Le Maquis in the 18th: A neighborhood bistro that I hope won't be ruined by its heralding in Le Fooding.

 

6.0 Le Maquis, 53, rue des Cloys in the 18th, (Metro: Jules Joffrin), 01.42.58.87.82, closed Sunday and Monday lunch, is just what everyone in my neighborhood here desires - a friendly place, serving decent food, at affordable prices (16-18 E at lunch) with no pesky Yankees - yet, although Le Fooding's rapturous review may change that.  The guys running it come from Chateaubriand, Le Verre Vole, Les Deux Amis and Il Brigante - impressive, no!

We split the 2-2-2 carte right down the middle, my blogger friend starting with a lentil salad while I had the cervelles de canut (it took us a minute to realize canut was not some exotic mammal but cheese curd.)  Quite ordinary but quite good.

Then my dining partner had the mussels with spring potatoes and I the poitrine de porc with string beans and spinach: again the best of the ordinary.

For dessert, my friend had slices of grapefruit and I had a chocolate cake, again, must I say it? the best of ordinary (now I know why another friend calls his resto the Bel Ordinaire.)

Our bill, with a bottle of Loire from a producer my pal knows, plus 2 coffees, was 71 E.  dB's= 83 when the kids out of school for the Ascension Day pont weren't screaming.

Go again?  Hey, it's in the nabe.