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Le Camion Qui Fume- Paris’ First and Only Gourmet Food Truck

January 11, 2012 by Renee

OChateau-51-33If ever there was a time to break into the food truck business in Paris, now would be that time. It’s an uptapped market. (Can someone say Empanadas?) There is currently only one gourmet food truck, Le Camion Qui Fume, owned by Kristin Frederick, a former Californian, serving up hamburgers and French fries to those who wait hours in lines with hundreds of starving people on a daily basis. Moving around Paris and keeping fans up to date via Twitter and their website, they have amassed an incredible following and reputation.

I had carefully planned to be at their “location of the day” when they began by checking their site earlier in the week. I had heard that if you didn’t get there early you would have to wait a long time. Well, they started taking orders at 11 and the line was already down the block! Apparently, “early” means, like camping out for rock concerts.

And so I waited. And waited.  And waited. It was well over an hour before I was actually able to place my order with their order taker. I chose the Classic Burger and Frites, not wanting to add more time to the process by ordering the fancier, and certainly mouthwatering sounding, “Campaene”, with Gruyere, mushrooms and onions, or the “Bleu” with it’s blue cheese and caramelized onions.  Keep it simple. It will be faster.  I handed over my 10 euros and received my paper receipt with my number-39.

Well, 39 may have well been 390.  I could have ordered whatever I wanted and the time wouldn’t have mattered.

The wind was blowing freezing cold air, and toes were frozen, but no one cared. We all just stood around and waited patiently for our number to be called. We were watching their every move, burgers on the grill, buttering the rolls to be toasted, piles of mushrooms and onions being loaded, cheese being melted, wondering if that was our order they were creating. We were mesmerized by all the cooking that was happening.

As happens when in a situations together, people began chatting with one another while waiting in line. The young man on his lunch hour (sorry- it’s going to be a three hour lunch today!)  a film crew, there to film the them in action, and other food writers and tourists from around the globe.  Everyone chatting and snapping photos of the flurry of activity that was occurring in such a small space. It was great fun.

And when, after an hour went by, we began cheering as each number was called and the customer was served up their steaming, hot burger and fries. Clearly, we were weak and giddy with hunger.

Finally, when they could take no more orders, and they had counted out the very last amount of remaining uncooked burgers, saving one, just in case of a horrid accident- losing a burger to the floor, as sometimes happens, they counted heads in line and cut it all off.  That was all they could do, much to the chagrin of the crowds behind that last lucky patron.

My ticket ended up being one of the very last tickets. The very last orders of five tickets remained on the counter. And mine, it, was the third. When they called trente-neuf, I felt as though I had won the lottery! MY BURGER AND FRIES HAVE ARRIVED!

It was massive! A huge burger, larger than my hands could hold well, and yet, I devoured it.  Each juicy bite was filled with cheese, mayonnaise, onions, tomato, lettuce and pickles.  All of this sitting on a thick, buttery, perfectly toasted roll.  My only disappointment was that it was cooked a little too bleu (rare) for my liking, the very center nearly raw. But no matter, the mayo and the cheese, coupled with my starvation, hid that fact and every last bite was consumed.

The shoestring French fries were salted, crisp and hot. They didn’t even need the packet of ketchup I put alongside. Flawlessly, fabulous frites!  I could have eaten two orders had I not devoured my burger. The onion rings looked amazing as well and next time I go back, I will have those for certain. Along with a more “gourmand” burger. But I will be sure to show up a few hours earlier than their official “open” and maybe not have to wait quite as long. But if I do, it’s worth the wait.

Follow on Twitter – @LeCamionQuiFume

And check their website for locations and other news.

Filed Under: Travel, Featured Posts, France Tagged With: Beef, Bread, Buns, Food Truck, French Fries, Hamburger, Kristin Frederick, Le Camion Qui Fume, Paris, Travel

Perserverance

January 10, 2012 by Renee

20120110-photoI am feeling much like this egg.

Pierced and broken. Insides pouring out.

But I suppose that is to be expected when life falls apart around you.  Paris has been wonderful to me since I arrived, except where Croque Madams have been concerned. So the fact that they have all been really, really bad comes as no surprise. It’s actually quite ironic.  And yet, I keep ordering them. As though by some miracle I will find one that makes me happy, if only for a little while.

Afterall, what else can I do?

