6.1 Le Petit Broc', 206 Blvd Raspail in the 14th, 01.40.47.74.83, open 7/7, has apparently been open since October and as I looked for a place on my infamous "list" that was open Sundays, that I hadn't eaten at, and served more than a dreaded brunch, this seemed it.
The interior is quite lovely and I entered just as Madame was exiting to do some important chore or other and Monsieur at first greeted me and then turned his back to do another important chore at the computer. She re-entered and said the equivalent of "why are you ignoring that nice elderly man in the suit with the phony briefcase standing by the entrance waiting patiently to be seated?" So I, and we, were.
My chef-buddy, on a busman's holiday, opted for the lentils with poached egg (evidently from my last few months' eating experiences, all the rage this year), while I had a salad of thinly sliced carrots and cukes with nicely-dressed lettuce and other greens surrounded with strips of shaved cucumber and topped and surrouded by wonderful sauteed scallops and unripe raw tomatoes. "Tomatoes and cukes at the end of January?" sez I, "Oh, I was offered fraises de bois the other day," sez he. Goodness gracious, so much for slow food, locavore and save the planet. But BTW, both our dishes were in his words "quite tasty."
Then he had what was called the fondant of beef, but as he noted and I confirmed, it was more akin to (his wife's) boeuf bourguignon, not that it wasn't OK; and I had the croustillant of gambas which were terrific save for the sauce which was like the sweet sauce that come in packets with take-away Chinese food - too damn cloying. But again, the gambas tempura'd were just fine; and again there were a lot of thinly-sliced veggies, this time cooked.
Desserts were really weird, not bad, just unexpected. His chocolate mousse was more like a cross between a chocolate fluff and whipped cream and my brownies were unlike anything Fanny Farmer ever saw the likes of, more like a cross between a fudge strip and chocolate bar, with dried fruits and nuts that had seen better days.
With a bottle of wine, two coffees and their own water, our bill was 103.20 E. (in fairness they did have a three course menu for 22.50 E, even at Sunday lunch).
Go? Well, if I were staying around the Gare Montparnasse I might go back.
Bonus photo: Twice I've seen three identical cars with these identical giant hotdogs toodling around; seems the Scientologists are into weiners these days. There must be some symbolism here since Ron Hubbard's name is on them.
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