Lunch at Le Bistrot des Oies

Wow, what a great lunch in a wonderful bistro that one might have dined in in 1917 instead of 2017 and maybe even in 1817!  So authentic, with great decor, interesting fellow diners (I always try to overhear their conversations) and classic french dishes from the southwest of France, of course including many dishes of Goose since the name of the restaurant is “the Geese bistro!”  Goose liver pate’, breast of goose, leg of goose, etc., etc., etc.!  OK, I didn’t have anything from the goose but I did have the excellent confit de canard which, for those of you not familiar with it, is duck thigh and leg which is made in fat and cooked until the meat is falling off of the bone and mine was just perfect today, so juicy, tender, with robust flavor of duck and of course, accompanied with an excellent red wine from Provence.  The desert of prunes and vanilla ice cream was a perfect finish just before an espresso or “cafe noir” as the French call it.  Actually, if you ask for “un cafe” you will get an espresso not “american coffee!”  On my first visit to Paris in 1980 I ordered “un cafe cream” and I got an espresso and a giant bowl of whipped cream!!  So I chalked it up to learning things the French way and it has stood me in good stead for my many visits to this lovely country.  You can enjoy it too, if you have the right attitude but if you are an “ugly American”then you will think that the French are rude and impolite but really they love Americans and all things American, like music, movies, clothes, our culture, etc.  The old TV series “Dallas” was a huge hit in France.  And to show you how friendly the French are, with my poor French I got to talk with the proprietor and the head chef of Le Bistrot des Oies and take their pictures as you can see from the attached photos.  So enjoy and fantasize about a fantastic lunch at a classic French bistro on rue Marie & Louise in the 10th arrondissement in Paris and think kindly about our French comrades.  Oh yes, I couldn’t resist (ha, ha) including the last photo which was in the window of a bookstore a few blocks from my apartment in the 10th.  It says in French; “Read-Think-Resist!”  True in France and true in the USA, I think

The 10th arrondissement Paris, France

Fellow diners

Confit de Canard

Prunes and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Cafe noir

The “chef de cuisine.”

Maitre d’hotel and chef de cuisine

Read-Think-Resist! True in France and even more true in the USA.

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