On October 12 we left Dresden Germany for Paris France, with our lost luggage, on Lufthansa via Munich. The structure, organization and discipline of German society was very interesting to see. I saw it manifested in the timeliness and cleanliness of services and public areas. Trains leave exactly on time, not 30 seconds early or late. There is no gum or garbage anywhere, and the streets and sidewalks are swept nightly. Rules are posted everywhere that people are expected to follow, and they do. It is clear to me why Germany is such an economic powerhouse. Now we are on our way to Paris, then London, were things were not nearly as structured or organized as in Germany!
My birthday dinner in Paris was at Les Diables au Thym “Devils Time” (www.lesdiablesauthym.com , 35 Rue Berger Paris 75009, 01 47 70 77 09) a restaurant recommend by my dear friend Trish Saltys. We walked from our hotel beside the Opera Garnier to this 24 seat right bank restaurant just off of Rue Faubourg-Montmartre. Our server was fabulous, he was fast, efficient, funny and really knew how to upsell! He suggested the Kathmandu cocktails to start (pink peppercorn infused vodka topped with champagne), then recommended a bottle of wine called ‘Les Couilles d'ânes rouge’ which he told us translated to ‘Donkey’s Balls’, we assumed he was just kidding, who in their right mind would give their wine a name like that. With the power of the internet in our hands we confirmed the translation was indeed correct! This soft, smooth 2006 Malbec was a great pairing for our dinner.
In France food menus are labeled with Entrees and Plates, were entrees are starters or appetizers, and plates are main courses, what we would typically call entrees. To start Jeff ordered the ‘Foie gras de canard cuit en terrine’ which was a perfect slab of silky smooth foie gras topped with some flaky fleur de sel. I ordered the ‘boudin noir aux pommes’, a thick slice of blood sausage served with gingerbread and roasted apple, another delicious rich entrée.
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| Stuffed Rabbit Saddle |
We both love rabbit and decided to have the stuffed saddle of rabbit for our main course. The rabbit saddle (boneless loin of rabbit) was stuffed with a delicious combination of dark rabbit meat, shallots and fresh herbs; then served with wild mushrooms and cannellini beans. This dish looked and tasted great except that it was overcooked. Rabbit is not very forgiving when it comes to being overcooked!
For dessert I ordered a delicious Chestnut Mille-feuille while Jeff had a selection of French cheeses like Forme d’Ambert, Morbier and Brie (all available from fine cheese shops in Vancouver and Victoria). Dinner at Les Diables au Thyme was a great start to our first trip to Paris and my birthday celebration.
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