What and Where I Ate in Paris

I didn't make a lot of plans for eating in Paris. Though I hadn't been in quite a while, I just sort of figured it would work itself out. I was fortunate enough to be hosted during my stay by a friend and classmate of my husband James named Amy, who invited me to stay with her and her husband when I told her I would be in town for a few days.  On my first night in Paris, a Sunday, we went to Semilla, a trendy modern bistro in the heart of the St. Germain.

On Sundays they serve a set meal for 29 E, with a choice of starters and one entree.  The menu below translates roughly to:  a choice of bread with tomatoes and green gazpacho, house-cured salmon with white beer gelee or cold cauliflower soup topped with chervil and a main course of boar (shot by the chef himself) served with fingerling potatoes.

I was so busy taking everything in at this point - reveling in the fact that I was out to dinner in Paris, getting to know my hosts, sipping cold white wine - that it didn't really dawn on me until Amy pointed it out a bit later that the prix fixe meal was a little underwhelming.  The pan con tomate was served with a topping of ham - not that I generally mind a little extra pork, but when the main course is pork, it might be a bit much. They had run out of the green gazpacho and served us the cold cauliflower soup instead, which further leached the plate of color.
 The pork was acceptable, though a little bit tough - possibly because it was wild boar, possibly because it had not been aged.
The meal was redeemed by dessert, at least for me.  I had the "Sable Fraise" a thick, crumbly pistachio shortbread cookie topped with vanilla cream, perfect strawberries and curls of coconut.  Fred, Amy's husband, ordered the Cake au Noix with Chocolate Chaud (Hazelnut cake with Hot Chocolate) which was ok, but not as good as it should have been.

The next day I was on my own to explore the city.  It was a holiday so most boutiques and small businesses were closed, but the major department and chain stores around the Champs Elysee and Opera in the 8th and 9th Arrondissements were open.  I took the metro over to the Opera and popped in Galeries Lafayette for a few macarons from the Laduree counter just inside the door.  I went back later in the day and picked up a few of these pastries.  They were just as delicious as they looked.

On Amy's recommendation, I had lunch at the oyster bar at Garnier, near the Opera. The bar itself is a jewel box space and I had it all to myself. My server did not speak English but that didn't hinder me from pointing at the small "plat" on the menu. I couldn't finish it all but I did pretty good work, especially on the oysters and shrimp. It was my first time trying whelks or "bulots" and I managed to chew through a couple of them before deciding they're just not my thing. The staff at the oyster bar on the sidewalk outside were very charming and let me take lots of pictures - they even invited me inside the larger restaurant to take photos (unusual for Paris.)  After lunch, I checked out my first Velib bike and went on a little excursion up Rue Martyrs to Place Pigalle. It was a hot day, so I checked the bike in and went into McDonalds and asked for "un gran coca cola light avec boucoup glace" - and received a regular coke with precisely no ice. I tried again and got diet this time, with about seven cubes.  I didn't think my French was THAT bad.  

To get out of the heat I took the Metro back to Place Madeleine to pick up picnic supplies.  My plan was to get a couple of things at Fauchon, maybe some pastries from a patisserie and some other things at a Monoprix.  This cheese plate from Fauchon was perfect for two and quite a bargain - I think together with a (very excellent) plain baguette it was under $10.

I also picked up a container of julienned vegetable salad that was decidedly NOT a bargain.  I went back to Galeries Lafayette for the pastries, and to a mini Monoprix for butter, olives and a few other staples (butter and olives are definitely staples in France - as are dijon mustard and cornichons.)  The plan had been to picnic in a nearby park, but it was threatening rain so we ate our little feast at the dining room table.  That was just fine with me, because I was exhausted after walking and biking all over the city all day.

The next morning I started my day with a croissant from Sadaharu Aoki, just around the corner from where I was staying, on Place Royal.  Aside from the amazing frozen one from Picard Amy had made me the morning before (no lie), this was the best croissant I had on the trip.  The shop itself is a delight - a confiserie and patisserie based on it's namesake's stylish Japanese aesthetic.  I would have returned to buy small boxes of the bonbons maquillage to bring back as gifts, but I was felled later that night by an unfortunate bout of "le gastro."

Lunch that day was at Au Pied du Cochon, near Rue Montorgeuil.  They were advertising two course plat - (I chose an entree and dessert) with wine and water for 18 Euros.  With the bread they served a little pot of  "confit du porc" - a pork rillettes spread.  I opted for steak frites (I had to have it at least once on the trip!) and the meat was as tough as my shoe, but the onions, dressing on the salad and the sauce - true to French tradition - had great flavor.  The place was lively and made for great people watching and there were many locals there as well as tourists.  Would I go back?  Maybe - but I don't think I would order the same thing again.

