I Prefer Paris

Private Lunch At Fauchon Hotel

About a month ago, I received an email from the publicist for the Fauchon Hotel on place Madeleine, that the hotel was removing the beds from the rooms on one floor and converting them into private dining rooms. She also mentioned that the hotel manager was using one of the rooms to host private, one on one lunches, with journalists and wanted to know to if I was interested. I immediately said yes, as I was thrilled to actually go out for lunch, which I haven’t done since last summer. 

I arrived at the hotel at 12pm, and met Maud Welter, the director of sales and marketing, who welcomed me to the hotel. We sat in the chicly designed lobby, decorated with sleek velvet club chairs, carpeting with sharp angles, and a streamlined fireplace built into a wall, all in the signature Fauchon colors of fuchsia, black, and white.  Maud shared with me about the hotel and the new ways they were catering to their clientele. One of the first things is the new approach for checking in. Instead of having to wait online and check in at the desk, the hotel now greets their guest upon arrival, and checks them in while sitting down in the attractive lobby. Then they offer the client a welcome drink, either a glass of Champagne, or a non-alcoholic cocktail of their iced tea of the day. I decided to have iced tea, because if I started to have Champagne on an empty stomach before lunch, I would have been done in. The refreshing iced tea came in a stem glass, garnished with a purple flower, a cool touch, along with two macarons. A few minutes later Maud returned and escorted me to the restaurant, which was now converted into a retail shop, offering Fauchon packaged foods, including chocolates, tins of biscuits and cookies, nuts, crackers, teas, and an impressive collection of wines, spirits, and Champagnes. 

We took the elevator to the top floor, where the dining suites were located. The rooms now had dining tables set up on configurations for two, four, and six people. The décor was similar to the lobby with the same colors, and in addition, couches, and Eileen Gray style side tables. 

We sat for lunch at a table for four, because Maud was joining us with the hotel manager and another journalist who was invited at the last minute. Although I have a dining table at home that I like very much, it was nice to see a table set with a crisp white tablecloth, cloth napkins, china plates, and wine goblets, plus I especially liked the amber colored water glasses. 

The hotel manager, Jerome Montanteme was warm and welcoming, and the other journalist was a French woman who now lived in London. She is a travel and design writer but was also involved in the artworld when she lived in New York for a stint and within five minutes of meeting, we already discovered we had a mutual friend from Manhattan.

We sat for lunch and the table in front of the window had a birds-eye view of the Madeleine church with the symmetry of the great columns surrounding it. 

An appetizing platter of smoked salmon with blinis, was set on the table, and I indulged in the heavenly, slithery texture and smoky taste (Vincent doesn’t like smoked salmon, so we almost never have it at home). 

Next was a house made ravioli with lobster and spring peas, served in a pool of light broth. In between courses, the conversation freely flowed about many different subjects with all of us getting on like a house on fire, almost like old friends, even though we had just met. I was repeatedly offered Champagne and wine, but I don’t usually drink at lunch, because it makes me sleepy later on. However, when my main course of hearty pork poitrine garnished with delicate yellow carrots was served, I knew that it needed a hearty glass of red wine to accompany it. Jerome was so kind, he said let me pick a special wine for you, a Morgon from the region near Lyon, where he grew up. The wine was fantastic and a perfect match for my dish. Jerome went on to passionately share about where he grew up and how great the wines were, and kindly offered to personally escort me to the region for a few days and introduce me to the wine makers he knew. 

Last but not least was the piece de resistance, the iconic bisou-bisou ( kiss, kiss) dessert of a pair of red lips. Inside the famous lips, is a delicious combination of  crunchy almonds, and red fruit with espelette pepper, vanilla and mint cream, which was light and scrumptious. 

We were having so much fun, that we didn’t realize the time was flying by, as I looked at my watch and realized it was 3:30 already, and I had to leave. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch and the company, and best of all, I didn’t have to wash the dishes after we were done. 

Here are the details for the private dining rooms. In order to comply with the government issued Covid restrictions, Fauchon Hotel charges 100€ for the room, and considers it a hotel stay, which is legal. Under the current Covid laws, the hotel can’t serve food in its public space, but can deliver food to the hotel guests in their rooms. When you make your lunch reservation, the 100€ room fee is added to your check and you can have up to six people at one table. The program has been very successful and has been sold out for weeks at a time. You can call this number to make a reservation + 33 (0) 187 86 2800. By the way, if you make a reservation, you have to include me as one of your guests. 

