Rech in the 17th: Reliably good on our umpteenth visit.

7.0 Rech, 62, ave des Ternes in the 17th, 01.45.72.29.47, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, has not gotten better (well maybe a bit) since the arrival of Jacques Maximin, just different.  Meaning that Ducasse finally got a great chef he's not afraid will outshine him.

Maximin is 61 and there's something about experience that shows.  He's changed the amuse bouche from the Ducassian one, a bit more inventive and he's expanded the wine list and tinkered with the prior menu.

I had the 30 E "menu" and started with a cauliflower soup with ecrivisses; divine.  Colette held back, waiting for dessert.

But first she had the scallops, which she's the world's expert on: judgment: perfect, although she said there should have been more sauce and a veggie (note that the plate looked rather empty in the photo).

I've been avoiding undercooked lieu jaune in the 17th ever since Nicolas Vagnon departed for the Ile d'Yeu but Maximin's is very, very good.  It had little slices of squid and Noirmoutier potatoes with a sauce made of all the stuff your cardiologue shudders at.

 

For her patience, Colette was rewarded with a huge pain perdu with caramel ice cream and I had (yet again) the huge Mister Rech (descriptions given in prior posts).

 

For 40 Euros one can either have 45 cl's of a fine Roussillon or two bottles of fine Muscadet (that's the generosity of the Maximin/Ducasse cellar); which with 2 coffees (actually two more comp'd), and 6 mignardises, and no bottled water, came to 118 E.

 

Go?  I dunno about you, but Collette Rech remains on her list of favorites.