How many stars in the neighborhood?

How many *Michelin* stars, that is. We live in the gastronomic center of the Universe, or at least that's what the Michelin France guide tells me. We can actually walk to two different 3 star restaurants ( 3 is the most you can get, and there aren't that many of them). A chef commited suicide a few years back when he lost a star, so people take this stuff seriously.

Unfortunately, people are also willing to pay to eat in Michelin 3 star restaurants. They are actually willing to pay a lot. A whole lot. Unfortunately more than we feel comfortable with. Maybe we'll work up to a big splurge at Tour d'Argent, which has been around for several hundred years, has a smashing view of Notre Dame, and a wine cellar of several hundred thousand bottles. Or we might try L'Ambroise over in Place des Vosges.

But for now, we subscribe to zagat.com, and try to find some fun places in their "best buys" section. Eating out here is really fun when you find a good place off the beaten path.