Paris – Day 4

Wednesday was about food.

First, I ended up eating breakfast in the hotel breakfast room. And much to my surprise, I found not only the usual Paris choices of croissant, rolls, juice, coffee — they have fruit and EGGS and SAUSAGE and BACON! Buffet style, all you can eat!

For lunch, my French coworkers took me to an Indian restaurant, it was good. Not a buffet as we commonly find in the US for an Indian restaurant at lunch, but otherwise the food was prepared in a similar fashion.

During lunch, I asked for recommendations for a Paris restaurant or cafe/bistro that would have good and affordable French food, better than what I’d found in the area of the hotel, and the previous day in the Rue de Cler neighborhood. The guys suggested I speak with Phillipe, their CFO, as he was very familiar with the restaurant scene in Paris.

Later in the afternoon I asked Phillipe for a recommendation. He thought for a moment, said he would be back shortly. 15 minutes later he brought by a few printed Google maps with addresses, and showed me the Website. Both bistros he recommended are owned by the same chef.

I decided to visit Bistrot d’a Côté – Neuilly. The Web site is for all the restaurants owned by Chef Michel Rostang, click on the Menu link, and then “The Bistrots” to find the page for the Neuilly.

Matthieu, one of the programmers I’m working with here, helped me call and make a reservation for 8 PM for an outside table (the inside isn’t air conditioned, and the temperature at 8 PM is still in the 90s, so it is usually more comfortable outside with fresh air and a breeze). I was back at the hotel by 7 PM, and arrived at the bistro at the appointed time via Metro line 1.

One of the waiters spoke good English, which was quite helpful, as my 15-word vocabulary wouldn’t be enough to make it through the menu without frequent referrals to the menu translator I carry with me. He was kind enough to explain each item on the menu, and pointed out a few items which were specialties.

I ordered an appetizer which consisted of goat cheese, filled with a chopped tomato mix, deep-fried, the main course was a sauteed fish with vegetables (squash and mushrooms). He recommended a white wine which turned out well, and I ordered a “half bottle”, which turns out to be a half-sized bottle – I wish this was available in the US, as it is just the right amount for one person who has to get up and go to work in the morning.

Dinner was great, an onslaught of gastronomic delight! This was precisely the kind of culinary experience I was hoping to enjoy.

But, as good as the dinner was, dessert was spectacular — two small cups of a chocolate pudding (the name on the menu was much fancier), a special recipe created by the chef. And of course, accompanied by a cup of espresso. Très Bien!

I think I’ve figured out the secret to identifying the quality of a restaurant here… the quality is directly proportional to the number of squiggles and lines on the letters in the restaurant name. “Bistrot d’a Côté – Neuilly” has got to be good.