Simply wonderful

August 20, 2016 -- We don’t have to walk far to find the wonderful here in Paris.

Witness this article posted recently by one of you dear readers (thank you, Sandy) who wanted to share this with francophile friends:  Six of the Best Historic Restaurants in Paris. 

Le Cafe du Commerce, on the rue du Commerce.

We’re familiar with these bouillons, and have dined in several of them.  One is right next door – or rather, behind us.  Our apartment building and this picturesque restaurant have abutting courtyards.

This is Le Café du Commerce, a beautiful restaurant arranged on three levels that used to be a fabric store, a long time ago.

A brass plate with our table number, on the wood
railing overlooking the atrium, next to our table.  These
table numbers are a typical bouillon feature.

From our kitchen, we look down at the retracting glass roof that covers the grand atrium of this restaurant.  I am certain that it is a modern replacement for the old verriere (decorative glass ceiling or awing) that must have covered the fabric store, to allow lots of light for customers making discerning choices for their next sewing projects.

A few days ago, we looked down on a technician who was replacing the notched belt that helps to make the large ceiling open and close.  He was precariously moving back and forth in a gutter installed for these periodic maintenance jobs.

Le Cafe du Commerce's latest postcard.

I remember in years past when the ceiling clanked and squeaked as it opened or closed.  Now it works noiselessly.  In years past, lots of sparrows would visit the restaurant when the ceiling was open, which was almost all summer.  Now, a high-tech sonic system keeps the birds away – and that’s a good thing, health-wise.

We remember many years ago when the cuisine at Le Café du Commerce was only so-so.  But for quite a few years now, the restaurant has been exceedingly well managed and has a talented kitchen crew.

Poster near the busy bartender says, "I don't like commerce, but I go
to the Cafe du Commerce."

Traditional French cuisine is what Le Café du Commerce offers (as do other bouillons).

In 1921, this former fabric store joined the Chartier collection of bouillons in Paris.  Back then, it was a perfect location for offering good lunches to the factory workers in the area.  Now it  is a perfect location for offering good lunches and dinners to shoppers, locals, and tourists (the Eiffel Tower is not far away).

We went for a short walk first, almost up to the rue Cler.  We would have walked farther, but we heard a beautiful violin playing.  I spotted a young woman, about 19 years old, on the other side of the Avenue de la Motte Picquet.  She was playing an electric violin beautifully.

She and her grandmother sat on folding stools in front of a real estate office that was closed for August.  This is not a typical place for busking; we’ve never seen street entertainers there before.

During a lull in the traffic, we scampered across the avenue, and stood between a couple utility poles to listen for a while.

I would guess from the grandmother’s attire and the pair’s facial features that the family comes from a moderate Muslim culture – perhaps they were Kurds.  And I’d guess the daughter is in Paris to study music.

I was reminded of how many Asian graduate students at Ohio State would have their entire families move to the U.S. with them while they earned their higher degrees.  This young woman’s grandmother was clearly enjoying her stay in Paris – at least, she was enjoying it when her daughter played music for the people.

The music was all popular American tunes – from the Great American Songbook, and a country tune here and there.  The bespectacled young musician was using electronic rhythm tracks to accompany her playing.  Her amplified speaker, tied to a shopping trolley, gave good quality sound.  She was tastefully attired in blue jeans, colorful sneakers, a leopard print shirt, and black vest;  she also had a long, thick braid of black hair.

After we’d listened for a while, it was time to run an errand and go back, to the restaurant.  We put a few euros in the young woman’s violin case, and she and her grandmother thanked us graciously.

After stopping at the parapharmacie to buy a big bottle of liquid soap from Marseille (orange blossom scented, of course, for Floridians) and some dental floss, we were ready for dinner.

The maître d’hotel, headwaiters, and servers are all impeccably dressed at Le Café du Commerce – gray or black suits and ties for the headwaiters and maître d’, and back vests, slacks and ties, with black aprons and crisp white shirts for the servers.  We were warmly greeted, given a paper ticket with a table number, and directed to the staircase leading to the best tables, one level up from the ground floor.

Tom waits for his dinner.

Upstairs, I gave the paper ticket to the theatrical headwaiter, who dramatically showed us to our table, number 124.  Looking up through the glass ceiling, we saw the top branches of the ailanthus tree in our courtyard.

We ordered just one main course each:  steak frites for Tom, and a whole roasted golden bream fish with vegetables for me.  The fish was one of the specials of the day.

When the food arrived, the server politely asked if I wanted him to debone the fish.  I responded that I do it myself.  He seemed to be pleased with that.

I watch Tom waiting for his dinner.

The food was very good – “correct,” as the French say.  Nobody tried to speak English with us at this restaurant, and we appreciate that.  Tom’s fries were hot, and the steak was large – so he once again spirited some of it away in a zippered plastic bag in his jacket pocket.

That was necessary, so he could enjoy a pleasant dish of three scoops of ice cream for dessert – no fancy French concoctions last night.

Just good food, correctly prepared and presented, in a glorious setting.