May 17 Pramil

We'd heard about Pramil from our stylish friend, Lewis, who'd heard about it from his friend Thierry, who is friends with Alain Pramil. It's located in the haut Marais, 9 rue Vertbois, walking distance from our apartment. Ann and Roberta met us there in a taxi (and hosted us for dinner because they're sweet).

First of all, before even the food, the service was excellent. The chef came out several times, including dessert to serve a course. Our waiter steered us right at every opportunity, and was charming while giving out the good advice. Even the busboy was courteous and helpful.

Now the main stuff, a terrific meal that was experimental but so utterly french. I had the courgettes aux sardines, which consisted of a layer of puff pastry, then thinly sliced eggplant, then a halved sardine, all lightly covered in a tomato sauce from heaven. It was so good that when I passed around bites, the table got an extra order to share. They all got the same appetizer, which was equally tremendous, a basic salad of something called ficoides galciales. which is a type of ice plant, assez rare, grown in Bretagne. It's peppery and yet filled with water and crunch, with an unexpected texture and flavor that really made a simple salad pop. We're going to try to get some seeds to see if it will grow in Sonoma (like our successful experience with puntarella).

Our entrees were equally satisfying. I had seabass, tender and flaky with a crusty skin. Accompanying it was eggplant and olives, though the waiter said there was a surprise inside, which turned out to be oysters. Incredibly flavorful and complementary. Roberta had the onglet de veau with zucchini, tender and juicy. Ann had the cocquille St. Jacques, which is always a crowd pleaser. Ira had the sweetbreads with young turnips in a cream sauce. I loved it. This was one of the recommendations of the waiter when Ira waffled on ordering it and it was a good suggestion. (Our waiter also approved heartily of our appetizer choices, and you know how great those turned out.)

We had a terrific rose to wash down the food. I didn't get the year, but it was a bandol rose, chateau romassan, domaines ott. I'll have to try to get some for Jen, who's on a rose kick lately.

Dessert was equally spectacular. My three compatriats all had the chocolate ice cream with a tapenade of passion fruit and hot pimento peppers just to add a burst of spice at the end of the sweetness. I had strawberries, plump and full of goodness, topped with an insanely delicious cucumbre ice cream. They flavors all combined marvelously in my mouth. I'll have to try to replicate that combination this summer.

We had a lovely and long meal and broke up at around midnight. We shared the tiny restaurant space in the front room with two other tables and then a long table of Israelis. At first we couldn't figure out where they were from because they were speaking both English and French, but then we heard Hebrew and knew that they were tourists from the Mediterranean. Even though they were a large group, they were well behaved. Israel being such a small country, I think its people are generally cosmopolitan, at least the Israelis I have met.

Wonderful wonderful dinner. It'll be hard to top this experience. Big thanks to the crew at Pramil and thank you to Lewis, who is always so smart.