Monsieur Paul - formerly known as Bistro de Paris

[ehagerty]

Just happened to have a reservation for tonight - opening night. I was not aware it was going to be opening night when I booked the reservation (Nov 19th, according to my email confirmation for BdP), but they did let us know when we checked in. Since I had no place I needed to be, I was totally fluid with however the meal was going to unfold. Besides, after years of delivering IT projects (where the stakes are usually VERY high for a successful launch, given the nature of these systems), it was kind of interesting (entertaining) to watch the last minute finessing of someone else's project - pulling the flowers out of the elevator and putting them on the stands, Philippe navigating the first two customers on electronic carts into the elevator, Jerome handing out electronic communication devices, etc. It was fun to be part of the start of something, for which I had no responsibility whatsoever!!

===============================================

For those who may not have already seen them, these threads may provide some context for the evolution of my experiences with this restaurant....

Bistro de Paris Pictures (December, 2011 and March, 2012)

French Regional Lunch - Introduction - Alsace (October, 2011 F&W event)

French Regional Lunch - Food

==============================================

In other words, I was a pretty big fan of BdP, and feared the worst when I heard that DDP was coming (which, I am sure, is a profitable business proposition for Disney, but generally has not had a positive impact on menu variety).

Be not afraid - it was great.

Waiting in the shop (out of the rain) for Monsieur Paul to open

Table setting

Center of Room

Menu and glass of champagne - Nicolas Feuillatte, Brut NV (if I am reading my handwriting correctly)

.

 

[ehagerty]

Recognize these little guys? The escargot in brioche from F&W!

There was a brief discussion with my server about what the difference might be between Mise en bouche (Put in Mouth, Foretaste) and Amuse Bouche (amuse mouth, appetizer). She said they were the same, followed by the fact that this was her first night. I figured I could research online, which is what I have done, to the extent I have the energy for it at this hour.

For those who care to know:
Amuse Bouche (from Wikipedia): The amuse-bouche as an identifiable course arose during the Nouvelle Cuisine movement, which emphasized smaller, more intensely flavored courses. It differs from other hors d'Suvres in that it is small, usually just one or two bites, and preselected by the chef and offered free of charge to all present at the table.

Mise en bouche: well, there is no entry in Wiki - but what I've been able to deduce from google and what I was served for this course tonight is that it is an appetizer of the chef's choice that is not "free" but rather, included in the total cost of the Prix Fixe Menu.

So, the escargot in brioche IS the amuse bouche (everyone gets it, for "free"), and the Mise en bouche for tonight from my Prix Fixe Menu was the dish below. Of course, the "runner" from the kitchen had to walk around the dining room a couple of times with the plate after telling him I did not order it, before we figured this out. No problem - for me it was an unexpected, welcome, whole 'nother course!!

Lightly cooked marinated salmon, blinis, cucumber salad

As often happens, I would not have ordered this salmon, based on menu description alone. I was pretty hooked on the salmon pastrami, and this sounded more bland. My mistake. This is like the best sushi salmon. I would definitely order it again (although, I may have to try all the other appetizers, at least once, first), because I don't think I could make it myself. Phenominal piece of fish (not the slightest bit fishy, no gristle, tender, warm throughout, but only "cooked" around the edges - great!!!!!)


Also, somewhere between the deux bouches, I got a glass of wine (Pinot Blanc, Baron DeHuen 2010 - Alsace) and the classic, still crisp-on-the-outside, steamy-on-the-inside baguette.

.

 

[ehagerty]

Maine lobster, vegetable brunoise, crustacean bisque reduction

No brainer. Delish. I did ask the server what "brunoise" was when ordering - she said "like mirepoix". OK. Wiki again, because I was pretty sure mirepoix is onions, celery and carrots and I was pretty sure what I was tasting was carrots, parsnip and mushroom. (Later confirmed by Stephane)

Mirepoix - can be a combination of celery (either common pascal celery or celeriac), onions, and carrots. There are many regional mirepoix variations, which can sometimes be just one of these ingredients, or include additional spices. Mirepoix, raw, roasted or sautéed with butter or olive oil, is the flavor base for a wide variety of dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces. The three ingredients are commonly referred to as aromatics.

Brunoise : Brunoise is a culinary knife cut in which the food item is first julienned and then turned a quarter turn and diced again, producing cubes of about 3 mm or less on each side, or 1/8-inch dice. In France, a "brunoise" cut is smaller, 1 to 2 mm on each side, or 1/16-inch dice. Some typical vegetables for a brunoise are carrots, celery, leeks, and turnips. The diced vegetables are blanched briefly in salty boiling water and then submerged in salted ice water for a few seconds to set the color. The brunoise is used as a garnish in many dishes; it is often used to garnish consommé. A brunoise should be consistent in size and shape, as this helps to create a pleasing and professional presentation.


