Paris bistro Mon Vieil Ami
This item appears on page 18 of the June 2016 issue.
On Paris’ Îsle de la Cité, the specialty is seasonal vegetables at the bistro Mon Vieil Ami (69 rue Saint-Louis en l’Ile, Paris, France; phone +33 1 40 46 01 35, http://en.mon-vieil-ami.com).
My daughter, Linda, and I had saved the bistro for a splurge on our last day in Paris in early May 2015. What a perfect choice it was — simple but sophisticated, small and cozy, with only a few tables (so do make a reservation). Luckily, for us, the sweet table for two beside a window had just become available for our late lunch.
Service was brisk and efficient. We decided on the 3-course menu of the day, offered for €32 (near $36) per person. My soup and Linda’s salad were lovely. Of the three entrées offered, Linda ordered the sea bream, a whitefish, and I had pasta with veal.
My dessert was the baba au rhum (rum baba), and Linda’s was the mille-feuille (layered puff pastry), but I also wanted a serving of the peach Melba that passed by on its way to another table. Everything was perfection.
Mon Vieil Ami is open Wednesday-Sunday, serving lunch 12-2:30 p.m. and dinner 7-11.
MARILYN HILL
Portland, OR