Mb-n-K

The not-food parts of our Paris trip

Since our adventures in April, we know no less than four couples who have since gone (or are planning to go) to Paris.  Whenever they've asked for recommendations, we refer them to this journal.  I realize, however, that it's primarily about food food food.  Many other highlights were detailed in my Flickr stream, but I've always intended to write something up here, too. I got trapped in wanting to over-edit, link to sites, add pictures, make sure all the accent marks were pointed in the right direction...

So instead of delaying any more, I'll just copy & paste an unedited e-mail response I sent to a friend. 

When are you going? Here are a few things I would highly recommend:

• Get a NaviGo pass.  Basically an unlimited pass for the train & metro for a set duration of time (you can charge them up again and again for up to 10 years).  It takes the hassle out of, and adds freedom to, trying to get around.  If you have a credit card with a PIN/chip thing, the pass can even be used to rent bicycles at the Velib stations!  (Like Zipcar for bikes.)
• The gargoyles, bell tower, and church at Notre Dame are of course amazing.  But definitely make it to Sainte-Chapelle nearby for supertall, awesome stained glass.
• My two favorite museums I would go to over and over again: the Musee D'Orsay and the Musee Rodin.  The d'Orsay has EVERYTHING impressionist.  The Rodin museum has sculpture gardens as well as a studio for his process work.
• Admittedly, we skipped the museum part of the Louvre--it's huge and has so much.  We'd been there before, and just prioritized other things.  We did, however, visit the courtyard surrounding it, and the fancy mall-like shopping place in the basement.  (Fanciest bathrooms ever!)  Other than that, I didn't do much non-food shopping except for some baking/pastry supplies at Mora.
• We saw lots of dead folks.  Went the cemetaries at Montparnasse and Pere Lachaise to see the likes of Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrisson, Simone de Beauvoir.  The best dead people were in the underground catacombs--quarry passages lined with bazillions of skulls and bones.
• We walked through (and napped in) some awesome gardens.  They are great places to eat lunch outside or just hang out and enjoy the weather and people watching.  The Luxembourg gardens near Montparnasse were by far the most amazing in the city--beautiful flower/tree gardens, beehives, activities for kids.  The Tuileries were nice too.  We did a day trip to Versailles, and coordinated it with the time they pipe classical music and start the fountains up in the gardens. There is a place there to row boats that K really liked (he went with his sister before).

I can't finish recommendations without summarizing food stops!

• Denise Acabo's A l'Etoile D'or: chocolate & candy shop.  The only place that carries Bernachon chocolate.  She can tell you all about the specialties of each region of France, and has samples from each.  Also, she wraps gifts in paper with pre-PC cartoon puzzles.
• Josselin in Montparnasse and Breizh Cafe for crepes.
• Sadaharu Aoki for beautiful and scrumptious pastries.
• Tea at Dalloyau or Laduree.
• Falafel at l'As du Fallafel

I'm sure though, that you could have an amazing trip without doing any of those things--I can't wait to go back, so let me know if you come up with any suggestions too :)

- Mb

We're not in Paris anymore

Even though it's taking me weeks (months) to finish posts about our trip to Paris, I am still coasting on the tastes from our culinary escapades.  Savory or sweet, the tastes were complex (yet subtle, however that works), and meals were luscious without being overindulgent.  Imagine the culture shock here at home, then, when faced with daily images of gluttonous stacks of excess.

1) IHOP's Pancake Stackers: Cheesecake, in between two pancakes.  Note fruit syrup and extra whipped cream on top.

2) KFC's Double Down Sandwich: Instead of bread, this bacon and cheese sandwich comes in between two fried chicken breast filets.

3) Friendly's Grilled Cheese Burger Melt: A beef burger with two grilled cheese sandwiches as buns. According to the interweb, this weighs in at 1500 calories.  Add a Fribble, and you've eaten more than your daily caloric allowance in one meal.  (Think it comes with fries?)

Ok, admittedly, I do kind of think cheesecake + pancakes could work.  And I am sort of craving a grilled cheese sandwich now.  Mmmmmm....

- Mb

An adventure of gastronomic proportions, take 4: Pastries

Whatever I write here can not possibly do justice to the perfection that exists in Parisian pastries.  Just go to as many shops as you can and sample to your heart's content!  I think I could write a book on the experience, as novice as my palate may be.  I'll save you that, and just list some thoughts, pictures, and addresses:

• Dessert portions were *huge,* no matter where we went.  It seemed to be such an important element to every meal. 
• Other than size, nothing was overly sweet, overly rich, or too decadent.  They were perfectly delicate.
• One day, we ate a whole baguette on the hotel room bed.
• Speaking of hôtel d'Argenson, they still serve the best croissants I've ever had.  Waking up to one every morning was flaky, buttery heaven.

