... bon appetite ...

so, i've been here just over a week, and i've only dined in restaurants four times: once at the quaint little pizza place (where i saw a mouse scampering along the floor, by the way); once at a throwback to the 50s diner, located directly across the street from the flat (cheeseburger and a chocolate milkshake --- reminiscent of home, ok?); once at the quasimodo cafe (next to the notre dame -- bad, bad choice (tortellini with 4 fromage -- one of which was goat! (ewwww!), but i did it anyway); and once at the au boquet st. paul (a cafe close to the flat, which is at least rated on trip advisor -- and the salmon was really good, and so was the kir, by the way). 

tonight, though, tonight i went all out and consulted rick steves (yes, he's totally back in my good graces -- and he can actually be fairly helpful, at least in written form) for a dining recommendation. there are so many choices -- the streets are lined with restaurants, literally -- it's hard to know which one to choose; i need a little help because i am indecisive (at times) and too many choices is, well, overwhelming. in his paris 2015 book, rick gives restaurant recommendations according to neighborhood (he also includes information re: price), so i found a place relatively close to the flat -- about a 10 minute walk away -- and made a reservation (online, even!): l'orangerie paris (yes, there is a similarly named museum). 

before even arriving, i decided i was going to order the entrée + plat + dessert (as opposed to ordering la  carte) -- three courses for 35 euros (plus the cost of wine -- 18 euros for 1/2 bottle of bordeaux (worth it)). at first, when i was browsing the menu online this afternoon, i thought i would be daring and just go with the la suggestion du jour (today's suggestion), but when i found out the starter was hot foi gras, served with warm apples, and the main course was some sort of duck, i changed my tune (not ready to be that daring ... yet).  thus, my meal started with the gaspacho de tomatoes et petits croutons (tomatoes gaspacho with its croutons -- literal menu translation), which was a bowl full of fresh, garlicky deliciousness -- and so light and refreshing, too!

for the main course, i continued to play it safe and went with the piece du boucher aux echalotes confites (piece of beef with shallots confit), primarily because i knew it would pair well with the bordeaux (and i was not up for eating lamb, duck, veal, or a cheesy linguini) and also because i was craving some red meat. the steak was done to perfection -- cooked to just the right shade of pink, leaving a faint trace of blood on the plate when speared with the fork and knife (believe me: the food tasted better than it photographed).  and the shallots? well, they were perfectly caramelized and served as such a wonderful complement to the beef.  you'll also see a little pile of potatoes on the plate, as well. divine, really. i tried to practice some self-restraint, but who would i be kidding? i'm in paris, for pete's sake -- there is no restraint  here (which explains why i had a chocolate filled croissant for breakfast and i'm still drinking, even though i've been done with dinner for well over an hour).  that's what i get for being a member of the clean plate club (more wine, doi!)!

next up: dessert (and, yes, i will, thank you very much). for this course, i did go with the la suggestion du jour -- the waitress had me at "hot apple crisp-like" (because i am a total sucker for anything that resembles apple crisp, my favorite of all desserts)... and it was hot -- it was as if the dessert had been specifically made just for me (and i sure appreciated the personal attention, let me tell you ...). and i ate the whole thing, too. the. whole. thing.

i don't think there was anything particularly french about this meal, in terms of the food, anyway (only because i stuck with the most american menu options i could find because, let's face it: i'm a chicken!). but dinner, from start to finish, lasted more than two hours -- and that's anything but american. i appreciated the slow pace; the opportunity to chew every bite without being rushed to give up my seat to the next paying patron; to savor each course and appreciate the unique flavors of each dish; and to let dinner be an experience rather than a daily event. i've got four nights left in this grand city -- for more opportunities to stretch my culinary limits and get my french on. bon appetite!