Location: Paris

Author: My Husband

The next day in Paris saw picture perfect weather, and we spent it sauntering around the Opera district. Everything you could want to come to Paris for, you could find in the Opera/Madeleine districts. Fashion? Check. Food? Check. Culture? Check.

Paris is so pretty. Just look at this…

Cars were parked nose to tail in the Opera district, and what you’ll see in the next two photos is not an uncommon sight. The drivers are either extremely skilled, or extremely screwed.

From the Paris opera house, you will find fashion, food, and culture within the radius of a few blocks. We had already been to the places of culture on previous trips, so we focused on non-cultural activities this time around. From the opera house, it is about two blocks to the two pillars of French retail – Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.

The Paris Opera House.

The Galeries already had its Christmas decorations up, and it was very pretty. You don’t see many department stores in Canada looking like this…

After some time spent roaming the food halls of the Galeries, we headed towards Les Halles for dinner at Au Pied de Cochon. Those who have read my previous Paris trip report will recall that I ate at this restaurant the last time I was in Paris. However, Christina had never been and she really wanted to try the house specialty.

This restaurant has been in continuous operation for more than 60 years.

Tip: If you want to try this place out when you are in Paris, make a reservation; English will be fine. It is very popular with both locals and tourists alike, and there’s going to be quite a wait if you just walk in. The night we were there, there were a smattering of many different languages spoken, including English, Mandarin, Spanish, German, and of course, French.

We were presented with bread (cut up of course) and a rillettes de porc. It was the first time I’ve had it, and it was different. I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not, and there was quite a bit left over after the meal was done. They also gave us two flutes of complimentary sparkling wine; I think this was given to all who made reservations.

Interesting, but we’re still undecided if we like or not.

This time, it was me who got the foie gras starter instead of my wife. A generously portioned slab of foie gras de canard, accompanied by two toast points. All for a price that was quite a bit cheaper than the equivalent dish at George V. Great deal. It should be said that the foie gras at Au Pied, being duck liver, was quite a bit milder than the George V version, which was goose liver. But I was perfectly happy with it.

Christina got the smoked salmon instead of her usual. French smoked salmon is quite a bit different than what we are used to having in Canada. The difference is all in the texture, with the French version retaining more of the elasticity of the uncooked fish. The French version is also quite a bit more oily (drizzled with olive oil after the fact perhaps) and have a milder smoked flavor. It was very good.

My main course was a pig’s knuckle braised in beer and spices, and served over a bed of choucroute. The meat was falling off the bone, and very flavorful. The rind has gotten to the point where the collagen was falling apart, which made one’s lip all sticky eating it. The choucroute provided just the right counterpoint for the pork, cutting through the fattiness/gelatinous-ness of it. Very nice, this dish.

Christina got their special – the one dish that is best associated with Au Pied de Cochon. She got… the pied de cochon – a whole pig trotter. It was a delicious mixture of rind, tendon, meat, and whatever witch’s brew went into the cooking of this dish – Christina couldn’t stop exclaiming how good it was. And I totally agree. This was the dish that made Au Pied de Cochon, and it’s easy to understand why.

Against our better judgement, we got a dessert each to finish off our meal. I got a gigantic creme brulee and Christina got a moist chocolate cake. They were very good, but we had to muster up every ounce of energy and concentration to finish it all.

Gigantic creme brulee.

Moist chocolate cake – so moist the insides were still flowing.

Au Pied de Cochon served up a grand meal, and their pork didn’t disappoint. Christina was initially concerned that the food wouldn’t live up to its reputation, but by the time we were done, she became a convert.

If you find yourself in Paris, this is a restaurant I would recommend – especially if you like pork. Remember to make a reservation!

We were so full after dinner, we had to walk some of it off. About a 15-minute walk away, on a small island in the middle of the Seine, is Notre Dame. I leave you with another two photos of Paris by night…

About to cross the bridge to get to the island that Notre Dame sits on.

Notre Dame, all lit up.

Having the pig trotter at Au Pied De Cochon was one of the highlights for me on this trip. Every bite of it was awesome. After we finished touring Spain, we returned to Paris again to catch a flight that flies out on the next morning. We arrived in Paris around midnight and I was really tempted to take the metro into the city and have another serving of trotters! I’m convinced that the French can turn any food into good eats.

- Christina