Good Eats, Good Prices

We never got around to describing a few of the excellent meals we enjoyed while my mom and Cathy were in town in early January, but hey, better late than never!

L'Astier is a traditional bistrot near Métro Oberkampf in the 11th arrondissement. (Traditional means red-checkered décor and no-frills, über-French food.) We went on a tip from the ever-reliable Jesse's List and were not disappointed. Although all the food was of relatively high quality - at least, what you expect for a 32-euro, 4-course menu - the highlight was definitely the cheese plate.

This plate made the rounds between tables, just like a ceramic vat of smoked herring and large jars of mustard, depending on what you ordered. That's the bistro spirit rearing its noble head - big portions, sharing between tables, take as much as you like! and then pass it on. If we were to go back, we might just get an entrée and the cheese course, which would be good both for our finances and our sense of well-being. Mmm, cheese . . .

Fast Forward a month and a half to Katie and Darryl's visit, when we finally tried out a Belleville restaurant that we've had our eyes on for a few months now. La Bouche is not a bistrot, boasting a keen design sense, a hip graffiti logo, and gastronomically-creative food. For instance, we were offered (quite unexpectedly) two amuses-bouche, just like at Le Cinq. First was orange-zest-infused hummus with bread, and second was a lamb soup with a dash of paprika.

There's also the matter of La Bouche's 28-euro, 3-course menu design. Your choice for entrée included an Andouille-sausage soup and an endive tatin; both were served with a goat-cheese mousse (the white-ish dollop on the left in the soup, and to the right of the green-smothered tatin).

For the plat, both the salmon (Maggie's choice) and the veal (my choice) came with a passion fruit dressing and a side of bacon-enhanced mixed-vegetables.

For the dessert, both the coconut milk/white chocolate soup and pistachio crumble came with citrus fruit kabobs. Unfortunately none of us got the soup, but the restaurant gets extra credit just for the plating of the pistachio crumble.

For the chef, it seemed to be about coming up with constraints - how to connect two dishes with a common element - and reacting creatively. We were impressed. And it's not like they sacrificed taste or presentation for this slightly cerebral conceit. No, La Bouche is the real deal, and thanks to their thoughtfulness, skill, and excellent service, they won over four new devotees who couldn't have been happier with their meal.

L'Astier

44 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud
75011 Paris, France
01 43 57 16 35

La Bouche
1 Rue d'Eupatoria
75020 paris, France
09 53 56 24 14