Paris des Chefs

I left Lummi Island in the middle of one of our worst winter storms for years. Seatac closed the day after I left...all flights cancelled. So was my flight to Paris via NY, but I managed to go via Dallas. I was somewhat sorry to leave home..I love how a storm like that can stop everything, and allow me to appreciate the small world around me, and make do with what I've got.

The planes were quite less than full..I got a whole row to myself to nap on the 9 hour flight from Dallas. Paris was 50 degrees and overcast. I felt so proud when I found the train (RER) from the airport to the 1st Arrondisement where my hotel is. My September advance trip was paying off! When I got to the hotel, I was amazed to find the live geoduck Blaine had FedExed just the day before. The best that they could promise him was Monday, some 4 days later, and since it is central to Blaine's performance, we were uneasy leaving it at that: Blaine stuck the other 4 geoducks in his luggage as a hedge. I'll find out today if they made it, and if so, are they still alive?

Finding Fish, the Restaurant

After some rest, my next job was to find Fish, a restaurant in the St. Germaine district owned by a friend of Keith Carpenter, from Wood Stone. He has a walk-in cooler big enough to store the giant clams. Also Blaine emailed and oh, by the way, he needed a Paco Jet, a "reconstituter" that looks like a milkshake mixer but costs $5000, and also some liquid nitrogen. Not things a tourist might come upon in a strange city, or any city, really. Drew Harre, owner and proprietor of Fish and also Cosi across the street, was just the man to ask. I wasn't sure enough of my metro prowess to try to find it on my own, so I called a cab and soon I was standing in front of his restaurant on whose face was a large mosaic that spelled out Poissonnerie, hence the restaurant's name. Some nasty person had taken spray paint to make the P into a B, thus spelling Drinkerie, But that was also accurate as his wines were fantastic. When I figure out how to upload photos from the ipad you will be able to see it.

Drew was most accommodating. He is a Kiwi who has owned Cosi, across the street, for 23 years, and Fish for 12. The crew at Wood Stone knew him because he had installed a big oven at Cosi, and of course all of the Wood Stoners had to pay it a visit! He was in the middle of remodeling another space next to Cosi, for a third restaurant, this time a Spanish tapas bar. By the time I left that afternoon, I had the use of his Paco Jet, and 10 liters of liquid nitrogen was being delivered the next day. Also the duck was really good, served on a bed of lightly fermented sauerkraut and surrounded by a foie gras foam.

Finding Rue Monge

Next day, my job was to locate the event site. The address was Maison de Mutualite, address near Rue Monge. I took the metro to Chatelet...the hotel had told me to go the other way towards Ballard, so as not to have to transfer, but a Chilean man showed me the shortest way, and gave me a free ticket too. Got off at Odean, then walked the wrong direction in the rain and fading light for awhile, until I saw a patisserie, and popped in to buy a tartine de pomme. It was delish...the fellow at the counter gave me directions to Rue des Ecoles, and I started out once again in the drizzle. I walked past the Sorbonne and Musee de Cluny, and soon saw the intersection of rue de Monge. Luckily I stood there for awhile, and noticed a big building to the left, called le Maison de Mutualite. That sounded familiar! Wasn't the address to the event vers rue Monge? I walked over to the building, still under remodel construction, and asked a fellow outside if there was going to be an event here this weekend. Yes? Paris des chefs? Yes! I had found it! I decided to go into the Cafe St Victor for a caesar salad and cafe au lait. job well done.

As I sat and ate my salad, beautiful people, young and old, came and went. Vital young men stood at the bar in a group, joked with the staff, sipped their aperitifs, and smiled as they went back out into the friday evening. Why is everyone so good looking? I haven't seen a fat person yet that I can remember. (Oops, take it back. Just saw a fairly robust middle aged woman...think I'll start counting. )Even the 4 top septugenerians who had 3 beers and a glass of white wine were impeccably dressed and good looking. Dark haired male models, impossibly gorgeous women with flowing hair and high cheekbones....is this a movie set? Even the staff is well dressed under their long dark aprons.

Okay, out into the night. It looks like I can walk two blocks along rue Monge and find the #5 metro at Gare de Austerlitz, that goes right back to my hotel. I'll have to remember that tomorrow when i scout out the trip carrying a paco jet and a 10 liter bottle of liquid nitrogen from Fish to the event site.