Au Boeuf Couronné

I eat out often. I can not remember the last time I cooked a proper meal since living in Paris. This may sound almost extraordinary for those who have known me for years. I was taught to cook at a young age. The women I grew up around thought it essential for a man to know how to cook. In childhood, I was placed on a chair, or stool, in many kitchens and taught simple things like making toast, frying an egg, boiling water or cooking oatmeal. I was taught how to make a sandwich. Later I was taught to make a cake, by following a recipe (or the instructions on a box), anyway... you get the idea. I prepared my own food for years, that is if I wanted to eat. As an adult, I finessed my cooking skills but somewhere along the way recently, I have lost touch with the kitchen. I live with a wonderful cook and so this makes it easier for me not to. When I am not being cooked for, we eat out. Sure, if you live in Paris, why eat at home. Yes, there are millions of restaurants. Anyone with one square foot of space will open it as a restaurant. For the most part, all Paris restaurants have good, or at least more than adequate food. All have some kind of atmosphere, usually favorable, and depending on your expectations offer a great variety of specialties. So far, I have probably eaten in every arrondisement in Paris. That said, there are some favorites I visit again and again. One of those is Au Boeuf Couronné. It is in the 19th arr. It is on Avenue Jean Jaurès and near the Porte de Pantin. This is old-school Paris. It is bright and sleek, but in a way a well preserved classic American restaurant from the 50's is. It is the kind of place you imagine going to on the most special of occasions, like a job promotion or to announce to your friends you are getting married. But, it is not the kind of place you would pop the question to your intended. The service is as crisp as the table linens and the food is the epitome of tradition. This is not nouvelle cuisine and there is no fusion in sight. It is a place for grown-ups. This is one of the first restaurants I had dinner in once deciding to stay in Paris, so it a special place for me. An entrecote with frites and a good red wine hits the spot every time. There is an older gentleman server there who is my favorite in all of Paris. He is consistent, never up nor down, he has the answers to your questions and he never hovers. He should train servers from Paris to New York because there needs to be more like him.

Everyone connects with food in some way or another. I love good food. I usually like to keep food simple, but from time to time, I enjoy some experimentation and artful finesse. I can remember every meal I have had at Au Boeuf Couronné and with whom I have had them with. I feel comfortable there. It is not like they call me by name or anything when I enter, but when a place offers you good food, good service and good memories, it is best to hold onto it.

Au Boeuf Couronné
188 Ave. Jean Jaurès
75019 Paris
01 42 39 44 44