Culinary lesson aside, this dish has everything I like - rich, complex, savory, and lobster.

.

 

[ehagerty]

Herb crusted rack of Colorado lamb, Nicoise style tart with goat cheese, onions and arugula cassolette of flageolet beans

Tour Prignac (H. Medoc) 2008​

(chosen to pair with the lamb by Stephane)

All so very good - ate all the beans, brought the lamb home for breakfast in my SSR room tomorrow!

(Note - make that "just had it in my room at SSR the next day" - tasty all over again - with a nice 2010 Arista Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast)



.

 

[ehagerty]

Vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet in a meringue, whipped cream

Side view

I completely forget to take a picture of my B&B coffee (in a snifter, loaded with real whipped cream)!!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Did you happen to take pictures of the menu? We are dining at Monsieur Paul on Dec 20th and your review has made me even more excited!

 

[ehagerty]

Overall - If you liked BdP, you'll like Monsieur Paul. Same management, same chef, similar menu, same food quality, less formal. I look forward to many return visits and F&W next October! I am seriously considering bringing my travel party of 5 here next month for the Prix Fixe menu!

Notes:
1. The dining experience was smoother than I was expecting for opening night. Any minor observations I've made are merely a matter of start-up and I would expect everyone will know the drill and have confidence within a week or so. That said, management is there to troubleshoot if needed - don't hesitate!
2. It wasn't too crowded - I don't know if they limited the number of reservations (which would make sense for opening night), or if people just didn't realize it was open - but it allowed me to sit, party-of-one-windowside, from opening to Illuminations. That probably won't happen again!
3. There are some stated qualifiers (limitations) on the Prix Fixe Menu relative to DDP, for example "Prix Fixe menu DDP 2 entitlements +$30.50", but that is actually a confidence booster to me - because it suggests that they have their price points in line to be able to continue to offer attractive options to the non-DDP diners - like me.

Many thanks for a lovely evening to Jerome, Eric, Philippe and Stephane - and, of course, my compliments to the chef.

.

 

[JimmyV]

Thanks for the update and the photos. A. follow-up question If I may. What temperature did you request the lamb, as the photo shows lamb that is quite well done. If that is what they are passing off as "medium", I'd have to order mine less than rare to get what I prefer. Thanks.

 

[Herfnerd]

Thanx for the review! Just curious - how relaxed was the atmosphere?

 

[ehagerty]

Did you happen to take pictures of the menu? We are dining at Monsieur Paul on Dec 20th and your review has made me even more excited!

Not one that is readable - however I did bring one back to the room and can take a picture and post tomorrow - assuming it is not already available at that time.

 

[ehagerty]

Thanks for the update and the photos. A. follow-up question If I may. What temperature did you request the lamb, as the photo shows lamb that is quite well done. If that is what they are passing off as "medium", I'd have to order mine less than rare to get what I prefer. Thanks.

Actually, the server did not ask (and she should have). Usually when that happens, you get "chef recommends" and that should always be "medium rare" for this cut. I suspect that the camera flash affected the color of the meat (a common complaint among restaurant owners in discussion forums about amatuer-food-photos) - here is another view (taken with available light). Pretty sure the meat was delivered medium rare. At that point, I was already too full and planned to take it home. I did eat about half of one and it was very tender.

.

 

[ehagerty]

Thanx for the review! Just curious - how relaxed was the atmosphere?

I'd say very relaxed - tourists wearing what tourists wear to parks - servers wearing French-style aprons instead of tuxedoes - did that answer your question?

 

[Happy 2 B Me]

Your food reviews are a delight to read. I so enjoyed the food primer for us less then foodies. please never stop reviewing the wondrful restaurnts you select for your dining adventures. Once again You are pure delight when posting your experiences.

Thank You
Patty

 

[Herfnerd]

I'd say very relaxed - tourists wearing what tourists wear to parks - servers wearing French-style aprons instead of tuxedoes - did that answer your question?

Thanx - loved BdP in the past before they were involved with DDP and just curious as to how relaxed and "family friendly" they got. Looking forward to our January ADR.....

 

[Marthasor]

Thank you so much for the review!! Can you tell me (cue debate), if they had a (I know, here it comes . . . ) children's menu? Yes, I said it.

 

[minniebeth]

Lovely review! Thank you for sharing!

 

[AdelineandSidney]

Do you have any photos of the whole dining area rather than just a narrow view of 1 table?