CLICK HERE to read my blog post about my visit to the Fauchon Hotel restaurant in 2019. 

4 Boulevard Malesherbes, 75008

Tel. + 33 (0) 187 86 2800 

https://www.hotel-fauchon-paris.fr/

I want to thank everyone for watching my live Marais Tour last week and also for your generous tips to my PayPal account. I'm sorry I couldn't thank all of you individually, but know I really appreciate it. CLICK HERE to watch the video and CLICK HERE if you would like to leave a tip in my PayPal account (you don’t have to have a PayPal account), which I would greatly appreciate. Enjoy! 

Fauchon Hotel and Grand Cafe Fauchon

Last week I was invited to have lunch at Grand Cafe Fauchon and later take a tour of the connecting Fauchon Hotel. 

I have fond memories of the original Fauchon shop from the early 1980s. They had a pastry and coffee counter made of industrial steel and one would stand and have to balance their coffee cup and dessert on a sliver of a shelf without them toppling on the floor. During these trips to Paris from New York in that period, Vincent and I had a standing date to go to Fauchon at 4PM everyday, no matter where in Paris we were. We would sometimes be on the other side of the city and take two or three metros to get there to meet our goal of having pastry at Fauchon. 

Much has changed at Fauchon since then, now becoming a luxury gourmet shop with mostly pre-packaged French foods and delicacies with many locations around the world besides the flagship store on Place Madeleine. 

Last year Fauchon launched their first foray into the luxury hospitality market with the opening of their first hotel on Place Madeleine across the square from the store. 

I took Vincent to lunch with me, for just a bit of nostalgia. We were seated on the outdoor terrace facing the Madeleine Church and the upscale boulevard Malesherbes. Fauchon signature colors are hot pink, black, and white. The terrace was covered with a hot pink awning and since it was a clear, sunny day there was an intense pink hue cast on the tables and on the food when it was served. 

The progressive menu was divided into 4 sections, Vegetables, The Sea, The Land, and Sweets, giving diners some leeway in case they have dietary restrictions, which was once unheard of in France. 

Our appetizer was a chilled tomato soup topped with chunks of summer produce and a touch of honey gave it a sweet unexpected highlight. For a plat, an unusual salad of morsels of foie gras mixed with frisee lettuce, and fresh figs worked well, a nice mélange of hearty and sweet plus healthy, fresh greens, to remove the guilt of having foie gras straight up. A few minutes later a more than tempting tray was set at our table, beckoning for us to choose a heavenly dessert. It was a hard choice, but a tart with super-size me raspberries on top and a thin layer of sable underneath won out. Vincent had a most intriguing dessert, a green object the shape of a perhaps a flying saucer or space ship, served on a plate with rows of ceramic rims. Inside was a light gateau intensely flavored with green apple. I took a bite and knew I’d have to come back for my own at another visit. 

After lunch we were given a tour of the contemporarily  decorated tea salon, which also doubles as a private dining. The other lobby lounge retreats have sumptuous velvet couches, club chairs, and ottomans in the same signature colors. 

We were brought up to the fourth floor to look at a deluxe room. The king size bed with white Porthault linens took up most of the room but the centerpiece was a special cabinet named the Gourmet Bar. Designed by Sacha Lakic and manufactured by Roche-Bobois, the sleek, copper color outside resembles an Art Deco armoire. Once the doors opened, that’s when it became a foodies dream mini-bar. The shelves were stocked with the best selling food products from the shop handpicked by the food and beverage manager, including biscuits, foie gras, Madeleines, salted butter caramels, butter cookies, fruit paste candies, and chocolate truffles and on a side table there was a selection of Fauchon teas, and macarons. The best part is that they are all free of charge. It was a good thing I wasn’t staying in the hotel, or they would have lost money on me, as I would have stocked up as much as possible. 

The room had a lovely view of the tree lined Blvd. Malesherbes and its grand Haussmmanian buildings. 

Fauchon L’Hotel Paris and Grand Cafe Fauchon

11 Place de la Madeleine, 75008/ 4 Boulevard Malesherbes, 75008

fr.grandcafefauchon.fr

https://www.hotel-fauchon-paris.fr/

Yummy Treats from the Gourmet Bar 
More Yummy Treats from the Gourmet Bar 

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

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.

