I Prefer Paris

Mid-East Bento Box at Maison Aleph

In November of 2017, I wrote about Maison Aleph, a newly opened pastry shop which combines mid-east and French pastries in a new form.  Maison Aleph has been quite successful since then and had a pop-up shop last summer in the esteemed Le Grande Epicerie at Le Bon Marché. 

I passed by Maison Aleph a few weeks ago and noticed they introduced a number of new products since I was last there. One thing that stood out was a bento box with home-cooked, middle eastern cuisine, a welcome addition to the otherwise all sweets menu. I bought one to go, curious to see how the savory treats measured up to their pastries. 

The main course was chicken with a highly spiced Aleppo red pepper paste, cumin and dried mint. Alongside was a richly textured and flavorful mix of pumpkin, sweet potatoes, lentils, in a sesame and hazelnut sauce. A portion of pickled cauliflower, beets, and carrots were a blast from the past with their tangy, sour vinegar taste, a reminder of jars of them lining our family refrigerator when I was growing up. Another fond and funny memory came up while eating the pickled vegetables; I drove with my sister one day when I was about ten-years old to pick-up some pickled, green-peppers from a woman who pickled her own vegetables. When I got back in the car, we were so anxious to try them, we opened the jar on the front seat and dug in. While my sister was driving, after each traffic light, we would dig in again and quickly close it in time for the green light. About 10 traffic lights later and a sour feeling in our stomachs, we realized we ate the entire jar. 

Moutabal is much like baba ghanoush except it uses tahini, whereas baba ghanoush doesn’t. It has a smoother, creamier texture, and the Maison Aleph version topped with pomegranate seeds was sensational. I couldn’t get enough of the zaatar-flavored pita chips to scoop up the moutabal and wished I had a second portion of therm. 

Last but not least was one of Maison Aleph’s pastries, a square of baklava with layers of chocolate, crispy and gooey all at once. 

Another new item I had to try from Maison Aleph was their ice cream. The pistachio with caramelized Iranian pistachios spoke to me loud and clear. I loved the creamy, almost yogurt like texture, and the pure essence of the pistachios without out a lot of sugar to disrupt it. 

The bento box comes in three combinations: meat, vegetarian, and seafood. 

The cost is 12€. 

Maison Aleph 

20 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 

https://www.maisonaleph.com/nos-saveurs/

LINKS EYE LIKE 

Check out this eye opening article about disappearing bakeries in France from the NY Times

French Baguettes From a Vending Machine? ‘What a Tragedy.’

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/10/world/europe/france-bakery-closures.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

In my latest  A Bite of Paris video, I've taken a break from food tasting to visit my friend Jessica at La Vaissellerie, my favorite tabletop, dish ware, and kitchen shop, located in the Marais. 

Click here to watch or link below 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGfIOVl7188&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.

 

Quick, Cheap Eats: Chez Aline

Chances are when a shop or restaurant has a line, it’s either very good and/or cheap. Chez Aline is both. 

Stumbling upon Chez Aline on my way to a friend’s house near in between Bastille and Voltaire, it appeared to be a typical, hole in the wall sandwich shop but upon closer view there was something more to it. 

Grazing the chalkboard menu, scrawled in the usual, almost illegible French penmanship, I was hard pressed to choose one item, as everything made my mouth water. Should I get the smoked haddock with pickles, or chicken pot a feu or zucchini, feta and olive tapenade, all on baguette, or should I get something on a sesame bun? When push came to shove, and it was my turn to order, I blurted out smoked haddock with pickles and dill cream on a fresh made sesame bun, leaving my other choices in the dust. It’s rare having smoked haddock on a menu in general, especially in sandwich form. What the sign didn’t have on it was the wonderful selection of healthy side salads, which I also had difficulty choosing one. 

The sandwich was made to order on the spot, and while I was waiting, I sat on a high stool facing the narrow counter on the wall. The pickled herring and cream sauce were delicious and the fresh roll added an extra layer of taste. My side salad of broccoli and feta tossed with roasted, buttery pine nuts was a perfect accompaniment. I was too full on this rare occasion for the appealing apple crumble for dessert. Organic fruit juices and nectars and artisanal beer are offered.

