Les Saisons in the 9th has been a reliable place for us for two years and it came through again this New Year's Eve lunch, when a lot of places have reduced cartes, are closed or are gearing up to charge 10x the going rate. As always, Keiko and Jonathan Lutz welcomed us warmly and we sat facing the roses and alongside the swells of the nabe (no pesky fellow Yankees here). "Do you want some champagne, both implore us?" (Actually no), but "Of course, it's New Year's Eve, why not?"
Colette took a quick glance at the offerings and said "the pintade with a purée champenoise, please, only that, the plat du jour, thanks" and I ordered the sauteed mushrooms - eh voila, out comes a marvelous mushroom soup for her and plateful of mushrooms of all sorts with a lovely fried egg for me. We're off and running.
Then out came Colette's pintade with a squash and she thinks a squash/potato puree and I had the lieve a la royale with red cabbage and a different puree. - All delicious.
To end, she had the rice pudding with nut crumble bits and a caramel sauce and I had a Calva. Our bill, with the coupes, Calva, wine and 2 coffees, came to 116.60 E - Hey it's New Years' Eve!
Before exiting I visited the loo which has a beautiful brass sink and on leaving saw Serge Malik's testimonial saying that Chef Lutz was a "perfectionniste et rebelle" and his objective was to make you happy. And he certainly did. What a way to end 2014 (that is, before our home-schlepped dinner of caviar, salmon, oysters, herring, foie gras, brioche, cheese, eclairs and ice cream. - "We're gonna eat all that?" "No way."
Happy New Year loyal readers.
