Again, with my research in hand and my list tucked nicely away in my bag, we head off to try a wine bar in the 10th called Le Verre Volé, which translates to the stolen glass. It is a tiny cave, as most wine bars are, with hundreds of bottles of wine lining the walls.
It is early yet, well before lunch, so there are empty tables. During lunch, you’d be lucky to squeeze in. The women who greets us, speaks with Anne in French at what seems like lightening speed. I get excited when I can recognize one word out of every twenty spoken. Cause for a celebration….how ’bout some wine! Anne translates and informs us that since they are not a *wine shop*, if you order wine, you must order some food as well. We are planning to have lunch right down the street, but our arms can be twisted….so we decide on a cheese plate to go with our wine. Anne orders for us and we all enjoy some inexpensive wine by the glass. The cheese was stinky and creamy…just the way I like it. Just then, the owner comes down to greet us. Again speaking at lightening speed, very politely tells Anne that we should make it snappy. He has a lunch rush that will be rolling in soon and many tables are reserved. We enjoy at a leisurely pace, story telling, catching up on old times and new, fully aware that we may be trampled at any moment and cognizant of the fact that we will leave if it gets too busy.
When we were through, we continued our stroll to lunch. Just a block away, we found our destination. Et dans mon coeur il y a, which means ‘ And in my heart there is…’, which is an intriguing name for a restaurant. I am amazed that we found a place that Anne has not dined before….being a foodie and all. She excitedly suggested it, as it had gotten rave reviews, but I must admit..the name alone was enough to sell me.
We walked in and immediately I was in love. The decor is funky, romantic, elegant….Parisian. Belle Epoch.
Black chandeliers dripping with deep onyx beads, cozy deep purple velvet banquettes, rich dark wood walls, lots of mirrors and classic table settings. They have a non-smoking room, which is where we asked to be seated.
Both the wine list and the menu were presented in giant maroon leather bound books, with antique script writing, similar in style to the first Bible, I imagine.
The waiters. Well, what can I say. Anne told me a story at the wine bar about how she and her girlfriend went to dinner with their husbands…and the waiters were very good looking, yet they joked with their husbands that in fact the waiters were…Ugly! So we had decided that would be our secret code as well. So, the waiters were ugly, yes that’s it. Very, very ugly! Enough said.
Our food was fantastic. I enjoyed cod brandade, which is potatoes layered with cod, topped with pesto- baked and served in its own little Staub roaster.
Chris had a penne pasta dish and we both chose the molton chocolate cake for dessert.
Anne chose the same dish as mine, but with duck instead of cod and for dessert, thinly sliced caramelized pineapple.
Complete with wine and water our prix-fixe lunch was only 16 Euro each. Very inexpensive for the level of food. Foodie Froggy was pleased, and if she is pleased…than you know it’s good!
The pièce de résistance was the rickety old black spiral staircase leading to les toilettes on the second floor. Though pretty to look at, I immediately started sweating as soon as my foot hit the first narrow step. I am truly afraid of heights, so twisting dizzily up and down, round and round, with a barely fishing line as a banister is not my favorite way to finish a meal. Scary on the way up, treacherous on the way down. Chris went down in front of me and I held on to him. In case I fell, he could break my fall and get himself killed in the process. At least he’d be the embarrassed one as he careened head first into a beautifully set table of French diners as he soaked them in red wine and chocolate cake. What a guy!
Tummys and wallets still full, we decide to walk off our meal. Anne calls her hubby, who is at the Pharmacie…and we decide to head over for a visit. Join me tomorrow at the Pharmacie. And bring lots of shopping bags!
Le Verre Volé
67 rue de Lancry
75010 Paris
01 48 03 17 34
Et dans mon coeur il y a {sadly, they closed}
56 rue de Lancry
75010 Paris
01 42 38 07 37
