foodies | From your Parisian

September 14, 2015
by yourparisian Leave a comment

Fast food, Fast Review: Miznon

I’ve wanted to write a review of Miznon for a while now but it wasn’t until this weekend, with Paris being all cold and rainy, that I started craving one of their pitas and felt the urge to look through my photos, drool a bit and eventually type out this blog post.Miznon is located in the Marais, right off Rue des Rosiers, where you will find the very popular falafel shops. Miznon can be considered as a fusion between street food and fine dining as the dishes they stuff into their pitas are beyond delicious, and I am more than happy to pay a little more for a taste like no other in Paris. This is actually the second location of Miznon (the first being in Tel-Aviv), which was brought over to France by the amazing chef Eyal Shani.The restaurant itself is unassuming and rustic with metal and wooden tables and unfinished stone walls. The decor is equally simple, consisting of fresh veggies that are used as necessary, with piles of zucchinis along one counter and cauliflower, tomatoes and artichokes placed on the windowsills. The chefs are behind the counter and prepare everything in front of your eyes, making it a real interactive experience. They are very friendly and bustle about quickly as they fill pitas with a beautiful medley of meat, veggies, sauces, herbs and spices.The menu is scribbled in colorful chalk, in a rather chaotic manner, on the blackboard behind the counter and features some French classics with a Mediterranean touch. I was with two friends from out of town and we chose the lamb kebab and the boeuf bourgignon pitas (11, 50 Euros each). The lamb kebab balls were complemented by onions, parsley and veggies; a light and fragrant delight. The flavorful boeuf bourgignon, complete with chunks of tender beef and carrots was loaded into the soft but sturdy pita and was rich and meaty.My favorite, however, is the stuffed cabbage pita (of course I always have to like the most expensive menu item at 12 Euros): cabbage leaves filled with ground lamb and spices, cooked with vine-ripened tomatoes and then piled into their pita with other herbs and a creamy white sauce (I’m guessing a homemade mayonnaise). SO incredibly delicious! They have a variety of other pitas available ranging from 6-12 Euros each, which include several vegetarian choices (like ratatouille). Don’t forget to also try one of their roasted cauliflower heads (6,50 Euros), that are grilled with olive oil and coarse grain salt. Ours came out looking a little burnt but still tasted really good. Everything here is simple, fresh and natural and just tastes out of this world!So if you want to try some mouthwatering pitas in a crowded and extremely lively eatery then I highly recommend checking out Miznon. Keep in mind that they are open Sunday and Monday (but closed Saturday and Friday night) and that there is extra seating at the back of the restaurant if it becomes too crowded in the front (where all of the action takes place). Alternatively, you can take a pita to go and sit in one of the nearby parks or squares, like Place des Vosges. Just be warned: these pitas are addictive!

Restaurant Details:

22 Rue des Ecouffes

75004 Paris

+33 (0)1 42 74 83 58

Rating:

5 gourmet pitas out of 5

March 13, 2015
by yourparisian Leave a comment

Restaurant Review: Come a Casa

Yesterday was a beautiful and sunny day in Paris, but after the sun had set I had the chance (or the desire) to stay in and write about Come a Casa, a cute little Italian restaurant in Paris that whisks you away to the warmth of Tuscany…if only for a few hours! My friend C raved about this place last summer, so since then I have been dying to give it a try!

Located in a quiet street in the 11th arrondissement near Voltaire métro station, you are immediately drawn to this restaurant by the words Come a Casa (which, if I’m not mistaken translates to “like at home”) written in cursive on a bright green facade.

Inside, you will find a very small and quaint room (reservations are recommended as seating is limited to about 20 people or so) that reminds you of a rustic farmhouse with an exposed stone wall, a pale green barn-style door concealing the bathroom, a large and well-stocked wine rack made from wooden crates and a tiny kitchen, clearly visible behind a counter cluttered with colorful vintage earthenware plates. Your Italian hosts for the evening are Flavia and Gianluca and together they have really created a cozy environment where you can sit back and enjoy some homemade Italian cuisine.

