Paris Journal 2014 – Barbara Joy Cooley Home: barbarajoycooley.com

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Last year, we never made it to dinner at Le Blavet on the rue de Lourmel, one of our longtime favorite restaurants in the 15^th arrondissement. Although the resto now offers a two-course option, I think that for years, the three-course menu was the rule there. That’s usually more than we want. But the food there is always creative, beautiful, and freshly made. The dinners at Le Blavet are a marvelous value: three courses for 26 euros (two for 23). For a difference of only 3 euros, it doesn’t make sense to have only two. Le Blavet is small and out-of-the-way; reservations are a must, and they must be made by telephone – no lafourchette.com or email options here. When I called to reserve, the woman who answered the phone and booked our table was not the patronne. This woman was calmer than la patronne. When we arrived, the same server who has worked there for years seated us at the tiny table right in the front window. I don’t think we’ve ever been seated in the front room before. Soon, the reason became apparent. One by one, two by two, a large group of dressed-up young people entered the resto and went into the back room. I had no idea that room could hold so many! It seemed like 30 people went in, but it must have been closer to 20. Finally, a young man in a handsome, dark suit, and a young lady in a bridal gown entered. They stood by the bar while the server and hostess arranged rows of kir royals there. Then they each grabbed two glasses and walked into the back room, where they were greeted with loud applause and cheers. The wedding probably had taken place at the mairie (town hall of the 15^th arrondissement) – a civil ceremony, as most weddings are in France. Some people opt to then have a church ceremony after the civil ceremony, but many do not. Throughout our dinner, we could hear much of the goings-on in the back room. Although most of the young people there were French, clearly the groom and best man were not. They gave their little speeches and toasts in English. One of them had learned British English, and the other spoke American English. I think they were either Dutch or German. Meanwhile, Tom and I enjoyed a spectacularly good dinner. Each of our starter courses was a salad, really, but what salads they were! Tom’s had slices of foie gras, smoked duck breast and confit of duck gizzards. While that last item may not sound good, trust me: it was great! My salad featured a croustillant of fresh goat cheese with candied onions on top. When Tom gave me a couple of the many slices of foie gras from his salad, I topped them with the candied onions and oh la la! Was that ever good! For my main course, I had one of the daily specials: a sea bass filet on a bed of softly cooked leeks in a creamy, buttery sauce, accompanied by a carrot mousse, a few veggies, and a little scoop of tapenade made with olives and anchovies. Delicious! And oh yes, a pastry stick with roasted fennel inside. Interesting! Tom had lamb which came in a sauce made of its juice with thyme and a confit of garlic (photo below). The accompaniment was a roasted olives-and-vegetable mix that was ratatouille-like, but stunningly flavorful (noisette de selle d’agneau, jus au thym a l’ail confit et olives aux legumes du sud). Dessert was a moelleux au chocolat for me, which came in a pool of crème anglaise, with a little scoop of terrific pistachio/mint ice cream and some whipped cream. Tom had the dessert of the day: an apple tart with crème anglaise and vanilla ice cream. Before dinner (and after a day of working at the computers and a bit of watching the Tour de France), we walked for a couple hours in the neighborhood, particularly enjoying the peaceful Île aux Cynges, away from the rush hour traffic. We stopped in Marks and Spencer, too, and bought a supply of coffee – some very dark French roast, and some rich Colombian from South America. And we could not resist buying a chunk of extremely sharp English cheddar cheese. The French don’t make anything like it. The walk home, after dinner, is one of our favorites, because we come up through an elegant group of buildings on a tiny L-shaped side street – the rue Edmond Roger -- and then walk the length of the classic Parisian park, the Place du Commerce. Back at the apartment, the plants on the balcony called out to us – they were so very thirsty, after such a warm and sunny summer’s day. As the sun set, we served them – Tom refilling watering cans, and I inching my way along the plant-crowded balcony, watering away. Find me on Facebook

Saturday, July 26, 2014 This is why we like to walk along the Allée des Cygnes during rush hour. So peaceful! Our salads, with a croustillant de chevre (above), and with foie gras, gizzards, and duck breast (below). Our desserts (above and below) each came in a pool of crème anglaise. Place du Commerce, with Le Commerce Café in the background. ← Previous Next →