Meanwhile we were recommended a most bizarre-looking (and tasting) aperitif by the waiter, it was pink and served in a wine glass with a sugar-encrusted rim. It was toxic in its alcohol content, unfortunately I only realised halfway through that it was a mistake drinking something like this on an empty stomach and especially when you’re really thirsty! I turned crimson not long after but was still game to order a Beaujolais wine… which never arrived even at the end of lunch!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
From L'Ardoise to Cochon
Our second day began bright and early, considering we had SO MUCH sleep the night before, and technically, it was already noon where we arrived from. We decided not to Metro around too much, for most of Paris must be seen and experienced on foot, although my feet were aching from the previous day’s walkabouts (mostly because my supposedly trusty Timberlands started giving out on me, causing a number of twists).The most memorable thing about today was our long and arduous quest in search for lunch. We’d already spent the morning traipsing around (bypassing the Louvre, which I wanted to explore in depth on my own on Monday when hubby is at work) and my feet really really ached after that, so we decided to grab some lunch. We checked our Time Out guide and made the mistake of deciding on this particular restaurant called L’Ardoise (which was feted as one of the best bistros in Paris, for the price). We got there after a really long trek (thought the reputation of the bistro would warrant bearing the pain) and found that it was still closed for summer although it was already autumn! So sad!
So we randomly picked another place in the guide, and found out it was another long walk via the Forum Les Halles (a really grotty old place if you ask me!) at Châtelet. We found the rather touristy establishment, Au Pied du Cochon, not long after, and as it was famed for its porcine offerings, I took the plunge with their specialty pig trotters and hubby went for a mixed pork platter. We also ordered the highly recommended French onion soup and it was the BEST French onion soup we'd ever, ever had. It was a hearty and nourishing treat which made me forget the pain in my feet! It tastes nothing like all the failed experiments I’d ever conducted in my kitchen. In short, it was probably the best part of the lunch. In fact, I'm hungry just even blogging about it.
The restaurant was full; and patrons seemed to be enjoying seafood feasts - prawn, crab, lobster, oysters and the ilk. Going by the name of the restaurant and their logo, pork was probably the better order of the day. Service was painstakingly slow, we must have waited 45 minutes to an hour for our mains (after empty soupbowls were cleared). Finally they arrived and the platters were huge. Mine had a huge pig trotter lying right across (I don’t remember the side dishes). The fare was extremely rich, I think I felt quite ill after the entire experience. It’s not a place we would recommend for the weak of stomach. The French onion soup almost makes up for everything, though!
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