Tag Archives: wine bar

Easy Saturday dinner from the Aligre Market

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I used to go a lot to the Aligre Market when I first moved to Paris, and I remember discovering anis flowers and other exotic spices unfamiliar to me at that time. However, working abroad and eventually living in different arrondissements in Paris kept me away from this charming market for years –until now. Since this summer I have been rediscovering the market and even if it is less African and Arab than it used to be, it is still more ethnic than most of the markets in the center of Paris.

Yesterday we were tired after another wedding, and decided it was going to be a quiet dinner at home. My husband, a loyal follower of Le Fooding restaurant reviews, had recently read about a butcher’s shop/restaurant called Les Provinces at 20 Rue d’Aligre, so we decided to eat some beef for dinner. Les ProvincesOne of our favorite dishes, Côte de Bœuf (ultimate French meat dish), usually sells for a bit less than 30€/kg. The butcher at Les Provinces presented us with two options: Irish beef with a very small bone for 26€/kg and French côte de bœuf with a much bigger bone (as we usually buy our beef) for 36€/kg. Following the butcher’s recommendation, we opted for the Irish piece of 700gr for two. Butchery Les ProvincesAfter taking notes of the butcher’s cooking tips, we purchased some tomatoes from the covered market (I did not know they are open so late!) and headed to the next address: the wine shop. One of the important things I have learned in France is that a good, well-prepared meal always deserves to be served with wine, and this rule can only be broken under specific, rare conditions….

If you read one of my previous posts Food shopping around the Aligre market, you may remember that one of the few remaining places in Paris where you can purchase your wine directly from an oak barrel is situated near the Aligre Market. Le Baron Rouge is an institution in Paris, and highly recommended. In addition, there is a bonus for oyster lovers, as they serve oysters during the winter months (this year they will start in the early October). Le Baron RougeInside the wine bar, we returned the old bottle to the bar tender and he filled a new bottle with organic Côtes du Rhône (5.20€ for one liter). I find this tradition so cute, and I hope they keep their oak barrels for many more years to come! Le Baron RougeTomatoes, beef and wine in our bag, we returned home to prepare the dinner. Doing groceries in France can be so much fun, and if you know the right places, you can buy fabulous products for a very decent price. Even in Paris. Vive la France!

The Aligre Market (Le Marche d’Aligre): Place Aligre, 75012 Paris (http://marchedaligre.free.fr/) Metro Ledru-Rollin

Restaurant Boucherie Les Provinces: 20, rue d’Aligre, Paris 75012 (http://www.lefooding.com/restaurant/restaurant-boucherie-les-provinces-paris.html)

Le Baron Rouge: 1 Rue Théophile Roussel, 75012 Paris (http://www.lefooding.com/restaurant/restaurant-le-baron-rouge-paris.html)

Food shopping around the Aligre market

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This morning I visited some of my favorite food and wine spots in Paris.

The Aligre market in the 12th arrondissement is one of the most exciting and exotic markets of Paris. Street stalls sell very affordable fruits, vegetables, fish, cheese and flowers, and vendors’ shouting gives me a feeling of being in the Middle East or North Africa rather than in Paris. In addition to strolling along the street, I always stop by at Epicerie Sabah for salty, grilled almonds, spices, herbs, lentils and olives. This time I also stopped by Le Baron Rouge, which is a fantastic, charming wine bar, and one of the rare places in Paris where one can bring an empty bottle to be filled with one of the five wine choices stored in oak barrels (if you forgot your own bottle, they can rent you one for 50 cents). Following the recommendation, we bought red wine from Touraine.Le Marche d'Aligre products and Le Baron Rouge wineThe dinner is going to consist of different tapas: grilled paprika, olives, baba ghanoush (eggplant dip), chic pea, kale & cherry tomato salad, olives, charcuterie, melons, tomato & mozzarella, and the rest I have not decided yet! Bon appetit everyone!

Le Marche d’Aligre: Place Aligre, 75012 Paris (http://marchedaligre.free.fr/). Metro Ledru-Rollin

Epicerie Sabah: 30 Rue Aligre, 75012 Paris

Le Baron Rouge: 1 Rue Théophile Roussel, 75012 Paris

 

Aux Deux Amis: if heaven was a tapas bar

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I consider this weekend very successful: an important work phase completed, and two fantastic restaurants discovered!  On Friday we experienced L’Etoile: restaurant that makes you feel and look good! and yesterday night we enjoyed tapas at Aux Deux Amis.

