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A Fine Flea Market Find
PARIS -- What is it about the thrill of a potential
flea market find that puts us in such a good mood?
Add to that the thought of a fine Sunday lunch, a few
sips of good wine, and the companionship of friends
and the stage is set for a very fine day indeed.
Take a look around you at the excellent flea market
restaurant Le Soleil and everyone is smiling, laughing,
looking like the well-fed lot that they are. Owner
Louis-Jacques Vannucci is the ultimate host or bistrotier,
back-slapping and hovering in the best of ways, making
sure that each and every client is happy to be there.
Vannucci is a true gourmand himself, and loves nothing
better than describing the pedigree of his fresh-caught
fish, of his entrecote from Salers, or the giant block
of sweet, golden butter that’s passed from table
to table.
There is no printed menu, just a blackboard that travels
from table to table. Choices here vary according to
Vannucci’s whims, so you may not see the same
dishes here time and again. But follow his lead and
you’re sure to leave the bright, multi-colored
50’s-style restaurant with a feeling of satisfaction.
The food has a nice flair, with a perky celery remoulade,
enhanced by a touch of acidity supplied by fresh green
apple; and a nicely done foie gras mi-cuit set on a
round of brioche and flanked by a touch of sweet aspic.
At a recent lunch the owner offered a surprising and
successful starter, a rectangle of puff pastry topped
with slices of Jerusalem artichoke and thin slivers
of foie gras.
Fat portions of confit of duck arrive set on a bed
of sautéed potatoes, and thick, perfectly cooked
lamb chops arrive with a welcoming vegetable accompaniment,
a mix of fresh green beans, browned onions, and sautéed
mushrooms offset by a bit of tomato and garlic.
For dessert there is always their famous, giant, baba
au rhum.
The wine list offers some good choices, including
the powerful 1999 Château Puech-Haut, a spicy
red Coteaux du Languedoc that’s got the right
balance of tannin and fruit, and is filled with intense
flavors of blackberries and cassis. It is reasonably
priced at 33 €. The wait staff wisely carafes
the good wines, a practice normally reserved for grander
restaurants.
Le Soleil
109 Avenue Michelet
93400 Saint Ouen
Telephone: 01 40 10 08 08
Fax: 01 40 10 16 85
E-mail: lesoleil@wanadoo.fr
Open daily for lunch, and Thursday through Saturday
for lunch and dinner. 35 to 65 €, including
service but not wine.
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