Tom Douglas

We’ll always have Paris Part three final destiny…oooh sounds sexy/ by Tom Douglas

To read the first part, click here!  To read the second part, click here! And now to the third installment:

With temporary citizenship our goal and relaxation our quest, it turns out rejuvenation was and is our final destiny.  Spending five straight weeks in the city of light wasn’t intended to and didn’t change our lives.  Our stay/vacation did however put some much needed perspective on the very hectic life that we lead.  Seems it was a chance to mentally evaluate decisions we make everyday and have made for the last thirty years together.  A chance to let the mental pressure of everyday business subside a bit while evaluating a path forward.  I suppose we all need to do this from time to time don’t we?

Everyday someone says to me “I don’t know how you do it, how do you find the time, where do you get the energy, and when is enough enough?”  Well I can tell you, without question, in my mind (Jackie will have to speak for herself), until I’m dead, there wont be enough.  ”It’s not about the money” sounds cliche, and probably is, but it really is about the excitement of running our business.  The day to day interaction with you, our customer, the 650 or so folks I’m privileged to call my coworkers.  The charge I get out of thinking of new ideas and then seeing them through from prospectus and blueprints to living, breathing businesses never dims.  This obsession was reaffirmed every time we sat down for a meal in Paris.  It was fun to dissect their business plans from location and menu, to service standards and socialist workers’ rights.  Many meals ended with a friendly waiter or owner chat about local liquor laws, tip pools, taxes, etc, etc.  Love that!!

Rejuvenation, turns out for me, was an affirmative of my passion for the restaurant business.  Do you still care when you don’t have to?  Is the food and service good just because you are overwhelmed by the magnificence of this city?  Are restaurants great because the guidebook says so, or because you’ve tried enough of them to know what is what?  Am I being overly competitive to suggest that restaurants in Seattle match up  just fine with this town and that Parisian chefs as a whole, obviously with exceptions, could use a little bit of our organic passion for ingredients, our commitment to sustainable ingredients and a dose of reality that without 100 million tourists a year they would have to work much harder to stay in the black?

That said, we ate handsomely on many nights and were rewarded with delicious meals when we took the time to plan our destinations rather than simply walking in and hoping for the best.  Our trip was intended to be a freestyle, with no “stars” and no reservations.  After the first week, which happened to be Fashion Week, Paris was packed to the rafters so we moved to plan B.  Research and reservations immediately improved our options, and in turn, our meals.  Dining “in” at our cool flat in the sixth overlooking the Luxembourg Gardens and the Eiffel Tower was a competitive option because of the lovely Marche St. Germain located nearby.  It was studded with two butchers, two fish stalls, 4 produce stands, an award winning cheese shop with butter and eggs thrown in, a Greek and Italian deli, a chi chi flower shop and a sweet, well curated wine shop/bar.

Without a doubt the most pleasant dining surprise of our stay/vacation was having the charming Cafe Tournon right across the street from our flat.  Olivia and Ludavic, owners of our apartment, said in their house notes that it was decent and well worth a try, a typical neighborhood joint.  Problem was it just didn’t look that way.  Too bright, too plain, too yesterday to be relevant.  Beginning with an espresso and baguette for breakfast moving to a grilled leg of lamb lunch with wok fried veggies and a surprisingly light blanquette de veau dinner- each meal we had was better than expected, nicely served and just the kind of place I hear my friends wishing they had in their hood (where everybody knows your name as the jingle goes).  Tournon gained fame in the fifties as the Paris home of a few American jazz greats like Dizzie Gillespie and Duke Ellington.  Now it is owned by an ex three star Tour ‘Argent chef who is “back to reality” cooking for the denizens of the French Senate and other neighbors in the sixth.

Christian Constant’s restaurant Les  Cocottes was a delicious spot to stop for lunch after one of many miles long walks through the city.  A long counter runs the length of one wall while communal seating occupies the other half of the restaurant.  Blackboard menus adorn the walls with selections ranging from woodcock to veal liver.  Christian owns two other restaurants on either side of Les Cocottes which I am told makes him the “Tom Douglas” of Paris…. ha ha!

