We Have a New Favorite Restaurant!

Just before leaving Paris to spend the holidays in the United States, my Australian friend Steve recommended that Melanie and I share a really traditional French meal someplace. Our first thought was "Auberge Pyrénées Cévennes", where Steve and Deborah introduced us to cassoulet; unfortunately, this amazing restaurant is closed on Sundays... so after a bit of online research I made a reservation at a Latin Quarter bistro called "Le Petit Pontoise".

Zagat says, "Le Petit Pontoise is everything one dreams about in a Parisian Bistro"

I was really in the mood for some traditional French food (and charm) and boy did this place deliver! The decor is old-school Paris and the menu contains classics like veal kidneys, veal liver, sole meuniere, escargot cassoulet, pig cheeks and more.

We arrived at 6:30 PM and I noticed that most of the other guests were American or Asian, which is understandable as the French don't usually eat dinner until 8:00 or later. The restaurant filled quickly so I was glad I made a reservation.

As we were sipping our aperitifs I overheard one of the American diners place his order: "I was here a few days ago... I do NOT need to see the menu... I'm having the Rack of Lamb again!" After the waitress left I asked, "The Lamb is that good, huh?" He replied, with a grin, "Oh yeah. It was amazing."

Needless to say, I had lamb for dinner that night. And he was right. It was incredible.

It's not very large, but the interior is warm and inviting

Melanie and I loved this place so much we not only ate there the night before we left for The United States, we had dinner there again the same day we came home!

Here are some highlights from the two meals:

Au Gratin Parmesan Dauphine Ravioles

Roasted Camembert Cheese with Almond and Honey Crust

Millefeuille of Goat Cheese and Beets

Rack of Lamb with "Bears Garlic" Crust and Fresh Vegetables

Pig Cheeks with Honey and Sweet Spices

Duck Parmentier with Fried Foie Gras Topped with Seasonal Truffles

Grandma's Secret Tart Tatin

For such great food the prices were pretty reasonable, too. My Rack of Lamb was about 30 euros, appetizers are about 13 each, and we had a fantastic bottle of wine for only 42 euros. (They brought us the bottle and said they would charge us based on how much we drank. We were having such a great time we polished off the whole thing.)

The next time you are in Paris be sure to give this place a try:

Le Petit Pontoise
9 Rue de Pontoise, 75005 Paris
http://www.lepetitpontoise.fr/en/