Le Restaurant au Vieux Paris d'Arcole

R

richard-in-cincy

Well-known member
Our hosts recommended this wonderful place for dinner. We had one of our most memorable dinners at this restaurant in a building from 1512 tucked in the northeast corner behind Notre Dame on the Ile de la Cité --leaning and crooked, half-timbers, ceiling beams, filled with antiques, opera music playing, the whole 9-yards. Very cozy place, wonderfully friendly and helpful staff at 24 Rue Chanoinesse (and thankfully our puckish waiter let me have a copy of the menu so that I didn’t have to write all this down):

We started off with Champagne (what else?)

Les délicieux farçous d’Odette aux 7 légumes verts (tiny pancakes with 7 green vegetables, garnished with fleur de sel)

Foie gras mi-cuit de canard (the house duck foie gras in aspic, garnished with poached cherries and watercress, with toasted baguette slices)

Nos fameuses pétoncles ou coquilles Saint-Jacques sauvages arcies au beurre d’escargots (a way over the top dish—I was drooling when our waiter walked through the door surrounded by the cloud of garlic and butter: scallops on the shell, garlic parsley/herb butter, bread crumbs, broiler—sigh—and yes, I wiped my shells clean of the garlic butter with pieces of bread)

Mon grand Coufidou au vin de Marcillac, façon gibier (totally decadent chunks of beef, roasted and carmelized to absolute perfection in red wine, garlic, juniper, and herbs—similar to Beef Bourguignon—served in a casserole from the oven where it had been sitting for over 5 hours with a side of boiled small potatoes—totally yum.)

Cuisse de canard gras d’Aveyron, confite maison, pommes à l'ail (this was absolute heaven on a plate—duck leg confit roasted crispy and succulent—wow! On the plate were roasted potatoes and garlic (swoon), roasted mélange of peppers, the sweetest glazed carrots and turnips, and a tiny courgette soufflé)

Crème brûlée à la vraie vanilla bourbon (an amazingly rich custard with the crisp burnt sugar topping, the bottom of the dish cold and the top still warm from the torch—perfection)

Fondant froid au chocolat (eggs, butter, sugar, and chocolate (which wasn’t all the way melted before combining, so there with intense bits of the wonderful chocolate in this flourless chocolate cake) baked and served cold with whipped cream on top—what more could one ask for to end this wonderful meal?

I took lots of pictures of dinners(including this one of course), I'll post some over at Neener's site with some commentary.

 
Trip highlights and memories

Wonderful roasted leg of lamb at Le Mont Saint-Michel, the lambs eat the salty marsh grass for a unique taste.

Shopping at the charcuteries, pattisierie, bakeries, wine stores, and markets to put beautiful picnics together to enjoy in memorable locations: The village square in St. Lo, the coast of Normandy looking out over the English Channel with German gun turrets as a backdrop, on the edge of the Verdun battlefields with the WWI trenches still visible under the trees, high on a cliff overlooking Lake Constance and the Swiss Alps, among the blooming chestnut trees on the Lichtentaler Allee in Baden-Baden...so many wonderful places to picnic!

Stopping whenever I felt like it to buy wonderful petits four and pastries from French pattisieries. Enjoying entire meals of pastries. Oink.

An amazing dinner at La Cave à Champagne in Epernay seated next to a table of Swedish tourists.

Spending a lazy day touring champagne houses (and tasting!)

The rich tapestry of history on display travelling on the Alsacian Wine Road, exploring the cellars with the huge barrels, and tasting the brilliant sun of Alsatian late harvest Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, and the storks and their huge nest on every steeple and chimney in site.

Whiling away a beautiful day in the gardens of Mainau island in Lake Constance, looking out over the lake and the montains whie the Zeppelins from Friedrichshaven drift lazily overhead.

A slow boat ride up the Mosel River from Bernkastel to Trarbach and back looking at the castles, vineyards, and picturesque little towns.

