Well, Laura and I started our one-nice-dinner-a-month quest last night. Both of us are interested in checking out funky new restaurants and eat nicer than a 3 euro crêpe ever now and then. Since our income and budgets don't really allow for us to fine dine all the time, we decided for out last 5 or 6 months here, we will pick one place we want to go a month and 3 course our way into a large l'addition.
Last night we went to Chez Benoît, an obscure restaurant in the 4th between Hôtel de Ville and Châtelet. The restaurant was small in appearance, but we noticed there was another back room and a private party room upstairs for all your dining needs. Deep red booths and typical brasserie style chairs were accompanied by white tablecloths and sparkling crystal. Newspapers were hanging from the racks behind each table so at lunchtime businessmen could catch up on the latest stocks and worldly news.
Our table was right near the door so we were able to see all the action. The menu's were large wooden frames with an almost cartoonish drawing of a French chef and his kitchen accompaniments. The first thing that was brought out was a small peppery cheese puff which could have very well been my favorite thing of the night. It had the flavor of a southern cheese straw, but the pastry and butteriness of a French delicacy. We placed our orders, waited for the sommelier to pour the wine and got down to business.
I had smoked salmon with potatoes covered in a buttery, rich béarnaise sauce with fresh herbs and spring onions. Laura ordered perfectly golden scallops with black truffle. My salmon was so incredibly delicious, and not fishy at all. It was easily some of the best salmon I've ever had. After topping off our half bottle of wine from the Rhône river valley we chimed in with dessert. I of course, am a sucker for a tarte tatin and Laura went with a solid choice of profiteroles.
The best part about my dessert? The ice cream that came with it...or perhaps the über fresh crème fraîche that was plopped on the side. The ice cream was caramel with soft chunks of apple, crispy bits of crust, and brown sugar drowning in its goodness. The waiter came by with what resembled an ice bucket, but instead he asked me if I would like crème fraîche with my tarte tatin. (Who would ever say no to homemade crème fraîche?)
Laura's profiteroles came with a small bowl of perfectly smooth, rich, and creamy melted chocolate. The cream on the inside of the profiteroles was fresh, and made with real bits of vanilla unlike the ones you find some places where they have been sitting out for days. After she finished her profiteroles she wanted to continue to dip her spoon in her chocolate to finish it off but considering the dining circumstances....she had excellent willpower and the waiter whisked it away before she could think twice.
Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the meal was the hazelnut petit four we received with our check. It was a dense, moist small cake with a sugared hazelnut plopped on top. And we figured out that the longer we sat there, the more little cakes they would bring us and the hazelnut was followed by a homemade Madeleine. We enjoyed our Madeleine while talking to an older couple sitting beside us. They were from Greenville, South Carolina and have visited France several times. They were so republican I couldn't hardly stand it...and I forgot how old southerners can be. My favorite question of the night, "So, what's it like to work for the French?" like they are some sort of alien species.
Unfortunately, I left without any photos....I just couldn't help myself from putting another target on my back, but next time, next month, I will definitely be keeping you all photo-updated.
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