You've Got Mail! - Thursday, 4 September

 

Just a little street scene for you today!  

The mail carriers (facteurs) here use sturdy square multi-pocketed rolling cases with four big wheels for their routes.  Since the deliveries are to shops on the ground level and to a bank of mailboxes just inside a digicode-accessed door for the apartments above, it's very efficient, and they can carry a lot in those cases, and the big wheels seem to make traversing the sidewalks and the paving stones and curbs a snap!  

As I was waiting for a taxi outside my apartment today, my facteur made her deliveries to my building.  So I snapped her photo!

A New Star in the 'Hood, Aldéhyde - Wednesday, 3 September

 

Restaurant Aldéhyde received its first Michelin star this year.  And it’s a block-and-a-half from my apartment – staggering distance!  Part of the trail is a courtyard entrance paved with those lovely ancient rounded stones, so it’s extra cautious staggering for that segment!  But I made it safely there and back home for lunch today.  It’s perfectly accessible for the mobility-challenged, with just a tiny step up from the sidewalk.   

And what a lunch!  It started with a terrific Champagne Brimoncourt Brut Régence (mostly Chardonay with some Pinot Noir) – fresh, slightly sweet, suggestions of pear and peach and rosemary, tiny bubbles – delicious alone and it beautifully enhanced my first courses.

The amuse bouche was a finely chopped broccoli and tarragon tartare, which I think was bound with olive oil, topped with little dollops of sunchoke purée and a green pepper purée enhanced with just enough Tabasco-type hot sauce to wake you up and make your tongue tingle!  They served a terrific very-crunchy-crusted bread with Spanish olive oil.  

Then came several small ravioli stuffed with duck confit, on a bed of braised leeks, topped with crispy leeks, in a pool of cilantro emulsion, dusted with with some dried powdered thyme (I think).  WOW!  Warming, rejuvenating, deep, pillowy, earthy, just fatty enough.  Satisfying while leaving enough stomach space for the next courses!  With it, the herbal qualities of the Champagne came forward.

before the "sauce" was added

with the "sauce"

  Next, my fish course – the most tender and sweet and pure barely-cooked trout, slightly warm (cooked sous vide?) with a small skinned tomato stuffed with trout liver!  A “sauce” of halved cherry tomatoes, hazelnuts, red onion and (I think) cacao nibs in a well-balanced vinaigrette was spooned over the dish.  Amazing contrast of textures and flavors and levels of acidity that stimulated all areas of the palate.  

I went for a delightful Spanish medium-intensity dry red wine Alto las Cuestas (Grenache) with my meat, cheese and dessert courses.  Senses of cherry and cassis, parsley, grape stems, birch, and leeks.  I loved the tastes and the way it tamed the spicy elements of the final dishes.

So for my meat course, pristine moist rich lightly roasted chicken breast and more darkly roasted leg meat, slightly spicy red pepper purée seasoned with za’atar, and a small red pepper stuffed with an herbed cheese, all in a pool of delicious chicken stock.  On the side, a little pastry basket containing all the flavors of the dish, sitting on a dab of hot sauce, to be consumed in one bite after the rest of the plate was eaten – so clever!  Again, fabulously skillful blending of flavors and senses and textures that all worked together and complemented each other.  Brilliant!

I’m in France, so of course I need a cheese course before dessert!  Goat cheese chunks and a bit of Szechuan pepper flavored vinegar were in the bottom of this bowl.  It was topped with cheesy foam, fresh figs, fig compote, and olive oil also spiced with Szechuan pepper.  A great mix of fresh and sweet and hot, and the wine’s woodiness blossomed with this course!

And a real eye-opener for dessert, in more ways than one!  An almond sablé style cookie, fresh honeydew strips and purée, melon sorbet, dollops of cantaloupe and jalapeño (yup!) gels.  Wow!  The sensation of the cold sorbet against the jalapeño gel was delightful, and the whole dish just worked!  I'm pretty sure that I've never had jalapeño in a dessert before!