We were shown to our seats at a small table against the wall and immediately started browsing through the short but sweet menu. In regards to food, the choices are simple with only 3 main courses offered each day: an eggplant gratin, lasagna of the day, and a daily special. There is, of course, a more than adequate selection of appetizers, desserts and drinks (lots of great Italian wine!) to accompany your main course.

We ordered a bottle of Italian red wine (I can’t remember what it was, as I have a terrible memory…especially after drinking, but it was around 30 Euros) recommended by Gianluca and to start, a plate of Chianti marinated beef carpaccio on a bed of arugula and grilled vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms and extremely juicy cherry tomatoes!) topped with shavings of Parmesan (16 Euros). The fine slithers of beef were divine and mixed perfectly with the vegetables that glistened with olive oil.

Then came our main dishes: porcini mushroom and provolone cheese lasagna (15 Euros) and the special of the day, which was ricotta, radish and asparagus ravioli combined with chopped asparagus and bresaola and mixed with a radish infused olive oil (16 Euros). My lasagna was delicious and not at all heavy like traditional meat lasagnas as it was filled instead with mushrooms, carrots and zucchini and topped with fresh basil. I tried a bite of ravioli which had a definite kick from the radishes, something that I had never tasted in a pasta dish before and found to be very refreshing. Both meals were extremely satisfying due to the expertly combined ingredients and the perfect portion sizes. We sat there chatting after our meal, trying not to be distracted by our neighbors, who we were almost brushing shoulders with (as I mentioned before, there’s not much space, but you soon adjust to this familial feel), as jazz music played lightly over the hushed conversations.

Gianluca returned to ask us if we wanted dessert and of course the answer was YES, as my friend C had said the tiramisu (8 Euros) was beyond awesome! I now have a confession to make: I’ve actually been here twice: the first time with my friend V and the second with the bf, which is why I didn’t specify at the beginning of this post. I know…I’m sneaky like that! Anyways, the first time I came with V we ordered a tiramisu and we were kind of disappointed as the mascarpone cream was too light and frothy and reminded me of egg whites. This time, however, it was how it should be: velvety, rich mascarpone cream mixed with coffee and alcohol soaked lady fingers and covered with a blanket of cocoa powder. I was happy to be able to report to V the next day that it was terrific the second time around, and we agreed that everyone has the right to an off-night!

Upon leaving I was already thinking about what I’d like to order next time, which is a positive sign, IMHO. So next time you’re in the mood for some creative and delectable Italian food, drop by Come a Casa, where there’s always something good cooking in this humble but homey kitchen!

Restaurant Details:

7 Rue Pache, 75011 Paris

+33 (0)1 77 15 08 19

http://comeacasa7.tumblr.com/

My Rating:

4 glasses of Chianti out of 5

March 2, 2015
by yourparisian Leave a comment

Fast Food, Fast Review: Bob’s Bake Shop

I had the immense pleasure of taking a day off work last Tuesday, which gave me the chance to wander around Paris on a weekday and check out a place I have wanted to try for a while now: Bob’s Bake Shop!

This American eatery is located in the new, eco-friendly Halle Pajol (which totally deserves its own blog post…I will eventually get around to it), giving it a very unique and natural feel. It has a definite North American diner look and the staff speak English and are all casually dressed in loose sweatshirts and beanies, reminding me of coffee shop staff in Vancouver or Seattle.

As soon as I walked inside, the smell of freshly ground coffee (from La Brûlerie de Belleville) drifted into my nostrils while my eyes were drawn to the glass display cases full of good old-fashioned pies, cheesecakes and brownies. I was hungry and craving a bagel so I looked up at the wide choice of homemade bagels and the list of possible ingredients to fill them with.

