I am not a fan of brunch. It usually seems like a marketing ploy of restaurants or a way to serve food when they would rather be closed. The food is at best mediocre, the service non-existent and people can't seem to get enough, so it is always crowded. So, I was a bit nervous going to La Buvette today. This is a winebar on Rue Saint Maur that is no bigger than some living rooms. The "kitchen" is what they can do behind the bar. I love this place for an aperitif or to buy a bottle of wine. The wine is always interesting and the food bits are always delicious. But brunch?
It was one of the smartest, most delicious and memorable meals I have had in a long time. We sat down at a table no bigger than a cutting board (although we had an ample area along the window for drinks and plates). The owner and hostess, Camille, asked us for drinks and explained what was on the menu that day (no choices, you get what they got). On the table was bread, jam and water. As Camille got our coffee and cider (cidre, which Helmut doesn't like but loved this), we had some bread and jam. (The jam was extraordinary: strawberry, but with something else. When I asked Camille about it, she said it was just strawberry, made by her mother... and I don't like strawberry jam. What is it about mothers and their cooking?).
The plates came almost at once. Brunch was three plates, which were about the size of a large saucer: simple scrambled eggs, simple sweet potato and salad. But what excellent food! The eggs were simple, but cooked to perfection, soft with just the right amount of salt. That sounds like an odd thing to remark, but when was the last time you had eggs with the right amount of salt? Never happens.
The sweet potato was a revelation. Usually cooks emphasize the sweet but here, it was a chunk of sweet potato, onion confit, salt, olive oil, cilantro and creme fraîche. Instead of "sweet" you could savour the texture and other flavors inherent in the starch. It was truly a new experience for someone who doesn't care for sweet potatoes.
The salad had radishes, raw cauliflower, and avocado. The mix of the winter hard vegetables with the soft summer essence of the avocado was truly delicious, with just a touch of an oil/vinegar dressing.
All this served with a scone. It was just a very satisfying meal. The atmosphere of the place is like being in someone's living room. An amazing experience for a cloudy Sunday afternoon. Brava, Camille!
It was one of the smartest, most delicious and memorable meals I have had in a long time. We sat down at a table no bigger than a cutting board (although we had an ample area along the window for drinks and plates). The owner and hostess, Camille, asked us for drinks and explained what was on the menu that day (no choices, you get what they got). On the table was bread, jam and water. As Camille got our coffee and cider (cidre, which Helmut doesn't like but loved this), we had some bread and jam. (The jam was extraordinary: strawberry, but with something else. When I asked Camille about it, she said it was just strawberry, made by her mother... and I don't like strawberry jam. What is it about mothers and their cooking?).
The plates came almost at once. Brunch was three plates, which were about the size of a large saucer: simple scrambled eggs, simple sweet potato and salad. But what excellent food! The eggs were simple, but cooked to perfection, soft with just the right amount of salt. That sounds like an odd thing to remark, but when was the last time you had eggs with the right amount of salt? Never happens.
The sweet potato was a revelation. Usually cooks emphasize the sweet but here, it was a chunk of sweet potato, onion confit, salt, olive oil, cilantro and creme fraîche. Instead of "sweet" you could savour the texture and other flavors inherent in the starch. It was truly a new experience for someone who doesn't care for sweet potatoes.
The salad had radishes, raw cauliflower, and avocado. The mix of the winter hard vegetables with the soft summer essence of the avocado was truly delicious, with just a touch of an oil/vinegar dressing.
All this served with a scone. It was just a very satisfying meal. The atmosphere of the place is like being in someone's living room. An amazing experience for a cloudy Sunday afternoon. Brava, Camille!
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