culinary travels

French Connections

By Amelia Zatik Sawyer

Amelia and the Chef in Paris

Ever since my husband Jonathon and I made the decision to open his dream restaurant, the Greenhouse Tavern has consumed our lives. While planning, researching and designing his dream, we knew that we needed to visit the place that would inspire him the most. We had to go to Paris.

We booked a flat online, packed our bags, kissed our children and hopped on a jet. A few tears (and quite a few Bloody Marys) later, we arrived in the City of Lights. We found ourselves in a quaint flat with views of the Eiffel Tower in the seventh arrondissement. My husband – or “the Chef,” as I like to call him – and I knew that our first Parisian excursion had to be dinner. The Chef had planned a dinner for later in the week at Robert et Louise, a small boîte in the Marais district that serves a limited menu of woodfired boeuf, escargot, and other traditional, rustic brasserie fare served directly from stove to table.

However, the first night’s itinerary was guided by romance: the Chef and I had a date. We found a restaurant in our neighborhood called Chez L’Ami Jean. It was close to home and sounded like the type of French meal we were craving. Our attempt to reserve a table by phone proved futile, thanks to the Chef’s poor kitchen French. Undeterred, we got dressed in our Gallic finest and hit the Parisian pavement in search of Chez L’Ami Jean.

Chez L’Ami Jean is a teeny-tiny space on a side street just a few blocks away from the famed Eiffel Tower. We entered the space and were immediately overtaken with joy as our eyes took in the packed restaurant full of people eating side-by-side. The Chef quickly perused the menu, took in the other patrons’ dishes and decided that we were going to go all out for our meal. We ordered le carte blanche, or “the blank menu,” as prepared by chef Stephane Jago. We ordered a bottle of red from the Northern Rhône and waited in excited anticipation.

The first course, a potage parmentier, was a deceptively humble, creamy potato soup, elegantly dressed with crispy beluga lentils, lardons and root vegetable brunoise. It was a delicious, warm start to a marathon feast. During the following seven courses, chef Jago sent each of us different plates as he saw fit. For his carnivorous dish, the Chef had seared foie gras with wild cèpe mushrooms, the wild roasted Pyrenean lamb (buckshot and all), and Scottish grouse with apricots and blood pudding. For my dish, chef Jago prepared a delicate foie gras terrine with raw white beets and apples, a seared quail with Banyuls gastrique, and a roasted salt cod with potato crust. Five hours later, in love with our meal, friends with the staff and chef, we made our exit. L’Ami Jean started our week off brilliantly, and our trip to the Henriot Champagne house would end it with a bang.

Our last day began with a high-speed train ride into Reims, where we met with Beatrice, a Henriot representative who showed us the ins and outs of the Champagne house.

Dinner at Robert et Louise.

We arrived at the Henriot Champagne house sans expectations: We were told we would be given a tour. Beatrice led us into a small but breathtaking château in a tree-lined courtyard. She opened the doors, and we were met with stairs leading deep into the earth. We took those stairs into les crayères, a system of chalk tunnels built by Viking slaves during the time of the Roman Empire. Beatrice informed us that all of the area’s wine châteaux use and share the chalk tunnels for Champagne production.

After our tour (and a tasting) in the giant chalk tunnels 500 feet below ground, we crammed into Beatrice’s Mini and headed to the vineyards. We drove through the French countryside in silent awe. At one point we noticed the line of cars parked alongside the forest. When Beatrice informed us they were mushroom foragers, I saw the Chef’s eyes widen. I became seriously concerned he would do a tuck and roll from the speeding car and join them on their hunt.

Our day ended standing in a vineyard full of gorgeously plump pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, taking in the ethereal view and enjoying a delicious 1995 Henriot Champagne. It was a picture-perfect ending to a perfect day.

We came back to the States changed, inspired and ready for the thrill of opening our own restaurant. Now that the opening of the Greenhouse Tavern is here, I can honestly say that our experience in France played a vital and necessary role in our upcoming culinary adventure. The trip changed our lives and opened our eyes, and we both look forward to the day that our feet will again touch French soil.

Follow Amelia’s other adventures at www.chefswidow.com, and visit www.thegreenhousetavern.com to learn more about the restaurant.

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