Barbara Cooley's Paris Journal

Paris Journal 2013 – Barbara Joy Cooley Home: barbarajoycooley.com

Find me on Facebook 2012 Paris Journal ← Previous Next → Back to the Beginning

We thought it would be just a typical, normal walk in the park. The beginning was normal. We entered the usual gate to the Luxembourg Gardens near the rue Férou on the rue de Vaugirard.

Then I remembered that it was the last day of the current exhibition in the Senat’s Orangerie. So we went there. I wanted to know more about the sculptor whose panther statues were on display.

He’s a Belgian, born in 1961, named Patrick Villas. His subjects are mostly large felines, including panthers. I think his work should sell well in south Florida, particularly in cities like Naples, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale, to owners of large homes. (There are no panthers on Sanibel and Captiva islands, so I don’t include them in the list – but they could be.)

These panther statues would also make excellent public art for public buildings and spaces, if only southwest Florida government had such sensibility. Sigh. It isn’t Ohio, where cities like Columbus consider public art to be essential.

Amazingly, Patrick Villas captures the essence of these big cats even though he has only observed and studied them in zoos. I checked his web site for the long list of places where his work has been shown. Sure enough, his work has not been shown in Florida. The only American shows seem to be an exhibition in New York once, and one in Michigan.

So, south Florida art galleries, take a look at Patrick Villas’ work, please.

The Luxembourg Gardens’ orangerie was swarming with people, because these were the last few hours of the last day of this exhibition. Patrick Villas was there, but we didn’t speak with him. He was busy with one person after another.

When we exited the orangerie, we turned left and then right, starting to walk in a southerly direction as we usually do when we begin our walks there. But our music sensitive ears detected the distant notes of a bass. Tom said perhaps it was Les Plaies Mobiles again. I said that I thought it was an amplified bass, and Les Plaies have no amplification.

We changed direction, and headed to the east, toward the gazebo/bandstand. Our pace quickened, because it was 5PM and it was possible that the concert would end soon.

When we arrived at the gazebo/bandstand, we saw that Puissance Jazz, a big band that we’ve heard before, was playing. Now here’s a French big band that CAN swing. The amplification was a small sound system – even smaller than the one we use for Island Jazz on Sanibel.

All of the metal chairs as far as we could see were occupied. I found a tree to stand in front of until a seat opened up. (I stand in front of trees so I don’t block anyone’s view.)

Tom stood off to the side of the bandstand where he could watch the drummer. Eventually, a woman vacated a chair in the front row near where I stood, and I snagged it. Later, Tom was able to take a seat near me, and then when one opened up next to him, I moved and we sat together to the end of the concert, which was a bit after 6PM.

The band was fabulous. The only thing this group didn’t do well was an attempt at Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” They should just stick with good old jazz standards.

The band director intended for the last to be “Sweet Georgia Brown.” But the musicians did it so well, the crowd gave them a standing ovation that would not stop. So the band did a rousing version of “When the Saints Go Marching In” as an encore. Fantastic!

Then we enjoyed our normal walk down through the Gardens and the parks of the avenue de l’Observatoire to the south and north again, with a pause at the Medici fountain.

Tom decided to change clothes before dinner, because Autumn weather was setting in. He was a bit chilly.

After freshening up at the apartment, we walked back down to the rue Vaugirard again and turned to the east, just past the Odéon National Theatre. There I’d reserved an upstairs table for us at La Bastide Odéon.

We were given the best table upstairs, by a window where I could easily gaze at the end of the Luxembourg Palace. Tom could easily look across the street and into the windows of a room where costumes were being cleaned and prepared at the theatre.

We began by sharing a lobster salad (below) that was as good as the one at Le Christine, but with more lobster. Of course, at La Bastide Odéon, we paid a 7 euro supplement for that salad, so it should have more lobster. It was delicious, and had interesting super-thin slices of very small white radishes that had been marinated in something.

Tom’s main course was a filet de boeuf aux girolles, purée à l’Ossau Iraty (also a 7 euro supplement), and mine was poêlée de calamars grillés, au lard, à l'ail, penne. I know, I had that last time, but I do so love calamari. (Main courses shown below.)

Tom ordered a millefeuille for dessert (millefeuille traditionnel « fait minute » à la vanille Bourbon). Oh was it ever heavenly!

I can’t think what the restaurant could have done to make the dinner any better. It was wonderful. Service was genuinely warm and friendly, and very efficient as well. Bravo to Pascal Mousset, who has owned this resto since 2011. We love what he’s done with the place.

Pascal, at age 25, was managing La Coupole, perhaps one of the most famous fancy brasseries in Paris. Now he’s running eight Parisian restaurants, including that of the Senat, which serves 1,000 meals a day.

It is in his blood; his grandparents were hôteliers and one of his parents owned a café in the 9^th arrondissement. He graduated from hotel management school at a young age. He went to work at the Paris Hilton on the avenue Suffren, but decided that American-style hotel management was not for him. He wanted to be involved in more artisanal work.

After his military service, he applied at the Groupe Flo (owners of many well-known Parisian brasseries). He worked 18 hours a day as a sous chef at the Julien brasserie in the 10^th arrondissement. It was a good life for him.

Soon he was running the brasserie Flo in the 10^th, which was serving over 500 meals a day. He was only 22 then. He said he learned everything from Jean-Paul Bucher, the founder of the Groupe Flo. The respect was mutual.

In the profitable 1990s, Jean-Paul handed over the keys to La Coupole to the young Mousset when he was 25. Mousset stayed there for three years, serving 1000 meals a day, employing 200 people, managing the business, and dealing with the threat of strikes. He learned much.

At age 28, he struck out on his own, with a restaurant in the 15^th arrondissement. Then two years later, it was Chez Françoise, a restaurant near the National Assembly, where he met many a politician.

He liked politicians because they were loyal customers who appreciated good products. So naturally he responded to the call for bids on running the Senat restaurant in 1998. Now he’s been the “aubergiste des senateurs” for more than 15 years.

The Luxembourg Palace became his “second home” because he’d arrive at work at 7AM and leave at 11PM. Now, his group called “Les Tables Mousset” includes La Marée, Au Petit Marguery rive gauche, Le Comptoir Marguery, La Bastide Odéon, Au Petit Marguery rive droite, and Chez Frézet. Les Tables Mousset employs over 200 people.

Now, Pascal says he doesn’t want to grow the business any more because « size is the enemy of quality. »

A humble businessman, Pascal says that the development of his business is always done in collaboration with others, and he does not want to lose that. I always appreciate successful people who acknowledge that they didn’t do it alone.

To him, the human aspect of the business is prime; the money is only a consequence, he says. In fact, in his first four years at Chez Françoise, he earned only minimum wage (SMIC, in French).

[Source: http://m.lhotellerie-restauration.fr/journal/restauration/2012-12/Pascal-Mousset-de-La-Coupole-au-Senat.htm , by Anne Eveillard.]

The days are shortening quickly now. When we left La Bastide Odéon nighttime had arrived. There was no hint of sunset light or color left in the sky.

In this elegant and old part of Paris, the warm sodium vapor lights give a magical glow to the old stone facades and pavers. I pulled out the camera and had some fun, all the way home (using no flash).

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Monday, September 9, 2013