It’s really a perfect meal. To me, anyways.
Often there is a massive line up – so go early. Once inside – you’ll be so glad you waited.
As you are seated, your waitress, decked out in classic black and white, puts a leafy green salad in front of you. Lettuce, walnuts (les noix) and super Dijon loaded vinaigrette. Fresh. Perfect. Tout simple. Don’t bother with the baguette – you’re not missing anything – you need to save room.
There are no menus. No chalkboards. No daily specials. The waitress asks but one question. Well, it’s really not a question. It’s half statement, part clairvoyance with a smidge of question. She sizes you up, draws on her likely multi-decade tenure at this establishment and says: “Saignant….?” (Bloody?) Or maybe “A point” (medium) But never…. ever… “Bien cuit.” (burnt beyond belief) She scribbles on the paper table cloth how you’d like your steak, pauses to ask about wine and is off.
Not for long. Just as you finish your perfect salad, the angel in black and white is back. You are given your smallish plate, and on it she serves you half of your steak, which has been pre-sliced. Next she serves each at the table glistening pommes alumettes, until her mini platter is empty. And then….then it’s time for the magical sauce. It’s green. It’s a little bit creamy. It’s an enigma wrapped up in steak and frites. Once she has served the sauce, she is off again, leaving your half steak on your personal platter, not too far away, on a personal warming rack powered by a small candle. Waiting warmly for you.
The steak – entrecote of course, is nicely charred on the outside, cooked to perfection on the inside. The frites, are thin, crisp, golden, slightly salty and maybe cooked in peanut oil. The sauce (which appears to be non-optional) is divine. It’s pure entertainment to guess what’s in it. “Only the boss knows.” Is the answer I get when I pry…but she will not look me in the eye. My guess is “Poor-man’s dirty béarnaise.” It’s very green and brown-ish. Not pretty – but oh so tasty. A thin butter based sauce seasoned with tarragon, chervil, Dijon, shallots and white wine. That’s my guess, and I am sticking to it.
Just as you are about to finish, super waitress is back – serving you the rest of your steak, the last drops of the secret sauce, and of course a fresh batch of frites – because – you know – you may have taken 10 minutes to eat the first half of your steak – and you can’t eat OLD frites! Bah!
IF you have a little room left, you can finish with Café Gourmand – the best invention since, well, since steak frites – espresso, with little sweet mignardises (treats) on the side.
Le Relais Entrecote, doing one thing with excellence since 1959. The best 25 euros you can spend in Paris.
If When you go – don’t forget to let me know what you think is in the secret sauce……