 

 

 

Shakerato at Eataly Paris

When I went to visit my friends Laurie and Blair in the summer of 2015 in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, we visited Vignola, a medieval town with a 15^th century fortress. It was a hot day and after climbing up the stairs to the fortress, we were ready for a cold drink. We stopped in a nearby pasticerria and decided an ice coffee, cold caffeine, would hit the spot. The Italian version of ice coffee in Italy is a shakerato,is more like a frappe than just coffee with ice in it. We watched the bartender with fascination as he poured coffee into a metal glass lined with ice cubes. He then proceeded to put another metal glass on top, and vigorously shook it about a minute or two. Afterwards, he poured it into a martini glass, the most elegant iced coffee I’ve ever seen. It was a memorable and refreshing treat. 

Eataly, the hugely successful Italian grocery and gourmet store, just opened a location in Paris off the rue des Archives in the Marais near Hotel de Ville. It’s similar to the one in New York, with a grocery section, café, restaurant and other food stalls but on a smaller scale. There’s a Lavazza coffee bar on one side, which I frequent, since I like Italian coffee better than French coffee. Last week while I was at Eataly having my usual espresso, a bargain at 1€ if you have it at the counter,  I noticed shakerato on the menu. I was so excited about my new find, I made a shakerato date with Vincent my partner. 

A few days later we walked over to Eatlaly for our afternoon indulgence and even though it was pleasant outside, we decided to luxuriate in the air conditioning inside. We ordered our shakeratos and watched while the bartender smiled as he furiously shook the two metal glasses. 

He poured them into the elegant martini glasses and I took a photo. We clinked our glasses and in unison said “Santé”, while we cooled off with the strong, effecting coffee. 

Shakerato will now be my summer go-to drink, so if you want to find me, just go to the coffee bar at Eataly. 

Click here to read my story about my first shakerato in Italy. 

Eataly Paris Marais 

37 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004

Metro: Hotel de Ville

Open daily 

https://www.eataly.net/fr_fr/magasins/paris-marais/

Shaken NOT stirred, please! 

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

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.

 

 

 

Ayadi Gourmet-Handmade Syrian Gourmet Food

I don’t know if you knew this or not but I am of Syrian descent. My grandparents were born in Aleppo, Syria in the late 1800s and came the U.S. in the early 1900s. They settled in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, along with other Syrians from Aleppo, forming a community of Syrian Sephardic Jews. The community thrived financially, culturally and population wise from the 1950s until current time. Even today they believe in having large families and it’s common for couples to have four and five children. In fact the community is now over 100,000 people and most of them still live in Flatbush, Brooklyn in the Kings Highway and Midwood areas. 

In the Jewish religion, Friday night is the feast night because of the Saturday Sabbath, much like Sunday lunch in the Catholic religion. My mother was an okay cook during the week but every Friday night she would pull out all the stops and dazzle us with her Syrian specialties. 

The recipes were handed down from many generations of other Syrian women and from both sides of the family. The dishes were of course made by hand requiring many hours to prepare, and best of all made with love and pride. I have a large extended family on both sides and every female cousin or aunt has a dish they claim they make the best. For my mother it was hands down her mihshi. Mihshi is usually made of hollowed out squash and zucchini shells stuffed with meat, rice, tomato sauce, then slow baked. My mother made a different version, and perhaps this was the reason hers was the best. Instead of squash and zucchini shells, she would use dried eggplant shells, which she bought in the specialty store, since they didn’t exist in the supermarket, and then she would add dried apricots and prunes and a dab of prune butter. She would then stew them in a pot for hours so they were as tender as can be. The sweet and sour taste was sensational and I could easily eat the whole pot if the rest of the family wasn’t around. 

It’s almost impossible to find Syrian food the way my mother made it at a restaurant and the only place I knew of when I lived in NYC that sold this type of Syrian food was a stretch along Kings Highway in Brooklyn, where there are a score of Syrian gourmet and grocery shops. 

Once I moved to Paris I was yearning my mother’s mihshi, and every time I went to New York, she would make it. Unfortunately my mother passed away in 2012, and with her went her legendary mihshi. I was foolish not to learn her recipe when she was alive. 

Skipping forward to two weeks ago in Paris, I was walking from a friend’s apartment in the 5^th arr. to the metro and stumbled upon a newly opened restaurant, Ayadi Gourmet. Upon closer inspection the awning sign said fait maison/Specialité Syrienne/ homemade Syrian specialties. Bingo! I went inside curious to look at the food and menu. A counter with a glass partition had an array of ornate brass chafing dishes, each with a special dish. 