So good was my lunch that day, I made a special trip a few days later and had the chicken pot a feu on baguette, another winner, plus a terrific roasted beet salad with raspberries. 

I will return to Chez Aline for sure, as I can’t get away from that incredible French bread with fabulous fillings, no matter how hard I try. 

Sandwich prices start at 5€, salads 4€. 

Restaurant Chez Aline Open Monday to Friday, 11:30AM -4PM 

85 rue de la Roquette, 75011

TEL +33 1 43 71 90 75

Metro: Voltaire, Bastille, Bréguet - Sabin

My Paris Apartment for Rent –November 18-December 5

I am looking to rent my fabulous Paris apartment in the heart of the Marais near St. Paul metro, anytime between November 18 to December 5 for 7-10 nights. It's a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft style apartment with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S.  The apartment is located on the second floor with a large elevator.

The price 7 nights is 165€ per night/1155€, for 10 nights 150€ per night/1500€ Photos upon request.

Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested. 

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 

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 

 

Bocamexa

Good Mexican food has been slow to come to Paris. The traditional French palate shies away from spicy or bold flavored food hence the resistance.

There were a handful of Mexican restaurants when I moved to Paris in 2005 but none were authentic or worth mentioning.

Whenever I would return to New York I’d make a beeline to the first Mexican restaurant I could find.
In 2011 Candelaria, an authentic taqueria opened in the haute Marais, and became an overnight hit with lines out the door and its cocktail bar became the talk of the town.

Now that Parisians were beginning to embrace spicy food, other Mexican restaurants opened.

Although it’s been around since 2010, I have had not heard of Bocamexa before. I received a press release from their publicist about some new dishes they were introducing and inquired about a tasting. The publicist kindly invited a friend and me to have a meal.

In 2006 a Frenchman Julien Zattara was studying cooking in Lyon at Paul Bocuse Institute when he met Alejandra from Monterey, Mexico, who was also attending the school. Julien and Alejandra became fast friends after sharing tequila shots and traveled together to attend a wedding in Mexico.

They decided to open a Mexican restaurant in 2006 on rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter,serving cuisine inspired by recipes from Alejandro’s grandfather. Expanding their brand and business they started a food truck in 2013, followed by harvesting their own peppers in 2014 to make their own special salsa Gallo, creating their own beer in 2015 and opening a new restaurant on Faubourg Saint Denis in 2016.

My friend and I went for lunch on Saturday at 12:30. The interior with wicker lamp shades,light wood picnic benches and tables, midnight blue tiled walls and vintage black and white photos made me feel as though I was at Mexican café on the beach in Tulum, Mexico rather than on the gritty Faubourg Saint Denis.

My first barometer for authenticity when it comes to Mexican food is the guacamole; if the guacamole passes the test then it’s usually smooth sailing for the other dishes to come. Chunky and not super spicy, the guacamole at Bocamexa passed the test well but the quality of corn chips could have been elevated a notch or two.

Next up was the most popular dish at Bocamexa, Tacos a Pastor. Pastor is a particular preparation of spit roast and marinated pig served with fresh pineapple, and brought to the streets of Mexico in the early 1960s by Lebanese immigrants. The flavor of the little bits of pork were piquant and sweet at the same time and the pineapple was the correct complement to the pork.

We shared a well stuffed burrito with marinated chicken, chorizo sausage and grilled peppers and onions. Again the taste and freshness was authentic, so Bocamexa passed my rigorous tests for Mexican food and came out a winner. I’ll be back soon.

Bocamexa offers gluten free dishes and vegetarian selections.

My apologies for not posting photos of the food, I was so into the food I forgot to take photographs!

127 rue Mouffetard, 75005

95 rue Oberkampf, 75011

84 rue Faubourg Saint Denis, 75010

http://www.bocamexa.com/

All branches open 7 days for lunch and dinner

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

La Cidrerie du Marais

My favorite crepe restaurant in the Marais and perhaps in all of Paris is Breizh. Serving authentic Brittany style crepes made with buckwheat flour along with apple cider, Breizh is considered the best crepe houses in Paris by many critics.
The problem with Breizh is they don’t take reservations and if you go at regular lunch and dinner hours, there’s always a wait. I am not one to wait on line, so I rarely go to Breizh anymore. I’ve been looking for a replacement and I’ve finally found a creperie that comes close.

