Duck No 1108912

So, I’ve got this overcoat, Heidi thinks its paedophilic but I’m leaning more towards Inspector Gadget. I don’t know where I got it but I suspect it was in Melbourne in the early 90’s when Milli Vanilli were still deemed to be authentic and I wore suits. I haven’t worn it for years but as we packed for our April Paris jaunt this year I noticed that it was cold as a witch’s tit in the city of light and if I was going to wear a suit to some of its swankier restaurants I may require an extra layer.

As we entered the lower level of La Tour d’Argent I had to draw on every last fibre of decorum within my warped being not to say that I had a reservation under Gadget, but decorum prevailed. God however punished me throughout our delicious luncheon as the song from Inspector Gadget looped incessantly through my subconscious…duh duh duh duh duh, inspector gadget, duh duh duh duh duh oo oo!

La Tour d’Argent has a remarkable wine list. You would have to arrive several hours before service to wade through it properly but I happened upon a couple of relative bargains quite quickly which turned out to be sublime. Our white selection of a 1985 Comte Lafon Meursault-Perrieres 1er Cru was presented at the table as the 95, which I quickly shooed away. The correct vintage arrived and the wine was brilliant. It slowly built in the glass, throwing off some mushroom scents with a little honey at first. It was complex yet restrained with notes of hazelnut and almond. In the mouth it had near perfect shape, with a fruit sweet heart and typical ‘Perrieres’ minerally precision. It was so focussed with every flavour clean and bright and superb length of flavour driven along by grapefruit acidity.

Some nibbles were extremely tasty but I was more absorbed in the swapping of the 95 for the 85 so I can’t go into much detail but I can tell you that an amuse of fresh peas with pesto, mint and spring onion and a parmesan chip was fresh, energetic and opened the gastric juice floodgates for what was to follow.

My entrée of pike quenelles were classic, rich and hearty. The fluffy quenelles of loveliness sat upon flavoursome champignons de Paris and the whole dish was triumphant with the aged Meursault. Heidi’s asparagus with truffle sauce was, well, kind of ‘apsparagussy’ but not very ‘truffley’, I guess when truffle is out of season you can’t get on your ‘haut cheval’ and decry a lack of truffle flavour but….

The famous dish here is pressed duck and we shared number 1 108 912 (you get a postcard letting you know what number duck you have had since the restaurants inception). A perfectly roasted whole bird is presented to you by the man in charge of ducks (he has his own very posh area) and then is taken off to have breast and legs stripped whilst the bones are pressed to provide some jus for the sauce upon which the breast meat is presented. The duck breast was moist, and rich with a velvety texture, just perfect to be matched with an aged ‘Amoureuses’. Lucky I had spied and ordered such a beast and in our red glass sat the 1979 Clair-Dau Chambolle-Musigny ‘Les Amoureuses’ 1er Cru. A beast it was not, titillating with its elegant, perfumed and savoury nuance. There were notes of sous bois, freshly tiled earth, pine needle sap and juniper. It was fine and lacy in the mouth, developed but lively and fresh with a rigid mineral spine. The second part of the duck was its leg, served with a hollandaise sauce infused with a little grainy mustard, very tasty.

Cheese offering here is good with a relatively compact selection that had been perfectly ‘affinaged’. Comte was rich and nutty, Reblochon mild yet imposing and great with both colours of Burgundy and a wedge of Livarot that filled the room with sweaty socks and tasted of luscious cream and nuts.

We skipped dessert, had an outrageously expensive coffee (10 euros with two small chocolates).

The view is incredible here as you sit over the Seine, absorbing some of the great Parisian landmarks. Service is silver, you’ll feel more at home if you are dressed up, it is expensive but the wine selection is brilliant and there are still some bargains. I reckon you have to take on La Tour d’Argent first and foremost as a wine lover. What is a fair price to have a bottle or two of perfectly aged wine? Keep that number in your head, add the food costs on top and you are probably still under the number in your head…you’ll have a good experience if you approach it this way.

Cheers
Jeremy

Another great story–missed my meal at Tour d’Argent when my luggage didn’t arrive at Charles de Gaulle and I waited there for hours many years ago. Wonder who got duck 1,000,000 but I bet he didn’t drink as well as you.
alan

Great write up sir! That duck sounds delicious! So does the wine :wink:

Great post, Jeremy. Sitting here trying to get my head around 1.1 million ducks…

Goodness gracious, that’s 150 million euros worth of canard!!!

Sounds like you are roughing it again…

Great story. I have an Inspector Gadget overcoat also…

I’m picturing a sign out front that reads, “over 1.1 million sold”…

Seriously sounds like a great time and some nice quick solid wine choices.

Thanks for the writeup that reminds me of wonderful meals there. The setting, the wine, the wine lists and the wine service have been magical for me.

The place is a national treasure as is the wine list. If there is a more romantic place for dinner with the sun setting, I would love to know where. I got engaged there last spring and it was a simply perfect evening. 3 stars in my mind. The '78 D’Angerville Ducs was pretty good as well.

Despite some discussions, I was unable to find time to share a bottle with Mr
Holmes, which was probably the only disappointment of the whole trip. So maybe next time, but thanks for taking me back for a moment.

Perhpas we could have an inspector Gadget theme for our Monday table at your place? Has Anthony got one?

Hah! The staff was probably getting even with the bloody foreigner for seeing through their ruse with the Lafon! Just very bad sommelier-ship in my opinion. Go-go Gadget arms!

Otherwise, great story and hope to see you in May.

Great write up Jeremy and glad you liked it. I have only been once and thought it one of the worst restaurant meals of my life saved by the wine list. I do intend to go again for the wine list but plan to avoid every classic dish.

Seems to have avoided the question…maybe he’s to afraid to say… neener

Thanks for this very enjoyable account, Jeremy!

I’ll bet the prices weren’t so dear for Duck #1. Although perhaps denominated in Francs, the total “number” may still be close.

Jeremy

the patron at landaus scherrer in hamburg has similar thing going on. 30+ years of working closely with a duck breeder/grower. each duck has a number and even a name. his words to my wife sara: “young lady what is your name?” my wife replied: “Sara”. Patron: pointing to the whole duck that was going to be prepared table side said: “sara, meet annabel”.

we drank roomier 07 chambolle amour… (a study in finesse) and 92? clos de coulee de serrant.

Great writeup, I still haven’t made it there but am dying to go.

Le Numero de moi canard: 1083548

If you dine for lunch, I think you’ll notice a significant cost savings. The tour of their underground wine cellar and seeing where they walled off the cellar to hide wine from the Nazis was an amazing experience and a highlight of our visit to Paris. [cheers.gif]