1Pastis

Everyone asks: What's the best resto in town? Perhaps surprisingly, it's not the one with the number one best food or service. It's the combo platter of the diner's experience - the place with wonderful food and service where nobody wears a stuffed shirt and diners can hence relax: Pastis! It's not the luxury of the ultra creamy-butter that I spread on the crunchy baguette upon arrival. It's not the terrine of foie gras that feels like inhaling heaven. It's not the perfectly judged Mediterranean fish soup with its sweet little dishes of rouille, croutes and grated cheese. It's not the tender beef bourgignon with its deep red wine sauce. It's not the perfectly cooked mussels in white wine with the fabulous sweet frites, although that's getting close. It may be the butter-roasted lobster, so erotically tender it should be illegal. Or it just may be the way that owner/maitre d' George Gurnon, the French gamin with the sweetest smile in town, greets, welcomes, soothes the most fevered brow from Kir Royale to miniature creme brulee, so small it couldn't possibly have calories. For nobody goes uncherished in George's delicious lemon yellow room.