Who knew? Just two blocks from an old favorite, Le Square Trousseau, at 11 Place d'Aligre is a gem of a restaurant, La Table d'Aligre (phone - 01.43.07.84.88; email - cyr75@wanadoo.fr). We'd never seen it, even though it's been around for over 10 years. It's a small restaurant---not fancy, but very comfortable.
The cuisine is based on what is fresh from the market across the street, and the cooking creative. It is also very affordable; a full prix fixe (entree, plat, and dessert) is just 29 Euros at dinner, and one can adjust that downward if you want just two courses. The entrees were brilliant; mine was shredded radish with small marinated (ceviche-style) shrimp in a light as air sauce. One dinner companion ordered a gorgeous entree of grilled bread on top of which was a fresh fava spread and, in essence, a scrambled egg...sounds a bit odd on the menu, but the result is divine. The third entree was a special salad of the evening, best described as a deconstructed ratatouille on a bed of mixed lettuces.
The plats were just as good, though the three of us all ordered the same thing, so cannot report on anything but the calamar-supions with two sauces, served with a golden orzo-like pasta. The squid came two ways in two separate little casseroles; baby squid in a garlic-parsley sauce and tender sliced squid bodies in a tomato sauce, enriched with the flavor of crustacean shells. Yum. And, even though it's summer and we had seafood, we washed it all down with a very reasonably priced Gigondas, one of our favorite wines.
desserts didn't disappoint either. Menelik, a recipe from the chef's mother, was a moist and rich chocolate cake layered with chocolate mouse and served with coffee granita. We also tasted the fresh peach "tiramisu," sprinkled lightly with bits of sugared flower petals, and a decadent cherry cloufati.
We'll definitely return...great ingredients, great cooking, friendly staff...
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