Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Comptoir du Pantheon

Paris, France

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

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Ahhhh... Gay Pair-eee!

There's nothing like a fresh croissant with espresso in the morning while looking out on the magnificent Pantheon in Paris.  

We found this amazingly versatile cafe not far from our hotel room which offered breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was locally popular which is always a good sign. We ended up going to Comptoir du Pantheon many times for meals and for our morning cafe and croissant fix.

You'll understand why when you take a look at these photos!

The front of Comptoir du Pantheon

Sidewalk seating here at the Comptoir. People are using their computers or chatting with friends.

There was also warmer seating inside if you preferred.

The side-wall windows provided a wind break from the gusty November chill.

Akaisha inside with the Eiffel Tower visible through the window

Seated inside the glass enclosure we had great views and blockage from the cool wind of the season.  

You can see the Eiffel Tower through the window behind me, and the remarkably efficient Haussmannian buildings seen all throughout Paris.

Since the Sorbonne University was only a 5-10 minute walk from here, we'd often see students gathering here for their morning coffee.

A price fixed breakfast

This was the BEST deal around!

To purchase an espresso and croissant separately elsewhere in the city, the price would easily be twice as much.

But since the University was so near, students were able to take advantage of this price fixed meal which included espresso, freshly baked croissant with butter (served warm) and a glass of water for $3.90 Euro or about $4USD.

Alain and Marie

We met Alain and Marie decades ago when Billy worked on the Island of Isle de Re in 1979. Alain and Marie had a bar/restaurant on this little island with a big history and we'd often go there for coffee or a beer.

They came to meet us in Paris and to stay a few days.

While walking to this cafe on the way to meet our friends, we found a cell phone on the sidewalk.

What to do?

We picked it up and brought it to Alain and his wife, and asked for their advice.

While discussing our options, it rang and Alan answered.

Turns out the British girl on the other end explained that her French boyfriend had lost his phone, and we must have it, since we answered her call.

We gave them our location and 10 minutes later they showed up.

They both were extremely happy and grateful to be able to locate the cell phone and we felt like we made merit that day.

Win-win!

Part of a menu

We enjoyed the breakfast and service here so much that we decided to check them out for dinner.

The starter menu listed escargots and French Onion soup, so we thought we'd go for that and share them.

When you consider that we are in Paris, France, these prices are amazingly affordable.

Main menu

From this main menu - which listed delicious choices - we decided on the rib steak with the Maitre d'hotel butter and the potatoes Dauphinois.

All of these courses are classic French dishes in a typical meal, and we were looking forward to our dinner.

Dessert menu

I like Creme Brulee. I don't get it often, but why not enjoy it while we're in Paris?

Looking out from our table in the restaurant

This is the view of the other tables in the restaurant from our banquette.

Past the gentleman and the lady with the red scarf is outdoor seating, where we normally enjoyed our espresso and croissant.

The bar is to the right, and more seating is to our left.

A plate of snails inside their shell with garlic butter

I'm married to a French Chef, and we owned a restaurant for a decade in Santa Cruz, California. All across the world we have eaten at the best dining establishments around.

And... I have eaten my fair share of escargot.

We have gathered them, prepared and seasoned them, cooked them for friends and family, both at our restaurant and for private gatherings.

What I'm trying to say is that I know my way around a snail shell.

But tonight it was different.

Remember the movie "Pretty Woman" with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere? Remember how she used the snail pinchers at a fancy restaurant and one of them got away... landed on someone else's table?

Yeah.

That was me this night.

So Billy and I are sharing this dish, which "allows" me 3 snails. I pick up the snail pinchers and

WHOOOOOPSSSS!

Down the server's hallway towards the kitchen a third of my appetizer goes.

Billy is looking at me like "Gawd. I can't take you anywhere" and I'm thinking "Shoot. I've lost 1 of my much-coveted snails and I only have 2 left."

Sigh...

On to the next course.

A bowl of classic French onion soup

This is a good standby in a French restaurant.

It's a chilly night (It's November, after all...) and this Soupe à l'oignon really hits the spot.

Caramelized  onions in beef broth with a bread crouton and melted cheese.

Oh yummy.

Steak with herb butter and potatoes

Another iconic French dish, steak and potatoes.

This time the potatoes are  Dauphinois which is an au gratin presentation.

Herb butter tops the entrecote.

Creme Brulee

Now the creme-de-la-creme which is the real deal, Creme Brulee.

This rich, custard-based dessert is a favorite all over the world.

Before serving, the top is sprinkled with sugar and then caramelized using a kitchen torch or broiler, creating a hard, glassy crust. This contrasts exquisitely with the creamy custard beneath, and it's that contrast in textures which is a key part of the appeal of crème brûlée.

Our bill

There were 4 glasses of wine, 2 appetizers, one entree and a fabulous dessert, all for $70 Euros.

This is about $74USD.

We would certainly recommend the Comptoir du Pantheon for a reasonably priced meal at any time of day.

Service is good, food is delicious and it's only a stone's throw away from the Pantheon.

__________

Comptoir du Pantheon

5 rue Soufflot, 75005, Paris

Tele: +33.01.4354.7536

Open 7:00 - 1:45 7 days a week

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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