Our Local

Our favorite local restaurant is Le Recepteur. It is at the intersection of Rue Gros and Rue Gauthier a couple blocks away from us.

It is the quintessential Parisian café. There are 10 or so tables on the inside and a coffee bar. There are probably twice as many tables outside with a retractable awning. The way the sun moves the outside tables are always shaded during lunch (12-2:30). This makes it perfect on a warm day, and very chilly to be outside there in the Winter. From 5-7PM it is sunny for Happy Hour. After 7PM the sun retreats behind the buildings for a nice cool evening dinner outside. On Tuesdays and Fridays there is a street market that runs along Rue Gros with 25-30 different stills including Fromageries (Cheese), Boucheries (Butcher), Poissioneries (Fish), Fruits, Vegetables, etc. Adjacent to the market is the local public primary school, and behind the fence is the park where the kids play in at recess. Sitting outside at Le Recepteur and watching the people go to the market and listening to the kids playing and laughing at recess is an exceptional way to spend a Tuesday.

I have probably eaten here a dozen times, written here a few times with a coffee, and we have taken or sent many visitors here. It looks like hundreds of other cafes that often have average food. But the food is outstanding. I have never had a bad meal and our friends have enjoyed it as well. They are not trying to win a Michelin star, but they do care deeply about quality. They do simple things well (Onion Soup, Caesar Salad), and they create elevated dishes that are unique and delicious (Octopus with Lentils and Chorizo, Deviled Eggs Revisited).

It is nice to have a “local” and it got me thinking about what makes a place a good local.

· This should go without saying, but the clientele must be predominately locals, not tourists or people coming from across town. A couple of weeks ago, our waiter introduced us to “New York Paul”, an American that has lived here for 3 years. Our waiter found it novel that we were both American and therefore should meet. Paul asked how we found this place, because you rarely find tourists there. Exactly.

· Related, the food must be very good, but not so well known it shows up on Michelin, Eater, Paris by Mouth, or the most prestigious of them all: The UFE 25. You wouldn’t go across town for it, but if you had it you wouldn’t feel the need to go across town for anything else that often.

· They must know you. Yesterday I sat down for lunch and Amir the waiter said “oh you’re Nicole’s husband.” I’m not that memorable of a person. Even at work, I was often Nicole’s husband. To the kid across the street in Atlanta, I’m “Mr Grant’s Dad.” The Argentinian family we met at school said “oh I know your Dog!” For some reason, the other members of the family are not recognized by their relationship to me.

· There must be a variety of food so you can eat there repeatedly without getting bored with it. I have had exceptional fish, octopus, shrimp, pork, beef, salad, and vegetable dishes. I could eat here every day. I should note that Trattoria Firenze (the baby pizza, big beer for a big man place) is also a “best local” candidate, but I can’t eat Pizza every day. Well I could, but I shouldn’t.

· The service must be consistently great across all servers. This is true of Le Recepteur. Amir is knowledgeable and kind and there is another server that is patient with Nicole and I as we practice our French. Nicole’s is much more advanced than mine and the server was patient and smiled at me when I said I was there for lunch at 8PM. Finally, there is a house dog, Moby. Like Walter, he is a good bad dog. Good enough to be off a leash, but not obedient enough to stay in one place. Somebody in the restaurant is always looking for Moby, who may be sitting in a chair next to someone or down the street sniffing another dog. Moby and Walt are buddies, which is rare for Walter and another Male dog.

I don’t think Le Recepteur will show up on any “best of” lists. I don’t think they care. But they care deeply about taking care of their local customers and keeping them coming back.

I have attached a couple of pictures. The first one is the blackboard menu. It changes seasonally. They have an English version and a French version that they bring out to the table for you to make your selections.

The second is a sketch from an up-and-coming artist named “Mr. Grant’s Dad”. Sometimes we have family art time and everyone draws what they want. A couple of weeks ago Le Recepteur was on the mind.

Wherever we go in life, it will bring a smile to my face to think of sitting outside on a warm and breezy day, watching a bustling market and listening to the sounds of children laughing, talking to kind people at the restaurant that care deeply about what they do, and having a meal that takes as long as it takes. I have nostalgia for it already.