Well, that was Sweet! - Resto Le Mazenay - Monday, 8 October

Well, that was sweet!  Restaurant Le Mazenay has been on my list for quite a while, and I finally got there tonight.  They specialize in wild game, which is just the thing for a fall evening!

I saw grouse on their online menu, and I was hoping to get some, but it wasn’t on the menu at the resto.  Grouse are wild things, so I guess if you can’t get ‘em you can’t get ‘em!  Oh, well. 

My dinner plus the aperitif, sparkling water, wine and coffee came to 84.50 euros (about $99).  Wild!  Sweet!

I just had to try the house aperitif of Gentiane des Peres Chartreux (an herbal liqueur from the Carthusian monks at Chartreuse), Crème de Cassis (black currant), sparkling water and a lemon slice. It was quite tasty, and the sweet strong anise flavor of the gentian complimented the snails in my first course nicely.  They served a few Gruyere icebox crackers with the aperitif while I was waiting for my first course to come.


The first course: wild snails in an herb salad with fromage fraiche (a very young cheese, almost like a blend of yogurt and sour cream), and black currant vinaigrette, all sitting on a large (about 3-inch diameter) savory sablé. The snails were prepared without all of the garlic and butter that usually disguises their flavor. They were very nice, earthy, deep, sweet, meaty yet tender, pure, reminiscent of wild game.  The herb salad included watercress, tarragon, arugula, mustard greens, and parsley.  Wonderful!  It’s hard to see the snails in my photo, but trust me, they were there, kind of hiding among all the greens, as snails are wont to do! 

Then came my main course for some more autumnal sweet, dark and tender (what more could you wish for in the fall?)  A whole perfectly roasted partridge was served with slender green beans, shallots, figs, violet mustard, and poultry stock reduction.  They all displayed that sweet/dark/tender quality in their own category - meat, vegetable, root, fruit, and floral were all represented.
With this course, an earthy and peppery Cotes du Rhone (Domaine Belle Crozes Heritage Roche Pierre 2015) complimented the dish nicely. Yummers.

For dessert, the waiter highly recommended their millefeuille.  It was actually a “cheater” version with three layers of crème diplomat (crème patissiere with whipped cream folded in) sandwiched between rectangles of phyllo pastry (normally it’s quite a few more layers of crème patissiere and puff pastry).  It was served with some very nice caramel. Again, sweet! (Although I would have loved a couple berries to counteract all that richness.)

Street Scenes - Monday, 8 October

Tomorrow I head back to Minneapolis, so just a few more street scenes!

Every season is road construction season in Paris!  Barricades are up in front of my local little chapel (!), Basilique Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, to replace the pavement.




And I don't mean to put down some concrete or little bricks - take a look at these granite paving stones!




They need sturdy paving stones because the giant garbage trucks gotta make their way down even the most narrow streets!




Not all vehicles are monstrously heavy, though!  Notice the very large platform on the front of this bike. Some delivery vehicle! It could clearly accommodate a large crate or two.

Civilization

Incense, Architecture, Etchings, Sculpture, Memories, Tears - Sunday, 7 October

Incense hung in the air of l'Église Saint-Séverin as I stepped inside on Sunday afternoon. This just might be my favorite church in Paris. I’ve been here many times, but I’ve never experienced the incense so present - sandalwood and floral - there was something very purifying and holy about it. There has been a church on this site since the 11th century; it is named after a 6th century hermit who lived in the area. It sits in the midst of the insanely bustling Latin Quarter, a welcome refuge from the madness of the world, a quiet and sacred space. I shuffled around the double ambulatory (stepping cautiously on the very worn-down paving stones), stopped at the side chapels, sat and breathed deeply in the nave.

Then I proceeded to the small elliptical Mansart Chapel in the southeast corner of the building. This simple chapel, with its etchings by Georges Rouault, and beautifully cast bronze Madonna and child by Georges Schneider, and crucifix, altar and lectern by I-wish-I-knew-who is a beautiful spot for quiet reflection.

And reflect I did. And cry. Many many years ago, I told my friend and college-freshman-year-accompanist Leah Harding about this place, and about the etchings. As an artist herself, she knew of them, and told me that they were by Georges Rouault. Then, in April 2008, Leah came to Paris with me and we visited Saint-Séverin, where she was also enthralled by the three organs in the church. We ate lunch across the street (where I had my confit de canard today). The incense in the church reminded me of the perfume she always wore.

