Chez Paul, L'Avant Gout, La Bouche a Oreille

[TarteTatin]

First week of November, 2007. We stayed in La Butte Aux Cailles. Here are three restaurants we ate in there.

Other notes:

-There's a very pretty artesian well in the Place Verlaine. Super well water, everyone seems to use it to fill their water bottles and even wash up a bit.

-Didn't get to Temps des Cerises this time. We've been there before, and walked by it, but they looked like they were "dans la merde", or, "in the weeds".

-Went to the Blanqui marche twice and the Tolbiac once. Tolbiac is definitely more working class, and lots of clothes and nick-nacks besides food. Neither are touristy, we noticed some really good cheese stalls and fish as well as produce.

Beware, if you are not horse friendly- to eat, like me, that both marches have it. Not only the idea puts me off, but the smell and the look of the meat (bright red), actually makes me gag.

L'avant Gout:

Hadn't been there before. Very pretty restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised. I'd say it was our second best meal in Paris this trip (besides Le Grand Vefour!-review under different thread).

Dejeuner. 31euros fixed price, three courses. Ordered a Charavin Laure Cote de Rhone ‘05 blanc. Really creative food, very tasty.

Huitres en geleee with brunoise of carrots and green apple served with a shot glass with a straw of green apple jus. I don't usually like "gelee", this was super, and I really liked the idea. The green apple jus wasn't too sweet or tart, it simply complimented the oyster taste.

Krodel de canard nage de daikon au lait de coco et au poivre long. Basically little duck meatballs, delicious.

Pot au feu de cochon aux epices et verre de bouillon. Gorgeous served with a warm glass of bouillon. Big Fennel pieces and pumpkin pieces, a few very small fried ginger slices/chips. A winner.

Lotte rotie huge and meaty-bisque de homard (not a lot, just a dribble), w/ persil and e.v. olive oil mixed in looking like tamarind, light as a feather gnocchi on the side, and deep fried tiny bits of rosemary- and xocopili-bitter chocolate rounds with cumin and mex oregano and pepper. Very good.

Chaud froid moelleux au chocolate, glace vanille, caramel beurre sale. Really delicious.

Coing confit aux epices glace aux bares roses. I love coing (quince), wish people used it more in the States. The glace was pink peppercorn, I think...very light and subtle.

Really enjoyed this meal. Chef was out and about during service, actually working, delivering some meals. Sam got a brief tour of the kitchen downstairs. Small, but made good use of space.

Up-to-date kitchen.

Chez Paul:

Dejeuner. Ordered a bottle of Jean jean Chardonnary vin d pay d’oc.

Tomato confit and chevre and persil pistou, served in a really neat way, in a ball jar/mason jar.

Boudin noir with apple and pommes puree.

Creme of champignon soup and pate de maison, chunky, with lots of cornichons.

Fig roti with fig glace.

Okay, not super, a bit of attitude from the waiter and a cigar smoking person two tables away while we were eating.

La Bouche a Oreille (pres de la piscine):

Dinner. This is a neighborhood bar, with some tables. Very limited menu. What we had was good and basic. I think we ordered right, because others ordered dishes that didn't look good.

Had a Pichet of Gewurtztraminer. Really delicious.

Large, perfectly fatty Entrecote with frites. Sam said it was better than -or as good as, Relais d'entrecote.

I had Foie gras canard. Delicious.

It looks like they make both the frites and foie gras there. The foie gras was full of butter pieces to seal it together...

Don’t get chevre salad, didn’t look good at next table.

But, the huge creme brulee did, and so did the potatoes dauphenois that we saw go by to other tables. Pudlo mentioned their tarte tatin, but it wasn’t on the menu.