6.2 Allard, 41, St Andre-des-Arts in the 6th, 01.43.26.48.23, open 7/7 (Metro: St. Michel, Odeon) came under the control of Alain Ducasse about at the rentree and I went through a roll-call of my usual suspects to find a dining partner ever since then. And here's what I heard:
- Are you kidding?
- After Aux Lyonnais, Benoît, the Jules Verne and Rech?
- Sorry, John I love yah but....
- I'll never eat at another Ducasse resuscitated restaurant in my life,
- Are you nuts?
As you can see my pals are not very opinionated. But I approached someone in the food biz whose work impells her to eat everywhere and know every place and and advise searchers/seekers, so I had a partner. The place looks the same as it did in 1968 when 4 of us were seated in the non-smoking section aka the English-speaking table(s). The carte, which I've been spying over the years I've walked by (mainly en route to Ze), kept creeping up and so it was no surprise to learn that the main course, frogs' legs, I would have chosen if Croesus were paying, was 5 more Euros than the entire lunch "menu." Said "menu" resembled those at top places during New York's Restarant week - that is, a salad and farm salmon and creme brulee.
The amuse was/were cubes of cucumber with a most unusually nice sauce and dill flakes I believe; our wine (I finally found Waldo in the red Loires) most excellent; and our first course, called cervelas salad but what I call a salad frisee, was the likes of which i haven't had since the pre-Ducassian 1960's meals at Aux Lyonnais (our other choice was/were green beans - boring!) Oh and the cereal bread was outstanding.
I had the figs in cognac, quite decent; my friend the apple tarte, equally so and we finished with coffees and classic brandied cherries.
Our bill: 101 E for 2.
Go? Well, Andre Allard said "Les clients ne viennent pas chez nous faire des découvertes gastronomiques mais faire de vieilles connaissances culinaires." In other words, come for comfort food not a food experience. So maybe one should for the carte but there's no need for me to return for the "menu" which fell apart in mid-meal, just to have a great salad frisee and figs.