Finally a very strong very hot very delicious espresso with an apricot-violet jelly and a tiny financier.  What a meal!

Almost all of the 20+ seats were full.  The sound system was low, the conversations were quiet, registering about 60-70dB most of the time.  I heard a mix of languages around me, but the common denominator with wait staff was English. 

You can bet I'll be back, hopefully for dinner next time so that I can sample more of Chef Youssef Marzouk's classical yet imaginative French cuisine (with Tunisian influences).  He graduated top of his class in chemistry before following in his parents' footsteps into the culinary world, so it's perhaps not surprising that he named his first resto after the molecule contained in coriander, thus reflecting the distinctive character of his cuisine!

Aldéhyde.  5 rue du Pont Louis Philippe 75004.  One Michelin star.  https://aldehyde.paris/

    

the view from my table

Maybe Just a Late-Night Cocktail Next Time - Tuesday, 2 September

Pamela Popo is a little resto about 10 yards outside my door.  They are open only in the evenings, and their little deck-with-tables-and-umbrellas that extends into the street seems to be a quite popular spot late at night.  I had stopped there only once before, and only to grab an orange juice at an outdoor table to lubricate my brain while I was trying to work out a solution to a rather harrowing situation!  Read all about that here:  https://mariellen-musing.blogspot.com/2022/10/well-that-was-harrowing-wednesday-12.html

Their menu didn’t look terribly exciting, but I thought I’d give it a try for dinner tonight.  Since I had never been inside, I didn’t realize that most of their seating was upstairs (and up fairly scary looking stairs to boot!).  But the host took pity on me and seated me at one of the few ground floor tables inside.  

My welcome snack was a dish of breakfast radishes with smoked salt.  I ordered a melon spritz which was OK but fairly boring (melon liqueur, Prosecco, sparkling water).

For my meal: shredded lamb shoulder with a side of couscous.  The lamb was presented as a big patty (I’d guess about 3/4 pound) – nice and tender and moist inside, and then finished under the broiler for a crispy exterior.  I’m guessing that this was a commercial product (not prepared from scratch in their own kitchen), but no worries!  It sat in a pool of very tasty dark concentrated lamb demi-glace – you could taste the roasted bones and onions, carrots, celery, etc. – and was showered with fresh herbs.  The couscous contained raisins and candied orange peel and worked well with the lamb.  

For dessert, crème brulée.  The custard was a little over-baked (so a bit separated/lumpy) and cooler than the standard room temperature, but the sugar crust was nice and thin and crispy and caramelized!

So all in all, not bad but not worth multiple visits.  Unless, of course, some balmy evening I decide to try some other cocktail on their lovely deck!

Pamela Popo, 15 rue François Miron 75004 https://pamelapopo.fr/

Where's Faust??? - Monday, 1 September

There was a restaurant called Maison Faust on the ground floor of my building, with pretty irregular hours.  About a year ago it converted to a private event/dining/drinking/dancing establishment.  When I arrived last Thursday there were three white vans outside and a bunch of workers who appeared to be removing stuff from the space.  

It has an interesting history, according to their website and local rumors!  The website says:

There are so many stories about this house. From its mysterious hidden origins to its recent naughty past, Guillaume [the owner] shares the anecdotes of this magical place, witness to so many centuries.

Founded in 1380, it is one of two 14th century houses that have survived.

Originally a modest building housing a business that earned it the name "house with the sheep's head sign," with stone vaulted cellars and half-timbered floors, it features a secret passage whose destination arouses curiosity. For hidden visits or secret exits?

From its windows, one may have seen François Villon, Joan of Arc, Henri IV, Molière, Louis XIV, and Napoleon pass by. This house has survived fires, the Revolution, Baron Haussmann, and two world wars, and has participated in these events in its own way.

True to its past as a meeting place, it now hosts your private parties.  It is a haven of confidences when night finally falls, the silent witness to your secrets.

Oooh…intriguing!  

