PlanetEye

I had pretty much despaired of finding edible, let alone good, pizza in Paris. I'd accepted that there would just be a pizza-shaped hole in my life while I'm here, which could possibly be filled with other things, like croissants. But then my friend suggested meeting for dinner at Maria Luisa just behind the Canal St Martin in the 10th. I could tell from the smell as I walked into the wedge shaped room that my search was over. 

We waited about twenty minutes at the miniscule 'bar',  watching the friendly staff prepare pizzas in the electric oven and assessing the crowd - pretty cool, but not above relishing the thin-crusted Neapolitan style pies. We were finally seated under the heat lamps in the cozy terrace. There are other things on the menu besides the pizza, but honestly, why bother? You know why you're here.

I ordered a 'scamorza' with mozzarella, smoked mozzarella and zucchini, and my friend's pie had black olives, ham, and artichoke hearts.  For dessert, a basil and lime sorbet with fresh strawberries for me, and espresso over coffee ice cream for my friend. This feast, together with a carafe of wine, set us back about 50 euros total. 

Maria Luisa,

2 rue Marie et Louise,

75010 Paris, 

01 44 84 04 01. 

If you can't get what you want, you'd better want what you get. That's the situation at the restaurant Bistroy.....Les Papilles next to the Luxembourg Gardens, which serves just one menu each day. Except there's no chance that you would NOT want food that's this good.

Bistroy.....Les Papilles was opened in 2003 by pastry chef and professional rugby fan Bertrand Bluy. The long narrow room is painted in warm primary colors and decorated with framed sports news clippings. Wine bottles arranged by region and local gourmet products for sale line one wall, opposite the bar.  You select the wine to accompany your dinner from the bottles on the wall. 

When my friend and I arrived, without reservations, at 7:30 on a recent weeknight, the restaurant was empty and we were seated right away without a reservation. I had called for a reservation earlier in the day and was told that there was nothing available, but we decided to try anyway.

Once we were seated, M. Bluy came to our table and explained the day's menu, which was to be prepared by chef Ulric "Tom' Claude in the tiny kitchen. The quality of Chef Claude's cooking has clearly improved since his first attempts at age eight a banana-guava-cream cake that he made which was fed to the family dog.

If only that poor dog could seen his former owner now.  Our meal started with a green bean soup garnished with bacon, radishes and creme fraiche and served in an individual tureen. This was followed by grilled chicken with penne in a pistou cream sauce and sun-dried tomatoes, brought to the table in a small copper roasting pot from which we served ourselves. Only shame kept me from eating this sauce with a spoon like soup. After the cheese course came the most wonderful dessert - baked apple topped with mascarpone cheese, gingerbread croutons and toasted, salted peanuts and pistachios. And then, when we thought there was no food left in Paris that could possibly interest us, our waiter brought a tiny dish of candied walnuts dusted with cocoa.  

It may be difficult for some people to embrace the idea of the single menu (no choice!), but what this really means is that someone has already done the work for you - selected the freshest, seasonal ingredients and carefully considered how to use them to create a meal in which each course interacts with the others. All you have to do is show up. The single menu concept seems to also contribute to the relaxed but lively atmosphere. There's no stress for diners or waitstaff over menu selections. 

Les papilles is French for tastebuds. You and yours will be happy here.

http://www.lespapillesparis.fr/EN_presentation_bistroy.html