La Table Corse

Despite my protestations, we wound up dining at a small restaurant called La Table Corse, located in a small street in the 5ème arrondissement of Paris. We had reserved a table for 19H45, but we were the first diners there.

The interior is very charming, and very warm. The walls are beige, ochre, and orange stone, and paintings of Corsica line the walls. The tables are covered in creamy tablecloths, and the menu is in fact a small blackboard carried to the table by the server.

We spent a good five minutes debating what to order because, quite frankly, we wanted all of it. Foie gras with pain aux figues for an entrée? Or millefeuille d'aubergine? Or better yet, some renowned Corse charcuterie? I settled on a velouté de châtaignes avec amandes effilées et chanterelles, while he chose the foie gras. The portions arrived, and his slice of foie gras could have been a meal in itself. My velouté had just enough flavor to bring out the châtaignes, and was topped with a dollop of cream. I was starving, and was ready for the next dish!

The main dishes were even more difficult to choose than the entrées. The specialty of the house was sanglier braisé, so he decided to take that. I didn't want the same dish, but I was torn between the foie de veau and the carré d'agneau. Eventually, the absence of meat in my diet led me to the carré d'agneau. It seemed more appetizing on paper, I have no idea if this is true. However, my carré d'agneau was excellent, and was accompanied by châtaignes, chanterelle mushrooms, a delicate purée de pomme de terre and haricots verts au citron. If I could, I would have finished it all, but I certainly tried. Personally, I preferred my agneau to his sanglier.

By the end, we were both extremely satiated, and decided to skip out on dessert at the restaurant before taking a walk to l'Île de la Cité and stopping for some Berthillon ice cream (a.k.a. the best ice cream in the world). I was in a rich mood, so I took mocha and black chocolate, while he chose raspberry and pear sorbet. I think he may have made the better choice, but only to economize on stomach space. I don't know how Berthillon manages to capture flavor so well, but I could have been drinking a cup of coffee, the flavor of the ice cream was impeccable. If you ever have the chance to have Berthillon ice cream, do not miss the fraise des bois sorbet. There is nothing like it. Berthillon has managed to put fraises des bois in frozen form, with the occasional morsel of a fraise des bois. Perfection.

We strolled home from there, and went quickly to bed, as the food coma was settling in. I am glad to have been able to enjoy such a fine meal! I rarely go to restaurants nowadays, but when it happens, and the restaurant is as excellent as last night's, the meal stays in my memory long after the last bite!