We've walked by Le Carré des Vosges a million times (more or less), but haven't ever stopped. But, one night cruising Paris's Open Table-like site, LaFourchette.com, I noticed that Le Carré des Vosges had great ratings and reviews, several diners remarking on the interesting twists the Japanese chef added to the French menu. So I made a reservation on-line, and off we went later that nite.
It's a very pretty room - and, importantly, had air conditioning as the outside temp was still in the low 90s! From what I've learned, the original Le Carré des Vosges was an elegant spot; this newer iteration shows some of the bones of the original decor, but has a more casual air about it. The casualness was also evident by the warm greeting of the host/waiter/sommelier. He spoke great English but humored us by tolerating our bad French. He was charming and knowledgeable, steering us to a 2011 Sancerre from Domain Girault to start. He then brought us a tasty amuse bouche, a small cup of gazpacho, sweetened with watermelon and spiced with Tabasco, coriander, and anise. A promising and interesting start.
The menu was moderately priced, and offered a range of choices. I started with an entree titled Le Poulpe, described as a "press" of red peppers and eggplant, with octopus confit and tapenade (14 Euros). The red pepper and eggplant caviar came pressed around a cucumber core, and surrounded by dime-sized bites of very tender octopus. Two swaths, one of pesto and the other the olive tapenade added depth, while arugula and watercress added color and texture. Meanwhile, Cheryl's entree, billed simply as a "la tomate-mozza," was a great creative twist on this classic caprese, and was part of the well-priced (39 Euros) three course prix fixe menu. Generous slices of ripe heirloom tomatoes were perched on and under a light mozzarella foam , scented with fennel - creating an almost soup-like texture to the dish. Very yummy.
I ordered a second entree for my main dish, thinking I would be eating relatively lightly that evening. Titled "le poulet fermier," it was described as a ballotine, with foie gras and a pineapple gelee, and priced at 16 Euros. Okay, thinking anything with foie gras is going to be light was a mistake - but how could I have predicted the substantial amount in the ballotine. And, though I was skeptical of the pineapple gelee, it was done beautifully, and married well with the chicken and foie gras. Overall, this was an elegant and well executed dish - much more than I'd expected on many levels.
Cheryl continued with the prix fixe, ordering the "cochon." This was perfectly roasted pork, perhaps done sous vide, on a bed of haricots vert,and baby potatoes. Grilled tomatoes completed the plate, topped with bread crumbs. We were surprised by the generous portion that included a meaty rib, making Cheryl's night!
Having had ice cream from our favorite place, Grom, earlier in the day, we passed on desserts, though I was sorely tempted by the roasted white peach. Overall, we thought the food was great - well sourced ingredients, clear expertise in the kitchen, and an interesting mix of techniques and spices. We'll definitely go back. Chez Janou and Cave St. Gilles are wonderful to have so close to our apartment- but sometime a touch of elegance is a welcome respite, particularly when it's both nearby and affordable.
Le Carré des Vosges
15 rue Saint Gilles 75003
Phone: 01 42 71 22 21
Web: www.lecarredesvosges.fr
No comments:
Post a Comment