 

[LittleKittyMarie]

I really enjoyed reading your review, and a big thank you for posting it so promptly for all of us eager readers. I was wondering if you had any more photos of the interior? I'm trying to get a better sense of how the decor was changed from BdP. Any photos or description would be so gratefully appreciated!

 

[ehagerty]

One of the liberating dimensions to blog-writing (discussion thread commentary) that I really appreciate is that there is the opportunity to just post the basics (like I did last night), and then continue to develop the report - or even go back and modify the original posting to include the new information where it can be more useful to the first time reader. So, having posted all the pictures immediately following the meal - at the request of some Dis-Foodie-Friendies in a FB group who have reservations for later this week - I also thought of several additional points while sleeping!

===================================

Children - One of those points that occurred to me this morning was the lack of young children in the restaurant - and that led me to realize that there was no children's menu contained in the menu I received. I do not know if there was a separate childrens menu. The only family I noticed had two children around the age of 10 - and it looked like the entire family ordered the filet (served butterflied - which usually means they ordered it well done - which usually means .... but not always, of course). I did not notice if the kid's portion was adjusted for age or not. I did not see any high chairs available for use - but it is possible they were stored out of sight (or shared, downstairs at CdF). I would say this is a new arena for discovery - meaning those who need to know should probably find out while still in the vacation planning stages.

Of course, who knows how MP will adapt over time to the demands of the customer base. It is a tricky business to have tourists (more specifically, tourist families) be a large percentage of your clientele.

===============================

Dress Code - there basically isn't one. Yeah!!! I know there are advocates for a dress code commensurate with menu prices, but I am not really one of them - for this restaurant. I appreciate that when the restaurant opened in the 80's that people still dressed for dinner, but a few things occur to me:

1. It is not practical for a restaurant embedded in a theme park - think about having to wear a suit (dress coat, or even "business casual") and having to walk probably a mile (from parking lot) in the 8-months-a-year oppressive Florida heat (sweating through, most likely) wearing dress shoes (ouch) - who wants to do that? How many are actually going to do that? Practically speaking, the logical, largest customer base will the ones who are there for the park. Add rain to the heat, and you have quite "the look" when you arrive at the door.

2. This 2012 - times have changed - I've lived through some of the most amusing sartorial debates of the 20th century (my favorite = leisure suits vs designer jeans - which would God find more offensive in church?; c. 1980). I have a closet full of industry-and-era appropriate work garb (Wall St banker suits, law office suits, manufacturing, health care, and on and on) and could not be happier that today, most days, I wear jeans - except, of course, when I work from home - two computers going, headset conference calls, snow swirling outside - then I can even wear PAJAMAS to work. Do I miss the dress up days - wearing a seersucker suit, pressed body-part-to-body-part in an un-air-conditioned NYC subway in August, soaking through in minutes? Never. Nor any variation, thereof.

3. When there are rules, and I am aware of them, I follow them - interestingly enough, the single most consistent question / comment from readers that I get on Victoria and Albert is about the dress code - nobody wants the bother of having to pack dress clothes for a single meal, especially in these days of baggage charges when most of us are trying to fit everything into a carry-on. We OWN jackets, but we never pack them (for reasons noted above) - we just borrow them once we are there. That said, we are facing the same dilemma for Remy's next month, and they don't have jackets to borrow. (Mom, I haven't worn a jacket in years and I've moved 5 times since then; I have no idea where it is..... yada yada).

4. All of that said, not knowing what to expect, I wore theme park clothes for 80 degrees and 100% humidity, and brought a change (white linen pants, black top, black sandals) in one of those backpack-string-thingies (if they have an official name, please educate me). I checked in, scooted to the ladies room (upstairs, another "yeah"), and did my quick change. I appreciated having slacks in air conditioning, but it was not required, and probably not worth the effort (in hindsight).

 

[ehagerty]

I really enjoyed reading your review, and a big thank you for posting it so promptly for all of us eager readers. I was wondering if you had any more photos of the interior? I'm trying to get a better sense of how the decor was changed from BdP. Any photos or description would be so gratefully appreciated!

I do have only one other shot of the interior, taken with available light, therefore, a little pixelated (blurry).

I did not take too many pictures, because:
1. I was trying to be relatively unobtrusive and not overly-flash-happy, since I actually had a request (one time only) from another patron (different restaurant, this year) to stop taking pictures - and I didn't want to risk being cut off from taking the food pictures.
2. There is not that much different in the dining room (can't speak for the kitchen) - it is still the same space, layout, windows - yes, the colors, fixtures are different, but I found the changes relatively subtle, compared to what a "complete rehab" can sometimes mean.

.