The Perfect Table: L'Ambroisie Part I

The last time I came to Paris I was making $8.50 per hour, had bleached blond hair, and was content to eat crepes and bad Brie. I've changed. Now when I come to Europe I seek out dining experiences that will inspire, excite, and enthrall. Not having been to Paris in seven years, I emailed a group of industry contacts that travel to Paris often and asked for their suggestions. I was greeted with excel spreadsheets, vast email lists, and word documents. I also purchased Pudlo Paris 2007 - 2008 by Gilles Pudlowski, a highly regarded Paris restaurant guide, to cross reference the suggestions my colleagues sent me. Of all the restaurants that were recommended, one always was at the top of the list: L'Ambroisie.

My French is terrible and even though I made a script for placing reservations, I would have no idea what the response was. I really wanted to go to L'Ambroisie and I knew one person who could help me out: David Feldstein. David is a wine salesperson who does not love food, he lives food. David eats at the best restaurants in the world and the last time he was in Paris for two nights he ate at L'Ambroisie twice. I called David and asked if he could help get us a reservation and he obliged. He called me the day before we left, having set up a reservation for two on April 24th, 2008 at 8:00 PM. He was very adamant about confirming our reservations the day before.

The day before we were to dine at L'Ambrosie we decided not to call to confirm but rather to stop by and confirm in person, just so I would not fret that I had accidentally canceled our reservation. L'Ambroisie is on the Place des Vosges, and our visit fit perfectly in our walking tour of the area.
Once we arrived and found that everyone was either in a very nice suite or tux, our demeanor changed. I was dressed in my most casual outfit as you can see at left. After taking a deep breath and getting the confidence to try and speak French I walked over and confirmed my reservation.

I knew that this was special place the moment I walked up, the host did not even flinch at my "hobo" chic style and said, "Yes, Mr. Porter you are all set." I took a deep breath and smiled at Shauna.

The day of our meal, we took on Paris and walked as far as our feet could take us knowing that we would not be merely indulging ourselves that evening, but going 110% . We arrived just in time and were greeted at the door by two gentlemen who promptly seated us at our table.

L'Ambroisie is a very small restaurant with two rooms of about 12 seats and a private dining room that seats 8. We were seated in the second room in the corner table. The room was lit perfectly and the walls had tapestries and silk wallpaper. The building itself is was built between 1605 and 1612 by Henri IV and is one of the most majestic and beautiful buildings I have ever seen.

The moment we sat down, the magic began. Two glasses of Roederer Brut Premier Champagne arrived and Shauna and I "chin-chined" and let L'Ambroisie take us in. I had high expectations before I sat but they were shattered in the first 5 minutes. The flow of service is seamless. Ever person on the floor knows where to be, when to be there and anticipates the needs of the diner before he or she knows what he or she needs. This is the place where all restaurateurs must come to truly learn service.

Our Captain for the evening was a gentlemen named Pascal and his assistant was Frank. They were a dream. Not once was our water, wine, or anything empty. Even our butter was replaced after a few bites. Oh, the butter! Pascal approached the table and spoke to us in the most gentle and beautiful French we have ever heard. He spoke at a speed that we could actually understand, and allowed us to dictate what language was spoken. This immediately set us at ease and gave us more confidence in ordering and understanding the menu which was different for men and women. Shauna's menu had no prices and my did! I have heard of this but never experienced it before.

L'Ambroisie is not a prix fixe menu, but rather a la carte, and you can order however you wish. We discussed our options with Pascal, who offered his suggestions, and decided as a group that we should have two separate entrées, a shared fish dish, two separate plates, a cheese course and an assorted dessert plate.

To be continued...

Comments

[Robert]

Jeff,
You certainly are a master at building anticipation.LOL
By chance if you are interested please consider joining the below L'Ambroisie Facebook group.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2368713622

[jeff morgan]

This makes a fun read.....I'm ready for chapter II, although what I'm really ready for is a meal at l'Ambroisie! Jeff, how will you ever find satisfaction in a "normal" restaurant again?