Although the name can be misleading, La Cidrerie du Marais/The Marais cider house not only has an extensive selection of cider, it also serves high quality buckwheat crepes.

Best of all La Cidrerie du Marais is right across the street from my house and is very rarely full. Quaint and inviting, it has the feel of a creperie in Brittany with light wood planked walls decorated with kitschy signs and cute blackboard menus.

There’s a nice lunch formule during the week, a crepe with three fillings of your choice or the crepe du jour plus a drink for 10€.

I’m one of those people that once I find a dish at a restaurant I like, I tend to be a creature of habit and only order that dish. At La Cidrerie du Marais I get a crepe with fried egg, chevre and roasted potatoes. Folded into a square with the egg yolk bulls eye in the center, the chevre is roasted and the potatoes are crispy and the crepe comes as close to  comfort food as you can get.

I’ve tasted other crepes in the past before I got attached to egg, potato and chevre including smoked salmon, crème fraiche and dill, chevre, honey and walnuts and the extravagant foie gras with fig jam and pine nuts.

Caramel sauce with caramel ice cream with praline, chestnut cream and crème fraiche, pear with whipped cream and chocolate syrup, and sliced apples with Calvados, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream are just a few of the fillings of the tempting dessert crepes.

The cider list is divided into two categories, hard and soft with old fashioned, artisanal, pear, and red fruit cider in bottles and also cider bowls of rosé and pear.  

There’s only one waitress and she’s very sweet and speaks English.

A salted butter caramel comes with the check, a sweet ending.

La Cidrerie du Marais
4 rue de Sevigne, 75004
Metro: Saint Paul
Open 12PM-11PM daily

Many thanks to everyone who identified the flowers and trees from my Jardin des pLantes post on Tuesday.

Here are the names in the order of the question marks. poppies, salvia, and the last one is Mountain laurel.

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

 

 

Republique of Coffee

A new coffee bar, Republique of Coffee, has been trending a lot on Instagram and Facebook recently.

I didn’t realize Republique of Coffee was right near Place de Republique (duh!) and stumbled upon it last Thursday.

I thought I would stop for a quick coffee but it was lunchtime and I realized they had a food menu. Oddly enough there was Mexican cuisine on the menu, a strange pairing with coffee.

I can count on one hand the number of good Mexican meals I’ve had in Paris since I lived here and it’s one of the few cuisines I rush to have when I get back to the U.S. because of the limited selection here.

Excited but cautious to try the food at Republique of Coffee, I ordered the four-taco plate from the Rainbow Taco selection. Included with my meal was strong brewed coffee, a rarity in Paris, served in a soothing aqua blue colored mug.

My tacos arrived a few minutes later and they looked so appetizing, I immediately snapped a photo, since I couldn’t wait to eat them. Beautifully laid out on a sturdy black ceramic plate were two raw tuna, one fried fish and one vegetarian taco with black beans and guacamole. The tacos themselves were authentic and fresh tasting, and the fillings were superb with enough spice to give them some bite without being overly hot. I wasn’t sure how large the portions would be because tacos can sometimes be puny, but four was more than enough. Luckily they offer a three-taco plate, which I will have next time. The price is also right: three tacos for 12€ and 15€ for four tacos, each served with a mug of coffee.

The menu of quesadillas, tacos and burritos from chef Mario Flores changes weekly with ingredients such as kale, sweet potatoes, tofu and homemade chipotle sauce.

The cheerful space with aqua blue Formica tabletops and Bertoia white wire chairs has an airy glass atrium looking on to the street. The crowd was mostly 20-30 year old hipsters taking photos to post on their Intstagram accounts.

2 Boulevard Saint Martin, 75010
Metro: Republique
Open 7 days 8AM-7:30PM Monday to Friday, Saturday 10AM-7:30PM, Sunday 10AM-6PM

My Paris Apartment for Rent June 21 to June 27

I am renting my fabulous Paris apartment in the heart of the Marais near St. Paul metro, from  June 21 to June 27, a total of  7 nights. It's a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft style apartment with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps one or two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S.  The apartment is located on the second floor with an elevator.

