I Prefer Paris

Lunch with Lynn/Under 20 Eats: Beau & Fort

Last week I received an email from Damien Richardot, who invited me to come to his new restaurant and cheese shop, Beau & Fort. Richardot was a former partner and founder of Pinson Café, a successful vegetarian and semi-vegan restaurant in the Marais, which I wrote about in 2012.

I arrived at Beau & Fort on the gritty and congested rue Faubourg Montmartre to find an appealing and inviting storefront of painted industrial gray offset by mint green awnings and chairs. Inside was a myriad of refrigerated glass cases and stacked wood crates displaying a delectable selection of cheeses and a contemporary restaurant with a hint of mid-century furnishings and décor.

I sat on a banquette and pondered what to order. The lunch menu had a formule of plat and dessert for 15€ with a selection of five dishes each and what I liked was there were also non-cheese offerings. I did end up choosing a cheese dish, baked Camembert encrusted with herbs and pistachios, served with roasted seasonal vegetables.

Damien joined me a few minutes later and explained the concept of the shop and restaurant. His goal was to have a cheese shop and the restaurant to serve high-quality food accompanied by cheese, not the standard cheese platter and wine bar. He also said vegetables were of supreme importance to balance the menu and he sourced a small farm in the Eure region. Growing up on a farm in the Jura region and drinking fresh milk straight from the cows was a big influence in his decision to open the shop and restaurant, bringing him back to his roots. His specialty cheeses are Savoie tomme, Mont’ d'Or, Comté, and Arabis.

My baked Camembert was excellent and not too heavy or rich, as it was served on a half-scooped out bun and the roasted carrots, mushrooms, and fennel had a faint buttery taste and texture. Other appealing menu items included a cheeseburger topped with Raclette, Buratta cheese with arugula, roasted eggplant, and toasted almonds, and a non-cheese plate of the day, roasted pork filet and menus change seasonally.

Damien Richardot

The second page of the menu listed the selection of cheese plates divided into three sections: Fresh- with seasonal cheeses (spring cheeses included Mozzarella, and two goat cheeses, Imported Cheeses such as Manchego from Spain, Gorgonzola from Italy and beer washed cheese from Belgium. French cheeses are the third category. Three kinds of cheese are offered on one platter with a fourth “surprise” cheese and for the full immersion experience, the Big Cheese features nine kinds of cheese with a tenth surprise one. One last menu item was the pairing cheese with a beverage, for example, Comté cheese with black tea with dates or Manchego with white grape juice.

I realized at a certain point that Beau & Fort was a play on words, because if you connect them, it’s Beaufort, a well known hard French cheese.

The cheese shop up front is also open at dinnertime, so you may purchase them before or after your meal.

Upstairs is another dining room than can be rented for private events and cheese tastings, a fun idea for a birthday party, wedding, bachelor or hen party.

37 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009
Metro: Cadet or Grand Boulevards
Open everyday lunch and dinner
https://www.beauetfort.com/

For episode 9 of A Bite of Paris, I went to Comme a Lisbonne, where they serve pastel de nata, an amazing custard tart from Portugal.

Click here or below to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g-07qy-Wc0&feature=youtu.be

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel.

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

May 2018 Instagram Photos

It’s been a busy month with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, so I’ve been everywhere from Le Marais to Saint Germain to Belleville to Versailles. Since it’s spring, lots of people are out on the streets and I’ve taken snaps of them.

If you still haven’t followed me on Instagram yet, here are my tags. 



@eyepreferparis
 


@parisian_doors

For episode 9 of A Bite of Paris, I went to Comme a Lisbonne, where they serve pastel de nata, an amazing custard tart from Portugal.

Click here or below to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g-07qy-Wc0&feature=youtu.be

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel.

Traveling in Europe and France

One of the questions I’m frequently asked is what do I like best about living in Paris and my response is usually the obvious- culture, architecture, and food but another top reason is how central Paris is to the rest of Europe and also France.

In under five hours, I can be in almost any European destination and in France, it’s the same with the vast railroad network including the high-speed TGV trains.

There’s a wide selection of inexpensive flights throughout Europe you can easily access a flight booking on, through various websites. Fares during the week are generally less expensive and most sites offer discounted packages for airfare, hotel, and rental car.

