better french

Classic French food is often characterized by words like rich, hearty, fancy, and complicated. It can be. And as such, I only have it so often. I've found more than one neo-bistro serving lighter (and in my opinion, better) alternatives though. A little over a month ago, for instance, Edna, Milsters, and I dined at Restaurant Miroir.

The bistro itself is tucked into a small side street in Montmartre, just steps away from the gritty Pigale metro. It's otherwise unassuming, but once inside, we found that it was both cozy and sophisticated. And best of all? They serve an 18€ lunch menu. In the midst of easy conversation, I enjoyed a popover-like amuse bouche , red wine, crusty bread, white fish over celery root purée with yellow beans, and un petit café with chocolate mousse, a brownie bite, and an almond cookie. It was delicious, and such a steal.

Yesterday afternoon, in contrast, I met my favorite professor for lunch at a simple brasserie. Beef with shallots, a side salad, and potato gratin sounded like a tasty idea, but afterwards, I felt horrible. A sinus pressure headache, chills, and full-body achiness soon followed. By the time my Valentine came over to pick me up for our romantic evening (with flowers, by the way), I was ready to go... but knew I shouldn't. We ended up staying in with dim sum and a movie. I fell asleep early, and didn't eat a thing. Today, I skipped classes and hardly feel 100%. I really need to get better soon! We leave for Rome tonight.