Word on the street (well, actually from one of the other owners of my apartment) is that it was also a swinger’s club in the not-too-distant past.  And I don’t mean swing dancing!

I don’t know how long the website will stay active, but here ya go:  https://maisonfaust.fr/  11 rue François Miron 75004

So, who was the Faust connected to this maison?  And where has he gone?  What’s next for this storied space?  Anyone interested in opening a resto?!?  I have a handy little apartment just three floors above it (well, for four weeks a year anyway)!  

P.S. it is fascinating to think that in centuries past I might have leaned out of my window and seen François Villon, Joan of Arc, Henri IV, Molière, Louis XIV, or Napoleon pass by....

All of the Essential Food Groups! - Sunday, 31 August

 

What could be better on a slightly chilly afternoon than a big steaming bowl of deep rich beef stock with caramelized onions, toast and melted cheese (with a side of beer and bread)?  I mean, it's pretty much all of the food groups essential for nutrition and happiness...  

...just missing chocolate, so....

The Gastronomy Portion of the Tour Begins! - Saturday, 30 August

 

You may have heard me observe that gastronomy is the only art form that appeals to all six senses – taste, smell, sight, touch, and hearing (of course), and also the sense of humor!™   OK, OK, I haven’t really trademarked that observation, but it is original to me.  

I mean, y’know that sense of delight when you eat something really surprising/amazing – something so entertaining that it makes you chuckle?  Well, QED!  Gastronomy goes beyond mere sustenance (although sustenance is a wonderful thing).  Great artists of all stripes refine their tools and techniques and imaginations and knowledge and well-honed skills to create paintings, music, literature, sculpture, dance, theatre, architecture – and meals – that take our breath away.  Gastronomy is an art form worth studying, worth structuring a trip around, worth immersing yourself in.  So I do!

Thus beginneth the "fancy dining" portion of our tour!

I returned today for lunch to one of my top 3 Paris restos, Accents Table Bourse.  I've gone there every trip since 2017 except for one, when they were in the midst of a remodel! 

To accompany my first bites, they served me a fairly low alcohol gin, litchi and tonic cocktail that was just right for an end-of-summer meal – invigorating the palate and somehow calming the spirit – and also their signature tomato/basil ice cube floating in tomato water.

The little bites with these drinks were a refined black pudding in the shape of a little piggy, a thin pastry cylinder stuffed with a brie-style cheese and a hot (as in chili) chunk of white chocolate (surprising and intriguing!) and a little banana meringue.  (BTW, those sticks were just props - not part of the dish!)

Then an wonderful celeriac “risotto.”  Cubes of celeriac had been cooked to a sort of al dente level and combined with tapioca pearls (instead of rice), diced apple, and hazelnuts, and served just warm under a lovely sage foam.  An interesting and complementary play of texture, sweetness, earthiness, herbaceousness, and just a hint of acidic bite.   On the side, a baton of their mussel terrine, half of it puréed mussels and cream, and half mussels and squid ink – oceany, slightly funky, tasty.

A nice pinot noir Champagne from C.H. Piconnet accompanied the next courses.  Lovely on the nose, beautiful red fruit, with a somewhat surprising minerality that worked!

First, an a-a-a-a-mazing dish of sweet pineapple chunks (I wonder what they did to tame the bite!) and slices of sauteed shiitake mushroom in a gorgeous pineapple crème Anglaise and covered with an impossibly thin and crispy slightly salty leaf of roasted chicken skin.  Blew me away!  What an inventive combo.  Chef Romain Mahi stopped by to ask how I was doing, and I think that I actually embarrassed him going on and on about how brilliant it was!

Then, chunks of rich, slightly funky mackerel in a bouillabaisse reduction with lemon foam, crispy fish skin, a nasturtium leaf, and herb flowers.  A pristine product, and a nice balance of richness with a bit of acidity.