I was tempted by the Kalamata olive, feta, and grilled vegetable filling (7 Euros), because feta is the best thing ever!!!, but instead chose a classic smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel (8 Euros) from the list of delicious lacto-ovo-pesco vegetarian choices. I equally asked for a fresh mint infused lemonade (3,50 Euros) and a matcha and chocolate chunk cookie (2 Euros) from the pile that were strategically placed on a plate along the counter by the till (it is not possible to resist taking one). Then I sat down by the window at a little table whose color matched my mint lemonade and waited for my bagel to be brought over.

From my cozy corner I looked around as soft folk/pop songs like Angus and Julia Stone “Big Jet Plane” played over the noises of milk frothing and ceramic cups clinking from behind the counter. They have an impressive list of other lunch choices available such as salads, soups, tartines, fresh fruit juices and even chia pudding! I glanced outside at the rain and imagined how nice it will be in summer to come here and eat in the sun on one of their large wooden picnic tables. My random musings were interrupted by the arrival of my sesame seed bagel. I took a bite and Wow! It was seriously delicious and filled with a generous amount of cream cheese, smoked salmon, sliced tomatoes and pickled red onions. I hadn’t had a bagel sandwich like this in a long time and tried to eat it as elegantly as possible, but I ended up with cream cheese all over my cheeks and fingers (hopefully no one was watching me eat, as I’m sure it must have looked like something similar to the porridge scene in Beauty and the Beast)!

After sipping some refreshing lemonade I moved on to the green colored cookie and was very surprised by how light and crumbly it was, with large chunks of chocolate throughout and a mild taste of matcha. I was pretty full at this point but considered ordering a slice of pecan pie (4 Euros) before leaving. I hesitated for a moment and finally decided I would save that delight for next time…because I’ll definitely be coming back!

With a great selection of high quality North American baked goods, I definitely recommend Bob’s Bake Shop. It is bound to please health freaks, or people like me who once in a while feel bad about all of the baguette and fromage they constantly eat and want something a little more wholesome/less fattening! So make your way up to Marx Dormoy métro station in the 18th arrondissement and check out this bake shop as well as Halle Pajol, which has really rejuvenated this often overlooked neighborhood. I think I will be dropping by fairly often for my bagel fix from now on!

Restaurant Details:

12 esplanade Nathalie Sarraute, 75018 Paris

+33 (0)9 84 46 25 26

http://www.bobsjuicebar.com/bake-shop.html

My Rating:

5 irresistible cookies out of 5!

FYI: For info on Marc Grossman’s two other health food establishments in Paris, Bob’s Juice Bar or Bob’s Kitchen, please see: http://www.bobsjuicebar.com

February 9, 2015
by yourparisian Leave a comment

Fast Food, Fast Review: Persillé

As the French are real carnivores, there is no shortage of butcher shops in Paris, but up until now I have never come across one that also doubles as a casual dining/fast food joint! That is exactly what the two young men behind Persillé – Maison de Viande (translation: House of Meat) decided to do, and they do it well. I passed by this place a week ago on my way to the MK2 Bibliothèque movie theatre with my bf (where I go fairly often and am always saddened by the lack of places to eat nearby) and was immediately intrigued by their innovative concept.

At first glance it looks like a bright and modern butcher shop, with two large, well-stocked refrigerators (filled with various types of meat and poultry), but once you see the wooden tables and the menu posted on the wall behind the white tiled counter, you realize that there is more to this place than meets the eye. You are, of course, more than welcome to buy a piece of Charolais beef or some pork from Auvergne to take home and prepare as you like, but at Persillé there is also the option of having that same meat prepared for you with care by their chef, and served with a choice of sauces and sides. We decided to try one of their burgers, made from their freshly ground beef and cooked in their kitchen. We sat down at one of the tables by the window with a line full of cured sausages hanging above us.

The burgers came served on cute little metal trays with a generous pile of soft fries and their homemade (and totally delicious) tomato mayo spiced sauce. I chose the Persillé burger: a thick and tasty medium rare burger in a lightly toasted bun with a creamy parsley sauce, a slice of Emmental cheese and some salad greens. Super yum! My bf had the butcher burger with smoked pork belly, aged cheddar, lettuce, and a tomato and onion sauce. I managed to try one bite before he devoured it, and found it just as good as mine! The burger, fries and a drink specials range from 14-15 Euros each…not bad! They even have bottles (or glasses) of wine, which we ordered and enjoyed with a chocolate mousse (they have a selection of dreamy desserts for 2.70-3.50 Euros each).