Leah died almost a year ago of cancer. So all the memories came rushing together as I sat in the Mansart Chapel, and tears ran down my face, and my sniffling was quite loud in that elliptical stone space. Happily, there was only one other person in the chapel whose prayers I disturbed. He smiled at me kindly when he left.

A Paris Trip isn't Complete Without.... - Sunday, 7 October

The Sunday morning service at The American Church in Paris on the banks of the Seine in the 7th arrondissement.  It's the most racially and culturally diverse church I've ever been to.  Today, the offering was danced down the aisle!  Search my blog for multiple stories about the church and stop in when you're in town on a Sunday.

And, of course, the trip isn't complete without at least one lunch of confit de canard.  It's not the haute-est of haute cuisine, but one of my favorite things to eat.  The leg and thigh of ducks specially raised for magret and foie gras are cured, then roasted very slowly in duck fat, then submerged in duck fat, refrigerated and aged for at least a week and up to three months.  Then you can dig them out of the container, wipe off the excess fat, warm them up in the oven (ideally crisping up the skin), and luxuriate in the most tender, moist, succulent, flavorful poultry you’ve ever eaten.

I haven’t found anyone other than Surdyk’s deli (and myself, of course, on a non-commercial basis) in the Twin Cities who makes it correctly – if you find it on a menu it’s usually just slow-roasted duck leg/thigh.  Must start a new batch when I get home!

On my way to lunch I came across this completely empty bike rental rack near the Sorbonne.  Not sure I've ever seen that before!

I Would Cross the Ocean.... - Saturday, 6 October

I would cross the ocean for a meal like this, for dishes of this elegance.  And I do.

Accents Table Bourse is one of my very favorite restos.  It’s located just steps from the Bourse in the 2nd arrondissement, and I’ve been absolutely charmed by their food and wine.  They opened in early 2017, and my first meal there was in April:  https://mariellen-musing.blogspot.com/2017/04/im-shouting-winner-for-accents-best.html  Then I was back in September:  https://mariellen-musing.blogspot.com/2017/09/why-i-return-to-france-again-and-again.html  I also had lunch there this March, but I haven’t yet loaded any stories from that trip to my blog, so you’ll just have to wait!

The brilliant sommelier and host, Etienne Billard, always has a warm greeting for me, and he always seats me at the same table as I had my first visit, right next to the kitchen window where I can observe the preparations if I wish!

A couple of months ago I read on their Facebook page that they were starting to serve a larger menu at lunchtime on Saturdays, so I thought I’d give it a try.  It was marvelous, but I missed the even larger menu with astonishing wine pairings by Mr. Billard that they serve in the evenings.  Next trip, back to an evening reservation!

My 3 courses plus Champagne, wine, cheese, coffee and house-filtered sparkling water came to 87 euros (about $102).  A spectacular deal.

First up, a complimentary amuse buche:  sheep’s milk cheese with carrot puree, slices of roasted carrots, chunks of cocoa nibs, and herbs

Their deeply smoked butter is worth the price of admission itself! With great crunchy warm sourdough (the loudest crunch of any bread I’ve had this trip!) it was tempting to eat and eat and eat.  If I hadn’t known what was coming, moderation would have gone out the window.

My first course:  smoked chèvre ice cream, grated foie gras, barely cooked cauliflower (perhaps steamed), with ash (I assume from smoking the cheese) scattered on the plate, and a spun-sugar bubble (it’s barely visible on the left side of the plate).  Wow!  Flavors in cold and room temperature elements are sometimes hard to detect (or subtle at best), and these would have been, but that spun sugar bubble brought it all together.

My Louis Roederer & Philippe Starck Champagne was wonderful with the first courses - fresh, with tiny bubbles, and flavors of white stone fruit and a bit of pineapple, lemon zest, and almond - very pleasant!  And Mr. Billard was wanting to finish off the bottle, so I got more than one glass!

For my main:  canette (duckling) breast cooked pink with salsify two ways (creamed and crisps), purple carrots, and rich & lightly salted veal demi glace. So so so subtle, refined, perfectly balanced and charmingly flavorful (if there is such a thing!).  No need to hit me over the head with a dozen intense flavors – I’ll go for perfectly executed subtlety any day!

A terrific 2011 Côtes du Rhône from Domaine de Fontbonau paired beautifully with then canette –  earthy, flinty, hints of black raspberry and honey – but with a subtlety matching that of the dish.  It was also amazing with the bread and smoked butter!

