La Rotisserie du Beaujolais

I have a new favorite restaurant in Paris. True, I have yet to have a bad meal in Paris whether it has been at the Brasserie down the street, a cafe around the corner, the famous Cafe Marly across from the Louvre, or the little Chinese traiteurs that sprinkle the city with cheap Chinese food to go.

This past Sunday, me and three of my friends (and one husband!) met up at the famous Shakespeare and Co. bookstore to hear David Simon, the creator of The Wire and Treme as well as other famous shows, speak. I am a big fan of The Wire and have just started watching Treme (one of the main characters is a woman chef who I think looks a lot like Helene Darroze, so with New Orleans and the music and the female chef, I am drawn into the show), so I was pumped to go see David Simon.

Coincidentally, there was also a video of him speaking in 2008 that a Facebook-friend posted last week and I had watched. So, I was all in David Simon mode.

(Shakespeare and Co is too small for everyone to fit inside, so we had to stand outside and listen to the speakers)

Afterwards, we went to dinner. Except for the past two days (Monday and Tuesday) it has been non-stop raining and cold in Paris this past week. So, we were ready for a dinner that was warm and comforting. One of my friends has been talking nearly incessantly about one of her favorite restaurants, La Rotisserie du Beaujolais, so we all agreed it was time for the rest of us to go.

Now, I know why. You walk in to the restaurant out of the cold, windy weather and are immediately comforted by the warm rotisserie in the back and the open kitchen. We all ordered half a chicken which comes with mashed potatoes that are just perfect- most likely in Joel Robuchon style (aka 1:1 ratio of potato and butter). I also ordered the Terrine du Chef (I have become a big terrine fan- and will recommend it to anyone traveling through France to order) as an appetizer while others ordered creamed leeks or the escargot. Everyone was beyond impressed. The accompanying wine also turned out to be delicious.

During the course of the meal, as four culinary students dining in front of an open kitchen, we were constantly drawn to what was going on in that kitchen. We were even comparing the burns we noticed on the chefs hands and arms to our own!

Finally, the husband and only non-culinary student, almost in exasperation of our constant kitchen and chef chatter asked the waiter if we, culinary students could all go into the kitchen and take a picture with the chef. They said of course!

(the waiter also jumped in though we couldn't get him to look at the camera! Our smiles are so big because instead of saying "Cheese!" we say "Oui, Chef!")

So, with the combination of the amazing service, the great food, and the cozy atmosphere, I am sold on La Rotisserie du Beaujolais. If you find yourself in Paris, especially in the winter, I am telling you now- you must go!

http://www.larotisseriedubeaujolais.com/

http://www.zagat.com/r/rotisserie-du-beaujolais-la-paris-france