Last February, I wrote about how much I enjoyed my visit to Chantilly and my experience at the Auberge du Jeu de Paume.
I was invited again to Auberge du Jeu de Paume in the end of July to have dinner at Le Table du Connetable, the two star Michelin restaurant, and to stay overnight at the hotel.
Vincent was just back from a three-month stint in New York working on his film After Louie and I thought it would be a nice romantic overnight getaway for the two of us.
We arrived on Friday at about 5PM so we could relax a few hours before dinner and given a lovely Junior suite with a small, quaint salon, where a tasty spread of fruit kebobs and a delectable tea cake along with a bottle of Champagne was laid out on the coffee table. Our roomy bedroom had a high bed with a scenic print backdrop and the sparkling white marble bathroom was the same size as our bedroom in Paris. We opened the glass doors in the bedroom to find a terrace overlooking the grounds of Chantilly castle and a calming fountain. We parked ourselves on some deck chairs and took in the soothing view.
The reason I was invited back to Auberge de Jeu du Paume was to experience the menu at Le Table du Connetable from the new executive chef Clement Leroy, formerly the head chef at Guy Savoy in Paris.
Our reservation was at 7 (tres Americain!), so we were shown to an almost empty restaurant. The spaciously appointed dining room with tables very well spaced apart was especially luxurious with plush dining chairs and sofas, plump orchids on every table, black wrought iron lanterns, chargers with silver rims and Venetian like crystal glasses.
Vincent
Vincent’s extravagant starter of Heirloom tomato collection 2016 was a piece of sculpture with layers of tomatoes swirling into a circle along with another plate of artfully presented multi-colored stewed tomatoes with a savory sorbet in the middle. Lobster salad Bellini style was a plump oversized piece of lobster with charred lettuce, a refreshing and appropriate summer dish.
Fish in many forms seemed the specialty of the chef and Vincent, a finicky eater, raved about the freshness and piquant flavors of the sauce of the Crunchy red mullet. My poulard came from a celebrated chicken farm, La Cour d’Armoise and was served with a crispy outer skin in a pool of Hyssop juice, a rare fruit along with braised lettuce.
Pastry chef Joachim Bendacha punched up the wow factor with his decadent but also delicate desserts. Chocolate heaven was experienced with ice cream, praline, thick chocolate syrup and hazelnuts. Wedges of apricots soaked in local beer floating along side white mousse cubes topped with sculptural pieces of meringue looked more like an art installation at the Pompidou rather than dessert.
Service was impeccable but sometimes bordered on overstaffing (which is a rarity in restaurants in France) with two or three wait persons tending to us at a time.
After dinner we were invited to have coffee and petit fours on the outdoor terrace in the midst of the crisp country air, a perfect finishing touch to our memorable meal.
We slept soundly on the cushy mattress in our suite and got up early the next morning to explore the chateau.
Vincent had never been to Chantilly and I was eager to show him the chateau. Because I was there in winter, I didn’t partake in visiting the gardens. It was a warm day with mixed sun and clouds and we ambled through the manicured Le Notre garden, the bucolic English Garden and the Anglo-Chinese garden with a hamlet of five small rustic cottages, the model and inspiration for the Petit Trianon at Versailles. We cooled off walking along side the alleyway of trees lining the winding stream.
Even though it was less than 24 hours, our mini getaway was restful and relaxing.
Click here to read my other post about Auberge du Jeu de Paume.
Le Table du Connetable at Hotel Auberge du Jeu de Paume
4 Rue du Connétable,
60500 Chantilly
Lunch Friday and Saturday, dinner Tuesday to Sunday
http://www.aubergedujeudepaumechantilly.fr/en/restaurants/la-table-du-connetable
My Paris Apartment for Rent October 29 to November 16
I am renting my fabulous Paris apartment in the heart of the Marais near St. Paul metro, from October 29 to November 11, a total of 14 nights. It's a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft style apartment with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps one or two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with an elevator.
The price is $225 a night with a minimum rental 5 nights. Price is negotiable if staying more than 7 nights. Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.
Heirloom tomatoes with sorbet
Lobster salad
Apricot dessert installation
A wedding at the chateau
Eye Prefer Paris Postcards
I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.
Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.
Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or
Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or
$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)
Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store
Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store
Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store
Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more. In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.
Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. 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
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
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