Friday, March 21, 2014

The Green Goose: Bouffe to Soothe IKEA Blues


Louis and I discovered (the hard way) yesterday that when you order a bed from IKEA, the bed slats are not included. So, after spending most of the morning assembling our new purchase, we were more than a little dismayed to watch our fresh, pristine mattress sink through the gleaming white frame onto the floor. We were even more dismayed when we realized that instead of luxuriating on our grown-up acquisition of a new bed, we would be sleeping on the floor, like incompetent losers. The nearest IKEA is 40 minutes by car (we don't have a car.)

This morning I was able to find a friend willing to drive and help carry everything (thank you Jenny!!) and set off into the Paris suburbs to face the bright blue monstrosity/Hell-on-Earth/IKEA Paris-Nord.

We made it.

We bought the bed slats.
(And a rug. And a sheepskin throw. And a potato masher. Don't tell Louis.)

We arrived back in Paris, unloaded the car, and quickly hopped onto the metro and into the 11th arrondissement, for lunch at a new pub that I am very excited about. The Green Goose is a "non-traditonal" (no Guinness to be found here!) Irish gastropub near Nation, and it is fabulous. I have eagerly awaited the pub's opening - both the owner, Kieran Loughney, and chef, Jim Robson, are friends of ours, and Louis designed and illustrated the bar's logo, menus, and four framed watercolors for the interior.


Lunch started with a plate of duck rillettes and piccalilli. I need a jar of this piccalilli in my kitchen - it was extraordinary. Because we are both greedy and indecisive, Jenny and I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with fennel and the chicken club with avocado and bacon, which we shared. The sandwiches come served with enormous, perfectly-crispy-yet-fluffy potato wedges, which we did not share. Obviously.


While I looked on jealously, Jenny washed her lunch down with a bottle of Galway Hooker, one of the incredible artisanal beers The Green Goose has on offer. In lieu of beer, however, I enjoyed a bottle of "Pomme Tentation" apple juice by Atelier Patrick Font - which was so delicious I was momentarily unfazed by the fact I am limited to alcohol-free beverages at the moment. (Miraculous, seeing as we had just spent four freaking hours at IKEA.)


We would have loved to have stayed longer and sampled more of the menu, but the afternoon sun was waning and I had kiddies to collect at school. The next time we are in, I am looking forward to tasting the homemade scotch eggs, marinated lamb steaks with salsa verde and spring veg, and the selection of Irish cheeses. They serve homemade desserts too (including my own chocolate, stout, and marshmallow cake!)


The lads have been open for less than a week and are already churning out some serious culinary goodness and awesome beverages; I have an inkling The Green Goose is going to be a massive success. It almost makes me willing to go to IKEA every week, if it means I can convalesce here afterwards. Almost. 

 Louis Scott

The Green Goose
19, rue des Boulets
75011, Paris

+33 9 82 37 73 41


2 comments:

  1. The description of the food made me extremely hungry!

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  2. It all sounds wonderful except, perhaps, for the Scotch egg. I had my first ever two weeks ago in Edinburgh. Hated it. maybe I will give it one more chance at the Green Goose!

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