I Prefer Paris

Best of 2008: Romantic Refuge

I am taking a blogging break this week, so I've posted my best and most popular posts of 2008. Enjoy and I'll be back next week.

From July 8, 2008

I met Gael Escribe, a charming and warm Frenchman, at my friend Craig Hanna’s art opening a few weeks ago. He told me besides his full time job, his hobby and new business was renting out The Romantic Refuge, a barge he recently refurbished for small, private dinners and Seine cruises. We spoke for a while and I told him about my blog and tour business and he said I must come and checkout the boat sometime. When I got home, I looked at his website and was very impressed with not only the quality of the site but with the experience they promised. I emailed Gael to tell him what I thought and he invited me to come for a cruise and dinner last Friday night.

I arrived at 8:45PM at the Port des Champs Elysees on the Seine by the Place Concorde. It was a cool, blustery evening and twilight was just starting to set in. The light coming off the blue gray sky was so beautiful hitting the Eiffel Tower and the gold statues on the Pont Alexandre III glistened. On the deck of immaculate looking modern boat was a rustic but elegant table made out of twigs with matching stools and pink roses in water glasses adorned the table. I could already see the refined and understated taste the boat was done in. Gael asked me right away if I wanted a glass of Champagne, which even added more class. He told me that it took two painstaking years to refurbish the boat, changing the whole infrastructure first and then he and his wife, the lovely Celine, did a customized design of the interior. It was completed about six months ago and Gael started to invite friends to show off his new pet project. They were so impressed, they starting asking if they could use the boat to entertain friends and clients. One thing lead to another, and voila! He decided to rent it out for small dinners for up to eight people and special occasions. Of course he did it with taste and style, hiring a top chef and a butler. Three course lunches and dinners are served using only organic ingredients and the organic wine comes from a small French vineyard.

He took me on a tour of the inside and there was an airy, modern open kitchen with a table next to it set for eight. In the back was a dark, cozy room with walls covered in a sumptuous red & pink striped silk and a brass Moroccan tea table with votive candles. It had a Scheherazade feel to it, almost like an opium den. Gael put on a CD of Astrid Gilberto’s Brazilian samba song Corcovado and the room felt so sexy. I can see why he called it the Romantic Refuge.

Gael had invited Craig’s gallery owner Laurence Esnol, her husband, stepson, his girlfriend, and their cousin from New York with his friend. It was nice to talk to another native New Yorker, and Jeremy gave me the full update from the big apple. Celine made a delicious dinner of a goat cheese terrine with roasted eggplant & tomatoes, followed by poached salmon with a tomato and cheese gratin, new potato salad, and a killer chocolate mousse that was so rich, I, the chocoholic, couldn’t even finish. We sailed up the Seine, seeing all the famous monuments and buildings dramatically lit and even the native Parisians who had seen them hundreds of times were exclaiming how beautiful they were. Everyone was so warm and friendly and I had engaging conversations with all of them, finding many things in common.

By the end of the night I had made seven wonderful, new friends. We all kissed and hugged each other goodbye and promised to be in touch soon.  In fact, when we discovered that we were all Jewish, we laughed, and Laurence’s husband insisted I come over for Shabbat dinner next Friday. This was another unforgettable evening and again, I feel blessed to be living here.

Visit the Romantic Refuge website and make plans to for your own unforgettable evening.

New Yawker Dudes

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Best of 2008: Scouts Honor

I am taking a blogging break this week, so I've posted my best and most popular posts of 2008. Enjoy and I'll be back next week. 

From June 30, 2008

About three months ago I received an email with a most unusual request: A woman named Catherine Jones from High Point, North Carolina wanted to know if I would take her and her girl scout troop of seven girls aged 15-21 on a tour and also find out details on how I could I become their best friend in Paris. With such a charming and warm request, I enthusiastically said yes, and I knew this would be a fun and rewarding experience. Of course the first thing I said was that in order for a girl scout troop to be my best friend, they would have to bring me at least a few boxes of their amazing cookies. 

Since then I told all my friends and even clients about how excited I was about this special tour and couldn’t wait to meet them. In the interim, I thought this would make a wonderful and endearing human-interest story for a magazine or newspaper. One of my former clients from Washington D.C., Gayle Osterberg, who has her own PR and marketing company, was so impressed with my tours, she kindly offered to help me market them whenever I wanted. I emailed her my idea and she agreed it would make a good story. She generously took the time from her busy schedule to write a media alert and even advised me on what publications to target. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive any replies from them but I think I could now send it out. 

