Spring or is it Fresh, whatever.

This was the first opportunity I've had to go to lunch with Colette to Spring since it has formally opened (we ate there as guinea pigs/a focus group a day or two before it opened officially).  A friend of mine wrote a while back that her meal at Fresh, meaning Spring, was one of the highlights of her recent 6 weeks in Paris - and I thought that was a cute confusion. We too felt that our"fresh" lunch today was a highlight. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First we were served coquettes of celery - huh?, never heard of that before, as well as some raw seabream with a fruit jelly.  Soon after came a generous slice of porcini, dressed with finely diced  apples, nuts, pomegranate seeds and smaller porcini and then the famous lunch "bouillon" which included a giant gamba, a slice of sole, potatoes, leeks and the bouillon.  Pretty good start eh, fresh too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, not quickly but with time to savor them, came poulet frite with sliced radishes, tiny shrimp with a "marmalade," a nutcake with pear and ice cream, a chestnut puree with a chocolate tuile and caramel sauce (it was incredible said Colette!) and finally butter with black salt from Hawaii topped with a fennel blossom.  Butter and salt; incredible.

With two bottles of Pinot Noir (from Alsace and Mercurey), 4 coffees and no bottled water, our bill for three came to 198.00 E (thus 132 E a couple).

 
Go?  Well, at least one of my Blog readers was there as well as my polyglot friend who, as we were exiting, was heard to converse with a fellow diners and various staff members in their native languages: English, French, Spanish, German,and Russian (cuz he said his Ukrainian was rusty) and Arabic (well that was part of a tale he told).  A veritable "United Nations" of staff now populates Daniel and Marie's kitchen and we were the happy beneficiaries of their creative labors. 

Comments

[Irina]

We just came from Paris and we love French food in there, but this was very different. My husband caught "street food" situation at Creperie Tuileries Garden and Concord
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgZZa3vB72g
by the way we do not speak French

[Hung]

Hi John,

Are reservations needed for lunch at Spring? My wife and I are going next week (yikes) and wish to dine there, Frenchie and Le Comptoir. I haven't been able to get dinner reservations at any of those places but if lunch is open then maybe i have a chance. :)

[John Talbott]

Spring in the PM is booked to eternity and at lunch for 2-3 months....but, but, but he has three seats at the counter which if you arrive soon after noon, you can perhaps snare.

[Hung]

Thanks John!

I got the reservations at Spring for lunch next Friday!! Totally excited. Still working on Frenchie for lunch and a restaurant for Sunday evening. Gluttony!!

[Hung]

By the way, are those counter seats available at night as well? hmmmm...