A Taste Of Paris

Market in Montmartre

My very romantic boyfriend decided to take me on a surprise trip to Paris and ask me to marry him.  Luckily, he asked on the first night we arrived which allowed us to focus the rest of our trip on FOOD.  We went to many amazing places and tried lots of cuisine.  To spare you viewing every meal, we decided to highlight some of our favorite dishes.

Our first meal was in Montmartre, a few blocks from the flat we were staying in.  Down the rue des Abbesses, there are many cafe’s, shops and bars lining the street.  Le Sancerre caught our eye and we went in for drinks and appetizers.  We were able to order in French because our waiter only knew a little English, first good sign.  I asked for a full body red wine and was given the fullest, sexiest red I have ever tried, second good sign.

Salmon and soft boiled eggs with toast

Though it looks simple, the salmon and egg dish was outstanding!  Steve ordered foie gras on toast which was accompanied with a pomegranate sorbet….different, right? Once again, delicious! Third good sign.  Later during our trip we met up with some of our Parisian friends.  When we mentioned that we ate at Le Sancerre our friend said that she would make the trip to Montmartre just for one of Le Sancerre’s burgers.  Fourth good sign.  This place should be on your “to do” list, especially if you go up to see the Sacre Coeur, which is a short walk away.

Our first dinner was at the charming Chamarre Montmartre.  The inside decor was elegant and simple.  They had a tasting menu available and while we ordered 5 dishes, in the French fashion, 8 came out.  Here are a few of our favorites:

This dish was a flavor profile I have never had before.  Raw tuna was hidden under a fruit gelee, topped with avacado (and I forgot what that leaf was….mind you this was course 5 and we had a full glass pairing with each dish).  Each dabble of sauce combined a unique flavor that strangely accompanied each other.  It was a cool dish and well presented.

Looks like bacon…right? Well that is what it tasted like!  Tender, mouthwatering bacon with a light char and pepper.

The was one of the two deserts of the evening.  The egg looking item on the spoon broke in your mouth giving you the impression that you just took a bite of a delicious juicy fruit.  The cake was light with a hint of cheese and fruit….perfect and a beautifully plated combo.

Shortly after this meal, Steve and I walked the street of Montmartre.  It was late, so it felt like we had the city all to ourselves.  As we were heading back to our flat, he asked me to marry him.  It was a good first day.

The next day Steve was eager to eat at Les Cocottes (It was praised by Anthony Bourdain and Steve is a big fan).

           

Great, rustic dishes and the service was fantastic.  This restaurant is in a chic neighborhood and a 10 minute walk from the Eiffel Tour.

The hall of mirrors was the entrance to Joel Robuchon’s L’Atelier.

We were than welcomed to this beautiful view.  We really enjoyed this restaurant because it’s set up bar style so you are looking into the kitchens and watching the chef’s work.  It was a really cool experience.

Probably my favorite wine of the trip.

We started with a duck liver mousse.

Thinly sliced dorade with lemon was one of Steve’s favorites.

The picture can not give it justice….because this was the best steak I’ve ever had.  It literally melted like butter on my tongue.  No matter how many time I come back to Paris, I will return to the restaurant and order a steak.  Seriously unbelievable!

Steve got the lamb.  Beautiful presentation, tender and delectable.

We ordered the pudding for desert.  Which came with a dusted gold chocolate cookie on top.

And yummy thick pudding inside.

What is a french meal without your tea and madeleine? Right?

La comptoir, great reviews and good. BUT there was a long wait to sit and it was very cramped.  Of course, most tables in Paris are very close to each other….but this was the least spacious place we went to. Also, the service was pretty terrible.  After this lovely review if you would still like to go…I suggest these three dishes 🙂

I think this was duck….but I can’t remember. Sorry readers! I didn’t anticipate writing this blog!

Pork in lentils. I really enjoyed this dish and highly recommend it!

The apple tart with ice cream was probably my favorite desert in Pairs.  It was so delicate and well made.  Unbelievably fresh and perfectly spiced.

Just to point out, this random cafe that we stumbled upon…..

…has a REALLY great truffle and Parmesan pasta!  If we didn’t have dinner plans we probably would have hung out and ordered more!

A street crepe, filled with nutella and bananas.  This is a must when visiting France.  No excuses, just order it and thank me later.

We had a great bottle of red at Chez Ginette.  Beautiful cafe back in Montmartre.

Steve got the duck which was fantastic!

And OF COURSE, we had to get a souffle 🙂

 

In the end, my advise is this.  Like any city, there is great food and terrible food.  We had some pretty memorable meals on our Paris trip.  Some were planned and some we just stumbled upon.  Plan a few great restaurants with great reviews, but also allow yourself to get lost and discover places on your own.  My favorite restaurants were on the crowded streets of Paris and my favorite cafe’s were hidden in the mountain of Montmartre.

And finally, I can stop calling Steve my boyfriend.  He is now my fiance!!!