Sweet Week Finale: Le Jules Verne

Here's the grand finale to sweet week and what a finale it was.

My two cousins from New York, Pamela and Arlene have been visiting and we've been painting the town from the Palais Royal to the Marais to Montmartre all week. As a thank you to the fabulous time we've been having, they invited Vincent and I for lunch at Le Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. I have never been and neither have my cousins, so I thought what more festive and Parisian way to celebrate their trip to Paris. 

The restaurant was completely refurbished to the tune of 10 million euros about a year ago and is now owned by master chef Alain Ducasse. It was a not so cold gray day and we were whisked in the private elevator up to the restaurant. The sleek interior of smoky gray and tan was a combination of retro seventies modern and futuristic Jetsons. It was surprisingly quiet with only three or four tables full, considering it's one of the hardest reservations to get in town.

The lunch was excellent but I will skip what we had and cut to the dessert chase since this is sweet week. The girls ordered bittersweet chocolate souffle with Bourbon vanilla ice cream,Vincent, light wild strawberry and coconut cake with lime-coconut sorbet, and moi, Tower bolt, dark chocolate praline, and hazelnut ice cream. Right before the desserts were served, a tray of petit fours including macarons, almond financiers, a lemon & chocolate concoction, a bowl of marshmallows, and petit cubes of chocolate truffles were put on the table. I guess they were the appetizer desserts. Then came the main course desserts and we just stared in awe at this cavalcade of unbelievable desserts and confections. That moment of awe didn't last long as we chowed down on this dessert orgy. In between the oh-my-god's, ummm's,  and uhhh's, the girls said it was the best chocolate souffle they ever had and with the sweetest expression on her face, Arlene said she had dreamed for a long time about having a chocolate souffle in the Eiffel Tower. My chocolate dream was so rich and intense I couldn't finish it. The wild strawberries and coconut in Vincent's dessert were light and refreshing and the coconut cake sublime.We all agreed the desserts were the best part of the meal and a sweet, divine send off before the girls leave today.

Arlene's dream come true of having a chocolate souffle at the Eiffel Tower

Pretty Pamela enjoying her almond financier

Vincent seriously enjoying his dessert in black & white

I couldn't think of a better way to end sweet week. Now I am on a strict no sugar regime for a while but it doesn't mean I will stop my eternal quest to bring you the latest and greatest sweet shops and dessert updates in Paris. Until the next sweet week.

http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com/

Eye Prefer Paris Contest -Extended till next Thursday

One of my goals for 2009 is to at least double my subscriptions and I am enlisting you to help me achieve that. Many of you have turned your friends, families, and colleagues on to EPP but now I'm looking to up the ante. So I decided to have a contest to see who will register to most new subscribers. The prize? A copy of the wonderful book We've Always had Paris and Provence, the fascinating and highly entertaining story of Patricia & Walter Wells life here. It also includes some of Patricia's classic recipes.

The best way to go about subscribing people is to go to my homepage www.eyepreferparis.com and on the right hand sidebar you will see a box where it says enter email address. Enter each email separately. A confirmation message will appear that says "Please check your inbox for a verification message from FeedBurner’s “confirmations@emailenfuego.com,” the service address that delivers email subscriptions for I Prefer Paris. You will need to click a link listed in this message to activate your subscription." Please cut and paste that and send it to the person you subscribed so they can confirm their subscription. Please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com to let me know how many people you have subscribed.

I will announce the winner next Thursday, so start subscribing now.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Comments

[Vicki]

Yum!!! The last picture makes me "homesick" for Paris!

[Maureen]

what a fun idea…I have never been to Jules Verne as always think to crowded……but on my list next time…bien sur!!!,…..Loved the black and white of Vincent….but love seeing photos of you both …now
Must send on to chocoholics among us!!!!!

[KC]

OK Richard, Enough is enough. I have gained 10 pounds just perusing your site.... I am lusting over some of these morsels you have been talking about , you have got to stop. Can't stand it. You are one lucky guy. Love your site

[Charles]

How much was it in US? I want to have dinner there and I'm trying to figure out about how much for a full dinner there? It's says 200 euro so $300 a piece after drinks?

Is lunch more reasonable?

[richard]

it's best for lunch because they have a 3 course, 80 euro($120) menu at dinner figure about $300.