From potential disaster to subliminity... Trip Rpt

[PCL]

A couple weeks ago I posted with a request for help, seeing as Mrs PCL and I were to be in Paris over a weekend, and facing the prospect of dinner plans gone to the dogs given that La Regalade was fully booked. It seemed like all was lost, until a look at John Whiting’s awesome not-so-little list inspired a last minute call to L’Os a Moelle, resulting in a seating at 1930 on the Saturday night. Tucked away in my little brain however, was an intention to visit Chez Denise in Les Halles after reading Loufood’s blog and also to satiate a long-held craving for decent red meat (I’ve been living in London the last 2 ½ years, and with only frequent visits to Tuscany for excellent Bistecca Fiorentina in Pietrasanta).

L’Os was great. Been meaning to go there since reading Steingarten’s book a couple years ago. The fixed price menu Euro 35.00 per head had two choices for the five courses on offer, and the wine was a chewy 2001 Burgundy. My wife and I went for the whole menu, two choices per course meant that we could taste EVERYTHING. We were pretty beyond satisfied at the end of it all. Briefly, the menu went as follows, but please excuse the vagueness as I do not take notes:

Soups: Broth of fowl with pine nuts & Bouillabaise

2nd Courses: Foie Gras seared with balsamic & Escargot

Fish Courses: Red mullet fillets & St Jacques

Meat Courses: Slow roasted lamb with shallots and garlic & roast sirloin

Deserts: ahhh.. I don’t remember!!…

But it was good.

However, Chez Denise was sublime.

I didn’t book, and we just wandered in for lunch on the Monday. It didn’t look good as most of the tables had little cards set out, and a group of elderly gentlemen were already tucking into plates of cold cuts. You could almost see medals hanging from their lapels. But they found us a table nonetheless and brought out a simple Bordeaux.

We both started with the escargots as Loufood did, and as expectations suggested, they were simple, but punchy. My wife ordered tripe with calvados for her main, and I opted for the onglet. On the hand scribbled board were a selection of boiled dishes, the potee d’auvergne popping out like a meercat, but the trotters from the day before prevented me from pigging out again.

A pair of gentlemen sat down beside us and it was obvious from the start that they had been coming to this little bistrot for a while. We exchanged smiles as our mains arrived, probably prompted by my gasp of exhilaration as the onglet was placed in front of me, smothered in shallots, with the charred aromas of the meat filtering through the embellishment. A few hurried mouthfuls of the tripe brought another grin to my by now greasy face.

When the next table’s potee arrived, my entire being was washed with envy. A succulent pork shoulder and accompanying brined belly stuck out the top of the copper presentation pot and even above the heartiness of the protein-fest before me, I couldn’t help but oggle the dish. The maitresse of the house brought out a gratin dish of potatoes and minced beef for the gentlemen, which they heaped on their plates before tucking into boiled sausage, cabbage, turnip and carrot in their pot.

After a few “C’est bon”’s and knowing glances, Monsieur B. offered the potee to me, saying that they would like to see me taste it. Hah!… who said sharing isn’t kosher? And with that, we were away….

…the ice was broken, and food was passed back and forth, and bottles of wine splashed into outheld glasses. The conversation lit up over food, food, um, Iraq, food, food and just joi d’vivre… M.Bernard, the Chef, was floating around the room towards the end of lunch and he sat with us, ordering one of the waiters to bring over the HUGE bottle of Marc. I never thought this kind of thing happened to hapless weekenders simply out for their lunch before catching the Eurostar back to London (arrrgghhh)… And this was when one was initiated into the inner circle…

…apparently M.Bernard prepares the most exquisite jars of Foie Gras in his kitchen, and by his need to share his product, one may procure the little pots of gold directly from the back of house.

Photos were taken, email addresses exchanged, and of course pots of gold purchased. I decided to write this, just as I’m thinking of searing a couple slices of foie for dinner tonight, and also of how if I hadn’t lurked around EG, I may never have had the finest afternoon’s dining in my life so far. You don’t need stars or innovation or foam for a life-changing meal, and with that one day at Chez Denise, I believe I rediscovered for myself the joy of eating, which is that it is to be shared in communion.

In summary however, everything at Denise was good. Honest may be the better word, but the potee, man… several versions of it have been bubbling away on my stove since, and as for the fois, I’ll be back for more at the end of April. Thanks again to John Whiting, and Lou.

Edited March 22, 2004 by PCL (log)

[John Whiting]

Such a relief to learn that old favorites are still performing to their old standard. My last visit to Chez Denis was too long before I set up my website to justify including a write-up, but obviously it's time to return.

I'll never forget my solo visit for lunch some ten years ago. I ordered tripes au Calvados and was brought a bowl, a glass, a huge pot of tripe and a litre of Brouilly. An hour later all were empty and the waiters applauded.

My dinner that night would have left a fashion model hungry.

[PCL]

My dinner that night would have left a fashion model hungry.

hmmm...my dinner that night after de-boarding from the Eurostar was, two fried organic eggs, which were HUGE, and a few bunches of fresh asparagus, all bought at the Sunday market at Bastille, plus some pancetta sauteed with leek and Szechuan pepper, mopped up with a yummy baguette from the Paul bakery at the Eurostar terminal in Paris, and a couple glasses of Louis Jadot Pinot Noir 2001!!!...

...i'm still dreaming of the lunch, and how I'll be back there at the end of April for a rendezvous with the guys we met...

salut!

[magnolia]

A couple weeks ago I posted with a request for help, seeing as Mrs PCL and I were to be in Paris over a weekend, and facing the prospect of dinner plans gone to the dogs given that La Regalade was fully booked. It seemed like all was lost...

Glad to hear it all worked out, I'm a big fan of Los...but I thought La Regalade was closed on Saturdays and Sundays anyway. Has this changed? Say it's so...and weekends in Paris will no longer be Regalade-less...

[Bux]

Come May first, La Régalade will be Yves Camdebordeless, however.

In Saturday's "Croque Notes" in Le Figaro, Francois Simon announced that Yves Camdeborde would be leaving La Régalade, replaced by Bruno Doucet, age 30, who trained with Charles Barrier in Tours, was the #2 at Apicius under Jean-Pierre Vigato and worked in Pierre Gagnaire's kitchen.  Simon notes that he'll follow "l'esprit bistrotier de La Régalade" starting the first days of May.

Full post in La Régalade thread.

[Louisa Chu]

PCL, thanks so much for sharing that. It's rekindled in me the long-held desire to roll in there with a rowdy group of friends at 4 o'clock in the morning - to honor the late, great Les Halles. Thanks again.