Mange: To Eat (My favorite French Word)

Oh boy, I think I am getting into bad habits. I have never seen a city so full of cafes, brasseries, restaurants and eating opportunities. And because the food seems so much higher in the market places I find I want to eat out more and more. It almost doesn't seem worthwhile cooking if I am going to pay four times more for a chicken that doesn't taste as good as Costco's.

I have been asked for restaurant recommendations. First of all, let me tell you a restaurant to avoid:
Au Vieux Paris d'Arcole at 24 rue Chanoinesse 75004 near Notre Dame. This is a restaurant I reported about in an earlier blog. Absolutely horrible prices for quality presented and service that was non existent. It looks great, the owners are nice but my food was room temperature and my companion's food was awful.

Happy Experiences:

(not in order of importance)

Au Bon Coin21 rue de la Collegiate 75005
Cute restaurant in typical red/white checked tablecloths. Affordable and tasty.

La Gauloise59 Aven de la Motte Picquet 75015 (near the 7th)
Charming, sweet ambiance. Reasonable (for Paris) prices, good food, attentive service. I had the salmon with a basil hollandaise sauce.

Au Pied de Couchon (means feet of the pig)
6 rue Coquilliere 75001
Metro: Les Hallas near St Eustache Church
I had been there seven years ago with the snow blanketed the sidewalk and there was no terrace. The windows were frosted and we had their famous Onion Soup with a bottle of wine. We were in heaven. This time a new companion showed me the summertime ambiance of the place. The terrace could have been a Hollywood set. The restaurant is decorated with typical Parisenne Belle Epogue. The service is slow so relax and expect that. My date ordered pigs feet, ear and tail, which he had had there before. This time he felt it was greasy (what does one expect from pig's feet and tail, for Pete's sake?). I had the Magret of Canard which was delicious. I love this place. I want to move into this place.

Cafe: Les Deux Magots
6 place St Germain de Pres
Find the Church and you will find the cafe. A place frequented by Hemingway and other authors. This is the best people watching place I have found. Sit outside, weather permitting. I had smoked salmon on toast and we treated ourselves to a dessert. Sit there for a couple of hours. The table is yours.

La Lipp -
Across the street from Les Deux Magot and Cafe de Flore
Also competed for the literary geniuses of the 50s: Jean Paul Satre, Hemingway, Simone de Bouvois etc etc.
This is another bustling French brasserie with two levels and a staff that is pressured to produce. So, of course, that means slow service. We went on a rainy day and let the rain splatter against the window as we enjoyed our slow-paced lunched. I had salmon in a wonderful sauce; my companion had the ham from Avignon (best area of France for ham and fromage) and lentils (which were fabulous).

Le Dome
108 Blvd Montparnasse 75014
Pleasant 1930;s ambiance, good service and delicious food. Upscale, Art Deco with rich wood and stained glass windows specializing in seafood. We split the lobster salad (57 euro!) and each had a veal chop. Thick, delicious and perfectly cooked. Splurged with calories and split a dessert: a sort of layered gateau that was huge and delicious. Splurge meal.

Le Coupole
Next to Le Dome) on Montparnasse in the 14th
Large, brightly lite restaurant which opened in 1927. I read about this in some gourmet magazine before I left the US and it is a fun, noisy, historic place. My companion insisted I have their foie gras (he knew I loved hot foie gras) and it was a fabulous, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
He ordered their speciality: a large seafood platter and he and I dug into shrimps and oysters etc Very delicious. I hope to return to this place. Now if they would just turn off half their lights. Service: average. Waiters look like they are robotic slaves who live in the back (never making eye contact or smiling) but we put up with them and dove into our meal like it was our last. I still love the place.

Across the street from these last two is the highest building in Paris. Montparnasse building has a restaurant and bar on the almost-top floor, We went for champagne before dinner. It was sophisticated and fancy and another splurge place.

Note: None of the above are considered "haute" cuisine. A "haute" cuisine restaurant will charge at least $1,000.00 for a meal for two...a bit too "hautey" for my tastes!

In coming to Paris: Do not expect to find too many bargain eateries. There are some but not often in the touristy areas. Go to a Thai place, or Moroccan etc. There will be bargains there. Also, grab a sandwich or salad to go or a crepe and swallow down some water and be on your way. Service will be slow almost everywhere. And even though their wages are inclusive in the price of the meal, it is nice to leave a small tip commensurate with the caliber restaurant and service and quality of food.

Word of the Day: Mange - Eat!
- Diet (a word I have not learned yet in French)