Camberbet with a little yuzu-miso dressing, which added both a sweetness and a bit of zing to the cheese, and some lightly dressed greens (the red leaf was nice and peppery!).  Very fun.  When I sipped my Côtes du Rhône with it, the cheese tasted sweeter and vapors developed significantly, touching my whole mouth and palate.  I had a bit of Champagne left, and with it the herbal character of the cheese was stronger.  Magic!

For dessert, white chocolate ganache, coconut cream, yogurt sorbet, passionfruit syrup, hazelnuts, meringue sticks, green tea crumble, and blueberries – each tickled a different sense, it was complex, yet it all came together in a harmonious whole.  Who wouldda thunk?

Then for a last bite, their wonderful green tea sponge cake (the most tender cake I can remember having) with zingy nectarine compote.

Finally, coffee in their cute hand-made cups!

But only 6 patrons total dined while I was here. Why? Lunchtime? Saturday? Very business location steps from the Bourse?

When I was sorting through my receipts later, I discovered this notice telling me that I could have purchased some of their components to take home:

• Beurre fumé  125 g / 3.5 €  [BRILLIANT stuff]
• Chiffon cake  19 €
• Foie Gras des Landes Mi-Cuit et son chutney  350 g / 45 €

Darn!  I would at least have bought the butter, and since they’re closed Sunday and Monday I don’t even have the chance to swing by to buy some to take home on Tuesday.  Next trip I’m booking a table early in my stay so that I can take these gems back to the apartment with me to enjoy the rest of my stay.

I'll Miss You, Franck! - Saturday, 6 October

A trip to Paris isn't complete without some shopping at the best resto/kitchen store anywhere, E.Dehillerin.  I've written many times in this blog about the store and its merchandise and the inimitable Franck, a Frenchman with impeccable English (he lived in New Hope MN for a couple years!) who I met on my first visit in the late 1980s and who has served me every trip since then.

Franck retires in December, so this is my last visit with him.  Merci, Franck, for MANY years of wonderful service.  It’s the end of an era.  Happy retirement!

A Classic French Beauty! - Friday, 5 October

La Seine Musicale - Far Out! - Friday, 5 October

The concert hall is in the round bubble
in the center of the picture

The ring corridor inside the
concert hall "bubble",
looking outward

My Friday night adventure was checking out the newest concert venue in Paris, La Seine Musicale. It opened about a year ago, and features a concert hall primarily for unamplified music (mostly classical and jazz) seating 1,150, plus a larger modular hall accommodating 6,000 where rock and popular/musicals/dance are performed and other events are held.  It’s in the far western suburbs of Paris, in the middle of the Île Seguin in the middle of the Seine, in an area called Boulogne-Billancourt, about 5 miles downstream from the Eiffel Tower.  The Pont de Sèvres terminus of Metro line 9 is just a few blocks away on one side of the river, as is the RATP line 2 Brimborion Station on the other side of the river.  Of course, taxis and Uber also serve the area, but it’s a long way from central Paris so it's pretty pricey, especially during rush hour (ask me how I know!).

I hadn’t been there yet, so I just had to check out a concert by Patricia Petibon, a coloratura soprano who specializes in baroque, Mozart, etc., but who also takes on modern and opéra-comique work with her unique theatrical and almost cartoonish (at times) style.

Inside the concert hall

La Seine Musicale has a modern industrial feel – lots of concrete and a bit of glass – very sterile in the corridors, bars, restrooms, etc. – it felt like they could hose down the place pretty easily!  The concert hall’s wood and red upholstery has a much warmer feel, but it’s at the other end of the facility from the entrance, so the journey there is through the concrete jungle.  It’s in a big dramatic glass, steel and wood bubble which I’m guessing provides acoustic separation from the rest of the facility (as the ring corridor does at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis).

Apparently this was a concert to celebrate the release of Ms. Petibon's new album, “Alchimia.”  She performed with two pianists and a violinist.  The performance was amplified and included some prerecorded tracks, looping, etc.  There were some original works, some jazz interpretations of classic works (such as Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro” done in both a straight style and a jazz style), some pieces just for piano and amplified violin, etc.  As I mentioned, Ms. Petibon has a very theatrical style – for the first few pieces the stage was quite dark and she had lights attached to her hands to amplify her dramatic sweeping arm movements.  It was a bit “over the top” for me, but then the songs were in French so I didn’t understand the lyrics, so the melodramatic effects might have been perfectly appropriate!  All the performers displayed excellent technique, but the style just wasn’t my cup of tea so it got tiring.  I’m glad I went to check out the place, though.

