The Engineering of...mouthwatering

I feel I must dedicate this next entry to Parisian food. Last Friday, I had the greatest moment of gustatory glee ever! That being said, the information found here is strictly confidential and no restaurant names will be revealed for fear of leaking our favorite little secret to the general public...

The restaurant lies in a more industrial area surrounded by small residential buildings. The long wooden tables encourage sharing of food and talk and contribute to a very cozy, French vibe.

We chose the Chef's menu: a five-course dinner of pure, nonstop sensory delight! First were the entrees (=appetizers). We had a zucchini/eggplant/pepper hummus with rustic dark bread that had a little bite to it. There were plates of thinly sliced ham topped with avocado puree, juicy whole shrimp, and beets with octopus! My favorite, though, was a palette-cleansing melon soup in a gorgeous shade of chilled-honeydew orange. This really could have been plenty of food for the entire meal, but it did not stop there...

Next, was a slice of white fish, slightly crisp on the outside with a wonderful, warm, chunky pepper and tomato sauce. This was followed by a bowl of lentils and pork (which we later found out was tongue...glad I did not know that in advance!). Next, a planche (board) of dry cheese and sweet, dark red cherry jam from the Pyrenees. Finally, a light, just-right slice of fruit tart.

It was tasty from start to finish and shared with fun friends-- a good night, to be sure!