Paris Dining Guide 4: The Marais

You’ll go to the Marais.  The Pompidou is on the western side.  The Picasso and the Place des Vosges are there.  So is the Cognac-Jay and the underrated Carnavalet.  So are narrow streets and the old Jewish Quarter.  So is lots of good food.  In previous trips we have had lovely meals at the Dome du Marais and Bofinger.  Coude Fou and L’As du Felafel, mentioned in an earlier post are there, as are more restaurants than I can afford.  Here are a couple from our last trip.

Chez Janou

Oh, my!  Barbara Somson and Ross Eisenbrey recommended Chez Janou, a Provencal bistro near the Place des Vosges.  Listen to them when they speak.

Chez Janou is at 2 Rue Roger Verlomme, one of those one- or two-block streets that are not on your map, and that characterize the Marais.  Not to worry.  Here’s how to get there: From the center of the Place des Vosges, or more accurately the Square Louis XIII, exit via the northern portal and go north against traffic on Rue de Bearn, which probably is not on your map but is the street between Rue de Turenne and Rue des Tournelles, both of which are on your map, and which you will get mixed up, as I did.  Take the first right, onto Rue de Foin, which is not on your map.  At the end of the street is a bistro, boldly labeled as “Bistro,”  which is not all that helpful in Paris.  If, however, you keep going and look from the right angle, it reveals itself as Chez Janou.

Go in. You’ll find it a crowded, cheerful place, decorated with posters from old movies set in Provence.  It’s very pleasant, even jolly, but never loud.  And the food is very good.

I started with a salad with smoked duck and foie gras.

Wonderful. But then everything with foie gras is wonderful. The greens were of the freshest and, if the smoked duck was a touch tough, it was better than no smoked duck?  Look at all that foie gras!

My main course was a Provencal beef stew, a good stew enlivened with green olives and, I’m sure, some fennel.  I ordered it because everyone else seemed to have ordered it and they all seemed happy.  Nancy had the gambas flambeé aux pastis served over rice and fennel.  Very good, although she prefers headless shrimp.  Their bread is good, and they have a nice house wine.

For dessert I had the chocolate mousse “a volanté,” which means all the chocolate mousse you can eat.  It’s a frightening concept, and Nancy was aghast upon seeing the tureen.

They plop a huge spoonful, three or four normal servings, onto your plate and either leave the tureen there or, if all of the tureens are committed, bring it back when you’re halfway through your first round, and offer you more.  It was good, but no, no thank you.

Café des Museés

Not far away, and closer to the Picasso, is another good place, the Café des Museés.  It is easily found at 49 Reu de Turrenne (which, you’ll remember, is on your map).  We went there with friends Hiliary Preston, neé Jenkins, with whom Nancy had worked at Kidsave, and her newly minted husband, Tom Jenkins.

They joined us from London for a long weekend, and enlivened out trip immeasurably.  They are interested and therefore interesting people, good people with whom to do most anything, from markets to churches to grand prix racers powered by electricity to a fascinating photo exhibit of Mali at Independence to the Musee Rodin to a concert at the Madeleine.  And they are fun people with whom to dine, not least because Tom really knows French wines.

I think Nancy and I both had a good asparagus appetizer –- April in Paris is an wonderful time and place for asparagus.  I had a Basque pork chop with an onion-sage sauce that I liked, but it was eclipsed by a truly great potato gratin.   I believe that Tom had a lamb shoulder that I eyed enviously, Hiliary had entrecote frites, and Nancy had fish…salmon?  We covered a lot of the menu, and we all enjoyed our meals.  Good place, good food, good friends.

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