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A friend and I have the habit of meeting once a month to catch up over a meal. There are usually two factors determining our choice of restaurant: it has to be from a different country each time, and the restaurant has to be in my part of town.
Since I moved to Paris we have had Chinese, Korean, Lebanese, traditional French, Breton, Thai, Malagasy, Greek, Italian, and Russian food, among others. As the months have passed, we have become more and more critical towards the food we eat, seeking a pure taste with fresh ingredients. This may also reflect a discussion launched this spring in France where 15 chefs, perhaps provokingly, perhaps out of a real interest for good food, suggested that the words "quality restaurant" became a protected expression, like an "appellation".
The French have always been proud of their food tradition and food quality, but in later years when we go to a restaurant or a bistro we may not realise what we put into our mouths. It has come out that many eating places serve vaccuum packed food, defrosted vegetables, etc. Cheap and cheerful might have become the word, but what happened to the famous French cuisine? What happened to good, basic, affordable food?
The other night my friend and I went to a tiny restaurant which I pass on my way to work. It is only open a couple of nights per week (though the owner will open if you call her to make a reservation for another evening). Inside there are four tables, a menu of about 5 first courses, 5 main course and 5 desserts. The food is Cretan, the organic olive oil is from the owners' family production on the Peloponnese, and every thing is cooked from scratch whilst you are waiting. With the owner also being the cook and the waiter don't be in a hurry, but that was not a problem for my friend and I who had a lot of catching up to do......
We spent three hours tasting delicious food with that "pure", fresh taste that we are always looking for. As we were alone in the restaurant, it felt really intimate, and the food was definitely home-cooked. Bon appetit!
15 grands chefs lancent une nouvelle appellation pour reconnaître "les restaurants de qualité"
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A tiny restaurant with good food
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