Paris- Part II

This is the view from Tour Montparness with Tour Effiel in the background located at 33 Avenue du Maine. There is a high end restaurant here, Le Ciel de Paris, but you can enjoy the same view for a cup of coffee or a cocktail. Do not go for the tour which you will pay for, head for the elevator which brings you directly to the restaurant

 

Next "splurge" restaurant- Hexagone.

Years ago and a former life, I (Terry speaking) dined in Paris' famed Restaurant, Ambroisie, which was the favorite lunch spot of President Mitterand. I recall the bill to approximate $600. (lunch)

So it was with great interest I read the following in Departure Magazine: "Mathieu Pacaud hasn't just slipped into father Bernard's whites at the Michelin three-starred L'Ambroisie, he's also opened this hit of his own near Trocadero. .....The cooking is high-minded, but the lively bar scene keeps things informal."

That having been said, off we went to Hexagone which is at 85 Avenue Kleber which I thought was near the Arc D'Triomph and that is where we got off the Metro, only to walk 10+ blocks to the Restaurant.

On entering, we noted that the bar scene was non-existent and we were seated at a table near the kitchen, which prompted our displeasure. We were relocated and the service staff approached quickly to serve us.

Our amuse bouche was "a little brown thing on sea weed situated in a blue "egg" with sea urchin creme. This was followed by escargot in a puff pastry with a spinach puree.

This was followed by a "blue lobster" with veggie and pasta. This was the second restaurant that offered blue lobster. I asked our server if this was a true "blue lobster". The response was, "Oh yes, the lobsters are actually a blue color". Being an aquarium afficinado, I know blue lobsters do exist but approximately the ratio is one in two million.... hmmmm. Wow, these French lobstermen must be really lucky.

My entree was the pigeon with artichoke.....and I recall it being just OK. Pretty but ?

Leaving the restaurant we headed toward the crowd and light show provided by the Eiffel Tower as we were directly across the Seine from this famous monument. Every October the fete is Nuit Blanche. While it was "in your face" dramatic, I was constantly on the watch for pickpocketers and other nefarious types.

My 93 year old mother (Vivien speaking) once told me she could not find a fragrance from many years ago (that could be a lot of years!). The name was Chant d'arome from the House of Guerlain. So my mission was to find it. Of course it didn't hurt that it was located across from a eatery we had lunch at the last time we were in Paris.

I did manage to find it and the cherished bottle will be part of her Christmas gifts ( shhhh) along with this photo.

The main reason we returned to Le Castiglione, 235 rue Saint-Honore was the sole meuniere.

Although the dish looks like the classic dish, it was far from the perfection we experienced before. The crispy edges were lacking and the taste was very bland. As I was not that hungry, I opted for something lighter- it was fine but not wonderful. The dessert was a real disappointment. In a previous post, I noted an absolutely fabulous classic French dessert, mille fuille. I was actually pining for this. The pastry was much too thick and no where near what it should have been.

 

We will not be returning here either. On an odd note- the butter served here is worth looking for- "Beurre d'Isigny" from Normandie. Here it can be found at Jungle Jim's and is absolutely wonderful !

Stay with us, more goodies to come in another segment.

Bon Appetite and Safe Travels!

Vivien and Terry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Paris and Beyond

The last time we were in Paris was 3 years ago and things sure have changed ! It seems as if the world has rediscovered this city with more Starbucks, McDonald's and chain stores on every block. The Metro at rush hour now resembles Tokyo with people smashed into the cars.

Our hotel, the Hotel St. Louis is located on Ile St.-Louis, a small island located near Notre Dame cathedral and the nearest Metro stop is Hotel de Ville (city hall).Room number 103 was VERY small, even by Parisian standards but the front desk (literally a small desk) person was always very friendly and helpful.

We visited some of our old favorite resturants and, of course some new stars. Our first "big splurge" dinner was Le Diane located in the Hotel Fouquet at 46 Avenue George V, near the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. The website is: www.lucienbarriere.com.The dining room itself was small with 12 tables and tres chic. We chose not to order the suggested "Gourmand Menu" as the a la carte items seemed much more interesting. The amuse boche was beautifully presented.

On the right was smoked salmon and caviar foam, middle- crispy potato with pickeled anchovy and to the left mackerel on a sesame chip. The first two were wonderful, we are not fond of mackerel in any form!

We decided to order an entree (in France this is what an appetizer is called) to share. It came in two parts. A mild white fish in aspic with oyster grass. Amazingly the grass tasted just like the name - oysters! The second part came in a glass bowl - a white fish cerviche which was excellent. Terry, being the fish lover, ordered another fish- poached Patagonia toothfish.

Me, being the weird food addict, ordered veal sweetbreads. I have to say, although the main entree presentations were beautiful, the taste was not inspiring. In addition, for such a gorgeous room, a French woman had her cell phone on the table which rang at least 8 times. She did not turn it off and we were forced to hear her every conversation. We asked out server about this, since we have been in fine dining restaurants where printed on the menu itself cell phones are requested to be turned off. Being a professional waiter, he rolled his eyes and said, "But look at the way people are dressed", and shrugged his shoulders. This same female took out one of those large electronic cigarettes and started with that. Smoking is now prohibited indoors in all of France. Finally the staff was able to say something to her!

Walking down the Champs Elysee we saw this car- a Toyota??

Je the me, to me, is one of the most charming and delicious bistros in Paris. Thank goodness it seems only the locals dine there. Located at 4 rue d'Alleray, the street itself is a bit difficult to find. But there is a map directly out of the Metro. If you walk more than 2 blocks to find it, ask for directions, as it is very close to the Metro stop which is Vaugirad on the green line or number 12. Make sure, when in France, always begin with a "Bonjour" as you would say "Hi" when approaching someone here. The website is: jetheme-terrior.blogspot.com.

We went for lunch and were not disappointed. The amuse bouche was avocado with crab. Terry had cod with veggies and mashed potatoes. I had the kidneys in a dark sauce. The French mashed potatoes are divine- not to be missed!

The owner/server, who was charming and funny, persuaded us to have dessert, which we normally do not indulge in. It was terrific- a vanilla coulis with raspberries.

What is really amazing is how much food the French consume in one meal. Two women sat next to us- bear in mind this was lunch. They ordered a bottle of wine, OK I get that. Then proceeded to order an entree (appetizer), a salad, main plat, and dessert. Did I mention they also went through two baskets of bread. AND these people are not overweight at all!

More to follow in a future segment of www.diningwithterryandvivien@blogspot.com

Bon Appetite and Safe Travels

Vivien and Terry

 

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