BARACK, MICHELLE, AND ME

Yesterday evening, Susie and I had dinner with some good friends who live just outside Paris. Anne and Philip are both highly skilled simultaneous translators [the people who translate what some big wig is saying while he or she is saying it.] Every time we come to Paris, we have dinner with them, usually at a restaurant near our apartment. But yesterday, we dined at La Fontaine de Mars, in the 7th arrondissement, near the Champ de Mars, on rue Saint Dominique. Those of you who really keep track of such things will recall that in June, last year, during a state visit by President and Mrs. Obama to the new Sarkozy government, Barack and Michele slipped out for a date night, a cozy dinner for two [plus the inevitable swarm of Secret Service guards] at --- La Fontaine de Mars. I thought it might be nice to have a go at the restaurant they chose for their one night on the town.

La Fontaine de Mars is not at all fancy, nor is it pricey by Paris standards. Susie had an entree and main course, I had a large entree ["un vrai cassoulet de Toulouse"], we shared an ile flottante for desert, drank a simple wine, and I had "un deca allonge," which is a decaf expresso with extra water in it. The bill, including service, came to 110 Euros for the two of us, which is only slightly more than we would typically spend at Rotisserie du Beaujolais or Le Petit Pontoise in our neighborhood. The Guide Michelin lists the restaurant as one of the many establishments they mention without any of the famous stars. It rates one crossed knife and fork, the lowest level of elegance they acknowledge [the highest is five crossed knives and forks, which means ritzy and very expensive, with endless waiters hovering, expensive china and crystal, and a snooty sommelier who manages to make you feel that the wine you have chosen would not have been his choice, but if you only want to spend $300 a bottle, it will have to do.] Very pleasant ambiance, tables quite close together, as is typical in French restaurants, and upstairs, where we ate, nicely removed from the bustle of the street.

So how was the food? We all agreed afterward that it was ok, but nothing to write home about. Just a typical Paris bistro. Next time, I do wish Barack and Michelle would ask me before they make a reservation!