The price is $225 a night.Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

 Don't forget to order your copy of the Mad Enchantment for the Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month.

Click the SHOP NOW icon below to order.

Eye Prefer Paris Photos

I am happy to announce a new series of Eye Prefer Paris photos. Give the gift of Paris to  yourself or your Francophile friends, relatives, colleagues and co-workers.

• I’ve listed 20 new photos on my Etsy page for easy shopping.
• Photo prints come in two sizes, 8”X10”, $35 each plus shipping and 11”X14”, $50 each, plus shipping.
• They are printed on Fuji crystal Archive metallic paper with rich satin gloss finish and are unsigned and unframed.
• Shipping is $6 per photo in continental U.S. and shipping time is 3-5 days via USPS.
• I can also ship them UPS or Fedex for an extra charge.
• If you are ordering photos as a gift, I can write a personal note card if you send me your text.

Click here to see full selection of images.  
https://www.etsy.com/shop/EyePreferParis?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Below are some sample images.

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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

Bol Porridge Bar

Paris is full of restaurants specializing in one dish- hamburgers, meatballs, crepes, and empanadas- but Bol tops the list of the most unusual: They only serve porridge.

Bol Poridge Bar recently opened in the 10th arrondissement on the rue du Faubourg Poissonniere, a street chock full of trendy and eclectic ethnic restaurants and take out shops. Combining the recent trend of healthy and comfort food cafes, Bol not only has breakfast porridge but offers a lunch menu with savory choices.

I ventured to Bol last week with my friend Cheryl Matzker from St. Louis, who usually makes her annual pilgrimage to Paris in February. There were three choices for lunch porridges and Cheryl chose the vegetarian option of barley porridge with beets, feta cheese and thyme and I got the whole wheat porridge with sesame chicken, coconut and carrots. (The third choice was spelt porridge with smoked haddock and leeks).

I was extra hungry so I also had the menu with soup, dessert, and a drink.

I hadn’t had porridge in the longest time and the version I remember from my youth was loaded with milk and sugar with a mushy, not very appealing consistency. The porridge at Bol was a very different and more positive experience, with the consistency more like risotto or brown rice. The portion was quite generous for only 9€  and by the time I had the soup and my oatmeal cookie for dessert, I was stuffed. I had a taste of Cheryl’s porridge and the combo of feta and beets worked well.

The long, narrow dining area has communal blond wood tables and banquets with comfy throw pillows.

The amiable owners and chefs Audrey and Maaike (she is half Dutch) are BFFs from grade school and decided to go into business together, sharing their love of porridge.

Bol also serves traditional breakfast porridge with untraditional toppings such as salted butter with cinnamon, banana, chocolate and pecan, and orange, spice bread, and thyme. Three varieties of granola are also on the menu.

76 rue du Faubourg Poissonniere, 75010
Metro: Poissonniere
Open Monday to Friday 7:30AM-5:30PM
Sunday 10:30AM-5:30PM
Closed Saturday

Porridge Girls- Maaike on the left, Audrey on the right

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

I am running a sale this month for the the postcards.

A three-month subscription is now $25 instead of $30 plus shipping.
Click here to order.

A six-month subscription is now $50 instead of $60 plus shipping.

Click here to order.

A twelve-month subscription is now $95 instead of $110 plus shipping.
Click here to order.

This offer is good until February 29, 2016

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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

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: 195 euros per person (about $210)
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.

Quick, Cheap Eats: Verjus Sandwich

It was roasting hot last month and there was very little escape from the heat besides the air conditioning in my bedroom. I had to contemplate where in the outside world I could get lunch and keep cool.

I thought of the fountain and alleyway of trees with shade underneath at the Palais Royal as a good place to start. Heading there, I remembered the three-month wait, impossible to get in new dining mecca Verjus started serving gourmet sandwiches at lunch at their teeny wine bar.

The clever lunch menu offers favorite local sandwiches from American cities including Mr. Chang’s Buns from the East Village in New York. Midnight Cuban from Seattle, Washington, and Bakesale Betty from Oakland, California. I’m a sucker anytime or anywhere for fried chicken and the Bakesale Betty had fried chicken coleslaw, and spicy mustard vinaigrette. I chose the formule, which included dessert and beverage for 15 euros.

