The Humble Gourmand

Considering I was in what many consider to be the gastronomic capital of the universe, I should have thought ahead to buy a Zagat guide for Paris, but Captain FlyByTheSeatOfHerPants was much more intrigued by the idea of serendipitously stumbling upon the perfect corner bistro that would give her one of the best meals of her life.

After two days of wandering around an April rain-soaked Paris, sheepishly mumbling in my incredibly poor French, I ducked into what looked like a specialty foods store for cover.

The sign of Au Petit Su Ouest depicts a cutesy duck silhouette, which is hilarious, if not a little macabre, considering the specialty item on the menu is duck. The front room of the restaurant sells foie gras by the pound, as well as a number of wines, confits, and cooking oils. (I ran around Paris flapping my mouth like a maniac after finding a bottle of white truffle oil for €4.50, which is unheard of in the States, even with the crappy exchange rate.)

The owner instantly knew I was an American (hmm, wonder why) and kindly handed me an English menu. I knew I’d be going there for dinner, and that’s just what I did three hours later.

The dining room is small, with maybe ten tables, comfortably lit and lined with stone and wood panels from wine crates. The owner and her husband run the entire place, and she speaks English, which reduces any stress around the language barrier.

Each meal begins with a gratis sausage plate, which my companion and I softened with a kir, a very Parisian aperitif (usually a dry white wine mixed with a little crème de Cassis – it’s wonderful and yes, dudes drink it too). I ordered greens with goat cheese toasts (another dish I found a lot in France – it’s a perfect appetizer; not too filling) and my companion ordered a pound (literally) of seared foie gras soaked in a truffle broth, which was hands down the richest thing I have ever tasted in my life.

Two heart attacks later, we were into a bottle of 2003 Bordeaux (the house wine which, at €23 a bottle, couldn’t have been a better deal) and stuffing our faces with roast duck and traditional French cured hams. The duck was perfectly prepared with a red wine sauce and fingerling vegetables and was every bit as rich as the foie gras it probably once housed … ew. I mean, yum.

We were too stuffed for dessert but instead ordered from the extensive list of Armagnacs, brandies made from a grape similar to Cognac but which tend to be a little drier and lower in alcohol content. It was the perfect end to an indulgent and memorable meal.

Au Petit Sud Ouest is an American foodie’s Parisian paradise – wonderful service, wonderful food, and a sense of welcoming that isn’t often found in a city not often revered for its hospitality to outsiders. The added bonus is its proximity to the Eiffel Tower, which simply must be visited on the way home from what will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable dinners of your life.