My last day in Paris was saved for my “splurge” meal of the trip. I made a reservation at Benoit, an Alain Ducasse bistrot near the Louvre. I wanted to have a really good meal by a famous French chef but didn’t want to break the bank. My friend Linda, who lived in Paris for 2 years, recommended this busy little bistrot. My hat’s off to her!
As some of you know, I like to cook and have fancied myself to be somewhat of an expert on French cooking. Well, at least knowledgeable. A number of years ago, I started to make my way through Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” cookbook like the woman who wrote Julie and Julia. I didn’t get nearly as far through the book as Julie did. But, I did make an effort and learned many of the basic French techniques that are used in almost every type of cooking. I also learned the names for a lot of the French foods, which I have to say, has helped me immensely with the menus in France. Very few surprises so far, for which I am grateful.
Anyway, the meal at Benoit was spectacular. We started with a small plate of pate choix (small puff pastries) as a teaser while I was deciding on my meal. I opted for the price fixed lunch menu because it is the best deal….very important… But, it’s also the best way to get a taste of a variety of menu items. For the appetizer, I chose the lentil soup with fois gras and creme fraiche. I love fois gras, even though I also know how this is obtained. There are varying schools of thought on whether the force feeding of fowl is humane or not. I choose to think they like overeating like most Americans do, and so, are OK with this. It helps me to justify this small pleasure.
My main course was a beef pot roast of a type that was melt in your mouth tender. For dessert, I had a savarain, pieces of pound cake that were absolutely drenched in Armengac and whipped cream. The waiter was steering me away from this dessert. I assume he thought I could not eat such a large portion or handle the Armengac. He doesn’t know me. I may be small, but I can be a pretty hearty eater. Mike tells me this all the time when I say I can’t eat the volume of some meal or another. “I know you.”, he says. Humph! He’s usually right..but not in this case. I could only get about 1/2 way through before I thought my stomach would burst open and they would have to take me to the French hospital. To top it off, about mid-way through the dessert, the waiter brought me some small samples of cookies to try, as is often done at the end of a fancy meal …a Madeleine, chocolates and some other type of cookie that I couldn’t identify. I took a small bite of each so as not to offend. But, really who can eat all of that?!
I also decided that I would splurge and have a very nice glass of wine and so opted for a Pessac Leognan from Bordeaux. This was the perfect match for the beef dish that I had. It also impressed the sommelier and the waiter. It was not, however, the best deal. Oh well, you only go around once!
The bistro itself was very cute and not pretentious, as some up scale restaurants can be. Don’t get me wrong, the service was very nice and very formal. But, the atmosphere allowed you to relax and enjoy the meal. The seats were also very tight. I was sitting almost in the lap of a man who was part of a young couple. Very friendly. They also chose the price fixed luncheon menu. When their food came out, they took a photo of each course. So, I did the same thing with mine…..fun times! We had a nice discussion about the beautiful presentation of the food. The main course for the man was a sausage pudding that had julienned apple strips piled decoratively on the top. it was a work of art…..really. These French love a nice presentation.
All in all, the meal was just spectacular…and filling. I went out happy and fat, deciding that more than anything I needed to go to bathroom and then to walk.
I finished my day walking through the Latin quarter, which is where all of the universities are. As you might guess, the atmosphere is pretty lively here with all of the students hanging around. I admired the Pantheon, Sorbonne, and the Jardin du Luxembourg as I strolled along. I had visited these places on previous visits in the spring and summer seasons. It was quite a different picture doing this in the winter. The Jardin (garden) was particularly different without the greenery that makes it a lush garden. There is a pond in the middle of the garden where young children sail toy boats in the summertime. There were no boats now, only birds skimming across the top of the pond hoping for some bread crumbs from the children that were playing near the pond. This is such a peaceful place even in the winter. If it were even a little warmer I would have spent some more time here with a book or my journal. A great place for quiet thoughts.
Tomorrow I leave for Arles in the Provence area. I’m looking forward to a smaller town and exploring some new territory…… But, I’ll always have Paris and will look forward to my next visit.
Travel With Betsy 
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