I am taking a much-needed vacation this week and posting The Best of EPP with Lunch with Lynn/Under 20 Eats posts from the past. Enjoy and will fill you in next week about my vacation.
It’s been a long time since I’ve written Lunch with Lynn/Under 20 Eats. It’s just not the same without Lynn but I decided to move on and still honor the monthly tradition with new friends.
My friends Jan and Kathy were visiting from Los Angeles for the month of April. Kathy asked me what trendy restaurants I could recommend and I thought Biglove Caffè, a new branch of the ultra popular Big Mamma restaurant fit the bill.
Located in the northern Marais/NORMA in the former storefront where The Rose Bakery used to be, the space has been totally transformed. The utilitarian décor of concrete floors, fluorescent lights and plastic bins of potatoes and turnips has been replaced with a warm and cozy atmosphere with an humongous copper cappuccino machine, shelves packed with Italian food products, rust colored leather banquets and most Italian of all, hanging cheeses and meats wrapped in string.
It was already packed at 12:15 because of the school holiday and the lively crowd elevated the fun factor. I liked the slightly schizophrenic menu, ranging from pizza and pasta to American brunch favorites such as French toast, pancakes and eggs Benedict. Jan went for the French Toast (pain perdu in French) with Marscapone cream and raspberries. Pure decadence, I took a taste and considered it my dessert. Kathy ordered pasta with artichokes and red peppers served in copper pot. Gluten free pizza with Buffalo mozzarella and arugula with a touch of red sauce so much better than I expected it be. The crust was excellent and if you didn’t tell me it was gluten free, I would have never known.
I hadn’t seen Kathy or Jan in over a year and it was great to catch up with them. I met each of them separately three years ago and when each of them said they were from Los Angeles and were about the same age, I thought I would introduce them to each other. I arranged a coffee and it turns out Kathy and Jan knew a lot of the same people growing up and in fact Jan’s close friend, who I also knew through Jan, went to high school with Kathy. Very small world!
We all loved the blue and white ceramic tea and coffee service painted with delicate flowers. Great fun was had by all.
30 rue Debelleyme, 75003
Metro: Filles Calvaire
Open everyday 8AM-11PM
https://www.bigmammagroup.com/fr/trattorias/biglove-caffe
I am so pleased to have Ann Mah as my guest this week at on A Bite of Paris. We went to Le Mistral, her favorite Paris bistro and had their signature dish, aligot, a rich, creamy mix of whipped potatoes and cheese from the Aveyron region.
Click here or link below to watch Ann and I enjoy aligote.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiRHIW7Oitw&t=4s
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