L’Auvergne Gourmande, one of the newest and finest little places to open in Paris in awhile

PARIS – One huge polished wood table for 12, a cozy round table that will just seat five, and a few tables tumbling out onto the sidewalk. That is all you get at L’Auvergne Gourmande, one of the newest and finest little places to open in Paris in awhile. But the little bit turns out to be a lot. No surprise here, for this is the annex of the generally reliable Left Bank restaurant La Fontaine de Mars. In their newest, pocket-sized endeavor the Boudon family has invested all its knowledge of gastronomically abundant Auvergne region of France, rich culinary history, impeccable farm products, nad some pretty decent wines and cheeses. And, best of all, they have brought back the daily plat du jour, almost a dinosaur in today’s Parisian cuisine. So Monday it is duck a l’orange, Tuesday lamb chops, Wednesday beef tongue, Thursday stuffed chicken, Friday salt cod with the garlic mayonnaise known as aioli, and Saturday suckling pig. How’s that for hardy?

But this little table d’hotes -- where everyone sits together on bistro-style stools and makes quick friends of total strangers -- has a fine modern take as well. Their grande salade de legumes is just that, a giant mound of greens with every kind of fresh vegetable imaginable, nicely cooked, nicely dressed, and topped with a crunchy tuile, or cookie, made of the sturdy Auvergnat cow’s milk cheese, Cantal. Other starters might range from their homemade foie gras and a green salad or a fresh pea soup with little chips of smoky bacon.

This is the sort of place where you can eat a lot or a little, depending upon your appetite. If it is just an Auvergnat cheese platter and a sip of fruity Saint Pourcain from the Gamay grape that your are after, it’s yours. Or, go the whole shebang with a thick and meaty cote de boeuf from this rich cattle country, teamed up with a rich potato purée. I myself feasted on and wonderful breast of guinea hen, or pintade, with a deliciously puckery vinegar sauce served with a counterpoint of sweet sautéed apples.

Hope that patron Jacques is in charge on the day of your visit: His animation is charming and infectious. The wine selection, by the glass and the bottle, is vast, inspiring, and educational. You will find mostly little-know wines from the Auvergne (St. Pourcain is the best known), and small appellations from the Cotes Roannaise, Gailllac, vine de plays de l’Ardeche, and a Coteaux du Tricastan. In short, Paris needs more places like this: energetic, inventive and fun, with some good food to boot.

L’Auvergne Gourmande (L’Annexe de la Fontaine, Maison Boudon)
127 Rue Saint Dominique
Paris 75007
Tel: 01 47 05 60 79
No credit cards. Closed Sunday. About 110 francs per person, including service but not wine.