Upcoming Paris

[Happygoin]

Well, it's a done deal. I just booked my airfare to Paris. Yippeeee! I've been watching airfares and they're going up and up and up (the price of oil, I'm guessing). I'm gambling that, even with winter sales, the price of oil will keep the fares high. I paid $582 on KLM. Of course, it goes through Amsterdam both ways. But they're quick stops and it beats going through Cincinnatti or Atlanta. And I have the apartment rented. So now comes the hard part...the waiting...and the trip isn't until DECEMBER! Aaaarrrrghhh!

[luckyluc]

That is a great new Happy! Where is the apartment, is it in an arrondissement you already know or somewhere new? December is far away but think of all the fun planning will be.

[Happygoin]

The apt is on rue st Jacques in the 5th. It is a studio but it has a trundle in it in case someone gloms on to my trip, although no invitations will be issued. I am really looking forward to a solo trip. I have been looking for you in the chat room...where have you and Doug been? I am wondering if you would edit my "List" sometime...you have the better part of 8 months

[Truffaut]

Hi, Happy. Congratulations on the "upcoming" trip. Eight months will fly by before you know it!! We'd all be happy to help with any advice you might like.

BTW, isn't rue St Jacques just around the corner from the lovely and delectable Coupe Chou?

[Happygoin]

You know, I've always wondered about that. I think I started with that other site after the LCC jokes started and I could never tell if LCC was a good thing or a bad thing. Is it? I would love to send my "list" to you and Luc for editing. I've been looking at Auberge Bressane in the 7th as well as Le Reminet as possible additions to the list. Le Reminet has some iffy reviews lately, tho.

[Truffaut]

Happy, here's my unvarnished opinion of Le Coupe Chou, taken right from my review on "that other site". I hope I'm allowed to steal my own words!

<<Okay, folks. I've held forth many times with my opinion about Le Coupe Chou, even though I had studiously avoided going there. Being a Monday night, and not having all that many choices for dinner without reservations, we ended up at Le Coupe Chou. I shall attempt to give as unbiased an opinion as possible. Before I begin, however, I'd like to point out that G and I try to eat in a very wide variety of restaurants ranging from the neighborhood cafe to Michelin starred restaurants. We're interested in the quality of the food, including its presentation and originality, as well as the overall experience. We speak only in French with waiters to try to have as "authentic" experience as possible.

LCC's ambience is nice and romantic in a quaint sort of way with exposed beams and stone walls. On a summer evening, one has the option to eat at one of ten or so outdoor tables arranged along the exceedingly narrow street. I should note that none of the indoor tables were taken and that there were never more than about 10 outdoor tables filled at prime dinner time (we arrived at 8:30 and left around 11:00). The maitre d'hotel was friendly and responded in French instead of English, but I was very surprised when he simply pointed to a table at the far end (about 40 feet away) and told us to go there.

The menus were presented (translated into English, of course). There were three selections for each course, all of which were homey sorts of food. We Americans tend to think of dishes like beouf bourguinon as gourmet creations, but they are really the sort of thing that every grandmother cooks. They're not hard, they're very forgiving for a reasonably untalented cook, they make use of common inexpensive ingredients, and pretty much everybody likes them.
We ordered a bottle of Gamay, which was chilled to the perfect degree and was really excellent. Priced at 19.50 euros, it was a very good value. Unfortunately, when the bottle arrived it had already been opened. The waiter simply plunked the bottle down without either presenting the label or pouring a taste. Of the three glasses on the table, three were chipped and one was incredibly filthy (we're not talking lipstick marks--I mean it never made it to the dishwasher after the previous guest). We had to wait for the waiter to return before he replaced the dirty glass.

So, back to the food. I ordered "a tartare of fresh vegetables in a tomato coulis". The intent is to suggest the texture of steak tartare, using vegetables. It was seasonal, cool and seemd like a good choice. Unfortunately, both in terms of taste and texture, it was absolutely like a can of Veg-all in a puddle of slightly thinned Campbell's tomato soup. There was not the slightest hint of any seasoning. The only thing that really had a taste were the bits of cucumber, which seemed like the only vegetable that had not come from a can. G ordered a baked egg in taragon cream sauce. There was plenty of taragon, but nothing else really interesting about the dish.

