We had a nice little nap after our lunch at Ippudo. Also, we had dinner reservations in the 7th and of course the Missus would want to walk there and back, so we'd be putting in a few miles on this day....I wanted to get in a bit of rest.
I knew that our walk to Arnaud Nicolas was going to be about 3 miles each way and we had reservations for right when they opened at 7pm. So we headed out at around 530 to give us some time to window shop, dawdle, and make stops to check things out.
Sunset was after 9pm in Paris, so it still looked like a bright and sunny Saturday. Look how busy it was along the Seine.
We actually took a longer route because the Missus wanted to see how things were coming along at Notre Dame.
Things were much more calm in the 7th......
We got to Arnaud Nicolas right at opening time. Arnaud Nicolas had sort of become a tradition for us since we first ate here at the end of 2017. We made it a point to try and revisit whenever we could. We had reservations for our last night in Paris back at the end of 2019, but due to getting stranded by the transit strike we never made it. So we were looking forward to this meal. Once seated we noticed a couple of things.....the staff, though still friendly were not quite up to snuff....our Server was so nice, but really couldn't tell us about the wine or even the dishes...I'm guessing Covid staff shortages and such. The place also filled up quite quickly, which is not the norm in Paris where folks eat a bit later.....after a few moments it became quite clear, all the customers were either Ex-pats or tourists.
Listening in to what folks ordered was interesting as no one ordered any charcuterie; which to us is what Arnaud Nicolas winner of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) at the young age of 24 was known for. And soon, again probably due to Covid staffing, the three staff were pretty much in the weeds.
As for us......this is what we got...
The Asperges Vertes - green asparagus dish was fine.
The asparagus, in season during our visit was sweet and tender, the egg yolk added a creamy-richness, though the popcorn seemed a weird addition; perhaps it was added for texture, but it really didn't seem to belong in this dish.
Of course the Foie Gras Mi-Cuit was delicious.
Perfectly textured, with a wonderful balance of offal-sweet tones, it's one of my favorites versions.
Sadly, another favorite of mine, the Pate en Croute of pork and foie gras really fell short. In the past, it was the crisp, light pastry that really made this a favorite of mine. This time it was really hard and chewy....it was even difficult to cut! It was also very cold, which detracted from the flavors as well.
The Fromage de Tete - head cheese also wasn't quite the same as before as it lacked the complex combination of flavors from the different porky pig head parts.....it was strangely on the bland side. We were happy to have the nice and punchy Sauce Gribiche on hand.
The Missus had always enjoyed the Rum Baba here and I was relieved that She still liked it.
While I had a Calvados as my digestif.
Overall, we were a bit disappointed with this meal....perhaps we had expected too much...perhaps Covid had really affected supplies.....we did give the place a pass on the service because of it.
Perhaps next time we'll just order takeout from the deli and have a foie gras picnic.
Arnaud Nicolas
46 Avenue de la Bourdonnais
75007 Paris, France
After dinner, the Missus wanted to see one of Her favorite views of the Eiffel Tower, so we headed across the Seine to the area around Trocadero.
Where She snapped a ton of photos.
I noticed how peaceful things looked along the Seine so we went down the stairs and walked along the river; where we came across something wonderful.
A group of folks had gathered both on the sidewalk above and along the river.
There was a sign was set-up, candles, photographers, a violinist! Music was playing! All with a view of the Eiffel Tower!
A nervous looking gentleman in a suit paced back and forth......it looks like a marriage proposal was going to happen.
As time passed more people gathered...all here to watch the spectacle. All strangers sharing in a special moment.
We figured that the proposal was to go down when the when the lights of the Eiffel Tower were sparkling!
How romantic!
That time came and went.....it seems the bride to be was a bit late.
Regardless, a few minutes later, a young lady appeared on the walkway and covered her mouth in surprise as she saw the sign.......we all cheered at her arrival. The Missus has an actual video of this, but it was kind of on the dark side, so I didn't include it.
The music played, the crowd cheered, and I'm fairly certain she said "yes".
We were thrilled to have seen this.......
The Missus and I kept smiling during our walk back to the apartment.
Romance is indeed alive in the "City of Lights". Wouldn't you agree?
hopefully the next time you eat there it won’t disappoint but what a warm & fuzzy moment you got to experience!
Posted by: kat | Saturday, 21 May 2022 at 05:27 PM
That was so wonderful Kat!
Posted by: Kirk | Saturday, 21 May 2022 at 05:29 PM