There must be a hundred bars like this in Quebec, but the Parisians have a special affection for this one.  Maybe it’s the tacky rough-hewn wooden furniture, the hockey equipment on display, or of course, the moose head hanging behind the mirrored bar.  The “Montreal Canadians Ave.” sign is a nice touch.   There are at least six, wide-screen HDTV’s in the bar showing the hockey playoff games tonight.  No one pays attention to them.

Mike, a less-than-marginal former pro hockey player from Mississauga is tonight’s host.  He’s wearing his BC dinner jacket (an open, untucked plaid flannel shirt) along with a four-day old stubble, and a less than casual attitude.  Nevertheless, his Parisian guests seem to be quite enamored with his North American (lack of) charm.    They like to order about six feet away from him so he can slide beers down the bar to them.   The 20-something girls smile when he pops the caps on bottles of Moosehead Pale Ale even though they are 6 euros each. 

The barmaids are always quite chatty.  They love to talk about how they landed in Paris and how much they love it here.  They aren't shy about telling you how expensive it is to live here, either.

Even the French know their limits, which means the pub fare has to be pretty good in order for the Moose to live another day.   The bacon cheeseburger is juicy and the le roi of the menu.  To the delight of the guests, it is served in a red plastic basket on top of a napkin with fries.   The beef has a rich taste.  The bun is slightly toasted and is fresh, not out of a plastic wrapper.   The pickles, however, lack crunch and taste.   It would be better if the bacon were more fatty and pliable but the creamy and aromatic cheese more than makes up for it.    It is 13.50 euros.  Loonies are not accepted as payment.

The rest of the food is quite good too.  The quesadillas are crunchy and filled with aromatic cheese.  Don’t expect escargot as a starter or even crème brulee for dessert.  

If you are in Paris and are in need of a fried-food fix along with a hockey/football/rugby event on a big-screen TV, the Moose Bar is the place to be.

Website: http://www.mooseparis.com/