Grenelle: a mish-mash that works

We explored the Bridgette Bardot birthplace neighborhood yesterday afternoon.  Today's research tells me that the building where she was born, 5 Place Violet, was built in 1930 -- far later than the home of Jean-Leonard Violet, a pavillon or chateau dating to 1824, across the rue des Entrepreneurs from Place Violet.

Place Violet

There are a number of pre-Haussmann buildings (early 19th century) mixed in with mid-20th century modern apartment buildings where factories and workshops once stood in the Place Violet area.  The neighborhood is a mish-mash of periods and styles, but it works.  One reason it works is the classic park, Square Yvette Chauviré, surrounded by the Place du Commerce, with the typical mature trimmed chestnut trees, flowerbeds, benches, gazebo for outdoor concerts, children's play area, and adult boules area.

Gazebo in Square Violet.

Another reason is the Square Violet -- an L-shaped park between the rue de l'Eglise and the rue des Entrepreneurs.  Square Violet also has a gazebo and even more flowerbeds and children's play area, but not such a good space for boules.  This park wraps around behind the former home of Jean-Baptiste-Léonard Violet (1791-1881), now the fire station.

A "prairie" flowerbed in the Square Violet; these kinds of flowerbeds are being planted in Paris parks
in part because the city has eliminated the use of pesticides and glyphosate.  

Violet was a real-estate entrepreneur and builder who fancied himself some kind of architect.  He designed his home in the Neo-Palladian style.  While they were on the town council of Vaugirard in 1824, Violet and his friend, Alphonse-Antoine-Aimé Letellier, bought about 260 acres of publicly owned real estate in the area south of the Boulevard de Grenelle and between the rue de la Croix Nivert and the Seine for 980,000 francs.  (This property had been owned by the abbey of St. Genevieve until the Revolution when it became public property.)

Someone has planted hollyhocks in the middle of the Place Violet.  This is not unusual.
The French seem to like hollyhocks.

A part of the area's sense of identity stems from Violet's grid-like layout of the streets, except for the Avenue Emile Zola and Avenue Félix Faure, which came along later.  Violet and Letellier originally and ambitiously called their real estate project "Beaugrenelle," but the name quickly reverted to the more realistic "Grenelle."  (Many years later, the Beaugrenelle name was given to the shopping center and Front de Seine area around rue Linois).

The 1841 Andriveau-Goujon map of Grenelle and Vaugirard.

Violet's expansive real estate project did not last.  When Paris annexed the Vaugirard and Grenelle areas in 1860, he faced stiff competition from other real estate developments across the greatly enlarged city, and he may have over-extended his business.  His large home became the fire station in 1860, and Violet died in a very small house at 12 rue Violet, near the Boulevard de Grenelle.  That house no longer stands.

A charming old workshop building on the Passage des Entrepreneurs.

I could not even find Alphonse Letellier's birth and death dates, although the French Wikipedia mentions that he is buried in the Montmartre cemetery; perhaps his dates are recorded there.

In the evening, Tom and I walked to Cléo, a stylish restaurant in the Hotel Narcisse on the Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg.  Cléo is a little pricey, but we used a 24-euro discount from Lafourchette because I have points that are due to expire at the end of this month.

Lovely design on the marble floor in the entraceway to Hotel Narcisse.

Cléo was a good discovery; Tom's salmon and my starter course of pea-and-zucchini cold soup were delightful.  My main course of golden bream with green beans was dull and uninspired, and Tom's dessert of chocolate lava cake had not been thoroughly heated, so the lava was not so molten.

The ambiance was cool.  We were seated in an atrium -- one of only two tables in this outdoor spot surrounded by the hotel.  And the service was perfect.

Here are some more photos from the evening:

Delightful salmon with roasted sweet peppers and yellow carrots.

Uninspired golden bream and green beans.

Tabletop, reflected in a mirrored wall.

Velouté de petits pois et courgettes -- this cold pea-and-zucchini soup was delicious.

Looking into the rest of the restaurant from our table in the atrium.

