I'm trying to figure out how to make Brasseries & Bistros in Paris useful. It's not a very readable book except that the recipes catch your eye: Rocquefort Creme Brulee, Calf's head, the Crying tiger, baked black pudding and house mashed potatoes, morel risotto with asparagus... But it does have the names of 51 bistros so I started looking them up with Google (beginning with Au Boeuf Couronné, the one that serves the calf's head) and ran across a New York Times review that was part of a 2007 article by Mark Bittman: Steak Frites: Seeking the Best of a Classic, in which he also mentions Le Relais de Venise which only serves Steak frites and salad 22€ ($30). Sounds pretty good to me: " You start with a romaine salad with walnuts and horseradish vinaigrette, decent enough (included in the price). The beef is brought sliced, on a communal platter, and served with a secret herb-butter sauce (tarragon, shallots?), along with the very good fries, and then set to rest above votive candles on stations near each group of tables. You get more when you ask for it, usually with freshly made fries."Ahhh... but the Relais de Venise website is in English and they have a location in New York City. That's no fun. Well, if we decided to go, it could be when we visit the Bois de Boulogne.
On the other hand, Mark Bittman's favorite was Le Severo, which was a bit pricier but he only had good things to say about it, called the blood sausage "ridiculous", and "The boneless fried pig’s foot is crunchy-crisp, with that sticky fattiness that can make meat-eating such a pleasure." Fernando would absolutely love this place. And David Lebovitz has a blog posting on it as well.
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