Little Neighborhood Joints - Saturday, 2 November

This afternoon I took some time to look at the menus in the windows of some of the little (20-30 seats) hole-in-the-wall eateries in my 'hood that I hadn't previously perused. These aren't the kinds of places that you will likely find in the Michelin Guide, but they can be very warm and welcoming and deeeelicious. And close to "home!" I've learned to schedule just one or two "fancy" dinners for each trip - I'm often just too tired in the evening to venture far - and these little joints fill in the blanks very nicely! Not every neighborhood resto is a great find, but every once in a while....

I have a particular soft spot in my heart (and palate!) for duck - rare magret de canard, succulent confit de canard, spectacular foie gras, etc. And wouldn't you know, one of the windows I peeked in this afternoon was of a place just around the corner that specializes in duck! So Le Grapillon (32, rue Tiquetonne) it just had to be - click on this photo to enlarge it to look at their cuisine menu, and you'll see why! When I got back to the apartment I called them and was able to secure a reservation for 9 pm.

From the extensive drinks list on the red wall opposite me I chose a new (to me) aperitif: Kir Sauvignon avec Creme Chataigne - a white Sauvignon with chestnut liqueur. Yummy and fascinating! It was sweet, with hints of lemon from the Sauvignon, a bit floral (almost vanilla-y), nice depth from the chestnuts, and just a touch of astringency. I'm going to have to look for a bottle of Creme Chataigne at the airport liquor store before heading home!

I went with the daily special "entree" (first course): a couple of large home-made raviolis filled with "market mushrooms": sauteed cepes, trumpets and chanterelles. The raviolis were topped with a really delicious creme fraiche mushroom sauce - I used my bread to soak up every drop!

Next, the magret de canard: slices of rare seared duck breast with a slice of foie gras melting into them and a poultry glaze on top (I wish they had left this off), a little ratatouille bundle, a broiled tomato half, some potatoes, and a yummy red bell pepper sauce painted on the "veggies" side of the plate.

Picking a dessert from their extensive menu was just as hard - take a look! I chose the Iles Flottante, creme anglaise (soupy vanilla custard) with "islands" of meringue floating in it, toasted almond slivers and caramel on top. It wasn't the greatest I've had, but it did hit the spot and inspire me to make it again when I get home!






I thought I was done, but with my check my charming waiter brought a compliementary shot of Limoncello liqueur as a digestif - just the thing I needed before venturing back out into the slightly chilly night! My bill? 39.5 euros (about $55). I was satisfied!

There are a couple of schools at the end of my block, and adjacent to them is a chained-off completely pedestrian zone (this is a pedestrian neighborhood, but most of the streets can be used on a limited basis by delivery vehicles and taxis). This was the scene as I was walking home from dinner. Aaahhhhh....