Sizzling and staying healthy in Paris

July 7, 2017 – Paris is in the middle of a four-day heat wave: la canicule.  Not nearly as deadly and long as the heat wave of 2003, this bout of bad weather does make walking in the afternoons and evenings uncomfortable and unhealthy.  So the best thing to do is what I did today: forget the normal morning routine of reading the news, writing, and editing.  Instead, get out and walk early – do those other things in the afternoon.  In addition to one long walk from 7 to 8AM, make several short outings (to the bakery, to the fromagerie, to the grocery, and to the wine store) later in the morning. 

You’ll be surprised at how the steps add up.  It is midday now, and I already have walked 9,000 steps.  Our walk to dinner at Le Pario tonight will add a few thousand more steps to that number, so that in spite of the heat wave, I will have had enough exercise for the day to stay healthy.

Art Deco building detail in the 15th arrondissement.

The bad ozone builds up in the late afternoon, too, so that’s another reason to stay in, with windows closed, in the afternoon.  (NEVER overdo physical activity when bad ozone levels are high; that can damage your arteries.)  That’s the time to laze about and watch the Tour de France (AFTER work at the computers is done, of course).  Late at night and in the early morning, we have windows open, so we can trap the cooler air in the apartment for the day.  Like the vast majority of places in Paris, we have no air conditioning.

Yesterday evening, I reserved a table for the five of us at the Bermuda Onion because we know that place is air conditioned adequately – after all, it is in a modern shopping mall -- and because we know they have food that our 16-year-old granddaughters will want to eat.  But we adults were unexpectedly surprised at the high quality of the cuisine that we were served.  There must be a new chef in the kitchen.  He or she is terrific.  The reason to go to Bermuda Onion at the Beaugrenelle Center now is the food.

Art Nouveau building detail in the 7th arrondissement, facing the Champ de Mars,

We started by sharing a Planche Asiatique­  ­- an assortment of shrimp tempura, chicken spring rolls, and vegetable samosas with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.  All this was perfectly fried, tasty, and non-greasy.  Tom and Dan had tender veal mignons with mushrooms and little potatoes in a dark, rich sauce.

 I had a healthy but delicious serving of barely poached salmon marinated in a clear, spicy Asian sauce on a bed of chopped fruit and cucumbers; called Escalopine de saumon and described as an “exotic salad,”  it was extraordinary.  I suppose many French people might not like it because it is so spicy, but I loved it.

Dan had two mojitos, which he said were the best he’d ever had.

Veal mignon with mushrooms and potatoes

The girls loved their hamburgers.  We didn’t mind the slow service so much because we were enjoying the air conditioning, which almost kept up with the dining room even though it was filling up with hungry people.  We’d never seen the Bermuda Onion so full.  We relaxed there in our plush, upholstered chairs for a couple hours.

My dessert, a Peach Melba, was also extraordinary.  Tom had a beautiful and generous café gourmand, and the girls each had a rich and good moelleaux au chocolat.  (Dan just had a glass of sweet white wine for dessert.)

Escalopine de Saumon

We were seated at a nice table by the window so we could look over the newly completed plaza below, the Seine just beyond it, and the Statue of Liberty at the end of the Ile aux Cygnes.  The plaza includes a sizeable Velib station (inexpensive bicycle rental) and some tasteful landscaping in what used to be an ugly, improvised parking area.

By the time we walked home, the temperatures were barely tolerable, but okay. 

I should mention enhanced security because people often ask me about that.  This year we are seeing more security measures, including guards checking bags as people enter attractions like the Beaugrenelle shopping mall – not just the museums.  

Bermuda Onion's hamburger and fries.

Even though my handbag is small, I always unzip it and hold it open for the guard to check, even before he asks me to.  And I always say “bonjour” and “merci” to the guard.  The girls have copied me on this, and so we leave a nice impression on these guys, who probably are hassled by at least a few people every day.  I don’t envy them their jobs.

Peach Melba

Treats served with the cafe gourmand.