Le Meilleur, II

But of course! What trip to Paris would be complete without a fill-up at a classic bistro or two? I woke up 8 hours early to prepare (including a train, plane and bus ride) for my lunch date at Hier & Aujourd'hui. Chef Franck Dervin worked under Guy Savoy, so coming here you know you are in for a treat. The setting is typically Parisian chic - old wooden tables, a zinc bar and a large blackboard featuring the day's offerings. Stars to the terrines, lamb, scallops, braised meat and my brandade. These are straightforward classics done as you dream of them being done - perfectly.

mmmm brandade and spinach and how cute is the bread sack??

Coffee came with little bites of pain d'epices

Paul Bert was such a fun experience. Our dinner reservation was for 10:30 and the place was a hustlin' and bustlin' over our Champagne when we arrived, well til the final drop of coffee a few hours later. Again, another fantastic bistro offering brilliantly prepared classics spelled out for you in nearly decipherable French on old blackboards. Sweetbread pastry and scallops for me - they came with a tiny pot wheee!!! of mashed potatoes - entrecot with a very generous helping of bone marrow for B and K. How good is that stuff, especially when enjoyed with a big bite of mashed potatoes?? And it is supposedly very good for you. Nina Planck said so.

The crowing glory of this meal for me was the Grand Marnier souffle for dessert. When it arrived the thing looked huge, all puffed up and golden as it was. But one spoonful of the deliciously light custardy interior and I was almost sure I could eat it entirely on my own. Which I didn't, but still. Desserts like this one fill the ever lingering sweet spot void in my life and make me ask myself what in the hell the Italians are doing down here and how they just continue to get it so so wrong? (Example, my boss is a great chef, but the other day I took a bite of a cake he appeared to have left sitting in everclear over night. How is this possible?)

And then there is L'Ami Jean. Ever since I read Ruth Reichl's glowing write-up of the place in last year's Paris Gourmet issue (R.I.P. Gourmet, not Ruth Reichl) I had been itching to go. After all, Paris + Basque bistrot = true love forever, and let's just say that my love for both of those shines even brighter now. Who knew that was possible?

Prepare to cozy up to your friends and strangers in this small restaurant. Wait staff buzzes by at lightning speed and an open kitchen along the back wall keeps you abreast of what your neighbors have ordered. Though choosing was no easy task, absolutely everything we ate was gorgeous. K's root veggie starter was such a tribute to the winter crops, and all that they are and all that they can be. And B's escargot soup would make anyone who claims to not like the little critters reconsider their stance on that point. On that note, the same can be said of my sweetbreads, which were so sublimely smooth, rich and satisfying that it makes you wonder why people get so squeamish about eating them. I mean why should any part of an animal be considered grosser than another? We happily chow down on ribs, so why not the thymus and pancreas? Just look how delicious they are.

Apart from pretty much everything else going on on the menu, L'Ami Jean's big claim to fame is its rice pudding. Don't turn up your nose; this stuff is practically life changing. By far the best rice pudding I have ever had, and after living in Spain, I have eaten my fair share of it. To begin with, the rice pudding itself is eat-it-with-a-fork thick and creamy, the rice so plump. On its own it deserves a gold medal, but then when you add a sprinkling of homemade crunch (what is this? nuts? granola? totally amazing goodness? yes.) with a spoonful of thick caramel, well it just goes right on over the top and you easily eat enough to make yourself sick. You know you should stop but there the spoon goes again, right back to your mouth.

See what I mean?

***

And then it was over just as quickly as it had begun. Paris I mean, not the rice pudding. Well, yes that too. Of course I did bring home a half suitcase full of goodies, just to get me through Paris withdraw in these coming days, weeks....months.

Comte, Epoisses, butter, pumpkin seed oil, 2 pounds of mustard, brioche and 12 croissants from Poilane, macarons from Pierre Herme


Jusqu'a' la prochaine fois, manger heureux!
(Or something like that.)

Hier & Aujourd'hui

145 Rue de Saussure
75017 Paris
01 42 27 35 55

Le Bistro Paul Bert
18 Rue Paul Bert
75011 Paris
01 43 72 24 01

L'Ami Jean
27 Rue Malar
Paris
01 47 05 86 89