Superb!!!
We first…read moreheard of La Villaret from Paris By Mouth, and we are sure glad we did.
We made a reservation for the evening of the Metro strike. Traffic throughout Paris was a nightmare! So I called to let them know we would be late, "no problem, we will wait for you" was the response, putting us at ease.
As we were seated the first thing I noticed was a plate of pata negra, that lovely black footed Iberico ham from Spain, sliced perfectly thin. They also had ceps that evening, the French porcini, simply pan roasted with herbs, shallots and a nice jus. For plats, my wife had the skate, perfectly moist thanks to being left on its cartilage, accompanied with fresh haricot verts and a nice sauce. For me I kept with my pig theme, with a lovely, perfectly cooked, bone in black footed iberico pig pork chop with white beans and chorizo and lovely jus. I don't usually order pork in a restaurant unless it is a braise or BBQ since it is usually overcooked and dry. Not this one, it was moist and succulent. All four dishes were absolutely awesome.
We had been drinking a lot of champagne and northern Rhone all week, so we wanted something different, something medium bodied and a red Burgundy seemed like the obvious choice. My problem is unlike other regions of France, Burgundy has always baffled me. Way more complicated than Bordeaux, the Rhone, Cahors, Champagne...you get the picture. Not to worry, they had two things going for me. An extensive list at all price points and a great somm to help.
I told him what we were having, a price point and that we wanted something with some age. Voila, he suggested a 2009 Volnay premier cru from a small producer that I had never heard of, and probably is not available outside of France due to a limited production.
At 145 euros a relative bargain. It was a perfect match and drank very well throughout the evening as it developed in the glass. My first inclination was to have it decanted, but again our somm recommended not to, and just let it develop in bottle and he was right. As I have said in many past reviews, a great somm brings so much to the dining experience!
After a lovely chocolat desert we were done, but our driver was running late due to the still horrendous traffic. He called a few times to let the restaurant know he was running late and when to expect him and again, the restaurant was very helpful and accommodating.
A perfect experience, off the beaten track, no Americans, lovely non-hovering classic French service. We have now been in Paris ten days and this was easily the best meal of the trip thus far. We will be back.