Filed Under: Eat, Travel, Featured Posts, Breakfast & Brunch, France Tagged With: Cheese, Croque Madam, Eggs, Paris, Travel

O-Chateau Wine Bar and Restaurant

January 7, 2012 by Renee

I have a new favorite spot in Paris. It’s, not surprisingly, a wine bar and restaurant.  It’s true that I do enjoy a glass or three of wine from time to time (shh!) and well, food, it’s my comfort zone. If I’m not cooking, I’m eating. And so, this is really the perfect place to find me.

The ever charming, Olivier Magny, owner, sommelier and author of Stuff Parisians Like, a hysterical and snarky look at his fellow Parisians, has created a unique and exciting experience at O-Chateau.  He and his incredibly savvy and equally charismatic, business partner and friend, Nicolas Paradis, have taken the hoighty-toighty out of wine education and have made it remarkably accessible and enjoyable for even those who never thought they could learn all that much about wine.   From their new home near The Louvre, in a beautifully remodeled storefront,  featuring a wine bar and restaurant, a stunning stone wine cellar/tasting room and a large downstairs event space, they provide guided wine tastings throughout the week as well as excursions to several parts of the French wine country.

In a very relaxed atmosphere, with incredibly friendly sommeliers, each tasting provides a wealth of information about wine from all corners of France. You can partake in sessions from one hour tastings to full scale wine tasting lunches or dinners and easily walk away and be able to impress your friends and neighbors back home with everything you have learned. You are certain to smile and laugh and you may even speak a little French when you are done! There are even river cruise tastings and a day trip to the Champagne region will take you through some of France’s most beautiful countryside and quaint villages, all the while mellowly sipping glasses of bubbly.

Prefer to try some wine on your own? Well, at O-Chateau’s wine bar, patrons can sit at the bar and sample from forty different wines housed in the By the Glass refrigeration and dispensing system.  In measures of a large sip (3ml) up to a full glass (15ml) you can try red, white and rose wines plus a few Champagnes, all at very affordable prices. During happy hour, from 6-8pm, you can even sample a glass of whatever the house is serving that night for a mere 5 euro. A real steal considering the superior quality of wines offered.  They also offer “flights” of wine that have been pre-selected or you can do like I did one night and just start at the top of the wine list and work your way down. I choose 6- 3ml glasses at a time to try and in three turns I had tried every single red wine with the exception of the Petrus. (I am on a budget myself!) With the expert guidance and knowledge imparted by Maxime, the bar manager, I learned something about each wine I tasted (Yes, I took notes!) and now I know exactly what characteristics I prefer in my glass. Not to mention, it was great fun to try so many at once! (Afterwards, I had mustered up enough courage and took a ride on the nearby famous Paris ferris wheel, La Grande Roue, and wasn’t even afraid of the heights! I’ve since taken a daytime ride as well and have to say that the wine helped! In my defense, it was a very windy day and the swinging car didn’t go over well with me. Another story!)

As usually happens, you may become hungry while appraising your beverage.  You can order from the bar menu where you’ll be served wooden boards overflowing with premium cheeses or charcuterie. They are far too much for just one person to eat on their own, but sharing with your barmates or friends is ideal.  Small plates, like the simple but elegant bruschetta , foie gras  or the generous slices of the exquisitely sweet, salty and slighty nutty Bellota ham served with slices of fresh baguettes are perfect accompaniments as well.  Or if you are really daring, you can just have dessert!

Each evening, the restaurant serves a set three course menu featuring only the freshest, seasonal ingredients available for just 32euro. You can turn that menu into a full “Tasting Menu” (65euro) which includes 3 wines and 1 Champagne thoughtfully chosen by an expert sommelier to match your meal. This is a real bargain given the excellence of each handcrafted menu item.  Of course, if you so desire, you can also indulge in each course ala carte; appetizer (11euro), main course (17euro) and dessert (7euro).  You don’t have to break the bank in order to have a marvelous meal with wine here.

My first dining experience at O-Chateau came on New Year’s Eve when I booked to attend their gala event, a wine tasting dinner and party.  O-Chateau’s dynamic and extremely talented Executive Chef, Campbell Whitman created a stellar menu for the night. Hailing originally from California where she was a personal chef, Whitman is also the daughter of Old Creek Ranch Winery owners and a Cordon Bleu, Paris graduate. When she isn’t designing delectable dishes for O- Chateau, she can be found writing her blog, Boots for Breakfast.

My seat for the evening was barside and I was promptly granted a lovely glass of Champagne Grand Cru from Pierre Paillard.  Sipping champagne and listening to the cool jazz playing on the sound system set a terrific tempo for inaugurating the night’s events.  By now I had been to O-Chateau on a few occasions so it was nice to be recognized and welcomed so graciously.

