Simple Good Honest Food

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Simple Good Honest Food
Simple good honest food, isn’t this what we’re always looking for, no more, no less.  Oh sure, we all like to do the occasional Gagnaire, Ducasse, Robuchon, etc., number, but day in and day out, we’re looking for simple good honest food. I was reminded of this while eating at M Comme Martine, a pretty ordinary gastro-bistro in the 17th that opened at the beginning of the year and has been moderately well-reviewed and I kept meaning to go to, but never seemed to have the time.  But today, a Saturday, I did, and I don’t regret it one bit (Je ne regrette rien! I suppose.) It’s unprepossessing, nice décor, well-renovated, menu like that of a thousand other places, warm welcoming front room staff and three chefs/plongeurs in the back.  As I said, the menu has nothing startling, it’s all pretty commonplace: Starters of stuff like a tartare, terrine, salad, etc. Mains, in terms of fish, like tuna and bar and meat like duck, beef and leg of lamb. And desserts such as crème caramel, vacherin and clafoutis. Ho hum, right?  Well, yes and no.  Because this is an example of a place where a banal menu can be over-ridden by a warm welcome, fine staff, good product, excellent execution and proper presentation.  Was I amazed, dazzled, surprised – No!  Was I happy, satisfied and tummy-pleased – Yes! Now, you say, consistency can be had at Quick or the Flo brasseries, but do you always really want that food on cook’s night out?  Consistency – it’s an issue of some import on the other web-site I contribute to, the eGullet Society’s France Forum, where inconsistency leads folks to go to a place where someone had one great meal, only to fall flat.  And are they teed off. Slight diversion; as an adolescent I played tennis, but as with much I do, I was consistently inconsistent – occasionally great, mostly OK and often distressingly bad.  But I had imposed on me for doubles play one year, a woman (girl we said in those days,) who was as reliable as clockwork and while I thought she was plodding in tennis (she was pretty hot at parties, though,) she saved my bacon more than once when I attempted some dazzling but stupid move.  So I’m a great fan of reliability, consistency and standard fare. In any case, it’s places like M Comme Martine where I had a simple tartare of tuna, rolatine of veal and tiramisu, that I truly appreciate good, honest food.  Of course there are other places in town, like Ze Kitchen Galerie, Spring and Le Repaire de Cartouche, where the chow is not only good but reliably good and where one goes back time and time again because one can count on it. We should cherish these places and this standard. So my recommendations this week are:  M Comme Martine 33, rue Cardinet, 17th (Metro:Wagram) T:01.43.80.63.60 Closed Sundays and Monday dinner Menu (lunch and dinner) 30 €.  Ze Kitchen Galerie 4, rue des Grands Augustins, 6th (Metro: Saint Michel) T: 01 44 32 00 32 Closed Sundays. A la carte 30 €.  Spring 28, rue de la Tour d’Auvergne, 9th, (Metro: St Georges or Pigalle) T: 01.45.96.05.72 Open Tuesday-Friday for dinner with one seating at 8:30-9 PM   Lunch Thursday and Friday at around 1 PM, seating is very limited (8-10)  Cooking classes and private parties on Saturday afternoons and evenings. Menu du jour 36 € Le Repaire de Cartouche 8 blvd des Filles du Calvaire, 11th (Metro : Filles du Calvaire) T : 01.47.00.25.86 Closed Sundays and Mondays Lunch menus 13 & 24 €, a la carte 35-45  €.  ©2007 John A. Talbott  
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