Lunch at Chez Janou in the Marais District of Paris, France
Monday afternoon saw us walking back to Chez Janou with time to walk around the Place des Vosges before lunch. The Place des Vosges is the oldest square in Paris and part of Paris' original urban planning. This square consists of 36-39 houses made of red brick and constructed under Henri IV from 1605-1612. There is an arcade around the entire square filled with cafes, nightclubs, and shops in what were once private residences. The entire Marais District has a strong gay presence. All you have to do is look in a few of the shop windows at some of the extremely flamboyant and idiosyncratic clothes. I wish I had the guts to wear some of these myself! (Watch the Place des Vosges video.)
Chez Janou Bistrot restaurant wasn't nearly as crowded as it was on Sunday and the "Menu du Jour" was vegetable soup and veal slice. ex-Marine ordered that while I ordered off the menu. Moules (mussels) gratin and a green salad with goat cheese, 50cl of the house wine, a carafe of l'eau ordinaire (tap water) and we settled into this cozy dining room, starving. (What else is new...)
The mussels were garlicky and delicious, the salad ordinary...View image, ex-Marine's veloute de legumes (creamy vegetable soup) good, while his veal slice consisted primarily of fat.
The entire meal wasn't anything to write home about or recommend. Our fault because we didn't obey the cardinal restaurant rule - if the "Menu du jour" doesn't excite you, don't bother ordering or, even, eating in that restaurant. There's always tomorrow and I might as well begin ripping up the restaurant recommendations...or asking the Pizza Hut man to deliver...