The appetizer of Duck Foie Gras soon arrived, topped with Fleur del Sel de Guerande and Fig Preserves, providing a perfect bite of gently bitter pate, sweet fruit and a touch of salt in every mouth-watering morsel.  The course was paired with a glass of Domaine de Souch 2009 vintage from a small vineyard in the South West region of France called Jurancon, in the Pyrenees.  Wine producer Yvonne Hegoburu, who is now 85 years young, began making Domaine de Souch in 1987 when she was 60 years old as a tribute to her late husband Rene, and is now said to have one of the best wines in the entire Jurancon appellation.  Impressive!

The main entrée featured a delicate piece of Salmon filet swathed in a velvety caper cream sauce teamed with a light and airy broccoli soufflé and paired with an unlikely glass of red wine- Gevrey Chambertin “Cuvee Ostrea”  2009 from Domaine JL Trapet in the Burgundy region.  I would have thought that the structure and texture of this wine would have been too overpowering for such a light dish, but I stand corrected. The elements of red fruits, cherry and plums provided a lovely sappiness that complemented the acidity of the sauce and nicely balanced the entire course, debunking, yet again, that myth that fish only pairs well with white wine.

By now the music was picking up and the atmosphere was turning much more “party” like but not into full swing before the dessert arrived. A chocolate bomb, or as the menu referred to it, La Flocon de Pierre Herme, a thousand times richer and more divine! Creamy, heavenly chocolate goodness in every forkful. Of course, saying it in French helps too!

Dessert was skillfully paired with a Saint-Estephe, Chateau Haut-Marbuzet 2007, a spicy, finely, balanced and flexible wine.

The rest of the evening was brimming with music, singing, a cabaret performance and lots of dancing. Everyone had a fun night filled with laughter and happiness.  And as they say in Vegas, “What happens in Paris, stays in Paris”.

My second meal at O-Chateau was prepared by Habiybah Washington, who also attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and is a former, fellow New Yorker.  She created not only one of my favorite meals at O-Chateau, but also the best meal of my entire stay in Paris so far. Simple a dish as it may seem; a filet, broccoli and potatoes gratin dauphinois, I have experienced my share of nearly inedible filets here in Paris. There have been fatty ones, thin ones and dry, chewy, leathery, tasteless ones. All at a rather expensive price too.  This filet, however, stood out against all the rest. It was seasoned perfectly, accompanied by a luscious mustard cream sauce, temperature right on the money, medium rare, not too bleu and not too brown. A beautiful shade of pink! There also was not a single bite of that horrid gristle anywhere, thus avoiding that awkward moment when you have to decide if you will choke to death if you swallow it or risk embarrassment by spitting it into your napkin.  Every single bite literally melted in your mouth. Silky, tender and juicy-just as a filet should be.

One of my favorite comfort foods is gratin potatoes and they are really easy to mess up. Overcooked, the dish becomes very dry and grainy. Undercooked, its just hard pellets of potato and unmelted cheese swimming in sauce floating around your mouth.  Not very appetizing!  But these potatoes were soft, creamy and smooth with hints of pepper, nutmeg and that delightful, rich cheesy tang.  I was lucky enough to have an end slice, where the cheese on top crisps ever so around the edge providing a sexy mouthful of textural contrasts.  I soaked up all the remaining sauce with the broccoli and devoured everything on my entire plate. Had I been alone at home… well, lets just say they wouldn’t have to scrape my plate that much.  I seriously could have easily eaten two servings and not have been ashamed of myself!

I’ve returned to O-Chateau a few evenings since and it has sort of become my “Cheers” in Paris.  If I’ve been out touring all day and I am nearby, I’ll pop in and have a seat for a while, a glass of wine and either a snack or dinner.  As a solo traveler it’s a great place to just relax at the bar and chat with the sommelier who’ll not only guide you through O-Chateau’ menu with precision and care and provide recommendations you are sure to love but will also make you feel very welcome and a part of the O-Chateau family.

Visit O-Chateau:

O-Chateau
68, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1st)
Phone: +33 (0)1 44 739 780

 

 

Filed Under: Eat, Drink, Travel, Kitchen Sink, Featured Posts, Classes, France, Wine Tagged With: Bar a Vins, Campbell Whitman, Habiybah Washington, Maxime De Zeeuw, Nicolas Paradis, O-Chateau, Olivier Magny, Paris, Restaurant, Tastings, Travel, Wine, Wine Bar, Wine Tastings, bar, vin

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