6.5 Au Bon Coin, 21, rue de la Collegiale in the 5th, 01.43.31.55.57, (Metro: Gobelins), open 7/7 and August, has been under my radar screen for a long time. I don't know how long, it's not in my Gault-Millau of 1969 nor Patricia Wells 1984-1999, nor Authentic Bistros of Paris 2005 or even "my" Time Out Paris of 2007. No matter. Recently my Chow Hound cyber-idol Parnassien mentioned it sort of in passing in one of his encylopedic renderings of what's where in the 5th and subsequent posts by t1910, Arago and my friend Delucacheesemonger set my heart on fire - AND it's open in August, AND it's open on weekends.
The amuse was a cup of a most tasty cream of asparagus (which I heard as petitpois - "you need new hearing aids John"). And of course we had a spot of Catalanian Grenache and decent bread too boot.
For firsts we ordered the thickly cut salmon tartare (was it J.?), a remoulade of celery and seafood two times - oh no, what do I see?, sauteed foie gras with a ginger sauce and sweet potatoes - "Ah Ma'am, I'm not Jack Nicholson, but can you hold the sweet potatoes?" "Of course." Hoooo boy, we were off to the races.
Now the suspense. Thickly cut foie de veau. Easy to say, hard to execute, not since Chez Les Anges circa 1968, have I found one truly superor. And three of us ordering the same dish - Danger, there be dragons here! But no, each of us ordering a different level of cooking got exactly what he wanted. And, and, and, potato skeptic that I am, I loved the thickly cut (smashed not mashed) white potatoes. As my Aunt Tilly would say "Great sakes alive." That's when she wasn't stuck on the privy.
Well, as my real (as opposed to imaginary or cyber)-friends know I rarely, "never, well hardly ever" order dessert, but I was on a roll (no dinner tonite, sort of) so after J. ordered the nectarines and other fruits and R. a cappucino (OK, cut him some slack, he's still in recovery from coming back from the Veneto), I ordered the vanilla creme brulee. Here I got some push back. "John, vanilla?" "Creme brulee?" "What's the matter?" It was great and a perfect finale.
Our bill - 139.50 E for three, thus close to 94 E a couple.
Go? Nah, Gobelins too far away, liver too thick, no English patrons, wine too reasonable, waitfolk too unFrench (cf NYT), faggedaboudid.
