Say what you will about the French but at the end of the day....they can cook. I was recently in Paris after a grueling travel week throughout the south of France and I had a bit of time before my Friday night departure out of CDG so I took my co-worker into the City of Lights for a farewell lunch. We asked a shop owner for a recommendation in the area and it turned out to be a gem. I wanted French food, with French waiters and French menus was all I asked. No tourists allowed! She didn't lead me astray. The outside of the restaurant was nothing special and probably often gets overlooked. It's a plain stone facade with a small sign above the open door. When you walk in the atmosphere is modernly rustic. Wooden beams accent the stone walls and floor and small wooden tables line the walls while a large centerpiece of a wooden/stone buffet style masterpiece is centered perfectly within the room. We sat down and were handed two menu's written in French. We were off to a good start. We ordered the Osso Bucco which was served in a large cast iron tangine with couscous and roasted fruits. The juice, gravy, sauce, call it whatever you want would bring tears to even the most staunch critic. The veal fell gently away leaving nothing but a hard exterior of bone to showcase the small hidden gem of marrow perfectly cooked to pair with the farm house bread with it's chewey center and sturdy crust. Oh my, it was La Morsure Parfaite. And to compliment an already perfect meal our waiter in true French fashion did not fail in offering us the perfect complimentary red wine.
Mon Vieil Ami or my old friend in English was carefully hidden within the too frequented shops behind Notre Dame but even as I type, I'm hesitant to give this one away for fear it will change.
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