The most relaxed time in Paris yet: a trip report full of food
Oct 3rd, 2010, 10:56 AM
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The most relaxed time in Paris yet: a trip report full of food
It's our 6th day in Paris with only a few more to go and I thought I'd start writing the report now before I forget all the details. Usually I write everything down as I go but this is our 4th trip to Paris so our days have been generally so unplanned and we've been so relaxed in our attitude that although we've been out constantly, I haven't been tracking much (other than the food, of course!)
About us: We're in our early 50s, very active and we're what many would call foodies. DH is a musician so we always seek out music while we're here as well as great restaurants and markets. We come to Paris to soak up the fabulous ambiance and to eat. Along the way we've made some friends who live here and we often meet up with them for coffee and/or meals. DH speaks a little French and me a little less and we get by famously. Don't let anyone tell you the French are unfriendly. If you try to speak a few words and are polite, we have always found that the people are very kind in Paris.
Onto the details. Some of you may remember that the last time my DH and I were in Paris we rented an apartment from VIP that was supposed to have the Eiffel tower view which turned out to be obstructed by 2 huge cranes. What a thread on Fodors that created! I'm happy to report that this time our apartment is perfect. We found it through VIP, the owners have been a dream to work with and we love the location: on Edgar Quinet, the end near Raspail, in the Montparnasse area. It's a great sized 1 bedroom, newly renovated, lots of light, quiet, and has a very well equipped kitchen. Perfect.
We arrived at CDG at 6:10 AM on a Tuesday. Unfortunately, our one checked bag was among the last 20 or so bags that came out onto the carousel only after an hour delay. No explanation of what the problem was, just a really long wait with a small crowd of pretty angry people.
Because our apartment is located in Montparnasse, we had planned to take the Air France bus and then a short walk to our apartment. BIG mistake at that hour of the morning during the week. It probably would have been OK without the baggage delay but by the time we got on the road, the traffic was insane and it took nearly 2 hours in bumper to bumper traffic to get to Montparnasse. I was kicking myself the whole way for not taking the RER, even though we would have had a longer walk to the apartment with our luggage. Laziness did not pay off in this instance. Oh well. Onto the next thing!
The first day we always just power through, and never nap. We like to walk and snack (pastry and sandwiches eaten on park benches) and walk some more, stopping now and then at a sidewalk cafe for a caffeine hit and some people watching . After recharging our navigo metro passes, we went to the the old Au Levain du Marais (32 R. Turenne) which used to have some of the very best croissants and pain au chocolat but were disappointed to find it's now a different bakery. The pain au chocolate was OK but not as good as of old but we did have a delicious sandwich from there which we enjoyed while sitting in one of my absolutely favorite parks the nearby Place de Vosages.
We've learned not to have a dinner reservation the first evening because we're usually so exhausted we can barely enjoy the food by the dinner hour of 8:00-8:30 so this time, at around 5:30, we grabbed a table outside at our favorite brasserie La Rotund (105 Blvd Montpanasse tel 01 43 26 48 26.) for a fantastic repast of steak tartar and escargot. The tartar comes with fantastic golden crisp frites and salad and with great bread to mop up the escargot's garlic butter this was a fabulous first meal in Paris.
We were in bed by 8:00 and slept through until our phone rang at 9:00 the next morning! It was our Parisian friends calling to see if we wanted to meet for coffee which we did. A perfect prelude to the fancy lunch we had planned!
Next installment: Lunch with complete strangers at the 2 Michelin stars Restaurant Michel Rostang
About us: We're in our early 50s, very active and we're what many would call foodies. DH is a musician so we always seek out music while we're here as well as great restaurants and markets. We come to Paris to soak up the fabulous ambiance and to eat. Along the way we've made some friends who live here and we often meet up with them for coffee and/or meals. DH speaks a little French and me a little less and we get by famously. Don't let anyone tell you the French are unfriendly. If you try to speak a few words and are polite, we have always found that the people are very kind in Paris.
Onto the details. Some of you may remember that the last time my DH and I were in Paris we rented an apartment from VIP that was supposed to have the Eiffel tower view which turned out to be obstructed by 2 huge cranes. What a thread on Fodors that created! I'm happy to report that this time our apartment is perfect. We found it through VIP, the owners have been a dream to work with and we love the location: on Edgar Quinet, the end near Raspail, in the Montparnasse area. It's a great sized 1 bedroom, newly renovated, lots of light, quiet, and has a very well equipped kitchen. Perfect.
