January 2017
Frenchie’s Restaurant- Paris, France
A restaurant review.
The well rated and Anthony Bourdain approved. This would be our anniversary meal on our Paris trip. We walked in and noticed a few things immediately- the place was very small, perhaps 10 tables max, with two seatings a night, two servers, and two people in the kitchen. This formula continued with each restaurant we went to- small room, limited seating, small staff- no wonder in my searching most recommendations noted to make reservations- “highly encouraged” as with each meal we watched the tables quickly fill up and more people get turned away for not having reservations. Only one choice for dinner which was the chef’s tasting menu and we also opted to explore the somm’s recommendation with the wine pairings. Of note, this creative chef changes the menu on average every week and a half- crazy!
- Wine: Champagne made from Pinot Noir, pleasant, dry and not too sweet
Food: Maple bacon scones. Only enough for each of us to have one, we could have popped several more of these they were so delicious. top left - Wine: Cabernet franc from France. Our previous experience with Cab franc from California gave us a negative impression of this grape- gym socks, rotten eggs. This version was delicate and clean- turning a new leaf for Cab franc!
Food: Charred octopus in a curried sauce top right - Food: Brussel sprouts covered in grated Parmesan with hints of lemon zest. middle left
- Wine: Chardonnay from Burgundy that reminded us of Chablis, very flavorful.
Food: Foie gras with layers of smoked meat- which enhanced with smoky flavor, divine! middle center - Wine: Albarino from Spain was my favorite surprise wine as it our first encounter with this varietal and it was fruity and with hints of natural sweetness.
Food: Celery root that was roasted and swimming in a truffle sauce- the favorite dish of the night and it was unbelievably tasty! Truffles make everything better but we more couldn’t believe that this root had the tenderness of a cut of meat- we could have had more of this for sure! midlle right - Wine: Bonus wine! This is why I love chatting up the somm’s because they are the best at taking what you like and turning it into a new experience. We spoke to him about our time in Italy and how we enjoy high tannic wine and he went across the street to their wine bar and brought us a wine from the south of France that had reflective properties of Sangiovese from Italy- it was tannic but light. So cool!
Food: The fish entree paired with cabbage puree and cabbage chips. bottom left - Wine: The Bonus wine above (wish I got a photo of the label!)
Food: Duck (“canard” in french as we learned to say!) seasoned and served with charred asparagus and rice grain. - Wine: A late harvest Riesling- one of my favorite grapes!
Food: Shortbread flavored gelatinous pudding with shortbread crumbs bottom middle - Wine: The Riesling above.
Food: Apple pie filling dessert bottom right
Ambiance: After a meal like this, you would expect to be in a fine dining establishment. And while the food was definitely in this category, the atmosphere was not- it was relaxed and casual which made the meal much more comfortable. The staff wore jeans, the music was American rock music and the only photo on the wall read “whatever you want”. Gourmet dining in a relaxing, no tie required environment.
We had a fantastic experience here from the food to the staff it was fun and delicious. While I came with the price tag of a fine dining meal, we felt it was worth the expense. For a comparable fine dining experience but at a fraction of the cost, we also ate at ASPIC and experienced their version of creative French cuisine.