Restaurant des Gourmets
© Photo by Olivier RTD Lewis
On one of his first forays around Paris after arriving in March 1930, Miller discovered a restaurant to his liking on the rue des Canettes, near St. Germain-des-Prés. It was “a dirty little place, with sawdust on the floor and flies even in the winter,”1 but its prices fit his budget,—which was virtually non-existent. Here he could enjoy a delicious bowl of onion soup for only sixty centimes or take in a full meal for a pittance as he reported to Emil Schnellock: “At the Restaurant des Gourmets I have an excellent meal for twelve francs, including wine, butter, bread, serviette and pourboire. Unbelievable—becoming a gourmet on a 48-cent meal!”2 Miller was charmed by the humble restaurant and its faithful clientele, many of whom were young students, who returned for their daily meals as though it were a university dining hall. “It was one of those delightful places where you are given a napkin (to last a week) and a napkin ring which is exclusively yours,” he recalled.3
Miller soon became a fixture at the restaurant. Following his first visit, he ate there every day for several weeks consecutively. But even at the reduced prices, Miller was soon unable to afford his meals. In desperation, he plucked up the courage to ask for credit. “People didn't make this sort of request in this sort of restaurant,”4 he recalled. After slowly looking him up and down to take his measure, the proprietress assented, “Why certainly, Monsieur, with pleasure. Willingly.” Miller was elated. “What a country!”, he thought. “They scarcely know me and here I am eating on credit.”5 When he tried to think of restaurants in New York where such a thing was possible, he came up empty. “They'd feed you, of course, but, in exchange, they'd force you to wash the dishes all day long.”6
Madame Egal, the proprietress of des Gourmets, was the first in a litany of friends who saved Miller from starving during his early “dog years” in Paris and he always made sure to pay her back,—a rarity for Miller. Sometimes he dined at the restaurant with his friend Fred Kann, a sculptor who regaled Miller with conversations about Tibet. On other occasions, Miller would linger after a meal, getting tipsy on table wine and practicing his French with Madame Egal. He felt like his “old swashbuckling self” when one day she complimented him on his improvement. “‘Monsieur’, she smiled, ‘il me semble que vous êtes tout-a-fait Parisien maintenant’” (It seems to me that you are truly Parisian now).7
Miller usually referred to the restaurant as “Restaurant des Gourmets,” though it appears in books by other writers as “Aux Gourmets” or “Les Gourmets.” The restaurant remained in business through the late 1950’s, but has since disappeared. Dine and drink are still available on the premises, however. The multi-level Café Six, which has transformed des Gourmets’ sixteenth-century vaulted stone cellar into an intimate bar, is the current occupant.
Video
Here's a quick video clip of Miller talking about his experiences at Restaurant des Gourmets—from the film Dinner with Henry Miller by John Chesko and Richard Young (1979). You can see the rest of the film at UBUweb.
Recipe
Paris Bistro Cookery by Alexander Watt (1957) provides recipes for a couple of Monsieur Egal's specialties at Restaurant des Gourmets. Here's one you can try for Canard aux Olives:
Canard aux Olives (serves 4)
|
1 3½ lb. duck 1½ cups green olives, stoned 4 tbsps. olive oil 4 tbsps. butter |
1/3 cup dry white wine ½ cup rich veal stock salt, pepper |
Salt and pepper the duck and cook gently in the oil and the butter, in a stewpan, for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, blanch the olives for 10 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Rinse the pan with the white wine. Add the veal stock and reduce by half, or until the sauce starts to thicken. Throw in the olives and as soon as they are hot, pour the contents of the pan over the duck and serve at once.8
Notes
- Henry Miller, Letters to Emil, 24 (March 9, 1930)
- Ibid.
- Henry Miller, "Paris Revisited," Nexus, vol. 3 2006, pg. 5
- Ibid.
- Henry Miller, Remember to Remember, 342
- Miller in conversation with Brassaï in Brassaï, Henry Miller: Happy Rock, 53
- Henry Miller, Letters to Emil, 64 (October 26 or 27, 1930)
- Alexander Watt, Paris Bistro Cookery, 99-100
Location
When I first saw the pictures of the Restaurant des Gourmets, the first thing that came into my mind was the photographs taken of the rue des Canettes on Bastille Day in 1949 by the French photographer Robert Doisneau. The book I have is published by Hazan and showing seven pictures in all, they more or less chronicle the day's festivities beginning with children's games in the daytime, and then adults carousing in the bars at night. Two of these pictures show the Restaurant des Gourmets in the background, but what is interesting is that upon closer inspection you can see that by the year in question it had been renamed the Restaurant des Canettes. But as a series of pictures displaying residential life on a central Parisian street in the post war years they are priceless, and the marvel that we can also compare these pictures by going up and down the street with the Google Street View Map only adds to the pleasure of seeing how the city has changed since then. On page 348 of the same book there are some people sitting on the pavement, and with a sign above them reading "Rest..." and then underneath it "Alex...," you would normally be at a loss as to its true identity and location. The Street View Map rectifies this straight away, and moving parallel with what is today's Bar Six we find the Aux Trois Canettes Chez Alexandre Restaurant. Happily some things do not change, and with regards to the City of Light that's the way I like it. The last gem that appears out of this series of pictures is the one taken at the end of the road facing the rue du Four, and having two people waltz the night away it was also used as the front cover for Antony Beevor's book The Liberation of Paris.
Hi Michael,
This cookbook I have, Paris Bistro Cookery (1957) says of Aux Gourmets that "The bistro was very popular two or three years ago. Then it had its ups-and-downs. Now it has been taken over by the original owner, Monsieur Egal, who is building up its former reputation as a simple little bistro where good quality food and wine are served at very moderate prices." Perhaps the up-and-down period with a different owner corresponds with the 1949 photos and explains the name change to "Restaurant des Canettes." By the way, this must be the waltz photo you mentioned. Thanks for pointing out the Doisneau series.
I'm trying that duck next weekend!
Right on, Eric...
Let me know how it turns out. I think I'd be hard-pressed to find duck or veal stock in my local supermarket, but a trip to Whole Foods might turn up something interesting. The other recipe from Des Gourmets involves calf's liver and eggplant; mmm....
havent tried duck anytime will do it soon