5/23/2006
What could be better than waking up on a sunny morning? Oh, did I mention a sunny morning in freaking Paris?! Especially after an incredible meal last night at this sweet little place on Av. Ledru Rollin in the 12th, A La Biche au Bois. Found this place in the TimeOut Paris guide/Eating and Drinking. BTW...don't even think of traveling without these guides...the best!
Okay, back to dinner. Check this out: Four courses of amazingly well prepared and presented food for just 24 euros (about 30 bucks!). So, sit down, order a 1/2 bottle
of this 2003 Meursault Rouge from some producer I've never heard of. Delicious as only French pinot noir can be. My waiter was this great kid, Laurent, who spoke some pretty good English. He suggested starting with their first course special, which as best I could understand was this paté made from various parts of a pig's head. Yeah, I know, it took me a minute to get MY head around that one, but ya know, when in France.......There it is below, in all it's blurry glory (I'm working on that part of my presentation).
Putting aside all thoughts of exactly what I was eating, this was fanatastic. A lightly dressed salad at the top, a mustard/parsley/mayonnnaise spread at the bottom, and this beautiful, savory piece of tete du porc to put on the perfectly crusty bread. Very auspicious beginning! So, next comes my entreé, a wonderful steak with this very rich sauce. Don't ask me what was in the sauce...I don't know. It was good. Perfectly medium rare, and suddenly as I finish I notice my 1/2 bottle of Burgundy had somehow emptied itself out! With a selection of cheeses to come, I had to act fast. Hmmm, strong cheese calls for strong red wine. Had my man Laurent hook me up with a 1/2 of 2002 Chateauu Croix Bonis, an excellent little bottle of Bordeaux from St. Estephe. That oughta show that cheese a thing or two. So here it comes...le fromage!!!
Yeah, that's what I thought when saw him bring it too. And he's not saying pick just one. So I had him pick four of his favorites, and again, he's not doling out tiny slivers. We're talking some fairly sizable pieces of some of the best freaking cheeses I've ever had. And with the Bordeaux, it was fucking awesome. Just sensational. So, I'm thinking I still have dessert to come. Don't finish the cheese. Show some control........And no, that didn't work very well. He takes yet another almost licked-clean plate away, I'm reeling, I haven't slept for about 30 hours, I'm getting fairly lit up, and in no position to make any more decisions. Laurent, what do you like? Well, what Laurent liked was this crazy, decadent, sensual, sexy strawberry shortcake-on-crack that was perhaps one of the best desserts I've ever had (again pardon the blur):
The cake part wasn't really a dry shortcake. it was more like a moist, sweet angel food sort of thing. The sauce on the plate was like melted creme bruleé, so rich and something seemingly more appropriate to lick off someone's body, and then this is topped with these stupidly fresh strawberries. I walked out of there stuffed, half drunk, tired and SO satisfied. Somehow I made the much needed 2 mile walk back to the hotel without getting lost.
So here I am, next morning, feeling incredibly good, looking good in the new shades, and with more stories to come (tell you about my breakfast later!!).