Easing Into 2012

As per habitude, Co. and I eased into 2012 by venturing out to two of our usual haunts during the first two weekends of the year, Table d'Eugene and L'Agrume, respectively. At a time when a new year heralds all kinds of potential for change, including various resolutions that we typically forget about one week later, when it comes to restaurants, our tendency is to lean toward the tried and true. And that's about all I have to say about these two Paris bistrots that I have previously reviewed extensively at this site - we tried them again and they remain true to our hearts.

LA TABLE D'EUGENE Admittedly, the return trip to Eugene was over a month ago, and I'm afraid I can't provide many details about the various courses that comprised the 38€ menu, accompanied by a 33€ bottle of Saumur (Eolithe). As usual, Co. was transported more by Eugene than I was, but my ravioles in cream entree was sublime (2nd image below). I've had that disgusting looking chocolate dessert you see below - the Blob - before: it starts off as an elegantly perfect, shiny globe, but once the chocolate cream is poured over the glistening black chocolate exterior, the composition implodes. The kid in me really gets off on that sort of thing, but the decrepit hedonistic adult in me loves the taste. The highlights follow:














L'AGRUME One week later it was back to L'Agrume, a venue we try to get to 4 or 5 times during the year, and why not? Chef Franck Marchesi makes sure to change the menu...every single day. So there we were, snug at our favorite front corner table, surrounded by glass in the comfortable, dimly lit room, but in full view of the open kitchen activity. I had my camera in my pocket, but once I snapped a barely readable photo of the evening's five-course 39€ tasting menu, the camera returned to my pocket for the rest of the meal. I must have felt more Parisian than tourist/blogger that evening, especially after progressing through the tasty bottle of Palhas red (34€) and didn't want to wreck the mood by playing photographer. You'll just have to close your eyes and imagine - up to the somewhat disappointing banana dessert, it was business as usual, i.e., excellent, the creamy risotto with smoked eel a standout.



LA TABLE D'EUGENE
18 rue Eugene Sue
75018 Paris
tel: 01 42 55 61 64

L'AGRUME
15, rue des Fosses St-Marcel
Paris 5th
01 43 31 86 48
website: www.restaurantlagrume.fr

“Top of the world, Ma!” - Bests 2011

In fact, before that gas tank explodes in White Heat, James Cagney actually yells, “Made it, Ma. Top of the world!” But let's not nitpick. It's that time again, actually, it's 10 days past that time again, to name my top five restaurants of the year, in this case 2011. Hard to believe, but Paris Restaurants and Beyond is now entering its fourth year, with somewhere around 80 or so restaurants reviewed, so I first have to give myself an award for keeping with it. Congratulations, me. It would be nice to hear from more readers, especially with your own recommendations, but I know, you are shy and I don't want to press you. I'm happy you come to this site and welcome your contributions.

As mentioned in previous PR and B 'best of' installments, I have no claim to suggest that any restaurants named here are in fact the 'best' restaurants, which would be a ridiculous claim to verify anyway - only that my best meals outside my own kitchen were found in the venues listed. 'Best' for me includes originality from the chef, fresh and inventive ingredients, and an overall enjoyable and memorable experience, the latter of which includes conviviality, atmosphere, and service from staff and fellow diners. Without further ado, here are my top five for 2011 (full reviews and addresses by clicking the relevant links in the 'restaurants reviewed to date' list to the right):

1. Le Gaigne - two really terrific dinners at Le Gaigne in 2011. I don't know why we don't hear or read more about this little gem situated between Beaubourg and the Marais, but the menus degustation for the two visits were inventive and completely satisfying. You've read my reviews, now check out another from the One Spoonful at a Time blog. Le Gaigne is tiny, but chef/owner Mickael Gaignon performs some grand magic in his kitchen.

2. La Gazzetta - regular readers of this blog should not be surprised by this choice, as I have been praising the restaurant since 2010.

3. Chateaubriand - I wouldn't go so far as to agree that this is the best restaurant in Paris, as has been claimed, but it's damn good. Multi-dishes pass before you in a blur, creative and hip, but alas, some of those dishes are just too tiny for their own good. And they are good.

4. Septime - This new addition to my 'go to' Paris restaurant list, along with Chatomat, were the most promising restaurants I dined at in 2011. Not great, but enough to suggest that they may soon be. I really enjoyed my dinner, particularly at Septime, last Fall, but it's hard to jump to conclusions after just one visit. I'm really looking forward to the next time.

5. Chatomat - see no. 4 above, and it's true, I did call this one 'great' in my review. In retrospective, let me just amend that by saying 'we'll see.'


Co., my dining cohort, is pretty much in agreement with these choices, although she'd probably nudge Septime or Chatomat from their mutual slots to include La Table D'Eugene, one of her personal favorites.

Best tapas - Aux Deux Amis - chaotic and crazy in the early evening. That herring ended up on the floor, but too much fun to care. And even the simple tapas were fresh and memorable.


Best oyster restaurant - Le Pleine Mer. 'Restaurant' may be stretching it, but there's no denying this is one of the top, if not the top 'o the world, places to eat oysters in Paris, especially if you are seeking authenticity down by the seashore in the heart of Paris.

