La Cuisiniere Lyonnaise in the 17th; A breath of Lyon in a cloud of French snow.

5.5 La Cuisiniere Lyonaise, 37, rue St-Ferdinand in the 17th, 01.45.74.69.20 (Metro: Argentine), closed weekends brings a breath of Lyonnaise cooking to this weird part of the 17th where there's little competition except for MBC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has the bouchon "look," the Lyon specialties and a "formule" of 2 courses for 18.50 and three for 25 E that's hard to beat.  I was tempted by the quenelles but horrified by the chunks of white chicken that went by me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It turned out that I and 50 other customers (the place was bursting at the seams) ordered it too because by 1:18 they were out.  It started with a terrine of heavily jellied veal parts which you don't want to know about, that was not much of a much until you put a little nice dressed greens on it and then it sang.  (However, I bet it would be even better if they'd served us all the promised sauce gribiche.) The boeuf bourgignon was unlike that one usually gets here, where they throw in the worst gristle and sinew of bad cuts of beef - this was high end and beautifully cooked.  (Not up to Colette's version of Julia's but OK on a dreadful afternoon weather-wise).  Finally the crepes Suzettes were quite acceptable. 

With a pot of Cotes du Rhone, coffee, fine brown but weak white bread and no bottled water - in a bouchon? - My Lord - my bill was 36.50 E.

Go?  Well, if at the Convention Center and as an alt to MBC, sure, but not worth a trip acoss town.  Noise - 83.3 dB.

Comments

[Nancy Swinston Dubrulle]

Mr Talbott as someone who lives on rue St Ferdinand,would you be so kind as to
enlighten me as to what you found so "weird" about le quarter?

[John Talbott]

I'm not sure I can put it into words and certainly I'll offend; but like parts of the 16th, it seems like another Paris than I'm used to in the deep and darkest 18th.