Patricia Wells ParisBlog Patricia Wells. There are friends we love despite their faults, so we stick by them anyway. The 7th arrondissement fish restaurant, Divellec, is a bit like that for me. The brasserie sized restaurant, overlooking Les Invalides, was recently re incarnated from the 1. It was a great honor having Patricia Newman at our very first Standiford Literacy Night. Her presentation captured our audience of grandparents, parents, and students. ATP WTA tennis players at Tennis Explorer offers profiles of the best tennis players and a database of mens and womens tennis players. Patricia Wells Cookbooks' title='Patricia Wells Cookbooks' />Le Divellec, a rather haughty but quality businessmans lunch place. Today, chef Mathieu Pacaud son of Bernard Pacaud of LAmbroisie and owner of Hexagone is in charge, and though the restaurant only opened in December of 2. Michelin stars right out of the starting gate. Let me start with what I love about Divellec With each visit I am charmed by the makeover of the dcor with its ocean like shades of blue, comfy wicker arm chairs, the mix and match of selected pottery, and ultra slim stems of the wine glasses all of which have the right touch of class and elegance. The staff, too, is spruced up, smiling, sometimes a bit distant and corporate perhaps, but they make you feel taken care of. Some of the food can be spectacular as well as beautiful, like the gently poached oysters bathed in a brilliant green watercress sauce and topped with a spoonful of caviar. Its full flavored and satisfying, set in a white porcelain, shell shaped bowl. Technicolor food at its best. Their sole paired with fresh, seasonal morel mushrooms is a delight, the fish plump and flavorful, perfectly moist, with a touch of sweet vin jaune from the Jura in the sauce. Sommelier Claude Esambert an upright Frenchman back from a decades long stint in California is outgoing and knowledgeable, giving us the details of one of my favorite white wines, the Burgundian Saint Aubin from Hubert Lamy. The kitchen clearly understands deep frying, and their current appetizer which arrives almost the moment you sit down is a dream ultra crispy, tiny, deep fried eperlans smelt or whitebait, the ideal starter to pair with a glass of Champagne ros, such as the popular Billecart Salmon. On this particular visit, everything from the simple raw ecrevisse crayfish topped with a colorful vegetable mix, fresh herbs, and bathed in a bright vinaigrette to the moist, perfectly cooked sea bass paired with pasta shells stuffed with ricotta and herbs, made for a truly pleasant, lunchtime meal. There is great attention to detail with top suppliers here chocolates from Jacques Genin, cheese from Marie Quatrehomme, breads from Frderic Lalo of Le Quartier du Pain, and olive oil from the famed cooperative in Mausanne les Alpilles in Provence. But there are problems with Divellec, ones that I am surprised got past the Michelin inspectors. Fish is very hard to get right, and Divellec fails more often than it should, with dishes that are underseasoned or not totally thought out. At times the kitchen favors presentation over flavor. On my first visit, I ordered their langoustines wrapped in pastry and deep fried. But sadly these lovely crustaceans were smothered in a white napkin, and covered by an ostentatious glass cloche, which turned what should have been crispy gastronomic treasures into a soggy, sad mess. One order our ormeaux abalone was so tough it was inedible, and I did what I rarely do, returned the dish. In its place arrived a perfect platter of well seasoned bar sea bass ceviche, but one doesnt expect to send anything back to the kitchen in a 2 starred restaurant. I have been to Divellec several times since it opened yet strangely I have never, ever, seen a chef in the dining room. What the restaurant lacks is someone in charge, someone who personifies the place and rules with a sense of style and perfection. But the worst sin of all came on our last visit when the host of our party of eight decided he wanted a glass of red wine. We requested the wine list but the sommelier simply went ahead and poured an unordered glass of red. When I asked my friend how the wine was, his response was an unenthusiastic okay. I sniffed it, and could tell instantly it was seriously corked, with a strong scent of spoilage. The wine was quickly replaced, with an apology for the flaw, but the damage was done. This just should not happen in place of this caliber. Prices here can be overwhelming, especially if you order their turbot, whole sea bass, lobster or whole sole, priced by the gram. Despite all of this I will surely go back, for the creative fish combinations and presentations, great ideas for what I might recreate at home, as well as the magical chocolate souffl made with Jacques Genins grand cru chocolate. But I do hope that someone takes charge of Divellec. The restaurant has been mostly deserted on my visits, and just does not have the sort of joie de vivre a restaurant like this should exhibit. Quish Recipe. Someone there needs to wake up DIVELLEC      1. Fabert      Paris 7      Tel 3. Mtro Invalides      Open daily     Lunch 4. Dinner 2. 