![\"caf\u00e9](\"https:\/\/54leacock.ca\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/cafedesmusees.jpg\" "\\"caf\u00e9")
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We tried out a neighbourhood bistro called Caf\u00e9 des Mus\u00e9es on the eve of the third Thursday in November, the day on which French law decrees Beaujolais Nouveau may be released. Having already had a little Pineau at the apartment, we opted to skip the constitutional ap\u00e9ritif<\/a> suggestions and ordered two starters to share: the house foie gras<\/em> (15), mi-cuit and served with toasted levain bread and fig chutney, and a saut\u00e9ed wild mushroom salad (10). Both were excellent, and served with a mix of impeccably fresh, perfectly dressed salad greens. The second course was nearly as good, the “nearly” reflecting our wild enthusiasm for the entr\u00e9es rather than any criticism of the main dishes. We had an entrec\u00f4te<\/em> (rib-eye) with hot, crispy French fries (18); a gibelotte de li\u00e8vre<\/em> (fricassee of hare in white wine) served in a one-person Staub cocotte<\/a> along with buttery, parsley-flecked noodles (19); and a parmentier gourmand de faisan<\/em> (kind of a pheasant-filled shepherd’s pie) with a beautiful swirly potato-y<\/a> crust. The 2008 Il Fait Soif C\u00f4tes du Rhone (31) went down nicely with everything, but was a bit young. Food portions were generous enough that dessert was out of the question.<\/p>\n The menu featured a few other interesting winter game dishes, an \u00e9chine de cochon noir de Bigorre<\/em> served with pommes gratin<\/em> (the rib of yet another special breed of black pig<\/a> served with scalloped potatoes, which we will clearly have to go back to try), a vegetable cocotte (the guy at the “next” table, elbow-to-elbow with me, ordered it — it was pretty heavy on the leeks, didn’t look very exciting, and he left about half of it), and oysters. There was also a prix-fixe (19) of potage de cresson<\/em> (watercress soup), joue de boeuf ivre<\/em> (drunken beef cheek) and choice of dessert.<\/p>\n One of the most surprising highlights? The staff. There were a couple of extremely pleasant young waiters, a cheerful Japanese-Canadian cook, and an older waiter with a gruff exterior who warmed immensely to us, apparently because of Nicole’s frequent requests for updates on Les Bleus’ all-important World Cup qualifying match.<\/p>\n Update 01\/12: On a second visit, the foie gras<\/em> (15) was as excellent, but the saut\u00e9ed mushroom salad (10) not as much. The fish of the day — bar<\/em> or sea bass — was the real standout (23), pan-fried and served with salad greens and julienned carrots and turnip. Nobody tried the prix-fixe (19), but it was tempting: choice of croustillant de confit de canard<\/em> (duck confit-filled pastry) or spring salad as a starter, steak tips with quinoa, and choice of dessert. We sampled the quince cr\u00eape and fondant au chocolat<\/em> for dessert, and the latter was much better.<\/p>\n Caf\u00e9 des Mus\u00e9es See Paris roundup<\/a> for more Paris addresses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We tried out a neighbourhood bistro called Caf\u00e9 des Mus\u00e9es on the eve of the third Thursday in November, the day on which French law decrees Beaujolais Nouveau may be released. Having already had a little Pineau at the apartment, … Continue reading
\n49 rue de Turenne (3rd)
\nTel: +33 (0)1 42 72 96 17<\/p>\n