Hidden Kitchen Paris – Underground foodie heaven
March 9, 2009
Photos Erica Berman and courtesy of Hidden Kitchen
Hidden Kitchen private dinner club in Paris – with no idea what to expect, and no expectations to fufill, we were unexpectedly seduced and thrilled by this underground off the beaten path Parisian dining extravaganza. Expertly run by an American couple, the food has a definite US slant, nevertheless, this was one of the best meals I have had in over 16 years of fooding in Paris.
We arrived to a lovely Parisian apartment (can’t say where) with wood floors, crown moldings, marble fireplaces, soothing colors and candles everywhere.
Laura met us kindly with an aperitif while Braden prepared courses in the kitchen, and their adorable Boston terrier Tattie puttered around discreetly.
Hidden Kitchen Paris will celebrate 2 years of sensory stimulation in June. It started as once a month get together to help Laura and Braden widen their circle of Parisian friends. The speedy success pushed it to a bi-weekly exclusive foodie gathering. The first people we met were a lovely couple from London in town to run the half marathon. The 2nd people to arrive, we knew! Tom and Linda are former clients that we befriended and see from time to time as they are often in Paris for work (they live in California), but had no idea they were coming. Small world it is! The group was rounded out to 15 with a group of Americans from Berkeley California, and a group of young Americans who we did not get to chat with as they were on the far end of the long, and elegantly decorated table. The only Frenchie around was Alain, my boyfriend.
I admit when I heard that this was a 10 course meal that cost 80€ per person, I thought that a. I could never eat 10 courses, and b. 80€ was a lot of money per person for a meal. After the dinner, I can happily say that it was money very well spent and the courses were small and light enough to enable me to get through them all without feeling overwhelmed or over full. What can I say, the food was perfect and the wine pairing right on the mark, conversation flowed easily and midnight rolled around quickly. I could go into detailed explanations of all the fabulous courses, but I think I will just post the menu here and you can get an idea of what a fine culinary experience it was! Reservations required as Hidden Kitchen books well in advance!
Contact Hidden Kitchen: http://www.hkmenus.com/
Written by Erica Berman
Erica Berman grew up in Lexington,Mass. After graduating from Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Journalism and an intensive summer at Middlebury College (Vermont), Erica came to Paris with hopes of submerging herself in French culture and perfecting her French -- and she never left. Erica is the founder and owner of Haven in Paris and the blog HiP Paris. She now splits her time between Paris (Montmartre), Maine (Damariscotta), Massachusetts (Lexington) and Italy (Genova). In her all-too-rare free time, Erica likes to travel off the beaten track, explore Paris, read, take photos, cook, ski, hike and enjoy long Sunday brunches with her friends.
Website: http://haveninparis.com
Tags: Great eats Paris, Hidden Kitchen, Hidden Kitchen Paris, Hip dining Paris, Paris Dining
Posted in Food, Parisian Living, Restaurant Reviews | 5 Comments »
Love this
Do you know of anyone like you in Rome?
My nephew and his bride are on their way there as well as Venice and Como on honeymoon. Maybe he’s already found some cool places, but I think you have a good blog so thought I’d ask! Thanks!
[...] hosted by David Lebovitz and Meg Zimbeck, I jumped at the occasion. I was lucky enough to attend Hidden Kitchen over a year ago and was itching for the chance to return and experience Braden’s cooking [...]
Thank you so much, Mikie! We love Hidden Kitchen and wish your son lots of luck. We would love to be able to visit Flour and Water sometime. Thanks for taking a look at our apartments on haveninparis.com.
–Maggie
I came across your blog from Designsponge and was quite taken with Tatie’s birthday party. Putting him on my blog http://WWW.paintedriver.blogspot.com with a serenade from Spike on the piano.
I love Hidden Kitchen. My sisters son ran Prive in San Francisco and has recently opened the restaurant Flour and water. He is up for the James Beard award in May. Love your apt. also.
[...] For an amazing supper club in Paris, Hidden Kitchen, click here [...]