So seriously, you have to go to as many as possible:

Sadaharu Aoki took my breath away with pristine, elegant pastries.  Even the chocolates were beautiful, and color coded!  We happened upon their shop in the 6th arrondisement (35 rue de Vaugirard), and thus, I experienced the world's most perfect dessert.

Up until then, Christian Constant held the title (just around the corner at 37 rue d'Assas).  The "Pont Royal" was indescribably amazing.

After some roundabout searching for 72 rue Bonaparte, we went into Pierre Hermé with such high expectations.  And we weren't disappointed!  Together, we consumed THREE THOUSAND layers.

Man, the 6th packs a pastry punch!  We went on different occasions, but I guess if you're pressed for time, and can tolerate the sugar shock, you can hit all three of these on one day (see map).  They all have multiple locations too, if you'd like to spread it out a bit.

Finally, we also had pastries after some scrumptious meals.  Our first meal in the city, at l'Alsace, ended with a dessert sampling that set the indulgent tone of for the rest of the trip!  Tea at Ladurée and Dalloyau, were capped off with sweets.  K typically chose a fruit-based dessert, while I went for the layered, stripey looking ones (usually with some element of hazelnut).

I can only imagine that our stops (much higher in number than I can mention here) were a mere sampling of Parisian awesomeness.  I've already bookmarked a foodie post that raves about tons of places we didn't visit.  As K says, "Gotta save some for next time!"

- Mb

An adventure of gastronomic proportions, take 3: Vegetarianability

Even setting all baked goods and confections aside, I didn't find it hard to be a vegetarian in Paris.  K exercised his flexitarian muscles a bit and had fish or poultry when he couldn't find a lower-carb meatless option. Granted, we didn't go to any super-fancy places, but for the most part, I had no problems finding nutritious, satisfying vegetarian options on all menus. 

One strategy was to research specifically vegetarian restaurants in the city.  Surprisingly, there were a handful!  Unfortunately, I wouldn't call the cuisine "French" so much as the standard hippieish veggie fare, prepared by French people.  Lentil soups, seitan patties--and, all of the veg places served shredded carrots on the plate.  The photo to the right shows a broccoli parmentier with carrot-apple juice for me.  I can't remember what was on K's plate, but it pretty much looks the same, even though he said mushrooms were on there somewhere.

Our escapades around trying to find/navigate the menus at these places tended to be more memorable than the actual food.  For example, at Le Potager du Marais, K insisted "I think... we are reservations."  I further doubted my reservation-making abilities when I thought the man on the phone at Au Grain de Folie told us to come at "dix-neuf heures vignt cinq." Lo and behold, that's what he meant; his mother showed up to open the restaurant at exactly 7:25pm.  It was a good meal with great people-watching near Montmartre, but the best part was when she refused to take K's plate at the end of the meal, saying, "he has to at least make an effort [to eat all his vegetables]!"

As always, world cuisine is a reliable bet for vegetarian options.  We had great Moroccan food at Oualili, as well as Greek, Middle Eastern, and Chinese street food.  Our favorite by far was the falafel at l'As du Fallafel (an extra "L" in French).  It was the only restaurant we actually went to more than once... and considered going a third time!

In terms of options at "normal" or French-cuisine restaurants, we enjoyed many crêpes, omelets, and sandwiches.  The veggie burger at Publicis Drugstore came with two perfectly poached eggs as the protein, instead of fake meat or patty-shaped vegetables. K enjoyed his veggie lasagna there, too.  One of the best sandwiches I've ever had came from Le Cafe de la Paix.  Small bites from tea at Ladurée and Dalloyau were scrumptious, and the tarte à l'oignon at l'Alsace is a must-have for meat-eaters, too!

Finally, we had a few do-it-yourself meals, like a huge baguette we ate in the hotel room.  At Foody's in the 2nd arrondisement, you could put together a salad and select soups & desserts, cafeteria-style.  The only meat to be found, as far as we could tell, was a little bowl of ham at the end of the salad bar (that we joked was reluctantly set out because people kept wondering where the meat was...) We ate outside and watched passers-by on this off-the-touristy-track street. 