I took a quick tour of the place before leaving, past a deer head mounted on the wall and down the stairs, to find an additional seating area as well as the kitchen, concealed behind plastic strip curtains (the kind you would find when entering a walk-in freezer). For those of you more interested in their product for sale, they have a great selection of pâtés, sausages, salami, and hams, as well as cuts of chicken, lamb, pork and beef. For me though, it’s all about their burgers!

So if you’re in the area and need to grab something quick to eat that doesn’t feel like fast food, then I would definitely recommend Persillé: a butcher shop unlike the rest! The guys are friendly and their burgers are pretty satisfying.

Oh! And in case you’re wondering what movie I saw, it was Foxcatcher, which I recommend by the way! Steve Carrell was completely transformed in his role as the creepy John du Pont and all three main actors gave really powerful performances! Check it out!

Restaurant Details:

66 Rue du Chevaleret, 75013 Paris

+33 (0)1 45 82 98 96

http://www.persille.fr/

My Rating:

4 tasty terrines out of 5

January 29, 2015
by yourparisian Leave a comment

Restaurant Review: BALLS

This hip restaurant has only been open for a little over a year but it sure has made a name for itself in Paris…and that name is BALLS! As the name states, it specializes in various types of meatballs (obviously that’s what first came to my mind… ;)) and it is very popular with the trendy Parisian crowd!

The restaurant itself is very pleasant with light wood tables (adorned with freshly cut white roses) and otherwise minimal decor, giving it a very natural and fresh feel.

The idea is simple: choose your balls (5 per dish), that come with either a herb and yogurt or tomato sauce (for 10 Euros), and add one of their side dishes (6 Euros) to accompany them. I sat down with my friend K on a Tuesday night and after a few minutes of giggling at the cocktails (9, 50 Euros), named white balls, black balls and Rosemary’s balls (ummm??), we carefully studied the food menu. One of the friendly owners, Jérémie, informed us that they were out of lamb balls and I was a little disappointed, as in my mind I had already chosen them. Luckily I found a suitable alternative in the pork, ricotta and spinach balls with their yogurt sauce and a side of creamy chard risotto. K took the beef, parsley and onion balls with tomato sauce and a lentil salad.

I LOVED the pork balls, which were extra moist and flavorful, and found the beef balls to be very good as well. I won’t describe them in any more detail; otherwise this will sound like a reading from the infamous SNL comedy sketch “Schweddy Balls”! The risotto was delicious and the lentil salad had a great mix of textures with the lentils, feta, grilled zucchinis, pomegranate seeds and walnuts combining harmoniously. A glass of wine (5 Euros) and a beer (6,50 Euros) completed the meal nicely. Just so you know, there are also some veggie balls made from chickpeas and eggplant on the menu for those of you who don’t eat meat!

I especially enjoyed the music selection, a mix of chill hip-hop and electro pop. I sat there licking the last bit of yogurt sauce off of my fork while Gorillaz – Meloncholy Hill played cheerfully in the background. Even though we were pretty full, we decided to share a dessert: poached pears with almond cream and sprinkled with something that looked and tasted like crushed spéculoos cookies (5 Euros). It was light and refreshing and was savored to the song Disclosure – You & Me.

At one moment a girl arrived at the table next to us that was occupied by two British guys and one of them blurted out “you’ve arrived just in time, our balls are on the table!” Clearly, I am not the only one who finds the name of this place super amusing! You should know that writing this review without including constant dirty jokes was kind of a challenge for me…but I think I controlled myself pretty well.

All jokes aside, the food here is really good and definitely lives up to the hype. You can equally come here for lunch where a portion of balls, a side dish and a soft drink is just 13, 50 Euros, and they even do take-out! So come on down to Rue Saint-Maur and give their balls a try!

