Septime

For a few years now, Septime has been on everyone's "must" list for Paris eating. "Must" if you're in the food fashion industry, or an international foodie, etc. I suppose it's partly the chef, another young food star, partly the contrarian nature of the place, partly the usual emphasis on freshness, season, innovation, etc. Reservations are impossible for dinner, even for lunch, until well into the fall, but if you get there early for lunch and ask politely, you can often score a table via cancellations. Jeremy and I, two of the five members of the extended family not suffering from selective eating disorder (look it up), indeed scored a lunch table Thursday (until 1:30). The wait-person (what do you call this in a contrarian French restaurant?) informed us we would have time enough only for the three course menu--just enough, actually), so that is what we did.

Septime is the blue thing; it's on Rue Charonne, a few blocks
from where we live; it's not nearly in the fashionable Bastille
area; these are working-stiff neighborhoods; the restaurant
is totally unadorned on the outside

Interior (off the web), from about where we sat; the kitchen
is completely open to view; the staff we saw were all under
30 (or so they looked), but good; very good; the two rooms
seat perhaps 50; there is no ornamentation on the walls;
actually, there is pealing paint all over the walls; it's like
they just rented a space and moved in the furniture and
cooking stuff, proclaiming, "this is about cuisine and nothing
else"

The menu; ditto...this is about cuisine and
nothing else; for the three course, you pick
three of the nine things listed; for the five
course...five; the wines are pretty much all
"natural," which is of course what you'd
expect, looking around; I had a natural beer

Well, I forgot to document the entree, which,
for both of us was the leeks (looked more like
scallions, but, whatever) and the aged/seasoned/
very thin-sliced beef, with snippets and traces
of other things (check the menu, preceding, if
you're really interested); above is my main
course, a grilled pork sliver, with onions and
other miniature accompaniments

Jeremy had the tuna with the assorted green
stuff

My dessert: apricots and other stuff with
vanilla ice cream

Jeremy had the cheese course (traditionally,
it's three items, but don't expect anything
traditional at this kind of restaurant; not
even a pastis); verdict, mine, solely: at least
it's not over-priced, at 28 euros for the
three-course, including tax and tip; you could
probably get this quality of food--freshness,
preparation, inventiveness, seasonal-
orientation, etc., at scores of restaurants in
California, maybe even just Middle California,
and not have to watch the paint pealing in
sweltering heat; and in English too; but, OK,
not in Paris, and probably not at a place quite
so notable nor memorable