Sagittarius 8° (November 30)

Need to cook in tonight, I can’t keep dragging myself out. Will make a pea and mushroom risotto with cuke, tomato, feta salad. Rescheduled visit to Hyannis; I just can’t drag myself there. I need to understand where in this life I can live.

Eating

Chez René. In a Paris world where most of our favorite traditional restaurants have faded into memory, this place has come to represent one of the last great hopes. It serves things only French people will eat (kidneys and brains and other organs) but you are safe with the coq au vin or boeuf Bourgignon. Funny, charming waiters in the full kit and apron. Shiny dark red banquettes and a small zinc bar and exhibition posters fill the walls. At the very end of boulevard Saint-Germaine in the 5e near La Tour D’Argent. Reserve for sure: 43 54 30 23.

Bar à Iode. Also near the end of boulevard Saint-Germaine in the 5e (in case you haven’t noticed it’s one of our favorite areas). Delicious oysters and other raw shellfish and perfectly cooked fish dishes. A youngish couple opened this about five years ago and made a great success of it. Service can be slightly slow but definitely worth the wait. The decor is bright and simple—long blonde wood tables with colored metal chairs. Very Loic and Rob (Canteen) looking.

Café de la Nouvelle Mairie. rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques. This is our happy place. We go for tartines and bowls of coffee in the morning. We go for plat du jour or soup and mackerel rillette for lunch. And we definitely go for dinner at least twice a week when “living” in Paris. The food is simple and fantastic. The wine list (many organic reds) is superb—in fact it is mostly billed as a wine bar. It’s small and slightly cramped but always in a congenial way. The servers might seem aloof when in fact they’re super chill. Attracts many Sorbonne professors, philosophers, writers. Feels like the modern equivalent of an authentic 19th century cafe experience. Even some of the wait staff look like they’ve stepped out of Lautrec paintings. We tried to keep this place secret but word has definitely gotten out. 

Vivant. This place is super special too. The chef/owner is the son of the owner of the clothing line A.P.C. but he is the real deal and totally committed to this “experience.” It is a tiny place. Most seats are actually at the bar (which we prefer). You have to reserve well in advance as there are few seats. The number they give doesn’t look like a landline +33(0)967499626. The bar is best, too, because you can see them making everything. The bar is basically also the kitchen. The walls are lined with cases of wine. The somelier is top notch. Everyone looks young enough to be your grandchild. It is beyond delish.

Josephine Chez Dumonet. rue de Cherche-Midi 6e. Surely as good if not better than Chez René however the Goop crowd has found it (thanks a lot Gwyneth) so it can be filled with people who are quite full of themselves. But it is a wonderful bistro. Prolly more relaxing for lunch (if you just have a soup for dinner). You would need to book. 45 48 52 40. I would definitely eat things like a terrine (made in house) and steak tartare and pigeon and other authentic things here. The chef is Jean-Christian Dumonet and he knows a lot of New Yorkers.

Pizza Chic. When you just want a pizza and a salad but you still want to people watch and maybe spot a French film star or two this is the place. Probably among the best pizza restaurants anywhere. 13 rue de Mézierères 6e.

Le Voltaire. 27 quai Voltaire. when you’re also feeling very flush and French. Try to get seated in the back room with all the vraie Parisien.

To view the original Sabian Symbol themed 2015 Cosmic Blague corresponding to this day: Flashback! The degree point of the Sabian Symbol may at times be one degree higher than the one listed here. The Blague portrays the starting degree of for this day ( 0°,  for instance), as I typically post in the morning, while the Sabian number corresponds to the end point (1°) of that same 0°-1° period. 

Typos happen. I don’t have a proofreader. And I like to just write, post and go! Copyright 2021 Wheel Atelier Inc. All Rights Reserved. Get your HAUTE ASTROLOGY 2021 Weekly Horoscope ebooks by Starsky + Cox.