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August 29, 2013

Lunch with Lynn/Under 20 Eats: Blend

There’s been an onslaught of American style hamburger joints popping up all over Paris in the last few years. I’ve been resisting them for some reason, as I am in a bit of a protest over the American food invasion that’s been taking over the Paris food scene lately.

I finally gave in last week, as I love a good hamburger. Blend opened their first location two years ago in the second arr. and was touted as having a superior burger, much more than its competitors. It was the clear winner in the so-called Paris hamburger wars by many food critics and bloggers. A new branch just opened in NORMA (northern Marais) and I decided to check it out.

The concept is simple: nine kinds of hamburgers including beef, veggie, salmon, and chicken served with classic sides of French fries, sweet potato fries, and coleslaw.

I chose the Signature Burger with caramelized onions with balsamic vinegar, bacon, blue and Emmenthal cheese, and baby spinach and Lynn chose the Parm, a chicken burger with Parmesan, tomatoes, and arugula. I ordered mine with a side of sweet potato fries and Lynn the coleslaw.

The burgers came out in cute updated American diner basket made of stainless steel and the sweet potato fries came in a steel basket that looked like a miniature French fry fryer.

The burger was already cut in half, a plus in my book. It was juicy and very tasty with a good consistency. I always douse my burgers in ketchup but I was enjoying it so much and it was so flavorful on its own, it didn’t need ketchup. The fries were crispy and fresh tasting, cut the way I like them. Lynn enjoyed her chicken burger a lot, but didn’t like the coleslaw, which had a yogurt base to it. Clever idea but ultimately didn’t work and gave it a strange, sour taste.

I found out the reason behind the great tasting burgers and other menu items: everything is handmade, the meat is of French origin and ground in the kitchen, sides and condiments including ketchup, fries, and pickles are also homemade, and desserts are home baked.

After our very satisfying burgers, we ordered two of the cookies, one peanut butter and one white chocolate chip. They were chewy and tasted like genuine all American cookies.

Interestingly enough the burgers are priced much lower (10 euros) than at most cafes, which usually charge 14-16 euros for a mediocre burger. Also, the soft drinks and water are very fairly priced at only 2.5 euros, not the usual 4 to 5 euros most places charge. There is a 15-euro formule, which includes burger, fries (but not sweet potato fries), and drink for 15 euros.

The simple interior matched the simple menu with hardwood tables and stools. The vibe is fun with the uber cool NORMA crowd and a good-looking, pleasant wait staff.

Blend also has takeout.

Blend
1 Blvd. des Filles du Calvaire, 75003
Metro: Filles-Calvaire
Open everyday 12PM to 11PM

Original location
44 rue D’argon, 75002
Metro: Bourse, Sentier, Etienne Marcel
http://blendhamburger.com

I am ecstatic to announce I have won my first photo contest! I have won the 2013 Grand Prix Juror Award of Merit from the International Fine Art Photography Competition. The winning photos is below and you can also look at it on this link. It's photo #23.

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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.

Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. 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

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

COOKBOOK-LOGO-little New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos. I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

August 29, 2013 in Lunch with Lynn/Under 20 Eats | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 28, 2013

David Burke's Writers in Paris: The Marquis de Sade in Paris

Besides my Writers in Paris Walking Tours, another offspring of my book Writers in Paris has been a series of talks I do called “Bad Boys and Bad Girls in Literature in Paris,” usually presented with plenty of illustrations. Scandalous in their lifetime: that’s my criterion. Colette, Oscar Wilde, Verlaine and Rimbaud, George Sand, and François Villon are some of my bad boys and girls. The talks have gone over big wherever I’ve done them, in several in Paris and in a number of places in the States. But here’s the story of a writer who goes beyond the mere “bad boy” category … one whose best-known activities I’d be queasy about illustrating.
…..

