Another day off, another long walk

It was sunny today again, although thankfully a few degrees warmer than yesterday. Not warm, mind you, just warm-ER.

Original plan for the day was to connect up with Kimon again for dinner, so I spent a while online this AM researching Chowhound, eGullet, Frommers, Fodors, and the NY Times to see what's shakin' in the reasonable-but-delicious dining world of Paris. In the time before I met Kimon, I thought I'd grab a quick Jambon et Fromage (ham and cheese) crêpe and check out one of the restaurants on my list, an old bistro on the Ile de la Cite, next to Notre Dame...appropriately enough called Le Vieux Bistro.

Looks charming enough, has good reviews - will probably have to hit it for lunch one day. 20Euro for their lunch prix fixe sounds just reasonable enough.

On from there, I fought my way through the hoards of tourists that seem to have descended on this town to find a little chocolate shop (very near the school, actually) that one clearly-in-the-know Chowhounder described as making a hot chocolate that was so good, it made Angelina's seem like a mix (and most people regard Angelina's as having one of the best if not the best hot chocolate in Paris). This I had to see. He said that the old lady who works there makes each one by hand and the loving care is transformed into magic in a cup.

I did find this Steiger Salon de Thé (tea room) and went in.
I saw the old lady with the magic chocolate spirit.
I ordered my chocolat chaud...

Mais non! C'est impossible! What a tragedy! She apologized, but said that they couldn't make the hot chocolate on weekends. I suppose that my deep emptiness and sadness must have shown on my face, because she insisted that I take a a little dark chocolate noisette (hazelnut) truffle as a souvenir. Holding my chin up high and putting on my best McArthur stance, I assured her that I would return. Monday, most likely. Classmates in tow.

So droopy-headed, I walked from Steiger and decided to stop by Angelina for a substitute chocolat chaud. I could compare the two, I told myself. I walked down to Rue Rivoli, then fought my way down several blocks past all of the money changers, t-shirt vendors, and postcard shops lining the arcade that sits across from the Louvre and the beautiful Tuileries Gardens. Unfortunately, I was bound to be foiled by the masses of tourists yet again...the line for Angelina's was well outside the door.

Dejected, depressed, and with a sad and lonely pang in my stomach plaintively begging me for a decent chocolat chaud, I had to hang my head and just walk home. I think we'll have to submit this to that collection of "Problems of the Rich" (gee, I was so ready for a $10 hot chocolate, but the line was out the door and I had to deny myself what I wanted just when I wanted it. The tragedy!).

Once I got home, I figured that I would IM a little with the divine Ms. K and identify a good, affordable dinner option to which I could walk. I considered a couple in the 11th arrondissement and Katy suggested one in the 9th, but after reading the reviews on her suggestion, it sounded too touristy for my taste, so I went with the Pudlo Guide that she gave me and chose a duck-centric restaurant called Domaine de Lintillac at 10 re Saint Augustin. I figured that if I got there early, I'd have no problem getting in - and indeed I was one of the first into the restaurant.

This restaurant (they have 3 in Paris) was somewhat interesting. The owners make their own wine, foie gras, and confit and sell it all as packaged goods, in addition to operating the restaurants. I decided to try their goose foie gras terrine as an appetizer, with a small glass of Monbazillac (a sweet dessert wine, like Sauternes). Tasty, but maybe not head-of-the-class good. I followed this with their signature house dish, their Cassoulet (it was damned cold outside, after all), made with their own, homemade black duck sausage and their own duck confit. Served in a hot terrine, I think I may have cauterized a few taste buds on that one.

Net net, I got out of there for under 30Euros and enjoyed pretty much everything. Now that I have my list of restaurants, I'll have to do some experimenting before Katy gets here so that I can make sure she only gets the best of Paree!