Paris Journal 2010 – Barbara Joy Cooley Home: barbarajoycooley.com

Photos and thoughts about Paris

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Yesterday was a fine day. I had some wild science writing to do; it was a challenge, but one that was meant for someone like me. I did it, felt great about it, and had that wonderful sense that this was my calling in life. And I received some very good feedback on the piece. So I was deserving of the reward that I received in the evening. Ever since sometime in early July, I’ve had a craving for beef bourguignon, but was resigned to probably having to wait until September for the restaurants to offer it. It is one of those cool-weather dishes, I guess. But the weather is now pleasantly cool in the evenings – at least for subtropical people like us, it seems cool. On Thursday, when we were walking over into the 7^th to meet Maddy and Jim for dinner, we passed one of our favorite neighborhood restos, La Gauloise. I always check their specials of the day when we walk by. Aha! There it was! Bœuf Bourguignon! At it seemed as though they’d still be offering it on Friday night. And so it happened. Tom and I took our first walk all the way through and around the Champ de Mars, stopping first to make a dinner reservation at La Gauloise. We arrived just a couple minutes before 8, and took our places at a table for two inside. The maitre d’ had been surprised that we wanted to be inside, and not on the terrace. But he should not have been. Americans, they know, tend not to smoke as much as French people do these days. And non-smoking Americans don’t like to breathe other people’s smoke while trying to enjoy dinner. Therefore, many nonsmoking Americans prefer not to be on the terrace with the smokers. Add to that the fact that we are subtropical, and you realize that we actually might be a little too cold out there after sundown. We nestled into our corner and ordered one gazpacho and two beef bourguignons. I also ordered some rosé wine, which turned out to be exactly the kind I like – very pale, and very dry. There is a new chef at La Gauloise this year. His name is Sébastien Carabeux. He has infused a breath of fresh air into the traditional cuisine of La Gauloise. The gazpacho was as light and smooth as possible. It even had a bit of clarity. My senses told me it was made with tomatos, beets, melon, and a tiny bit of Tabasco, with an excellent slick of herbs-blended-with-olive-oil snaking on the surface. (I try not to think of the Gulf of Mexico when I write this.) The soup was absolutely delicious. It was the best gazpacho I’ve had since a bowl I consumed at the Musée du Quai Branly’s café a year or two ago. The beef bourguignon arrived. It was everything I imagined it could be and more. We were both delighted. It was superb! I did, however, add a bit of salt. But I much prefer that to having food served that is too salty. The service was friendly and flawless. Tom ordered ice cream for his dessert, and he pronounced it to be very good. I had a bite of the dark chocolate scoop, and it was very good except that there was an ice crystal in it. Here’s a translation of what the newspaper Le Figaro has to say about La Gauloise: For all the carnivores who wish to know what’s on their plates, the brasserie La Gauloise is a place to visit. No worries about tracability here since the proprietor is also a raiser of livestock on the Aubrac. The chef Sebastien Carabeux selects the savory meats in the bistronomique style in perfect harmony with the context of a modern décor with old woodwork. While Le Figaro uses the word “brasserie” in this description, I wouldn’t. The only way in which this restaurant is like a brasserie is that there is an emphasis on its terrace. But its terrace is more generous in size, by far, than most corner brasseries’. I also would not call the décor modern at all. It is pleasantly traditional. Here’s a video that really captures the essence of the place. The genre or classification that Le Figaro uses for La Gauloise, however, is “gastronomique.” With that I would concur. Don’t be concerned that the restaurant is too expensive; our dinners were 22 euros each, for two courses. Appetizer and main course for me; main course and dessert for Tom. It is mighty fine dining for that money. Speaking of food, our refrigerator was looking sparse, so Tom and I took the shopping cart to Ed for supplies this morning. Saturday seems to be a good time to go, as most shelves were well-stocked. The produce looked particularly good today. The leeks and white mushrooms were beautiful. So was a bright yellow melon, the likes of which we’d not seen before. According to the sign in Ed, it is called a “cambaya,” and it is from Spain. However, this web site seems to indicate that it is called a Casaba. Inside, it looks something like a honeydew, but the flesh is a bit firmer than that. We bought one, and consumed part of it. Very nice. Sign my guestbook. View my guestbook. Note: For addresses & phone numbers of restaurants in this journal, click here.

Saturday, July 31, 2010 Place Camille Jullian statue. Chef Sebastien Carabeux’s beef bourguignon at La Gauloise. Cambaya or Casaba melon. Another delicate sunset sky view from our balcony. ← Previous Next →