Monday, August 23, 2010

Après-vous in Paris

Trying a new restaurant can be risky. After all, who wants a bad meal or even a mediocre meal? When my friend Lenny and I walked past Après-vous, our instincts were to give it a try. It is off of the touristy area in the Montmarte section of Paris. The metal sculptures in the window first piqued our interest and then the artful, casual interior made us stop and take notice. Hungry after a day of shopping for clocks and fabric, we decided take a chance. We weren't disappointed. Sitting in the small, lower level garden area was delightful. We were able to see inside the restaurant through the open windows that the owner fabricated himself. The set of different time zone clocks hanging on the wall made us think about our unsuccessful clock shopping excursion earlier that day. We almost thought about making an offer to buy the clocks, but resisted!! OK....time for dinner......the chalkboard menu was propped up on the rattan chair so we could take in the days offerings. The prices seemed a little higher than we expected, with first courses ranging from €10-14 and main courses from €18-24, but we liked the choices. After looking at the wine menu, we chose a reasonably priced red wine, called Rendezvous, that went well with our meal. I began with Foie Gras Maison and Lenny had a Roasted Chèvre with Smoked Duck Salad. Both were excellent. The next course was a perfectly cooked Tuna Steak for Lenny and Pork Caramelized with Wine for me. Once again, we couldn't have been happier. As we dined, we learned the restaurant has only been open for about 6-7 months. That explained why we were able to just walk in without reservations. We couldn't help but notice the table next to us where a man was having Steak Tartare with Frites. It was not my cup of tea, but I would have loved to have known how they liked it. I'm intrigued by food that will never cross my lips!! The light of the evening started to dim and candles were lit as we finished our first 2 courses. Feeling pretty full, sharing a dessert seemed to be a good choice. We decided on a Warm Chocolate Cake with Creme Anglaise which finished the meal off on a happy and satisfied note. As we left, there were several people sitting out front enjoying a glass of wine on this warm summer evening. Lenny and I both agreed we'd love to come back again and we wish this new restaurant well.

Après-vous: 16, rue de Trois Frères 75018 Paris
Metro: Abbesses
Tel.: +(33) 1 42 55 89 77

Stumble Upon Toolbar

7 comments:

linda said...

i glanced @ the photo with the clocks before reading & i thought of you & lenny…then i read on…
& now as i write my comment, i am struck (that through the virtual world) i have come to know you, diane & your world…& your friends.

i truly enjoy 2 stews.
thank you for great posts & lovely recipes!

Kathy Walker said...

Lovely meal presentation! I agree on the Tartare!

Anonymous said...

lovely! now i must go to paris!

Deana Sidney said...

I love discoveries. When you read about a place and it is true to the review it's great, but when you find it out of the blue and your instinct is right... well, don't you feel just a little proud of yourself? Great photos and charming place.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

What a gorgeous meal. I would have had a difficult time choosing between the foie gras and the duck salad. If my memory serves me correctly, the Montmarte section is where a lot of the French Impressionists hung out.
Sam

Jane said...

I hope you'll go again with me sometime... it all looked scrumptious! Hi to Lenny from me!

tasteofbeirut said...

How lovely to get lucky on a spontaneous first time visit! The fondant au chocolat at the end stole my heart!