc Martens checks her images.

A lean silhouette and a cross necklace, which seems to be making a surprising comeback for spring and fall, often in Byzantine styles.

Neutral silk jumpsuit, pom pom hat and a fur jacket.

A plaid coat in blue and gold.

Extreme fashion: super high platforms. And a braid.

A gray fur vest tops off this neutral, sophisticated outfit.

A photographer in stars and stripes.

Long scarf tails fly in the wind.

Sarah Rutson of Lane Crawford in a great casual weekend outfit for the shows: leather shorts, over-the-knee boots, and a striped sweater with gold tassles.

Blogger Susie Lau of Style Bubble in a mirrored skirt and pastel colors.

A black dress with punched out holes brings some avant garde flair to the mix.

A blue silk jumpsuit channels the Orientalism trend.

Blue metallic platform stilettos to match.

A red polka dot dress and black fur jacket.

A girl in a sheared haircut and black bowler hat attracted a lot of attention from photographers.

A photographer in combat chic.

A fluffy gray fur jacket catches the March afternoon light in the courtyard of the Couvent des Cordeliers.

Red lipstick and socks, white beret and black mod sunglasses.

Models arrived at the show via chauffeured motorcycle (all the better to cut through traffic) and ran in, still in hair and makeup from the Christian Dior show that had just ended across town.

Floral patterned leggings and tights: a sign of spring.

A layered, sculptural gray coat.

Another model in off duty clothes: black leather miniskirt, sleek black biker boots, and a chain link bag.

A parka with fur.

Love her rakish green fedora and bright yellow lace-up shoes.

Filipa Fino of Vogue in a double breasted coat and black stiletto platform boots.

There’s an interesting article in today’s WWD about the preponderance of fur on the fall runways. Many of the coats are in patchwork styles like this one.

A swingy leopard print fur coat works well with black leather leggings.

Anna dello Russo in her feather and sequin belted coat.

Strappy black stilettos finish off a black and white look.

Another great high-low mix of a plain black knit cap and very polished belted coat.

A wild haircut and black leather jacket.

Love her style – the giant afro and skinny jeans emphasize the current top-heavy silhouette.

A skirt with a Southwestern pattern gets mixed into an otherwise very urban outfit.

They may look scary in the store, but these legging-style jeans really can exaggerate the length of your legs, especially when worn with platform stilettos.

Three chic women waiting to cross the street.

A closer look at a colorful outfit of a pink blazer, mustard pants, and royal blue suede sandals.

An alternative to legging-style jeans is these wide cropped trousers, worn here with a little bit of her black polka dot stockings showing at the ankle. Plus: another rakish hat.

Note the mid-calf length of her white lace skirt – it’s the direction hemlines are going for fall 2010.

Faded denim is another key development for fall and spring.

Mixing a fur coat with a fedora.

The collection had a ’50s biker chick theme–fitting given the models’ arrival.

Neutral layers get a kick from sexy cropped jeans.

These glittery leggings, great for evening, looked particularly intriguing when paired with a conservative, slightly oversized overcoat.

Hemlines might have dropped at shows like Marc Jacobs, but they stayed super mini at Isabel Marant, which maintains a consistently sexy appeal.

Studded stilettos in the front row.

Layers of abstract silk prints in autumn color get cinched at the waist by a kimono-style leather belt.

Fur appeared in Marant’s collection as well, paired with a cocktail dress.

A favorite look – black fur jacket and leather pants.

Autumn colors in the final procession. Also note the blingy, dangly earrings on all the models.

One thing is very different from olden times – there are many more photographers!

Leigh Lezark in a silk dress and green satin bow stilettos.

Gray, fur, and a Dior bag.

A white woolly coat is perfect for a cold but sunny March day.

Love the look of long hair and a black knit cap – especially when worn with a beautiful sculptural coat.

A camel-colored leather jacket and pale beige bag are a great transition into spring.

An elegant look of a double breasted overcoat and light blue scarf.