On the gently curving street of the rue de Condé, originally cut through the abbey of Saint Germain-des-Prés’s medieval vineyards, the princely Condé family ‘s vast property of stood in the 17th and 18th centuries, fronting on what is today’s Numbers 9–15, just up from the Carrefour de l’Odéon. On June 2, 1750, a cousin was born here. He was Donatien-Alphonse-François de Sade, later the Marquis de Sade -- “the Divine Marquis” for those in the know. He was baptized at the Church of Saint-Sulpice the following day.

As a youngster he grew up at the Sades’ château in La Coste in the Lubéron and went to military school in Provence. He served as a boy officer in the Seven Years War and was promoted to captain at eighteen.

Five years later, back in Paris, young Sade was pressured by his financially strapped father into marrying the daughter of a rich family of recent nobility. His father also hoped that marriage would temper his son’s evident libertine tastes. Five months after his high society wedding at the church of Saint Roch on the rue Saint-Honoré he was arrested in Paris for subjecting a prostitute to the sort of treatment that would make his name an “ism.” (Krafft-Ebing, who invented the term sadism, defined it as the inflicting of pain on others for one’s sexual pleasure). In this case, the instrument of Sade’s pleasure was a whip. He spent two weeks in prison at the Château de Vincennes.

In 1778, at his château in La Coste, Sade staged the marathon orgy of buggery, flagellation, and revoltingly unhygienic sexual practices upon which he would enlarge in massive tome The 120 Days of Sodom. At the instigation of his mother-in-law, he was imprisoned the same year. All but ten of his remaining thirty-six years were spent in prison cells, either at Vincennes, the Bastille, or the insane asylum at Charenton outside Paris.

David Burke is the author of Writers in Paris, Literary Lives in the City of Light, and the personal tour guide of David Burke’s Writers in Paris Walks. To learn about the book and the walks and the writer go to www.writersinparis.com. David is also a documentary filmmaker and former 60 MINUTES writer/producer who came to Paris for what he thought would be a year, but turned into more twenty. He now divides his time between Paris and New York.

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New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

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August 28, 2013 in David Burke's Writers in Paris | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 27, 2013

Montparnasse Reflection Photos

The Saturday afternoon after I met my friends for coffee and found those fabulous doors, I was still itching to take some photos. It was one of those picture perfect, late summer weather days with Technicolor blue skies, billowing clouds, and comfortable temps in the low 70s with a breeze. I spontaneously hopped on a Velib bicycle and drove down the deserted Boulevard Raspail, one of my favorite architectural boulevards in Paris.

I stopped for a moment near rue Cherche Midi as I remembered I had shot some cool photos last year of reflections of the Haussmannian buildings off a modern building with mirrored panels.

A few moments later I came upon a series of large paned windows above the legendary La Coupole restaurant, which also had brilliant and reflections of Haussmannian buildings with some of them twisted like they were looking in a funhouse mirror.

I also included a few shots of the Le Select sign.

Would love your feedback on these, so please tell me what you think.

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Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

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August 27, 2013 in Architecture, Parks, Gardens,Outdoors | Permalink | Comments (3)

August 26, 2013

Parisian of the Month: Carol Gillott

Carol Gillott writes the whimsical and mouthwatering blog Paris Breakfasts where she fulfills her French pastry obsession and love of painting watercolors together. Carol recently moved to Paris from New York without looking back, like myself.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?
Born and bred in Philadelphia and couldn't wait to get away fast enough to NYC.

When and why did you move to Paris?
The big move was on December 25th 2012. My rational was financial. I thought it would be less costly not having to buy so many Air France plane tickets per year. Little did I know it would suit me to a T and I'd fall madly in love with the city.

When did you develop an obsession with sweets and what are some early childhood members?
Travel and sweets were intertwined from the get go. The corner drugstore was a refuge on the way home from grade school to browse candies. Sometimes I wonder if anticipation and browsing are more fun then the actual eating.

When and where did you taste your first French macaron?
I remember seeing them first in Angelina's windows. The bright colors fascinated me but I was still committed to big, old-fashioned meringues. In 2006 I began painting them. I loved the round shapes and the meringue shells but I would scrape out the ganache filling!