The cute retro wrapping of the sandwich in wax paper and brown cord along with soda in a glass bottle, dessert in a white paper bag illustrated with daisies and croissants, and an aqua and white striped napkin made me want to ride a Schwinn bicycle with long streamers hanging down from the handle bars.

I found an empty green lacquered bench in the gardens of the Palais Royal and parked myself on it. I opened the sandwich and it looked puny, thinking I could eat two of these and still not be satisfied. The chicken was crispy and the coleslaw tangy. The soft, chewy bread was a relief to my molars, which constantly work overtime chewing on the traditional crusty French bread. A good-sized blueberry crumble completed the meal and I was surprisingly full considering the portion sizes.

During my time in the park, I noticed how other people were keeping cool and took some photos. Lately I have taken a departure in my photos by taking people shots, which I was never very interested in before. There was something about the movement, shapes, colors, and textures in the people in the park that day against the background of the garden. Let me know what you think of them.

Verjus Wine Bar
47 rue Montpensier, 75001
Open Monday to Friday 12:30-2:00PM
http://hkmenus.com/baravinsmenu.html

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

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.

 

Clasico Argentino

Concept food shops in Paris are frequent and I am always curious how the owners think of certain combinations of food that I never thought of putting together before.

Clasico Argentino takes a classic Argentinian dish and combines it with an American classic: empanadas and ice cream. For me, this is a winning combo, something in a pastry shell followed by something with cream in it.

Just opening their third space near the Place des Vosges, the new Clasico Argentino is tiny with just a takeout bar and counter with a few seats. The other spaces are full restaurants with takeout counters.

I spoke with the Gaston, the chef, an affable Argentinian. I looked at all eight of the various empanadas and was trying to decide on two and asked Gaston his personal recommendations. He said to have the choriempa, a sausage empanada made with Argentinian beef and queso y cebolla, made with cheese and onion. The empanadas are made by hand and each one has a different shape, which makes for a nicer presentation and also helps one distinguish between the different ones. I spoke with Gaston further about other food items in the shop while I waited for the empanadas to be warmed. I guess they have to heat them the old-fashioned way and not microwave them, but boy did it take long, or at least it seemed that way since my stomach was growling for it’s past due lunch feeding since it was already 1:30.





I sat at the appealing counter that had a calming sea blue wall and the food is served on white china plates, with stainless flatware and real drinking glasses, which impressed me for counter service at a takeout place. I also liked the distressed wood stools. The empanadas were worth the wait, as the cheese and onion one was a bit gooey inside and the crust flaky and warm. The sausage one was slightly dryer but tangy with a spicy bite to it. Two hit the spot but they were so good I opted for a third, the excellent chicken one.

Now more than sufficiently stuffed, I didn’t have room for ice cream, a very rare occurrence, kind of like those eclipses that come along every 80 years. I did have a spoonful of dulce de leche, which was rich and a tad too sweet for my palate.

Clasico Argentino also sells other Argentinian food products including fernet, a type of amaro, which is like a bitters and usually served with Coca Cola and mate cocido, a tea leaf from Northern Argentina.

Eight seems to be the magic number at Clasico Argentino, as they offer eight varieties of empanadas and ice cream.

Clasico Argentino
8 rue de la Pas de la Mule, 75003
Metro: Bastille or Chemin Vert
http://clasico-argentino.com/fr

 

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New Yorkís best neighborhoods including Soho, Meatpacking/West Village & Tribeca. Tours cost $195 for up to 3 people and $65 for each additional person.Come take a bit of the Big Apple on an Eye Prefer New York Tour!

 

Come experience my blog ìliveî with my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I lead. 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 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 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. www.eyepreferparistours.com
 

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 Charlotteís 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, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

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

Quick, Cheap, Eats : Croque Fermier at Les Chimeres

A no-brainer, usually delicious, quick lunch is a Croque Monsieur. The classic Croque Monsieur is made with ham and melted Gruyere on toasted bread. The popular version in Paris is made with Poilane sour dough bread and some new varieties have been added in recent years including mozzarella and tomato, smoked salmon, roasted vegetable, and chicken.

