Paris Journal 2014 – Barbara Joy Cooley Home: barbarajoycooley.com
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In passing, we’d recently noticed that L’Accent Corse is has re-opened, after the typical August vacation. In the afternoon yesterday, as we were winding down our work day, I made a dinner reservation there. So the natural route for us to walk before dinner began with a visit to the Square Saint-Lambert. We sat for a few minutes on a park bench to watch a wedding party gathering in the lower level of the terrain, next to the fountain. I was pleased that the fountain has water in it this year, and is operating beautifully. Last summer, it was empty. The wedding had probably just happened at the nearby mairie (city hall for the arrondissement) and after a pause in the park, the group would probably move on to dinner at some local establishment that could handle their number. After the group started to move on, we did, too. But somehow, our route to the gate must have been shorter, for we ended up almost getting mixed up with the wedding party. So we stepped aside and waited for them to go ahead. They turned off to the west, but we went on to the south to walk across the gracious parvis in front of the mairie, and then uphill through the Square Adolphe Chérioux. The rise in elevation there is actually the beginning of the hill called Montparnasse, although one wouldn’t call that particular neighborhood Montparnasse. We walked along rue de Vaugirard and then rue de la Convention. At last, we were there, at the lovely restaurant called L’Accent Corse. It is right next door to Bistro 121, which never closes in August. I did a fairly extensive write-up of L’Accent Corse in July of last year. I mentioned that the boss, Marc-Ange Spinosi, is the son of Corsican restaurateurs. He’s had a restaurant at this prime location on the rue de la Convention for four years now. The spot was once home to a traditional Lyonnais bistro, and had been beautifully renovated in an over-the-top Art Nouveau fashion, which we adore. The decorator was the well-known (in Paris) Slavik Vassiliev. I imagine that Marc-Ange goes back to Corsica for his August vacation every year; and then he returns to Paris with goodies like Corsican honey supplied by his cousin Dominique. Marc-Ange greeted us and gave us a nice table in the front. He explained that there was no rillette de truite maison this evening (trout spread). I can appreciate that if fresh trout is used, it just might not be available every day. So instead, we started by sharing an order of aubergine a la Bonifacienne. This soft, roasted half of an eggplant is topped with a savory, warm mixture of Corsican cheese (tomme, I think) with eggs, garlic, lardons (ham bits), and onions (photo below). I think there are supposed to be bread crumbs and milk in this dish normally, although I could not detect them in this particular version. And I think the lardons and onions were a unique addition. However it was done, it was done very well. Each bite melted in my mouth, full of flavor.
For my main course, I ordered the cannelloni au Brocciu, a popular specialty of the house. Tom had the côtelettes d’agneau au miel familial (little lamb chops with the family’s honey). Tom’s dish had an interesting potato-stuffed pastry and a bit of charcuterie that I think was a blood sausage. We shared each other’s food, delighting in every bite. Tom had the chestnut-flour flan for dessert—another Corsican specialty. It was absolutely delicious. What a fine dinner! I was grateful that the music played on the sound system was not American; instead, we heard real, authentic Corsican folk songs. Merci!
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Sunday, August 31, 2014
From behind a familiar palmetto, we two Floridians spied
upon a French wedding party at the Square Saint Lambert.
Art Nouveau lighting at L’Accent Corse on the rue de la
Convention.
The cannelloni au Brocciu (above) and côtelettes d’agneau au miel familial (below).
Flan à la chataîgne et son caramel à l'orange –
flan made wih chestnut flour.
Flowers in the Square Saint Lambert. |
