Pink Slip Gourmet: Good Things Come in Small Packages

Friday, November 13, 2009

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Wednesday was a French holiday, so B and I took the rare opportunity of a mid-week break to try a new restaurant on Tuesday night. It was an impromptu decision so when I suggested at 7:30 pm that we try to get into Le Timbre that same night, I was waiting for a royal French "Absolutement Pas!" Well, good thing the chef is British (don't hold it against him, I swear he makes delicious, non-British tasting food) because he squeezed us in at 9:30 pm. And, squeezed is a really good word to use because the place is TINY. It seats just over 20 people (maybe 25 if they are all really skinny) in the whole restaurant and space is precious. You are literally so close to your neighbor that it almost seems rude to not ask if he wants a bite of your delicious pate when you see him eyeing it. Don't get me wrong, though; that is not a criticism of the place - just an observation.

Only three people work there: the chef (who does all the cooking and prep), the waitress, and the dishwasher. The kitchen is open to the dining room and is about the size of 8 feet long and 3 1/2 feet deep. It is amazing that the chef puts out such quality food with such little space to work. Keep in mind, too, that within that space is the dishwasher and all the dishes he has to do. Seeing someone work so efficiently in such a small space gives this chef-to-be some hope.

There were both French and English speaking tables enjoying the food and ambience that night and it was packed when we left past 11 pm on a Tuesday, both of which I think are good signs. The waitress speaks fluent French and English and knows the menu like the back of her hand. If the phone rings, the chef answers it and takes reservations. It's undoubtedly one of the coolest and smoothest operations I have ever seen. It is a definite must if you are in Paris. Just make sure to call ahead for reservations because the word is out and the place is the size of a stamp, which happens to be its name in French: Le Timbre.