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Winter Fare From 2 Paris Chefs
Northern Dishes; A Vegetarian Menu
PARIS - I have followed the career of David Van Laer
since the 1980s, when he first surfaced as an eager
and impressive young chef at Jean-Pierre Vigato's La
Manufacture just outside of Paris.
Three years ago he went off on his own to open Le Bamboche,
a pint-sized restaurant that instantly took off, as
diners applauded his combination of modern and classical
French fare in a cozy Left Bank setting right behind
the Bon Marche department store.
A few weeks ago he moved to larger quarters on the
Boulevard du Montparnasse, and if a single meal is any
sign, Van Laer should continue along his successful
path. Considering the time and energy constraints of
getting Le axence opened, the new menu differs little
from Le Bamboche.
Throughout his career, Van Laer has kept true to his
own tastes and origins, all the while weaving into the
menu dishes from his native northern France. So chez
Van Laer you find updated versions of such classics
as the traditional presskoph head cheese (here laced
with lobster rather than pork) and waterzooi, a sort
of chicken pot-au-feu (here prepared with scallops,
or coquilles Saint-Jacques).
Best dishes at a recent dinner included a rustic gratin
dish with a rich parmentier de queue de boeuf, or mashed
potatoes layered with bits of slowly cooked oxtail that
had been shredded, all served with a gentle truffle
puree.
He has a fine way with pigeon, and samples of two versions
- one on the a la carte menu was served in a pastry-cased
tourte and another on the bargain 190-franc menu was
simply roasted - prove that this little bird deserves
greater exposure. Both preparations showed up the bird's
earthy richness and wintry appeal. The tourte was the
sort of dish you expect to find on a fine bourgeois
table, not a sunny yellow restaurant on Boulevard du
Montparnasse: The pigeon has that properly livery, gamy
flavor, enhanced by a sauce becasse and a few sips of
J.L. Colombo's racy 1997 Syrah La Serine Pointue, a
bargain at 150 francs.
Another good bet was the first course platter of ravioles
(tiny raviolis) stuffed with shellfish and a fragrant
truffle cream, and the lobster presskoph, a humorous
and delicious headcheese bathed in an herb-rich vinaigrette.
I was less enthused about the frogs' legs fricassee
unsuccessfully paired with lentils, garlic cream and
snails; and the remoulade of langoustines, which I would
not have ordered had I known that the langoustines were
raw. (It's a sacrilege to serve them raw, for it is
in gentle cooking that the langoustines are allowed
to bring out their iodine-rich flavor and soft mellow
texture.) As ever, Van Laer's cellar offers some bargains
and discoveries, including A. Ostertag's spicy GewŸrztraminer
(the 1996 Vignoble d'Epfig at 180 francs), the Perrin
brothers' astonishing white Coudelet de Beaucastel (the
1996 at 200 francs); J.L. Colombo's viognier-florah
white Rhone Les Figuieres (the 1997 at 170 francs),
and Michel Richaud's ripe Cotes du Rhone Cairanne (the
1997 at 120 francs).
The new decor is full of lots of bright sunny golds
and terra-cotta, just a hint of the Mediterranean. Go
see for yourself. With a bargain 190-franc menu at lunch
and dinner, and valet parking to boot, how can you miss?
- VEGETARIANS have never been treated very well in this
city. Oh, sure, chefs will prepare vegetable-based dishes
if you ask, but most of us really don't want to be a
bother or stand out from the crowd. Leave it to Mark
Williamson to find a way: Each day at his continually
evolving restaurant, Maceo, Williamson offers a full-fledged
vegetarian menu, with a selection of four first and
main course vegetarian dishes. Each dish revolves around
what's in the market and in season, so right now the
menu is peppered with chestnuts and fennel, beets and
dried peas, onions and apples. The newly refurbished
main dining room at Maceo has been open since
September, with sparkling wooden floors, gorgeous stained
wood panels in rich oak framing the restaurant's original
beveled glass mirrors, and clever, modern lighting.
Gone are the old banquettes, dreary and heavy draperies
and oppressive, outdated lighting that once were part
of the old Le Mercure Galant. Best dishes sampled at
a recent lunch include Williamson's fines lamelles de
chevre croustillantes aux dattes et noix: a soul-warming
phyllo-encased tourte filled with leeks, goat cheese,
dates and pine nuts, served with a refreshing little
salad of julienned carrots and celery root. Equally
appealing was the cannelloni croustillant sur caviar
d'aubergines, with phyllo canneloni wrapped around a
delicious mushroom stuffing, served with a too-salty
eggplant caviar and a topknot of salad. The risotto
- a wildly inventive dish that included a parsley puree,
mushrooms, snow peas, fava beans and another signature
topknot salad - was less convincing. There was plenty
of it, but the dish lacked focus, salt and that essential
creamy richness of an authentic risotto. Wines, of course,
are the main reason to come here. Two wonders include
a fresh and refreshing Swiss white, Alain Neyroud's
pinot blanc (the 1996 is priced at 240 francs) and a
racy young Coteaux du Languedoc from Domaine d'Aupilhac
(the 1996 is priced at 130 francs.)
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Le Maxence, 9 bis Boulevard du Montparnasse, Paris
6; tel: 01-45-67-24-88; fax 01-45-67-10-22. Closed Saturday
lunch and all day Sunday. Credit cards: American Express,
Visa. Menus at 190 and 320 francs. A la carte, 325 to
375 francs, including service but not wine. Maceo, 15,
rue des Petits-Champs, Paris 1: tel: 01-42-97-53-85;
fax: 01-47-03-36-93. Closed Sunday. Credit cards: American
Express, Diners, Visa. Vegetarian lunch menu at 180
francs, 220 francs at dinner. Traditional menu 195 francs
at lunch, 220 francs at dinner. Prices include service
but not wine.
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