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Published May/June 2007 |
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While enjoying the history and architecture of Paris, you don’t have to break the bank on dining when you choose these reasonable bistros.
By Joe Pollack |
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| As an indicator of style and class, or even a point of beauty and originality, there are few prefixes better than Paris. It provides a link to worldliness and sophistication that few cities can match, none can exceed. Paris also is a beautiful city, with parks and wide streets that are perfect for strolling. Windows are filled with tempting delights, an opening to a matchless dining experience. However, with the dollar weak against the Euro and restaurant prices reaching inelegant heights, it’s a challenge to eat well and not overspend in Paris. But a visitor can have fine meals at close to reasonable prices. We found some superior bargains on a recent trip to Paris. All prices listed below include service or tips. Explore the unknown Walking in Paris is a joy. Shops fill all possible wishes, with handcrafted clothes and toys, magnificent foods that look like a jewelry display, real jewelry of heart-quivering beauty. Museums and galleries tempt all the senses. Watching people is a constant pleasure. Despite reports of bad experiences by some, we rarely have met rudeness in Paris. Our command of the language is somewhere between pitiful and laughable, though we can read menus and maps. The love of good food is what visitors and locals have in common. People like talking about it almost as much as they enjoy tasting it. They are too busy enjoying the experience to become irritable. In addition, good servers take pride in the diner’s pleasure, as do chefs. Suggested bistros At the Ambassade d’Auvergne, an old but lovely little spot in the Marais (22, rue de Grenier Saint Lazare), we watched as a waiter turned potatoes aligot into performance art. He diligently whisked the potato-cheese mixture, then lifted the whisk high as potatoes poured like Niagara into the bowl. He repeated the turn several times, then served a steaming, sweet-smelling pile next to a crisp, crackling duck breast. Another splendid main course was a pork-and-cabbage stew, warm and filling country food at its best. The meal also included a superior terrine of wild boar studded with figs and a warm lentil salad, accompanied by some house-made rye bread that was tangy with caraway seeds. For dessert, we savored a dark, rich chocolate mousse of grand style and even grander amount, and a bowl of stewed pears and prunes, described as a soup, light and rich as consommé. A pair of three-course dinners came to $72. More traditional French fare came from Le Petit Nicoise (10, rue Amélie), where dinner for two was $50. A herring appetizer consisted of fish warmed in the European style accompanied by steamed potatoes and onions topped with a sprinkle of chives. Main courses included lamb chops, small but beautifully prepared, tender and very tasty. Eggplant fritters came alongside with a batter that reminded us of apple fritters at a state fair. They were heavy but tasty. Grilled sardines were another main course, easy to bone and boasting delicious flesh. Tarte tatin, a classic French apple tart, was a delightful dessert with an egg-infused crust and some superb vanilla ice cream on top. Given France’s long relationship with Morocco, we felt it important to sample the fare, and Chez Omar (47, rue Bretagne) delivered in fine style, with servings large enough to attract students and others who were prepared to carry home leftovers. Dinner ($72 for two) began with delicious, almost sweet white anchovies that arrived in olive oil with freshly baked, crusty bread for sopping up the flavorful oil. Alongside was a bowl of rich, tasty black olives, so much more flavorful then American black olives. The royal couscous platter, more than enough, involved a lamb shank, tender and rich; a very good beef brochette; spicy merguez sausages that added a nice zing to the meal; a large bowl of couscous; and a larger bowl of vegetables that included chick peas, potatoes, turnips, zucchini, onions and carrots. The spicy North African hot sauce, harissa, was present for adding at will. Everything was extremely tasty, with the couscous acting as a buffer for the spicy meat. Dessert brought a collection of pastries with flaky crusts and nutty interiors similar to those served in Greek restaurants in the United States. There always are missteps while traveling and we fell victim to a familiar name on a sign, BIA for Breakfast in America, (4, rue Malher). I insisted we try it, but we found plenty of American-style diner décor, high prices and less than excellent food. Sausage and two eggs, ordered over easy but served hard, were more than $10. Pancakes, referred to as American crepes, were passable, and so-called American coffee was weak and tasteless. Home fries, however, were first-rate. Across the Plaza Colette from the Comédie-Française is the Cafe de la Comédie (157, rue Saint-Honore), where a country ham sandwich offered ham of a different country and was delicious, softer than the American cure, less salty, richer with deep pork flavor. On the other plate, a country sandwich (panini campagnard) offered garlicky, soft salami that was excellent. The sandwiches, large and filling, were $12 and kept hunger away until it was time for a late dinner. The most beautiful restaurant we found on this trip was Montparnasse 1900 (59, Boulevard du Montparnasse). Lined with cut glass mirrors transformed to a rose color by afternoon sunlight, the interior looked like a palace dining room awaiting a queen. It also seemed to be a dining room where caution could be thrown to the wind, and we did, ordering the marrowbones special. I remembered these from my childhood when my mother would serve them as a rare treat or as a remedy for a cold. These were delicious, rich as could be imagined, perfect for spreading on toast, plenty for sharing. Also shared was a crab-and-leek salad, served warm with two mayonnaise sauces, one strong with vinegar, the other, milder. Both were light in comparison with the usual French mayonnaise. The best part was the dinner bill, which was just over $45. Rewarding ourselves for good behavior, we went across the street and splurged on dessert. La Coupole (102 Boulevard du Montparnasse) was perfect. The immense dining room was almost full with young couples and many family groups. And with a window table, we had a wonderful view of strollers on the boulevard as we dived into a vacherin, similar to a tart with meringue, raspberry sorbet and about a ton of whipped cream. Magnificent, but not much better than the other dessert, a baba au rhum, a rum cake surrounded by fresh grapes, kiwi and pineapple, plus mounds of whipped cream. It was a perfect topping to a delightful journey in the City of Light. Joe Pollack is a contributor from St. Louis, Mo. |
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