Le Repaire de Cartouche in the 11th: If Ms. Wells says go every so often, who am I to disagree.

When we first spent an unbroken year in France, Patricia Wells was our Food Goddess, culinary compass and source of all info on markets and products in the hinterlands. (This was long before we both became contributors to the blog collective Paris By Mouth.) In January 2003 she wrote "About once a year something leads me to pick up the phone and book a table at Le Repaire de Cartouche,...."  Wow, did she have that right.

 
I just love the place, from its tall chef, Rodolphe Paquin, who has run the NYC Marathon and frequents dives such as the Enfants Rouges after service hours to the charming wall paintings to the carte, it's a safe harbor.

I alone chose the 27 E 3-course "menu" that really called to me, starting with a gizzard salad with mushrooms and a fine dressing.  At this point my co-diners caught up with me.

 

 
 

 

Colette ordered the bar, our downstair's female neighbor started with the scallops and they switched midstream (as far as I was concerned they both were very good); my downstair's male neighbor had the lievre royale (his second of the week after the 85 E one at the Carre des Feuillants) while I had the civet of the same creature, both coming with the darkest darn sauce I'd ever seen and delicious both.

 

For dessert we all sort of shared my baked apple in the style of a tarte tatin and a chocolate cake.

Our bill, for an astonishing meal, that one should indeed go back to once a year (after a platter of rilettes and fine bread, 2 bottles of wine and one of Chateldon, plus 3 coffees) was 70 E a couple.

Go?  I'll let Ms. Wells have the last word - ".....one of the city’s better bistros, and one that I seem to love more with each visit."

 

Comments

[tfyvie]

Hello - firstly I am writing to say that I follow your blog, and as a result, we have had many great meals here in Paris. So thank you! Secondly, old friends of yours who live here in Paris part-time have just discovered you. They are Kent and Patti Ravenscroft. Patti tried to post a comment but she was having problems...so she asked if I could give it a try. Her contact details are as follows: [email protected] or mobile 06 1235 7273.

[John Talbott]

I will contact them.
Thanks