Post by geordy on May 8, 2014 8:45:46 GMT -5
Annette - If you go to La Cuisine de Philippe, please jot down (or photograph)the menu items. I'm seriously considering this place, but I'd like to see all the options (for my husband, who's fussier than I am).
We went to Philippe Excoffier in the 7th on.Rue L'Exposition..used to be chef at American Embasss, has a book out.. Our first night in Paris, walked over from our hotel after the rain for a 9:00 res. Place was full but ready for us! Small, very nice service....menu on large blackboard on wall but also had printed version in English. About 6 choices for each course. I had cold goat cheese "cannollies" with a red pepper coulis...very tasty and different! Then lamb confit parmentier(mashed potatoes on top) with lemon thyme jus..delicious! Oh those lovely cheese puffs as amuse bouche. There was a wait for dessert as everyone seemed to be ordering the salt caramel soufflé so they brought us an extra..a lovely mix of berries,sorbet, foamy on top! And the soufflé was very good but a bit foamier lighter than others I've had. Champ and pinot noir to wash it all down! Very nice dinner.
Not as lucky at La Petite Chaise, dates back to 1640 or something. I had wanted to try after reading about some where so I made the res on La Fourchette. Ground floor room...all Americans..not just English speakers...but unless I missed an accent..Americans. Two French women who were waiting on a couch when we arrived were shortly escorted upstairs. Service overly friendly, almost folksy, but not that good. They had quenelles for a starter so I ordered them. At least10 mins or more . after ordering waiter comes back and says they are out of them. Nothing else appealed at that point so opted out of prix fixte menu which is about 36E. S/O cancelled his as well. Waiter brought the wine, St. Nicholas, while we were drinking our coupes de Champagne , so he opened, but said we'll do the taste later, and went to another table! AS our main courses came and he didn't we decided to do ourselves..after we tasted he flew by to take over pouring. Entrée was duck magret in prune, port wine sauce with apples and a good potato gratin. Ordered fromage instead of dessert...cold! Soft cheeses were flavorless. Wait for check......
On a better note we went to Allard on Sat.( PC was on Sunday as they are open 7 days.) I asked waiter and it has been an Alain Ducasse since July. Very nice service, good table.Amuse bouche is a bowl of cucumber salad and Champ coupes are Mr.Ducasse's house bottles(white or pink!) Started with foie gras with preserved pear and red onion. Excellent , generous portion. Then had a delicious ox cheek(asked, of course actually beef!)and carrot stew in a rich, glossy red wine sauce. Wanted a light dessert after all that richness so had rum savarin with rum and Chantilly..the plate with a few slices of thecake is placed then 2 different bottles of Martinique Rhum left on table along with a covered big silver bowl of whipped cream....divine!!! And light! After the Chhhamp we went with a Cote de Rhone. Delightful time!
We had dined well in Milan and then the first two nites in Paris At PE andAllard..so I guess that made Petite Chaise all the more disappointing!