We arrived at CDG at 6:10 AM on a Tuesday. Unfortunately, our one checked bag was among the last 20 or so bags that came out onto the carousel only after an hour delay. No explanation of what the problem was, just a really long wait with a small crowd of pretty angry people.
Because our apartment is located in Montparnasse, we had planned to take the Air France bus and then a short walk to our apartment. BIG mistake at that hour of the morning during the week. It probably would have been OK without the baggage delay but by the time we got on the road, the traffic was insane and it took nearly 2 hours in bumper to bumper traffic to get to Montparnasse. I was kicking myself the whole way for not taking the RER, even though we would have had a longer walk to the apartment with our luggage. Laziness did not pay off in this instance. Oh well. Onto the next thing!
The first day we always just power through, and never nap. We like to walk and snack (pastry and sandwiches eaten on park benches) and walk some more, stopping now and then at a sidewalk cafe for a caffeine hit and some people watching . After recharging our navigo metro passes, we went to the the old Au Levain du Marais (32 R. Turenne) which used to have some of the very best croissants and pain au chocolat but were disappointed to find it's now a different bakery. The pain au chocolate was OK but not as good as of old but we did have a delicious sandwich from there which we enjoyed while sitting in one of my absolutely favorite parks the nearby Place de Vosages.
We've learned not to have a dinner reservation the first evening because we're usually so exhausted we can barely enjoy the food by the dinner hour of 8:00-8:30 so this time, at around 5:30, we grabbed a table outside at our favorite brasserie La Rotund (105 Blvd Montpanasse tel 01 43 26 48 26.) for a fantastic repast of steak tartar and escargot. The tartar comes with fantastic golden crisp frites and salad and with great bread to mop up the escargot's garlic butter this was a fabulous first meal in Paris.
We were in bed by 8:00 and slept through until our phone rang at 9:00 the next morning! It was our Parisian friends calling to see if we wanted to meet for coffee which we did. A perfect prelude to the fancy lunch we had planned!
Next installment: Lunch with complete strangers at the 2 Michelin stars Restaurant Michel Rostang
Oct 3rd, 2010, 11:02 AM
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Yummy!!!! Thanks for detailed start of report..anticipating the next days of foodie adventures and restaurant critiques.
We're staying at a VIP apt (first time using that agency) in June So far, i've been underwhelmed by customer service: one woman in particular is always in a big, impatient hurry. I've been to Paris before, rented flats before, and I know their agency is busy...but for a newbie, it could be quite offputting. So glad to hear you had a good experience this time.
We're staying at a VIP apt (first time using that agency) in June So far, i've been underwhelmed by customer service: one woman in particular is always in a big, impatient hurry. I've been to Paris before, rented flats before, and I know their agency is busy...but for a newbie, it could be quite offputting. So glad to hear you had a good experience this time.
Oct 3rd, 2010, 11:49 AM
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OOPs, typo! This apartment rental is NOT through VIP. It's through VRBO. I'll NEVER use VIP again. The customer service is non-existent at VIP. They are nothing but a middle-man that you pay a huge fee to for listing the apartment you choose. They haven't even seen most of the apartments they're renting and rely on the owners to keep them informed. If you have any problem once in Paris they will simply turn you over to the owner of the apartment. That's what happened to us and it was very uncomfortable. The owner wanted to take us out to dinner to make up for the obstructed view and all the noisy construction happening inside and outside the building. We had no interest in spending an evening of our vacation with the owner. We wanted at least a partial refund but we had already paid VIP and they wouldn't give us a refund, only offered us a discount on a future rental. As if we would rent again from them! With VRBO you skip the middle person and deal directly with the owners.
Calinurse:I hope you like the apartment once you get to Paris. As long as you have no complaint, things will be fine and many people have loved their VIP apartments and the ease of paying in dollars. Good luck.
Calinurse:I hope you like the apartment once you get to Paris. As long as you have no complaint, things will be fine and many people have loved their VIP apartments and the ease of paying in dollars. Good luck.
Oct 3rd, 2010, 12:01 PM
#4
Good start! I remember the last report about the cranes, which always seemed to me that you had an Eiffel Tower view <b>including</b> cranes rather than having a view <b>obstructed</b> by cranes. 
It's true that it was a great debate -- and I'm glad that it is not an issue this time.
It's true that it was a great debate -- and I'm glad that it is not an issue this time.
Oct 3rd, 2010, 12:45 PM
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Hi plafield,
I remember your terrible problems last year. I think we communicated privately, too.