The entrance plaza, with multiple
outdoor cafes

They have a restaurant, a café, and several bars on the premises.  Since I wanted to give myself plenty of time to get there and figure out the venue, I decided to have a light supper in the outdoor café.  Nothing fancy, so the bill came to just 32 euros (about $40).

A Lovely (and Tasty) Day in the Marais - Thursday, 4 October

A lovely day in the Marais!

I needed to head over there today to search for some olive oil.  OK, OK, a particular olive oil.  Success at a little shop on rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie (straight ahead in this photo)!

After my shopping spree I settled down for a coffee and thought hey, I wonder what my old pal Patricia Wells would recommend near here.  So I pulled up her "Food Lover's Guide to Paris" app (it has GPS mapping so you can look up recommendations on an interactive map).

Lo and behold, Patsy recommends a tiny shop called Comme a Lisbonne that was just a block away and that serves authentic Portuguese "Pasteis de Nata" - custard-filled puff pastry tarts - to eat there (well, maybe - there are only 2 tables!) or to go.  They were a mere 2 euros each, so a couple of them came home with me. SPECTACULAR - crispy, flakey, unctuous, sweet, rich, deep, silky, comforting - all in two bites!  Here's the one I haven't eaten yet.  This is all they sell other than some Portuguese specialty mustards, honeys, preserves, etc., and they make them all day long so they're always fresh.  Now I want to go back and buy them by the dozen and throw a big party. Wanna come?

Astair: Not Quite as Nimble as I Hoped - Thursday, 4 October

There are about 20 still-functioning 18th century “Passages” in Paris.  I’ve visited several of them – they’re in various stages of repair or disrepair, some with many shops/restos/entertainments and some with just a few, with various degrees of “haute!”  Some day I might actually check all of them off my list!  Here’s an article about them:   https://www.timeout.com/paris/en/shopping/les-passages-couverts-1

Passage des Panoramas is in the 2nd arrondissement near the Grands Boulevards Metro.  One of my favorite restos, Canard & Champagne, is there (check out my report from a couple years ago here: https://mariellen-musing.blogspot.com/2016/05/doing-few-things-brilliantly-canard.html ), and there seem to be more and more restos and cafes every time I stop by, also several high-end stamp and ephemera shops, coin shops, a favorite jewelry shop, and other curiosities.


I had high hopes for “Astair,” a new resto that opened just last week by the same guys who are behind Canard & Champagne.  My hopes weren’t exactly dashed in my Thursday lunch there, but then they weren’t exactly met either.


It’s a lovely space, with comfortable seating both inside and “outside” in the Passage. I had reserved, so they gave me the “chef’s table,” a lovely round booth back by the kitchen. It felt a bit “spotlighty,” but happily the other diners were just paying attention to each other!

They have a pretty wide-ranging menu, but I decided to go with the prix fixe lunch menu, thinking that’s where they would be showing off their best stuff.

My bill, with a glass of Amatéüs Bobi Cab Franc from the Loire, a bottle of Badoit, and coffee came to 48.80 euros (about $58). Sadly, there was quite a bit of sediment in my wine and it came cold (not cellar temperature, but really cold) – after I warmed the glass up with my hands it was tasty, but it took a while!  When I told the waiter, he said “oh, sorry.” 


For my first course, a puréed mushroom soup with a quenelle of mushroom mousse, croutons, and some sautéed wild mushrooms - warming, earthy, subtle, delicious. Although it wasn’t quite hot enough, I could have eaten more! Their terrific crusty sourdough bread was great with it.

Then an ENORMOUS portion of roasted pork, with plentiful young potatoes sautéed with shallots and herbs.  It was deeeelicious but oh, my goodness, you could have fed a family of five!  It’s not quite as bad as it looks in the photo since there were large chunks of fat to cut off (the fat did lend scrumptiousness and tenderness to the meat and potatoes).  I maybe should have asked for a doggie bag (not sure what they call it here!), but since I wasn’t heading straight back to the apartment afterwards, I didn’t.

For dessert, a nice bowl of verbena panna cotta with fruit and cookie crumbles. Nothing fancy, but light and refreshing.





Coffee was served with a Valhrona chocolate stirring stick!

Service was a bit uneven. I’ll just chalk it up to newly opened getting-the-kinks-out. But next time I think I’ll go to Canard & Champagne instead!



Here's another fun-looking eatery near the north entrance of Passage des Panaromas.  Gotta check it out next trip!  Rock on!