I can always count on my dentist to steer me in the right direction. Affriolé,
on a quiet street in the 7ème arrondissement is a wonderful little bistrot where you can get a delicious meal for about 35 euros (not including beverages). Not only that, but the staff is just lovely and the setting warm and cozy albeit modern.
I met my friend Claude there, and we embarked on a gastronomic journey that ended in total delight. Claude had a beautiful ballotine de rattes et saumon fumé which looked like round, pink tart. (Rattes are small potatoes.) I started with another beautiful dish: Gaspacho de Tomates et Pastèque et un verre de jambon nappé de chantilly. I was presented with two small glasses: one with the heavenly and fresh gaspacho with watermelon, and a second glass with cubes of ham topped with a light serving of whipped cream. A very interesting and successful combination.
For our main courses, I chose grilled daurade (which is a white fish) served with sautéed cèpes. I love sautéed mushrooms of any type and this was the high season for the cèpes. Claude chose the Foie de veau sauté aux carottes et aux betteraves. (Betteraves are beets.) This was another presentation of two glasses--one with beautifully prepared cubes of calves' liver
and the other with the orange and red vegetables.
In the vegetable glass there were also red and green grapes.
We each chose a glass of wine to go with our meal and both of our main courses were delicious.
As this was lunch, we decided against dessert. I could not help but be a bit disappointed. However, I know that I will return and will definitely try one of the many of the desserts offered.
Le Comptoir du Relais is in the 6ème arrondissement at the bustling Place d'Odéon. One must reserve six months in advance for the excellent prix fixe dinner (they save many tables for the hotel guests next door) and have gone on the fly for lunch where the restaurant serves a long list of brasserie items, specializing in meats from the southern provinces of France. Both choices are great. I have already written about the more formal dinner.
At lunch, it is good to get there late because between 11:30-1:30, the place is mobbed and there won't be a table. This time I went after 3 and sat right down at a table in a very crowded restaurant. The menu is comprised of appetizers, salads (ranging from a very expensive lobster salad to a smoked chicken or a vegetable salad), sandwiches (croque monsieur au saumon, for example), and hot dishes. The desserts are superb.
I steered away from the rich patés and beef cheek or pig's feet dishes, and also of the creamy brandade de morue (mixture of mashed potatoes, cream and cod), or the grilled chicken with mashed potatoes, and went straight to the fish.
There is always a just-cooked thick tuna steak and that is a great choice, but this time I saw a new item on the menu: sashimi de thon rouge , pois gourmands et sesame, mousse de wasabi
At first glance, I thought that the waiter had mixed up my order and served me someone's dessert, but upon closer look, I saw that the glistening red tuna was standing on its side and hugging the vegetable stuffing, making it look like a cake under its foam topping.
As you can see, I took a photograph of the dish I was presented and what I found inside. It was light, savory and just perfect with the right balance of wasabi, sesame and soy to marry beautifully with the fresh tuna.
I was glad that I had planned for dessert. I love their panna cotta, which is creamy and always napped with a wonderful compote of fruit. The baba au rhum is spectacular as is their chocolate tart. This time, however, I chose le petit pot au chocolat napped with a crème anglaise. Very rich and perfect for any tried-and-true chocoholic like myself.
With an excellent glass of wine (there is a very long and extensive wine list) and coffee, such a meal comes to 35 euros. You can spend a lot more or a lot less. Next door is a tapas bar that is always full, and there is also a window for phenomenal crèpes to go. That is going to be another stop in my eating itinerary.
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