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During the past 2 weeks I have changed my life
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Yes, I understand I’ve been out of service for a good minute or two. For that I sincerely apologize, but I have been mildly sidetracked by several summer journeys, from which I bring (and I don’t exaggerate) tales that would make Anthony Bourdain, himself, proud. 

I’ve decided to bring the blog back starting with a little gem that’s located in the heart of the culinary capital of the world; the reason my entire bank account is depleted. Ah, that Parisian charm. But let’s be honest, despite the insane number of crazies, the HIGHLY unpredictable weather and that minor socialist thing, it’s a pretty great place to be.  I mean, where else in the world can you justify croissants, spoonfuls of Nutella, and entire bottles of wine everyday? My point exactly. Let’s just say that seven weeks there is dangerous for the waistline but so good for the soul. 

So, there’s quite a few “good” meals I had while across the pond, but there’s really only two that I’m considering blog-worthy. Mostly, this is due to the fact that you can imagine what French food consists of if you’ve never experienced it for yourself (bread, cheese, cheese melted onto bread, sometimes a slice of jambon de campagne, some good tartare, bread, escargot, and (of course) a pretty consistent crème brûlée).  

So, Les Cocottes de Christian Constant - don’t let the French name intimidate you - is one I would recommend to just about any living, breathing human being.  My sister and I happened to (by the grace of God) stumble upon it while wandering around the area of Les Invalides.  Initially, we had done some reading on Christian Constant and planned to scope out his Café Constant (just one of his four restaurants), until we ran into Les Cocottes just several doors down and decided that the drooling-from-the-mouth thing was a sufficient sign we should give it a go. So, in we went, into this long, contemporary, chic café filled with local Parisians from around the arrondissement. You can literally pinpoint them because they don’t put their knives down throughout the entire meal. 

I’m sure by this point you’re wondering what exactly a “cocotte” is. Essentially, “cocotte” is the French word for a casserole, but these aren’t your typical casseroles.  This is France, people…

Here’s the low-down…
They use a line of Staub products, which are those cast iron enameled casseroles that are best known for preserving both heat and flavor.  They’re the type, much like a string of pearls or an heirloom griddle, that get better with use. 

So, the food…

Gazpacho
I kid you not, it was the best I’ve ever eaten - the freshly puréed tomatoes were perfectly complimented by freshly diced croutons.

Lobster Ravioli
Not something I would typically order due to the fact that my body typically has trouble digesting cheese-filled pasta swimming in a creamy bisque, but I managed to make some exception to that rule. Perhaps predicting it would be worth the pain. It was. I find most cream-based sauces or bisques to be almost overwhelmingly rich and heavy, not in this instance. The cream was almost frothed, like a latte of some sort, making it really quite light.  The quality of the lobster was unsurpassed - just as lobster should be.  (Note: If the best seafood you’ve had came from Red Lobster, GET OUT MORE, I BEG OF YOU. There’s too much good food out there to waste any meal of your life on Red Lobster (with the exception of their cheese biscuits, of course)). 

Fricassée de veau au basilic
Listen to me, veal + pasta. What more is there to say? If you have moral issues with eating veal, I have one word of consolation for you: sucks. 

The menu of Les Cocottes is constantly changing, but I would highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates good food. I mean, the chef’s name is Philippe Cadeau, his last name literally means “gift,” and he’s upheld his name well! 

I wish I could say the flowers are blooming here in Athens, but it seems to be something more along the lines of “the storms are brewing here in Athens…”

HOWEVER, on a much happier note, it’s yours truly’s favorite time of year - the weekend of the 32nd Annual Athens Twilight. Don’t forget to get downtown to support Athens, Team Mountain Khakis, and Loco’s Team on Saturday night!

So eat, drink, and be merry!  

But mostly, don’t forget to eat.  Otherwise, that drinking won’t go over so well.