Thursday, May 26, 2011

Al Taglio II - Paris

Frenchie Silverware Struggles
During my three years in Paris I've studied the locals up close like a science project.  They're funny ones, the Frenchies.  They rarely notice when their dogs drop a hot load on the sidewalk - best to leave that for someone else.  They can be seen in summer, sporting woolen scarves like nooses, as if fearing a polar breeze.  Strangest of all, they eat finger-foods with knife and fork.  I've seen them carve up a burger, fork pieces of sandwich into their mouths and even attack a pizza with cutlery!  So, when my Al Taglio pizza arrived pre-chopped, sans silverware, I got out my notepad and pencil.  Time for some Frenchie-watching!  They struggled mightily when the pizza arrived.  They looked around, confused. Slowly, after accepting the lack of silverware, they reluctantly picked up their pizza shards.  I wanted to give em a hug and tell em everything would be alright, but feared the pizza grease I might get on my back.
It's Roman-style folks.  Large trays of pies are cut to order by the staff using a scissors.  You pay by weight, which can be scary as you eat first and pay later.  Turns out, the price is reasonable by Paris standards.  The cheese with speck was satisfying.  The crust was light and crackly, the way I like it.
The star of the day was the mushroom with truffle oil.  I would advise you to try this - such a deep, rich flavor. 
I was impressed with the apricot panna cotta.  It tightroped the line between sweet and cream-y more than usual.  I enjoyed the strong cream aftertaste.
I've never been to the original Al Taglio in the 11th.  I hear that the Marais outpost is much larger.  It's bright and cheerful, with long communal tables.  The staff was amazingly friendly and nice - un-Frenchie service for sure.
I will definitely be returning whenever I have a hankering for pizza.
27 rue Saintonge
3rd Arondissement
Paris

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8 comments:

  1. the pizza looks delicious... even at 9am in the morning!

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  2. @yixiao, pizza for breakfast is the best!!

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  3. Looks absolutely fabulous!
    And 'un-Frenchie service'!!
    What more could you want in Paris for a quick bite
    merci
    carolg

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  4. @Carol - this place is a winner!

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  5. This is a great post. Different cultures are so funny about certain things (scarves, finger food, etc) and reading about these eccentricities is always interesting. To me, as a native NYer, I find American's fascinations with lawns bizarre - but I am getting off topic here. Great post. Curious, what's your favorite Pizza in NYC? I like Motorino and all but actually find one or two of Donatella's the best value.

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  6. @Niko - if I'm really looking to impress someone I'll take them to Motorino, that is pretty good stuff. Generally speaking though, pizza doesn't have to be very fancy to make me happy. PS - my Dad agrees with you about lawns, he planted trees in both his front and back yards and let them take over, he never rakes or anything.

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  7. Oh you made me laugh! As a French currently living in the US, I was a little unsettled by American table manners... Now that I'm moving back to Paris after a few years, I wonder, will I be Parisian enough? Btw, this place looks good.

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  8. @Carole - You may end up in the unenviable position of having to defend us neanderthals!

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