If you didn't already know, you might surmise by this neon sign that brasseries have some connection with breweries. But they are also well known for their food in an upscale yet casual environment. While you may or may not find linens on the table in a bistro, you will always find them in a brasserie, and if Balzar is typical, the waiters will also be wearing linens in the form of freshly starched, white, ankle length aprons. Over the years there has also been a classic dress code for the waiters, a white, long sleeved shirt, black trousers, black vest and when I first started dining there, every waiter to the man wore a handle bar moustache.
Most recently, that honor seems to have been reserved for the maitre d'. But moustache or not, our waiter was wonderful. That's him blurred in the first photo, because he never stood still. What better way to start a wonderful meal than with French bread, literally. It was rustic, sweet and had great texture. It was great all on its own, and good thing, because that's exactly how it was served.
How can you pass on French onion soup, especially in France? The best answer for that is that you can't, and why should you? This classic of French cuisine is a must try menu item and Balzar is a good place to do that. It's murky beef and onion infused broth is a treat, but the caramelized onions themselves, the melted gruyere, and the crouton are the treasures. It would make a satisfying lunch all by itself, but makes an even better first course, especially when paired with a steak.
I may have hit the jackpot when ordering the smoked salmon with blinis. I was thinking that 12 euro seemed a bit steep for a small first course, but we were celebrating, so I went ahead with the order. There was more salmon on the plate then I could ever hope to finish at one sitting and I'm still trying to determine the best way to find bagels in Paris on our next trip, because I fully intend to order it again and the next time I want bagels and cream cheese for the leftovers. The blini and creme fraiche proved to be a nice combination with the salmon, but I will still want bagels.
The steak in green peppercorn sauce was executed as one might expect, cooked as ordered, enveloped in a velvety sauce, sprinkled with green peppercorns. What better to go with steak than potatoes and besides French fries, what could be more French than au gratin potatoes? Like everything else at this meal, the potatoes were up to snuff and none were left on the plate, even though it was a very generous portion. This main course could make a strictly steak and potatoes man very comfortable eating "foreign food".
Someone had to order the duck breast, and that person would be me. The duck was tender, the fat rendered beautifully allowing for a moist piece of poultry to be bathed in the sauce. The baked tomato with pistou was a nice little side, but finally, there was a misstep in the kitchen of Brasserie Balzar; the whipped squash that accompanied the duck had little flavor, although it did provide a nice color contrast on the plate. If it were merely a garnish I could overlook it, but this was the main vegetable on the plate. It really needed salt and butter could have made a favorable difference as well.
When we were originally seated, the dessert tray was at eye level, and I had an interest in trying the fig tart, but by the time we had finished dinner I was too full to even think about dessert. My two dinner companions ended up splitting the French pastry cream filled napoleon. We were still discussing the couple who stiffed the waiter his tip and decided to be generous with our tip to help compensate for his loss. He was very gracious and when our nephew put his hand into his pocket and pulled out another five euro, our waiter clasped his face with both hands and kissed him on his forehead! We'll be talking about this dinner for many years to come.
| 49 Rue de Ecoles Paris 75005 +33 (0) 1 43 54 13 67 8:00am to 11:45pm daily |
No comments:
Post a Comment