What a perfect first dinner on our recent tip to Paris! Started out with a great Americano. Shared an Escargot appetizer (Entrée here is Paris). 6 Escargots de la Maison Valentine. Snails served in shells on top of a light sprinkling of greens and a piece of toasted bread with the same garlic sauce that was on the snails. Although I've had escargot in the US, I don't think that I've ever really tasted them before. The garlic sauce was light and subtle so that I could taste a very balanced combination of snail and sauce. The greens, red onion and tomato added excellent counter points between snails.
We couldn't help it. We had to go with the Confit de Canard Manoir Alexandre (duck legs, bone in) on a bed of thin slices of potato. The potatoes were sauteed with a crispy outer and creamy inner (I'm pretty sure in duck fat). The duck was fall-off-the-bone with a fork. No knife needed. Outer skin perfectly crisp. Nice little touches included a roasted cherry tomato and a sprinkling of chives over all.
Paired well with a half litre (50cl) of Cotes du Rhone.
For dessert, Crème Brulee and a Gateaux Basque. The Gateaux was like a cookie with a somewhat creamy center. It was not overly sweet but with the black currant jam accompaniment, I was able to add just the right amount of extra sweetness that I wanted. It went well with my after-dinner Kir Vin Blanc.
Village Madeleine is definitely a great value-for-dollar-spent and a restaurant that we will absolutely return to. read more