PARIS
By Joe Ray
Get there while you can.
We got a walk-in seat for dinner at Spring last night.
As in Spring, where you usually have to wait months for a table. We just sat at the downstairs bar and ordered à la carte.
We had walked by after being shut out at Chez Denise, which, we learned, is either closed on Saturdays or still enjoying summer vacation. Wandering aimlessly, I went in to say hello to chef Daniel Rose who opened Spring in its new location a few months back.
“Come check out the bar!” he said.
And while, at 9:30 at night, there were still people upstairs still kicking around from the lobster roll lunch he does every Saturday (no Saturday dinner), downstairs, the beautiful ‘cave’ is essentially functioning as a little restaurant with a bar.
“Spring Buvette!” he declared.
“When did you open?”
“Last night.”
As Rose tells it, he just didn’t tell anyone about it. At this point, he really doesn’t need to.
No reservations, tiny, very reasonably-priced menu, order à la carte (as opposed to the prix fixe upstairs) beautiful space, killer wines.
Last night, we had little canned sardines with perfect bread and butter, wonderful Spanish charcuterie (including a chorizo, which, on that bread with a thin layer of that butter may have been my favorite bite of the meal), a veal and foie gras ‘tourte’ topped with little, ruby-colored radish sprouts and a lamb and cèpe stew with white beans.
Our meal was destined for a bunch of catch-up with an old friend, but we kept getting interrupted by the food that would make my friend moan.
“Some of this is better than bad sex,” I joke.
“Some of this is better than good sex,” she replies.
You’ve got about three days to get there before the word’s out and the line’s out the door.
Count on about 30 euros per person. Without wine. Most bottles start at 30 euros and go up from there.
Spring Buvette - MAP
6 Rue Bailleul
75001 Paris
+33.1.45.96.05.72
Food and travel writer and photographer Joe Ray is the 2009 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year and author of the blog Eating The Motherland. Twitter: @joe_diner.
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