A Mini Trip Dinner in Paris
Oct 24th, 2012, 06:44 AM
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A Mini Trip Dinner in Paris
To celebrate the year 2000, DH and I spent a long weekend in Paris. We stayed at Le Meridien Monparnasse for two reasons: 1) the airport bus dropped off there and 2) we were squeezing in a trip to Chartres and the Montparnasse station was nearby as well.
We really like the hotel. It was modern and clean and our 23rd-story room gave us wonderful views. Even though a major hospital was also nearby, we never heard any sirens, or any outside noise.
When StCirq mentioned Montparnasse station in her non-TR, it reminded me of the fabulous meal DH and I shared at "Le Montparnasse 25" resto that was on the hotel premises. It looks like it closed but I didn't spend too much time googling. I just want to share my notes about the meal:
I have often maintained that being shallow can be easier than having discriminating tastes--it is much easier to have a good time if you don't know what something should be like. We sit down for our anniversary dinner and 3 different people say hello and bring us menus and water. We don't know that DH's menu has prices, while mine does not. You missed seeing DH's eyebrows go higher and higher as I, with an unerring ability to order the most expensive items on a menu, enthuse about dishes I see! Even with English translations, there are fish I've never heard of.
DH has major problems with the wine list. "Have you ever heard of any of these?" he asks as he passes the list to me. Correctly "reading" our situation, one of the greeters slips over: "Perhaps you would like to consult with the sommelier?"
Here's our meal. We did choose the foie gras and the fish, but put ourselves into the kind hands of the sommelier and waiter:
Starters: Teeny finger of toast with ham
Teeny finger of puff pastry with seeds on top
Teeny puff pastry that looked like a Yorksire pudding
du Pain: Miniature baguette
Breads with slices of grape, olive or seaweed
Soupe: Small bowl with mussels, teeny croutons in a creamy saffron base
Entrée: Foie Gras sautéed with spinach and served with winter truffles and tiny red currants
Mains: Sole with spinach and hazelnuts in a light soy sauce
Barbu (brill?) with spinach and hollandaise
Truffle-stuffed ravioli in light cream sauce on the side
Served with Chateau Viellen Euve 1997 (red and good)
We eschewed (this is what you do when you have chewed as much as we did) dessert but they still brought two small plates: one with teeny tarts (hazelnut and fruit), eensy madeleines and lace cookies; and one with chocolates.
Not too shabby, eh?
FYI, there were two rolling tables covered with cheeses in case one wanted an assortment as an entrée.
We had an after-dinner drink at the adjacent Platinum Bar. JR bought bartender a drink and we sat and listened to his oldies tapes of Motown and Elvis.
_________________________
Again, this was in the year 2000 and you do need to see if this hotel is open or has been reincarnated. Yum!
We really like the hotel. It was modern and clean and our 23rd-story room gave us wonderful views. Even though a major hospital was also nearby, we never heard any sirens, or any outside noise.
When StCirq mentioned Montparnasse station in her non-TR, it reminded me of the fabulous meal DH and I shared at "Le Montparnasse 25" resto that was on the hotel premises. It looks like it closed but I didn't spend too much time googling. I just want to share my notes about the meal:
I have often maintained that being shallow can be easier than having discriminating tastes--it is much easier to have a good time if you don't know what something should be like. We sit down for our anniversary dinner and 3 different people say hello and bring us menus and water. We don't know that DH's menu has prices, while mine does not. You missed seeing DH's eyebrows go higher and higher as I, with an unerring ability to order the most expensive items on a menu, enthuse about dishes I see! Even with English translations, there are fish I've never heard of.
DH has major problems with the wine list. "Have you ever heard of any of these?" he asks as he passes the list to me. Correctly "reading" our situation, one of the greeters slips over: "Perhaps you would like to consult with the sommelier?"
Here's our meal. We did choose the foie gras and the fish, but put ourselves into the kind hands of the sommelier and waiter:
Starters: Teeny finger of toast with ham
Teeny finger of puff pastry with seeds on top
Teeny puff pastry that looked like a Yorksire pudding
du Pain: Miniature baguette
Breads with slices of grape, olive or seaweed
Soupe: Small bowl with mussels, teeny croutons in a creamy saffron base
Entrée: Foie Gras sautéed with spinach and served with winter truffles and tiny red currants
Mains: Sole with spinach and hazelnuts in a light soy sauce
Barbu (brill?) with spinach and hollandaise
Truffle-stuffed ravioli in light cream sauce on the side
Served with Chateau Viellen Euve 1997 (red and good)
We eschewed (this is what you do when you have chewed as much as we did) dessert but they still brought two small plates: one with teeny tarts (hazelnut and fruit), eensy madeleines and lace cookies; and one with chocolates.
Not too shabby, eh?
FYI, there were two rolling tables covered with cheeses in case one wanted an assortment as an entrée.
We had an after-dinner drink at the adjacent Platinum Bar. JR bought bartender a drink and we sat and listened to his oldies tapes of Motown and Elvis.
_________________________
Again, this was in the year 2000 and you do need to see if this hotel is open or has been reincarnated. Yum!
Oct 24th, 2012, 07:07 AM
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Oh My! That sounds simply wonderful, TDudette! Thanks for sharing.
Google turned this up, but not sure how recent it is:
http://lemeridienmontparnasse.paris.....mymotels.com/
Google turned this up, but not sure how recent it is:
http://lemeridienmontparnasse.paris.....mymotels.com/
Oct 24th, 2012, 08:37 AM
#4
Well, now the Méridien has become the Pullman Montparnasse since January 2011. This is its 4th incarnation because it was built as the Sheraton in 1974, then it became the Nova Park, then the Méridien and now the Pullman.
That dinner does indeed sound tempting.
That dinner does indeed sound tempting.
Oct 24th, 2012, 12:52 PM
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2010, true prince of husbands that he was, DH withheld that information!
kerouac, thanks. I never wrote down the name of the chef. Wonder if he (I assume not she) is still around.
kerouac, thanks. I never wrote down the name of the chef. Wonder if he (I assume not she) is still around.