As soon as I entered Aux Deux Amis, I sensed there is something very, very Parisian in this restaurant located on Rue Oberkampf. After few seconds I realized what it is: a subtle amount of Parisian attitude… Every other person seemed very conscious of his/her looks, the wine was tasted as if it contained gold flakes, and some characters would have put Hemingway into shadow by their artistic looks and behavior. We had a table in the corner, near the main door, facing the bar. Perfect for observation (and to be observed). Aux Deux AmisThe atmosphere was very bohemian chic, but the staff remained down-to-earth, friendly and helpful. They had no rosé wine, but we were offered to taste white wine from Bourgogne (Burgundy), which led to another moment of realization: this place is very, very serious about its wine. I had just tasted one of the best white wines ever: Saint-Veran Les Mandeliers, Domaine Arnaud Combier (2012). Aux Deux AmisWe ordered tapas: beef carpaccio, piquillos, burbot, bonite, mozzarella with coppa, and one other cheese of which I forgot the name. Each tapas was a match made in heaven.  Aux Deux AmisToward the end of the night the chef came out and emptied his glass of wine at the bar. It seemed everyone knows everyone. We learned there is a presence of fame –Aux Deux Amis was created by a former Chateaubriand.

The restaurant closes in one week, so hurry up if you are in Paris. Otherwise try again in September.

Meanwhile, check my new Facebook page!

Le Fooding review: http://www.lefooding.com/restaurant/restaurant-aux-deux-amis-paris.html

L’Etoile: restaurant that makes you feel and look good!

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How do you recognize an excellent restaurant? From the fact that when you wake up the next morning, you have slept like a baby, and you feel and look as if you have just spent one week in a retreat. Without exaggeration, this is how I felt this morning after a very pleasant dinner at L’Etoile (former L’Etoile Rouge).L'Etoile, ParisWe were welcomed by la patronne, who offered us two glasses of rosé wine  because our table outside was not yet ready –a lovely, rare gesture in Paris, but most of all, the wine was not just any wine. It was excellent Pic Saint Loup from Languedoc. Menu, L'Etoile in ParisWe ordered two starters: a millefeuille of tomatoes & mozzarella, and a squid salad. Both were divine. IMG_5200 IMG_5202Based on the restaurant’s recommendation, we ordered a bottle of Le Côte de Provence Rosé Locus Ameno. Delicious.

For the main course I had grilled cod and my husband had rabbit. My cod had a lovely, very intense lemon taste and the rabbit came with a sauce that reminded us very much about mixes you find in the Indian cuisine. It had been a long time since I had such an intriguing culinary experience!  IMG_5206 IMG_5205I believe that the photos above speak for themselves. The presentation was artistic and beautiful, as you can see.

In the end we shared a dessert. I loved it, even if usually I am not a big dessert fan in France (my husband likes those heavy French-style cakes etc.). This blueberry mousse was great because it was light, reminding me of Finnish desserts. In fact, upon completing cooking classes, this is something my Dad made for us every single Sunday for quite a while!  blueberry mousseDuring our dinner, la patronne came to speak to us a few times, and she seemed to know many of the customers. In the end we even had a good talk with the chef, who came to our table. We learned he trained with a very famous Michelin-starred chef Joël Robuchon and in addition, he explained how important it is that the cooking follows the principle of four basic tastes: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness (he shared some of his tricks on how to make winter tomatoes taste better…..).

In overall, the restaurant L’Etoile merits nearly ten points and we are sure to bring food lovers visiting Paris to this interesting pearl that I believe has a lot of future. Keep watching the name I say. They are already on lefooding.com, but I would not be surprised if more recognitions were on their way….

L’étoile:  75 rue Crozatier 75012 Paris . 01 53 17 02 44

Le Fooding article: http://www.lefooding.com/restaurant/restaurant-l-etoile-rouge-paris.html

Short stay in Helsinki (my personal highlights)

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After the summer house we spent only two full days in Helsinki. It was a brief visit, and it rained very often, so we did not get to visit as much as we had planned. But this short stay was very pleasant and I made a mental note of returning to Helsinki again this autumn (each year I say this, and then by the time the cold weather begins in Paris, we prefer to travel to warmer places. Let’s see about this autumn). The Senate Square, Helsinki

Some highlights of our Helsinki visit were (not in any particular order):

