Day 24 : Part Deux - Le Chateaubriand + Snails = Yummy!

After running around all day at The Happiest Place in Europe, I found myself so hungry when I got back to Paris earlier this evening that I'm certain I could have eaten a whole cow! Thankfully, Edouard, our new, très gentil Parisian friend/local tour guide had booked a table at Le Chateaubriand (11, rue de Washington, 8e arrondissement), so that he, Yasuyo, Kurt and I could all catch up and start planning our big road trip to the French countryside/South of France next month! Let me say, like last time, he once again did not let us down!!  Merci beaucoup, Edouard!

To be honest, after three bottles of wine at dinner, my memory is a little blurry from tonight... Thank goodness for the pictures below to remind us of what fun we had! Besides the entertaining charades we had at the dinner table, gastronomic highlights from tonight's feast include: 1) l'escargots (translation: snails!!); 2) cheesecake for dessert (so yummy we had to order a second one!); and 3) amazing, warm hospitality from the Le Chateaubriand staff (especially our serveuse for the evening who even gave a certain gentleman at our table a little kiss on the cheek as a thank you for his nice compliment :-p)!

Old frenchman with awesome shades? Haven't tried the food yet, but I already know I'm going to love this place... | Le Chateaubriand

 A short history lesson before dinner :-) | Le Chateaubriand 

Edouard et Kurt | Le Chateaubriand 

To be honest, can't remember exactly what this is... Edouard had ordered it for us, but it was super delicious!! | Le Chateaubriand 

L'escargots. | Le Chateaubriand 

Day 10 : Traditional french cuisine from those who know it best...locals!

What a week! and what a busy Saturday! Time sure does fly...

After nearly 10 days settling into my new apartment, I finally learned how to operate my new induction stovetop! Yay! Of course, rather than cook my first proper meal at home tonight, I decided to head out for dinner instead with the lovely Mademoiselle Yasuyo and Monsieur Kurt. Seeing that we were in France, Yausyo's Parisian friend Edouard wanted to make sure we sampled "real" traditional french cuisine while we were here and introduced us to one of his favorite spots, Café Constant on 139 rue Saint-Dominique in the 7e arrondissement near La Tour Eiffel.

While this little quaint restaurant is tucked away in one of the most touristy neighborhoods of Paris (and seems to be very popular with tourists), I can happily assure you that you won't be paying tourist prices for the incredibly delightful and authentic french dishes on the menu of this "hidden gem." Given that Café Constant does not take reservations and is quite popular with both tourists and locals, Edouard mentioned that it's always best to arrive around 7:00pm here if you want to grab a table without waiting.

All in all, with delicious food, great wine, entertaining conversation and wonderful company, our gastronomic french adventure this evening was the perfect way to celebrate my first full week in Paris!

Cafe Constant | 7e arrondissement

Deviled eggs = very french indeed. These were so light and airy... and very yummy, too! | Oeufs mimosa (aka. deviled eggs) @ Cafe Constant

Incredibly delicious. Enough said. | Crab cake @ Cafe Constant

Perfection. Why does smoked salmon seem to taste better in France? | Smoked salmon @ Cafe Constant

Americans take note: proper portion for a main course. Just enough to satisfy your hunger and keep you craving more, but not too much to make you feel sick as if you'll die of a heart attack soon...| Roasted Chicken with herb butter and roasted potatoes @ Cafe Constant

Very tender, but surprisingly, the most delightful part of the meal was the mashed potatoes. a.ma.zing. | Duck with mash potatoes @ Cafe Constant

Any dessert with ice cream is always a winner in my book :-) | Profiteroles with ice cream and chocolate sauce @ Cafe Constant