It's true that while in Paris, I ate many a non-traditional meal. Pizza and falafel aren't exactly culinary tributes to France. But after eating the feast at my sister's wedding I was craving even more traditional French fare, so on Sunday night (my last night in Paris) we went to Vaudeville. And sat outside on a warm night on a quiet side street not far from our hotel near the Tuileries and Le Louvre. Vaudeville, according to my sister, is part of a large restaurant management group called Brasseries Flo (which caused a mini-revolt when they started to buy out many historic brasseries around the city).
We started with oysters:
These were amazing. Briny and quite large and served with the French mignonette I always crave with my oysters in the States.
We also had foie gras:
Served with a pear compote and toast points, this foie gras was sweet and creamy (not peppery like the one at my sister's wedding) and I could have eaten just this and been happy.
We enjoyed our meals with one of my dad's favorite wines from Bourgogne:
My sister's husband and I both had the white fish in a beurre blanc:
Beurre blanc is quite possibly the richest, but most indulgent sauce. It compliments a soft white dish very well, and the addition of tomatoes and simple boiled tomatoes help cut the creaminess of the sauce.
My dad had the duck:
The duck was cut into medallions and served with a mushroom marsala sauce and potatoes. I only tried the mushrooms and potatoes but the sauce was lighter than I expected, which I liked, because mushrooms definitely have a richness and a thickness that is complimented by a lighter sauce, and duck is also very fatty and rich, and doesn't benefit from a creamy, overpowering sauce.
My mom had the sea bass:
The fish came bone-in and my sister used her newly acquired fish-skinning skills (taught to her by her husband) to help my mom tackle the sea bass. She delicately lifted the skin off and dissected the meat from the bone and my mom ate happily- this was probably the first time her own daughter had to cut up her meal for her. What role reversal! My mom was the child for an evening!
This meal was a great end to my trip. It was a perfectly Parisian day and the food was simple, traditional, and delicious and the service truly charming. I made sure to bring back a bunch of goodies so I could cook some French dishes at home and enjoy my favorite tastes from the country, a detail about those to come!
We were beginning to wonder about your choices of food while you were in France...pizza...falafel...LOL...but you redeemed yourself with the wedding post and this one. Just the fois gras looked good enough for the trip.
We travel to French St. Martin for the cuisine all the time.
BTW...have you tried Chez Pascal? Also next time you are in Boston try Petite Robert in Kenmore Square...nothing like lunch and a nice bottle of Louis Latour!
Jim and Janet
Posted by: JimJanet | June 13, 2007 at 08:19 AM