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A Paris Institution Reinvents Its Menu
PARIS - Some city restaurants have an uncanny way of
allowing themselves to be reinvented for each generation
of diners. Pierre au Palais Royal, situated behind the
Comedie Francaise, is one of those endlessly flexible
restaurants.
Owners, waiters and waitresses change, but this longtime
beacon of true French bourgeois fare remains steadfast.
Well, sort of.
The restaurateur Jean-Paul Arabian (formerly of Lille
and Ledoyen in Paris) has taken over, giving the cozy
restaurant a face-lift and wisely altering the menu
to please a broader range of palates while remaining
true to the cause.
Fashion has fads so why shouldn't food? And since it's
not likely that the world will end its love affair with
pasta and rice anytime soon, Arabian offers a bit of
each, along with such Pierre favorites as foie gras,
organ meats, steak, boeuf a la ficelle, roast duck with
peas, and the extraordinary cheeses of Paris's best
cheesemonger, Roger Alleosse.
A recent dinner there was close to perfect. It began
with a modern and refreshing gazpacho - lots of minutely
chopped vegetables in a slightly spicy tomato broth
- set off with a tartare of tuna and a flourish of fresh
herbs.
Less exciting, and an old-fashioned preparation that
might as well be scratched from the books, was an overcooked,
soggy portion of white asparagus topped with a needless
rectangle of puff pastry, all bathed in a buttery sauce
mousseline. Even at its best, I think this dish speaks
of days past. Today we like our asparagus a bit less
gussied up, and certainly less cooked.
The pastas and rice are a revelation, in that they
are FRENCH versions, not Italian. And once the French
learn how to cook pasta and rice - Italy, watch out.
The spaghetti with palourdes was distinctly French tasting,
with a broth that had a rich, substantive base. The
clams could have been cleaned a bit better, but the
overall effect was truly satisfying. Ditto for the risotto
that bound delicious fresh girolles (chanterelles) and
another variety of mushroom, mousserons, to the firm
grains of rice, bathed in a densely flavored stock.
For the culinary classicists, Pierre offers giant portions
of veal tongue, langue de veau, poached and served with
a brilliant fricassee of seasonal vegetables. Perhaps
the dish most often ordered here is the pan-seared entrecote,
a beef rib steak beautifully cooked and served with
a green salad and a gargantuan mound of crisp, hand-cut
fries.
Desserts were fine but nothing to rave about. The millefeuille
a la fraise, or thin squares of puff pastry layered
with cream and fresh strawberries, was on the bland
side, as was the traditional cherry flan, or clafoutis
aux cerises. The wine list is limited but includes a
nice selection of Chinon, the fine light red Burgundy
Marsannay from Domaine Bruno Clair, the 1994 priced
at 195 francs
($32).
On the evening of our visit, smokers were ubiquitous
and annoying, so go forewarned.
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Pierre au Palais-Royal, 10, rue de Richelieu, Paris
1
tel: 01-42-06-09-17; fax: 01-42-96-27-17.
Open until midnight. Closed Sunday and in August. Valet
parking, evenings only. Air-conditioned.
A la carte, 215 to 350 francs ($35 to $55), including
service but not wine
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