Dinner at REED in Paris

The restaurant REED, in Paris,  became known to me through my blogger friend, Penny, at Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen.  I emailed the owner of REED, Catherine, asking for reservations.  We were arriving from Provence by train at approximately 3:30 p.m.  Catherine sent me our reservation confirmation for 7 p.m. that evening.  She asked if I would like to attend her cooking class that afternoon, but unfortunately the timing would not work for us, but we were anxious for our meal at her restaurant.

Since we were renting a studio on Rue Rivoli, we took the Metro to the restaurant at Rue Amélie.  This street runs parallel to Rue Cler which is always bustling, with shops, markets, restaurants and people. 

Catherine greeted us graciously and we just needed to mention that Penny had taken a cooking class from her, and we were immediately welcomed as family.  She jokingly mentioned that it turned out to be "English" night as all her guests seemed to be from the States.

Chatting to each other between the closely situated tables only reinforced the talk.

What to order....always difficult when you want to experience it all.  I opted for fresh pea soup with mint as my first course.  Certainly a very good choice as it was absolutely delicious.

The Trout had a terrine centered with foie gras.  Again, a very good choice.

My main coarse was osso buco which was perfectly done and very flavorful.  She reminded me to eat the marrow which I did and enjoyed.

The Trout had beef cheek daube which was very tasty, extremely tender and beef cheeks is something you do not find in the USA.  Both dishes excellent choices.

And yes, we were much too full for the desserts she offered.  We had indulged in her beautiful hard rolls a little too much.  There was also a nice bottle of red wine, very fairly priced for a restaurant.

Catherine's cooking at REED would be described as slow French country cooking.  Definitely worth a visit while in Paris.  The atmosphere itself is very inviting.  Her kitchen is open to the dining room, beautifully organized and yes, I wish I could have taken a class from her.  Perhaps next trip.

La Salle à Manger in Provence

It was October 31.  Provence was having a cool spell with rain.  The Trout and I were looking for a wonderful place for lunch.  We came upon the village of Flayosc.  A few restaurants were open, but we liked what we saw through the window and the menu which was posted outside this little restaurant.   We closed our umbrellas and entered a very charming room.

We were immediately greeted by the host of Restaurant "La Salle à Manger," Ronald Abbink.  In perfect English, he welcomed us and seated us by the window.  Robert and his wife, the chef, Liesbeth,  came from Holland and today was the 11th anniversary of opening this restaurant.

We were served amuse buche which was a warm strip of beef wrapped around a sage leave.  Outstanding.  Eaten so quickly, no photo.

Ordering was difficult because we wanted it all.  But, I have to say, the first course was the most outstanding we have ever experience.

What you see above is an absolutely delicious mushroom soup.  First he brought out a hot bowl with hot sauteed mushrooms, a slice of foie gras and a spoonful of marscapone cheese.  Then the magic.  He brought out a clear glass teapot with boiling hot beef broth which he poured over the bowl contents.  Absolutely delicious!  As the foie gras and marscapone melted, it added a delicious "fat" to the soup.  This, by far, has been one of the most outstanding presentations ever.

In the foreground you see The Trout's duck breast with confit in a red wine, grape and fig sauce.  This was accompanied with potatoes baked with a cheese, perhaps like Comte.  Absolutely delicious!

My main course was monk fish on a bed of lentils with a mushroom cream sauce.  Absolutely delicious!  Love French lentils and brought some home with me on this trip.

Now you are thinking, how could these people possibly eat dessert.  Well, when in France, it is really possible.

The Trout had a beautiful slate plate of different cheese from France.  Quite often you will have a choice; cheese or dessert.  Well, if you know me at all, it has to be dessert!

Oh yes, a most perfect poached pear partially wrapped in baked pastry along with a dipper of pear sorbet.  Absolutely delicious, but I think I have said this once or twice before on this post.

We enjoyed a glass of red wine each with this meal as we had miles to go before we got back "home."  This was such a outstanding meal with the most wonderful and friendly people who own this restaurant.  Since the day was rainy and we were the only guests this day, even the chef came out of the kitchen to welcome us and we were able to thank her personally for a perfect meal.

Quite honestly, this is the main reason we love France so much.  The food and the wonderful people we meet.  This will forever remain as a most memorable meal.  I do hope, in your travels to France, you will look for the village of Flayosc in Provence and Restaurant "La Salle à Manger" at 9 Place de la République.

Paris

In our little apartment in Paris, we enjoyed our oysters on the half shell with a crisp bottle of white wine.

The above photos are of an absolutely beautiful restaurant in Paris, "Julien" on rue du Faubourg St-Dennis, just a short walk from our apartment.  The decor was so "old time Paris".  Besides that, we had a fantastic meal of salmon and a roasted chicken with mushroom sauce.  Enjoy the photos below.

The architecture in this area was so beautiful.  I had to take a picture of the arch.  See the lion on the bottom sticking out his tongue?  Don't we all feel like that once in while?

And then, of course, for some reason, most Americans want to go to the cemetery looking for a particular grave site.

We made the trek to Pere Lachaise cemetery and thanks to the kind efforts of a Parisian, he led us to several interesting monuments and then to Jim Morrison's resting place.  By far, the largest crowd this day in the cemetery was standing around this grave.  Understandably, they were all Americans, of many different ages.  

This is the monument to the artist Gericault (1791-1824).  It was quite beautiful and our French "guide" for our visit, had a strong connection to the artist.  When I told him I did not recognize the name, he asked me to study him when I had the chance.  He seemed quite proud of this Frenchman.

His most famous painting The Raft of the Medusa is engraved on the stone.