To begin a meal.

To begin a meal.

Food memories never fade. Not for me. I can recall almost everything I have eaten, especially since 1994 or so. Seriously. Some plates I remember better than others, and to relive some meals requires a bit of effort, such as the one I had at the house of a friend of a friend. The host was not that good of a cook, and decimated the shrimp. If I want to, I can remember the taste of that poor shrimp. But why would I? I choose to focus on the good.

This was good. One evening in Paris not so long ago I went with a few friends to Au Passage, a small place that I love. It is a simple space, but the food and wines are excellent. We had tongue, we had duck breast, and we drank some great wines. The duck was smoky, and the charred carrots served with it sweet. The tongue, my favorite of the evening: olive oil, some greens, legumes. If I could have anything I wanted for dinner tonight I would choose that tongue.

This speaks to me, with quiet deliciousness.

This speaks to me, with quiet deliciousness.

Duck, done very well.

Duck, done very well.

Au Passage has a great wine list, and we enjoyed it on the that evening. The memories linger.

Vin, a must for every meal.

Vin, a must for every meal.