Jay’s Paris Plates: Discovering His Favorite Bites in the City
“Paris has over 33,000 restaurants within the city limits including 132 with a Michelin star, more than any place on Earth other than Tokyo. Yet it is a city where everyone has a favorite spot. I have mine, but I’m always on the lookout to find new gems. Between my responsibilities at Nicolas-Jay in Oregon, I spend close to four months in Paris every year, returning to old favorites and discovering new gems. Our pied-à-terre in the 9th Arrondissement provides the entrée to my eternal search for the best food in Paris.” – Jay Boberg
Benjamin Schmitt
41 Rue Catherine de La Rochefoucauld
Opened just a year ago in the 9th Arrondissement, not far from the statue in the circle at Saint-Georges, Benjamin Schmitt is the namesake restaurant of a young chef already at the top of the game. Is it modern or traditional cuisine? I would say both. It is home to one of the best cassoulets in Paris, while the perfectly cooked sea bream or artfully prepared confit of lamb exemplify creative, modern cooking. Having worked at Le Meurice and The Peninsula fine-tuning his skills, Mr. Schmitt turns out a high level of cooking that has already garnered the attention of the Michelin folks (you sense the star is coming).
Wines are sourced by his wife, Jessica, and both are truly passionate about pairing wine with food. Gems from Champagne, Burgundy and the Jura can be found at all price points. A small but select trove of bottles from the United States round out the list. Tasting menus are available but all is offered à la carte at quite reasonable prices considering the quality. Reservations are harder and harder to come by, but now is the time to go before word spreads.
photos courtesy of Benjamin Schmitt
Amalia
32 Rue de la Fontaine au Roi
Though I am not a big fan of long tasting menus at this point, this new modern eatery in the hip & happening 11th Arrondissement is worth making an exception. I love artists who take chances – in wine, in music and in cooking. And when artists risk everything to launch a business, a career, or a project, you can just feel the creativity and excitement. After half a dozen years in the kitchens of Michelin star titans (Pierre Gagnaire, Astrance), the young chefs behind Amâlia have taken the leap to open a new restaurant with a unique vision.
Offering a four-course tasting menu at 80 euros and a seven-course menu at 120 euros, I would call it a bargain that won’t last forever. Braised artichoke and a potato gnocchi were especially memorable on a recent visit, but every dish that came to the table displayed inventiveness and a high quality of cooking and inventiveness. The wine list is evolving thanks to the curious palate of Laura Jurado, with a fairly priced offering of both natural and classic wines.
photos courtesy of Amaila
Le Bistrot Paul Bert
18 Rue Paul Bert
What is a classic? For a restaurant to be “classic,” they must provide the best example of the time-honored dishes that define a genre. There are literally thousands of bistros in Paris, and many will claim to be the classic. In my mind, none execute the bistro experience, in both atmosphere and food, like Bistro Paul Bert. Their steak au poivre is the best I have had anywhere. Their sole is simple and stunning every time. Don’t forget to get the French fries – some of the best in Paris. The wine list is a bonus, and includes gems from Robert-Denogent, Cécile Tremblay, and many others. If it is my first or my last night in Paris, I always lobby for a meal at Paul Bert.
photos courtesy of Le Bistrot Paul Bert
Pepites
36 Rue de Buci
Nestled in an old stone building in the heart of the 6th Arrondissement lies a cave and wine bar extraordinaire. Opened less than a year ago by two ardent sommeliers, Pépites offers more than 1,500 selections spanning France, Europe and even the United States. By the bottle off the shelf, or allowing Thibault or Gautier to take you on a glass-by-glass adventure, your experience here will be memorable. And these guys are excited about wine–you will enjoy the conversations as much as the new discoveries in wine you leave with.
photos courtesy of Pepties