Neighborhoody Stuff: Chez Gaudy

You may remember that I stumbled on a piece of Paris last week, or what I thought (okay, hoped) was Paris. I thought (hoped) maybe I had found a doorway to Moulin Rouge in its heyday, or the left bank, or maybe even Vienna before WWII, but sadly time travel is still not possible and I didn't find a magical doorway.

I did, however, find Chez Gaudy.

Chez Gaudy is not only gorgeous, warm, sexy, and decadent; it's also delicious and novel. Gaudy has two seating times, 6:30 and 8:30, they can take maybe about 35-40 people at a time, and they have a novel and wonderful way of serving: they charge by the plate like Sushi Land. As you walk in, you can have your pick of five or six cold plate options, laid out on ice, and you grab a bottle of wine out of the wine rack; it's all completely do it yourself. The servers bring glass jars full of silverware, personal hand towels, and water and wine glasses and set you up with bread, and after that it's a completely designed-by-you dinner experience. Throughout your seating, servers bring around trays of hot small plates and salads, and you can take a plate or not, as you wish, filling yourself up with bread and cold plates in between courses. Last night I had mushroom gnocchi, apple and sausage risotto, some lasagna, spicy tomato gnocchi, a salad of field greens with roasted shallot dressing, and a bread-and-cheese course--and two very full glasses of wine--for twenty. freakin'. dollars. I have occasionally spent more than that in one day at Starbucks.

I had hoped to keep Chez Gaudy to myself for some time longer, but since every neighborhood blog and their brother has covered it already, that's become pointless. Go now; take a date or a large group of friends, and walk there and back, for the best experience. It's so homey and DIY that it feels like your kitchen...that is, your kitchen with a bottomless wine cellar, a personal chef, and a lounge. So not really like my kitchen at all; more like a dream that might take place in a kitchen. What are you waiting for? Go!

The author notes that Tuesday is 8-dollar bottle of wine night, and also that trivia at Clever Dunne's starts at 8:45 or so. The author won two t-shirts last night, thanks mainly to a well-answered bible-trivia section, and recommends that event as well. Many thanks to the trivia host Mark Davis and his able assistant.