I first heard about this quaint bistro nestled off the beaten track in the 13th from my pal Alec Lobrano, author of Hungry for Paris but my introduction was from Barbara Wild of French gardening.

I first heard about this quaint bistro nestled off the beaten track in the 13th from my pal Alec Lobrano, author of Hungry for Paris but my introduction was from Barbara Wild of French gardening.

In the pinball, networking world of Paris Through Expatriate Eyes I found Barbara through cookbook author Paula Wolfert who found me on Facebook and booked my Paris au Flaneur tour for her daughter who was staying with Barbara from whom Paula had purchased cookware.

A further irony was that I had met Paula at a cooking demonstration at the Emporium in San Rafael, CA in 1980 where I purchased Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco.

As is my habit I arrived a few minutes early and immediately began to take some fotos for the site when the beautiful French-Chinese Marie –France and her Icelandic husband, authors of The Odd Guide engaged me in conversation and asked if hey might take photos of me and my guest who had just arrived.

BW was well known here and two glasses of Txapa, a Pays-Basques rosé with a hint of cherry to the finish was placed on our table accompanied by a shot glass of scallop mouse with tiny crunchy croutons.

  We ordered from the formule–a paté for BW and braised beef tongue for me.  Barbara had the pan-roasted St.Pierre

and I lusted for the house variation on brandue de morue made with cabillaud–garlicky, creamy and finished off in the oven for texture. We washed it down with a light, fruity Morgon from LaPierre.

For desert BW chose a simple cheese course while I experimented with an elegant croustillant de fenouil served with a timbale of fromage blanc sorbet.

At 32 euros + wine I’ll be back often.

L’Ourcine: 92 rue Broca, 75013 Paris. Tel: 01 47 07 13 65.
Métro: Gobelins.