Paris: Gare de l'est, anything good near there?

Thank you so much for a great time near Gare l'Est. I'm sorry we don't have time to try everything you've We liked La Vigne de St Laurent very much. They have chosen excellent value for money wines, and their food is honest - wonderful cheese of course is easy in France but it must be ready to eat, as their is; confit de canard with large crispy yet waxy potato cake with salad a snip at under 15 Euros. Very, very good, too. And their Lyonnaise sausage with hot vinegarey potatoes strewn with onion and parsley. But La Vigne comes first here. There's an honest champagn, Henri de Verlaine, soft and full with its pinot meuniere, from one of the co-operatives. There's a ready to drink smooth Languedoc 19.5 Euros, Domaine des Cres Ricards, Vin de Pays Mont Baudile. Two bottles, two people, 2 salads, 2 main courses - agreat night out for less than a 3 start starter. But too much publicity could wreck a place like this, and spoil observation of Le Francais nibbling his lover's knuckles, and the general local fascinations. The guys who run this place are too perfect.
Also ate at Chez Casimir, open Mondays when older sibling of Chez Michel is closed. Breton influence, great Drappier NV by the glass 8 Euros. Excellent Coquilles and foie gras with lumps of plum to die for plus healthy small leaf salad. Marvellous cut and thrust on the palate with the balm of foie gras. Crispy skinned dourade has plenty of blette underneath, with a far too salty broth. Drink up!! My pheasant half is perfect, macerated in lashings of butter, mushrooms, girolles, cepes and roasted yellow potatoes in their skins.

And Chez Michel has no fault that we ate, but, like a lot of good French bistro food, there's a surfeit of protein.

Kaaren in France