What is your favorite flavor and macaroon brand and have you discovered new ones since you moved that you didn’t know about before?
I'm a dyed-in-the-wool passion fruit addict. Pierre Hermé's creation is unbeatable but I'll happily taste any new flavor he comes up with including carrot and olive oil.

If you were marcarooned-oops! Sorry I meant marooned, on a dessert island, oops! Sorry I meant desert island, what one French pastry would you choose?
A box of 36 Pierre Hermé macarons. All different flavors of course.

What have been the biggest surprises you have found since you started living here, both positive and negative?
Daily discovering new tastes and flavors - the seasonal tsunamis that knock you sideways like Buche de Noel, Galette du Roi, the May fraisiers when the strawberries come in. It's a wonderful positive and at the same time sheer hell since I've no resistance to temptation and moderation isn't one of my strong points.

You have had a multitude of careers in the creative arts including shoe design, fashion design, writing and illustrating travel books, and a stint as in house photographer at the James Beard Foundation. What were some of the pinnacles and highlights of those careers?
I've always drawn pictures no matter what. Combining drawing with travel and food continued at The James Beard House in the 90s and hasn't stopped since. A high point was an invitation to Paul Bocuse's MOF luncheon in Lyon in '94 and shooting backstage at the Lyon Coupe de Monde de Patisserie.

How did you come up with the idea of your blog?
I had stacks of Parisian petit dejeuner still life watercolors gathering dust on a shelf. I thought it would be fun to put them out there. i.e. the name Paris Breakfasts. Corey Amaro of Tongue in Cheek Antiques dared me to start the blog in 2006. Et voila!

Has the blog expanded your watercolor painting and has it brought you new clients?
Oh tremendously. A Parisbreakfast reader asked if I could paint her sister's three dogs in front of patisserie Laduree as a birthday gift. I've done hundreds and hundreds of pet portraits since then. Lots of ideas come from readers requesting something special, like painting Paris facades. That led to exhibits at Alliance Francaise in DC, Boston, Philadelphia and London.

Who are some of your favorite watercolor artists and which have had a big influence on you?
My teacher of 20 years, David Dewey and dessert painter Wayne Thiebaut. Both are superb colorists.

What do you prefer about Paris?
You put one foot out the door and the adventure begins. I especially love the constant visual stimulation everywhere.

http://parisbreakfasts.blogspot.fr

Top photo of Carol Gillott courtesy of Carla Coulson

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August 26, 2013 in Parisian of the Month | Permalink | Comments (3)

August 22, 2013

Meredith Mullins: Free Floating in Monterey

Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Paris anymore. C’est vrai. It’s August. Vacation time. I’ve flown the coop and am enjoying the fog of my California home away from home, Pacific Grove. And the sojourn always includes the mesmerizing jellyfish of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

I can spend hours with the jellies. They are such graceful free floaters, with trailing tentacles as elegant as bridal lace or Maypole ribbons. They can do slow motion back somersaults; can encircle themselves with, well, themselves; and can propel their glowing umbrella-shaped bodies with effortless pulses.

They become dancers, fluffy clouds, and feathery curtains blowing in the wind. All this and bioluminescence to boot. They have it all.

If you’ve never been on a jellyfish high, try it. You’ll like it. Bonnes Vacances.

Meredith Mullins is a fine art photographer, photography instructor, writer for OIC Moments, and Director of the International Fine Art Photography Competition. Her work can be seen at www.meredithmullins.artspan.com or in her award-winning book, In A Paris Moment. She is also available for private photography instruction/exploration in Paris. Contact her at [email protected].

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August 22, 2013 in Meredith Mullins | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 21, 2013

Flowers at Giverny

My day at Giverny wouldn’t be complete without showing you images of the flowers in the garden.

We have had scorching hot July with very little rain, so by mid-July some of the flowers in the garden were wilting but there was certainly enough to photograph. I decided to focus on mostly individual flowers rather than flowerbeds, as they just weren’t as strong or photogenic. I was lucky enough to have caught a few bees landing on the flowers.

