Delicious duck in Paris

In Paris, La Rôtisserie du Beaujolais (19 quai de la Tournelle, 75005 Paris, France; phone 01 43 54 17 47), open daily till 10:15, is the “younger sibling” of the world-famous La Tour d’Argent across the street. That restaurant, noted for its pressed duck dish, has apparently passed along a duck tradition to this rather unpretentious place. A friend and I enjoyed the duck, which is prepared for two, on Sept. 24, 2010.

The dish takes more than 30 minutes to prepare. The kitchen is open to view. While waiting, if you do not order an appetizer, you will get a basket of absolutely wonderful bread served with salmon spread with chives and a dish of butter — somewhat unusual, as many French restaurants do not serve butter with their bread.

The duck was served in two parts. The first dish was the breast, stuffing and vegetables with sauce. The skin was crispy and delicious, and the vegetables were cooked properly, al dente. Next came the duck’s legs and thighs — more fatty, of course, and more heavily flavored but equally delicious. The portions were large and we had no room for dessert.

We ordered half a bottle of Saint-Amour Beaujolais, which was excellent. (Two days later, I ordered the same wine at the famous Café de la Paix while waiting to go to the gorgeous Opéra Garnier for a ballet performance and it was not half as good.)

Including wine, our meal cost the two of us €71 (about $95). If we each had also ordered an appetizer and dessert, the total would have been about $135.

The charming restaurant has a terrace, which is glassed-in when necessary. This place does get busy, so reservations are suggested.

ABBIE SALNY
Wayne, NJ