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Recent restaurant redux
By Ann | July 22, 2010
I know I’ve been a little remiss on the restaurant posts recently, but sometimes when I’m eating out, I just want to stuff my maw instead of taking notes and photos. But then, browsing a few of my favorite France blogs, I had an epiphany: I can do a short and punchy restaurant roundup instead of a long, elaborate rumination. I can — gasp! — do whatever the heck I want — it’s my blog! So, borrowing a page from the charming Sweet Freak, here’s a little restaurant redux of the places I’ve eaten at recently.
Where: Pizza Chic (13 rue de Mézières, 6e)
Dined with: Ravenous pizza fan (CK) (husband)
Ate: Pizza aurora — crisp and chewy pie, topped with tomato sauce and slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, which were added after the crust was cooked, a delightful blend of cool and warm. CK had his usual, pizza diva, topped with tomato sauce, cheese, ham and mushrooms.
Thoughts: This is my dirty restaurant secret because we eat here all the time (seriously – all the time) and yet I have never mentioned it. On this occasion, slightly tipsy after a glass of wine at Café de la Mairie (where they now charge for the accompanying potato crisps — what is the world coming to?), we stayed cool by arriving before the 8.30pm dinner rush and sitting outside. After dinner, we went to buy a six-pack of Perrier at Monoprix, as is our usual post-Pizza Chic tradition. Now you know all our secrets.
Where: Kitchen Galerie Bis (25 rue des Grands Augustins, 6e)
Dined with: Elegant pair of out-of-town guests from Oregon, CK
Ate: Actually, we ate here twice in one week. We had the menu découverte (60€) both times. The tasting menu starts with five “zors d’oeuvres” or tapas-style bites. Fish follows (my favorite was the St-Pierre with orange and extra-virgin olive oil). Then meat (duck breast with ginger and cherries — butter tender). Finished with two desserts (best bite: the white peach cappuccino with ginger ice cream).
Thoughts: Service is efficient and well-paced and I have to offer major kudos for serving us an extremely different tasting menu after I mentioned our first visit a few days earlier. Food here is very playful, clean and clever, a blend of French techniques and global herbs and spices. There’s a real wow factor here; this is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants.
Where: Perle de Dalian (13 rue Pétion, 11e)
Dined with: Franco-Swiss-American food enthusiasts, dumpling head (CK)
Ate: Pan-fried veggie dumplings — terrific. Various pork and/or chicken dumplings — best avoided (meat has an odd texture). Delightfully spicy mapo doufu, though I found it a touch too salty. Cumin beef (boeuf zi-ran) — lovely and balanced use of cumin and spice. Beijing-style noodles (zhajiang mian) –house-made strands tossed with a sweet-savory pork sauce, fairly authentic but noodles a little soggy.
Thoughts: This is a hole-in-the-wall Chinese joint, where the cook hails from northern China. Good for satisfying vegetarian dumpling cravings. The waitress is very sweet and seems to love kids. Check out the house-made chili oil if you’re brave.
Where: Apollon (24 rue Jean Nicot, 7e)
Dined with: Cranky office-worker on a vegan diet (me)
Ate: Greek salad – super fresh, graced with chopped herbs, fat olives and cubes of feta. The hummous has a luscious creamy sesame fullness.
Thoughts: This is my favorite lunch spot near my work and I eat here almost every day I’m at the Library. Have I ever mentioned that I try to eat vegan during the day? It’s part of my Mark Bittman-style campaign to lose weight. Aside from offering many healthy food options, I think Apollon has some of the best Greek food in Paris (note: I am NO expert). The lunch formule (14€) ranges from chicken and pork kebobs, moussaka, or stuffed eggplant. They also have pita sandwiches stuffed with souvlaki or fried eggplant and zucchini croquettes — not healthy but cheap and delicious!
Where: Q-Tea (19 rue Notre-Dame de Lorette, 9e)
Dined with: My Chinese interpreter (CK)
Ate: Fried pork dumplings — exquisite and the best I’ve found to date in Paris. Earth’s three fairies — an old Beijing standby of stir-fried eggplant, bell pepper and potato. Lion’s head — classic Shanghai casserole of oversized pork meatballs and cabbage.
Thoughts: Miniscule space with only four tables and a kitchen the size of my closet. Owned by a Taiwanese-Shanghainese boyfriend-girlfriend team. He’s the cook and is clearly a perfectionist. Food takes time to arrive (you get the feeling the stove has only one burner) but it’s prepared with thought and care. Lots to explore on this menu, including bubble tea and hot pot (though not in the dog days of summer).
Topics: Dining Out and About |
7 Responses to “Recent restaurant redux”
Comments
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July 22nd, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Awesome! Thanks for the addresses! But wait… is the feta vegan?
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Ha! No, but the cubes are easily avoided! (I usually treat myself to two.)
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:37 am
I drink lots of Perrier as a ploy to obligate us to have dinner at Pizza Chic as often as possible. One note on the Greek restaurant: their meatballs are scrumptious.
July 26th, 2010 at 4:48 am
Ann, I am honored!
And, am duly noting your dirty secret pizza address *and* the Greek resto - I love Greek and sorely miss it here!
It’s funny, I ‘do’ vegan on Mondays and am sometimes surprised at how easy it is. And other times, really just want a hunk of cheese!
Bis, Amy (Sweet Freak)
July 30th, 2010 at 1:49 am
Chris — We are almost out of Perrier… Does that mean what I think it does?
Sweet Freak — Thank you again for the idea!
I think veganism is easier in the summer w/ all the great fruit. But sometimes I miss yogurt. And, definitely, cheese! xx
July 31st, 2010 at 4:43 am
I know another repeat performance of this week! What a fun run-around!
August 1st, 2010 at 3:26 am
p.s. — I was interested to learn you’re such fans of Pizza Chic, because of course I passed it every week on the way to Inst Catho. It looked too ritzy to be any good, I’m fascinated to learn otherwise! I took a cool photo there in the winter and always peeked in the windows, but that’s as close as I got.
Good to see you all yesterday and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY again!!! So glad you were *together* to celebrate!!