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August 21, 2013 in Museums/Galleries/Exhibits, Parks, Gardens,Outdoors | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 20, 2013

Painting Class with Laurie & Blair Pessemier at Giverny

My good friends Laurie and Blair, who I have written about before, lead outdoor painting workshops in Paris and environs. During the summer they take clients to Giverny to paint and they receive a special permit that is only given to artists and photographers to go after hours when it is closed to the public.

We went on a hot mid July day during the week. Laurie and Blair rented a van and we drove to Giverny in about 90 minutes. That day the clients were two women who were grade school teachers from Hawaii. Their teaching method was quite interesting as they told us how they integrated art classes into the curriculum. They were on a special grant from their school to expand their painting abilities and skills to pass on to their students.

We arrived about 4PM and went to see the Hiramatsu, The Lily Pond, Homage to Monet at Giverny Museum of Impressionisms (yes, the “s” on the end of Impressionism is correct). The show was a reverse take on Monet, as Monet was greatly influenced by Japanese prints, and Hiramatsu, a Japanese artist, painted a series of paintings influenced by Monet after he first saw the Water Lilies at the Orangerie in Paris and after visited Giverny.

We then saw the house and the gardens, which I had not visited in over 20 years. (I came once to the museum in the winter a few years ago to see a show and the gardens were closed.).

Although it was teeming with tourists, it was till a great thrill to revisit the country house with its musty smell and antique furniture and of course the gardens. At about 5:45 we carried the easels and art supplies to the water lily area. The museum closes at 6PM so it was almost empty by the time we arrived. It was still full daylight, as it doesn’t get dark till about 10:15 in July.

I actually tagged along so I could take photographs, not paint. One talent I absolutely don’t possess is painting, although one never knows till they try but I wasn’t game enough that day, so I stuck with taking photos. The light at that time of the day had a lot of glare, so it was tricky trying to photograph the nature without it being overexposed. It was a perfect time in terms of the vegetation as all the greenery was in full bloom with the vines overhanging the pond, lily pads floating on the murky, mud colored water and splashes of fuchsia flowers and orange tiger lilies. The famous green Japanese bridge is a genius detail because the exceptional color gives the garden a focal point and a brilliant beam of color just where it’s needed.

Laurie, Blair, and their students set up their easels and painted away, while I luxuriated walking various paths of the serene, people empty garden, snapping away. I met a woman who was with a group of students who were taking a weeklong photography class just focusing on Giverny, where they would photograph it in the morning and late day.

We wrapped up at 8PM, as the permit only allowed us two hours, but what a glorious two hours it was having the special experience of being practically being one on one with Monet and his garden.

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August 20, 2013 in Parks, Gardens,Outdoors | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 19, 2013

Door(s) of the Month: 10 & 22 Rue de La Chaise

Dear Readers and Subscribers,
I want to apologize again for the photos not loading on last week’s posts, as I know some of you were frustrated in trying to open them. Just know that it wasn’t you or your computer it was me. Here are links to last week’s posts so you can enjoy the photos.
http://www.ipreferparis.net/2013/08/quick-cheap-eats-verjus-sandwich-.html

http://www.ipreferparis.net/2013/08/nouvelles-vagues-palais-de-tokyo.html

http://www.ipreferparis.net/2013/08/going-away-and-henrique-oliveira-baitogogo-installations-at-palais-de-tokyo-.html

My friends and I were having a leisurely coffee on the rue de Grenelle on Saturday and enjoying the nearly deserted streets of Paris this time of the year. After our coffee I informed my friends I was looking for a Door of the Month for August and one friend immediately said she knew of a small nearby street that had some cool doors. She was absolutely right and I hit the jackpot and found two doors.

I love the sleepy angel on one side of the door at #22 and what attracted me to the door at #10 was the rich forest green color veneer, especially on the knocker.

I found little history of the specific addresses but the rue de la Chaise was named in 1588 and the origin of the name means old sign but in modern French is chair.

