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Food: Meals in Paris, Part 2

With less than a week in Paris, we foodies needed to plan our meals well. Haute cuisine, “le fooding,” brasseries, bistros, Middle Eastern, Moroccan: how to get a taste of it all?

We didn’t, but here’s three we’d go to again:

Gaya par Pierre Gagnaire (44, rue du Bac). Don’t be put off by Gagnaire’s global celebrity. This spot is small, charming, hip and well run. Its kitchen puts out exquisite food at prices befitting the seasonality and execution of each dish. One could quibble over three ravioli for 20 euros, but I didn’t: each was filled with a different spring vegetable, and melted in my mouth. A Lac Leman whitefish filet ( 33 euros) was sided with a timbale of white beans and olives. Yum. One complaint: nearly an hour passed before dessert and coffee arrived.

We tried another feted chef’s affordable offerings at Atelier Maitre Albert (1, rue Maitre Albert), a Guy Savoy restaurant. Back home we’re still talking about the luscious soupe de moules, plank-grilled cabillaud, terrine de pamplemousse. We liked the old stone walls and dark but pleasing decor…also our cute, attentive waiter. (A prix fixe dinner is 32 euros.)

The others returned to Chicago but my friend Cathy and I had another day and night for art (Musee Rodin), shopping (Le Bon Marche, Dehillerin) and food. We both had a jones for mussels — not soupe de moules — just a bowl of meaty ones, steamed in white wine, shallots, parsley.

La Coupole (102, bd du Montparnasse) is known for its spectacular decor, seafood and excellent service. We got all three — but no mussels. Never mind: what a blast to dine at La Coupole! The room is vast and too brightly lit, but our table seemed intimate. There’s a constant cacophony, but we had not trouble conversing. It was a weeknight but completely packed with families, couples, old ladies.

Our meal was just right for a last night in Paris: a platter of oysters, salade fromage de chevre, foie gras, a grassy Chablis. (About 130 euros.)

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One thought on "Food: Meals in Paris, Part 2"

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    January 17, 2012 at 8:44 am

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