A number of years ago, 3 food writers published a book anonymously (supposedly) called “Food Business: La face cachée de la gastronomie françoise” that dissected the culinary problems in France and suggested solutions for Paris restaurants. In brief, they suggested you find a food desert, a talented chef and have reasonably priced farm to table food. Well, somebody at La Bonace was listening. It's located in an area where mingle davening kids with yarmulkes and ripped jeans, adolescents in burkas and women with red dots on their foreheads.
6.6 La Bonace, 7 rue de Nantes in the 19th, 09.80.66.43.20 (but they don't answer or return messages nor use a reservation service), closed Mondays, (Metro: Ourcq, but the 60 bus is better) has been open 3 months to wall to wall local customers but scarcely one reviewer. It's on a street I've never been on, which faces the canal and a restaurant on the Eastern side I liked somewhat last year. The menu changes every day and is a 2-4-2 deal at 18 €. All the wines are bio and the beers, artisanal.
I settled on the rilettes of fish, more like a tartare, with anise that when corrected with salt was stunning. Then I had the lingue blanche which I misread as tongue until clarified by my charming waitperson. It was sort of soso cod until I ate it with the chive butter and then the whole thing came alive. My dessert was a small pot of warm-hot strawberry "salad" with a crumbled sable that was a perfect closer to the meal.
My bill, with a 1/2 flask of Loire red, no bottled water, decent bread and coffee, was 34€, you read that right, 34 €. DB's = 86.1. Btw, despite its being able to fit 38 covers, it didn't seem crowded at all.
Go? I will, but how many of you will schlep up to Ourcq?
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