I'm glad you like the apartment this year ans all is going well.
Have a great trip. I will be heading there on 10/31.
Joan
I remember your terrible problems last year. I think we communicated privately, too.
I'm glad you like the apartment this year ans all is going well.
Have a great trip. I will be heading there on 10/31.
Joan
Oct 3rd, 2010, 01:07 PM
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Hey, I thought this trip report was going to be about food. Apartments/hotels are only places to be between meals. plafield, I think our tastes are similiar and I always include your recommendation in my Paris planning. Now on to the FOOD!!!
Oct 3rd, 2010, 01:08 PM
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It's these little tidbits of information that make a huge difference in planning trips. The 2 hour ride on the Air France bus at that time of the morning and after a long flight would be torture. I'll keep the RER option in mind. I try to arrange my flights to arrive in the afternoon so we can just eat, go to bed and start fresh the next day but we all know it's not always possible.
I'm enjoying your writing. Would you post the link to your previous trip report?
I'm enjoying your writing. Would you post the link to your previous trip report?
Oct 4th, 2010, 01:20 AM
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pdx: last report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...and-bruges.cfm
OK AGM Cape Cod: onto FOOD! After much thought and research as to which of the high end places we'd do this trip, we decided to have lunch at Michel Rostang in the 17th. (20 Rue Rennequin tel 01 47 63 40 77) Most of the 2 and 3 Michelin starred places offer a lunch special but many of them have very scant offerings to choose from and don't include prime ingredients like foie or lobster or the chefs signature dishes. It's worth researching and finding out where you can have a lunch special that won't be sub-par to the regular menu. Rostang has an unadvertised lunch special called the club lunch that is 95E pp for 3 courses (plus all the little treats in between)and all beverages. That's a champagne aperitif, and a matched wine for first and second course plus water and coffee. There are 4 or 5 choices for each course including his signature dishes.
We were originally going to lunch with our Parisian friends but when their schedule changed they decided to play matchmaker and they added other friends of theirs, another American couple to our reservation. These folks spend a month in Paris every year and the gentleman is a regular poster on Chowhound where I often read and post about food so while this was the first time we met in person, we did "know" each other from the board. It was kind of like a small Fodors GTG only a foodie one!
They were lovely folks and most importantly, they were food sharers so I had the opportunity to taste everything at the table!!
We munched on sardine pate, salumi, and foie gras pate hors d'oeuvres while we sipped our aperitifs and perused the menus. After we ordered, a fantastic amuse bouche arrived of smooth and flavorful cream of cauliflower soup with a lovely piece of salt cod swimming at the bottom.
Between the 4 of us we tried 3 different entrees: DH had Foie and duck ravioli in a clear duck broth, which was way too salty and one of 2 major misses in this meal. I had quail and girolle (mushroom) en croute, which was a heavy first course but extremely delicious. And we also tried our dining companions foie gras with roasted fig which was delicious as well.
For the plates, Our new friends and I had Rostang's signature dish of lobster and whitefish quenelle in a sae of rich lobster sauce, served with the most amazing rice I've ever eaten. This dish was beyond delicious but so rich I could barely make a dent in it, especially after the quail and mushroom en croute. DH had rare roast of veal with girolle and the best potatoes Dauphinoise ever. And when our friend asked the server if he could have a small serving they brought a casserole dish over to the table and served all of us a heaping portion!
Desserts were extremely disappointing but I was fairly well stuffed at this point so it was just as well but for this kind of restaurant at these prices, I really think the pastry chef needs to up his game. I had the salted caramel souffle, which sounded fantastic but the caramel had a pronounced burnt sugar flavor and there were unadvertised whole hazlenuts floating throughout, which I did not enjoy. The pear sorbet that was served with the souffle was delicious. DH and one friend had the chocolate tart which had a pronounced coffee flavor and was quite similar to the molten lava cakes that can be found in every mediocre restaurant in the US. Again, though, the ice cream (dark choclate) served with that tart was fantastic.
Our other new friend opted for cheese instead of dessert and even though the special lunch menu didn't offer that, he was not billed extra for it! They wheeled the fantastic cheese cart over and he had his choice, choosing 5 different things. I had a bite of an extremely delicious Beaufort, exactly the correct temperature.
A lovely assortment of mignardise came with our coffees and a 4 hour lunch came to a happy end. While a few elements were disappointing, overall I was impressed with the extreme generosity of the place, the warmth of the staff and we had a great time with new friends. I would definitely recommend the club lunch at Rostang as a very good value for this kind of upscale eating experience.
