Why the French Don't Suck
Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations Paris premiere (with me!) re-airs tonight at 10PM ET/PT - 9PM CT/MT on the Travel Channel.
I revisited Chez Denise - one of our locations - last week. My friend Andrea - one of my great friends who took me in while I was apartment-less earlier this year - had just returned from her summer vacation at home in Mexico and this was to celebrate her rentree (return).
By the time she unpacked and was ready for dinner, it was pretty late. There aren't a lot of great places for a late-night dinner in Paris but Chez Denise makes up for them all. They're open 24 hours a day on weekdays - which goes back to their history as a true Les Halles bistro - when the heart of the neighborhood was the wholesale food market for the city.
They still host local butchers for breakfast around 7AM - and have packed houses lunch and dinner - but my favourite time to go is late at the night - when the Metro's closed and decent people sleep.
The kitchen's open around the clock but overnight most of the dishes will be gone - only faint traces left where the waiter's slid his finger across the blackboard menu. Most of the nocturnal crowd opts for bottles of Brouilly - filled from the barrel at the front bar - and plates of charcuterie - assorted salty red slices flecked with bright white fat.
Me - I like the cote de boeuf for two. Cote de boeuf literally translates as side of beef - but it's not quite that - it's a bone-in rib-eye steak for two. It does look like a Fred Flintsone chop on the grill - they start it whole but then finish it halved - the smaller portion getting the meaty bone. They're plated with marrow bones and served with a platter of fries - and a small pot of mustard and wooden bowl of coarse grey sea salt.
A la Tour de Montlhery (Chez Denise)
5 rue Prouvaires
75001 Paris
01 42 36 21 82
Hi Louisa,
Lucky you! Those steaks along with the marrow look quite delicious! I recently purchased a copy of Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook and I think I remember seeing a recipe for cote de boeuf. If it's there, I'll have to try it sometime (along with his fries recipe). Happy eating!
Posted by: Quinn | 29 August 2005 at 12:57
ohh awesome picture, so salivating. is the marrow just for show?
Posted by: daniel | 29 August 2005 at 13:39
Quinn - you're right - I just looked it up - Tony's recipe's on pages 134-135. Please note that his Equipment for this recipe includes a "novelty apron or vintage Ted Nugent T-shirt". And the fries - FOUR pages (!) starting on page 236. I am such a fry junkie - and damn those are good-looking fries.
Daniel - what kind of show would that be? Whatever it is I want in! ;) The marrow was the first thing I ate - scooped out, bit-by-fatty-bit, each morsel balanced on a crispy fry, sprinkled with salt - I kid you not.
Posted by: Louisa | 29 August 2005 at 15:10
What a gorgeous hunk of meat and potatoes! And marrow, to boot! Sounds like a cook's ideal post-shift meal. I especially like the idea of bottles of Brouilly poured straight from the barrel! Vive la France!
Posted by: Brett | 29 August 2005 at 18:20
Louisa, have you seen yourself yet on No Reservations?? Howzit? Did you upstage Anthony??
Posted by: susan | 29 August 2005 at 22:02
My goodness that looks delicious. Would you mind posting a link to a high resolution version of the cote de boeuf?
Posted by: Michael | 30 August 2005 at 00:28
Hi Louisa,
Wow, that's truly drool-worthy. How did you order it? Au point?
Posted by: Roger O | 30 August 2005 at 13:31
Wow, talk about food porn. When can I next visit Paris...
Posted by: Easy Eats | 30 August 2005 at 20:36
Brett - for me, this is an ideal cook's end-of-the-week meal. At the end of a shift I just want to sleep - or drink!
Susan - I have not seen it yet! But I should be getting it any day now!
Michael - you click the photo to enlarge - as you can with any pix on the blog. Not quite life size - but pretty damn close. What are you going to do - print it out for a poster? ;)
Roger O - I did order it "a point" - and that's just the way it came.
Easy Eats - anytime, anytime.
Posted by: Louisa | 31 August 2005 at 07:59
Hey! I'm putting you down for my blogday post! Just So you'll know!
Posted by: Jerrick | 31 August 2005 at 09:59
Oh yes!
Posted by: adrian | 31 August 2005 at 22:10
Even the smaller portion of the cote de boeuf for two, looks like a good 25+ounces. You couldn't have possibly finished your steak(only a guess)? In Canada, we call a bone-in rib-eye steak, a rib steak. Montreal is one of the few major cities in North America, where rib steak is supreme(most popular cut). That specific cote de boeuf for two you had, I'm not sure I've seen it in Montreal.
Posted by: Steve | 02 September 2005 at 01:08
One word: YUM! : )
Posted by: farmgirl | 04 September 2005 at 17:30
Louisa:
I love Chez Denise, but it sure it a lot of food (...and Brouilly). It's one of the last authentic restaurants of that type in Paris and your post is prompting a re-visit.
And yes, it's much more fun to go late at night when the place is in full-swing.
Posted by: David | 06 September 2005 at 01:55
Jerrick - thanks so much for listing me - and happy belated Blog Day!
Adrian - ouais...
Steve - you are so right - I couldn't possibly have finished mine. I took the rest home - yes, doggie bags are possible in Paris. I made fried rice and topped it with thin cold slices the next day - for the next few days actually.
farmgirl - or as the French say "miam"!
David - I can't wait to see your blog post on your re-visit!
Posted by: Louisa | 09 September 2005 at 12:19
What a gorgeous cut of meat, and a great looking meal - late night or otherwise. There truly is nothing comprable, in my mind, than a perfectly cooked steak and a mound of crispy fries.
Posted by: tara | 13 September 2005 at 15:05
Tara - the thing that makes it even better is that it's meant for two. :)
Posted by: Louisa | 21 September 2005 at 20:36
Do you know the name and address of the bakery that was fetured on "Why the French Don't Suck"? I believe it was owned and operated by 2 brothers.... Thanks!
Posted by: Sonja | 04 October 2005 at 13:03
Where can I find a list of places seen in No Reservations Paris
Posted by: Martin Werner | 04 October 2005 at 13:49
Sonia - here's the info for the bakery:
Pascal Pinaud
70 rue Monge
75005 Paris
01 43 31 40 66
And yes, Pascal bakes in back and his brother, Jean-Marc, runs the front - they are a hiliarious team!
Martin - here's the link to the list:
http://www.movable-feast.com/2005/07/ab_nr_guide.html
Posted by: Louisa | 04 October 2005 at 16:06