The beautiful Victorian silhouette of a fur trimmed coat and hat and velvet shoes.

A ’70s Americana look of belted poncho and pale suede boots. This was one of many rakish hats seen that day.

Military poncho and tough-chic lace-up, peep-toe stilettos in military drab.

Extreme wedges are the shoe du jour – like these in black suede with a zipper detail.

Look for more faded denim like this jacket come spring – a little ’70s retro, but it looks fresh and new now.

More extreme wedge platform heels, this time with mirrored sides.

Individualistic style: a red silk jumpsuit and navy coat.

Glenda Bailey and an equally chic colleague in a leopard print fur scarf.

Black coat, fur scarf and gold platform heels on a fashion week regular.

Here’s a new development: Sheer white stockings. They look especially great with a white lace dress. These look prettier than black tights at this time of year.

More sheer white tights, this time paired with a beautiful dove gray jacket.

Hamish Bowles in a gray overcoat and purple scarf. The mustache suits him well.

Hair is turning up in every color of the rainbow, like this pale pink color. It’s a light wash on platinum hair.

Invitations in hand.

A beautiful ombre silk dress in gray and black, paired with a white coat.

Her colorful silk scarf is a mishmash of leopard and floral prints.

Gray leopard prints and legging-skinny jeans.

Extreme, wide-shoulder version of a double-breasted overcoat.

Carine Roitfeld poses for a photo with French fashion fans. Simple but elegant silk black coat.

A red fur coat and gold statement necklace. Plus: crazy high black suede wedges with a gold metallic heel.

Her clothes are wonderful, but the thing to notice here is her hair and very little makeup. Chic French women are opting for the au naturel beauty look–a sexy, slightly disheveled look popularized by Carine Roitfeld.

A sort of military-meets-safari look will be all the rage in the coming months.

Killer heels. These too are lace-up with a gold metallic trim.

Anna Dello Russo arrived in an elaborate feather and sequin coat. She seemed to be taping a TV show that day.

Two young fashion fans and photographers.

A great and unexpected combination of colors: red, black, white, and purple.

The reason for its popularity becomes clear as soon as an amuse bouche lands on the table: a steaming cup of soup, balanced between creamy and light, rings in the spring with its first pungent note of leeks and a base of white potatoes.

A special of seared foie gras could be a textbook lesson in how to do this dish. Slightly pink, chilled to a perfect cellar coolness and processed to a dense but velvety texture, it first hits you with the scent of cognac and then a base note of shallots. Spread it on thin crisp toasts and top it with the accompanying roasted pear confit, and you’ve got a wonderful appetizer that could be a meal in itself.

The kitchen deviates from the purely French by serving lamb shoulder over polenta, pictured at top, yet turns around and reinforces its Frenchness by mixing that polenta with cream, butter, thyme and homemade chicken stock. The heartily seasoned lamb, redolent with herbs and shallots, meets its match in the intense red wine sauce made with veal or lamb stock, which not only makes it glisten but gives it that distinct umami flavor no stewed meat should be without.

All this costs just the prix fixe price of 32 €, plus 4 € extra for upgrading to the foie gras appetizer. There are a number of reasonably priced, good wines on the menu, like this light Coteaux d’Aix half bottle for 14 €. La Ferrandaise’s setting is casual with lofty aspirations to match the concept: an elaborate mural of cows in a pasture (a “ferrandaise” is a breed of cow native to Europe) faces an exposed stone wall—the Parisian version of exposed brick, plus a hundred years or so.

There’s an excellent cheese plate (4€), too. To make it, your server will just bring over the whole slate of cheeses and lop off several chunk, in this case two blues, a tomme, and a cow’s milk cheese.

As with many good Parisian restaurants, it’s French speakers in front, tourists in back. (I considered it a minor triumph to be seated in a middle purgatory area next to a couple speaking French with a country accent.) Service is pretty homey and casual—you have to retrieve your own coat from the coat check—but convivial and friendly.