Instead of listing the address of each, here a map with a selection of them:

View Vegetarian(ish) Paris in a larger map

- Mb

Intermission

Haven't been timely about posting since returning from the trip, but there's still plenty I'd like to share.  Posts to come include three more installments of "An Adventure of Gastronomic Proportions" (on vegetarian eats, perfect pastries, and chocolates/caramels/sweets), and another sound clip from Notre Dame de Paris (of a Gregorian Chant concert).

In the meantime, adventures continue even at home.  A water main break has contaminated the Boston area water supply.  Except for one pushy family, I haven't seen anyone panic or freak out about it.  Neighbors in communities not affected have offered their water, and folks in our building are sharing whatever they have.

Till I make more time to write,
- Mb

An adventure of gastronomic proportions, take 2: Crêpes

The two women in the pic to the left sat next to us at Josselin, a crêperie in Montparnasse.  They each had an appetizer, then crêpes with eggs, bacon, and crème fraîche.  And a bottle of cider (a traditional Breton accompaniment).  And for dessert, crêpes flambées.  With ice cream and chantilly (whipped cream).  They were having a grand old time talking about pharmacy visits (according to my limited French comprehension).  Meanwhile, the dark chocolate and chantilly proved to be too much for K.  The sheer indulgence of the dessert did him in.

So we're still searching for the answer to: "How do the French stay so thin?"  Even at lunch, most meals included a starter and a dessert.  All restaurants typically offered a "formule" or fixed-price menu--even the side-windows we ordered street food from had some sort of multi-course deal!  Hm, maybe it's just that food is taken more seriously and treated with respect.  Or maybe we were just eating at restaurants all the time, and French home-cooking isn't as indulgent. In any case, I'd like to think it's some secret that we'll uncover, the more we explore ;)

Today's episode: CRÊPES
No doubt, my favorite meal in Paris. They felt balanced and satisfying; coincidentally, they were quite inexpensive.  A thin buckwheat galette with savory fillings was followed up by a chewier, smoother crêpe with sweet fillings. 

Sampled from: Le Phare St. Louis (Versailles), Josselin, Breizh Café, La Crêperie Bretonne, Yves Camdeborde's side window at Le Comptoir, and the occasional street truck.

A traditional Breton galette "complet" is cooked with ham, egg, and Emmental cheese (swiss).  I had one at Josselin, with spinach in lieu of ham--and it was scrumptious.  I will be craving this well into the future.  In addition, the service there was fast (but not overbearing), and quite friendly.  It seemed like we said "thank you, goodbye!" to each member of the family as we were leaving.  I kept wanting to go back there, but for the sake of research, soldiered on to other restaurants.

The tagline of Breizh Café is "la crêpe autrement," or something like "another kind of crepe." They put a contemporary twist on the traditional Breton cuisine.  The picture to the right shows one of their "amuses-galettes," a small tasting in bite-sized nibblets, with the flag of Brittany.   I got one with blue cheese & walnuts; k got one with smoked butter (mmmm!!!).  The "Chèvre-feuilles" that we shared for a main course had rich goat cheese, greens, and balsamic dressing.  For dessert, I got a "Dame Pistache," and K got a crepe with strawberries and caramel beurre-salé.

It was a great experience there, as well.  We did not have reservations (gasp!), but they happily seated and served us.  The owner talked a little bit about Brittany when we asked about the flag, and seemed friendly with regulars.  He's gotten good press, and was excited to hear that we heard about the place through David Lebovitz's blog.  On top of the great food, two of my favorite things about that dinner were the luscious, fresh peach nectar and the fact that I dined next to Oona, a sedate pup who only hopped up to check the table after her people were done eating.

The dessert crepe that can't be topped, however, left a permanent stain on K's walking shoes.  Made fresh at the window to Yves Camdeborde's l'Avant-Comptoir, K had to balance moderation with the desire to chomp down every bit of his crêpe beurre-sucre.  Yep, that's a crepe with butter and sugar.  Sure, the chewy texture of the warm pancake went perfectly with the Nutella in mine, but drippy sweet sugarbutter takes it to a whole new level.  I'm sure they have scrumptious savory options, but I can't imagine going back and *not* having a sweet dessert.  Yum!

