Thanks to David's friends Ghassan and Leah (post-docs from UNC at IARC), we had an insane dinner at Maison Clouvis last night while they watched the kids. It all began with the best Kir Royale I have ever had (and I have had many) and then this Amuse Bouche (amuse your palette), always a surprise = pea veloute, chili tomato oil, salmon tartare, a crispy purple radish chip, a fresh red radish slice and an edible flower (David ate his and I did not). He wished he hadn't. This foamy cool delectable treat was so very delicious that I could not wait for the next 4 courses....
David's dessert: caramelized apples, creme anglais, vanilla bourbon ice cream, feuillettes (pastry sheets like baklava) and candied caramel...
the old train station in the 6th arrondisement, now a restaurant and shops, near Ghassan and Leah's
a surprise after dessert, vanille and chocolat, to accompany our luxurious digestifs of Creme de Chataigne (chestnut, my new favorite drink) topped with exquisite CHAMPAGNE (val + laura, we will do this for you when we get back, assuming i manage to bring a bottle of the chestnut liqueur safely home) and a Creme de Abricots for David topped with champagne...unbeknownst to us, this little treat doubled our bill!
the narrow tiny elevator in Ghassan and Leah's apartment building - incroyable!
The fromage course: raisin and nut crostini with a perfect Saint Marcellin, fresh spinach leaves, perhaps blanched first, pine nuts, parmesan reggiano and a dash of olive oil:
the lovely circular based and oval topped water glasses
David's garlic foam, white asparagus pillars topped with ecrivisses (little shrimp), upright fried frog legs (see the little bones) and beneath the radish cup of garlic foam in the center - a pike mousse....
detail of Ghassan and Leah's lovely apartment
even the plates at Maison Clouvis were beautiful - and those water glasses again...
Happy David at the start of the meal.......so nice to be together and in love after so many amazing years and back in Lyon, city of love, where we decided to marry in 1999....
My Langoustines (large shrimp?) with sweetly pickled radish slices, crispy tomato slices, atop bits of vegetables, encircled by a tomato spiced coulis and a small dish of spicier dipping sauce.....like sushi (and since I saw a Japanese man in the kitchen I asked if the chef was Japanese. The waiter told us the chef was Lebanese and the cook was Japanese, only there 3 weeks - the Japanese twist/presentation and taste wowed me).
The "chandelier" above us...
My main course - lotte, a lobstery fish, baby violet artichokes, blanched baby carrots, asparagus, peas,, lotte foam, carrot coulis - incredible
David's pigeon (something I refuse to eat after having had it at a very special dinner in Paris on Annika's birthday with my sister Madeleine, Annika and David), but David said it was perfect and seemed absolutely satisfied...
detail of plate - so Japanese to me...
selfie in the tres moderne bathroom with a door that opens by waving your hand in front of a sensor - kinda unnerving when you are on the toilette!
OK, the best best best thing of the night was my citron basilic sorbet, as you can see, i ate it up...
served with a fromage blanc sorbet (I could choose 3 flavors and thankfully I asked for 2 scoops of the lemon basil, as it was purely divine, punchy, a touch sweet, a hint of crumbles, icy melting texture ....
taxi ride home...
Les Toilettes, above the toilet, a black apple on a shelf, tres Magritte....
Slept in until 10am, David rushing off to work, as tomorrow is Pentacost, a big holiday here and he won't be working the next 3 days!!!!! YAY! We leave Sunday. David has 2 more weeks. We'll go to L'Annecy by train for a day trip on Friday, a magical mountainside and lakeful town we have never visited....stay tuned!
p.s. While this may seem to pale in comparison, the kids and I just had our lunch: fresh baguettes, croissants, chocolate croissants, fresh pecorino with peppercorns, fresh comte, fresh spanish figs, french ham, dijon mustard, salt crystal butter, chili tortilla chips, sea salt and cider vinegar chips, avocado, cornichons, olives, orangina........perfect....off to walk on this gloriously sunny day!
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