Maxine's Pictures December 1-7

We took Emmy out for a drink with us.  Yes, it was a cold night.

On Thursday, I walked by the Hotel de Ville (Paris City Hall) and saw them setting up the ice skating rink in front.

The rue Mouffetard area all decorated for Christmas.

Dinner at Verjus.  Absolutely the best meal we've eaten so far in France!  The pictures (taken without flash so that we didn't disturb other diners) really don't do the meal justice.  Here is what I ate:

Sea scallops from Morlaix with clementines, smoked squash, chili oil and grilled lemon.

Razor clams from Brittany with housemade garganelli pasta, wild arugula, hazelnuts, buttermilk and bay leaf oil

Squid from St. Jean de Luz, squid ink gnocchi, salsify, garlic butter, and piment d'espelette.

Missing pictures (darn--food was too good and I got distracted):
Duck breast with smoked celery root, orange and sauerkraut
Wild boar confit with beetroot chutney, marinated beets and mustard greens

This is a partially eaten picture of aged comte cheese with apple comte bread, tarragon gastrique and apple butter.

Roasted pumpkin cake with egg nog ice cream and bourbon caramel.  Again my photos don't do the meal justice.  They were also very accommodating to Tom's dislike for all things from water.  For every seafood course, they gave him a vegetarian alternative that he raved about.  Unfortunately, I don't have that menu written down.  We're definitely going back to Verjus again while we're in Paris, maybe for New Year's Eve.

Full moon picnic on the Pont des Arts 

Pompidou Center