La Mercerie

Prior to embarking on yet another stage of the visa/green card process, Maggie and I met for lunch. We headed into an area of the 6th where there are tons of great restaurants (just around the corner from Fish La Boissonnerie, in fact) with the intention of choosing a place on the spot. After looking at a few crêperies, we chose a rustic little place that seemed to be full of locals - always a good sign. La Mercerie offered two different formules: entrée + plat + boisson, 12,50 euros; and entrée + plat + dessert + boisson, 14,50 euros. Of course we went for the latter.

For only the first or second time since our arrival, we were actually disappointed by the meal. My gigot d'agneau (leg of lamb) tasted more like the grill than anything else, and the celery and carrot purées that accompanied it were a little bland. Maggie's chili con carne was hearty and satisfying, but her tarte aux myrtilles (blueberry tart) lacked punch. The crème anglaise that accompanied both our desserts (I had mousse au chocolat) could have offered way more of a vanilla flavor than it did. On the other hand, wine flowed freely (we started with two glasses of white wine of dessert-level sweetness, and our included "boisson" ended up being a carafe of house red), the décor was pleasant, and we might have had our friendliest and most attentive waitress yet.

In conclusion, we hit a dud, but we'll keep going back to that area to try out the other restaurants around the corner. (See "Restaurant Central" on Rue de Guisarde on our map of Paris.)

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