CleverRoot

8 0 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t Chez L'Ami Louis Chez L'Ami Louis was opened in 1930 by Antoine Magnin, a chef with a talent for tracking down the very best meat and produce, particularly items from Burgundy. The place has only 12 tables, and beyond the walls stained brown from years of Gauloises smoke, it looks just as it must have nearly 90 years ago. Magnin cooked behind his wood-burning stove until a week before his death in 1987, and the tradition has been upheld by the imperious manager, Louis Gadby, who rules the house and door with fierce, tyrannical power. So what's the attraction of this small, rustic bistro located on a dreary side street in the historic Le Marais district? Let's start with the blocs of foie gras and the enormous escar- gots stuffed with butter, garlic, and parsley, followed by the mammoth Bresse chicken and the steak (both sizable enough to feed a family of four); the veal chop smothered in mushroom cream sauce; and the quails cooked with grapes and more foie gras. Everything on the menu is huge, amazing, and obscenely overpriced. Still, I can't help but love this place, and I'm hardly the exception: Chez L'Ami Louis has become the ulti- mate cult restaurant in this city of great food. Is this adoration deserved? It is for me. 32 Rue du Vertbois, 3rd Arrondissement, +01 48 87 77 48 Joséphine Chez Dumonet If L'Ami Louis didn't exist, Joséphine Chez Dumonet would consistently be my favorite Paris restaurant, though it does sometimes slide into the top spot. This century-old bistro with shiny lacquered partitions and lace curtains has a charm- ing bar up front and some of the city's best food on its menu. Start with the communal pot of pickled herring, the morels stuffed with foie gras, the spectacular steak tar- tare, or the smoked salmon. But why dilly-dally? The world's finest boeuf bourguignon awaits. Virtually black, it's spooned onto a bed of tagliatelle. There's also pigeon and Châteaubriand steak, but be warned: If you want your meat well-done or even medium, go elsewhere. Chef Jean-Christian Dumonet does not tolerate overcooked meat; in this place, it's bleu ou saignant—virtu- ally raw or very rare—only. Joséphine Chez Dumonet is unique in that there are half-sized portions of some dishes offered on the menu, but when you sit down, be sure to order the amazing Grand Marnier soufflé first thing. They also have a great Armagnac collection. This delightful restaurant was beloved by my late friend Johnny Apple (R. W. Apple), a former foreign correspondent for The New York Times. I toast him when- ever I'm there. 117 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 6th Arrondissement, +01 45 48 52 40 PHOTO: ANTHONY DIAS BLUE Louis Gadby is the imperious manager of Chez l'Ami Louis. "Whe yo si dow, b sur t orde th amazing Gran Marnie souffl• firs thing."

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