Two Final Restaurants a la "No Reservations"

We managed to dine in several more really great places but wanted to wrap up this blog focusing on two more of the restaurants that were on the 100th anniversary show of "No Reservations", which prompted our trip to Paris in the first place.  Le Jeu de Quilles is at 45 Rue Boulard, closed Sundays and Mondays. Take the metro Line 4 (purple) and the Mouton-Duvernet stop.  This is an impossibly small place with the kitchen partially open to the dining room, which really showed chef Hugo's passion for his craft. 

Yes, complete with zinc bar!

His dishes are seasonal and I ordered lion fish with boullion and orange. Yes, this is the same lion fish you see in the aquariums. They are now being fished because they have no natural predators and have become a nuisance. Since they tend to hide in nooks in rocks and coral under the sea, lion fish are taken one delicious fish at a time. 

                         Another of our favorites, pied au cochon                                    

with fried potatoes.  Another of us ordered mussels and whiting with couscous- all very delicious!

Another true dining treat was at Le Violin d'Impres located at 135 Rue Saint-Dominique.  This is on Metro line 8 (light purple) stop Ecole Militaire, near the Eiffel Tower.  There are two Christian Constant restaurants right next to each other. This is the high end one. Again, no tourists; the clientele looked like a combination of business people & "ladies who lunch", where did we fit in? With our forks, of course!  The food was fantastic!                                                    

       Scrambled eggs with caviar and sea urchin, served in the urchin shell, so creamy and delicious.

                       My favorite braised sweetbreads.

Medallions of monk fish.

  

This really deserves special mention. It is a classic French dessert called Mille Fuille (million layers) and this is the first time I have seen and eaten the real thing.  Many places will serve a multi-layered concoction more like a Napoleon- mais non!   Hands down this is one of the most fantastic desserts I have ever eaten. The crunch of the pastry, the melt-in-your-mouth custard, the sweetness of the caramel sauce, well you get the picture! 

We would go back to Paris in a heartbeat for many reasons, but undeniably the food would be a high priority. Hope you have enjoyed our culinary adventure and that it will be helpful to you on your own  trip!

Bon Appetite!

Vivien and Terry

    

Paris, France- Day 4- The Big Splurge

 

In front of E. Dehillerin, "Material de Cuisine"; this is where Julia Child purchased many of her copper pots that now hang in the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. Her entire kitchen was transported from her home in Cambridge, MA to the museum. The store resembles an old fashioned hardware store with wood racks and cubbyholes everywhere and is a real treat to explore. It is located at 18 et 20, rue Coquilliere and is closed on Sundays. But, alors, lunch is waiting! 

Bearing in mind that we had a very special dinner planned, we decided to venture out on our own once again. We came across Au Trou Normand, 117 Ave Parmentier (closed Sunday & Monday). A small restaurant but delicious!

Baked eggs

    Fois gras & smoked duck breast salad

Baked cod with Lyonnaise potatoes

Well, some of us went light... we worked up an appetite after wandering through the Musee d'Orsay.

Once in a while, when in one of the foodie capitals of the world, we decide to go on a splurge.  We select a restaurant that is really worth the dollars we know we're going to spend; something that is unobtainable in other establishments. Bourdain & Ripert (see previous blogs) made it a point to visit their longtime friend and chef, Joel Robuchon while in Paris. Chef Robuchon has been named "Chef of the Century", currently he has restaurants all over the world, but Paris is his home. He has torn up all the rules regarding haute cuisine and his L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is truly a dining experience. I would invite you to view the website at    www.atelier-robuchon.com/‎.  

The menu changes frequently and we ordered items which I'm sure have changed- octopus,seafood risotto and this dessert was just a little something they surprised us with. The meal is similar to going to the theater. Reservations are at set times, the doors do not open prior to that time. Yes, we did make reservations online months ahead and yes, it was very expensive- but definitely worth it!

Following that meal and in the same splurge mode, we went for after dinner drinks at the grand Hotel de Crillon, a historic landmark at 10, Place de la Concorde. By the way, the only place we found Marker's Mark and Dubonnet. The grand dame is undergoing a nip & tuck and will not open until 2015 but only because it is 255 years old and needs a bit of renovation!  

Tomorrow is yet another day with more dining adventures around the corner.

Bon Appetite!

Vivien and Terry