Last night marked my fourth visit to l’Avant Comptoir in just over a week. This new wine bar is nowhere near my apartment, so why am I returning again and again? It’s the ham.

To be precise, it’s the deep-fried ham croquettes. Made with jambon Ibaïona d’Eric Ospital (Iberian ham from a legendary producer), these little nuggets are like eating, as the Frenchman next to me observed, “une caresse.” Priced at only 3 euros for a stack of three, they represent the cheapest love for sale in the French capital.

Those who prefer their ham without breading will be delighted by the More >