The magic day arrived last Wednesday. I decided to do two very different tours on Wednesday and Thursday, to give the girls a full experience. On Wednesday we met for my classic Marais tour in front of the St. Paul metro station, and when I arrived they were just finishing spelling out my name on individual pages of a Russian newspaper, with one letter on each page. I already knew I was in for a wonderful ride. It was a gorgeous, warm perfect sunny day. First, I wowed them with the two gorgeous hotel particuler's (former private mansions) and a charming private courtyard in a 17th century building. Next we visited the mid-east gourmet shop Izrael with its intoxicating aromas of exotic, dried & glazed fruit, fresh olives, spices, and large variety of smoked fish.  

R-I-C-H-A-R-D 

As always, there was a stop at a patisserie and I took them to my favorite one in the Marais and one of the best in Paris, Gerard Mulot. We all indulged a delish sweet treat. Speaking of treats, I ended the tour with a visit to the new Valentino retrospective, as I wanted to show them something about Paris fashion. A stellar show of his greatest creations, worn by Princess Grace, Julia Roberts, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the girls were enamored with the gorgeous gowns and fantasy dresses decorating two floors of the Musee de Decoratifs. 

Afterwards they very quickly said goodbye, and I could see they were so inspired by the show that they were chomping at the bit to go clothes shopping. Catherine hauled out a black nylon bag with the cookies, and I said that it would be her fault if I didn’t show up for the tour tomorrow because I would probably be in a sugar coma from eating all five boxes.

Can't Get Enough of These Sweet Treats

  

Cookie Monster 

Thursday morning we met at the Richard Lenoir food market by the Bastille. We were supposed to buy food for a picnic but the purses, scarves, soaps, and other non-food items for sale distracted the girls. At one point, I had to do a shopping intervention and in a stern husband/father like way, warned them that they only had five minutes left to wrap up the shopping. We bought a selection of cheeses, baguettes, country bread, salami, and prosciutto. I was concerned that we didn’t have a knife to cut the cheese, and Catherine gave me this are-you-kidding- me look and pulled out of her pocket an impressive portable knife, saying it’s one of the first things a girls scout is required to have.(I vaguely remembered their motto “Always be prepared”- especially with a knife to cut cheese with on a Parisian picnic.)

   Shopping Showoffs-Look What I Bought! 

We brought our delicious goodies to the Promenade Plantee, a lush three-mile long park built on an abandoned railroad track behind the Bastille Opera house. We admired the beautiful summer blooms and ornate Haussmann style buildings up close. Parking ourselves on two benches, Catherine expertly cut the bread and cheese like a nourishing mother while Audrey doled out the salami and proscuitto. We laughed and carried on about the pleasures of Paris and I asked all the girls what they were doing the rest of the summer. They were leaving the next day after a week in Paris and Switzerland, and I warned them they would suffer the great Paris withdrawal blues when they returned home. I shared with them that even though I loved my life in Paris and had no intentions of moving back to the U.S., they were a supreme example of the unique openness and friendliness Americans have that I miss sometimes. We took our last group photo, one of many, and then I hugged everyone goodbye with a tinge of sadness, as I knew I would miss them. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart Catherine, Audrey, Madeline, Abby, Mary Rose, Stephanie, Kara, Megan, and Jamie for one of the most fun and memorable tours I’ve ever done. And yes, we are definitely BFF’s (their abbreviation for best friends forever). I would greatly appreciate it if anyone has any leads or knows someone at magazine or newspaper I could pitch this inspiring story to. Catherine also sent me information on how the girls worked their bums off (her words) to raise the money for the trip with fundraising events like cookie sales, yard sales, car washes, spring flower/herb sale, etc.,which adds to their heartwarming story.

 

Our Last Photo-Boo-hoo

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Valentines Day: 9 1/2 Weeks Revisited

The Anne Fontaine  spa is offering quite a Valentines Day package with a massage treatment for two people based on the kinky classic movie from the 1980's,  9 1/2 Weeks. You and your lover (or maybe love slave) will be guests in the VIP treatment room (pictured above) and will each have your own masseur who will sensually massage you for 80 minutes. Afterwards you will be left alone to your own devices in the king sized bath with unlimited Champagne, fruit,  and chocolate. If this doesn't recharge your love battery, I don't know what will.

91/2 Weeks Valentines Day Package- 580 euros for two 
Anne Fontaine Spa
370 rue Saint Honore, 1st. arr.
Metro: Concorde
www.annefontaine.com
Call 01 42 61 03 70 to reserve your private 91/2 weeks kinkfest

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Eye Prefer Paris Tours: Fred & Randy

Fred and Randy, two of the most fun loving, energetic guys you ever want to meet, did my Marais tour in December.Even though they wanted to see the wonderful architecture and history, the guys also loved to shop. Fred is a real fashion plate, so I took him and Randy to some of the best men's boutiques in the Marais including l'Eclaireur. Fred is slim and compact, built like a typical Parisian man, so he fit perfectly into almost everything (I hated him for this).  A spiffy cherry red velvet blazer caught his eye and it fit him to a tee. I practically had to drag Fred out of there kicking and screaming but I enticed him with the promise of other great shops.

