PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

One of Paris's most acclaimed chefs, Alain Dutournier, lures fashionable palates to an unchic area. He launched his career in southwest France's Gascony region. His parents mortgaged their inn to allow Dutournier to open an early 1900s-style bistro in a little-known part of the 12th arrondissement. Word spread of a savant in the kitchen who practiced authentic cuisine moderne. His wife, Nicole, is the welcoming hostess, and the wine steward has distinguished himself for his exciting cave containing several little-known wines along with a fabulous collection of Armagnacs. You can start with duck foie gras cooked in a terrine or Gascony-cured ham. The best main courses include a casserole of scallops with endive, tender lamb from the Pyrenees, or the chef's favorite dish, le Cassoulet, made with duckling, pork, lamb, and sausage. Starters feature foie gras with raisins or else grilled shrimp.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Paris 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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