Les Chimeres, a cafe a few doors down from me on the rue Saint Antoine, serves an excellent croque, one of the best I have had in recent memory. I especially like the croque fermier made with white meat chicken strips and an extra creamy Gruyere on a generous slice of Poilane  bread which is toasted just right with a doughy center and crunchy outside. It comes with a leafy green salad with a mustardy vinaigrette on the plate or you can instead get a mound of crispy fries. All this goodness is just 8.50 euros, a great Paris food bargain and you will be stuffed.

Les Chimeres also has wide and varied menu with many classic French specialties including a first -rate onion soup, beef bourguignon, foie gras, and a terrific, gigantic steak served on a cutting board with salad and slam-dunk french fries.

The staff is very friendly and accommodating and they all speak English.

Please note the croques are part of the cafe menu not the lunch or dinner menu, so make sure to ask for the menu with the croques.

Les Chimeres
133 rue Saint Antoine, 75004
Metro: Saint Paul (right in front of Metro with red striped awnings)

 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.

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.

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 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 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

Poilane Cuisine de Bar

 I stuck it out for the entire three weeks of my cleanse and did not cheat at all (except for a plain crepe on my second to last day because I was ready to pass put if I didn't eat anything and it was the only thing to eat besides a pastry at a cafe I was at with a client) - NO bread, NO chocolate, NO potatoes, NO cheese, NO pastries, NO red meat, and countless other things I can't even remember anymore that I was craving. When I complained to my doctor that I hadn't lost much weight- approximately 5 lbs. -he said to continue the same program for another SIX weeks. Talk about a KILLJOY. This is the reward I get for staying on it for three weeks- another SIX weeks. But I took matters in my own hands and decided that I was not letting my STUPID cleanse interfere with my serious, lifesaving research for Eye Prefer Paris.

My break of cleanse was joyfully broken at the new Poilane Cuisine de Bar in NORMA/the Northern Marais. Opened without much fanfare the end of July, Cuisine de Bar is described on the menu as quick food without an oven, kitchen, or chef, made in nothing more than a toaster oven. It's basically a variety of tartines served on the ever popular, delicious Poilane bread, ready to eat without a fork or knife.

The sleek, minimalist space of neutral colors of dark beige and putty has a long stone wall with bread sculptures and a retail shop selling their full line of breads, pastries, and cookies. I met my friend Pascal from www.parismarais.com for lunch. They had a formule for 13 euros consisting of a salad, tartine, and a beverage of either coffee, wine, or bottled water. Wanting to go in the complete opposite direction of my cleanse, I opted for the foie gras one which cost an extra 2.50. Pascal ordered the chicken salad. The reward of the velvety texture of the foie gras melting on the crunchy, chewy and warm toasted bread was worth every second of the uncompromising cleanse. The fresh salad of of big leaf spinach and corn kernels gave me my obligatory greens and didn't make me feel as guilty having the foie gras. Pascal liked his chunky chicken salad. Fady, our cute, genial Lebanese waiter was very helpful and expanded on the concept of the restaurant. There is a tartine du jour and other tempting tartines include sardines and vinegar, tapenade du jour, fromage blanc with country herbs, shrimp and guacamole, and smoked duck with three cheeses- parmesan, mozzarella, and Comté.( I am for sure going back for the last one). I didn't go the whole hog in breaking my cleanse and refrained from dessert, although the sweet tartine with salted butter caramel had my name written on it with capital letters. My coffee with the foam tall enough to brush my nose, came with the clever Poilane teaspoon made of the addictive shortbread cookie dough used for the punition cookies that were my Parisian Dessert of the Month last year. I gobbled it up so quickly I almost bit off my index finger.

Breakfast is also served with a choice of morning tartines served with butter and jam form 8:30AM to 11AM.

I am continuing with my cleanse but making certain survival allowances like this.

Poilane Cuisine de Bar
38 rue de Debelleyme, 75003
Metro: Filles du Calvaire
Tel. 01 44 61 83 40
Open 8:30AM to 10PM, Tuesday to Sunday

Fady

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, 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.

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 Charlotteís 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, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

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

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 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 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