If I was in Paris, Part Trois

If you EVER buy another cook book and you love bistro food  GET THIS!

The authors are the owner of the ever popular Bistro Paul Bert, Bertrand Auboyneau and

the food critique of Le Figaro, Francois Simon, who is always incognito.

Robes and I have eaten here before...... Fabulous steak and frites......

Nice people and nice customers.  The last time I was here in Sept with Charlotte the Harlot we had the entrecote...Delicious!.  They know beef.  The French gentleman next to me was having lunch with his lovely wife and ordered blanquette de veau...(it arrived in a glistening copper pot).with a gratin of fresh morels..... I saw his dish, and  just lost it......He noticed and...

 He offered to MAKE ME A PLATE!!!!!  From His!!!!!! I declined but was tempted.....

 SOOOO tempted.....

This is a picture from the book.   Don't you love it?  THE DOG eats better than me!

So I thought IF I was in Paris and if I was at Paul Bert what would be on the menu this week????

It might be a salade mache with fresh citron vinagrette and grilled quail for Robes.

St Jacques scallops from Brittany topped with sauteed fresh wild mushrooms on a bed of sea salt.

 That would look good to me.

In my musings, I would choose a Cote de Rhone from Carienne in Provence.

Robes and I had been there years ago and that little village makes great wines.

A bouteille of Vittel Sans Gas..... No bubbles.

My entree would be sliced veal with golden carrots and turnips and cauliflower bathed in a light sauce.

Robes and I would share everything we order..... He had the Rougons de veau.

Yes kidneys..In a creamy mustard sauce  .I would think half the restaurant was ordering these......... Delicious!

Along with the above dish would be this bubbling potato gratin...

Loaded with melted gruyere cheese with an aroma to die for.

For dessert I imagine I would try Paris Brest.  No, not BREAST.  It is a choux pastry ( like puff pastry) shaped in a bicycle wheel by a pattissier in 1910 in honor of the bicycle race from Paris to Brest and Back.    The filling is a praline based butter cream.  My favorite dessert there is Baba Au Rhum.   I imagine I didn't have that this time but it is in the book.  If is obscenely loaded with rhum.

I think Robes would have opted for this lemon sorbet,  lemon sorbet like we have never seen. 

 So light and fluffy!!!!

I imagine since we would be in a taxi I would have the Bas Armagnac.

IF I was in Paris.

Bistro Paul Bert 18 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris

L'Ecallier du Bistrot 22 Rue Paul Bert 75011 Paris

(this is the new seafood version of the original, more sedate)

Pre orders of the book are available on Amazon 34.95 release on Feb 7th,2012

I would imagine I got a copy and Bertrand signed it and I would dream that he told me if I ever came back they would make me a blanquette de veau.....ZZZZZZZ

I imagine I am in heaven.;)