For dessert I had the Ile Flottante - which was lovely - but given that the egg whites are virtually uncooked, it occurred to me that it could have been the source of my illness.   Then again, it could just as easily have been a virus from the handlebars of a Velib bike... or the oysters....

I am sure I don't have to tell you there is nothing fun about being sick on a vacation. I lost my last day in Paris to recuperating, but at least I didn't have to get up and get on a plane - and I was lucky to be staying with Amy, who took great care of me.  She went to the store for Smart Water and crackers and to the Post Office for a box that I could send some stuff home in, which was a life saver as it turned out.

I almost forgot to mention something funny that happened on my last day out and about. A young woman walked up to me outside the Musee d'Orsay and pretended to find a ring laying on the ground.  She said the ring was too big for her and handed it to me, then asked me for money for it - I handed her 3 Euros and hightailed it out of there - with the ring.  They use these brass rings with stamps on the inside to make them look like real gold, so I thought it might have been stolen until I realized it was brass.  Amy had heard of the scam and had even seen it happen to someone outside the Louvre so she explained it to me. I guess I got off pretty easy at only 3 euros!

France, 2012 - Paris

After five fantastic days in the Southwest of France I boarded the TGV in Agen and headed for Paris. A few people have asked me about the train ride, and I have to say - it was one of the most uncomfortable I've ever experienced.  Not only because it was hot and crowded (I chose my car poorly) but there was almost no luggage storage, which may have been partially to blame for the fact that a woman's full-sized suitcase fell down out of the tiny overhead bin and landed squarely on my head about halfway through the trip.  Thankfully it was more shocking than anything else, but I caused quite a ruckus, let me tell you.

I'd been to Paris twice before and I was prepared for crowds and had a pretty good idea of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do, but I still found it a little oppressive somehow.  I used my first day, which was a national holiday to explore a bit (a lot of places were closed) and on the second day I went "shopping" I put that in quotes because I didn't actually buy anything.  On the third day I was sick - which was a drag, but I was really glad I didn't have to get on a plane, which had been my original plan. I barely made my flight as it was, after the shuttle no-showed, and the Air France bus hit crazy traffic on the way to the airport the next morning.

The other day, I heard a story on NPR about something called "Paris Syndrome."  Apparently when some people go to Paris, they are so disappointed by the reality that they actually suffer a kind of emotional breakdown. Japanese people appear to be particularly susceptible, and it's theorized it's because depictions of Paris in popular culture there idealize Paris so much. My experience wasn't as extreme, but I can see how Paris can let people down.  The expectations are just so high - its Paris, after all!  But it's also a real place, full of real people going about their real business.  Everything is expensive, there are lines wherever you go, there are as many Americans as French people on the streets (at least in the busiest areas) it's expensive, it's not always easy to get around, and the weather is fickle - rainy and gray one day, hot and sunny the next.
On past visits I've used the Batobus to get around Central Paris - and I highly recommend it.  It runs up and down the Seine with stops at the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Notre Dame, Ile de la Cite, Place Concorde, etc.   It's a great way to see all of those sites in a short period of time. This time I was staying on the left bank in an area near the Latin Quarter, so I used the Velib bikes and the Metro for the most part. To use the Velib bikes without a "chip and pin" credit card, you need to buy your pass in advance on the internet and then activate it when you get there. Jordan of Oh Happy Day! lived in Paris for a year and has a nice little guide here. You'll have to punch in a long pin number when you check out a bike (check the tires, I had one with a flat) but it's not too much of a hassle.   The bikes are better than walking over long distances, but can be a little nerve wracking when you don't know your way around. One thing I was REALLY glad I did was pay in advance for an international data plan for my iPhone, so I could use it for directions.  It saved my bacon a few times.
I was primarily focused on food on this trip and I had a short list of places I knew I wanted to go.  At the top of my list was Rue Montorgueil and the nearby cookware shop E. Dehillerin.  At E. Dehillerin you wander around and find what you need, then record the item number and look up the price in a large book near the front counter.

It was crowded and there was a line for the only salesman who spoke English, but I was able to check out the options and they do mail order, so when the time comes I will have that stainless steel lined heavy duty copper sauce pan of my dreams. The prices are very reasonable, even with the exchange rate.
Rue Montorgueil is a street of food shops located near Les Halles, the original home of the storied wholesale food market of Paris which was relocated to the outskirts of town in the 70s and replaced with a tacky indoor shopping mall.  Rue Montorgueil itself is lined with innumerable cafes, cheese shops, produce stands, bakeries, boucheries, confiseries, chocolatiers and on and on.  David Lebovitz' guide to the area  is full of great tips and information.  I went to most of the places he mentions including Mora, the pastry supply warehouse, where I was taken aback to find a large selection of Wilton brand cake decorating supplies on the shelves - the same stuff you can buy at any old Michaels craft store in the US. I was hoping to find some interesting little things to take home, but the selection at Sur la Table in the States is actually better.

