Paris Food Help
Mar 19th, 2005, 12:54 AM
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Paris Food Help
We have 3 more days left in Paris, the weather is beautiful 68F and sunny. We are having so much fun and my wife could not have enough escagot. The question is that we have heard that French made killer sauce for steak but we could not find it any where, I remember the steaks we had in French restaurant (in San Diego)come with great sauce but we could not find it any where here in Paris (well we don't speak french). We apreaciate any in tips for places and key words on the menu, we stay in 14th area by the Monparnase (speeling?)tower, we favor small local restaurant over the fancy ones. Also anyone knows where we can get boiled snails, claims etc.. without going to a big restaurant? Thanks
Mar 19th, 2005, 02:19 AM
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The best sauce for steak in Paris ..try Relais d'Entrecote on rue St Benoit about 2 blocks from Ste Germain de Pres . All they serve is salad, steak ,frites..but the sauce alone is worth the trip.
Mar 19th, 2005, 06:02 AM
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The above recommendation sounds good for steak. I don't know of a place that specializes in that, although I've always been very happy with the steak I get at the cafe La Rotonde on bd Montparnasse near you. They can serve it either with frites or pommes gratinees if you ask, and they do the latter very well.
I believe they usually serve steak au poivre at la Rotonde, if you want a sauce. I think the two main kinds of sauces you would see on a menu with steak are steak au poivre (a pepper sauce) or with bearnaise sauce (a sauce with tarragon, egg yolk, shallots, butter and some other things). Bearnaise sauce is thicker and light color than the pepper sauce. Do either of these terms sound familiar for the sauce you like?
I think I've had steak at La Coupole brasserie near you and it was nothing special, but adequate. I've also had it at La Fontaine near the Pantheon which is a small restaurant known for its steak and other meat, and that steak was pretty bad, so I would not go there.
As far as steak goes, there are some cuts that are better than others, and I always prefer to order a "faux filet" if possible from the menu. This is a more tender and better cut than what you often get with the prix fixe specials, or an entrecote, in my opinion. It will cost a little more.
As far as seafood, I know Vin et Maree near you is considered one of the best in Paris. It's at 108 ave du Maine. That's the lower-priced sister restaurant of La Luna on the Right Bank. They def. have clams and all kinds of seafood as that is their specialty. That restaurant isn't real small as I recall, around 100 seats, not sure what you want in that regard. There are actually a lot of seafood restaurants around that area, more than in others. There used to be several small restaurants along bd Edgar Quinet leading from the tower that specialized in seafood, but some of those have been changing hands recently. It's still a good place to walk along for small restaurants if you have nothing special in mind.
There are a couple wellknown seafood restaurants on bd Montparnasse. Le Dome is known for that and they have a smaller bistro in back of the main restaurant that is cheaper. The Bar a Huitres on the corner of bds Raspail and Montparnasse is very good for seafood, although it's not real small. I think the Coupole is supposed to be okay for that, also, don't know. A lot of places that I know for seafood are larger brasserie-type places, not real small restaurants, but I would call them all "local" and not fancy in comparison to real expensive places.
For moules and beer, of course, l'Acadamie de la Biere just a bit east of Port Royal RER stop (88 bd Port Royal) is very good and cheap. It's popular with local students, and is Belgian. It's a bar-brasserie, but is not real small because those kind of places often are not.
I believe they usually serve steak au poivre at la Rotonde, if you want a sauce. I think the two main kinds of sauces you would see on a menu with steak are steak au poivre (a pepper sauce) or with bearnaise sauce (a sauce with tarragon, egg yolk, shallots, butter and some other things). Bearnaise sauce is thicker and light color than the pepper sauce. Do either of these terms sound familiar for the sauce you like?
I think I've had steak at La Coupole brasserie near you and it was nothing special, but adequate. I've also had it at La Fontaine near the Pantheon which is a small restaurant known for its steak and other meat, and that steak was pretty bad, so I would not go there.
As far as steak goes, there are some cuts that are better than others, and I always prefer to order a "faux filet" if possible from the menu. This is a more tender and better cut than what you often get with the prix fixe specials, or an entrecote, in my opinion. It will cost a little more.
As far as seafood, I know Vin et Maree near you is considered one of the best in Paris. It's at 108 ave du Maine. That's the lower-priced sister restaurant of La Luna on the Right Bank. They def. have clams and all kinds of seafood as that is their specialty. That restaurant isn't real small as I recall, around 100 seats, not sure what you want in that regard. There are actually a lot of seafood restaurants around that area, more than in others. There used to be several small restaurants along bd Edgar Quinet leading from the tower that specialized in seafood, but some of those have been changing hands recently. It's still a good place to walk along for small restaurants if you have nothing special in mind.
There are a couple wellknown seafood restaurants on bd Montparnasse. Le Dome is known for that and they have a smaller bistro in back of the main restaurant that is cheaper. The Bar a Huitres on the corner of bds Raspail and Montparnasse is very good for seafood, although it's not real small. I think the Coupole is supposed to be okay for that, also, don't know. A lot of places that I know for seafood are larger brasserie-type places, not real small restaurants, but I would call them all "local" and not fancy in comparison to real expensive places.
For moules and beer, of course, l'Acadamie de la Biere just a bit east of Port Royal RER stop (88 bd Port Royal) is very good and cheap. It's popular with local students, and is Belgian. It's a bar-brasserie, but is not real small because those kind of places often are not.
Mar 19th, 2005, 06:26 AM
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The French serve steak (and other cuts of beef) with all kinds of sauces - béarnaise, peppercorn, red wine reduction sauces, etc. What kind of sauce are you looking for?
But I agree with Gretchen. Perhaps the only kind of meat I am never really interested in eating in France is beef. Once you've gnawed your way through your first hanger steak, you'll be more than happy to try duck and rabbit and chicken and lamb. There really is no such thing as a tender steak in France, except perhaps for a good tournedos in a nice restaurant.
If you're staying at a hotel, ask at the desk for a recommendation of a local place where you can get good escargots and seafood. There's bound to be someplace close by. The Bistro du Dôme, at 1, rue de Lambre, used to a great, reasonably priced place for seafood, though I haven't been there for awhile.There is also the more upscale La Cagouille at 10-12 Constantin Brancusi, which is supposed to be one of the best fishs restaurants in the area.
But I agree with Gretchen. Perhaps the only kind of meat I am never really interested in eating in France is beef. Once you've gnawed your way through your first hanger steak, you'll be more than happy to try duck and rabbit and chicken and lamb. There really is no such thing as a tender steak in France, except perhaps for a good tournedos in a nice restaurant.
If you're staying at a hotel, ask at the desk for a recommendation of a local place where you can get good escargots and seafood. There's bound to be someplace close by. The Bistro du Dôme, at 1, rue de Lambre, used to a great, reasonably priced place for seafood, though I haven't been there for awhile.There is also the more upscale La Cagouille at 10-12 Constantin Brancusi, which is supposed to be one of the best fishs restaurants in the area.
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