The room was lovely, warm and comfortable, elegant but not too grande. The service was fantastic. By the middle of the meal the captain was using my camera to take a few pictures of OTHER diners' food for me and at the end of the meal he gave us a tour of the restaurant showing us the private room with Lalique wall sconces and a stained glass ceiling.
OK AGM Cape Cod: onto FOOD! After much thought and research as to which of the high end places we'd do this trip, we decided to have lunch at Michel Rostang in the 17th. (20 Rue Rennequin tel 01 47 63 40 77) Most of the 2 and 3 Michelin starred places offer a lunch special but many of them have very scant offerings to choose from and don't include prime ingredients like foie or lobster or the chefs signature dishes. It's worth researching and finding out where you can have a lunch special that won't be sub-par to the regular menu. Rostang has an unadvertised lunch special called the club lunch that is 95E pp for 3 courses (plus all the little treats in between)and all beverages. That's a champagne aperitif, and a matched wine for first and second course plus water and coffee. There are 4 or 5 choices for each course including his signature dishes.
We were originally going to lunch with our Parisian friends but when their schedule changed they decided to play matchmaker and they added other friends of theirs, another American couple to our reservation. These folks spend a month in Paris every year and the gentleman is a regular poster on Chowhound where I often read and post about food so while this was the first time we met in person, we did "know" each other from the board. It was kind of like a small Fodors GTG only a foodie one!
They were lovely folks and most importantly, they were food sharers so I had the opportunity to taste everything at the table!!
We munched on sardine pate, salumi, and foie gras pate hors d'oeuvres while we sipped our aperitifs and perused the menus. After we ordered, a fantastic amuse bouche arrived of smooth and flavorful cream of cauliflower soup with a lovely piece of salt cod swimming at the bottom.
Between the 4 of us we tried 3 different entrees: DH had Foie and duck ravioli in a clear duck broth, which was way too salty and one of 2 major misses in this meal. I had quail and girolle (mushroom) en croute, which was a heavy first course but extremely delicious. And we also tried our dining companions foie gras with roasted fig which was delicious as well.
For the plates, Our new friends and I had Rostang's signature dish of lobster and whitefish quenelle in a sae of rich lobster sauce, served with the most amazing rice I've ever eaten. This dish was beyond delicious but so rich I could barely make a dent in it, especially after the quail and mushroom en croute. DH had rare roast of veal with girolle and the best potatoes Dauphinoise ever. And when our friend asked the server if he could have a small serving they brought a casserole dish over to the table and served all of us a heaping portion!
Desserts were extremely disappointing but I was fairly well stuffed at this point so it was just as well but for this kind of restaurant at these prices, I really think the pastry chef needs to up his game. I had the salted caramel souffle, which sounded fantastic but the caramel had a pronounced burnt sugar flavor and there were unadvertised whole hazlenuts floating throughout, which I did not enjoy. The pear sorbet that was served with the souffle was delicious. DH and one friend had the chocolate tart which had a pronounced coffee flavor and was quite similar to the molten lava cakes that can be found in every mediocre restaurant in the US. Again, though, the ice cream (dark choclate) served with that tart was fantastic.
Our other new friend opted for cheese instead of dessert and even though the special lunch menu didn't offer that, he was not billed extra for it! They wheeled the fantastic cheese cart over and he had his choice, choosing 5 different things. I had a bite of an extremely delicious Beaufort, exactly the correct temperature.
A lovely assortment of mignardise came with our coffees and a 4 hour lunch came to a happy end. While a few elements were disappointing, overall I was impressed with the extreme generosity of the place, the warmth of the staff and we had a great time with new friends. I would definitely recommend the club lunch at Rostang as a very good value for this kind of upscale eating experience.
The room was lovely, warm and comfortable, elegant but not too grande. The service was fantastic. By the middle of the meal the captain was using my camera to take a few pictures of OTHER diners' food for me and at the end of the meal he gave us a tour of the restaurant showing us the private room with Lalique wall sconces and a stained glass ceiling.
Oct 4th, 2010, 01:37 AM
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Enjoying your report Plafield and looking forward to the next instalment!
I know what you mean about being so relaxed you think that you will never forget anything thats happened during your visit - I learned the hardway that it's best to carry my little Olympus digital voice recorder at all times and USE it, than think 'Oh I'll start tomorrow' - because tomorrow never comes and the next thing you know - a week has passed and you can't remember a thing!!
