Pre: So today, December 5, 2019, was the day of the Mother of all French Strikes and I was all set for a day of misery. However, I awoke to the sound of a leaf blower in the garden, children buzzing before school, and the electricity and internet worked. But, ever the pessimist, in anticipation of just such a strike day, I decided to eat nearby, but where?
Then I recalled that one fine afternoon I was walking home and almost stumbled over a strikingly beautiful, very thin young woman painting a sign on the sidewalk around the corner from my building. “What’cha doing?” “Lettering a sign for my restaurant.” “What sort of food?” “French.” “Welcome to the neighborhood!”
5.7 Chez Val, 57, rue Montcalm in the 18th (Metro: Jules Joffrin), closed Sundays and Mondays, 09.72.85.49.51, reminds me of the Samovar, on West 94th in NYC or the original Spring in the 9th - one person taking orders, cooking the food, serving 20+ persons, tallying the bill, all effortlessly. The carte is a simple 3-3-3 one for something like 20€, the wines about the same price.
So to start, my friends who live up the Mont had the perfect egg with petit pois and cream of tomato soup, and I had 3 lovely beef croquettes.
Then one of my pals had the filet of lieu with a purée of something and two of us had filets of pork, with vegetables.
To finish we shared portions of chocolate mousse and creme caramel.
Our bill with a bottle and glass of wine and no coffee (we forgot) was scooped up by one friend, but looked to me upside down to be something like 80€ something for three, thus, let’s say 60€ a couple.
Go? If you live or rent in the neighborhood, this is a fine local find. It sure beats banging heads with the black casseurs. And the bread is superior for the nabe.
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