Restaurant Reviews: Homer in Paris

On a rainy Saturday in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, I ducked into restaurateur Moïse Sfez’s newly opened eatery just a few steps from the Odeon as much to dry off as to have lunch.

Then I read the menu, which boasted that its French lobster rolls (they also serve shrimp or crabmeat ones) had won an award in Portland, Maine as the world’s best. “Ha!” was my reaction, as a native-born New Englander who has been eating one of the greatest inventions of American casual dining all of his life.

There was also a Connecticut-style lobster roll and, since I was hungry and the showers didn’t look to be stopping anytime soon, I ordered one out of curiosity, casually mentioning to the friendly young staff that I’d be a good judge of their wares as someone who had spent his childhood in Connecticut.

The next thing I knew, Sfez appeared and eagerly explained his passion for the American seafood sandwich, which he explained he’d fallen in love during a holiday in America. “I love them so much, I started thinking about what I could do to make them better,” he said. His idea was to improve the usually low-quality of the American roll itself by teaming up with Paris baker Thierry Racoillet, who produced an airy, artisanal brioche roll that is quite simply light years from the American ones.

Then my ‘Connecticut roll’ arrived, and it was brimming with tender, fresh lobster meat lightly dressed lightly with lemon butter and herbs. It was delicious, and a great on-the-go lunch.

This address is highly recommended for anyone who wants to grab a delicious meal without having to spend a lot of sit-down time at the table, and the original Homer Lobster in the Marais is just as good as the new iteration on the Left Bank.

Homer has two locations in Paris, both are open daily:

• 21 rue Rambuteau, 4th arrondissement
• 15 rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, 6th arrondissement

For more information visit homerlobster.com

From France Today magazine

 

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