Rosa Bonheur, Part Deux

Rosa Bonheur, the funky buvette in the Buttes Chaumont, which opened a little over a year ago without much fanfare, but then went on to become the darling of the press and bobo Parisians this summer, has metamorphosed into a full-fledged restaurant—well really a cross between a resto and rotisserie—this past week. 

 

I fell in love with Rosa Bonheur this summer when it was still somewhat unknown, but as word got out that this charming little spot had opened in the Parc, serving drinks and tapas late into the night, it quickly became a victim of its own success and—at least on the weekends—overwhelming crowds of hipsters spilled out the doors, making it more of a headache than an oasis. 

Then came news that they were opening a real restaurant in the fall and there were unconfirmed rumours that Armand Arnal, the newly-starred chef of La Chassagnette in Arles, the first organic restaurant to have a star in France, was a partner and so I was eagerly awaiting its opening which finally came about this past week.

I am still not sure to what degree, if any, Arnal plays a part (our waiter confirmed the connection but did not say to what extent and it may well be that one of his chefs is overseeing the kitchen).  In any event, traces of La Chassagnette can be found, as they use organic products for the most part, or at least agriculture raisonnée, and like the owners, many of the ingredients come from the Camargue. 

The three-course 29 € menu is simple, with a handful of first courses to choose from including a very nice crayfish bisque with Pastis and a “correct”, as they say in French, cabbage rémoulade with crisp apple, carrots, cabbage and shrimp, that was good, but could have used a bit of pizzazz .  The main courses include a choice of two rôtis, one that changes daily, along with a roasted free-range demi-coquelet.  On Thursday you’ll find a fricassee of rabbit with mustard, Friday Sète-style cuttlefish with olives, Saturday was slow-roasted spiced spare ribs, which are not something you find too often in France, and on Sunday roasted lamb shoulder, each served with seasonal, organic vegetables.  

Desserts, if I remember correctly (because at this point we had finished our bottle of red and my memory is a bit foggy), included a very good rice pudding, chocolate mousse and cheese.

While the food was certainly good, it’s more the feeling of the place that would lure me back, with its choice of ingredients, amiable wait staff and unusual location hidden in one of Paris’s most beautiful parks.   It was just the thing for a dreary Parisian October afternoon.

Rosa Bonheur
2, allée de la Cascade
Parc des Buttes Chaumont
75019 Paris
Métro:  Botzaris
Telephone: 01 42 00 00 45 ;  To reserve at the restaurant call: 01 42 03 28 67

Bar, Café open Wednesday-Sunday, 12- midnight (however the park gates close at 20h);
Restaurant is open for lunch 12h00-13h30, dinner from 20h00 until 21h30.
See the Map Here

Bread-o-Matic

I’m not really sure what this says about the state of French cuisine, but Paris has its first automatic bread distributor, which spits out freshly baked baguettes for a euro. I was quite sceptical at first, imagining that the bread would be a mass-produced, frozen, tasteless loaf that unfortunately you find too often in Paris. To my surprise, these were “baguettes de tradition”, bread which is decreed by a 1993 French law to be mixed, kneaded, leavened and baked on premises, without ever being frozen. They must also be additive-free and can contain only four precious ingredients–wheat flour, water, salt and yeast.

The baker proudly explained that he keeps his freshly made baguettes in a cold room which can keep up to 250 baguettes for 72 hours and then can program the machine (the Panicho Automate) to automatically bake a certain amount each hour where they are kept warm while waiting to be purchased. Drop in your euro and out pops a warm crusty baguette in its familar paper sack.

A taste test revealed that while this baguette can’t compete with Kaiser, Gosselin or Saibron, it was certainly better than the frozen junk that some boulangeries pass off as baguettes.

Panicho Automate
Boulangerie/Patisserie
Avenue Mathurin Moreau
75019

Zinc Caius

It’s too bad that every neighbourhood doesn’t have a restaurant like Jean Marc Notelet’s recently-opened, pocket-sized bistro, Zinc Caius, which is just a few minutes walk from Etoile.  The décor, like the food, is simple yet soignée with steel grey tones and a hip, industrial feeling. 

Notelet, who once worked at the three-star Boyer Les Crayeres before opening the since closed “Le Troyon” in the 17th and the more grown-up Caius up the street, is known for his judicious use of unusual spices and original take on traditional French cuisine. 