One note of warning: though it isn’t in the Michelin guide yet, La Ferrandaise is in Time Out Paris, and already tourists are vying with local regulars for the few coveted seats in the house. (Fortunately, it’s open for lunch, and until midnight Friday and Saturday.) Let this be your incentive to visit Paris again soon.

La Ferrandaise
8 Rue de Vaugirard, between Rue Monsieur le Prince and Place de l’Odeon
Sixth Arrondissement
Paris, France
08 92 68 06 89
laferrandaise.com

Bacon-wrapped shellfish are nothing new—until you take prawns ($16), and wrap the tender midsection in the thinnest layer of lardo so that the whole thing dissolves in your mouth. These come on a bed of rosemary lentils. The whole dish is the perfect combination of sea and earth.

Truffles get a light treatment in the fonduta sauce with grilled ciabatta and a poached duck egg. Though the sauce could have used a little more salt, the ciabatta was charred perfection, the duck egg and fonduta a decadent side—especially for just $6.

Faustina’s olive oil-poached sardines ($12) from the extensive raw bar (manned by that sushi chef) are a reason for Americans to reconsider their aversion to this much-maligned fish. The accompanying artichokes and preserved lemon give them a Moroccan touch.

The meaty, succulent beef short ribs ($16) were braised to the point of falling apart and served on top of spaetzle, which, though it’s considered Austrian, is also quite popular in Fruili (Lidia’s home town).

The deep, earthy flavor of braised oxtail and bone marrow got a jolt from concentrated tomato. This is country cooking in high form: dollops of rich stew on a symmetrical row of semolina dumplings.

Here’s that cannelloni ($17): the sunshine-y baby tomatoes were showcased on top, while the pasta beneath were buried in melted burrata. It’s like a window into summertime in the dead of winter.

The kitchen doesn’t stop paying attention at dessert: An excellent torrone panna cotta ($9) with nougat, honey caramel and pistachio meringue had a gelatinous feel and balanced sweetness that elevated the traditional dessert to an almost Asian take on the Italian. Scrape your spoon down to the bottom and you’ll reach a thin layer of grated spices for the final flourish.

The bar also hews to a similar jet-setting philosophy: here the Il Fumatore ($12), a vodka and blood orange cocktail, gets a hit of mezcal, making it a very current apertivo indeed.

This all suits the crowd at the Cooper Square Hotel, where English was only one of several languages being spoken around us. Gone are the bad vibes of Table 8, whose smoking patrons famously irritated its neighbors to the point that they strung their dirty laundry across the hotel’s patio in an act of vengeance. The sophisticated, glittering dining room that’s taken its place is quite peaceful by comparison. And though this place is hot right now, it’s not impossible to get a table here. You can book through Open Table and get an early or late slot at relatively short notice, or walk in and sit in the bar area.

Lord knows how Scott Conant had time to launch such a great new restaurant in less than a month and be there seven days a week—especially now that he has a brand-new baby at home, too. But even Cooper Square Hotel detractors in the neighborhood would have to admit: Faustina has brought a democratic take on alta cucina to the Bowery.

Faustina
25 Cooper Square, corner of the Bowery and East 5th Street
New York, NY
212-475-5700
thecoopersquarehotel.com/the-restaurant

Before you consider the place doomed, know that while this is still El Chod’s space, the owners of the very successful Almond restaurant from the Hamptons are much of the time, making sure things run smoothly. The crowd has gotten a polish too. Gone are those grubby locavores that patronized Borough, now the crowd includes stick-thin women in wrap dresses and big jewelry, men with winter tans and cashmere V-necks. (”They’re not on our team, ladies,” our waitress whispered.) Chelsea Clinton dined there on a recent night. Celebrities, gays, emaciated women, face lifts: Almond is a Hamptons away from the Hamptons, and I mean that in the best possible way.

To my dismay, Almond just changed their cocktail menu, which is too bad because now it doesn’t include the Sidecar Royale ($12), which was a luxe version of the sidecar with champagne and a sugar rim. Maybe the bar will make one on request if you ask for it.