I know what you mean about being so relaxed you think that you will never forget anything thats happened during your visit - I learned the hardway that it's best to carry my little Olympus digital voice recorder at all times and USE it, than think 'Oh I'll start tomorrow' - because tomorrow never comes and the next thing you know - a week has passed and you can't remember a thing!!
Oct 4th, 2010, 08:36 AM
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Thanks for the food and flat info!
Actually, VIP 's prices are identical to the same places listed on VRBO. I've seen thatfor both one on Ile St louis, and a house in the Dordogne. But I am still not thrilled with the customer service of one person in particular in their NJ office.
But i digress...back to the FOOD!
Actually, VIP 's prices are identical to the same places listed on VRBO. I've seen thatfor both one on Ile St louis, and a house in the Dordogne. But I am still not thrilled with the customer service of one person in particular in their NJ office.
But i digress...back to the FOOD!
Oct 4th, 2010, 01:05 PM
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Plafield,
Your dining at Rostang reminded me of my first lunch there. Went for his famous Truffle sandwich as it was the beginning of Truffle season. A very expensive sandwich..but then, a very different sandwich, too!
Since then, I have only been for dinner and last was several yers ago.
Glad that you did enjoy it.
Joan
Your dining at Rostang reminded me of my first lunch there. Went for his famous Truffle sandwich as it was the beginning of Truffle season. A very expensive sandwich..but then, a very different sandwich, too!
Since then, I have only been for dinner and last was several yers ago.
Glad that you did enjoy it.
Joan
Oct 4th, 2010, 02:45 PM
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After our lunch at Rostang we were so full there was to be no more food consumption that day! We wandered around the area and enjoyed people watching and walking off some of the richness, eventually making our way back to the apartment for a rest before heading out for an evening walk.
We took the metro to the Invalides stop and took a slow stroll over the Alexander III bridge, enjoying the lovely view of the Eiffel tower and the many opportunities for lovely photos. Once I'm home and get the photos organized, I'll post a link in case anyone enjoys looking at other people's photos of Paris.
Eventually we headed home and slept the sleep of the over stuffed and woke the next day ready for pastry!
We hoped one of the boulangeries nearby the apartment would be good but we were disappointed with the croissants and the pain au chocolate at both of our closest neighborhood places. So we consulted my friend Julien's google map for the best boulangeries and patisierres http://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&cli...-8&sa=N&tab=wl
and we decided to head deep into the 15th and explore a new area of Paris and check out Le Grenier à Pain Saint Amand as well as scope out the location of Jadis, the restaurant we had reserved for Friday night.
The 15th is a vibrant neighborhood with lots of shops and bakeries and very few tourists. People live and work here and we spent most of the day simply wandering around. We bought some delicious treats from Le Grenier (quiche lorraine and chocolate eclair) and eventually found a lovely little park to sit and enjoy our mid-afternoon lunch. Unfortunately, just as we were finishing the last few bites, a pigeon made a huge deposit on me, bringing the picnic to an unpleasant ending. Luckily, there was running water in the park so I was able to do some cleaning up, but the mood was a bit soured by the experience. I tried to remember that many say it's good luck to be pooped on by a bird but it's still an unpleasant experience! Time to go home and clean up!
After a good wash and rest it was off to dinner at La Regalade St Honore (123 rue St. Honore, tel 01 42 21 92 40) in the 1st. The original La Regalade on Ave Jean moulin out in the 15th has been one of our favorites the last few trips and we were anxious to try the new venture in the more central location and it did not disappoint.
We walked in the door and the smell of roasting duck was beyond intoxicating. The place was packed (our reservation was for 9:30) and the tables are very close together and the noise level is high. We were seated within a few moments at a great table by the window and handed our menus. A blackboard of the special additions to the menu was brought over and propped in the window and we were left to make our decision.
La Regalade only serves a 3 course menu with no a la carte option. Entree, plate and dessert is 33E and there are several items with a supplemental charge. It's an incredible value with lots of choices.
They begin by leaving a terrine of pate, a tub of cornichon, and a basket of hearty bread to snack on while perusing the menu. After taking our order, the first course came out very quickly and I would have liked a bit more time to enjoy the taste of the pate but the entrees were so delicious we immediately forgave the speed of the delivery!
I started with a velout of crustacean poured over shrimp, lardon and tiny crunchy croutons. DH had vegetable lasagna made with eggplant, fresh bufalo mozzarella, fresh tomato, and cepes. Both were absolutely delicious.