Braiden and Laura, Seattle expats, now ensconced at their new wine bar and restaurant, Verjus, located in the 1st are killing it.  Braiden worked with us at the Dahlia Lounge as a waiter and Laura was a tour and retail host at Theo Chocolate in Fremont.  They had a classic bee in your bonnet moment when both decided to give living in Paris a shot, supporting themselves by offering beautifully cooked dinners in their apartment.  ”Hidden Kitchen” became a media darling, appealingly secretive and bolstered by an adoring photosphere.  Soon every weekend was booked out months in advance.  Smartly heeding the practical advice offered by local friends, they have now gone legit and opened this sweet three story spot around the corner from the Palais Royal and the infamous three (now two) star Le Grand Vefour.

Poilane bakery bread was delicious as remembered from earlier visits to Paris and made for a daily dose of the perfect breakfast… two slices toasted to a dark brown edge still yielding its famous yeasty aroma and chewy long fermented crust soon slathered with salted Bretonne butter and topped with just a dab of Pierre Herme Montmorency cherry jam.  A well aged stinky camembert from Normandy, thick slices of our butcher’s picante salami and steaming cups of thick French press coffee finished off the perfect mornings on our fifth floor terrace.  Ready to hop on a plane yet?

It’s important to remember the mission for our 5-week Paris staycation when reading down the list of places that we recommend… freestyle, no “stars” (I think we actually ended up in 3 one star joints and 3 three star hotel bars because they are just so damn grand) and few reservations.  Most are just local joints known for nothing more than delicious duck confit, maybe a great cheese service, economical yet deep wine list, or bio-sensitivity.   Some were luck of the draw, others out of guide books on classic Paris restaurants.  towards the end of our trip we referenced some of the many suggestions you all sent after our first newsletter hit the website (we enjoyed the thoughtful reviews of all of these.)

I have to say one of the best meals of our trip happened in our very own kitchen.  Jackie made an impromptu omelette wth chanterelles, shallots, thyme, and chevre.  On the side were crispy duck fat fried potatoes and lightly dressed watercress salad.  So simple, satisfying, and soulful.

Cafe Comptoir Tournon…. the best version of everyday Parisian food- nothing fancy but when you’re stay-cationing you want a place like this.

Le Dome… classic seafood brasserie, expensive, fun. Try the butter fried sole.

Fish la Boissonnerie… part of the new wave wine bars in the tradition of Willie’s and Juveniles, try the lamb confit.

D’chez Eux…..cuisine traditional, nice wine list, gotta love a place that drops free salami as an introduction and moves you into their signature duck confit with duck fried potatoes.

Les Cocottes… perfect spot for a hip lunch or dinner.  Feels a bit like dining in London and the food is delish. Try the monkfish with salty butter and crayfish.

Aux Lyonnais… What every American version of a classic French cafe tries to look like but happens to be missing a hundred years or so of patina.  Try the boudin with onions and vinegar.

Mon Vieil Ami.. unexpectedly pretty, terrible service, communal tables, delicious food.  Try the red and black radish and mackerel tart to begin then  jump to the breast of pork.

J’go…. a chain but fun, hip, and happening. Try the rotisserie lamb leg plate.

Chez Louisette… at the Clingincourt flea market.   Worst food and service we’ve ever had in France,…. but the singing chanteuses were worth the painful meal. Try…a glass of cheap wine.

Ze Kitchen Galerie… French Thai fusion that I liked more than Jackie. Right next door to the fine Les Bouquinistes.  Try kabocha broth with sweetbreads and citrus then move into rabbit confit with peanut pistou.  Finish with corn-soja soup, caramelized coconut, miso, vanilla marmalade.

Miroir…. a fine cote de boeuf  for two and fun wine list.

Astier… fabulous marinated smoked herring to begin, then a silky roast veal chop and a not to be missed cheese tray to finish.  All anchored by nice service and a well curated and priced wine list.

We had many more tasty treats including homemade soba at Yen, buckwheat crepes at Brettone, hot chocolate at Angelina near the Louvre, macarons at the delicious but snooty Lauderee, falafel at L’As du Falafel, Berthillon ice cream in most any flavor at the home shop on Ile Saint Louis, anchovies and spicy pepper pasta at Marco Polo, etc etc.  Bon Appetit!!

December 27th, 2011