The intriguing and appetizing menu listed the restaurant as the World’s First Specialty Concept in the Art of Fatteh, a traditional Syrian dish with layers of pita bread chips, tahini yogurt sauce and toasted nuts, a major YUM already, even before I tried it. I ordered Fatteh Jaj with chicken, rice, tahini sauce, and pine nuts and it was fantastic, such a new and uncharted taste sensation, yet my taste buds sent a message to my brain saying they remembered many of the spices.

I spoke with the owner Ghena, who was warm and welcoming, at length. She told me the restaurant was a concept she had toiled for close to four years and she finally opened her pride and joy just a few days before. All the furnishings and much of the kitchenware and serving pieces were custom made to her specifications in Syria. It certainly showed as Ayadi Gourmet was one of the most attractive takeout restaurants I’ve seen, decorated with lacquered white, elaborately carved chairs, white marble floors, wood beam ceiling, and a wall sculpture of gold branches. I shared with Ghena about my mother’s mihshi and she beamed and said that was her signature dish too and told me it’s not on the permanent menu but she prepares every few weeks as a plat du jour. “You must come and try my mihshi. I will text you next time I make and you will come and try it as my guest.” DEAL, I emphatically replied!

The following week during heat wave 2, Ghena texted me she was serving mihshi the next day. I ended up coming two days later with Vincent, but there was still leftover mihshi, thank goodness. Ghena filled a white bowl with three minchi, swimming in a tomato and herb broth. The scent was overwhelming and I could barely wait to try it. It was very much like my mothers, although I did miss the prunes and apricots, but the best thing was that it had the same soft, melt in your mouth, texture my mother’s had and the unique blend of spices. Again, like my mother’s, I could have eaten the whole pot, but had to settle for the plate I was served. 

Happy, happy, and happier after having my minshi, I needed something sweet to overcome the strong spices. My grandmother used to make maamol, which was a pastry shell with powdered sugar on top stuffed with chopped pistachio nuts. The version at Ayadi was quite different. It was served warm and topped with a light, sweetened cheese. Light but satisfying, the maamol was a perfect pastry to end the meal with. 

Hopefully Ghena will text me again soon with a mihshi alert and I will gladly go to Ayadi Gourmet again for a bit of nostalgia. 

17 Rue Frédéric Sauton, 75005

Metro: Maubert-Mutualite 

Open Tuesday to Sunday 12PM-10:30PM, except Sunday until 3PM 

Tel. 01 42 03 34 52

Please read the blog post about my memories of my mother https://www.ipreferparis.net/2014/06/adele-dulie-nahem-a-celebration.html

Ghena

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Les Fables de La Fontaine

Keeping up with new and already established restaurants in Paris could easily be a full-time job. Unfortunately, that job has not yet been bestowed upon me but I try to stay current on the Paris dining scene. 

New restaurants frequently appear on my radar and usually either of two things happen. Either I go within a week or two of learning about one or it goes off my radar and quickly backlogged into the someday, some other time list. 

Les Fables de La Fontaine falls into the latter category. Last month a publicist sent a lunch invitation and I suddenly remembered wanting to go there for the longest time. 

I thought is was just going to be lunch for just Vincent and me, but it turns out the publicist reserved a table for eight to experience a tasting menu from the chef. The group included mostly French food writers and critics, except for Margaret Kemp, who is a well-known, British food writer living in Paris. We had met briefly once before, but during our almost two-hour lunch, we got to know each other much better and bonded over our love of good food. A well-dressed, elderly gentleman arrived late and Margaret told us it was Nicholas de Rebaudy, one of the foremost food critics and food writers in France. 

Located on a half-square on the chic rue Saint Dominique in the seventh arrondissement, Les Fables de La Fontaine, has a contemporary décor with a soft palette of neutral colors of taupe and gray. Tables were appointed with bamboo like placemats and fine white china and crystal stemware. 

Chef  David Bouttreau focuses his attention on seafood, daily delving into the top fish stalls of the Rungis wholesale market, searching for just the right mackerel, turbot, lobster, or sole. 

Our table was treated to Le Grand Bleu tasting menu. Five delectable appetizers were served in artfully crafted earthenware, which deserved to be admired before digging in. The beet salad with horseradish mousse, smoked eel, and ginger, looked like a vivid red origami on the outside with its precision cut slices, with the tasty, salty eel inside. A yellowtail tartare with radish and quinoa was light and smooth but the Sichuan peppercorns gave it an extra zing. 

