An authentic Parisian bistro
When Nelson suggested lunching at Le Vaudésir, I jumped at the opportunity. It is a rare and wonderful Parisian bistrot.
But first a few words about Nelson, because he is a phenomenon of American extraction. After a distinguished career in international journalism, he founded News-Decoder.
News-Decoder’s mission is to help young people develop the skills, knowledge and behaviors of global citizens.
At an operational level, News Decoder is a global educational news service for young people. It has a public news site, news-decoder.com, that features authoritative and balanced multi-media content by experienced journalists and youth on topics of global importance — geopolitics, climate change, human rights, immigration.
I came in contact with Nelson through a mutual friend, and he invited me to contribute articles to News-Decoder’s rich website, which I have been doing on a regular basis.
Every experienced writer knows that writing is not a question of “art for art’s sake”. You have to pitch your text to your audience, in this case young people. Thus, crafting my articles has required some thought and at times assistance from the editor. It’s a nice challenge.
My lunch with Nelson was essentially a farewell lunch, as we are leaving Paris soon. And Nelson assured me that Le Vaudésir is a nice “bistrot”.
I arrived a little early so I could quiz the owner. He insisted that Le Vaudésir is a genuine bistro in several respects. First, they prepare just one dish each day, based on home cooking and affordable prices (if that does not meet your pleasure, they have some quiche in reserve).
Today, the dish was Sausage Rougail (Rougail Saucisse). This is a typical stew of sausages in an onion, tomato and garlic base flavored with chilies, ginger, black pepper and thyme. It was heart-warmingly delicious.
Le Vaudésir also has an excellent selection of provincial, country wines. I took a nice Languedoc red, inspired by some recent wine walking in the area.
Another feature is that the bistro still has a bar made of zinc where you can stand and enjoy a drink. And then there is the “squat toilet”, Turkish style, as was customary in France way back yonder. This is reputedly the most hygienic way to relieve yourself!
And as you can see from the photos, the decor is charmingly antique.
It’s amazing that after some 26 years in Paris, I keep discovering new things. Hemingway was right when he said that “Paris is a feast”.