還是巴黎的Bistro

改版的NY Times終於恢復功能
旅遊版吸引我一定拜讀的就是關於法國的種種
前幾天有一篇Alive and Evolving: The Paris Bistro by MARK BITTMAN
介紹了四家位於巴黎4-6區的Bistro，其中一家Itinéraire就是之前的Le Temp au Temp
她們真的很受外國食客歡迎

這四家Bistro分別為

Le Gaigne
Add: 12, rue Pecquay, Fourth Arrondissement
Tel: 33-1-4459-8672
WebSite: restaurantlegaigne.fr
5道盤39歐，可以單點且份量不輕
5道盤為2道前菜2道主菜1道甜點
沒有裝潢，但食物以及酒單皆很堅強
20人座

食物敘述
Essentially, the tasting menu is two appetizers, two main courses and dessert. Pig terrine made with foot, ear, jowl and a variety of vegetables — a real country-style dish — was perfect. It was served with little hearts of lettuce, a tangle of julienned ham, a little bit of grilled salami (in retrospect, maybe not that little) and vinaigrette. On the other end of the spectrum was an assortment of spring vegetables, sauced with spinach purée and served with a couple of twigs of thyme, set on fire. I could do without the pyrotechnics, but my companions enjoyed the show. White and green asparagus — lots of them — were served with confited gizzards and greens; the combination was lovely. Tempura shrimp with soy was less successful.

My favorite main course was roast veal with a sauté of mushrooms, potatoes and onions, as simple as could be and strikingly delicious. In a “real” bistro, these ingredients would have been stewed, or served with a sauce; this was better. Sautéed sole with a sauce of mussels and squid-ink noodles was another winner, as was duck two ways (breast and confited leg) with glazed turnips.

L’Epigramme
Add: 9, rue de l’Eperon, Sixth Arrondissement
Tel: 33-1-4441-0009
3道盤30歐
裝潢舒適
30人座

食物敘述
On one visit, following an amuse-bouche of fromage blanc with herbs and garlic, along with carrots and radishes — nothing wrong with that — I gambled on cream of lettuce soup, and won: it was a fantastic purée with bits of chopped lettuce, not at all bitter and instantly recognizable, with a few bits of bacon sprinkled about. Equally exciting was a fricassee of cuttlefish, braised in tomatoes, onions and probably red wine, with that rich, dark essence that stews of cephalopods get.

A boned lamb shank served with ratatouille and couscous was intended to have a North African feel but was a tad short on spice; still, the meat was silky smooth, flavorful and tender as could be. Nicely sautéed scallops on a bed of cauliflower and oxtail stew with vegetables were both better seasoned if not quite as luxurious. There is a sort of lack of surprise about the main courses that is at once comforting and somehow ... well, I would have liked just a little more imagination.

Itinéraires
Add: 5, rue de Pontoise, Fifth Arrondissement
Tel: 33-1-4633-6011
36歐(不過作者沒有特別著名幾道盤)
60人座
(特別說明主廚兼老闆很帥，當然她們的裝潢以及服務都很好)

食物敘述
He(Chef) was patient enough, and explained that my cooked and raw white and green asparagus (I knew that much) had been served with a foie gras vinaigrette, whipped fromage blanc and parsley gelée; a slow-cooked egg was served cold, with blood sausage, a hot cream of Jerusalem artichokes and ail d’ours (bear’s garlic, ostensibly because the bears eat it); creamy, slow-cooked pork had been cooked with Parmesan, more ail d’ours and very little else — it had a superbly crisp skin and wondrously tender meat.

Some dishes were more easily deciphered: a lovely piece of turbot was served over a delicious “risotto” of farro and vegetables; raw mushrooms came with clams, lemon, fennel and — I’m guessing — tiny croutons of spice cake. The cold poached egg made another appearance in a flan with morels, slow-cooked cabbage and a sweet mushroom chip.

Desserts were straightforward and well executed: mille-feuille with pastry cream, mint and strawberries; luscious, perfectly sweet strawberry soup; unsurpassingly bitter chocolate tart, just right for me; and a superior macaroon with strawberries and pistachio. (Obviously, I was there during strawberry season.)

Les Papilles
Add: 30, rue Gay Lussac, Fifth Arrondissement
Tel: 33-1-4325-2079
WebSite: www.lespapillesparis.fr
剛去看了網站上有寫他有登上2008米其林寶寶行列
這是間像雜貨店的餐廳，賣酒也賣食物(例如瓶裝功夫鴨)
看起來是沒有菜單
大家都吃一樣的前菜主菜
39歐

食物描述
The makings of carrot soup arrive in a bowl: shredded carrots, chive, crisp bacon, herbs; a purée of carrots, stock and cream is ladled from a tureen over this. The soup pattern is repeated with other vegetables (one night I had potato purée, with mashed potatoes stirred into it, one night it was celery and celeriac) and it’s always a classic done right. The main course, also served family style and often out of copper gratin pans, might be a veal-and-vegetable stew with a side of awesome potato gratin, or a lamb shank with what amounts to ratatouille. It’s home cooking, but it’s better than mine, and probably better than that of most people you know.

看到這裡
本來已經飄去法國的心又被拉得更遠
這幾天特別做了法國照片的電腦桌面
至少在工作的時候可以安撫一下.....................