Dix-Huit - No Name Goes Bourgeouis

One last dinner in Paris before the Moose goes globe-trotting for the summer and he picked a good one, Dix-Huit, the restaurant whose 'name' is the street number so you won't get lost in the upscale Ternes area in the 17th.  Don't let the neighborhood fool you, Dix-Huit/18 is affordable, despite not having a fixed-price 'menu,' something that I don't think I'll ever understand.

Chef Aaron Isap on the right

Inside Dix-Huit, obviously

       The two-roomed restaurant is the domain of Julien Peret and his the Flipino chef Aaron Isap, the latter having worked his way through Apicius, Drouant, Ze Kitchen Galerie and Pan, which is pretty amazing given that he looks like he's maybe 21 (or should I say 18?).  I didn't detect much of an Asian influence in the dishes, as I had been led to expect, but Isap is adventurous enough to keep things interesting - according to him, during his visit to our table when he made the rounds late in the meal - the menu changes daily. 

The restaurant's decor and arrangement are a bit odd - perhaps a matter of taste - we were ushered into the brightly lit back room, with its resemblance to a terrace: an atrium-like roof and an ambiance that suggested lab room with plants.  By mid-evening, the lights dimmed, the tables filled, and things became a bit more copacetic, notwithstanding the New York couple at the table next to ours who kept apologizing for listening in to the fascinating and provocative conversation typical of Moose and my interactions, but then went on to add their two sense nonetheless.  C'est la vie, as they say here.


Given that the carte changes daily, the following won't be of much use to you, but below you'll see what the offerings looked like the mid-week evening of our dinner:

Click on photo to enlarge

And here is the translation, in pictures:

This white asparagus dish, perhaps the tastiest of the evening, was comped to us by chef Isap - what can I say, the Moose is connected

My Crudo de Doraude entree was more pleasing to the eye than to the tongue - good, but nothing spectacular (9€)

The Moose was more than satisfied with this tartare de veau entree (11€)

My main dish - pintade with radishes - coulda been a contendah, but the betterave (?) accompaniment didn't really work for me.  The meat was excellent, though.  (23€)

Opting out of dessert, ever mindful that such extravagances could multiply any ill effects of his copious lager drinking on non-dinner out evenings, the Moose savored his lieu jaune (19€) and watched me dig into my espuma cafe  (9€).

This rather mundane looking dessert grew more interesting and tastier the deeper I dug, as I hit the pistachios.  Wouldn't mind another of these babies

The verdict is more a pretty good than a spectacular.  However, given the ever-changing menu and chef Isap's experimental nature, Dix-Huit certainly warrants a return visit, probably with the ever-discerning Co. in tow.  I'll keep you posted (which is why they call these things 'posts').


DIX-HUIT / 18
18 (you guessed it) rue Bayen
75017 Paris

From the restaurant's website

Le Villaret - Aging Well

Last Thursday evening, on the heels of a spontaneous and ill-chosen dinner at Chez Clement on the Champs Elysee (enough said), Co.and I directed some family to a monumental step up to one of my old Paris favorites, Le Villaret, a serious, comfortable, always-filled bistrot that veritably defines the term 'Paris bistrot.'  Hell, Le Villaret has been high on my list since not long after my arrival in France about 20 years ago, and it just keeps getting better with age. . .although I'm not sure I'd be willing to make that bold statement about yours truly. 

Not from the night we were there, but Villaret is always filled.

True, there was a few-years lull when Co. and I turned our attention elsewhere, a bit put off by Villaret's rather pricey ala carte menu.  Problem now solved - Villaret offers one of the best menu degustation deals in town, with its 55€ six-course dinner, accompanied by a mise-en-bouche (a  tasty spinach cream) and a plate of patisseries along with the cafe (4€).  And with quantity comes distinct quality, each dish delicately prepared with fresh ingredients and panache.  A couple years ago, Villaret's owners spiced up the interior, which now is still cozy but more refined, with less of the Swiss chalet look, and more glimpses of the superb wine selection.  Along with pricier bottles, Villaret now offers some very affordable options, including an excellent Cabardes Cazaban (30€).  Some highlights from the meal follow below.  What is missing is the initial entree, a seasonal asperge consomme, and a penultimate dessert consisting of some sort of coconut concoction and passion fruit.

