Aux Produits du Sud-Ouest

 

An unassuming storefront is what you find when you go to this restaurant just north of Rue Cler, the Rick Steves recommended neighborhood shopping street in Paris, that is now teeming with American tourists almost year round. When we go abroad, we always ask hotel personnel where they like to go to dinner with friends. This is a sure way to find an off the beaten track, authentic, and inexpensive restaurant. Aux Produits du Sud-Ouest was one such recommendation from the clerk at Le 300, a short term apartment complex in the Marais. She didn’t think we’d like having to walk through a store selling foie gras to get to the dining area, but we assured her it would not be a problem. The store itself sells all products originating from the Perigord  area of France, and that in itself is a reason to come here. The atmosphere is casual and you will not hear much other than French being spoken by other diners.

We had been eating so much rich food that I found myself craving vegetables and this corn salad with vinaigrette was just the thing. It would not occur to me to put these ingredients together in a salad, so it was not only refreshing in taste, but also refreshing in the flavor combination. I admit to not having tried it at home, but easily could since it was a decent start to a meal. The most interesting thing was that I had actually ordered Crudites, and this salad was not what I expected to be served as “raw vegetables”.

My partner in crime, yes, it was so cheap we felt like thieves, was very happy with his salad. It was composed of the usual suspects: lettuce, tomato and cucumber. On top of that was a heavy layer of fried potatoes, and the piece de resistance, cooked Toulouse sausage, all for under 10 euro. There you have it, a complete meal of protein, fat, starch and leafy greens. It was so filling he opted out of dessert.

My salad was decidedly heavy on the protein/fat combination with 7 thick slices of sausage, including blood sausage, rabbit sausage, duck liver pate, and a cooked pork sausage. They were served with what appeared to be a salad garnish. All were delicious, but if I could complain, I’d say there was too much served for one person. The sausage and pate had to be eaten with bread to cut the richness. Two blood sausage slices were overkill and although I like to try it when I can, I had to leave one on the plate because I prefer when they are loaded with spices. We are looking forward to a return visit to this little slice of the South-West in Paris, especially if the fowl ban has been lifted and we can take some foie gras home with us. Foul ban indeed. I lost $200 worth of foie gras and goose fat when U.S. Customs changed the rules in the middle of our trip to the Dordogne because of the Bird Flu! When I arrived home I saw all the products that had been banned for sale over the Internet, provided you wanted to pay four to five times as much as you would pay in France. I asked the customs agent if he was aware that the bird flu could not be transmitted directly from a sick bird to a person and his response was “Yes.” No comfort there.

Update: As much as I hate to be the killjoy, it must be reported that this restaurant has lost it's lease and is no longer at the Rue Saint Dominique location. In October of 2012 I was on my way there for lunch and was confronted with a Starbuck's. I may never drink coffee again. I'm hoping to do some research and discover that the restaurant merely relocated.

86 Rue Saint Dominique 75007 Paris, France +33 1 45 56 04 31 ‎