The house smoked bluefish with Greek yogurt, dill, and crispy latke ($10.50) was a noble effort: I endorse any attempt to popularize smoked bluefish. Almond’s has the right flavor, but it’s a little on the light side. Properly smoked bluefish should really stink. The house-cured copa crudo ($9) with with a lemony salad of baby greens was very nice, though again they needed more oomph in the smokehouse. Can you even really smoke things in Manhattan given the restrictive zoning laws? Unclear.

Don’t skip the sides: Swiss-cheesy mac and cheese ($7)  was very good one night, a little under-salted on another, and there was no salt on the table. (Update on this trend from a friend of mine who was a server at the Palm: Apparently the reason that salt shakers aren’t on the table anymore isn’t because of any Bloomberg initiative but because people have been stealing them. Even rich people. Even at fancy places. No kidding.) The mac and cheese is emblematic of Almond itself: it’s not crazy good, it’s not bad, but it’s nourishing and sustaining and provides you with decent food while you’re enjoying the scene. A side of polenta ravioli ($7) was highly unorthodox – you’d be as likely to see a starch inside a starch in Italy as you would a turducken – but still very good and delectably buttery.

The kitchen puts a lot of focus on sauces and sides but sometimes neglects the central piece of meat or fish on the plate. An entree of grilled sea scallops with caramelized endive polenta ravioli, duck prosciutto and cippolini onions ($26.25) seemed calibrated for a girly palate, with several clashing sweet tastes and slightly tough scallops in the center. While the arctic char was bland and under-salted, the huckleberry sauce that accompanied it was too sweet.

The roast chicken “au vin” ($19.25) with its thyme-flecked crispy skin fared better, and the accompanying “au vin” sauce added more depth of flavor without overpowering everything else on the plate.

While an entrée listing of “steamed market vegetables with a single boiled egg” may be unintentionally hilarious, the croque provencal was a gargantuan amount of food. It was a flavorful, good gratin, but the mega size of it all rendered it very un-French.

Almond offers a rotating cast of daily specials, like the whole roasted fish available on Thursdays. Our roasted sea bass experience was problematic, since we did not get to see the whole, beautiful fish before they filleted it. Then there was the case of the missing avocado. After remarking that it tasted “like spa food,” because the fish was so mild and naked, J. Marciano realized they’d neglected to add the avocado intended to be part of the dish. When the missing avocado was delivered, the fatty butteriness really did change up the whole equation, but unfortunately we’d already eaten half the fish by then. Everything surrounding the fish – bruschetta with an olive puree, perfectly cooked vegetables dressed in basil vinaigrette – were intensely flavorful and excellent.

For dessert, a pear cake with red wine sorbet was one of the best things we ate all night one night – the light texture, dense fruit flavor of the mildly sweet cake played off the tartness of the wine sorbet – a real winner.

For the most part, the food at Almond is decent, not fantastic. And yet – and yet! – I have recommended Almond to several people and returned here to dine again. Why? Because like the best Hamptons locale, it’s comfortable but glamorous. The menu is varied, the theme is consistent, and you don’t have to sell your first born to get a table here, even for five or six people. Unlike Borough, which was all over the place, this restaurant has real direction and substance – and will probably be at 12 East 22nd Street for a long time to come.

Almond
12 East 22nd Street, between Fifth Avenue and Broadway
New York, NY
212-228-7557
almondnyc.com

New York Fashion Week may be over, but Paris Fashion Week is just a few days away! Look for more Paris street chic and restaurant coverage here beginning next Thursday, March 4. We can’t wait!

Models after the show. The models’ glam hair and the retro preppy looks on some of the younger guests reminded me of that seminal movie about the Upper East Side in the ’80s, Metropolitan.

Jamee Gregory in a gray fur jacket and gray trousers.

Anna Dello Russo in an absolutely fabulous electric pink fur coat. There is a great interview with her in New York Magazine in which she says: “I want to be fashion!” She has succeeded.

