l’auberge le descazeau

After work yesterday evening, I went to Kara's apartment for dinner. She cooked, I brought bread and wine, and Lorelei provided vegetables and more wine. It was a lovely five hour affair. Later today, I'm going to Lara's apartment for a Parisian brunch: juice, coffee, bread, croissants. It's sure to wonderful, too, and again, forgiving to my budget. I'm so glad to have friends to dine in with.

And yet, having Catherine in town last weekend called for a splurge. I've passed by Le Descazeau countless times in the past few months, longingly peeking in, so when it came down to choosing a restaurant for a romantic roommate dinner, I knew it'd be just the spot: cozy, authentic, and local. I even managed to secure 20% off our meal by making a reservation on La Fourchette.

I'd read an article beforehand that raved about the warm ambiance, cuisine canaille (hearty cuisine), and colorful owners, two chefs who met while working at a famous restaurant in the 16th arrondissement, but I didn't realize Jérôme (one of the owner-chefs) would also be our server. He made the experience so special. And the meal! My gosh. First up, a complimentary amuse-bouche of cream, foie gras, and egg (see above). Next, Catherine and I were required to choose between entrée + plat or plat + dessert (to receive the discount) so we ordered an appetizer, two main dishes, and a dessert to share. Jérôme advised us spectacularly well with our choices. We also split a bottle of wine from Château Puy Descazeau, the vineyard in Bordeaux that gave the restaurant its name.

It was one of the best meals I've ever had--shredded Serrano ham, seasoned sea bass over haricots verts (for Catherine), beef tenderloin in a porcini-truffle sauce with mashed potatoes (for me, unpictured), and an apple tart in salted butter caramel with vanilla ice cream (as per Jérôme's warrented insisting). Each plate was absolute perfection. By the time Catherine and I happily stumbled out of the restaurant, it was nearly eleven; our romantic former-NYC-roommates dinner in Paris, a smashing success.