Pre: All my faithful readers have been following me as I've followed Julien Deboue from Afaria (where he had an elegant dining room, but you got the good stuff at a table for 6-8 outside the kitchen) to Dans Les Landes with its yuge long chalkboard of Southwestern “tapas” such as chicken hearts, to A. Noste with (again) an elegant upstairs but the good stuff was downstairs at long tables, would not be surprised that he has taken over the dreadful local place - Chez Frezet - notable for having a Baltimore chef - and again there is a front room cafe but after the bakery,
the receptionist hands you a basket full of bread she just sliced and ushers you into, TA DUM,
7.5 B.O.U.L.O.M (translation - bakery where you also can eat), 181, rue Ordener in the 18th (Metro: not really), open 7/7, 01.46.06.64.20, is more than a buffet all-you-can-eat for 29€ joint, it’s an experience, a frigging hoot, a cross between an high upper class French Bar Mitzvah and an epicurean airplane hanger. You cannot understand it until you’ve been.
I entered the cafe/bakery a bit early and like 7 other strivers, was instructed to wait until it’s official opening. When people started streaming in off the street with scooters and kids, ahead of us, I waved my cane and after proper vetting on la Fourchette, was ushered in with a huge basket of freshly sliced breads.
There ensued the introduction. “Have you been here before?, are you familiar with the drill?, do you have a clue what’s going on?” “No, no, and no.” “Ok, so over there are cold firsts, back there is the water, up 2 steps are the cooked items, and here’s the wine list.” Cool.
So I hobbled over to the first serve yourself buffet - OMG, leeks, oysters, bulots, shrimp, chorizo, sausage, duck rillettes, you name it. Oh I’m full. But gotta do the hot items - pork ribs, beef cheeks, frites, purée of celery “may I help you to the table?” Out of the corner of my eye I saw a cheffe making something - an omelet maybe? - no, pain perdu - wonderful, and with caramel sauce. Just then, a very young chef has a saucepan full of duck sausage he’s offering. I’d forgotten it was Deboue’s specialty. No, I can’t, not after dessert. Aie yie!
The bill, think about it, for 20 plus items that I had but maybe 45 in toto offered, I could have had, with a bottle of wine, for a couple, would come to 94€. Db’s were high, though, blew out my decibel meter.
Go? If you have a family of 6 full of picky eaters and want to crash after walking up and over Montmartre, this is your place. I loved every bit of food.
So, here people bused their dirty dishes and I guess like all those people hiding behind your TV screen, some plongeur reaches up and snares them.
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