Next up two waiters showed off two whole fish, a daurade and sea bass, on platters and then went back to the kitchen to filet them. I chose the sea bass served with roasted vegetables. Sometimes the simplest prepared foods are best, relying only on their freshness to bring out thier truest flavors. This was the case of the sea bass, served only with lemon, olive oil, and salt. Miraval rosé was the ideal wine to complement the meal. 

Just knowing a soufflé is coming to the table is reason enough to swoon a little bit, and a rice pudding soufflé with salted butter caramel made me swoon full tilt. 

The Grand Bleu Menu is 110€ per person with a minimum of two people. A three-course menu is 52€ and at lunch, you can enjoy a starter/plat or plat/dessert for only 28€. 

Les Fables de La Fontaine 

Open everyday for lunch and dinner

131 rue Saint Dominique, 75007 

Tel. +33 (0)1 44 18 37 55

http://www.lesfablesdelafontaine.net/en/

August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29 

I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area. 

Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks. 

Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft  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

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

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

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

25Hours Hotel Terminus Nord and Neni Restaurant

I stayed at the 25Hours Hotel in Vienna a number of years ago and liked the fun, cool vibe of the hotel with its themed rooms and helpful young staff. 

The 25Hours Hotel Terminus Nord across from Gard du Nord recently opened and I was invited to stay for night and also have dinner at the Neni restaurant. 

The utilitarian lobby was small and I was checked in easily. There was a coffee bar and one of the desk clerks made me an excellent café noisette. 

I was given a medium+ room, about 220 square feet, painted in cheery yellow, which included an old fashioned bathtub with four feet and a wrap around shower curtain with a rain shower head. The quirky décor had an eclectic blend of mid-century modern and African inspired quilt and throw pillows. The room was comfortable and everything worked well except for one small thing. Next to the bed was a myriad of unmarked switches and I had to switch them on and off about 20 times to learn what lights they turned on and off. Besides that quirk, I think the hotel is a good value with rooms starting at 174€ night. If you have an early morning Eurostar to London or other trains leaving Gard du Nord, it’s a perfect location. It’s also near the Canal Saint Martin area. 

I went to dinner that night at the hotel restaurant Neni. Israeli-Mediterranean cuisine has become quite trendy in recent years in Paris, with some especially good restaurants. Neni proved to be one of the best I’ve eaten at. I started with creamy but textured  baba ganoush with warm pita bread, that’s about as good as baba ganoush could be. Next up was the Jerusalem plate made up of spiced grilled chicken, tahini, red bell peppers, and humus, a wonderful mélange of distinctive spices. 

I’ve never been super fond of mid-east pastries, preferring to indulge in French or Viennese delicacies. However, dessert at Neni blew me away. Knafeh, a specialty of Jerusalem, is a super light, folded crepe stuffed with mozzarella and ricotta, toped with chopped pistachios and homemade, yogurt ice cream. ( the description alone makes me swoon). The warmth of the crepes and soft cheese against the chill of the yogurt ice cream was pure culinary bliss. 

Soft tones of green, ruby. and pink velvet covered the dining chairs along with Oriental rugs, hardwood floors and white marble table tops. 

I returned once again to Neni and have raved about it to friends and tour clients. 

2 Boulevard de Denain, 75010

https://www.25hours-hotels.com/hotels/paris/terminus-nord 

Yummy baba ganoush

Superb knafeh dessert 

August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29 

I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area. 

Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks. 

Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft  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

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

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

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

Les Foodies

One of the few complaints I have about the part of the Marais I live in is the lack of really good and original restaurants. Yes, there are scores of cafes and restaurants that serve good French food but almost none are exceptional. Until now.

Les Foodies is a welcome relief of fine dining on the rue des Archives, where a long stretch of lively cafes cater to people who mostly want to drink and end up ordering food by convenience.

The chic, well appointed bar and dining room sets the tone for a serious meal to come. A backlit wall with uneven rectangular panels with occasional splashes of color channel Mondrian while enhancing the shiny lacquered tables tops trimmed in gold. 

The menu was a mélange of dishes and ingredients from all over the culinary map. Chef Davide Galloni is of Italian and Thai descent and sources the food of his dual nationalities in the kitchen, then adds things like hummus to the menu. 

An oversized white plate resembling a crater was filled with a fricassee of artichoke hearts, a poached egg, polenta and Brussels sprouts. Rich and layered, the dish excelled. 

Fish tartares are very much in vogue in Parisian restaurants these days, and a tartare of lagoustines, sea scallops, served with a frothy lime Zabaglione and pistachios brought out the best in this trend with superior quality fish. 

