Top Ten Restaurants: Chez Paul

For me, the list of Top Ten Restaurants is about more than just the food that was consumed - it is about the essence of that particular moment in time. Few moments in my life were as exhilarating as the evening spent at Chez Paul on the Rue de Lappe in Paris.

Completely high on just being there, Leah and I were determined to take advantage of all that the Paris culinary scene had to offer (to the albeit limited extent that babes on a budget were able to). Armed with Chris' recommendations, we set out to conquer the Paris restaurant scene, one baguette at a time.

After consuming what became our customary late afternoon snack of stinky cheese and table wine from a farmer's market around the corner from our hotel, we suited up and hit the town, ready for a night of decadence.

Walking into Chez Paul, I took a deep breath and inhaled not only the wonderful smells coming from the tiny kitchen, but the entire atmosphere as well. Dark wood all around, an intimate bar, and tables crammed into every nook of the slightly underground hovel made the room seem so perfect it was almost cliche. The place was packed, and everyone seemed so chic and... well... French, that we oscillated between shamelessly gawking at our surroundings and attempting to cooly fit in.

After a short wait we were sat at a small, cozy table close to the bar area and we quickly secured a carafe of wine* from the waitress. We studied the menu and proudly ordered with relatively little translation from the waitress.

To be totally honest, I barely remember what we ate, save for some kind of cold terrine appetizer and a rabbit dish as one of the entrees. But I do remember eating everything in very small bites in an attempt to savor not only the rich, authentic dishes, but the whole experience and evening. I wanted the meal to last forever.

Which, given the size of the dessert we accidentally ordered, it probably could have.

*I'm not too fancy for this. As far as I'm concerned, just go for the carafe of house wine. It's probably decent, saves you a few bucks, and is part of the overall experience.