Repaire De Cartouche in the 11th: What a Big Meal by a Big Guy with a Big Heart.

Le Repaire de Cartouche in the 11th has been a favorite of mine, even before my colleague at Paris By Mouth, Patricia Wells, said one must visit it once a year - and it being the beginning of game season and a Saturday, what better excuse?  Rodolphe Pacquin has a new toy, a veritable pink stuffed pig that oinks and talks in American English that someone gave him, that's an ideal companion for a hearty meal.

We began as always with his impeccable pork rillettes with his impeccable slightly moist warmish bread and an impeccable 2007 Cahors.

For starters our companions had the mozzarella buffala with a chopped tomato concortion and haricots verts with mushrooms and I had the foie gras with a terrific spicy salad - all equal to mains in most joints.

For mains Colette had a very nice piece of bar cooked in its skin and scales with interesting beets; Madame had a fricassee of poularde with white beans; M. the cote de veau with cepes that he (and I) was entranced by; and I had the grouse breast with a forcemeat of foie gras wrapped in cabbage with sliced cabbabe all around and underneath - wow!

Finally Colette had the peach melba (not pictured), Madame the sable with Reine Claudes and nougat ice cream and M. the platter of wonderfully ripe cheeses.

Our bill with 2 bottles of wine, no bottled water and four coffees was 232 E for four or 116 E a couple.

Bonus Photo seen in the Spring Boutique/Wine Shop in Paris: