Paris Journal 2010 – Barbara Joy Cooley Home: barbarajoycooley.com
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Yesterday was a day full of physical work, then a long hot walk. But the heat didn’t bother me because it was dry heat. When a Floridian is hit by dry heat, it is nothing to them. So I was bopping along, in my lightweight, black Chicos clothes, Naturalizer shoes, and sunglasses, in the blazing hot sun in front of the long Ecole Militaire, and there was nobody around me, even at 5:30PM! I guess they were all lurking under the shade trees of the Champ de Mars. Today is humid, however, and that’s different. I’m glad that thunderstorms are supposed to arrive later today and/or tomorrow. We went out to eat at Oh! Duo, one of our all-time favorite places, situated on the tree-lined avenue Emile Zola. I called ahead, and Madame Françoise Valero recognized the Cooley name immediately. We were given the second-to-last table on the main floor; the upper floor was not open because Françoise does not currently have an assistant. Thursday night is tete de veau (calf’s head) night at Oh! Duo, so that’s what I ordered. Joel Valero, the chef, is not one to serve this dish in its traditional, somewhat grotesque form, in a covered pot. Instead, he has the various components of it cut apart and arranged attractively on a plate. It comes with a side of gribiche sauce. It was tasty and interesting, but I did not eat the fat that is one of the essential parts of the dish. At least, the way Joel serves it, it is easy to separate the fat because it is already separated. It was clear that Françoise is not a fan of tete de veau. Tom isn’t either, but at least he isn’t grossed out by it the way his son is. Tom ordered the 22 euro menu, including a salad with a delicious croustillant of warm goat cheese, perfectly poached salmon, and finely puréed potatoes. Also included is dessert: a small version of Joel’s famous tarte fine aux pommes (a fine, thin, flat apple tart). I’m pleased that Françoise now offers wine by the glass, at only 5 euros for 18cl. That’s pretty good for a fine Parisian restaurant. Full and some half-size bottles are still offered, but no more pichets (small pitchers). (The menu on the web site is out of date.) We were the only English speakers in the restaurant. At 9:30, a couple men entered to take the last table, so the house was full. On our way home, we stopped in a brand new Carrefour City, a small urban grocery store operated by the French retailing giant, to pick up a couple essential chocolate bars and eggs. Conveniently, this store is open until 11PM and also is open on Sundays! Hooray! Note: For addresses & phone numbers of restaurants in this journal, click here. Sign
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Friday, July 9, 2010
Newly
painted door in the 6th arrondissement. This was used as a backdrop for a fashion
shoot yesterday.
Statue
in the Luxembourg Gardens. |