Showering, soaking, steaming, bubbling, chilling, and poaching in the Baden-Baden springs waters at the Friedrichsbad, soapy scrub massages from the attendants and then to go spray, soak, bubble, steam, and dip all over again. And finally, getting tucked into a bed and wrapped in a warm cocoon of sheets and blankets to fall asleep in the rest hall afterwards. I've never felt so clean in my entire life.

Driving 110 mph on the German Autobahn.

German bier.

Driving through the Black Forest.

Castles.

Monet's gardens at Giverny in full spring bloom viewed through a lite spring drizzle--it was an impressionist painting come to life.

The museums of Paris, wandering the gardens of Luxembourg, Tuilleries, and Versaille.

Finally visiting Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.

Seeing the Da Vinci Code at the Normandie Cinema on the Champs Elysees on opening night after having just visited or seen all of the Paris sites in the movie then going to the top of the Arc de Triomphe to see all of Paris in lights.

Hearing the complete Dvorak New World Symphony played on the organ at a concert in Notre Dame, as well as hearing the organs of the Freiburg, Saint-Sulpice, St. Eustache, St Severin, and Rouen cathedrals.

And finally, spending a day shopping in Paris: Beautiful terrine, tart, and petit four molds, hand made bouquet garnis, sea salts of every hue and flavor, armagnacs, framboise, foie gras, beautiful tisanes, tins of teas, bon bons, rose liqueur, chocolates...sigh.

 
Ah, Richard,, it all sounds wonderful..... I wanna go.........everywhere smileys/smile.gif NT

 
What a delight to hear from someone packing so much in (& not just food). ANd from

your description, you clearly savoured every moment.

You were so fortunate to see Monet's gardens at the right time. Hey, but ONE day of shopping in Paris?

I'll bet you thought it was all "done too soon".

 
Ahh, I know. Just one day...

The Paris department stores are amazing! And thanks so much for that tip to take a break and have lunch on the top of Lafayette--I had an eagle-eye perch hovering over the Paris Opera looking out over the city! The gourmet store and the food halls were astonishing. I had the lovliest woman assist me with my foie gras purchases--she explained everything so patiently and lovingly, and gave me samples of everything as she explained.

And oh my, Dehellerin's! Thank you so much for sending me there! You should see my new lovely terrines and molds! I wanted to buy more, but alas, the reality of carrying it all back set in. I loved the photo of Julia Child over the front desk.

Will definitely not wait so long to go back the next time!

Oh, and the gardens. Western Europe was in full bloom. Apparently the spring was several weeks late this year and pushed a lot of things into blooming together than normally don't. All of the spring bulbs were still in full flower, chestnut trees were leafed out and in bloom, wisteria hanging in giant fragrant water-falls from buildings, trees, bridges, and anything else that didn't move. The weather cooperated wonderfully. We had drizzle the first day, but the rest of our trip, it either rained at night or while we were driving, so our days were filled with glorious spring sunlight.

It was an amazing time.

 
partial list...

Calvados from Normandy
Champagne from Champagne
Moselfleur herbal liqueur
Peach Liqueur from Bernkastel Germany
Rose Liqueur from Dijon France
Framboise and Armagnac bought in Paris
Austrian hand-woven table cloths
terrine, tart, and petit four molds
hand made bouquet garnis
sea salts
foie gras
tisanes and tins of very exotic teas
bon bons and chocolates
French heirloom tomato and hanging geranium seeds
French and German toiletries
Austrian traditional cross stitch patterns for table cloths
Lots of cookbooks!!!!

 
Richard, I've gained weight just reading this, but it was worth it!

Sounds like a wonderful, memorable evening. I'll make a note of the restaurant.

 
Richard, I'll be there in October, so please give an idea of cost!

Paris is the city of my heart. I'll be there for only 2 precious days in October. We have to sort of budget, though. Could you give an idea of what that mneal cost you? Per person? Pretty please??

 
Welcome home Richard! And thank you for transporting us along with you on your wonderful vacation!

 
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