5.5 A La Chataigne, 22, rue Miromesnil in the 8th, 01.40.07.90.86, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, running one a la carte about 35-45 E got two hearts in Figaroscope just before its summer break but I hadn't forgotten it. I went there with a food writer whose reviews I've been admiring for a while and I think he was surprisedly pleased/pleasantly surprised as well.
I entered to find him seated at the very best front table by the front window rather than in the back of this long narrow railway car type restaurant; sign on table Reserved: Talbot; cool. It turns out by my reserving only a few hours before I'd secured the best in the house (lesson to drop-inners).
However right off the bat, the sound was a problem, rather should I say, the noise, from workmen spread out all down both sides of the street working madly with jackhammers, generators and the like. But once we got the door closed, things calmed down.
We both wanted to order the same things, but gentleman that he was, he chose alternatives and we shared a bit. I started with the terrine of Sansonnet, a tiny Corsican bird I hope is not headed for extinction, like the ortolan, since it was so good. He meanwhile had Corsican ham and melon that was super product from Zevaco.
My main was a casserole of tripettes of veal a la Corse (tomatoes, onions and potatoes) that was a pleasure and he had canneloni with broccio, tomatoes and basil leaves, equally nice. We ended with a tarte of chestnuts (another house specialty) and he a soup of Corsican berries and fruits.
He had ordered a bottle of really fine Corsican wine and with three dishes each and coffee, all of which he generously treated me too, the bill he picked up could have come under 100 E a couple if we'd had a less fine wine. (There were wines by the glass and carafe (15 E).
Go? Indeed, after the demise of the Casa Corse, I'd find this a most acceptable substitute.
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