Ask The Fat Guy

Club Paris (from memory) | March 27, 2010

So there are places that just stick in your head. They make a little nest behind your eyes and they burrow in and stay there forever. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes not, but as far as Club Paris is concerned, it is a very good thing.

It is for me the paradigmatic steak place. It has not much ambiance; if you come in the middle of the day, for lunch, say, and it may take ten minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness of the bar in front. The tables are nice but not sumptuous. The decor is Alaskan and forgettable.

It is all about the meat. The filet is butter-tender, the hamburgers are mad of filet trimmings, the gravy is there because it has to be, the potatoes are not some kin of en masse preparation, but are done perfectly. Attention is paid to what is important and the rest is just not in the picture.

I have two meals in mind. Dinner one time with Debbie; lunch one time with Debbie. They occurred in that order so that’s the order they’ll appear. I am not a complicated man.

Even though it is dark in the restaurant they know right where to find you. They glide up and take your order, giving advice and assistance. The waitress we had that evening, I think her name was Jill, knew what bin the wine we asked for was in without looking, she kept the water glass full, she was wonderful. Like I said, there was attention paid to those things that were important.

Honestly, the plate dressing is an afterthought. The garnish and sides will not wow the crowd because the meat is the star. Debbie and I have always favored the Petit Filet with Bleu Cheese stuffing. Explosive richness, tender beef, cooked the way you ask, not the way they think is the way you ask. I like mine bloody, Debbie likes medium, pink without blood. And that is how they arrive.

I haven’t seen the wine list since moving to wine country so I cannot comment. They had several nice Côte Du Rhone choices, which we have favored with rich beef.

With it having been so long since I’ve posted, I’m going to try and catch up a little with these, maybe putting out a couple a day for a while. Sorry for the delay (oh, yeah, like you’ve been pining away for my words), I’ll try and do better.

TFG

p.s. check out Club Paris here.

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