Here is a corny joke: Paris is one of the few places in the world where you can say “Nice set of knockers” and not offend someone.

10 & 22 rue de la Chaise, 75007
Metro: rue du Bac or Sevres-Babylone

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August 19, 2013 in Door of the Month | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 15, 2013

Going Away and Henrique Oliveira, Baitogogo Installations at Palais de Tokyo

Dear readers and subscribers,
My apologies for my photos not appearing the last few days. I am having trouble loading my photos and working on getting it fixed as soon as possible. Please bear with me and hopefully my photos will be back on Monday.

Two outstanding installations at Palais de Tokyo inspired me to write this post today.

Orbe New York is a sculptural space in the front room of the Palais de Tokyo with revolving installations. Last monthe students from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, during a workshop with the visiting artist Tomas Saraceno, aimed to create a temporary installation that distorts and amplifies one’s sense of self within the confines of the exhibition space. The almost free floating silver spheres suspended from the high ceilings by close to invisible transparent cord and the light and reflections hitting them from different angles gives off a feeling of lightness. Unfortunately, this exhibit closed on July 31, but thought I would share some photos.

The other show which was a knockout was Henrique Oliveira’s-Baitogogo. Oliveira has taken wood and vegetal elements and brilliantly uses the existing architecture of the building including columns and supporting beams to create a stunning forest like environment. I love the way the textured trunks and branches intertwine around the pure white plaster pillars. Born in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Oliveira often borrows materials from the Brazilian urban landscape, notably tapumes, wood taken from fences surrounding and blocking access to construction sites.

Baitogogo is part of the Nouvelles Vagues show I wrote about yesterday and runs through September 9, 2013.

Palais de Tokyo
13 Ave. President Wilson, 75116
Metro:Iena or Alma-Marceau
Open everyday 12PM-12AM, except Tuesday
http://www.palaisdetokyo.com/en/palais-de-tokyo

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August 15, 2013 in Museums/Galleries/Exhibits | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 14, 2013

Nouvelles Vagues at Palais de Tokyo

Palais de Tokyo is one of my favorite contemporary museums in Paris. It’s not so much a formal museum, as it is more an exhibition space for large art pieces and installations. Even the hours are different than most museums, from 12-midnight everyday except Tuesday.

In 2012 Palais de Tokyo more than doubled their exhibition space from 8,000 meters to 22,000 meters and the former unused basement space is where most of the expansion happened.

I was there a few weeks ago after The Little Black Dress show (they are a block away from each other) to see the new summer shows. The cavernous space downstairs with unfinished concrete walls, purple and pink lighting, and winding steel staircases made me feel I was in a 1940s Flash Gordon or retro Sci-Fi film. The dark passages leading to the massive open spaces were eerie. The art almost took a back seat to the overwhelming, almost sinister atmosphere.

The show going on at the moment is Nouvelle Vague, which emphasizes the important role of the curator with a collective of 21 international curators putting together an eclectic and impressive collection of contemporary artists.

Individual exhibitions include La Methide Jacobson, The Black Moon, Ada, Le Principe Galapagos, Le club de Sous L’Eau, Concert Hall, Memorial Park. File Not Found, Guerilla Girls, and Toiletpaper.

Palais de Tokyo has a fun, hip and happening outdoor restaurant overlooking the Seine with a peek a boo view of the Eiffel Tower. It’s newest restaurant Monsieur Blu, a sumptuously decorated, chic restaurant also with an outdoor terrace overhanging the Seine, has become the hottest dining spot in Paris at the moment, with close to a month’s wait for a reservation.

Stay tuned till tomorrow when I post about two other very special exhibits at Palais de Tokyo.

Nouvelles Vagues till 9/9/13

Palais de Tokyo
13 Ave. President Wilson, 75116
Metro:Iena or Alma-Marceau
Open everyday 12PM-12AM, except Tuesday
http://www.palaisdetokyo.com/en/palais-de-tokyo