Best online shopping for Mexican condiments - Dos Mexicanas, hands down. Based in Villepinte (France metropolitan). Sauces, hot peppers, chipotle, you name it. Great selection, reasonable prices, and I've already received orders within one or two days of ordering online.

Best movie about food: El Bulli - Cooking In Progress. This documentary about Ferran Adrià's majestic, but alas now closed, greatest restaurant in the world is mesmerizing from the opening shot of Adrià tasting a flourescent lollipop, to the final close-ups of the 38 dishes served during a typical meal. The film covers the six months the El Bulli team spent in their experimental labs in Barcelona, and follows the evolution of the new menu items for the restaurant's upcoming season in Roses, Spain. At one point during the experimental phase, Adrià tells his chefs, 'Don't worry about the quality of the taste, it must be magical!'

Disappointments of the Year - there were a number of these, although if you're not expecting much (see Millesimes 62, La Cerisaie, and Tintilou), it would be unfair to classify a venue as disappointing. But when Frenchie and JaJa get so many rave reviews (albeit 'rave' is an exaggeration for JaJa), disappointment definitely does apply. People talk about Frenchie like it's the bees-knees, so maybe I hit a bad night, but I was distinctly underwhelmed. And as for Jaja, fuggedaboutit.

Aux Deux Amis - Is That a Herring On the Floor or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

Following two immensely satisfying return visits to La Table D'Eugene (but was it us four English speaking diners that led to the 25€ 'mistake' charged for the wine?) and Lilane (a hidden gem if ever there was one), it was time for something completely different, as in the retro-hipster wine bar Aux Deux Amis, unimposing facade sitting right there on rue Oberkampf for all to pass without a double-take. Nonetheless, ADA caught my attention when it won Le Fooding's 2010 award for 'Meilleur Petit Luxe'- best small luxury, a clever and not inaccurate way of describing this tiny little bistro. To wit, here's Le Fooding's English synopsis in a nutshell:

'Take a 70's-like bistro, put smart wines on the counter, cook classic radishes or modern wasabi codfish, add a former waiter of Le Chateaubriand: you get the perfect new food hang-out of the year.'

Well, as it turns out, I obviously wasn't the only one for whom that assessment struck a resounding chord. By the time the Moose and I arrived at an early 7:30 p.m. on a Wednesday evening, the place was packed with young and up Parisians, some sitting, some standing, but about as jam-packed as a small storefront bistrot can be. The entire interior seemed to be wallpapered in mirrors, bathed in yellow flourescence. It took about 15 minutes for us to be guided to the back - and when I say guided, I mean, a narrow path was cleared so that we could traverse the room - no, it's not there - back to the front, yep, there it is, your reserved table, between the window and the long marble bar. I should add, 'table' is probably an exaggeration - the little round cafe table was more of a nightstand, but neither Moose nor I was phased to the least, having imbibed a few whiskeys at that little Rhum Marin bar on rue St. Maur between ave. Republique and Oberkampf, where, you won't believe this, the laid-back owner plays some decent jazz compilations.

It didn't take long to be served at ADA, even given the tumultuous atmosphere. We started with three tapas dishes picked randomly after the waiter read the list of about 12 possibilities from his little scratchpad: piquillos, moules, and St. Jack panais. A pot of vin rouge (19€) arrived when the bartender stretched out to reach our table--as it turned out, our food arrived in similar fashion--which was a lot more sensible than asking our waiter to make any more trips to our table than one could humanly navigate through the crowd. (It was only later that I noticed that the 'carte' was scrawled on one of the mirrors next to the bar, but have a look at the adjoining photo and tell me if you could have ordered from that.) The wine and three tapas plates and bread challenged the miniscule table more than one should have asked, but we managed a fine balancing act and thoroughly enjoyed round one. Simple dishes, but fine quality, with a little bit of panache thrown in by whoever prepared the dishes. About midway through the food and wine, Moose sat back contentedly and, taking in the room, just cooed, 'This is why I love this city.' I know what he meant.

By the time I circumnavigated my way back from the 'rooms', I was happy to see that Moose had taken the initiative to order round two, which again consisted of three choices: Hareng pomme a l'huile, bourrata tapas (a very tasty and fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream), and a salade de choux. I should explain, Moose and I were going moitie-moitie on each of these dishes, so when it was my turn to have a go at the herring, I looked at the plate and immediately wondered where my half of the herring was. When Moose explained that it was actually lying on the floor under the table, it was at that point that I realized that our functionally-challenged table had met its match. Nonetheless, the remaining garnishes were very tasty, and another day, I am sure, I will be able to taste the accompanying herring. The tally for two pitchers of wine and six tapas selections came to a reasonable 70.50€.

An inexpensive prix-fix lunch gives way to a tapas-style dinners, so if you're looking for more of a sit-down full-course meal, lunch is your better bet. Still, if you want a truly Parisian experience, go for the evening's tapas. It's not haute cuisine, but I don't think you'll regret it. And go when it's packed and jammed, because, well, it's just more fun that way.


AUX DEUX AMIS

45 rue Oberkampf
75011 Paris
tel. 01 58 30 38 13
website: none