This is my second visit to La Table de Genevieve in three months, and I'm still a fan. It's a few blocks away from the Pantheon, in an area dominated by student bars. The restaurant is small, and the ambiance cozy and whimsical, starting with the chairs named after movie stars (G. Depardieu and D. Vador). The staff is friendly but not invasive, and various while smells from the kitchen permeate the place (sharp munster wafted in at moments, and distracted us from our dessert), this adds to the familial feel.
The first time I was here, much of the menu was dominated by mushrooms: I thoroughly enjoyed a poached egg starter with duxelles (almost wished I had ordered two), and the duck main course came with mushrooms. I split a refreshing iced mango dessert (no mushrooms there).
The second time I dined here, I ordered the Brie de Meaux pané starter atop green apples and mâche (it turned out to be fancy terminology for cheese croquettes. The brie lends itself well to the croquette form!). I was tempted by the burrata starter (it was spelled "buratta" throughout the chalkboard menus), but my main course of duck filet came with a small pat of burrata, so I decided to give another cheese a chance.
I have to admit that the reason I selected the duck the second time was in order to have the mushrooms, which were absent from the menuboard. Sadly, there were none. The duck (and the burrata upon which it sat) were good, but just so. They came with lots of chickpea fries which the waiter talked up, and there was a dash of dark mustard flavored with cherry? Plum? I wasn't sure and forgot to ask--in which to dip the fries. I regret not getting the braised pork with potatoes in munster sauce, but I was allowed to taste my partner's.
I rounded this out with a deconstructed rhubarb crumble and fromage blanc sorbet. The rhubarb was deliciously sour, the crumble meltingly sweet, and the sorbet light and airy--perfect for tying the other flavors together. read more