Our best meal in Paris -- in the finest Parisian tradition. Josephine/Chez Dumonet, founded in 1885 and still has some of the etched glass panels, tin ceilings and big radiators, to show for it (we sat by that big radiator on the left). We wandered in, without reservations, just after 9 pm, and were told it would be a 15-minute wait. They seated us at the small zinc bar, treated us to white wine, with successive refills, and terrine de campagne (country pate) ("un petit cadeau pour vous") and bread: a half hour later (we weren't complaining) we were seated. The menu announced "les truffes sont arrivées" with a *dozen* truffle menu selections. Well, who can resist? I had a mache salad with truffles and potatoes-- very good. We had boeuf bourgiogne and duck confit -- both totally melt in your mouth good. We espied a table of French hipsters finishing off a very large meal, ending with a bottle of Grand Marnier and then the waiter poured from a big big bottle (250 cl ) of Bas Armangnac. We caught the waiter's eye and he brought us two glasses. At one point he left the honking bottle on the table. Not sure it was even on the bill. Wow. It was such a perfectly French experience; they were so gracious and didn't care if you drank a little more. We shook hands with the chef and the waiters as we left -- who does this in America??
(117 Rue de Cherche-Midi, near Blvd. Montparnasse, in the 6th).
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