There is such a thing as a free lunch

Like so many people who care for apartments and apartment buildings in Paris, Maria the Cleaner is from Portugal.  We -- Tom, me, and the two owners of this apartment -- refer to her as Maria the Cleaner to distinguish her from Maria the Guardienne, who is the concierge of this building.  Maria the Guardienne is also from Portugal.

Fading roses and elegant statue in the Place Adolphe Chérioux.

Maria the Cleaner is very nice to us, especially to me.  We give her a little something extra when paying her to clean.  We do it just so that we are paying what we think is a living wage.  We don't know why she charges so little for her time.  We can't just pay her the small amount that she asks; it is too little.

She's been cleaning this apartment, once a week, for many years.  She needs no instruction.  It is best that we just get out of her way when she comes to clean.  She really knows what she's doing.

So after our greetings, Tom and I bowed out for a stroll and lunch.  We walked to the Beaugrenelle area to look for a mundane item in the housewares and electronics stores.   It was really just an excuse for something to do for a while before lunch.

We went to a swanky brasserie on the edge of the shopping area -- a place where we've lunched before.  The menu has changed, and the place is clearly successful, full of people -- some of whom even made reservations for lunch.

At noon, we were early enough that we were able to get a table.  I sat on the banquette where I could watch a panoramic view of the vibrant intersection near the Seine. 

Lunch took a while, as we expect it to in a popular Parisian restaurant.  We were patient and relaxed, and we made no complaints.  When at last it was time for the check to have arrived at our table, a slightly embarrassed server appeared instead.  She said they'd lost our check, and so our lunch would be free.

What?  I quickly offered to tell her what we had, so she could reconstruct the check.  But she was adamant in saying that the lunch was going to be free because they lost the check.

We finally thanked her, and then Tom gave her 20 euros as a tip when we were leaving.

We're not sure what really happened.  My fish and chips had been superb, but Tom's barbequed ribs were inferior.  We wondered if the kitchen realized that, and so insisted on not charging us.  Or, the check had been mistakenly given to a table that had a larger tab, and the resto staff didn't want to draw attention to the snafu by trying to correct it.

Fish, extra crispy on the outside and softly delicious
on the inside, with green curry and tartar sauce.  

I don't want to mention the name of the restaurant because I don't want to get anyone on the staff in trouble.  Believe it or not, I have reason to think that some restaurant owners in the 15th read this blog.

The 15th arrondissement's restaurants are under-represented in articles and reviews in American newspapers such as the NYTimes and Washington Post.  I think the reason for this is that some food columnists live on the right bank, in proximity of the Marais and Les Halles, and so that area and the Latin Quarter receive more attention than they should.

In my opinion, the 15th is the best area for dining out in Paris.  The 7th is excellent, too.  And these are the areas where so many Parisians go for an elegant dinner.  No coincidentally, the 15th and the 7th, as well as the 16th, are decidedly less touristy than many other parts of the city.

We worked at the computers through the rest of the afternoon in the clean apartment. Tom rummaged through the attic for a copy of the Norton Critical Edition of Huckleberry Finn.  He found it!  Then we took another walk in the evening, after dining on a salad at home.  The temperature was a delightful 74 degrees F, and cooling.

This was a simple walk, from one small park to another, beginning with the Square Saint Lambert, on to the plaza in front of the 15th's town hall, and ending up on the Place Adolphe Chérioux, where luxuriant roses were fading but still lovely.  In each place, we sat for a while to soak up the ambiance.  That's what older people do in Paris!