7.0 Le Rubis, 14, rue Leopold-Bellan (the old l'Hédoniste space) in the 2nd (Metro: Sentier, Bus: 85 and 3 others), 09.84.39.42.49, closed weekends has not gotten much respect since it opened in April, I suspect for two reasons: (1) most folks think of Le Rubis as the bar a vins/resto in the 1st and (2) Emmanuel Rubin trashed it, although Figaro readers subsequently lauded it. In any case, two chef-pals, having vetted it several times, suggested we go today. I looked at the menu in the window and started drooling - veal brains - oh my oh my!
But hold on, that was Thursday's menu, not today's (ie Friday's). Drats. Put on my most supplicanty face and tugging my forelock I plead my case - "Madame, the chef (whom I'd recognized, and she - I) wouldn't perhaps have one portion available for someone who has his heart set on veal brains." "I'll ask." "Success!!!!"
So out come the cavalcade of firsts:
- a brochette of razor clams
- tuna belly
- tuna tartare
and - tah dah
- three huge slices of sauteed veal brains - incredible, as was it all.
For mains, the ladies had the mackerel in a papillote with black rice (which I thought would have been better fried in a thick batter but they loved with the juice produced) and the guys had pork ribs "Underwood" (which as it turns out were not named for the typewriter but Kevin Spacey's character in the House of Cards) with steamed zucchini and a spicy rub. Again all fabulous.
For dessert we had the burrata/tomato/eggplant "sandwich" which was a first but worked very well indeed as a dessert and poached apricot halves.
Our bill, with two bottles of fine Rhone wine, one bottle of fizzy water and two coffees, was 169.30 E so rounding it up, about 86 E a couple.
Go? Definitely, but hope by then they've either hired one more front-room person or weaned the waitstaff from cigarettes so plates arrive promptly.
And BTW, despite being packed with pesky fellow Parisians, the decibel level was 80.5 dB.
