ROBERT PARKER’S FAVORITE RESTAURANT
We're in Paris again on business. Several times in past years we've tried to get a reservation at L'ami Louis, Robert Parker's favorite restaurant in the world, according to Decanter Magazine. And the New York Times reported it as Bill Clinton's favorite restaurant in Paris. With credentials like that it's no wonder you have to reserve in advance to get in. But this year, although it took several telephone calls, we got a table for six. At least they said it was for six. Six midgets maybe. But we squeezed in. The people at the next table had no problem; the two women looked like top models, dressed in skimpy casual clothing like I see in the TV ads and the young men were thin and fit. We arrived at 8:00, and by 9:00 there wasn't a free inch anywhere in the restaurant. Neither Robert Parker nor Bill Clinton was there. The décor reminded me of Musso and Franks in Hollywood: turn of the century wooden paneling, tiled floors, high ceiling. lots of coat racks, narrow isles. And lots of noise: the customers were having a good time, and the waiters were shouting orders from the tables into the kitchen. Meanwhile large plates of huge mounds of meats were going by. After a while four plates arrived at our table; Bonnie and her friend ordered the lamb ribs, two friends split the "whole roasted chicken," I ordered veal in morilles sauce, and our friend Michel ordered the duck confit. Knowing the size of the orders, no one even thought about ordering an appetizer. Along with the main plates a big plate of French fries and a dish of potatoes lyonnaise arrived. Nothing green showed up. A bottle of over-priced red Bordeaux at $100 evaporated quickly, so I ordered a second bottle of wine, this time an inexpensive red Cote du Rhone at about $50. The Bordeaux was nothing to write home about, but the Rhone was delicious. So much for expectations according to price. Everything was delicious. As Bonnie and her friend leaned back after eating most of the lamb the waiter showed up again with the "rest of the order," another slab of lamb ribs, and another plate of chicken. No wonder Bill Clinton has to jog every morning. Dessert, prunes in Armagnac, was also delicious, but overkill after that meal. Personally I would go back again, but Bonnie says not with her. We didn't let this experience deter us. According to a couple of reviews found on Google, restaurant Guy Savoy is the best restaurant in the world, and some of the reviewers confessed to having dreams about the food there. We invited our friend's daughter and son-in-law to select a restaurant in Paris where they always wanted to go, and that's what they selected. . What a beautiful restaurant! It was comfortable, and quiet. The restaurant is divided into a number of small rooms, with tables well separated. In part that's necessary to allow access to the various carts that are wheeled up to the tables. We started with the "famous" artichoke soup with buttered brioche and black truffles in it. It needed salt (a good sign for me, as I'm tired of over salted foods in restaurants), and I didn't think the black truffles added much flavor. That was enough for Bonnie, who knew the desserts were coming. I had a piece of sea bass, and it was cooked to perfection, with all the little tastes around it for which the French are famous. We had a glass of white Viogner with the first course, and a glass of Côte du Rhone with the main course. Bonnie and I didn't order dessert, just coffee. In lieu of coffee I ordered a glass of Muscat wine. With great pride the sommelier brought over a glass of rich, golden colored wine which, he explained, was his special find made on a small island off the coast of Sicily. And was it ever special! Clearly the best Muscat I've ever had. Too bad sweet wines are so hard to sell in the U.S. Then various trays, platters, and carts arrived filled with diverse sweets. Little bits of chocolate, little cookies, madelaines, small spoonfuls of ice creams, mousses-who can begin to remember all of it? Eating the non-ordered after-dinner treats took as much time as the rest of the meal. And it was really memorable. If you have a sweet tooth, this may well be the best meal you'll ever have. And don't forget to order the Muscat wine!  ADDITIONAL ARTICLES |
A TOUCH OF FRANCE IN HAWAII