Paradou

[ironfrank]

Paradou is a tiny French cafe as proportionally small as the town it's named after in Provence. There's a nice little menu of sandwiches, crepes, a couple of entrees. The wine list is as long and serious as the menu of confections from a local chocolatier.

The tartine sampler was five warmed bruschetta topped with pesto, gruyere, a bean puree, fennel, and I believe a tomato based topping if I remember correctly. The cheesey one was great but the rest left me kind of numb. Still $10 for one enjoyable round of grilled cheese isn't much of a deal.
The smoked salmon sandwich with lemon creme fraiche, and asparagus was much more enjoyable. It was on the large side of the panini scale and all of the flavors worked magically together.

A caviar filled buckwheat crepe was stuffed with overly oily bitter greens. The portions were large but so were the prices.

It's on Little West 12th St. in the Meat Packing District.

enjoy.
Frank

[mirepoix]

They have an excellent duck panini and their crepes are pretty good. Though, not authentic french they do have a lovely garden in the back that is really nice. Prices a bit steep for the amount of food you get. But, considered a great value for the meatpacking district.

[Nina]

I disagree. I think the prices are quite reasonable. Where do you get Provencal cooking, intimate, lovely service, and a good selection of well priced wines, for better prices in Manhattan?

[Sara Z]

I like this place for what it is, never crowded and pretty simple. I always like the food, which I reasonably priced.

However, the wine is another story. At first, there was a reasonable selection of moderate wines. I have noticed over the last year that the wines that used to be $25 are now $38. I don't think there are many wines under $35 at all any longer, which makes a little bite and bottle of wine with a friend a pricey night.

[madziast]

they just opened a branch in Brooklyn:
Paradou, 426A Seventh Ave., between 14th and 15th Sts., [phone].

inexpensive and yummy. not quite dinner celebration destination, though. best for casual.