Saturday night, after the most amazing day at Montmartre and visiting Sacre-Coeur, we met with our friends Rick and Brenda Tulka. Rick and Brenda are native New Yorkers, who decided to give Paris a try over ten years ago and never looked back. I can understand their love for this incredible city, and why they have made it their home. Tom and Rick had e-mailed back and forth and Rick arranged reservations for our dinner. It wasn’t until that morning that Tom remembered that we were going to the “restaurant from that movie, the Nicholson one” Of course I knew that he meant Something’s Gotta Give. I loved that movie and even thought about looking the restaurant up myself to make reservations. I am admittedly a star-struck, fan person. I love going places I’ve read about in books and magazines or have seen in movies. I was thrilled to be visiting Diane Keaton’s character’s favorite restaurant in Paris. And I knew I would order the chicken.
Le Grand Colbert
Le Grand Colbert is a little off the beaten path and Rick and Brenda took us on our first Metro ride and through some back streets and gardens around the Louvre, and by the Palais Royal. Quite a hike in heels. This is a true French Bistro. The decor is very early 1900’s with high ceilings, frosted glass panels, dark wood, brass,… and lots of old play bills from local theaters. It was very much like the movie, although a little less formal and much more crowded. We were shown a table that was next to the bar and slightly in the walk space. We felt a little squeezed in. The staff was very busy, but pleasant enough. Thankfully for us, Brenda speaks French wonderfully and was able to help us through the menu. I saw only one Poulet (Chicken) on the menu. It was poached in a red wine and served with Pomme Frit (French Fries).
chicken in red wine
In the movie, Diane Keaton’s character talks about the best roast chicken ever. This wasn’t it. Even though it was baked in the sauce, the chicken was quite dry and there was not a lot of flavor. The fresh parsley was very nice with fresh bursts of flavor. I wish my French was more than “Please” and “Thank You”, I would have asked for the Roast chicken. I recently watched the movie again, and that chicken did look very good.
I did enjoy my appetizer, goat cheese in a puff pastry with salad and beets. It was fresh and flavorful. Tom had the foie gras pate and he shared with Rick and Brenda. They all loved it. Rick and Brenda split a plate of escargot. They enjoyed them.
Yummy!
Tom and Brenda ordered the lamb chops and they were so good. The best taste was the au gratin potatoes that came with their chops. They were creamy with great French cheeses, with a strong presence of Guryee. Tom is very good at sharing and I ate a good portion of them.
Lamp Chops
We all had the classic Creme Brulee for dessert and it was a wonderful way to top off a great evening with wonderful friends. This was our second trip to Paris and the second time that Rick and Brenda had gone out of their way to guide us through their city and make us feel welcome. We shared a delicious meal and a great bottle of French wine, what more could you wish for?
I would recommend Le Grand Colbert to anyone looking for a classic French Bistro with a fun story to go with the meal. Order what sounds good to you, skip the chicken and pretend you are a Hollywood Star. Everyone should feel like a Hollywood star in Paris!