Go there online or in real life:
Best traditional: Crêperie Josselin 67 rue du Montparnasse - 75014 Tel 01 43 20 93 50 Mº6 Edgard Quinet or Montparnasse	Best modern: Breizh Café 109 Rue Vieille du Temple - 75003 Tel 01 42 72 13 77 Mº8 Saint-Sébastien-Froissart	Best sweet: L'Avant-Comptoir (window) 3 Carrefour de l'Odéon - 75006 Tel 01 44 27 07 97‎ Mº4 or 10 Odéon

- Mb

An adventure of gastronomic proportions, take 1: Parisian Macarons

I consider this research.  It may seem like excess or indulgence, but no!  It's all part of a detailed investigation.  I thank the volcano gods for giving me an opportunity to slow down and do thorough work.  After sampling delectables from many different sources around the city, I feel somewhat qualified to offer my opinion on Parisian treats.  Granted, many of my travels were inspired by the writings of his royal blogness, David Lebovitz, or other internet research.  But soon enough, the strong, intuitive internal compass that is my appetite took the reigns.

Today's episode: MACARONS
I hopped on the Parisian macaron* bandwagon a while ago, back home--the ones at L.A. Burdick were the best I'd found nearby (even though they tried to call them "Luxemburgers," or something cheesy like that). I even went so far as to include homemade hazelnut ones in my Christmas tins this past year.  So seeking these out in the city of lights was one of my top priorities.

Sampled from (in no particular order): Stohrer, Foucher, Pierre Hermé, Ladurée, JP Hevin, Sadaharu Aoki, Fauchon, La Maison du Chocolat, and a few places not worth mentioning.

Unique chocolate-covered macarons at Sadaharu Aoki At many shops here, the size of a macaron is actually two- to three-inches.  The ones I'd gotten to know, stateside, are half the diameter, and a little puffier.  So as not to overdo it (hah!), I stuck with the "mini" sizes on this tour.  I tried to do a "fair" sample, and get the same flavor at each place.  When vanilla was not available, I chose chocolate; figuring that "simple" flavors would serve as a good basis for comparison.  Imagine my surprise at the wide range of tastes that could be called "vanilla."  Each place seemed to inject their personality into intense, distinct variations. At La Maison du Chocolat, for example, they don't offer a single flavor without chocolate involved (including raspberry).

The verdict: A clear winner--there's a line at Ladurée for a reason. They were fresh, delicate, and impeccably flavored.  They were even the best looking: smooth, shiny, and vibrantly colored without looking artificial.  I got a box of these to bring home to you all, but alas, Eyjafjallajökull had other plans.  I had to eat them before they got stale (unfortunately some of them did, after a couple of days).

Runners-up: Stohrer and Sadaharu Aoki.  In my opinion, visits to the exquisite Pierre Hermé and JP Hevin are better reserved for their specialties (pastries and chocolates, respectively)**.

Go there online or in real life (addresses are for the branches we visited):
Ladurée Royale 16, rue Royale - 75008 Tel 01 42 60 21 79 Mº8, 12, or 14 Madeleine	Sadaharu Aoki 35 Rue de Vaugirard - 75006 Tel 01 43 25 66 61 Mº4 Saint-Placide or Mº12 Rennes	Stohrer 51 Rue Montorgueil - 75002 Tel 01 42 33 38 20 Mº4 Étienne Marcel

Edit: After I wrote this post, we went to Dalloyau in the 8th arrondisement. It's definitely worth a mention on this list, but like Pierre Hermé and JP Hevin, I'll write more about their pastries.

- Mb 

* It makes me pout a little when someone assumes I'm talking about shredded-coconut macaroons.  How does one pronounce the single-o Parision "macaron" without sounding hoity-toity?
** I'll discuss these and other shops in an upcoming post on my favorite pastries. A story about our fun visit to Stohrer was in an older post, here.

Listen to Notre Dame, part 1

iPhone-captured sound clips of Vespers at Notre Dame (consolidated mp3).

Pictures of strangers in Paris

Some lessons from Paris

(I found I had to add "But I guess we already knew that," after most of these points, so please assume that post-script.  Kinda like how you add "in bed" after your fortune cookie sentence.)

• The iPhone camera is fine outside, but absolute crap inside or in crappy lighting.
• I do not like "going out," especially on a Saturday night, super especially if anyone's been drinking.
• I am lucky / rich / blessed !
• Be careful what you wish for.  E.g. When I said "I wish I didn't have to go back to work so soon!" I didn't mean I wanted airspace to be shut down indefinitely.
• I start the day bilingual, but end up incomprehensible (in any language), by nightfall.
• The French *really* know how to do dessert right.  (I am *so* over cupcakes.) (For now.)

- Mb