For our plate we ordered a blackboard special (for a 16E supplement) of whole roast duck with figs for 2. This is what we smelled when we walked in and we knew we had to have it. The duck was roasted to crispy skinned perfection and split between two plates, each serving topped with a huge portion of perfectly grilled foie gras. The roasted figs were a perfect accompaniment along with a perfectly smooth puree of celery root. What a feast!
For dessert we had their famous rice pudding with caramel sauce (they serve it in a tub that is easily enough for 4 people!) and a chocolate praline tart with rich chocolate ice cream. So good. With one glass of champagne, one glass of wine and a bottle of water the bill came to 105E. For a meal of this quality, this was amazing value and I highly recommend this place. The service is rather perfunctory and not at all warm but the food more than makes up for it, in my opinion. Reservations well in advance are necessary.
We rolled out of there around midnight, took a spin around the neighborhood to walk off some of the duck fat and then headed home to sleep. Another delicious day in Paris.
We took the metro to the Invalides stop and took a slow stroll over the Alexander III bridge, enjoying the lovely view of the Eiffel tower and the many opportunities for lovely photos. Once I'm home and get the photos organized, I'll post a link in case anyone enjoys looking at other people's photos of Paris.
Eventually we headed home and slept the sleep of the over stuffed and woke the next day ready for pastry!
We hoped one of the boulangeries nearby the apartment would be good but we were disappointed with the croissants and the pain au chocolate at both of our closest neighborhood places. So we consulted my friend Julien's google map for the best boulangeries and patisierres http://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&cli...-8&sa=N&tab=wl
and we decided to head deep into the 15th and explore a new area of Paris and check out Le Grenier à Pain Saint Amand as well as scope out the location of Jadis, the restaurant we had reserved for Friday night.
The 15th is a vibrant neighborhood with lots of shops and bakeries and very few tourists. People live and work here and we spent most of the day simply wandering around. We bought some delicious treats from Le Grenier (quiche lorraine and chocolate eclair) and eventually found a lovely little park to sit and enjoy our mid-afternoon lunch. Unfortunately, just as we were finishing the last few bites, a pigeon made a huge deposit on me, bringing the picnic to an unpleasant ending. Luckily, there was running water in the park so I was able to do some cleaning up, but the mood was a bit soured by the experience. I tried to remember that many say it's good luck to be pooped on by a bird but it's still an unpleasant experience! Time to go home and clean up!
After a good wash and rest it was off to dinner at La Regalade St Honore (123 rue St. Honore, tel 01 42 21 92 40) in the 1st. The original La Regalade on Ave Jean moulin out in the 15th has been one of our favorites the last few trips and we were anxious to try the new venture in the more central location and it did not disappoint.
We walked in the door and the smell of roasting duck was beyond intoxicating. The place was packed (our reservation was for 9:30) and the tables are very close together and the noise level is high. We were seated within a few moments at a great table by the window and handed our menus. A blackboard of the special additions to the menu was brought over and propped in the window and we were left to make our decision.
La Regalade only serves a 3 course menu with no a la carte option. Entree, plate and dessert is 33E and there are several items with a supplemental charge. It's an incredible value with lots of choices.
They begin by leaving a terrine of pate, a tub of cornichon, and a basket of hearty bread to snack on while perusing the menu. After taking our order, the first course came out very quickly and I would have liked a bit more time to enjoy the taste of the pate but the entrees were so delicious we immediately forgave the speed of the delivery!
I started with a velout of crustacean poured over shrimp, lardon and tiny crunchy croutons. DH had vegetable lasagna made with eggplant, fresh bufalo mozzarella, fresh tomato, and cepes. Both were absolutely delicious.
For our plate we ordered a blackboard special (for a 16E supplement) of whole roast duck with figs for 2. This is what we smelled when we walked in and we knew we had to have it. The duck was roasted to crispy skinned perfection and split between two plates, each serving topped with a huge portion of perfectly grilled foie gras. The roasted figs were a perfect accompaniment along with a perfectly smooth puree of celery root. What a feast!
For dessert we had their famous rice pudding with caramel sauce (they serve it in a tub that is easily enough for 4 people!) and a chocolate praline tart with rich chocolate ice cream. So good. With one glass of champagne, one glass of wine and a bottle of water the bill came to 105E. For a meal of this quality, this was amazing value and I highly recommend this place. The service is rather perfunctory and not at all warm but the food more than makes up for it, in my opinion. Reservations well in advance are necessary.
