We had scheduled a return visit to Pianovins for lunch, but it turns out they had an electricity problem and were closed that day. They had sent me a note, but in my haste that morning I had not noticed it. So when we arrived and found it closed, we went up the street to Chefs A Table - my understanding is the same folks are the ones who now own and run the new incarnation of Pianovins - and instead had a very nice, bargain priced Saturday lunch there.
My starter was potato foam, leeks with ras el hanout (African spices) and mushrooms. Reasonably interesting.
My wife’s starter was an even more delicious chou farci (stuffed cabbage) with chopped mushrooms, butternut purée and a very nice sauce combination. The cabbage itself was very light. I’m not usually a stuffed cabbage fan, but I could eat this dish three times a week.
For mains, we both had the merlu (hake) with cauliflower purée, endive and tonka bean topped with fried kale. Less innovative / “creative” than the starters, perhaps, but the fish was properly cooked and the dish quite enjoyable.
We both had the financier with lemon cream and pieces of grapefruit. The grapefruit gave what would otherwise have been an unremarkable dessert a really nice oomph that made the flavor pop. I only wish there had been even more grapefruit in it (and I say this as someone not usually a grapefruit fan).
i had an unremarkable glass of white wine with the meal.
We went to Chefs a Table last year for dinner and while it was a good value, didn’t find it all that compelling. At 30E for entrée-plat-dessert for lunch, however, we found it so enjoyable and such a very good value that we will surely return.
