Coming by the door for the primary time on a heat Sunday evening, Au Petit Panisse delighted me, because it was such an ideal sketch of every thing I miss about Paris after I spend an extended time period away from town. It is because Paris is now the place I really feel extra at residence than anyplace else on the planet.
Oh to make sure, after I step out of a New Haven railroad practice onto the platform in Westport, Connecticut on the finish of a summer season day and am roused by the tidal saline stink of the close by Saugatuck river after which barely surprised by the just about stunning greenery of the city I the place I spent my childhood, I’ll at all times be the boy who grew up right here yet again. However then that boy yearned to get on the exact same practice and take it within the different path, first west to New York Metropolis, and after that, to hopefully mild out for components even additional afield, ceaselessly pushed by the unslakable wanderlust that’s the wick of my curiosity.
Now that I’ve lived in Paris for greater than thirty years, although, the unique and the unknown has to a point grow to be the nation the place I used to be born. And that is why I used to be probably much more fascinated by what I heard, noticed, ate and discovered on a five-day highway journey from Sarasota, Florida north to Savannah, Charleston and at last Ponte Vedra Seashore, Florida and again once more than Bruno was. That is in all probability as a result of he anticipated to be discombobulated, whereas I, properly, I actually didn’t know what to anticipate, since I hadn’t been to these two very lovely cities on the Japanese Seaboard since I used to be 22, and I knew nothing of Florida between Tampa and Jacksonville.
“It really appears to be like form of like Normandy, doesn’t it?” Bruno stated once we broke out of the suburban sprawl north of Tampa and located ourselves in some stunningly lovely countryside with cows grazing within the lush pastures of well-tended farms with split-rail fences. “It does form of, however I doubt you’ll discover anybody making Pont L’Eveque on the market,” I replied. And once we stopped for lunch–massive juicy greasy cheeseburgers, thanks–the waitress within the 5 Guys that was the one viable choice we’d seen for 200 miles, was as charming, heat, pleasant and witty as anybody I’ve met in years. “Individuals are very well mannered,” Bruno stated, and although I hesitated for a minute, I lastly agreed, as a result of sure, we’re simply so significantly better than those that occupy our air waves and tv screens most frequently lately.
The perfect meal we had throughout our journey was at The Gray in Savannah, and I liked completely every thing about this restaurant. The setting within the metropolis’s outdated Greyhound Bus station has an irresistible tongue-in-cheek attraction that’s extra pointed than arch–to wit, the free black-and-white postcards they provide away right here present that this facility was “Whites” and “Coloured” segregated up to now, so its historical past is put ahead moderately than white-washed; the workers are skilled, spontaneous, knowledgeable, good-natured and enthusiastic; and most of all chef Mashama Bailey’s meals was as filled with taste because it was filled with coronary heart, which suggests it was among the greatest consuming I’ve finished in the US for a longtime.
And the unpretentious goodness of Mashama’s cooking brings me again to Paris, and particularly to Au Petit Panisse, as a result of chef proprietor Jeff Schilde could by no means have met Mashama, however the pair share the identical love of actually wonderful seasonal produce; gastronomic specificity, i.e., the glory of consuming meals that might solely have the identical style if it got here from one single place on the planet; and an excellent massive want and want to make individuals comfortable by feeding them properly. And on this roiled and roughed-up world, this makes me happier than ever earlier than, as a result of I actually imagine good meals and cooking can create bonds and understanding in even probably the most unbelievable of conditions.
At our desk, although, we didn’t want any assist to be comfortable, since we had been 5 individuals who adore one another and who had been all wanting to rabbit on about their totally different summer season holidays now that we had been so fortunately again in Paris. The place had we been? Corsica, the south of France, Greece, Le Pyla, Savannah, Charleston, Sarasota, New York Metropolis, and many weekends away as properly, which is why the primary gastronomic topic that got here up on the desk of 5 individuals who love good meals and wine was, properly, pure wine.
“I hate it, I hate the entire thing, it’s so damned pretentious, it hardly ever tastes good, and it’s too costly,” stated certainly one of my tablemates, and three of the 5 agreed. “Pure wine (unsulfured), biodynamic wine, natural wine, it’s all grow to be an enormous ache within the ass,” paried one other pal. “Okay, wait–I at all times want natural wines, and biodynamic wine is often wonderful, however the truth that vins nature have grow to be a bristly a priori in so many younger Paris bistros is a drag, particularly since these wines supply an event to cost eye-watering mark-ups,” stated one other good friend, and I are inclined to agree together with her evaluation of the state of affairs. And the Azzoni white from the Ardeche, a vin nature, that we ordered was superb.
A technique or one other, it was a aid to have escaped from the surrealistic mark-ups on wine which have grow to be the rule in New York Metropolis eating places–it nonetheless stings to have paid a thumping $12 for a water glass of very unusual rose at a West Village bistro, and $60 a bottle for an undistinguished Albarino at a stylish Spanish restaurant on First Avenue was freeway theft, too. All of which is to say that at this time Paris is a way more reasonably priced place to eat properly at mid-level on a regular basis costs than New York or London, or virtually every other main American metropolis.
Since we had been 5, we mainly ate all the menu at Au Petit Panisse, and loved this witty trendy French consolation meals made with well-sourced produce. Since I’ve developed a samphire ( a scrumptious crunchy seaweed) fetish, I ordered that as my starter with a pleasant milky ball of mozzarella, whereas the terrine du chef was wonderful, too, and a deconstructed oeuf mayonnaise with radishes, crabmeat and powdered almonds was a dish all of us instantly determined to repeat at residence.
Paris goes by a decidedly tentacular part for the time being, since octopus appears to indicate up on virtually each menu. Fortunately, I prefer it so much, and it was ready two methods at Au Petit Panisse, as a starter with heirloom tomatoes and Scamorza, and grilled as a foremost course with a splendidly ruddy stew of contemporary white Paimpol beans, tomato, fennel and bacon.
Steak tartare was wonderful–coarsely chopped to order, seasoned with contemporary herbs and piment d’Espelette and topped with a grating of ewe’s milk cheese, a intelligent concept, whereas a thick slice of gigot d’agneau (leg of lamb) was grilled and accompanied by lentils with roasted hazelnuts.
Desserts had been an ideal hinge between the seasons, too, with Fontainebleau cheese garnished with stewed Mirabelle plums and shortbread and an ethereal flan scattered with blueberries, raspberries and cookie crumbs.
The eating room right here was an enthralling setting for this meal, too, since an outdated cafe du quartier had been so lovingly restored, with its authentic wood doorways being scrapped of paint, the bar buffed up, and the winding metallic staircase to the primary flooring left in place. Service was pleasant and environment friendly, and everybody agreed that it had been value touring throughout city to have dinner right here, as a result of the meals is as interesting because the ambiance.
And in my view, I liked the meal, as a result of it made me so comfortable to be residence once more.
Au Petit Panisse, 35 rue de Montreuil, eleventh Arrondissement, Paris, Tel. (33) 01-43-71-37-90. Metro:
Faidherbe – Chaligny or Rue des Boulets. Open every day for lunch and dinner.