We rolled out of there around midnight, took a spin around the neighborhood to walk off some of the duck fat and then headed home to sleep. Another delicious day in Paris.
Oct 4th, 2010, 03:42 PM
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Plafield: what a yummy trip report.
I'm glad you provided a bit of information about the 15th. I'm staying there in November. It'll be my first time in this particular arrondissement so I'm encouraged to read positive comments about it.
TR
I'm glad you provided a bit of information about the 15th. I'm staying there in November. It'll be my first time in this particular arrondissement so I'm encouraged to read positive comments about it.
TR
Oct 5th, 2010, 07:00 AM
#17
Love the food reports. Since you're in the area, have you tried "Le Dome" at Montparnasse & Raspail for Dover Sole? Outstanding.
We also loved "Le Parc Aux Cerfs" on Rue Vavin. One of the best goat cheese salads( w/dried cherries) as a starter I've had in Paris.
I like to call all of us who enjoy fodd and write about it "FOODORITES"!
We also loved "Le Parc Aux Cerfs" on Rue Vavin. One of the best goat cheese salads( w/dried cherries) as a starter I've had in Paris.
I like to call all of us who enjoy fodd and write about it "FOODORITES"!
Oct 5th, 2010, 07:17 AM
#18
Hi pladfield,
really enjoying the report. I would love to have a meal at somewhere like Rostang, but sadly my DH isn't so keen. perhaps one day I'll persuade him; until then, i'll just have to taste it vicariously, through you.
keep it coming!
really enjoying the report. I would love to have a meal at somewhere like Rostang, but sadly my DH isn't so keen. perhaps one day I'll persuade him; until then, i'll just have to taste it vicariously, through you.
keep it coming!
Oct 5th, 2010, 08:12 AM
#19
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Glad folks are enjoying the report. We're packing up to leave Paris tomorrow so after this installment there will likely be a few days without a new post but I promise I'll resume reporting once settled back at home.
Now onto day 4! Paris seems to be the scarf capitol of the world and while I have been collecting scarves of all sizes, fabrics, and colors for most of my life, DH has only been donning the classic New England winter scarf of dark cashmere or wool. But Autumn in Paris calls our for a lighter weight scarf to add just a bit of warmth on a cool day. We saw countless men wearing all manner of scarves and DH decided he had to have one so our big mission for this day was to purchase just the right scarf for him. That and finding a decent croque monsieur and a great salad for lunch.
We started out in our neighborhood of Montparnasse and decided to make our way toward the tony shopping area of St. Germain De Pres. Along the way we saw Restaurant Le Nemrod (51 Rue du Cherche-Midi)and I remembered reading on Chowhound that they served an excellent croque. It was just noon and a perfect spot was open on the terrace and we grabbed it. Within 15 minutes, every table was filled.
DH ordered his croque monsieur, which came out bubbling with a thick layer of golden brown delicious smelling cheese and lovely little side salad with a perfect vinaigrette. But my salad was the crowning glory! I ordered salad Nordique and was shocked by the size and generosity of what arrived. The freshest greens and a lovely pile of haricots verts were topped with an almost obscene amount of some of the best smoked salmon I've ever had the pleasure to eat. I'm not kidding when I say there was close to a pound of fish here. The plate also had 7 or 8 pieces of langoustine, fresh tomato all topped with a huge dollop of creme fraiche. A feast that we simply could not finish but we gave our very best try.
Fortified, we went off to continue the search for the perfect scarf! St Germaine de Pres turned out to too expensive for our tastes (215E for a scarf?!!)but it was fun window shopping. Eventually we walked over to sidewalk scarf heaven, along the Seine near St Michel and found just the right thing for 12E.
That errand successfully completed we took some pics at the fountain of St. Michel and walked over to see Notre Dame. There was quite a line just to get into the cathedral, so since we've seen it many times before we decided to skip going inside and just go and find a busy corner cafe to sit outside and have a coffee and do some people watching before heading home for a rest before dinner.
Dinner that night was at Jadis, deep in the 15th (we had scoped out the location the day before.)The address is 208 rue de la Croix Nivert and it's a bit of a schlep, certainly from central Paris, but well worth the trip. Advance reservation are definitely necessary.
