Paris - Day Three - Continued

Oct 6, Wednesday 

After a wonderful lunch experience at Nomiya, a prix-fixe five course meal with wine pairing, Kellie and I met our friend, Joan, who arrived earlier that morning.  Our meeting place was botched, but fortunately through back and forth texts, we were able to find each other at Avenue Montaigne and Champs Elysees, a six road junction where crazy cars careen criss-crossing lanes to their destination in a blur (or was that the wine).  Our itinerary for the remainder of our third day in Paris, included leisurely exploring parts of the 8th arrondissement.  You have to do something in between meals.  

From our meeting place on Champs Elysees, the Obelisk of Luxor at the Place de Concorde is at one end, and the Arc de Triomphe at the other. 

 

In between, the wide sidewalk is great for wandering in and out of shops without causing pedestrian traffic.  Besides the obvious; luxury shops, cafes and people watching, this boulevard impressed me with it's massive rectangular trimmed horse-chestnut trees lining both sides - apparently, it's even more impressive during the holidays when the trees are strung with twinkling lights.  You would think that with all the retail space, the buildings along Champs Elysees would look "commercial", but the detail and extensive iron work exudes class and elegance.  The French call the boulevard, "La plus belle avenue du monde", the most beautiful avenue in the world.

  

Place Charles de Gaulle (Place d'Etoile), is a junction of twelves straight streets including Champs Elysees,  with the Arc de Triomphe sitting in the middle.  The monument honors those that fought during the French revolution, with names of generals inscribed inside and outside of the arc.  After strolling around the Arc, we paid our fee to go to the observation platform on top.  Climbing the stairway may be a challenge, there are no elevators and 284 steps, but once you reach the top, it's well worth it, it's the best way to see the layout of the broad boulevards designed by Baron Haussmann during Paris's modernization and urban renovation in the 1860's.  You get great views of Sacre Coeur, La Defense, Eiffel Tower, and nearby neighborhoods.

Underside of Arc de Triomphe

One of the many narrow staircases to the Arc de Triomphe's observation platform

Two of the twelve streets that make up the "Square of the Star"

La Defense on the other end of Champs Elysees 

Sacre Coeur high on the hills of Montmartre

Eiffel Tower

Kellie, Me, and Joan on the Arc platform

After we had our fill of history, views and crowds, we headed toward our metro stop that took us to the left bank, to explore the 7th arrondissement, home of the Invalides and the Eiffel Tower.  The Invalides is a complex of buildings which includes a military museum and hospital, church and the gold dome.  Directly underneath the dome is Napoleon's tomb

Entrances to the military museum

Dome of the church and home of Napoleon's tomb

Unusually Big Door

Courtyard of the museum of the army

At this point our little diversion before the next meal was dragging on, so we went in search of a cafe for a beverage.  Cafe Le Centenaire is located on the corner of Boulevard La Tour Maubourg and Rue Saint Dominique.  We sat, sipped, chatted, and watched people walk by, we could have passed for Parisians, with the exception of our cameras, souvenir bags, and the fact that we were wearing flats and not heels.  

I read somewhere, not sure if it was a food blog, site, or magazine, that Cafe Constant was not to be missed while visiting Paris.  Chef Christian Constant owns three restaurants on Rue Saint Dominique.  Cafe Constant, serves classic bistro fare that incorporates many of his grandmother's recipes and who doesn't love a French granny and Les Cocettes (means dutch oven), is his version of an American diner? (the chef must be confusing an American diner for some other great place where they serve dutch oven worthy - yummy - braised all day - fall apart with a fork dishes) and Le Violon d'Ingres, a deluxe brasserie.

Cafe Constant and Les Cocettes were meant to be neighborhood spots, pop in for a quick breakfast or a late dinner, serving really really great good  - yes the reviews used two "reallys" in their write up.  Neither restaurants take reservations.  When we arrived at Cafe Constant a little after 7:00 pm, there was a crowd of people hanging around the entryway.  I checked to see if we were at the right place, and I spotted the the violin, their signature logo on the window.  I had hoped that if we arrived when the door opened, we would not have to wait long.  Others must have had the same idea.  The cafe door opens right into a casual dinning room with small square tables along the glass wall, several booths tucked in the corner and under the staircase and from what I could see all the tables were occupied and the bar on the left running the length of the small dinning room also looked busy.  I semi-optimistically asked for a table for 3, looking around the small space thinking if you moved some of the tables closer together, maybe they could add a table, please?  The maître'd, who was more like a friendly bartender, did not disappoint, he asked if we would mind dining upstairs, which of course, I gratefully accepted.  There was already a crowd in the low ceiling dinning room on the second floor.  We were seated next to a loud group of Americans.  It was evident that they had not read the French etiquette book, their conversation could be heard by all.

Our waiter presented us with the English menu to peruse (how did he know that we didn't read/speak French, which we don't, but still).  Being the end of the day, my tourist feet and the dampness from the light drizzle, made us that much more appreciative to be sitting in a warm, inviting dinning room, and seeing pumpkin soup on the menu was destiny.  When the waiter came to take our order, I made eye contact with him and glanced disapprovingly over at the offending table, letting him know that we were not like them (in most cases we are, but not here).  We ordered Parisian-like, talking quietly, taking interest, but not too much interest.  Of course, I ordered the pumpkin soup with buttery croutons and roasted chestnuts drizzled with truffle oil to start and the foie gras terrine with toast as my dinner - I figured I might as well enjoy the dish in a land where it is protected by law as a cultural and gastronomical heritage, unlike many places where gavaging for plumper fatty liver is controversial (thanks Charlie Trotter and PETA).  The pureed pumpkin had the perfect blend of spices and texture, creamy but retaining pure pumpkin essence and I am a big fan of mixing up textures so the crunch of the buttery croutons was perfect and the roasted chestnuts, well it was so homey - I don't know who's home, not mine, but maybe a French Granny's?  My slice of foie gras terrine was better than I expected, slightly gamey sweet but delicate with a hint of I can't quite identify the liquor and creamy smooth to spread on toasted brioche.  We ordered a bottle of Sancerre, which was brought and placed on our table in what looked like a small gift bag with handles, made out of heavy plastic, filled with ice, just fitting the wine bottle, it was so novel that it felt like it belonged in Ft. Lauderdale, not Paris, but the French white wine did not disappoint. It is rare that I clean my plate, be it at home or out, let's just say you could fool me that there was food on those plates.  Kellie had the soup as well, and I think a shrimp dish and Joan ordered what looked like perfectly poached fish in delicate broth with vegetables.  My dining companions equally enjoyed their delicious dishes and we all shared a floating island for dessert, a big round of light meringue drizzled with caramel floating in a pool of creme anglaise, so simple, so perfect.  I struggled to leave my camera in my bag especially at this point but I didn't want to be lumped in with the loud table of Americans next to us - too bad for you all.  I agree with other reviewers, Cafe Constant is not to be missed if you happen to be in Paris.