5.5 LUI ... LINSOLENT aka Lui... L'insolent, 15, rue Caulaincourt in the 18th, Metro: Clichy, 01.53.28.28.31, closed Sundays and Mondays opened, my genial host (part of the "charming couple" I always comment on, that runs the place) said, in 2007; but despite passing it dozens of time since then, it was only a few weeks ago that a new, highly-placed in the culinary world, friend (NHPCWF) asked if I'd been there; "Nope" responded meself.
Well, backstory: I originally intended to go to another place, she (the NHPCWF) rec'd on the Mont because (it's a long story involving my transfering a hugggge stock of English books Colette had read to my oldest, same-age, continuously-seen, French friend (OSACSFF) in Paris, who still, despite the French imperative to stop work at 32, continues to teach English in a sensitive banlieu), I thought I could dump my library in her boot and we could walk up to the place. But,... she got mugged at an ATM inside her bank by a marauder from the Eastern-most part of Europe, giving up 2000 E but not her Visa card. So she was off seeking redress from the authorities and I considered that not a breach of friendship but good priority-setting.
In any case, I'm still saving the first place for her (the OSACSFF not the NHPCWF, although that's not a bad idea either) but went to LUI ... LINSOLENT aka Lui... L'insolent and am I glad I did. I made a reservation 45 minutes before arriving, thinking, "this is ridiculous, the 18th, when are these places down from the Place du Terte, ever full?" Tuesday noon, that's when, Johnnie Boy, they were tossing supplicants out on the sidewalk.
It looks funky, kicky and convivial as well as elbow-allowing, despite jamming 38 place settings into a relatively small space. There were three tables of big bunches of folks - 5, 8 and 10, who unlike my country-folk didn't get the decibel level up to where one couldn't think - most civilized. And NB: the clientele was/were all locals, French or French-speaking, altho' I swear the cadence of one guy was totally American, despite his flawless Frog-speak.
There's a big chalkboard, maybe 10 entrees, 12 plats and 8 desserts and a big wine list chalkboard - with "traditional" offerings - magret, tartare, foie gras, kidneys, lamb souris, scallops, cod, salmon, sole, cotes de boeuf, etc., and wines running from 22 E a bottle or 5 E a glass on up. My kinnaplace.
I ordered a sabayon (huh?) of gambas and petonicles that turned out to be sugary-sweet - Whoa! Who expected that? Oooooh. Oh, I know, traditional sabayon/zabaione/zabajone/zabaglione is sweet but names mean nothing these days, who knows what you'll get when you order a soup that has no juice or a meat that's all sauce. But it was kinda good, indeed, once you got past the shock, astoundingly successful.
For my main, I had the veal kidneys in armagnac sauce; another incomplete description; again there was something different about the taste on top of wonderfully cooked and sourced rognons with some smashed potatoes with incongruously placed black whole peppercorns atop - inspired! This fat guy, (and he is really overweight, so you better go soon), has some intriguing ideas.
Mein host, like my Mother, was reluctant to offer me dessert since I had not finished my potatoes, but I remonstrated and was delivered three small creme brulees - vanilla, chocolate and (damned if I could tell) lavender.
The bill with no bottled water, artisinal bread, coffee and a half-bottle of Cahors comes to 36.30 E - but, but, but....with the two-course "menu" at 13.80 and a 5 E glass of wine, one's back-packing relative could be out for 18.80 E and make it back to their Pigalle digs OK (the last time I stayed in a place near Pigalle in college it was replete with working girls and it was some sleepless night I'll tell yah.)
Go? Not a destination, no great shakes, but if you live here, go here! It'll never make the Slow Food Locavore Honor's List but hey, Ralph Nader doesn't fly Economy either. (You think that's a non sequitur, hummm, I guess it is but I had to sneak it in somehow - the Man of the People flying Business Class - shocking!)
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