We manage to get out of the apartment in the evening, when our jet lagged bodies still imagine it's morning back where they came from. Luckily the day after we arrived we got an email that put a spring in our step.
The super-talented Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian of Hidden Kitchen Supper Club are in the process of opening a wine bar and a restaurant just off Palais Royal. The process has been tortuous and getting all the appropriate permissions from the city has left a long trail along the way, back one step, forward two steps, back another.
They thought they'd finally be able to open the wine bar, called Verjus, at 47, rue Montpensier, the other night but were foiled once again and need to wait another two weeks for final permission to sell the lovely wines they'll be offering with the help of Juan Sanchez of la Dernière Goutte. And so meanwhile, a little party sans alcool but with lots of Braden's wonderful food. What a great welcome back to Paris.
Verjus should finally be open, unencumbered, on October 20. Fingers crossed.
And the next night we dined with friends at Vivant, a restaurant that's been getting a lot of attention for its impeccably sourced products cooked simply and very well and its wide offering of natural wines.
A 10:00 p.m. reservation meant that some of the options had run out, but the burrata with capers and fruity olive oil and the crisply sautéd boudin and the perfect poularde with crunchy vegetables (thank god! the French tend to over cook vegetables, I think) made us very happy. Delicious as the food was, the setting was equal to it.
The old tiled shop walls had been left in place and accompanied by a mix of flea market chairs and tables and charming servers. Classic Paris setting melded with modern Paris eating made for a special meal.
No comments:
Post a Comment