If that sounded satisfying enough, two more courses followed. We had to pace ourselves a bit. A house made ravioli more on the traditional Italian side stuffed with black truffle, was exquisite simplicity in its execution and taste. Another form of ravioli with monkfish and squid ink in a Langoustine bisque was also excellent but a little too rich to finish.

We weren’t going to order dessert but when we saw something resembling a terracotta flowerpot served to another table, we were all over it. On closer viewing, it was a real flowerpot and it was stuffed with a light, whipped mascarpone, and red currants.

Portions at Les Foodies are more than ample and surprising for this caliber of restaurant. I’ve been to so many restaurants that have had exceptional dishes, only to have them be a tease of taste, rather than enough to be truly satisfying. 

Another plus was the laid back and friendly service. 

Although the dinner menu runs about 50-60€ per person, the good news is that Les Foodies offers a 21€ entrée/plat or plat/dessert at lunch. 

I must go back for lunch and I hope you go to. 

Les Foodies 

6 – 8 Square Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004

Metro: Hotel de Ville 

Open everyday except Monday 

http://lesfoodies.paris/#restaurant

LINKS EYE LIKE 

Please read the NY Times article about artist Christo wrapping the Arc de Triomphe in 2020 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/03/arts/design/christos-next-project-wrapping-the-arc-de-triomphe.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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 

 

Roxie Paris

Roxie Paris is set to bring the elegant supper clubs of the 1930s and 40s back into vogue again. 

Newly opened at the end of 2018, I was invited for dinner two weeks ago. Located on a side street off the Champs Elysees, the exterior already emits a throwback to the 1930s with a black lacquer marquis spelling ROXIE in bold letters. 

Two good looking, well dressed staff members warmly greeted us, took our coats and escorted us to the dining room. The lacquered interior looked like it was dipped into a bottle of red high gloss nail polish. On the stage were two singers, one strumming the guitar, crooning pop songs we all know and love in a relaxed, folksy style.  Behind them was a fabulous Art Deco style mural with a naked goddess spreading her arms and a round chandelier 

We were escorted up a shows stopping double-sided staircase, the kind you would imagine a line of beautiful dancers dressed in sequence and feathers would come down. Upstairs we were seated at a table overlooking the stage downstairs. 

In true French tradition, we were offered Champagne as the first order of business, although we opted for wine with dinner instead. The menu choices were quite appealing and it took some serious decision making before Vincent and I made our final choices. A crispy tuna maki was crispy and light with a bit of crunch to it, with super fresh tuna. Vincent enjoyed his salmon cooked with a piquant Asian style sauce and I savored my chicken rolled in crushed peanuts and cornflakes in a peanut sauce. Dessert was a divine chocolate sensation hard to describe. 

The name Roxie is inspired by Roxie Hart, the femme fatale that's the heroine of the musical Chicago is based on. Roxie brings back the days of private supper clubs and speakeasies but in an updated version. 

Instead of torch singers slinking over a grand piano, Roxie has a musically versatile six-piece band and singer performing everything from Aretha Franklin to Joe Cocker to Lenny Kravitz to Adele. Unfortunately the band was not performing the night we were there, but I’d like to return and see them. 

The bar at Roxie serves creative cocktails with throwback names- Ginger Rogers, Roxie Hart, and Louis Armstrong plus a formidable menu of whiskies and bourbon.

Roxie can be rented out for a private function for dinner and/or drinks, so if you want a bang up venue for a special occasion, this is it. 

 

29 rue de Ponthieu, 75008

Metro: Franklin Roosevelt 

https://roxie-paris.com/

Only three more weeks left of my photo exhibition at the Hotel Pont Royal, 5-7 rue Montalembert, 75007 

Rhum Bar 1802 and MASHA Restaurant

In my younger days, I was a full out disco king, going out to clubs like Studio 54 or Area in New York almost every night of the week. Strutting my best moves on the dance floor, I was stiff competition for John Travolta aka Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever. 

Nowadays, I don’t go out much anymore at night except to have dinner at restaurants. I’ve put my platform disco shoes, shiny shirts unbuttoned practically to the waist, and bell bottom pants into storage and now wear furry slippers, a Snoopy T-shirt and sweat pants at home. I’m in bed by 10PM and addicted to binge watching on Netflix and the new golden age of television. 

