Our reservation at Josephine "Chez Dumonet" was last minute (for us), recommended in a transatlantic email from a friend, although the venerable bistro in Saint Germain had been on our radar. Unlike the more modern Parisian bistros, Chez Dumonet offers old-fashioned bistro cooking in an old-fashioned setting.
The beautiful art-nouveau restaurant, with its frosted glass lamps, was at the same time formal and laid-back. In fact, our pleasant waiter was so laid-back he neglected to offer the wine list and had to be reminded twice to bring water.
We each started with a glass of white wine and a nice pumpkin soup amuse-bouche. It was days before Halloween, and pumpkin seemed to popup on every menu.
The Chez Dumonet menu offers half or "demi" portions of many of their dishes. Marlene and I ordered a demi portion of the foie gras to share, but our "laid-back" waiter brought us the full order. The foie gras was heavenly; it was rich and creamy. We couldn't finish it, but we came close.
Foie gras de canard frais maison We had chosen our second courses in advance, having read too many good things about Chez Dumonet's duck confit and boeuf bourguignon. The confit was excellent – crisp fatty skin over moist dark meat. The duck was served with perfect fried potatoes – crisp on the outside and soft in the middle.
Confit de canard maison Marlene and Susan each ordered the demi portion of the boeuf bourguignon, which were brought out in one pot with two small bowls of buttery, creamy noodles.
Boeuf bourguignon Simmered for hours, the beef was wonderfully tender, with its sweet, rich wine sauce. Julia Child could not have prepared a better dish.
Boeuf bourguignon aux tagliatelles Each couple ordered the Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert – the perfect way to end a traditional bistro meal. When ours was served, we were told it was complimentary. Collapsed or not, it was light, airy and delectable.
Soufflé au Grand Marnier servis avec son petit verre (collapsed) We had read online grumblings about service inadequacies at Chez Dumonet. While our service was not perfect, our meal was well paced and we were more than willing to forgive a faux pas or two for a memorable dining experience. Copyright © 2013 TwoForTheTable.com |
