Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Global Traditions
193
Au Pied du Cochon
We Never Close
Paris, France
The Les Halles meat market may not be
here anymore, but that doesn't stop Pari-
sian nightbirds from making their tradi-
tional late night stop for Au Pied du
Cochon's famous onion soup. Back in the
days when market workers needed a late-
night meal, this is where they ate; these
days, it's more likely to be frequented in
the wee hours by chefs who drop in to
schmooze over comfort food once they've
closed the doors at their haute cuisine
palaces.
Opened in 1946, right after the war, this
restaurant hasn't closed its doors since
sometime in 1947; it's brightly lit and buzz-
ing 24 hours a day. (Reserve in advance to
be sure of a table, and insist on sitting in
the main dining room.) The vintage Pari-
sian cafe look is straight out of the mov-
ies—wood trim, shiny brass fittings, yellow
walls stenciled with Art Nouveau designs,
red leather banquettes, and small tables
set close together. Perhaps it's not genu-
inely a dive anymore—it's too famous for
that—but the ambience is reliably authen-
tic. Service can be slow at peak times, but
then this isn't fast food, is it?
Besides that deep-flavored onion soup
gratiné, the other classic item to order is
the restaurant's namesake, grilled pigs'
feet with béarnaise sauce. (You can also
get the pig's foot stuffed with foie gras.)
Seafood is another specialty—there are a
dozen different varieties of oysters avail-
able, and the seafood platter comes highly
recommended. Several items on the menu
are reminiscent of the days when meat
market workers congregated here to chow
down on plebeian leftovers from the
butchers' stalls, things like
andouillettes
(chitterling sausages) and a
jarret
(shin) of
pork, caramelized in honey and served on
a bed of sauerkraut. They all come together
in
La temptation de St-Antoine,
a platter
named after St. Anthony, who in medieval
times was considered the patron saint of
sausage makers: it's a lusty pile of grilled
pig's tail, pig's snout, and half a pig's foot,
all served with béarnaise and french fries.
Despite the fatty richness of such fare,
many diners still manage to find room for
the restaurant's renowned
baba au rhum
for dessert.
6 rue Coquilliere, 1e (
&
33/1/40-13-
77-00;
www.pieddecochon.com).
(
De Gaulle (23km/14 miles); Orly (14km/
8
2
/
3
miles).
L
$$
La Tour Notre Dame,
20 rue du
Sommerard, 5e (
&
33/1/43-54-47-60;
www.la-tour-notre-dame.com). $
Hotel
de la Place des Vosges,
12 rue de
Birague, 4e (
&
33/1/42-72-60-46;
www.
hotelplacedesvosges.com).
