I found three excellent places in the neighborhood with the help of my 'Weekend Pas Cher à Paris' guide book. The first is a nifty restaurant called Le Loir dans la thière (3 rue des rosiers). The eclectic decor (a mixture of collage, photography, and retro posters) provides a more artsy, relaxed vibe than you find at most brasseries. In this convivial setting, you will still find all the elements of the French restaurant lunch experience: menus written on chalkboards, desserts on display, and incredibly slow service. If you've lived here for awhile, you get used to the latter; if you're just passing through, it all becomes worth it once you taste the food. I had a mint and goat cheese omelet with flavors mixed to perfection and a mouth-watering berry crumble for dessert. It is definitely worth a stop if you're nearby and have 2 hours to spare...
If you're on the run, though, try Pasta Linea on rue de Turenne. While the shop mainly deals in homemade pasta, which they make and package in-house, you can also find daily prepared specials which can be enjoyed at one of their few tables or to go. I opted for a sandwich, which are prepared with the freshest ingredients this side of the Seine. You might call it a classed up version of Subway, which a plethora of cured Italian meats and a colorful salad bar at your disposal. I left my choice of fillings in the hands of the owner, who put together the combination of my life in a manner of seconds: salty Tuscan ham topped with roasted eggplant, avocado and mozzarella salad, and arugula. It's making me hungry just thinking about it.Another quick stop option is "Mama" Florence Kahn's bakery on rue des Rosiers. Aside from being filled with hip vintage stores, Rosiers is blessed with a high concentration of Jewish restaurants (the area once being the city's Jewish quarter). Mme. Kahn is a Parisian institution, and you would only be denying yourself the greatest gastronomic pleasure by missing out on her apple strudel.