Up next, a generous portion of amazingly tender, just-cooked (sous vide?) wild salmon with a squid ink ravioli stuffed with a fresh cheese (feta?), diced raw zucchini, broccolini, and fish eggs in a fish stock reduction.  With this plate the raspberry tones in the Champagne really came forward.

To accompany my next course, an Argentinian red (Grenach) by Seclantas Adentro that’s grown at 2000 feet.  Those grapes suffer!  Beautiful currant and other red fruit, very fresh, a bit of chalkiness.

My final “main” course was poultry gently cooked on the bbq with a juicy cherry tomato & anchovy, a fresh raspberry stuffed with black garlic purée (a surprising and amazing jolt, harmonious with the slight smoke on the chicken), pumpkin purée, reduction of poultry stock, and some haricot verts.  

For my first dessert, coconut ice cream, salty caramel popcorn, brown sugar meringue cubes, hazelnut cream, orange segments, peanuts, and a bittersweet chocolate fan. They all played together nicely!  

With it, a caramelly yet refreshing ale that reminded me of Normandy cider (past-prime apples, stems, leaves). 

Then one of pastry chef Ayumi Sugiyama’s astonishing sugar boules.  It’s a you-can’t-believe-how-thin-sugar-can-be-blown, 2-inch diameter, transparent sugar ball that shatters under your spoon, today filled with ginger crumble, fresh blueberries, pear, orange cream, and a smaller white chocolate ball filled with crème Anglaise.  I would have said "unbelievable" if I hadn't eaten it myself!

With it they served a low alcohol cardamom-ginger-anise-cinnamon drink that amplified everything – it reminded me a little bit of Chartreuse.

Finally, a slice of chef Sugiyama’s famous orange chiffon cake with creme Chantilly, a tomato gel, a little  chocolate nugget that seemed to be a cross between mousse and cake, a dried strawberry, and espresso. 

Everything was terrific, but the two superstars today were the pineapple dish and the sugar boule.  

It's an oasis of calm just a half block from the giant Paris Stock Exchange (La Bourse de Paris) on a quiet little street.  It was about 80% full today, but with barely audible music on the sound system and people speaking in whispers, you could hear a pin drop – about only 40dB.  And that included, at the table next to me, an infant in a stroller to whom mom sang quietly when she fussed a bit!

This place is still high on my favorites list, but it has slipped a bit – slightly less intriguing wines and wine pairings (and slightly smaller pours – I really miss their former Sommelier Étienne!), slightly less inventiveness and variety in the foodstuffs.  They recently did a big remodel during which they were closed for a few months, so I wonder if the financial pressure is getting to them.  In any case, it's still a favorite and they feel like family and I’ll be back to continue cheering them on!

Accents Table Bourse, 24 rue Feydeau, 75002.  One Michelin star.  https://accents-restaurant.com/

  

Bonus:  I thought you might like to see how they characterize wines.  They have a huge cellar, and these are a couple pages from the big wine book.  You can click on any photo in my blog to get a full screen version.

Rain, Rain, No Worries! - Friday, 29 August

Today was a typical Parisian rain day – sunny one minute, clouding up quickly, a short thunderstorm, back to light drizzle, then bright sunshine to dry up all of the streets and sidewalks and bring the humidity down.  And then all over again, often for several cycles throughout the day!  Refreshing!

So I headed out for lunch under the awnings of Au Bourguignon du Marais at the end of my block.  Here's the view from my table.  A terrific bakery, Au Petit Versailles du Marais, is just across the street - they won the prize for the best baguette in Paris in 2014.

First, a refreshing melon & cucumber gazpacho with spheres of perfectly sweet cantaloupe, strips of dried Speck ham, roasted pumpkin seeds, and a toasted brioche log.  Glorious!

Then their house terrine of baked ham in “fine herbes” (parsley, tarragon, chives, and chervil in a light vegetal gel) and terrine of pickled onions, cornichon halves and mustard seeds.  And a couple more slices of baguette.  Deeeeelicious, and I could eat only half of it, so my server packed up the rest for me to take home.  

