A Wonderful Dining Experience!

Thanks, Julie, for making me go to Bofinger for lunch! It was just one of those unplanned things again; I had walked over to the Mouffetard to take a couple of pictures and check out a hotel for Marilyn's friend and decided to walk back to the Seine that I love so much. Paris certainly looks different this time of the year - I've never seen leaves falling and being blown about by the wind. The Seine was dark and gloomy, so I walked on to Bastille and what should I run into but Bofinger - it was just meant to be, I guess. The brasserie is huge; I had no idea how large it was, and decorated in the Art Nouveau style. I was shown to a table in the "non-fumeur" section which was under one of the two beautiful oval stained glass cupolas. The wait staff was not only polite, but friendly! My head waiter looked like Billy Crystal with hair, and he even smiled and made a little joke! I ordered a kir royale (sorry, Connie, but at least it wasn't at Tour Montparnasse)and they brought little dishes with the most delicious olives and tiny pretzels. For lunch I had the sole Meuniere and potatoes Anglais which were both delicious. The waiter, not Billy, but the one who delivers the food, presented the sole, which covered the whole platter, and asked me something which included "couper," so I assumed he was asking if I wanted him to cut up the sole for me. However, he was gone so long with my lunch, I started to worry that maybe I hadn't understood him after all. When he did come back, the fish had been beautifully filleted, and tasted as good as it looked. And the potatoes Anglais were nothing like the boiled potatoes I had when I was in England! For dessert I had the "gourmandise du jour," which, I think he called a "bavartine," something I'd never heard of but would certainly like to encounter again! It was a custard with a touch of cinnamon flavor with occasional little morsels of pear. Then, of course, the French after-dinner coffee, strong and sweet, with a small plate of petits fours. This lunch really gave me the boost I needed - I left humming to myself!

Do you want to hear about the dinner conversation? One thing about French restaurants, you never eat alone. Two businessmen were seated beside me, one French and one English; they were speaking English. Most of the conversation was very banal, but a couple of things caught my interest. They were talking about the exchange rate between the Euro and the dollar and how each of them had traveled in the U.S. recently, and how cheap everything was. They were feeling sympathy for us because of how expensive our weak dollar was making everything for Americans. It was nice to know they could feel my pain! Also, you've been hearing me complain about the food - the Frenchman was saying that most of the brasseries (and there are a lot of them) are owned by the same few people now. Only a few, and Bofinger was one of them, are individually owned and have kept up the standard of quality. I thought Julie might be interested in that. Sorry I don't have any photos to show you - I thought it would be gauche to take pictures.

After lunch I strolled down Faubourg de St. Antoine, a wonderful shopping street. The sunny morning had turned to an overcast afternoon, windy and threatening rain. I only had a scarf, no jacket, so I went into a little shop, Etam, and bought a short trench in beige. It will be very useful back home, and certainly warmed me up at the time. It's the first time I've ever bought clothes in France. That must be another sign that the French are getting bigger. Near the end of the day, I came to the Viaduct des Arts, which is a raised path, planted on each side, along the former bed of a train track. Below are shops of interior decorators, accessories, florists, etc. After window shopping down below, I climbed the stairs and came back along the path. Being up above the traffic and at eye level with the 3rd story apartments gives a whole new perspective. By this time it was raining, but the temperature was mild, and with my new jacket and umbrella, (yes, Connie, I still have it)the walk was very pleasant.

My time is getting short, my countdown clock is ticking fast. Next week at this time I'll be flying home. Back to reality, but also back to friends and dogs. :)