Paris When it Sizzles...

[WHS]

It was already 85 degrees at 8:30am when we hit the tarmac at Roissy. Our Parisian friends had escaped to Tangier (where it was cooler ) and left us their apartment near the corner of Ledru-Rollin and Faubourg St Antoine near Bastille. When we opened the door, we knew we would be spending a few days in a pizza oven. The place had a 30 foot long plate glass window overlooking the zinc rooftops of Paris. Zinc that absorbed the sun all day long, and reflected the heat back into the apartment. We decided to change our Paris strategy. Instead of wandering the street markets and quays in 100 degree heat, we got an in-depth view of the air-conditioned wonders of the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay over the next 3 days. We also managed to eat well. 1st night: No line at 10pm for a seat at Joel Robuchon’s (air conditioned ) Atelier. We asked the waiter to choose 3 dishes for each of us. He brought us small plates of anchovies, thin slices of Spanish ham, a “cocotte” of poached quail egg in a creamy white foam, a “napoleon” of perfect eggplant, tomato and mozzarella, ris de veau, lamb chops with mashed potatoes so rich I thought they were bearnaise sauce at first. Nothing “outre”, but extremely refined. Friendly service, wine by the glass, and good conversation with other diners at the counter (French & Israeli). 2nd night: Espadon at the Ritz (air conditioned). If you want a grand restaurant experience in Paris in August, you have to go to a grand hotel—everything else is closed. We had the summer tasting menu (see their website Ritz.com). At 9:00pm it was still 98 degrees outside, so the hotel took the extraordinary step of waiving neckties in the dining room (jackets had to stay on though). Service was friendly and youthful, and so perfectly choreographed it was sexy. From the first offering of a frozen cloth to cool the brow, followed by a selection of champagne apertifs, through 8 courses (a stand-out foie gras with “rare pepper jelly and crunchy cherries”), everything was seamlessly anticipated. An added pleasure was the Wine Steward, a young German who suggested a great Montrachet that fell in the middle of the price range. Full moon rising over Place Vendome as we staggered out past midnight. 3rd night: La Coupole—we had to do it: pastis, oysters, steak tartare, and air conditioning. To our right, rich Americans from Missouri, dressed in Chanel suits, eating choucroute in the heat! 4th night: a neighborhood place called Chardenoux. By this point we decided to brave the elements and started schvitzing immediately. Luckily, we got a table next to a fan, and had one of the best meals of the week. A salad of artichoke hearts & crevettes, another starter of fresh sardines, followed by a piece of plain poached cod served with a killer aioli, and flavorful onglet, cooked “bleu”. A classic bistro room, charming English-speaking owner.

Lunch? We spent one day wandering the food stores around La Madeleine. Hediard’s restaurant was closed, Fauchon was ridiculously expensive (36 euros for a club sandwich?), so we tried the café above the Nicolas wine shop—a very reasonable set price lunch paired with wines—such as Tuna Tartare with a salad and a chilled rose for 10 euros. Try the pear sorbet doused with Poire William for dessert. Checked out Maille, the mustard shop, and the place that sells truffles—they have a prix fixe lunch (next time). Magret de canard en brochette served rare with crispy fat sprinkled with sea salt at Café du Peintre near our apartment, and after the requisite boat ride & Sainte Chapelle, a whole grilled fish with capers and lemon at Caveau du Palais on Place Dauphine. The skate wing was also very good.

Then, we met our traveling companions, and went to Normandy for 5 days, where the food was even better!

[Bux]

La Coupole—we had to do it:  pastis, oysters, steak tartare

I don't know that I would have braved oysters or steak tartare with 100 degree F. temperatures. You're a brave soul. I think we recently had a thread somewhere about a rise in gastrointestinal incidents in Paris this summer. Perhaps pastis is the best medicine.

[fresh_a]

...or absinthe

[WHS]

Actually, it never occurred to me to be worried. But I grew up on street food in Bangkok so I'm probably immune to everything. Which brings up our American phobia of germs...I noticed in Paris that no one in a shop ever uses a plastic glove to pick up a baguette or sandwich, and no one freaks out because their food has been handled. Why is it that in a country with anti-bacterial soap and sneeze-guards, we can't eat a raw egg or a rare hamburger?

[menton1]

Well, according to Méteo France, for the next few days Paris will have highs of 16 and lows of 11. So I guess they will be taking out and firing up those outdoor heaters!!

[WHS]

Bring on the cassoulet!