Feeling adventurous and want to prepare a Southwestern meal chez vous? Do your shopping at this boutique cave à vins restaurant on the tree-lined Avenue de la … Bourdonnais in the 7th arrondissement, with another outlet in the 9th. We're not crazy about the place, but the products they sell -- your standard range of foie gras, magret de canard, brébis des Pyrénées, and regional wines -- are excellent.[link]

One of the best places in Paris to get an after-work drink, this spot in 6th near Odéon also includes a very decent restaurant with an upstairs nonsmoking section. … The owners are from Toulouse, and from the magret de canard to the cassoulet, the quality is solid, every time. Service can be a bit spotty -- c'est normal-- so be prepared to wait for that duck. (photo)[link]

Specializing in wine from the Southwest, particularly the Bordeaux region, l'Ecluse has several locations around Paris. It also offers mini-courses in wine appreciation, … each of which lasts two hours and offers tips on discerning between types of grapes, remembering tastes, and simply thinking up something clever to say next time you're the designated wine taster at your dinner table.[link]

You may know the 12th no better than you know Gascony, from whence hails chef Alan Dutournier. Both, judging from the quality of this restaurant, are worth the trip. … (Dutournier also owns Le Carré des Feuillants, which may possibly be the best restaurant in Paris.)[link]

A wine bar in the Sentier district whose 16th century vault-ceilinged back room will transport you right out of the 21st century, Le Domaine Léopold serves an array … of Southwestern specialties prepared especially to go with their cave of wines. Presided over by a sommelier and, occasionally, an accordionist, you'll be in good hands here.[link]

Denizens of the 14th swear by this unassuming, reasonably priced little bistro, which serves plentiful amounts of rustic fare like the ubiquitous cassoulet, stuffed … cauliflower, and a homemade foie gras. We hear good things about the "Gaillac," a chilled red wine served in a pitcher.[link]

Several addresses around Paris (we prefer the one in the 10th, it's the coziest), each featuring hearty and fulfilling concoctions of melted cheese, slabs of meat, and … white beans. Definitely not a spot for those refined palates out there, but great for the jovial, the hungry, and the adventurous.[link]

They don't hand out those Michelin stars to just anyone, and this cheerfully lit spot in the 14th is a perfect example of what a one-star restaurant ought to be. The … foie gras is heavenly, as is the lobster ravioli, and the soupe d'araignées de mer -- sea-spider soup -- tastes much better than it sounds. And it won't break the bank, either, since a three-course prix-fixe menu can be had for €30.[link]