This is a bistronomique with seriously creative cooking with high quality ingredients served in an elbow to elbow bistro atmosphere. Very casual but serious food. They offer a 3 course menu for 32E which has some delicious offerings as well as a carte with higher end ingredients. We did a combination of the 2. I ordered an entree and plat of the carte and DH ordered the menu. Of course we shared everything.
DH started with a rabbit terrine with cherry confit and small side salad with marinated red onion. I had a velout of oysters with slivers of chestnut and a thin piece of excellent cheese melting on top. The plat from the menu was lamb 2 way: a good size piece of roasted loin, served medium rare, very tender, and a ground lamb patty served over melting eggplant and served with a confit of quince. The plat from the carte was called Gateau foie blond, a silken mound of pureed chicken liver and breast of chicken that had been poached and sat in a velout redolent of shellfish and was surrounded by langoustine, hericots vertes and fava beans. This dish was heaven! We shared a dessert that came with the menu: toffee tart with pine nuts and chocolate sauce. All in all a fantastic meal. With one glass of champagne, one glass of wine, a bottle of water and 2 coffees, the bill was 103.50 E. A fantastic value and I highly recommend this place.
Now onto day 4! Paris seems to be the scarf capitol of the world and while I have been collecting scarves of all sizes, fabrics, and colors for most of my life, DH has only been donning the classic New England winter scarf of dark cashmere or wool. But Autumn in Paris calls our for a lighter weight scarf to add just a bit of warmth on a cool day. We saw countless men wearing all manner of scarves and DH decided he had to have one so our big mission for this day was to purchase just the right scarf for him. That and finding a decent croque monsieur and a great salad for lunch.
We started out in our neighborhood of Montparnasse and decided to make our way toward the tony shopping area of St. Germain De Pres. Along the way we saw Restaurant Le Nemrod (51 Rue du Cherche-Midi)and I remembered reading on Chowhound that they served an excellent croque. It was just noon and a perfect spot was open on the terrace and we grabbed it. Within 15 minutes, every table was filled.
DH ordered his croque monsieur, which came out bubbling with a thick layer of golden brown delicious smelling cheese and lovely little side salad with a perfect vinaigrette. But my salad was the crowning glory! I ordered salad Nordique and was shocked by the size and generosity of what arrived. The freshest greens and a lovely pile of haricots verts were topped with an almost obscene amount of some of the best smoked salmon I've ever had the pleasure to eat. I'm not kidding when I say there was close to a pound of fish here. The plate also had 7 or 8 pieces of langoustine, fresh tomato all topped with a huge dollop of creme fraiche. A feast that we simply could not finish but we gave our very best try.
Fortified, we went off to continue the search for the perfect scarf! St Germaine de Pres turned out to too expensive for our tastes (215E for a scarf?!!)but it was fun window shopping. Eventually we walked over to sidewalk scarf heaven, along the Seine near St Michel and found just the right thing for 12E.
That errand successfully completed we took some pics at the fountain of St. Michel and walked over to see Notre Dame. There was quite a line just to get into the cathedral, so since we've seen it many times before we decided to skip going inside and just go and find a busy corner cafe to sit outside and have a coffee and do some people watching before heading home for a rest before dinner.
Dinner that night was at Jadis, deep in the 15th (we had scoped out the location the day before.)The address is 208 rue de la Croix Nivert and it's a bit of a schlep, certainly from central Paris, but well worth the trip. Advance reservation are definitely necessary.
This is a bistronomique with seriously creative cooking with high quality ingredients served in an elbow to elbow bistro atmosphere. Very casual but serious food. They offer a 3 course menu for 32E which has some delicious offerings as well as a carte with higher end ingredients. We did a combination of the 2. I ordered an entree and plat of the carte and DH ordered the menu. Of course we shared everything.
DH started with a rabbit terrine with cherry confit and small side salad with marinated red onion. I had a velout of oysters with slivers of chestnut and a thin piece of excellent cheese melting on top. The plat from the menu was lamb 2 way: a good size piece of roasted loin, served medium rare, very tender, and a ground lamb patty served over melting eggplant and served with a confit of quince. The plat from the carte was called Gateau foie blond, a silken mound of pureed chicken liver and breast of chicken that had been poached and sat in a velout redolent of shellfish and was surrounded by langoustine, hericots vertes and fava beans. This dish was heaven! We shared a dessert that came with the menu: toffee tart with pine nuts and chocolate sauce. All in all a fantastic meal. With one glass of champagne, one glass of wine, a bottle of water and 2 coffees, the bill was 103.50 E. A fantastic value and I highly recommend this place.
Looking forward to reading more!
