Note: Typepad keeps messing up the formatting on my posts, so please excuse the wonky line spacing. I've been messing with this for far longer than I wanted to today, so I'll just publish and fix later. Grrrrr.
Today I thought I'd share some restaurant experiences. Since arriving in Paris, we've eaten out far more than we ever used to. For us, that means thatwe go out for a sit down dinner about every two weeks, and eat takeout once or twice a week. I love to get dressed up to go out for a nice meal, but I also really enjoy cooking at home. There is the health factor, but there is also the enjoyment derived from trying out new ingredients and recipes. Also, there are so many eateries in Paris that is very hard to make a choice. For the most part, I've been happy with our choices.
Le Reconfort
37 Rue de Poitou 75003
I love this place. Ian made a reservation for us to celebrate a belated Valentine's day the Saturday after I arrived. The vibe is very hip/chic and the service friendly but not overly so. The decor is a combination of old, dark wood and modern furniture and lighting. We started off with a Kir Royale made with cherry syrup instead of the usual cassis. It was delicious. I have been trying to find the syrup ever since but haven't succeeded. Kir Royales are my go to aperitif now since martinis are prohibitively expensive and not very common here.
As an appetizer, I had some sort of molded tower comprised of spicy eggplant and chopped up seared tuna steak. It was vaguely Provençal. I had been expecting raw tuna, but this was quite good - the highlight of my meal. I always like the appetizer course the best because the flavors are bolder and there is less of the dish so I don't get tired of it. Ian had fois fras. Please don't send PETA after us. For the main course, I had taglietelle with, again, fois gras and Ian had pork with cherry sauce. I found my dish a bit bland and there was too much of it. However, Ian's was delicious. We shared a bottle of wine but did not have coffee or dessert.
Verdict: Quiet, romantic - it's a keeper.
Breizh Café
109 Rue Vieille du Temple 75003
We tried out this crêperie last night to celebrate Ian's return from Denver. Most crêperies in Paris seem to be either very casual, very touristy, or both. CB has branches in Brittany, Paris, and Tokyo. The owner is supposedly influenced by Japanese culture and cuisin, but I didn't really get this, other than the way our dessert was presented. This place is fairly well known and well reviewed. Here are my two cents.
We had originally planned to go to a different restaurant but it turned out to be closed. When we got to Breizh Café, it was packed, so we repaired to a dive bar down the sreet to wait. It was an instant flashback to our younger days in San Francisco when we used to start evenings at Dalva with drinks, followed by crêpes at Ti Couz , followed by more drinks. Ah youth!
After an apertif of hard cider topped off with cassis (meh), we both chose crêpes made with ham, egg and cheese. My crêpe was far too heavy for me, but the oysters at the next table looked really good. The service was friendly but a bit rushed, so I felt pressure to make up my mind quickly. Next time we go, I'll probably only have oysters and a salad so that I can fully enjoy dessert. The dessert, pictured below on the left, was a sweet crêpe cut up to resemble maki. The filling was chocolate mousse and the accompanying sauce was salted caramel. Food Porn!!!
Photo: Breizh Café
Verdict: I thought that the meal was delicious, but I would not characterize it as "La Crêpe Autrement", which is the restaurant's tagline. The menu really not seem like a departure from traditional Breton fare, which is not to say that it wasn't delicious. I'd come back here, but with a reservation, and I'd order with care to avoid a food coma afterwards.