Details:

47 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris

+33 (0)9 51 38 74 89

http://www.ballsrestaurant.com

My Rating:

5 juicy balls out of 5!

September 30, 2014
by yourparisian 1 Comment

Paris Restaurant Review: Buvette Gastrothèque Paris

I know! I haven’t written at all this month, not a great way to start out a new blog! In my defense however, my apartment was broken into (and yes, they took my only item of any monetary value: my computer) and then my sister came to Paris for a visit so I was literally unable to write a new blog post until now. Anyways, after that semi apologetic introduction here’s a little review about one of the places I took my sister to while she was here: Buvette Gastrothèque Paris, one of my current fave restaurants in the city of light.

La Buvette, still in the afternoon, before the dinner crowds arrive.

I usually go here in the evening when there is ALWAYS a line-up to get in and you have to wait for an hour or so to be seated, but as I had taken the week off work we decided to drop by for lunch at around 1 pm. It was a beautifully hot September day and I automatically asked the server if it was possible to eat outside. There were two little metal stools outside so we grabbed those, as well as a small wooden table, and the waiter balanced our water carafe on an empty silver ashtray stand, happy to help us out. Feeling very comfortable, surrounded by baskets of lemons and oranges, we began to look at the menu while enjoying the afternoon sun on our faces.

Space for a table for two

Interior of Buvette Gastrothèque Paris

I should mention quickly that Buvette Gastrothèque Paris is owned by Jody Williams, an American who first opened Buvette Gastrothèque in New York and then decided to do the same thing in Paris. So if you can’t make it to Paris but are closer to New York, then you should check it out, apparently the dishes are similar to the ones in Paris. Her venture worked out as she now has fashionable Parisians lining up every night to try some of her mouth watering dishes, sip on one of her creative (but pricey) cocktails, or pick a bottle of wine from the extensive wine list.

Lunch menu

Back to lunch! So, we each ordered a slightly sparkling lemonade and chose three dishes to share: white asparagus with homemade aioli and an egg mimosa-like mixture (7 Euros), black olive tapenade and a generous helping of ratatouille piled onto chunks of bread (5 Euros), and thinly sliced roast lamb mixed with white beans, a tasty vinaigrette and garnished with several Kalamata olives (10 euros). Everything arrived on a large silver tray and was a feast for the eyes. A light but delicious lunch! I should mention that the dinner menu is larger than the lunch menu and I have previously tried such wonders as the mini hachis parmentier and a grated carrot, cilantro and pistachio salad mixed with a light vinaigrette. Obviously you’ll probably want to order more than we did, but remember that here they favor quality over quantity! All the dishes I have tried are bursting with flavor in every bite. As we weren’t completely full, we ordered a tarte tatin (7 Euros), the caramelized apple upside down tart that was displayed on the long marble counter inside. The apples had that lovely rich caramel taste which was nicely toned down with a scoop of sour cream. Another great culinary experience at Buvette!

Lemonade and lemons!

Our delicious and light lunch

Dreamy tarte tatin

Afterwards, we wandered through the trendy SoPi (South of Pigalle) neighborhood, and thought how nice it would be if we could do this more often. I’ll have to patiently await my sister’s next visit but luckily I can find this amazing food whenever I want, as Buvette Gastrothèque is open 7 days a week from 8:30 am until midnight!

Restaurant Details:

28 rue Henri Monnier, 75009, Paris, France

+331 44 63 41 71

http://www.paris.ilovebuvette.com

My Rating:

5 little plates of deliciousness out of 5!

From your Parisian

Sharing my newest discoveries as I float through the streets of Paris. Restaurants, bars, events, all reviewed for you with love, from your Parisian.

Tag Archives: foodies

Fast food, Fast Review: Miznon

Fast Food, Fast Review: Bob’s Bake Shop

Fast Food, Fast Review: Persillé

Restaurant Review: BALLS

Paris Restaurant Review: Buvette Gastrothèque Paris