Sardines - not my favorite - but this dish was excellent.

Sandre pierre and leeks

Pigeon and large peas - again, a dish that typically isn't one of my top choices, but this one was more than fine.

White chocolate and other goodies inside, accompanied by pina colada ice.

The upshot - an excellent meal, each dish adding to the overall Gestalt in a way that really made sense.  When you can say that about a meal that includes a couple of dishes that you may typically shy away from, you get what Villaret is all about.  And when their menu includes items you actually like, well then it doesn't get much better than that.

LE VILLARET
13 rue Ternaux
75011 Paris
tel: 01 43 57 75 56

reserve at least a week in advance.

Interesting wall adornment in the Oberkampf area nearby

Les Deserteurs - Ex-Rino Rises to the Top

A superb Friday dinner in May with NJ-->TX-->Paris friends at the once Rino restaurant in the 11th - quite simply, there is little not to like about Les Deserteurs.  Just don't make the mistake I did and keep your phone off the day of your reservation - space is limited at Les Deserteurs and demand is high, so if they can't get in touch with you during the day to get a confirmation, the folks who run the venue will be very distressed.  Fortunately, an hour and a half before show time, I did confirm. I learned our table was held, but they were obliged to schedule a second serving just in case at 10 pm.  Completely understandable, and I appreciated how they handled the situation.  Everyone was gracious when we arrived, and the servers were attentive, informative, and willing to switch between French and English throughout the evening.  The four of us were seated in one of the few tables in the front room across from the open kitchen, which was fine with me - in the center of the action, but still remote enough from other diners to be able to maintain our conversations unimpeded by neighbors breathing down our necks.

Photo taken off Google images so you get the idea

As is often the case at the neo-bistrots of Les Deserteurs' ilk, the menu was fixed and short-term.  Diners have the choice of a 6 plate (60€) or 4 plate (45€) dinner, and here's the cool part - not everyone at the table need partake of the same option.  We went with three of the former and one of the latter, along with two bottles of a very satisfying Rioja at 35€ a bottle.  The bill was boosted by a whopping 30€ supplement for the beef special of the day dish, which by obligation, must be shared by two diners.  Okay, I hope all that is clear - it adds up to a total cost of 325€ for four, and given the quality of the meal, it was worth every cent.  Below, you'll find the carte and accompanying photos of the dishes, although I think that should be pretty obvious if you just scroll down.

If you click on the photo it will enlarge and be perfectly readable

This would be the rhubarb,

Impressive rendering of an asparagus spear from Corsica

This unimposing piece of lotte was undoubtedly the best dish I've had all year

Not a very flattering shot of the beef, but the Texas pros at the table swore it was epic

Lemon in all its states - one or two of the states might have been missing, but the important ones were there

This dish almost seemed superfluous after all the gorging, but it merited greater attention than we gave it

There you have it - fine dining in all its states.  I enjoyed Rino, the two or three times I ate there.  The kitchen was competent and creative, but never really memorable.  Its replacement, Les Deserteurs, merits high praise for a memorable meal.  As it turned out, the confirmation snafu had little impact on our table lingering - by well past 10 pm, I asked our host why we hadn't been kicked out yet and he explained that he used some 'magique' to avoid that unpleasant possibility (he seated the second serving at another table that was vacated earlier).

Why the name?  Apparently, the team behind Les Deserteurs - led by Daniel Baratier (chef) and Alexandre Céret (sommelier) - deserted Le Sergent Recruteur to strike out on their own.


LES DESERTEURS
46 Rue Trousseau
75011 Paris
tel: 01 48 06 95 85

Reserve at least 3 weeks in advance and, by all means, confirm the day of your reservation.

Graffito around the corner from Les Deserteurs

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