In France, the clean, comfortable TGV trains will take you to Reims/Champagne region in 50 minutes, Bordeaux in two hours, Lyon in 2.5 hours and Marseilles in three hours.

As you know, I’ve traveled extensively in Europe in the past 13 years and found some great travel bargains. My trip to Porto, Portugal last year cost 325€ for airfare and a six-night stay in a spacious, modern one-bedroom apartment in a highly desirable area in the old part of the city. The year before I went to Prague in November for six nights and the cost of my flight and a lovely three-star hotel room in the center of the city was a mere 300€.

I love going to London to see theater on occasion and also to visit good friends who live there. Going on the Eurostar train is the fastest and most efficient way to travel, only taking two hours and twenty minutes. If I book 90 days or more in advance, I can usually get a fare of 75-100€ round trip.

Another advantage of taking inner-Europe flights is you only have to be at the airport 60- minutes before takeoff as opposed to two hours in the U.S. and flights don’t usually board till 30 minutes before.

If I’m going on a short trip and only have carryon luggage, I find the quickest way to get to the airport is by RER train. I take it from Chatelet station to Charles DeGaulle airport and it’s only 40 minutes. It’s free on my Navigo pass or 10€ if you don’t have a Navigo card.

I sometimes make a joke that when I lived in New York, it would take 90 minutes to get halfway to the Hamptons in the hellish traffic on the Long Island Expressway and in Paris, I can be in Venice in 90 minutes. Which would you choose?

A Bite of Paris Episode 9: Pastel de Nata at Comme a Lisbonne

 

For episode 9 of A Bite of Paris, I went to Comme a Lisbonne, where they serve pastel de nata, an amazing custard tart from Portugal. I also spoke with owner Victor Silviera about what makes his pastel de nata so irresistible.

Click here or below to indulge in a warm pastel de nata with me. Don’t let the custard drip on to your shirt or blouse!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g-07qy-Wc0&feature=youtu.be

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel.

IMPORANT NOTE: 

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If you wish to keep receiving information from the Eye Prefer Paris blog and me, Richard, you do not need to do anything, and by doing so, you authorize me to keep you informed about blog activities. I assure to use your data (name and email address) for my newsletter exclusively.

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Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

Sintra, Portugal

When I was in Lisbon in 2012 I didn’t get a chance to visit Sintra, so last November when I visited Porto, I returned to Lisbon to make the trip.

Sintra, about 30 minutes by car from Lisbon, is a town nestled in a forest of pine trees where many royal palaces were built in the 1800s.

Lisbon Native Tours were kind enough to provide a complimentary full day tour of Sintra for me. It was a small group with only two other people and the van picked me up promptly at my hotel at 8:30.

Our first stop was the quaint seaside village Cascais, where we had time to visit the port and stroll the streets dotted with charming shops and cafes. The van weaved through a hilly, narrow road to reach Cabo de Roca, the westernmost tip of Europe and over 100 meters high. I looked down the rocky cliffs and the stunning azure waters below, mesmerized by the forceful tide having its way against the layers of rocks and boulders.

In the afternoon we visited Pena Castle, a former monastery converted into the summer palace for Prince Ferdinand and the royal family in the mid-1800s. The eclectic architecture is comprised of Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Neo-Islamic and Neo-Renaissance styles, supporting the Romanticist style. The earthy colors of deep orange and mustard set against the bright blue sky along with the herringbone patterns on the towers gave the feeling of being in a fairytale castle.

Our last stop was the Regaleira Palace, also known as the "The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire", after its former owner António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. I didn’t get to see the inside of the palace but I was fortunate to see the lush, green gardens spread out over four acres. The multi-level park has lots of twists and turns along the narrow pathways leading to waterfalls, grottos, wells, fountains, and secret tunnels. Initiation wells are inverted towers with stairs winding down them and were used for Tarot initiation rights.

I returned to my hotel at about 5:30 from a tiring but most delightful day. The guide was informative and patient and even made an extra stop at another palace just for me. I would highly recommend Lisbon Native Tours and the price of only 57€ is a bargain for such a high-level of service.

