LE CLOWN BAR
This came recommended by a friend and turned out to be an excellent choice. It's a cozy location right off a metro with everything carefully considered. The cutlery is in a drawer inside my table! My menu after ordering is taken from me and handed over to an American couple who had just arrived. Choosing from Le Menu du Clown (The Menu of the Clown), I started with the tuna, thinly sliced, fish eggs in a sweet oil, and dill served with hot bread. Paired with glass of Cour-cheverny la porte dorée 2019 (White Wine of the Clown 2019). The table behind me was a group of French professionals speaking exclusively about marketing. I've never heard a Frenchman speak of anything else to be quite honest.
As I look up what a pintade is, the American couple seems to be arguing right out of the gate. The carrots were incredible but the stand out was the cream of corn, which I spread onto every slice of grilled birdmeat pausing only to sip at another glass of wine or savour the sauce with a piece of bread. She says she needs to feel secure and that he needs to be more assertive. He's not saying much. Not quite sure if it's some kind of clown related bird.
They're now listing specific moments on the trip where she had felt let down by him. He seems to be interjecting more now about what he intended in each of those instances. Bad move. The Abricot / fleur de sureau / vanille served on lady finger was incredible though I felt bad ruining such a lovely arrangement – and not too heavy! It's definitely a bad sign when a couple order the same things on the menu to enjoy separately with no intention of sharing. Fish. 1 glass of wine each. No bottle.
A pot of oolong capped off the meal. I'm gesturing to a Canadian woman (no one else would say "j'pense" like that) if she saw the same soap opera I saw but I think she didn't get what I meant because she left abruptly with her boyfriend and began to make out very emphatically on the curb. Oh well. 9/10
LE LOUVRE
I’m a lover or art, surely. I’ve always made sure to visit a fine arts museum whenever I’ve travelled. So you’ll have to believe me that I find no contrarian pleasure in telling you that I find the Louvre to be an exceptionally ugly museum.
Now, the building is beautiful and so are the paintings stored within, but it fails completely as a medium to present fine art. The paintings are crammed together, the hallways are large & long evoking an airport terminal with just about as many people ambling around.
Imagine the finest caviar, oysters, sushi & tartare served to you from big gallon-sized tubs by the ladleful. Sure, it’s the best tartare I’ve had in a while, maybe even the best in the world, but the buffet is cramped and noisy and before I finish my serving another mountain of truffles is slopped onto my plate.
In one room, French renaissance paintings were scattered across the walls to make room for the gift shop, which sat within the space itself. A credit card scanner beeping as you try to contemplate the Virgin Mary.
With the internet offering all of these pieces in high definition with every possible commentary available from home, the value of the louvre must now be about being near the art, to share space with it, if that’s your sort of thing.