Early summer produce was already flowing in - there were mountains of stone fruit, cherries, plums, nectarines and apricots all looking absolutely perfect and beautiful.
Just about every third or fourth shop on Rue Montorgueil is a fromagerie, all of them carrying a dazzling selection.  In San Diego we have a grand total of three stores like this - all of which are owned by the same company.   By comparison the volume here truly is astounding.  
Sadly, I was not permitted to take any pictures of the beautiful displays of baked goods in the patisseries and boulangeries.  The picture thing was really a problem in Paris - NOBODY wants you to take pictures inside any kind of store, and most of them have large signs up and will really yell at you if you violate their policy.  They couldn't stop me from taking a few on the outside though - Stohrer has a beautiful shop front and mosaic entry as well as a dazzling display of pastries, breads and sandwiches.

A lot of cafes also have these inlaid entries.  These are pretty much a thing of the past in the U.S. - a few have been preserved but they're usually throwbacks to a bygone era when the business had another name.
 Just around the corner from Rue Montorgueil is La Droguerie - stocking ribbon, yarn, buttons, beads and other accoutrement for sewing projects.  I did snap a photo in there when I thought no one was looking, just before the clerk dove in front of my phone screeching at me.
 One area I would have liked to explore further was the Rue des Martyrs and Oberkampf.  I biked up there on my first day in town, but everything was closed for the holiday.  I had a book with me full of listings for trendy stores called the "eat shop" guide - and it had listings for a lot of fun places in that area - vintage stores, thrift shops, antique shops and cafes - most of which looked to be relatively affordable.   Speaking of Hermes, after exploring the Les Halles/Montorgueil area, I hopped on a Velib bike and rode uptown to find Pierre Herme and pay a visit to the Hermes flagship store on Rue Faubourg. (No relation between the two, at least that I know of.) I'm a bit of an Hermes fangirl, but on this occasion I was just window shopping.  I didn't take any pictures at Pierre Herme, because -  guess why - but the shop is a gorgeous little jewel box just a few blocks away.
All in all, Paris is great - amazing even. It's something you just have to do, but you just can't expect it to be the be all end all compared to everywhere else in the world.  I've eaten better in San Francisco and New York - maybe in part because I know where to go in those cities and they're a little easier to navigate without the language barrier - but I don't think that's all there is to it.  Other cities have gotten better, while Paris has stayed largely the same, or maybe even become bogged down by all the tourist hordes that descend on a daily basis, looking for the flakiest croissants, the most sublime oysters, and most ethereal bread.  If you look in the right places, I'm sure you can find those things - but you can in most other major cities in the world these days too. In spite of all my complaining, I did manage to eat pretty well while in Paris.  I'm working on a separate post about that - coming soon!

Kale with Baked Eggs & Cherry Tomatoes

I posted this photo over on Instagram earlier this week when I made this for dinner, and it received such an enthusiastic response I thought I'd post the recipe over here.  It was inexpensive, delicious, easy, healthy and quick - all the things you want in a weeknight meal! Hope you are eating well this week!

Kale with Baked Eggs & Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 2

Olive Oil (decent quality, but not necessarily your very best)
1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
red pepper flakes

A handful of cherry tomatoes - halved if more than 1/2 inch across
A Head of Kale - thinly sliced crosswise down to the point where the center ribs become thick  (if the center ribs are especially large, remove them before slicing)
4 eggs

Salt, Pepper & fresh Reggiano Parmesan cheese for grating & lemon if desired

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium/large oven-safe frying pan, gently heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan with a tiny bit of depth - about an eighth of an inch.  Add a few generous shakes of chile flakes and the sliced garlic and cook gently for five minutes over medium heat, to infuse the oil with the flavors.  If the garlic starts to brown, the heat is too high.  (Remove any garlic slices that burn or turn deep brown.)

Add the cherry tomatoes to the hot oil and cook about 3 minutes, until slightly softened.  Add the sliced kale and toss with the hot oil to coat.  When the kale just starts to wilt, crack the eggs into the pan and put the pan into the oven.  Set the timer for 10 minutes and turn the oven light on.  Cook until the eggs are just opaque but still runny (the yolks should jiggle if you shake the pan.)  Remove from the oven and grate a generous amount of parmesan cheese over the whole thing, and season with salt and pepper and a squirt of lemon on the kale.   Serve with toasted baguette or sourdough bread.   (You can also just put a lid on the pan and cook the eggs that way if you don't want to turn on your oven, but the kale may get a little brown.)