The Sunday Lunch Blues

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The Sunday Lunch Blues
For at least 20 years, Colette and I have preferred to eat our “big meal” out and at lunch time and indulge in a light meal of cheese, salad, etc at night.  The only trou in this schedule, however, is Sunday, when, except for brasseries in Paris and auberges in the countryside, most chefs and staffs take Sunday off. But like our late, departed dog, Gnomie, we are ever hopeful. In the early days we frequented places like Bofinger, l’Ardoise and La Cagouille; then moved onto the Bistrot du Dome, La Lorraine and Equitable; but now we’re seeking new horizons.  Most recently we’ve tried Que Du Bon, the Bistrot de Breteuil (where the entire meal, plus wine, plus coffee, plus water is 34 Euros), Floors (which has a zillion kinds of hamburger and catsup, but little else of note) and Vintage*. Vintage may well be the one that ends the Sunday lunch blues.  Located in the former Love Connection Café space, Vintage is another “natural” wine bars plus, meaning they serve what Richard Hesse calls “serious food.”  The décor is straight out of l’Amerique profound: college banners, movie stars’ photos and edgy furniture; the music Sinatra et Co; and the equipe terribly chatty and friendly. I ordered two starters since the main I had my eyes on (beef cheeks) was no more.  But I was very happy with the cassolette of pleurotes sauteed in butter, oil, garlic, parsley, shallots and chives and my foie gras entire, raw in the middle, toasted on the outside with a Balsamic vinegar sauce.  Meanwhile Colette had a duck breast on a pile of pureed carrots that she judged too tough but I thought was OK.  We ended sharing two slices of chocolate with a crème anglaise that were terrific.  With a natural wine, good warmed bread, coffee and one calva the bill was 64.50 €. The one downside is that while they are open 7/7, they only get fish delivery Mondays-Fridays which means on this particular Sunday, they only had sliced salmon in the fish department. * Our last meal here was March 16th, fully paid for.  My favorite this week is: Vintage 46, rue d’Argout, 2nd, (Metro: Sentier) T: 01.40.26.57.54 Open 7/7 Lunch menu weekdays at 15 €, a la carte 25-30 €.    ©2008 John A. Talbott
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