10 8 course menu. Lunch and Dinner la carte, 1. Reservations suggested     www. Potlatch. Awards are given in the following areas of leadership Economic Community Development. The Antone Minthorn Economic Community Development Award. Conrad Edwards is married with three children. He is a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, a Vietnam Era veteran of the U. S. Army, and a graduate of the University of Washington. Conrad is a co founder of Council for Tribal Employment Rights a reservation and community based national non profit that provides sovereignty based social and economic development strategies and services to private, public and tribal sector entities. He served as the CTER President for over 2. CTER. Conrad was appointed to, and served on, the Washington State Public Broadcasting Commission, the Governors Affirmative Action committee, and two terms on the Seattle Human Rights Commission. In the Tribal sector he served on the board of directors for United Indians of all Tribes Foundation, the National Center for Indian Economic Development, Colville Tribal Enterprise Corporation, Puyallup International Inc., and Womer Associates Design and Engineering. In addition to Conrads work at CTER he was the Director of the Puyallup Tribes Project Management Group, and was a member of the Tulalip Tribes Business Park Planning Group. Civic Participation. The Pearl Capoeman Baller Civic Participation Award. Debora Juarez an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation, made history when she was elected to the Seattle City Councils District 5 seat in 2. Councilmember Juarez became the first citizen of an indigenous nation to be elected to the Council in the Citys 1. Debora went to law school at the University of Puget Sound and built a 2. King County judge, a Native American affairs adviser for two governors, and counsel for Northwest tribes. Natural Resource Protection. The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award. Matt Remle Wakn yan Wanatan Hunkpapa Lakota lives in Seattle, WA. He is a writer and editor for Last Real Indians, runs an on line Lakota language program, is the author of Seattles Indigenous Peoples Day resolution and the Seattle city council resolution to call on Congress to enter into reconciliation with Tribes over the legacy of the Boarding School era. He has been organizing around issues of environmental, social and tribal justice for over 2. In 2. 01. 4, he was awarded Seattles Individual Human Rights Leader award. In addition to his nonstop social justice and environmental awareness activism, he has worked as a counselor at the Marysville School District for 1. Idle No More, Standing Rock and is a lead organizer of the Seattle Divestment Campaign which resulted in the City of Seattle voting to remove their holdings of 3. Wells Fargo and other businesses with investments in oil pipelines and natural resource extractions. Many cities across the nation have followed this lead. Matt is a proud father of three as well. Education. The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award. Mary Wilber is an enrolled member of the Osoyoos Indian Band located in British Columbia. She has served as the Director of the Eastside Native Education Parent Committee for the past 1. Native Education for over 3. Mary enthusiastically works with students and families from over 8. Tribes in Lake Washington, Bellevue and Northshore School Districts. She provides cultural and academic programing that includes language exploration and introducing ceremony into their community. Mary currently serves as the Chair of the Western Washington Native American Education Consortium. The Washington State Indian Education Association recognized her as the 2. Washington State Indian Educator of the Year. Over the past four years Mary has volunteered and has worked with the Western Washington Native American Education Consortium to help organize a Native Youth Leadership Academy in the Puget Sound region. On the state and national levels, Mary has advocated and collaborated with federal programs to ensure our Native children are being served in all Title programs offered through Public Schools. Cultural Preservation. The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award. Patti Gobin is the Special Projects Manager for the Tulalip Tribes. Patti has over 2. Tulalip Tribes. Presently, Patti is involved in the strategic planning for the Tribes. In addition to her years of experience, Patti is a member of the Tulalip Tribes and is well versed in the culture and history of her people. Her personal goal is to invest in the future of the Coast Salish community, helping to affect a sustainable future for the generations to come.