For those that don’t know: Raw Beef + Raw Egg = Steak Tartare

And you know what, it’s surprisingly good.

I found the restaurant Les Fines Gueules by way of a David Lebovitz post. He asked some Parisian locals to pick their favorite places to eat around town. There are a lot of good recommendations in that article, so if you are thinking of going to Paris, be sure to check it out.

Steak Tartare at Les Fines Gueules

This was the recommended restaurant for steak tartare. This would be my first time ordering steak tartare, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect, perhaps a pile of beef in a puddle of blood. Quite to the contrary, the meat was tender and flavorful. There wasn’t even a drop of blood! Admittedly, This preparation of steak tartar was not quite standard (normally just raw egg and raw beef), but it was not terribly gussied up either. Hand-chopped, high-quality, beef was tossed with truffle oil and sun-dried tomatoes then topped with shaved Parmesan (OK, maybe it was a little dressed up). The truffle oil, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan provide a bit of background complexity to the meat, but don’t compete with the naturally beefy flavors. Served with a salad of mixed greens and some potatoes, it made for a nice, and surprisingly light, lunch.

Lunch at Les Fines Gueules

Even if you don’t want to try the steak tartare, the menu at Les Fines Gueules offers enough of a selection to satisfy anyone. The food is well prepared, fresh, and reasonably priced.

My meal was tidily completed with an espresso served with Valrhona chocolate. I could do this everyday.

Espresso and chocolate. So simple a combination.

Related posts:

• L’As du Falafel
• Cheese (at Astier)
• Back in France
• Street Food: Döner Kebab
• La Crêperie Bretonne