5.9 Chez Fred, 190 bis, Boulevard Pereire, in the 17th, 01.45.74.20.48, closed Sundays (Metro: Pereire or Porte-Maillot or Bus PC1 or 3) is a place the Figaro/Figaroscope boys love and even though I had a very disappointing meal here in 2008 after it reopened after a fire, Simon's rave review in November pushed me to retry it. It really is a crusty old but genuine Lyon bouchon with puppets, sailor's hats and antique cooking stuff - and entering, there is an impressive buffet of antipasti, etc.
The "menu" at 30 for 3 did not capture our fancy so we all three ordered off the carte.
One of my ex-pat friends ordered the os a moelle which was quite quite good and his husband and I had the gesiers salad, which both of them insisted was one of the few they've had with warm chicken parts - again quite good.
Then my friend R. had the gigot, which while rarer than he likes it, he enjoyed fully (I thought that here we are, a month from Easter, the lamb should be Spring aka Pascal lamb not veering toward the mutton lane); the beans that came with it were super. JJ and I each had a giant quenelle which no matter how good, I couldn't finish, that came with nice rice, ditto.
We wound up sharing the chocolate cake, which was, again, quite good. A word about the wine. I arrived a bit early and decided to start with a pot of Loire Anjou (Cabernet Franc) which arrived properly chilled. When my friends arrived, they both really liked it (despite one's usual aversion to reds) and we kept drinking this heartier than most red Loires up to the end.
Our bill was picked up by my hosts, but I think ran something over 110 E a couple. The dB level was tolerable - 81.6 - and English was spoken, even if only with a Japanese couple.
Go back? Indeed if this were my neighborhood buchon, I'd be an adherent. Owner Alain Piazza, whom I assume brought in Chef Jean-Francois Robert from Tante Marguerite in 2010, has kept the tradition while keeping it fresh.
