Nourishment. Contentment. And Staggering Distance! – Sunday, 5 October

Did you see the movie “Something’s Gotta Give” with Diane Keaton (Erica) and Jack Nicholson (Harry)? Remember the scene where Erica is having dinner in a fancy Parisian brasserie and Harry comes to find her? Well, that brasserie is Le Grand Colbert, and it’s staggering distance (as a friend of mine so charmingly puts it) from my apartment. They’re open Sundays, so guess where I went for an early dinner tonight?

It was a bit worrisome that there were only a few other people in the place when I arrived, but it filled up by about 8:00.  A large group of people mostly well, um, about my age, all wearing permanent name badges, arrived at about 7:15. There was some settling into a row of tables in the back, then passing of drinks, then a couple speeches – maybe it was someone’s retirement party!

Although I love the inventive work done by young chefs here and in the ‘Cities, the old classic French dishes that they serve here are so satisfying and provide such a deep sense of well-being. So I was able to stroll back to the apartment on a fine evening feeling nourished and contented.

See the photos for descriptions of my smoked salmon with blini & crème fraîche, lamb chops with green beans & broiled tomato, roasted figs with ice cream, and an interesting toilet seat! (You can't accuse me of withholding important info!)  2, rue Vivienne  http://www.legrandcolbert.fr/

Smoked salmon with a blini (yeasted buckwheat
pancake), chive creme fraiche and lemon - sweet,
smooth, earthy, tender, and just acidic enough

A very tasty combo!

Two thinly-sliced lamb chops, perfectly grilled
to crusty on the outside and pink on the inside,
with the sweetest green beans I've ever had and
a perfectly broiled tomato topped with
buttery thyme breadcrumbs 

Roasted figs with vanilla ice cream - the figs
were sprinkled with some sugar before putting
them under the broiler, providing some
wonderful bites of crunchy caramel

The interior

A Diane Keaton look-alike? Well, no.

This toilet seat was round, and it circulated through
a cleaning station when you flushed!