  • Walking around Kauppatori (The Market Square) and Senaatintori (The Senate Square): watch the luxury cruise ships leave for Tallinn and Stockholm, admire the architecture dating back to the first part of the 19th century (the Russian rule), contemplating at the market by the sea whether to buy a reindeer skin or one kilo of strawberries!
  • Visiting Artek, the world famous Finnish design and furniture shop (http://www.artek.fi/index.html). A must! Artek
  • “Grillata“: prepare and eat Finnish barbeque (which includes salmon of course). For cooking ideas, see What does Finnish barbeque look like?
  • Kappeli (http://www.kappeli.fi/): this restaurant/bar/cafe opened in 1867. It is a Helsinki institution and located in a beautiful, wooden building right by the Market Square. We had just coffee.
  • Putte’s Bar (http://www.puttes.fi/): I ate a very good Funghi pizza that came with chanterelle mushrooms. I loved the pizza but I have two remarks about the place: I had made a reservation and we were seated downstairs, in the darkest corner. Also the wine is super expensive (like almost everywhere in Finland).
  • Liberty or Death (http://libertyordeath.fi/): we drunk cocktails with famous ice hockey players. Could it get more Finnish?
  • Alppitori (http://www.ravintolatori.fi/alppila/): they have excellent hamburgers. My chicken burger came with avocados. My husband’s burger came with crispy bacon. And the best part is that they have French rosé wine for 25€ per bottle.
  • Siltanen (http://www.siltanen.org/): we had drinks at this club/bar/restaurant that I like very much. It is trendy and hip, and has that industrial feeling. They have DJs and groups playing almost every night.

Time went by very fast and sooner than I realized, I was sitting in an airplane looking at those thousands of tiny islands scattered around Helsinki and its coastline. Helsinki archipelago

First summer days, first terrace dinner

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Wasn’t it only two weeks ago that I wrote Spring has arrived in Paris (at least in the Conran Shop) ? Since then, there have been several lovely days, temperature climbing up to 25C. Summer is here, or not far away anyway, and the signs are everywhere: picnics along the Seine and Canal Saint-Martin, terraces full of Parisians, sandals, shorts, skirts, sleeveless tops… picnic along Canal Saint Martin

Even birds are happier. We seem to have a new friend: a rose-colored pigeon keeps visiting our balcony. In fact (s)he doesn’t seem to be able to decide whether (s)he prefers our neighbor’s palm tree or our 1870s balcony railing! pigeon in balcony

Last night, after a vernissage at Le Grand Palais we joined the rest of Paris (what it seemed like!) and ate at one of Rue Cler’s terraces. Rue Cler, located in the 7th arrondissement (metro Ecole Militaire), is one of the loveliest pedestrian market streets in Paris. Ok, to be fair, there are many, but I am attached to this street as we lived few blocks away and used to do our Sunday morning groceries there. The choice is excellent: there is a good-quality fish shop (poissonnerie), flower shops, fruit and vegetable stalls, fromagerie, etc. Rue Cler is also rich in cafes and restaurants, and therefore makes a good destination to visit any time of the day. I will now share a small secret…

When the market closes around 14h on Sunday, the shop keepers come to Café du Marché (http://www.timeout.com/paris/en/bars-pubs/le-cafe-du-marche). It is a lot of fun watching (mostly) men entering the cafe in their work clothes and comparing stories, while adding ice cubes to pastis. There is an atmosphere and it is a real neighborhood hangout. Rue Cler and Cafe du MarcheI have been going to Café du Marché for over ten years now, and it is nice to see that the prices have not doubled like in many other places. For example, a large beer and a glass of rosé at the bar cost just over 7€ (you know that consuming at the bar is less expensive than at the table or terrace in France?). And the rose was not any rosé, but Minuty (http://www.chateauminuty.com)! Impressive. At the lunch hour you get a decent plat du jour for a reasonable price, too, and wine is available in pichet. As you see in the photo, there is a large terrace and in early spring or late autumn it comes with heating. Nothing too fancy, but cosy and simple. The photo above was taken last night but I shall return during the day to take more photos.

 

 

 

Oysters at Le Baron Rouge

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oystersLe Baron Rouge is an excellent wine bar located at 1 Rue Théophile Roussel, 75012 Paris (near le marché d’Aligre) open all year around but if you love oysters and live nearyby in Paris, hurry up! Tomorrow is the last day they sell oysters that come from Le Cap Ferret.