Every once in a while, I’m invited to a new club or bar and although I don’t put my disco apparel on, I make an effort to dress myself up. In November, in a rare occasion, I was invited to two events back to back, the opening party of a new bar and the opening of a glamorous supper club and lounge.

Rhum Bar 1802 is the first exclusive rum bar in Paris, opened in November 2018 at the new Hotel Monte Cristo. The name of the hotel is based on the book, The Count of Monte Cristo by legendary French author Alexandre Dumas. Born of mixed race parents, his ancestors produced fine rums in Santo Domingo, where Dumas frequently visited. He returned from his worldwide voyages to Paris with the best rums he could find. The bar is specifically dedicated to Dumas’ passion for the great elixir. 

At the opening, shots of various rums were offered along with explanations and histories of their origins. I don’t really drink straight-up rum but I did have a refreshing cocktail of rum and Champagne. The interior of the bar and lounge has the feel of a the salon of a grand t tropical plantation, decorated with wicker chairs, ceramic plates posted on black walls, tropical plants, and center bar with dark wood and blue and white ceramic tiles. 

The extensive menu offers dozens of rums from around the globe including Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Guatemala. White rum, amber rum, old rum, and spiced rum are the different categories. 1802 invites clients to store their special rum bottles in their cellar. They are also inviting 100 people to join the exclusive Monte Cristo Club where members receive the following perks: four hand selected bottles of rum, free participation at events at the bar including tastings and master classes, 15% discount on hotel rates, and a mixology class for four people. 

Rhum Bar 1802 at Hotel Monte Cristo 

20-22 rue Pascal, 75005 

Metro: Censier Daubenton

https://www.hotelmontecristoparis.com/en/

Open every day 6PM to 1AM 

The next night I was invited to a private dinner by a friend of a friend of mine at a new restaurant and lounge, Masha, in the 16^th arr. near Place Trocadero. 

As I entered the chic lobby café, dressed up in bold black and white zigzag patterned floor, black and white striped wicker banquettes, and teal blue mid-century dining chairs, I knew I was in for a special treat. I was escorted downstairs to the restaurant area, a series of three rooms. 

An extended mural on the wall behind the dining banquettes by Japanese street artist Fan Sack, dominates the space (in a good way) with its sumptuous colors of red and pink. Japanese inspired throw pillows in rich patterns on the cream leather banquette softened the décor of the dining room. 

Our genial host and owner of Masha, Antonin Cornet, invited some of his good friends and colleagues to experience his new venture. He proudly spoke of his new baby and highly praised his Asian chef Takahiro Matsumoto, who formerly worked with Paris chef’s Eric Frechon and Pierre Gagnaire. Matsumoto has conjured up an appealing menu of French classics with a Japanese spin and sushi chef Makoto from Tokyo slices the freshest sushi and sashimi. 

Antonin highly recommended the tuna tartare with caviar as a starter, which I had no objections to and thoroughly enjoyed. Next up was a slow cooked salmon, another recommendation, which was spot on too. Still clinging to a formal French menu, there was a selection of cheeses from la maison Quatrehomme before the dessert course. Desserts were tame compared to the excitement of the other courses but the crème brulee with Hojicha (green tea) was a tad exotic.

After dinner Antonin invited us into the speakeasy for a performance by the camp singing trio of Romain Morian, Lolly Wish, and Charly Voodoo. The wild acting trio sung and joked their way though the room enticing the guests to play along with them. In between their sets, a DJ played some of my  favorite disco hits from the 1970s. I was having so much fun that I didn’t leave till past the Cinderella hour, about 12:45AM. 

Masha

85 avenue Kleber, 75016 

Metro: Trocadero 

www.masha-paris.com

Open for lunch Tuesday to Friday

Dinner Tuesday to Saturday, Sunday for brunch

Moi in my disco days-Dare to dance the Hustle with me? 

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 

 

 

Holiday Dinner at La Bauhinia at Shangri-La Hotel Paris

I was invited last week to sample the holiday menu at La Bauhinia Restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel Paris. 

Walking through the lobby, a grand, festive Christmas tree set the mood for our dinner. 

We were seated on the mezzanine of the two-story dining room with an opulent crystal chandelier hanging from a glass-domed roof. The décor is a mix of elegant French; a red velvet circular banquette in the middle of the room and Chinese inspiration; soft mint green velvet chairs and the same color on walls with painted cherry blossoms and birds. 

