Tummy Trip in Europe: L'Alsace, at the most beautiful avenue in the world..

Yes, I'm biased but I'm sure millions will agree , The Avenue des Champs Elysees in Paris is the most beautiful avenue..sigh..sigh..sigh...It runs two kilometers along the 8th arrondisement and home to specialty shops, cafes , cinemas with the beautiful nipped trees dotting the entire avenue. I love the Champs!  I love walking the entire stretch and even if you don't buy or eat anything,  which is impossible really, simply soaking in the vibe is pure bliss.

It was a sunny Saturday and perfect for a leisurely walk and lunch coupled with some window shopping along the Champs.  For a moment or two , I was debating whether to eat in a bistro or a quaint cafe somewhere in Montmarte or the Marais, or a brasserie  in the 6th , 7th or 10th arrondissement. Being a culinary superpower, there are so many restaurants in Paris,  I can't imagine how many per square foot but I love it.  You can choose  from the Michelin rated to the legendary ones where luminaries once occupied tables or the nondescript family style kitchen offering classic, no frills French dishes and you have  20 arrondissements (districts) to consider. You'll go crazy before you can even say " une table pour deux s'il vous plait " : )

We spotted L'Alsace because of its great location and since the place was moderately packed with diners, we opted to have lunch there. We got a good table inside, close enough to the sidewalk but not really outside wherein the tourists passing by can scrutinize your food.

We ordered the french onion soup. I love French onion soup and when you're in France or Paris, this is a must!

L'Alsace's french onion soup is perfect for me. The caramelized onion in the rich beef stock topped with baguette and swiss cheese was heavenly...

We tried the chicken salad as well.

This is a simple salad of chicken breast strips, fresh greens, tomatoes and a light dressing. It tasted alright nothing really fancy but it has that French flair which made it picture perfect. Notice how lovely the color of the tomatoes with the greens.. hmmmm..it could use a bit of salt actually but I didn't seem to mind hehe..The place is just so beautiful they could have given me crumbs and I would just let it slide hahaha...
But to be fair , the salad was OK . It went well with the warm bread and butter.

For the main course, we had the chicken with fresh pasta and the fresh knuckle of pork with sauerkraut.

                                           chicken with fresh pasta


The chicken was ok , it was a bit dry but I like the mild flavor with the fresh chives. The fresh pasta was delicious. Nothing beats fresh pasta and I like the homemade tomato sauce but they should have added a few more tablespoons of it to compensate for the texture of the chicken.

                                           fresh knucke of pork with sauerkraut

The knuckle of pork turned out to be a huge dish good for two. Doesn't it look like a pata (pork hock, knuckle )  that's waiting to be fried to golden crispy perfection? Crispy pata in the making right? Hehe..Though I really prefer crispy pata, this knuckle of pork was boiled fork tender and very flavorful , its really good and we had it with fresh mustard, potatoes and sauerkraut. If you're a fan of fresh corned beef, then this dish is for you.

We had a great time at L'Alsace . The wait staff,  though they looked harassed ,  were friendly and attentive.  And what more can I say ? You're in Paris baby!  at "La plus belle avenue du monde" ! : )