My friends Maria and Frederic, who own the fabulous Palacio Belmonte in Lisbon, were kind enough to give me the most gorgeous suite to stay in. The foyer had a library and a bar and the living room boasted about a 40-foot high ceiling with a spacious second-floor sleeping loft bedroom. The piece de resistance was the unbelievable bathroom suite of textured black and white marble and connected to it was a terrace with a knockout view of Lisbon. Thank you, Maria and Frederic, for making my short stay in Lisbon so memorable.

Click here to read my blog about the first time I stayed in Palacio Belmonte.

https://www.lisbonnativetours.com
http://palaciobelmonte.com/

My fabulous suite at Palacio Belmonte 

View of Lisbon from my terrace

 

Please click here to watch my latest episode of A Bite of Paris with my guest Diane Pernet

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

 

 

Ground Control Paris

Last Saturday night Vincent and I met friends for dinner at Ground Control, a summer pop up venue of food and retail stalls housed in a former railroad car hangar. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as my friends didn’t tell us much information before we met them.

After a ten-minute walk from Gare de Lyon, we arrived at an industrial building and climbed up a flight of stairs to a huge outdoor space filled to the rafters with locals enjoying the remains of a most sunny and pleasant day. Most were drinking beer and wine and it was difficult to find our friends in the sea of hundreds of animated Parisians.

On the outside were a number of food stalls in transformed railroad cars but we headed inside the hangar because the outside was too noisy and crowded. About 10 stalls lined with appetizing ethnic food made it hard to choose just one, so we mixed and matched Italian, Syrian and Asian cuisine. Our mélange included Gyoza, mutabal (eggplant and yogurt spread) with parsley salad and pita bread, gnocchi with olive, basil, and anchovy pesto, and thin crust pizza topped with mozzarella, tomato, and anchovies. All were fresh and delicious but the mutabal was the standout and deserved another tasting. Other food stalls included Danish food with smoked seafood specialties, organic crepes and galettes, African fusion, Mexican food, and artisanal coffee. There’s a wine bar and a number of stalls with beer, mixed drinks, and wine.

After dinner, we perused the stores and galleries. One had retro 1960s and 1970s furniture, vinyl 33RPM records (Vincent spotted a Christopher Cross album from the early 1980s) and T-shirts. A gallery specializing in black and white photos also had a photo studio and a photographer was preparing for a family portrait. A ping-pong table had kids and adults fiercely whacking the little white ball to and fro.

When we departed at 9:30 PM the inside was now as crowded as the outside.

Ground Control offers a monthly calendar of different activities including DJ’s, yoga classes, exhibitions and Swing Dancing.

Ground Control
81 Rue du Charolais, 75012
Metro: Gare de Lyon, Montgallet
https://www.groundcontrolparis.com/

LINKS EYE PREFER

Check out new article in New York Times:  Camembert Without Raw Milk? It’s Treason, Connoisseurs Cry

Click here to read

 

Please click here to watch my latest episode of A Bite of Paris with my guest Diane Pernet

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

 

 

Abstract Metro Photos Series 10

I can’t believe I am already up to series 10 of my abstract metro photos. It seems every time I step in the metro I discover a newly torn up poster or ad, much to my good fortune.

In recent months I’ve captured some with body parts and/or parts of faces, which I find intriguing.

Do you have a favorite or favorites in this series?
These images are for sale, so if you would like to order prints, please email me at [email protected] for sizes and prices.

Click here to view other abstract metro series.

LINKS EYE PREFER

Article in the NY Times today How to Get to and Enjoy a Luxury Trip to Paris for Less  

Click here to read

Please click here to watch my latest episode of A Bite of Paris with my guest Diane Pernet

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

 

Two New Eye Prefer Paris Tours

I am happy to announce I’ve added two new tours to my tour list.

Private Cheese Tasting in Paris Apartment
Come taste the legendary cheeses of France in the comfort of a spacious Paris apartment. (Yes, you get to see my cool apartment!) We first visit an award-winning cheese shop and have a highly trained expert assist us in choosing a variety of five cheeses including sheep’s, cow and goat cheese. Next, we purchase freshly baked bread from a top boulangerie to accompany our cheese. Back in the apartment we will indulge in our fresh cheeses and match them with a red and white wine, while your host shares the history of cheese making, the different types of cheeses and how they are made and processed, and the specific etiquette of cheese tasting and serving in France.