Fred the pensive fashion plate

One of my favorite places to take clients is a small shop with the most exquisite collection of antique and rare musical instruments, dating as far back as the 18th century. Fred is the director of The Seattle Choral Company and Randy is also a well accomplished choral singer,so I knew they would love the shop. The genteel, generous man that owns the shop and repairs the instruments came out and started to play an unusual violin with a keyboard. Being the ultimate showmen and hams, Randy and Fred broke out into song and belted out O Sole Mio in full concert voice, enough so the whole of Place des Vosges could hear them. They were both elated and said it was the best moment of the trip.
Fred and Randy right before the big belt out

Fred is a master cook and he and Randy love to give extravagant dinner parties. Later that afternoon we toured the Etienne Marcel neighborhood where we walked the fantastic food street rue Montorguell and also visited the professional cookware stores where the chefs shop.

I had so much fun with Fred and Randy that I invited them to go with me to the Garnier Opera to see the Maria Callas show of her Swarovski jewelry the next day. We marveled at the gorgeous Swarovski jewels diva Callas had worn for all the legendary operas she performed in and Randy said one diva viewing another divas gems was an unexpected treat! We also toured the opera museum which had beautifully detailed miniature sets, famous paintings and photographs of great dancers past and present, and a fascinating history of the opera house. Afterwards the guys generously invited me for lunch and we went to a classic cafe and munched on delicious, crispy Croque Monsieurs, which they never had before.
Chagall ceiling at Opera Garnier
The Diva Callas jewels
Fred & I in front of the Opera Garnier Xmas tree

Fred and Randy asked me to share a wonderful, lively restaurant they found called Aux P’tit Canaillou, at 4 rue Saint Merri (tel. 01 42 77 25 45), a little side street in the Marais. They asked the cute, friendly Asian waiter what the name of the restaurant meant and he whispered in their ears " At the place of the Little Naughty One". The food was so good and so reasonable (22 euros for a 3 course meal, wine 10 euros a bottle), and the service so friendly they ate there twice.

We are now BFF's and they have invited me to stay with them anytime I visit Seattle. Watch out guys- I'm coming soon!

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Restaurant Review: Petrossian

I have never been to the decadent caviar palace Petrossian in New York with its mink lined banquets and Lalique sconces , so when I had an opportunity to dine at the Paris branch I was eager to be pampered in style.

Petrossian Paris is located on rue Universite in the 7th. arr. near Invalides. I went for lunch with a companion and when we walked in on the ground floor,the friendly staff checked our coats and led us up a sweeping white marble staircase lined with vases filled with deep red amaryllis flowers into to the dining room. I was a little disappointed when I realized there were not mink lined banquettes to warm my cold winter tush, but the dining room was elegant, tasteful and tranquil, decorated in warm hues of sage, mustard, Pompeian red, and gray. The tables were spacious and set far apart, a welcoming plus since most Paris restaurants are so cramped. We were seated at a roomy table but then the manager came over and apologized for giving us the wrong table and whisked us to an even roomier table meant for four. Already I could see the service was attentive and caring.


Since I have very little knowledge about caviar and the restaurant itself, I asked the waiter to make some menu suggestions. He couldn't have been more understanding and led me through the menu, meticulously explaining it in perfect English. For the first course he recommended a tasting of three caviars, which I thought was a perfect introduction to caviar 101 and for my companion Rosemary, a degustation/tasting of seafood specialties.

My caviar was served in the most extravagant silver stand with three crystal bowls on a large silver charger. Wow! What a way to start a meal.The Beluga was delicious but a little too salty, the U.S. farm raised Alverta had a nice sour tinge to it, and Ossetra from China was the best of all, smooth and exquisite. A small flute of straight Russian vodka was served with the caviar, which I thought was a nice touch, but I took just one sip, so not to be rude. (I am the last of the big drinkers and straight vodka was never my thing). Rosemary's seafood starter was quite an extravaganza with dishes colorfully and simply presented in four white china square plates. I , of course took a taste of each, and the risotto with crab, and the swordfish with artichoke and dill with a light cream sauce, were the standouts.

Entree Extravaganza

For the main course, Coquilles St. Jacques served on a bed of shredded leeks was smooth and very tender but lacking a little bit in flavoring. A dash of salt or a subtle spice would have given it that added flavor it needed. I preferred Rosemary's poached turbot with an oyster sauce,roquette, and a wisp of crepine, cooked pig skin, which gave it the extra tang that was missing from the coquilles.