The food here is simple, yet very good.   I am not really a boudin fanatic, but this house-made boudin noir Bernais with Bordier’s beurre au sel fumé was delicious, as was the warm salad of Puy lentils garnished with Lardo di Colonnata, walnuts and tarragon and the Piquillos peppers with creamy goat cheese, basil and yellow pepper coulis.  Mains were equally good with a perfectly seared Simmental strip steak and hand-cut steak tartar served with crisp, fat polenta fries.  Desserts didn’t disappoint either with a crème caramel, nage de rhubarb with fromage blanc ice cream and mint, and chantilly de semoule with Amarena cherries. 

A lot has been written lately about the demise of French cooking and how it’s not all that easy to find exceptional cooking in France these days, but thankfully inexpensive neighbourhood bistros like this, with high-quality products and cooking at affordable prices, continue to pop up and prove the naysayers wrong. 

Entrees: 7€-12 €
Plats: 13€-16€
Desserts:  5€-8 €

Zinc Caius
11 rue d’Armaillé
75017 PARIS
Telephone: 01 44 09 05 10
Métro Argentine
See the map here

Open daily for lunch and dinner, except Sunday.

Corso, a new Costes in the 10th

I’m not usually one to run out to try the latest Costes establishment; spending a small fortune on so-so food, served by glamorous young things who know nothing about cuisine, no matter how beautiful the setting, is not really my thing.

If your ever spent time in Paris, chances are you’ve been to one of establishments of Jean-Louis and Gilbert Costes, the two brothers who have managed to build a small culinary empire in Paris.  They started some 25 years ago with the Café Costes, designed by the then up and coming designer Philippe Stark, and now can count a long list of establishments owned by the brothers themselves or one of their kin.  Places like Café Marly in the Louvre, le Georges with its stunning view from the Centre Pompidou, le café Beaubourg, L’Avenue on rue Montaigne and the Hotel Costes and Costes K, are all owned and operated by the Costes brothers or a member of their family.

I broke my anti-Costes stance when their latest establishment (or one of the latest, as they seem to open left and right) opened in my neck of the woods, on the place Franz-Liszt in an up and coming part of the 10^th.   The large terrace, which overlooks the Place and Saint Vincent de Paul, was just thing for a hot Sunday night in August, when many decent restaurants have packed it up until the rentrée in September. 

The food—and prices—were surprisingly not bad with neo-italian dishes that included an artichoke salad, smoked breaded mozzarella, several pasta dishes like penne alla boscaiola, rigatoni all’ arrabbiata, jumbo shrimp risotto, and a puttanesca which strangely included eggplant, zucchini, olives, tomatoes and ricotta in the list of ingredients.  Main courses include a whole grilled sea bass, grilled calamari, veal Marsala, and the entrecote Montana.  We opted for what turned out to be delicious fried smelts with tartar sauce, a perfectly acceptable, although a bit bland, artichoke and arugula salad, a so-so linguine with baby clams and an impressive grilled entrecote served with delicious looking fried potatoes that my companion devoured before I could steal a bite.  They also serve “Lo Snack” for those just wanting something simple like carpaccio or an assortment of charcuterie. Unfortunately, we didn’t save room for dessert and lingered over an Illy café instead.  

Service was—unlike my memory of Georges and Hotel Costes—welcoming and professional and definitely an addition to the experience.   Our friendly server forgot to fire our main courses and apologized before we even noticed and comped our second bottle of Pellegrino to compensate.  The fact that he noticed and apologised is definitely a first for me in Paris. 

All in all, I found this newest Costes, a welcome addition to the neighbourhood.

Corso
2, place Franz Liszt
75010 Paris
Telephone: 01 42 47 01 23
See the Map Here

Open daily from  8am-Midnight, continuous service.
Prices: entrées 7-12 €, plats 12.5-19.5 €; desserts 3-7.5 €; les snacks 6-12.5; petit déjuner 7.5€, sunday brunch 23 €

Rosa Bonheur

Located in the beautiful Parc des Buttes Chaumont, this newly blossomed café has quickly gained a following with bobo Parisians looking for a bit of respite from city life. It’s the perfect place for a café or an apero with friends en terrace.  If you’re looking for more than a drink, you can order up plates of chorizo, Bellota or Serrano ham, along with Manchego and Salers cheese and other small tapas-style plates, simply served.   Linger late enough and you can hang in the Parc after hours and enjoy the view long after the gates have closed. 

  

Rosa Bonheur
2, allée de la Cascade
Parc des Buttes Chaumont
75019 Paris
Métro:  Botzaris
Telephone: 01 42 00 00 45 

 Hours: Tuesday-Sunday noon till midnight, entrance by the park until 22h; on Friday and Saturdays you can enter by the gates at 7 rue Botzaris from 22h till midnight
See the Map Here