The first course was the freshest lobster meat with the most delicious ginger lime broth poured over it. I could have downed a quart of the broth right then and there. Medallions of tender, roasted deer was served with sampling of various colored roasted beets. Vincent opted for the regular menu and had an excellent Asian style codfish with a soy and citrus glaze. 

In the beginning November, I was emailed a press release from the hotel about the upcoming holiday events and menus. The thing that made me salivate was a buche de Noel from pastry chef Michael Bartocetti, made with chocolate mousse infused with lemongrass and candied banana and the outside garnished with chocolate and lime truffles, peanut praline and white chocolate. The buche was inspired by Michael Bartocetti’s vivid remembrance of a toy train given to him as a child. In fact, the original buche is in the train shape on display in the lobby.(The train can be ordered through the hotel). 

You can imagine my anticipation for dessert, with the buche still fresh in my mind. 

It went way beyond my expectations on every level, especially mixture of the peanuts, banana and chocolate. 

The holiday menu is available through December 30. 

http://www.shangri-la.com/uploadedFiles/Shangri-la_Hotels/New_Website/La-Bauhinia-Diner-de-fete-2018-FR.pdf

Click here to read about my first visit to the hotel

Please watch my latest A Bite of Paris video, Honey Tasting at Famille Mary, where I taste a bunch of yummy flavored honey's. 

Click here to watch or link below. 

https://youtu.be/oR2LLlFSjeM

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 

 

Le Camion qui Fume and the Bus Burger

In 2011, California ex-pat Kristin Frederick, started the first food truck in Paris, Le Camion qui Fume (The Smoking Truck). 

In a familiar ex-pat story, Kristin quit her studies in finance and enrolled in the top cooking school in Paris, Ferrandi. Although she loved learning about French cooking, she couldn’t find an up to snuff hamburger in Paris compared to the U.S. Using her newfound cooking skills, she devised a burger using top quality ingredients and her own recipe buns. 

Along with her partner Frédéric Fédière, who was in charge of the marketing and social media, it became an overnight sensation. Patient Parisians, who are usually stubbornly traditional about their food and dining for hours on end, fully embraced the new form of quick food, so much so, they waited in line for hours to try an unknown version of Le Hamburger. At a certain point, Kristin had over 150 customers on line, while single handedly trying to serve all of them. 

Fast forward seven years later to 2018 and Le Camion qui Fume is now a mini-empire, with three restaurants, delivery and takeout service, and three food trucks.  Food blogs and websites, and influencers including David Lebovitz, Le Fooding,  Le Figaro, and the late Anthony Bourdain hailed it as the best hamburger in Paris. 

I had never tried a burger at Le Camion qui Fume because I am not the type to wait on line for hours for food, and pretty much anything else, except maybe for tickets to a Barbra Streisand concert. Last week I was at the right place at the right time; I was finishing up an errand near the Oberkampf branch of Le Camion qui Fume at 12PM, just when they opened. I was the first person in line and I ordered the daily changing formule, a burger with blue cheese and caramelized onions, coleslaw and a bottle of sparkling water for 11.90 €, an excellent deal considering a mediocre burger at a corner café can run anywhere between 14€ and 18€. 

Even though I was having my burger in the restaurant, the presentation was the same as if I was taking it out, very ordinary and unexciting (Notice I didn’t post a photo, as even my great photo skills failed to make it look good). Luckily the taste of the burger made up for the presentation in spades, living up closely to its legendary accolades. Juicy, and flavorful meat, perfectly caramelized onions (not too soggy or burnt) and melt in your mouth blue cheese were stuffed into fluffy bun. The side dish of coleslaw was not too sweet and not overloaded with mayonnaise. As I sat outside cherishing my fantastic burger of the busy intersection of rue Oberkampf and Ave. Parmentier, the restaurant started to fill up and by the time I left the line was six people long. Other appetizing burgers include avocado and bacon, pulled pork, vegetarian (made with mushrooms) and barbeque. 

By some strange happenstance, while I was walking up rue Oberkampf to take the metro home, I saw a big bus parked on the street with a logo that said Bus Burger. Curious to know what it was, I knocked on the door and a young man greeted me. I asked what the concept was, and he said it was a bus with booths and seating that did a two-hour tour of Paris while serving hamburgers.  Was it my lucky hamburger day? 

Maybe I will compete with the Burger Bus and start a foie gras bus. 

https://lecamionquifume.com/ 

https://www.bus-burger.com/copie-de-accueil

Checkout this great New York Times article about the Rungis food market by friend Liz Alderman. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/world/europe/france-rungis-food-market-les-halles.html

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