I hope this doesn’t give you vertigo, but I thought you might enjoy the sound of the rain on the awning in this short video (sorry for tilting my phone camera – don’t know why I did that!).  As they say, "turn up the volume!"

With a glass of Saint-Bris Sauvignon Mont Embrasé Domaine Bersan and an espresso, just €41.  And with bonus leftover snacks in my fridge!  https://aubourguignondumarais.fr/  

And here's a video about the resto that someone posted on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/reel/713028188401367

"Lost to Thick Brain Fog Day" - Thursday, 28 August

At this time of year there are two direct flight options for MSP-CDG – one from Delta and one from Air France, operating in partnership with Delta.  Air France usually has a more comfortable cabin and certainly better food, and their later departure/arrival works better with my schedule.  I’m happy to report that the food was pretty good (chicken velouté with mashed sweet potatoes – interesting combo!) and Champagne was an option with dinner!  I’m sorry to report that my seat was old and uncomfortable and wouldn’t recline.  The “classical” audio options were interesting, though!

  

Hot Tip, especially for those of you who might be mobility challenged or travel with someone who is: another bonus of Air France flights is that you will probably actually be able to use a jetway at Charles de Gaulle!  My last few trips we parked somewhere out on the tarmac and had to be bused into the terminal, an interesting view of the workings of an airport, but a not-totally-pleasant experience.  This time, no worries!  A nice young woman was right there at the plane door with a wheelchair and we whipped right through the jetway, long hallways, multiple elevators, terminal-connector train, and the no-wait line at passport check.  Then grabbed my checked bag and on to the taxi queue, where there was a separate handicapped line (zipping past dozens of people waiting in the line for “regular” people – ah, the benefits!).

I can never get over my amazement and my undeserved good fortune at being able to visit this glorious city so often.  I can feel stress evaporate and my visage brighten as my taxi enters Paris proper – today’s route even included a loop around the Arc de Triomphe.  By the time I get to my apartment I have one big silly grin on my face.  

the view from my door

I have told some of you about my crazy neighbor here who always has stuff piled up in the little alcove by our apartment doors.  I have said “bonjour, madam” to her a couple of times when we happen to meet in the hallway, but today she was busy transferring items between her apartment and our alcove so we had a slightly longer conversation, and she graciously helped me move my two roller bags down the two steps to my apartment door.  (Of course, she might have been making sure that I wouldn’t knock over her stuff!)  

I didn’t sleep much on the airplane, so arrival day was pretty much lost to thick brain fog and aching limbs despite multiple naps.  What a gift, though, to have a comfy and familiar and beautiful place to take those naps and to stare out the windows at lovely architecture and always-entertaining street scenes!

People Want It, but... - Wednesday, 27 August

 

Have you noticed the number of mailboxes dwindling at post offices and around town?  Well, they’ve even been eliminated from the airport.  I had a couple of things that I really needed to drop off, but couldn’t find the box in its usual location so I asked the lady at the help desk and she confirmed that USPS had removed all but one, which it was outside the secure area (and many other people have asked!).  Crazy.  I mean, ya have lots of time to kill after checking in for your flight, time in which you could, oh, maybe be writing a letter and want to drop it in the mail.  Too bad!  Apparently the "Service" part of USPS' mission ain't so important any more.

Here’s my traditional “Last Burger Before Paris” at Stone Arch, today with a MetroNOME “Altbier” amber ale.  Yum yum and always a good sign of adventures to come!

Escaping the Madness? - Wednesday, 27 August

 

So, what do you think?  Can an ocean provide a buffer from the political madness of the USA?  Stay tuned for hints, if not answers!

À bientôt, Paris! See you in August - Thursday, 13 March

 

Cheering Up a Chilly and Soggy Afternoon! - Wednesday, 12 March

On this slightly chilly and soggy afternoon, a “coffee break” with a view of some school kids in their red safety vests taking a little walk past the twice-weekly open market at Place Baudoyer was just the ticket!

Placeholder for Comice - Tuesday, 11 March