We both chose beouf bourguignon for the main course. Not exactly a summer dish, but really neither were any of the other choices on the menu. The plates arrived, each centered with three or four boiled potatoes. The plates were put down, the cocotte of stew was placed to the side, and off the waiter went, without ladling the first servings onto the plates. After he left, I realized that he had not brought me any cutlery (G still had his because the waiter had not taken away the used cutlery after the first course). After waiting for several minutes, and trying every trick in my repertoire, I finally reached through the open window from the street into the darkened dining room and swiped a knife and fork from another table. We both enjoyed this bourguignon. It was too salty, but it had a nice earthy taste and a rich sauce. I could have used more onion, but I happed to really like onion. There was a slight hint of orange which was nice (especially since I put in a little orange zest when I make it at home).
Neither of us was interested in desert, partly because everything on the desert menu was very common, and we were less than enthused about our previous courses.

The bill arrived and it was a very affordable 69 euros, including the wine.

As we left, we stopped across the street to check the menu posted for another restaurant where we've eaten several times of the years. For the same price, there were about six or seven choices for each course. We haven't been there in about three years, but I still remember specific dishes I had there, including a pineapple dessert soup, and an appetizer of escargots wrapped in puff pastry and served in a sauce of creamed wild mushrooms.

Now, earlier in the week, we had a superb meal at a small bistro in the 3rd Arrondissement, Le Bistro Petit Pamphlet. The ambience was VERY chic and the service was among the best I've ever had in Paris at any price level. The amuse bouche was a slightly warmed soup of spring peas with a sprinkling of basil oil. The bread basket included not only the traditional baugettes, but also walnut bread and a multi-grain bread. My entree was thinly sliced eggplant rolled around a stuffing of ground lamb and sauced with a puree of roasted peppers. G had a slice of marinated salmon alongside an "ice cream cone" of whipped goat cheese flavored with chives. My plat principal was a divine roasted sea bream and I believe G. had lamb. G's dessert was homemade vanilla ice cream served with warmed fresh cherries, and I had a salad of baby lettuces and a fabulous goat cheese, drizzled in oil and sprinkled with toasted walnuts. The wine was a very good, fruity wine with a smooth finish from around Roussilon. Although we didn't order coffee, we were presented with a plate of cookies and homemade truffles to finish off our wine. The total bill----82 euros.

Now, I ask, which of these two is the better value??

I'm not saying that you can't have a decent meal at Le Coupe Chou. Evidently, you can and we did. What I AM saying, is that you can have a MUCH BETTER meal at dozens if not hundreds of other restaurants throughout the city for around the same price.
Next dining installment.......today's lunch at Senderens--and at $650 (US) for four people at lunch it's quite a story to tell!! >>

[Happygoin]

Oh My Words! I'm still stuck on the escargot wrapped in puff pastry with wild mushroom sauce. I'll be thinking of that all day. And YOU were the $650 lunch at Senderens guy! I remember what a fun thread that was . I will probably take a pass on LCC but you made me think of the entree I had at Petit Zinc in St Germain last Oct. It was wild mushroom fricasee vol au vents. Mostly chanterelles and cepes. Since chanterelles are my hands down favorite mushroom, I was just in seventh heaven for a few minutes. Thank you for the review. Do you mind if I email you my list for critique? It's in an impossibly tiny font, so you'll want to change that or get a magnifying glass. And since the trip is in Dec, you have all the time in the world. Is Luc around these days? I thought he might have a look too.

[luckyluc]

Hello Happy, I would be Happy ;D to give you my opinion of your list. You can email it anytime you would like or why not post it and get eveyone's opinion?

[Truffaut]

Sure, no problem. You should be able to click on the envelope icon to send an email. Luc was away for the Easter holiday, but he's back now. The restaurant across the street from LCC is Le Petit Prince de Paris. It's been in business for 30 years or more. It's quite good and very fairly priced. The service is very friendly. Some people consider it a "gay restaurant" simply because it's gay-owned, but the clientele is very mixed.

[Happygoin]

A GAY restaurant!!?? Oh I couldn't possibly...

(The list grows ever longer...)