Phil G.
Yelp
After many "Racines" establishments across the river, the well known chef David Lanher, opened up his newest on the left bank, in the St. Germain part of the 7th Arrondissement, Occupying a small, elongated space with an open kitchen, the kitchen bar seats reign, as the young staff can be very entertaining, but Madame preferred the intimate two top in the rear of the restaurant. This kitchen is excellent, with Chef Navarro displaying his pedigree and well honed talents.
Oeuf mollet croustellant, a crispy boiled egg, was a delicious starter, but my
Tartare de mulet noir, a mediocre ceviche tasting dish. The star of the evening was the Joue de Veau braisée main, veal cheeks that caused my own cheeks to pucker in exaltation. It was amazing! Our other main, Pintade de Mr Duplantier, roasted guinea fowl, was good, but not great. It wasn't in the same league as the veal cheeks. Our desserts of Ananas rôti, mousse fromage blanc, sorbet piña colada and Mont-Blanc aux marrons d'Ardèche, sorbet myrtilles were wonderful. We washed everything down with a unique and piquant 2012 Rhone white, Domaine Des Tours Vin de Pays de Vaucluse.
One discordant note of Racines des Pres was service. Young and seemingly eager, the two women were quite different in their affect. One server was happy to describe the menu items and took great joy in our happiness. While the other server seemed more taken with her appearance than the food. At the end of the evening, both servers disappeared. The large group behind our own two top, were compelled to stand around in front of the kitchen waiting for their bill to be paid, blocking the entire restaurant. We also were forced to walk up to the kitchen to pay our bill. This is inexcusable in a restaurant of this quality. However, nothing could detract from the deliciousness of those veal cheeks. It was the tastiest dish of the year. Bravo!
