Dinner with Eric Giriat

While we usually do lunch with artists this time we changed the location and the venue and or had dinner with Parisian illustrator Eric Giriat. Eric suggested one of his favorite restaurants, a quiet place in Paris’10th Ardissonment. Located in a former textile workshop the owner Odile Guyader--owner and chef—has been serving exquisite meals since 1992. Decorated with a changing assortment of artist’s work the name was a lift from artist Roland Topor’s book Café Panique, the artist when asked if it were okay to use the title simply replied, “As long as you don’t serve shit.” To that Odile replied, “Come eat.” The artist had no complaints so the name remained.

Eric is a charming fellow, born and bred in Paris he speaks English not with a French accent but a German one due in part we think to his mother being German and the fact that he splits his time between Paris and Berlin where he also has a studio. Speaking of studios, the next day we got to make a brief visit to his workshop which also doubles as his live-in space.

Crammed with books, magazines office supplies, drawing table and art supplies, the space is welcoming and understated. The view is directly above the railway tracks which is the site where Manet painted a number of famous paintings of trains—he was also a resident of the building along with other painters. Now the building is filled with mostly musicians which made sense as the neighborhood was filled with stores selling all sorts of musical instruments. Eric had a scheduled lunch with an art director so our visit was brief but memorable--he inscribed his latest children's book La tête perdue de Monsieur Mue for Sarah and I. In parting he pointed us in the direction of another favorite lunch spot, La Bastide Blanche which was equally divine.

That's Sarah in the top photo.