The Paris by Mouth launch party at Spring Boutique

All photos by Nicolas Calcott

The calm before the storm:

Me and Assistant Editor Barbra Austin

Five hours later:

The crowd at Spring Boutique spilling onto the sidewalk

A few favorites:

Drew Carré, Contributing Editor Wendy Lyn and Daniel Rose

Contributing Editor Clotilde Dusoulier, Laura Adrian and Ellise Pierce

Contributing Editor Phyllis Flick

Contributing Editor Christophe Wakim (and girlfriend Oanèse) in the spotlight

Sidewalk ceviche with Elisabeth Fourmont, David Lebovitz and Daniel Rose

For more photos, visit Paris by Mouth.

Thanks to everyone who came!

And a major merci to Daniel Rose, Josh Adler, Marie-Aude Mery and the entire Spring team for making this party so delicious.

Thanks also to our Contributing Editors for sharing their time and ideas, including those who were traveling and unable to attend the launch party: Alexander Lobrano, John Talbott and Sophie Brissaud.

See you soon at Paris by Mouth?

For the lucky/sturdy souls who managed to battle through the bloggers, there were winemakers (Catherine Breton, Jean-Christophe Comor and Jean Montanet) pouring at the back of the boutique. Another wine stand at the front, manned by a cast of headlit deer, kept the ever-growing horde well-lubricated.

And to soak up all that wine, there were stacks of jambon persillé and a “hot dog” of white sausage (boudin blanc) with morilles. The latter – a juicy and slippery thing – continues to perfume the front of my sweater with its sweet and earthy fragrance.

Between the mob, the musicians, and the distraction of delicious things, it was hard to make out the exact details of what they’re selling here at Spring. But this I did see: a basket of oozy Robiola, silver vats of olive oil (Manzanilla from Spain) balancing upon the most beautiful antique stove, floor-to-ceiling cases of wine, a selection of chocolates that drew an approving nod from my pastry-making friend, curious jams with pumpkin and dandelion flower, Martelli pasta, and much more. They’re also stocking fresh seasonal vegetables like black turnip and mâche.

Anyone staying much after 8:00 was almost obliged to escape to the sidewalk, where the expanding crowd threatened to merge with the one spilling out from La Garde Robe across the street. It was a great party, and I’m curious to return another day to drool over the careful selections of Mary-Aude. I don’t expect it to be cheap visit…

Spring Boutique
52 rue de l’Arbre Sec, 75001
01 58 62 44 30

We’ll add a lunch service so that people can come more spontaneously. And we’ll add more staff, which will allow me to do things that are a little more creative than answering the phone. The idea is to reduce the frustrations so that the joy which is already here can have room to express itself more fully. I may be dreaming, but I think there’s a way to have a restaurant with both happy cooks and happy customers. Doesn’t everyone want to have fun?

While he could see the fun at the end of the tunnel, Rose never anticipated that opening the new space would be easy. But he couldn’t have predicted the volume of red tape required to rebirth Spring in the classified center. Any new restaurant in Paris is required to provide access for the disabled. But the city permits few, if any, structural changes to its protected buildings. Figuring out what they were supposed to do wasn’t easy for Rose and his team of architects. The plans have just now been approved, and Rose is forecasting an opening in March 2010 – fourteen months after our interview.

In the intervening months, Rose has to some extent been a man without a country. He closed Spring, at least officially, in February 2009. After time off and traveling, he returned to Paris to find the new place nowhere near ready. With the old space still intact (unsold) and requests pouring in every day, he decided in May to reopen again. But like anyone who has already resigned from a job, his heart wasn’t entirely in it.

He changed the game over the summer – adding weekend lobster roll parties – and then closed up shop again. After more time off and traveling, Rose returned to Paris with renewed focus and has managed to push through the plans for the rue Bailleul restaurant. He’s also constructing a boutique around the corner at 52 rue de l’Arbre Sec. This shop is the pet project of Marie-Aude Mery (Rose’s co-chef and girlfriend), who has been tasting and buying a host of Spring-worthy products. Rose promises on his blog that the boutique will be open in November, selling honey, wine, charcuterie, hot chocolate, HOT DOGS, and other delicious necessities.

In the meantime, however, one problem has remained – the original restaurant space. Rose put it on the market just as the clouds of la Crise were gathering. Despite offering a free t-shirt with every restaurant purchase, he hasn’t managed to sell it. So he’s returned again to the rue de la Tour d’Auvergne, but this time under a new banner. For Table 28, his “rusti-chic” neighborhood place, Rose has ripped out the kitchen (“I can’t even boil water!”) and has installed a €5000 rotisserie grill. Dinner for now is Coucou de Rennes with potatoes au gratin (Rose is working on a new recipe that uses goose fat in place of cream) and veggies roasted on the rotisserie. Including dessert, prices run  €29 for a 1/4 chicken portion and a 1/2 bird is €35. Don’t expect the program to stay the same, though – he’ll will be roasting a whole cochon de lait on Thursday night and who knows what after that. He’s also coming to the aid of lazy hosts by offering dinner pour emporter. Take out for four people (a chicken and sides) will run between €52-56. Table 28 will be open for dinner Wednesday-Sunday, with lunch service (sandwich de porcelet, anyone?) beginning shortly.

Anyone who wants to eat from the hand of Rose, however, should book a table now (call Fabian at 06 42 87 79 64). As soon as the concept and grill are running smoothly, Rose will turn his attention once again to urgent matters south at Spring, including what kind of snacks (beignets d‘huîtres?) should be offered in the basement wine bar on rue Bailleul.