One of the best things about our apartment on rue des Tournelles is that we're at the crossroads of several arrondisements (districts) --- we're in the 3rd, but at the edge of the 4th, the 10th, 11th, and 12th -- all great foodie destinations. It makes it easy to explore and try new places....
Yesterday, after a great cafe creme at Cafe Charlot at the corner of rue des Bretagnes and rue Charlot, we found a new store just next door specializing in smoked fish and caviar. We just ogled the display case, but will go back for special occasions.They carried the tubed spiced mustards that I like ---seasoned with truffles or wasabi or smoked paprika... easy to pack and carry. We also keep meaning to return to Cafe Charlot for brunch....all the food coming out of the kitchen looked yummy.
Later in the day the rain stopped and we took a walk towards the Hotel de Ville and the Paris Plages. The Plages seems larger this year, with more sand, more cafes, more beach chairs. Would have been even nicer if the weather had been a bit warmer...but at least no more rain. As we walked back the plaza in front of the Hotel de Ville was packed with people listening to a free concert of women rockers.
We started to think about finding a spot for a nice apertif when we ran into our next door neighbors, women from Florida and Alabama. We ended up with them at a women's bar on rue des Ecouffes called La Jacasses....same owners as 3-W across the street. After a few glasses of wine, we were ready for dinner, and the bartender, Angel, sent us a few doors down to Etamine Cafe at 13 rue des Ecouffes. A tiny pearl of a restaurant, there are only two men who work there ---one in the front of the house, one in the very tiny kitchen. The meal takes some time, given that all of the food is prepared by one person to order, but the quality was excellent. A three course prix fixe was only 18 Euros, and there were three choices of entrees, plats, and desserts.
We had a well-made gaspacho to start, followed by an emince of chicken in a luscious truffled cream sauce, accompanied by noodles and a mesclun salad. Our friends both chose salads to start, with tomatoes and radish, followed by a cod, cooked in foil and accompanied in one case by rice, and, in the other, by noodles. They were down to just two desserts by the time we got to it, a simple housemade yogurt with mint, or a peach gratin with sabayon. I picked the peach gratin, which proved to be the most popular. After the meal, the kind waiter carefully prepared a sweetened mint tea for the four of us. All told, a lovely meal at lovely prices. Worth seeking out....Etamine Cafe, 13 rue des Ecouffes in the 4th (telephone: 01.44.78.09.62).
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