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A Bistro Revolution
PARIS -- You might call Jacques Lacipière a
revolutionary. When he opened his traditional little
bistro in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in the 1990’s,
it became an instant hit. Somehow, it hit a chord for
what we wanted at the moment; The place was always
sure to be jam packed, so you felt you were at the
right place, and the energy from the sounds of the
good times within was always infectious. At a time
when only the top restaurants were caring more about
the quality of the ingredients than just about anything
else, bistrotier Jacques was up there with them.
Now, after shutting down for several months for a
facelift to the dining room, kitchen, and the menu,
he has emerged with another small revolution on his
hands. And I love it. Lacipiere has transformed the
tiny dining room that now seats about 25 elbow to
elbow into what might well be the first Elegant Bistro.
The walls are wood, the recessed lights are halogen,
the chairs are cozy, the napkins a pale grey linen,
the napery a crisp white. The menu is still ingredient
based --- fresh sole from Saint Gilles Croix de Vie
and milk fed lamb from Pauillac – and the dishes
are way beyond bistro. But the noisy, welcome sounds
of good times are still there, the wait staff still
don their black Bon Accueil work aprons, and everyone
seems to come with fun in their pockets.
The food and the wine list chart new territory. The
food is light and complex, full of surprises, but
most of all, satisfying. I loved the tiny roasted
langoustines teamed up with cebettes – tiny
spring onions – bits of bacon and a dark, rich
jellied consommé. (Jellied fare is the kiwi
fruit of the moment, showing up everyone and with
every course.) Fresh green asparagus from Pertuis,
in northern Provence, sits upon a bed of tiny minced
vegetables, showered with shards of Parmesan.
A main course poultry – volaille du cros de
la Géline – is first poached, then roasted,
making for a bird that is both moistly tender and
crisp at the same time. Placed on a spoonful of creamy
morels bathed in sweet vin jaune from the Jura, it
made a very traditional combination taste brand new
indeed.
Desserts get points for pretty as well as taste.
The thin apple tart appears as a golden rose, almost
too beautiful to eat, but we did. Served with a salted
caramel ice cream, it made for a perfect ending. Equally
fine is the tiny raspberry tartelette, with the plumpest
and ripest raspberries set on a crunchy cookie-like
pastry.
The wine list offers some real treasures. It is full
of little treats, with wines from well-respected winemakers
who are not widely known, such as Dureuil-Janthial
and Domaine Joblot in Burgundy, Domaine Montvac in
Vacqueyras, Domaine des Espiers in Gigondas, Daniel
Barraud in Saint Veran and Domaine H. Pellé in
the little known Menetou Salon. I was delighted to
discover Domaine Joblot’s rich, juicy, smokey
white Givry Clos de la Servoisine 1999, decently priced
at 46 euros a bottle. Equally exciting, and beautifully
priced at 23 euros a bottle was the 2001 white Chateau
l’Ermitage Costieres de Nimes, cuvee Sainte
Cecile, a wine rich with the Northern Rhone flavours
of Roussanne and Marsanne and loaded with pleasantly
oily, mineral richness.
As part of the face lift, the restaurant – redecorated
by the Parisian design firm of Joelle Sultan-Marouani – also
features a new exhaust system. It was put to a tough
test as a constant smoker sat next to me, and not
a whiff of smoke found its way across the table. Thank
you, Jacques, for thinking of the non-smoker!
Bon Accueil
14 rue de Monttessuy
Paris 7
Telephone: 01 47 05 46 11
Menu at 29 euros, including service but not wine. A la carte, 40 to 60 euros per person,
including service but not wine.
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