Chez Casimir

Two nights ago, I had one of the best meals of my life.  Each course was taken in slowly and adored with eyes rolling into the back of the head sort of motions...maybe even audible noises coming from our table in the corner.

This seems to be a normal meal in Paris.  Four courses of mind blowingly good food, savored over the course of many hours.  

It's not five stars, and it's not excessively expensive.  This is their normal, solid restaurant - and it's freakin spectacular.  

Chez Casimir - a few blocks from Gare Du Nord Metro tucked away behind a church.  

Seafood soup - tasted like it was started with a seafood stock and then thickened with some sort of puree.  Then they added back pieces of winter vegetables and shaved parmesan.  To make it even better, they brought us an entire tureen of it.  The smoothest and best tasting soup either of us have ever had.

Herbed goat cheese on toast with mixed greens and a balsalmic and honey reduction.  It was maybe the best part of the entire meal - if that's even possible to decide.

 Au Gratin potatoes.  These would probably make Paula Deen cry.

 Grilled flank steak with wine and parsley.  Cooked perfectly.

 Veal stew with winter vegetables.  The meat fell apart when you touched it with a fork.

 The cheese course in France is serious business.  The star for me was the goat cheese with raisins.  Alex loved the cheese so soft that it has to be kept in a bowl.  I'm not sure i'm on board with the excessive mold in a few of these cheese, but I did try it.  I'll work up to it...

 Sort of an accidental order because of my mangled attempts at French.  Passion fruit creme brulee - it stole the show.

 Pastry shell filled with chocolate ganache and paired with caramel ice cream with mint.  Yes, it was as good as it looks.

 Have to finish it up with some coffee.

Now there are two restaurants in the "best meal of my life" category.  #1 - Trattoria Anita in Florence.  #2 - Chez Casimir.  If you're ever in Paris, check it out...you'll be so glad you did!