Hanneli Mustaparta in a brown coat and black studded bag. Bill Cunningham was obsessed with her shoes.

Treena Lombardo of W Magazine in a shaggy black fur jacket, brown alligator bag and black lace-up booties.

The hourglass shape of a black and white houndstooth jacket.

Jessica Biel in a light gray wrap coat and nude-colored patent leather heels.

A cute schoolgirlish look of retro horn-rimmed glasses, asymmetrical haircut, navy overcoat, tweed blazer and combat boots.

A white belted coat with a mink scarf.

The fur-trimmed hood on this black parka perfectly frames her face. It’s no wonder hoods are gaining popularity on the runway and in the streets – they’re flattering and vaguely mysterious.

More nerd-chic glasses, this time with a black watch cap.

Anna Wintour in a beautiful bouclé tweed suit, jeweled necklace and her signature shades.

The style photographers were going nuts over this outfit, and no wonder: this Oscar de la Renta guest really shows a knack for combining color and texture and day and night pieces. Gold sequined top, mustard-colored jacket with wide black velvet lapels and red lipstick.

Beautiful winter white coat and knit cap with black and gold wedge sandals and a gold knotted necklace.

Leopard coat and red lipstick.

Glenda Bailey of Harper’s Bazaar in a long black coat with intricately embroidered, folk-art-style trim and an jeweled cross necklace – a sophisticated spin on Eastern Europe.

Fur from head to toe.

A socialite fan of de la Renta’s in an elaborately ruffled black silk jacket, embroidered black and white blouse, and black silk skirt with an oversize rosette.

Elle’s Kate Lanphear in a chic drop-waist, double-breasted gray coat, black sunglasses and an onyx ring. This is what’s so great about her style: it’s very personal. When everyone else is doing a cinched waist coat, she does a dropped-waist coat.

A wide brimmed hat and ruffle skirt are a little European aristrocrat/Out of Africa – great look.

Stylist Kate Schelter in a Chadwick Bell feather coat and Burberry shoes.

Marie Claire’s Zanna Roberts in black leather leggings and a Chanel bag.

Nina Garcia in all black, including a studded black skirt.

Parkas and military field coats have a universal appeal for men and women.

This season’s update on the combat boot is a more architectural boot with a wedge heel. The fashion set could only wear flats for so long.

More leather leggings and the same over-the-knee button-up boots we saw on Carine Roitfeld at Ohne Titel.

This girl really conveys what is happening with fur and faux fur. No longer seen as the exclusive territory of grandes dames and Upper East Siders, fur is getting democratized, appearing in jacket and other forms on a much younger, more diverse group of women. Again, this evolution can be traced to the Where the Wild Things Are X Opening Ceremony line.

Of course, the traditional image of fur as seen on fashion’s grande dame Anna Wintour will always have an appeal of its own.

A goatskin (?) black coat with elaborate wrought metal clasps.

One of fashion’s front-row redheads in a flattering fur striped with a hint of blue-green color.

Maggie Rizer, another front-row redhead, in a robin’s egg blue dress, white coat and silver heels.

A belted coat with bracelet sleeves.

The perfect military field coat.

Love the casual, preppy layers of this look – sweater, blazer, jeans, two scarves, one of which has black and white stripes to really make the whole thing pop.

This is how you do “distinguished gentleman.” The classic shades are the crowning touch.

Pale lime green pants and high volume hair on a guy exiting the show.

Donald Trump in his usual red tie and Melania Trump in an elegant belted black fur coat. The oddest thing happened after this: the same mob of photographers was outside the Oscar de la Renta show on Park Avenue an hour later when the Donald Trump pulled up in his limo and said: What are you all doing here? Turns out he and Melania were just dropping their kid off at school next door.

Robbie Myers in a glam new ‘do and oversize sunglasses.

Rachel Zoe gets mobbed by fans outside.

Don’t forget the Daily girls! One wore some great patterned black tights and studded stilettos.