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Disclosure and Backstory: Kent Ravenscroft has been a pal, colleague and co-conspirator since the anti-Viet-Nam/etc. wars of 1968. So I'm biased.
But his sculpture, which he's worked on for years now, is really true to form. His bust of Beethoven beats all. So look at his and others stuff at the Gallery Etienne de Causans, 25 Rue de Seine.
La Faille in the 2nd was a place Colette had marked down as a "to-do" on her quarterly visit and I approached it again with great anticipation - it was sunny, about 70° F., and the window/front was wide open - heaven! The menu looked familiar bit not too much so and the upside down plants on the ceiling loked like an eagle in flight.
For some strange reason, I was the only person who had a first, but what a first, a tataki of salmon that was a big chunk of fish on top of chopped Chinese cabbage and a very spicy almost (sorry folks) like a Thousand Island aka Russian, dressing. Very, supremely, terrific.
OK, so now the two ladies had (I swear to Zeus) "Crispy Chicken," which was just that and very good indeed; it had a great coating of what I thought was panko and parmesan and a slice of bar with a fennel-flavored mousseline (which Colette deemed nano-flavored) and a citrus sauce. I thought they were both great - Colette demurred. I had the Barbarie cannette, under-cooked perfectly, sliced and presented with roasted and marinated turnips and supposedly a compote of dates and banana with cumin - well, we all know my unami buds are gone - so.... I thought it was quite, quite good.
Finally, the ladies ordered a Pavlova with fruit, which truly was loaded with more berries than cream, and a clafoutis with almond and pear, whichI helped them finish.
The bill, with two bottles of Navarra, no bottled water, GREAT BREAD, and 3 coffees and whoops, a Calva, was 139 E, so 92.66 E a couple.
Problems John? Ahh, gosh, yes, the resto was not full and the delivery of plates was so so slow, just like on my last visit.
Go? Boy!
Clamato in the 11th (coordinates up-thread) has become our "new Sunday "go-to" lunch place" since Atao stopped such service and Axuria's cuisine went South. I just love its understated front, beautiful back garden and ever-changing inventive menu. And - one of the nicest wait-guys around who professes to be "from the sky" but actually grew up in the Piedmont. In any case, despite much indecision about what to order we soldiered on to have:
- asparagus, coques and purslane
- sardines and salad
- squid with anchovy sauce and piquillos
- scallops with spinach and crustacean butter
- razor clams with herb butter
- a poitrine of pork with palourdes and mache
- a bun filled with smoked eel and very superbly spicy cilantro
- shrimp and artichokes
We had all the above with 2 bottles and 3 glasses of wine, no bottled water, 4 coffees and both desserts: a maple syrup tartelette with Chantilly and some citrus fruit with fromage frais and a dacquoise.
Our bill was 223 E for 6, thus 74.33 E a couple.
Go back? Maybe next Sunday even.
A quite lovely show of 50 drawings and 10 ceramics of Pablo Picasso held by grand-daughter Marina and which are not for sale are currently hanging at Sotheby's - until April 1st.
No wow's but nice.
Backstory: As loyal readers know, I have taken the "pledge", no, not that one about sex before marriage or no alcohol but to avoid ever naming any anything food/restaurant/bistro related the "best." But today I must break my pledge because our meal at Pirouette was special, inventive, mind and palate expanding and fun.
Pirouette, 5, rue Mondetour in the 1st has surely the most wonderfully welcoming owners, staff and chef on the planet. And it's not because they know who I am, they were always nice. The 3-course meal for 40 E that Chef Tommy Gousset constantly changes is a bargain and a half, no wonder from a graduate of le Meurice, Taillevent and Daniel (Boulud). Our group of four couldn't decide what to have.
Two of us had what was called bio trout with citron, hazelnuts and confited onions but was really a work of art that could be housed in a hip gallery and the others had squid slices, egg yolks, lomo and a parmesan soup surround that I would have been happy to die after eating.
Then our two friends both had the lieu jaune with celery, apple and coques, Colette had the Dandieu duck with asparagus, kumquat halves and pork ball and I had what our genial (English-speaking, no less,) host said was a perfect symphony or something like that - of ris de veau - and it was truly divine, but wait -
like in the Threepenny Opera, Victoria's messenger comes riding in with a bowl of incredible veal cheeks and black garlic - oh my! Now I truly was in heaven.
Well I'd like to break the spell by saying the desserts were not up to the previous dishes but a lie detector would out me quickly - they were fabulous; a slice of Ossau-Iraty with black cherry confiture on top, rice pudding with caramel, a foam of orange blossom, lemon ice and pistachio and pineapple with an avocado paste. meringue and white chocolate.
Our bill with two bottles of wine, some suppliments and 3 coffees, was 233.50, thus 116.75 E a couple.
L'Ecailler du Bistrot, 20, rue Paul Bert in the 11th, 01.43.72.76.77, closed Sundays and Mondays, is a place we've had mixed luck at; their Utah Beach oysters are exceptional but their fish dishes are not always on target; strange but then, the oysters come from the family estate whereas the fish comes from other local providers. They have an eye-popping 65 E lobster menu, a la carte runs you 50 E and up, but they have an extraordinary 19 E 3-course 3-2-2 "menu" which 4 of the 5 of us chose.
Three of us went with 9 of their #3's which were top-top and Colette took the salad of veggies and seiche and lotte which was terrific plus.
Madame Elan ordered the scallops on their shells the picture of which, the Chinese satellite's masters blurred so you cannot see its resolution; and the rest of the table had the raie, not with a Grenobloise sauce that I favor for its caper offset, but a tomato one - but with outstanding spinach.
Finally the table shared in three portions of baked slices of apple with caramel sauce that was pretty damn good.
The bill for 5 with the equivalent of three bottles of wine, two coffees and a calvados, was 193 E; thus 77.20 E a couple. And the dB level was a quiet 72.8 dB.
Any problems John? Indeed, very slow delivery of courses.
But go? Again, indeed, 19 E is some bargain.