6.0 Comme Chez Maman aka Chez Maman, 5, rue des Moines in the 17th, 01.42.28.89.53, closed Sundays has a weekday formula for 15 E but a la carte is a bit more. Friends of mine live around the corner and strongly advised me to go and go in multiples, since all plats were for two.
It's in what is a bustling neighborhood, very Bobo and arty and active, but in the Bermuda triangle between Metro stops. From the outside it's a bit quirky and inside it's got real character.
On Saturdays there's no formula, but between the menu and the chalkboard one has plently of choices, so long as you order the plats for two. However, suffice it to say, that today the entrees included green asparagus from Provence four (4) ways and the plats: veal kidneys, lamb souris', a whole bar and a pot au feu of seafood.
I chose no starter but my former and soon-to-be-again France Forum co-host chose the eggs mayo which were just plain halved hard boiled eggs with their mayo, quite tasty but not what I expected. The bread was overly good.
Then we shared an amazing pot au feu of seafood with mussels, razor clams, two kinds of fish, potatoes, carrots, fennel, zucchini, mushrooms, parsley, star anise, dill, coriander and tarragon. The broth alone was worth the trip, but the combination of ingredients was magical.
For dessert, she had the riz au lait (which I am unqualified to judge and) I had the banana flambee that may not have been quite at the high level of Mr. & Mrs Fosters in NYC an eon ago, but was pretty darn good.
Any thing off, John? Well, yes, now that you mention it. Before my dining companion arrived the front-room lady got a fork off a nearby unoccupied table (OK), used it to reach up and turn off the heater over the door (OK), but then returned it unwashed to the place-setting (yuck!)
The bill with a nice bottle and glass of Touraine, no bottled water but two coffees, was 85 E.
Go again? If this were my neighborhood joint I'd be there once a month with 5 others so we could run though its offerings.
We did eat here with 11 persons last Saturday and had a 3 hours gastronomic trip to paradise.
Wim, the chef in persona, came to advise us (since we had to run the semi marathon in Ivry the day after).
He placed 7 starters on the table from which we could take freely. God on our tongue with each and every bite: creamy herring, melting rillete de porc and delicious 'lentilles'..
Mains were veal cheeks, mouton shoulder, mixed seafruits.
+ Wines, water, coffee, 42 € per person, a bargain!
In one word = best place in town!
Posted by: Ciesvandekwis | April 04, 2011 at 11:13 AM