When it came time to order dessert, I explained to the waiter that I couldn't have anything with sugar(Remember, I promised to go off sugar after practically overdosing during Sweet Week last month) and he was sensitive enough to offer a simple fruit salad of Granny Smith apples and pineapple without any syrup or juice added. It came out on a white plate and again the presentation was flawless with the apples and pineapple in cubes garnished with a sliced apple fan. I cheated a little bit tasting Rosemary's dessert, justifying that I needed to taste them in order to write a fair review. Three glasses served on a black wood rectangular tray ( the tray was chipped all over, which I was surprised at , since the presentation had been meticulous so far) contained panacotta with raspberry sauce,a caramel Napoleon, bananas with ginger cream and Earl Grey tea.The panacotta was subtle and understated as it should be, and the Napoleon was a taste explosion. As a decadent afterthought, the waiter brought a glistening, chocolate sphere called a Grand Folie. And what a folie it was. Inside was a poached pear with Chantilly cream which melted in your mouth.
Chocolate Bomb

I later learned the chef, a rising star,named Rougui Dia, is from Senegal. I think she will go a long way with her inventive, refined and a little bit exotic style.

With such a great experience of excellent food and impeccable service at Petrossian Paris I can't wait to hit the New York branch and snuggle into the mink.

Petrossian
144 rue de l'Universite, 7th arr.
Metro: Invalides
Tel. 01 44 11 32 32
www.petrossian.com ,www.petrossian.fr,www.petrossian.co.uk

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner
Note: Even though I had an extravagant meal, there are very reasonable menus with three courses for 35 euros for lunch, and 45 euros at dinner.

Note: Click here to read the very special Valentines Day menu.

In case you can't get to Petrossian, click here for a delicious recipe for caviar and steak tartare.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Forum Des Images

Film buffs rejoice! The Forum des Images, a film archive and movie theater, has just reopened after a three year renovation and is hosting an homage to New York City. Some great classics like All About Eve, After Hours,Mean Streets, Rear Window, Shaft, and one of my all time favorites, Annie Hall, are being shown. The new design of the The Forum des Images by Anouk Legendre now boasts a digital film archives of over 6,000 films with individual viewing stations, 5 screens with capacity from 50 to 450 people, and a modern lounge/cafe. You can even gather seven friends and watch a film together in two private viewing areas. Special events include a master class every month with a well known director(this month it's Claude Chabrol), the fifth annual Pocket Sized Film Festival(videos expressly made for mobile phones) and The Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

New York in Cinema -till March 1
Les Forum des Images
Forum des Halles
Metro: Les Halles -exit Place Carree or Saint-Eustache
www.forumdesimages.net

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

February Eye Need to Do's: Valentines Day in Paris, Dita Von Teese & Robert Frank

Valentines Day in Paris
What could be more romantic than Valentines Day in Paris. Air France is offering an irresistible Valentines day weekend package to Paris: Round-trip airfare, three nights in a three-star hotel,a Paris Panorama tour and Continental breakfast starting at $879 per person from most U.S. cities. Come and explore the amour capitol of the world with your loved one.
http://www.airfrance-holidays.com/site_afh/pub_detail.asp?id=17665&iRating=0&iFrom=2/1/2009&WT.svl=17665

Dita Von Teese at Crazy Horse
The legendary modern burlesque queen Dita von Teese is doing all her Gypsy Rose Lee moves with a special engagement at the Crazy Horse. Watch her seductively shed her special made designer clothes and accessories by Dior, Elie Saab, Mr. Pearl, and Stephen Jones. Christian Louboutin custom makes all of Dita's sexy shoes.

Le Crazy Horse  
12 ave George V, 8th
Metro: George V
Reservations: 01 47 23 32 32
www.lecrazyhorseparis.com

 
Robert Frank
American born photographer Robert Frank is famous for capturing vivid black and white street photographs while living in New York in the 1950's. He also shot a series in Paris and the Jeu de Paume is presenting a show with a selection of the Paris photos chosen by Frank and Ute Eskildsen including the complete ensemble of photographs from his well known book The Americans. Frank's films "Pull My Daisy"(1959)and True Story (2004) are also being shown.

Jeu de Paume
1 place de la Concorde
Closed Monday
http://www.jeudepaume.org/?page=article&idArt=849&lieu=7


Salon de l'Agriculture
Alright die-hard foodies- Salon de Agriculture is one of the best food shows you will ever attend. Taste your way through over 1,000 exhibitors and 700 producers from France who give away free samples of foie gras ,wine, cheese, and meats. There are also 4,500 farm animals on display with an aquarium, doghouse, pony village, and last but not least a pig village. (Is that where Porky lives?).If you miss Green Acres farm life there's a full scale working farm.

Salon de l'Agriculture
February 21 - March 1
Porte de Versailles
Metro: Potre de Versailles
Open 9AM-7PM, till 11PM Friday February 27
Admission:12 euros
http://www.salon-agriculture.com/no_cache/en/home/

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com