Tasting includes five types of cheeses, a red and/or white or rosé, fresh bread and bottled water in between tastings.

Length of Tasting: 2-2.5 hours

Class not given on Mondays 

Times: 11AM to1-1:30PM, 3PM to 5-5:30PM

Cost: 260€ for up to 4 people
65€ for each additional person

Jewish History Tour
This special tour traces the long and often arduous history of Jews in Paris and France. Tour includes
• History of Jewish population from150AD when the Romans settled Paris, to the Middle Ages when Jews were habitually persecuted, to the surprising freedom Napoleon granted Jews in the early 1800s, to the thriving late 1800s when Jews flourished in the arts, literature, and finance, to the Dreyfus affair, to the Holocaust and finally the present day culture and community of Jews living in France
• A visit to the Shoah Memorial Holocaust Museum, which lists the 72,000 names of Jews that died in the Holocaust, extensive coverage including photos, propaganda, artifacts and videos, and an eternal flame to commemorate those who died.
• A stroll on rue des Rosiers in the Marais area and the ancient streets of the former Pletzl, now a lively area filled with Jewish food shops, worldwide famous falafel stands, kosher restaurants, bakeries, and bookshops.
• An outside view of an Art Nouveau synagogue built by one of France’s most famous architects
• A visit to Notre Dame, revealing an ancient connection to Judaism
• A traditional Jewish pastry at an authentic Kosher bakery, Kocarz. (Not included in the price of the tour)

Cost: 225 euros for 1 to 3 people, 75 euros for each additional person
Tour time: 2.5 hours

Tour not given on Saturdays

Morning tour: 10AM-12: 30 PM
Afternoon tour: 2:30PM-5PM

These tours are not listed on my website yet, so if you would like to book one, please email me at [email protected]

 

I am starting a new feature, Links Eye Prefer on the bottom of my blog posts. They are stories or articles regarding Paris and France.

The first link is from the NY Times about the 2018 winner of the Best Baguette in Paris.

https://nyti.ms/2rLeN5o

Please click here to watch my latest episode of A Bite of Paris with my guest Diane Pernet

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

 

Taxes for Expats 2018

I’ve written before about the excellent service Taxes for Expats offers ex-pats who need to file their U.S. taxes. I am one of their loyal customers and have successfully used them for the last five years to prepare my tax returns.

This year there are sweeping new U.S. tax laws which even accountants are having a hard time figuring out but Taxes for Expats expert service for over 25 years and their highly trained staff will efficiently help you figure it out. Their six-step procedure is easy and hassle free:
1. Register online
2. Schedule a free introductory phone conversation
3. Fill out tax questionnaire
4. Sign electronic engagement letter
5. Relax while Taxes for Expats prepares your taxes
6. Pay your bill and review your tax return documents

Taxes for Expats provides the cost of preparing your taxes upfront with no extra hidden charges.

There’s a page with a series of informative articles on the Taxes for Expats website about the tax law changes on different topics including:
Winners & Losers Amongst Americans Living Abroad, Mandatory Repatriation of Deferred Foreign Income for Owners of Foreign Corporation, and Impact on Owners of Residential Real Estate. Click here for full list of articles.

With over 800 positive reviews, Taxes for Expats has a great track record as a top company providing full-service tax services.

https://www.taxesforexpats.com

Please click here to watch my latest episode of A Bite of Paris with my guest Diane Pernet

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

 

A Bite of Paris Episode 8: Tea with Diane Pernet at Les Deux Abeilles

Thanks for your enthusiastic response to my last video with my guest Adrian Leeds.

Since you liked the new format so much I invited my friend Diane Pernet to choose her favorite local restaurant or café and she chose Les Deux Abeilles, a charming tea salon in the 7th arrondissement.

Diane Pernet is the creator of the uber-popular blog with a cult following, A Shaded View on Fashion and she is also the founder of the phenomenally successful international film festival, A Shaded View on Fashion Film Festival, better known at ASVOFF.

Click here or link below to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fJxxLvtbL8&t=8s

Please remember to hit the red SUBSCRIBE button when you watch the video and click LIKE button if you liked it.

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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