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Dreaming of Paris Classics
PARIS - It's the way we like to dream of classic Parisian
restaurants. A family starts a small, casual restaurant,
makes a go of it and their children and grandchildren
keep the dream alive, as generations of faithful followers
have one happy meal after another beneath the familial
roof.
In this modern day of nonrestaurants and chain restaurants
and places where the word patron, or owner, is often
no longer part of the vocabulary, it is a joy to return
to two old-time favorites.
More than two decades ago, one of my first bistro meals
in Paris took place on a brusquely cold day in February,
when four of us tucked ourselves into the banquettes
at Chez Georges, a classic turn-of-the-century bistro
with ruddy-faced waitresses, copious help-yourself portions
of sleek, shiny herring fillets, and an abundance of
Beaujolais. I remember thinking then, ''This is it,
this is for me!'' and it pretty much has been ever since.
The cozy bistro is long and narrow, like a railroad
car. You place your coats behind you on a shelf or leave
them on a coat rack at the door. You sit elbow to elbow
with families, eager to dive into the perfectly golden,
crisp and flavorful fries, the finely grilled steak
with a thick Bearnaise sauce, the outrageously delicious
pan-fried duck breast paired with wild cepe mushrooms.
And don't forget the curly endive salad with bacon
and a perfectly poached egg. Or the baskets of baguettes
from the Lebon boulangerie across the street. And then
there is the Beaujolais, still flowing free and easy,
turning sour days into sweet ones.
None of this simple bistro charm happens by accident.
In 1964, a man named Georges Constant left the family
place on Place des Victoires, Le Roi Gourmet, and took
over this sturdy bistro, complete with mirrored walls
and gothic columns and rows of moleskin banquettes.
Years later, his son, Bernard Brouillet, took charge,
rarely changing the menu and keeping the quality constant.
Well, Bertrand has passed the baton to his 33-year-old
son, Arnaud, who is keeping everything as it was, and
should be. His youth gives hope that it will remain
so for many years to come.
Brasseries - those gargantuan restaurants begun by
breweries - remain typically Parisian monuments. They
are monuments to size, decoration, platters of fresh
fish and shellfish and, often, mounds of steaming sauerkraut
and sausages. If you look around Paris today, almost
all these special places are part of a chain, and though
they remain beautiful, lively and ever successful, the
anonymity factor looms large, and one often feels as
though the food has been churned out, without much love,
from a central kitchen.
Marty - a lively and recently refurbished brasserie
at the edge of the fifth arrondissement - is different.
The Art Deco treasure was opened by Etienne and Marthe
Marty in 1913. Over the years, it has remained a trustworthy
family brasserie known for its fish and shellfish.
Their grandchildren, Francois and Genevieve Perricouche,
have taken over the 200-seat restaurant, carrying out
a major restoration that has turned it into a jewel.
The pair hired Thierry Colas, a chef with experience
at La Tour d'Argent and Laperouse, to head the kitchens
and Guy Legay, a former chef at the Ritz, as consultant.
The marriage seems to be working. Dinner there had
that great old-time brasserie flair, with two floors
of dining rooms packed with eager and satisfied diners.
Little details - a freshly lighted candle at each table,
silver finger bowls and giant mounds of fresh butter
(no tiny pats here, please) - make one smile.
The menu is classic, with modern touches. Try the perfectly
moist roasted filet of bar, served with a lasagna of
spinach and mushrooms, a hearty and appealing wintertime
dish. But it was the grilled sole fillets - so thick
and moist and firm I could hardly believe it - that
will get me to come back for more. When is the last
time you had a grilled fish, with those endearing black
grill marks, that didn't leave you with an unpleasant
aftertaste - all those burned and rancid bits? This
sole was the best I have ever tasted cooked in this
classic manner. So what that it came with only two naked
boiled potatoes and lots of lemon.
The oyster starters were divine. I choose the smallest
oysters on the menu because I believe that they have
a more intense flavor. So I opted for the Claire No.
4, and was not disappointed. They are big and meaty
enough to offer true mouth-filling texture, but small
enough to serve as an elusive tease: You want more of
that icy freshness and mineral rich flavor. The rye
bread was delicious and everything went down just fine
with the Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc from New Zealand,
just one of several New World wines on their list.
Chez Georges
1 Rue du Mail
Paris 75002
tel: 01-42-60-07-11.
Closed Sunday, holidays and three weeks in August. Credit
cards: American Express, Visa; a la carte, 250 to 300
francs.
Restaurant Marty
20 Avenue des Gobelins
Paris 75005
tel: 01-43-31-39-51
fax: 01-43-37-63-70.
Open daily. Credit cards: American Express, Visa; 200-franc
menu weekdays; 263-franc menu with a small pitcher of
wine; a la carte, 300 to 400 francs.
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