I Prefer Paris

Memories of Saint Germain des Pres

Vincent and I were in Saint Germain des Pres last week shooting a new video- more info on that soon- and stopped by Café de Flore to have a coffee, bringing back fond memories. 

Our first trip to Paris together was in the summer of 1978. At that time, Saint Germain was the hip and happening area before it moved to the Marais in the early 2000s. 

We stayed at the Crystal Hotel just a few doors down from Café de Flore on Rue Saint Benoit. At the time, I believe our room was about $50 a night, and now at that time of the year the cost is close to 300€ a night, but the hotel has been updated and refurbished. I have a friend who stayed at the Crystal frequently in the 1950s and early 1960s and he told me many jazz musicians stayed there. 

We would go to the Café de Flore every morning for breakfast and after we ventured to the newly opened and controversial Pompidou Museum, our first visit to Hermes, a pastry stop at Fauchon every day at 4pm- no matter what, walking in the Tuileries, shopped till we dropped, buying a pair of very expensive, woven shoes designed by Stephane Kelian, and dining at Le Train Bleu. 

Here’s a story I am reposting that wrote a few months ago about our funny experience at Café de Flore. 

My First Time at Café de Flore 

My first visit to Paris was in June of 1976, and I couldn’t wait to return. I met Vincent in 1977, and he had never been to Paris or Europe. In July of 1978, we took a grand tour of Europe and we went to London, Paris, Rome, Florence, and Venice. 

When we arrived in Paris, we stayed in a small, inexpensive hotel, The Crystal, on rue Saint Benoit, just a few doors down from Café de Flore, in the heart of Saint Germain des Pres. At that time, Saint Germain was the hip and happening area of Paris, much like the Marais is today.

My brother had recommended the hotel, and he also said we must have breakfast at Café de Flore. 

So the next morning, we went to Café de Flore, and sat outside on the classic wicker, café chairs. The warm and sunny day was perfect weather for Vincent to experience his first visit to a Paris café and my first visit to the legendary Café de Flore. 

In the early 1970s, when my parents visited Paris for the first time, I remember when they returned home, my father raved about how wonderful the Paris cafes were because you could stay there all day and no one would bother you,  but exclaimed “ Could you believe it, they charge almost  a dollar for a teeny cup of coffee, with no refill” ( a big cup of coffee in New York at the time was 15 cents.) Keeping that in mind, we carefully budgeted for cafes and restaurants. 

After we sat down, we noticed a basket full of croissants on the table and we thought it was odd, but then we naively thought, Wow, isn’t that nice of them to offer free croissants. We loved the café au lait, served in the oversized cups resembling bowls with the green Café de Flore logo on them, and the sensation of steamy foam and hot milk on our lips, so much so, we each ordered two cups. 

At that time, Café de Flore was not as touristy as it is now, so we marveled at the chic and well- dressed Parisians sipping their morning café and reading the newspaper. We also thought how cool it was that people could bring their dogs to the café. 

Two-hours, four café au laits, and six croissants later, we finally asked for l’addition, one of the only French words we knew besides merci and solde. 

The waiter scrawled a bunch of almost undecipherable numbers on a piece of paper and handed it to me. After squinting at it for a long time, I figured what his French hieroglyphics numerically translated to in French francs. Now remember, there was no pocket calculators in 1978, so when I got the bill, I took out my little notebook, and converted the francs to dollars by hand, and the total was about $16. I thought this was wrong, as how could four coffees be so expensive. Finally, I sheepishly, asked the waiter to explain the bill, and with a few big body and hand gestures, and a combination of French and broken English, he pointed to four cups of coffee and six croissants. 

Flabbergasted and sticker shocked, I paid the bill and realized we blew our lunch budget for the day, so instead of having lunch at a Parisian bistro, all we could afford was fromage and jambon on baguette, which in the end, was perfect and delicious. 

So, the lesson to be learned here is that not only is there no such thing as a free lunch, there’s no such thing as a free croissant at Café de Flore. 

I don't remember the croissants being that big in 1978

From 1981- three years later

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

Du Jardin des Ifs in Gerberoy, France

I received a press release about a month ago about a garden and restaurant in the French countryside and I followed up with the publicist, asking her if I could visit. She was happy to arrange the visit and said that I could get a ride with the owner’s husband, who would be driving there from Paris on Friday morning. 

I had not been out of Paris, except for when I went to France Miniature in the beginning of July, since the end of February, so I was beyond excited to leave the city and have an opportunity to visit the French countryside. 

I went with my friend Rosemary Flannery, and we met Gilles in his car. Gilles was friendly and easygoing and told us the story of the property plus the history of the surrounding area. The property is in a small village, Gerberoy, located about 90 minutes from Paris in the Picardie region, near Beauvais. 

Gilles' wife, Delphine Higgonet, recently inherited the house and garden, which her mother bought in 1969 for the family. The garden and the house is traced back to 1744, when the owner was the gouvenour or the “Vidame'' of the area. The garden was planted the century before with pruned yew trees, which are rare in France, and boxwood. Topiary gardens were the rage in France in the 1600s and 1700s for the royals and nobility, sprouting up all over France. Andre Le Notre incorporated topiaries in his garden design for Versailles in the 17^th century. The garden still retains the original trees and they are trimmed annually. It’s the only historic garden in Gerberoy open to the public. The multi-tiered garden has won numerous awards and the grounds also contain a vegetable and herb garden. 

We arrived at about 11am and Gilles parked in the public lot at the foot of the town. As we walked up the road, I was already enchanted by the abundance of flowers and plants adorning the lovely houses and cottages. Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers, especially since I moved to France because undoubtedly French hydrangeas are the most beautiful and vibrant, I’ve ever seen. Almost every house had hydrangea bushes overflowing and I was in hydrangea heaven. 

A few moments later, we arrived at the courtyard of Du Jardin des Ifs, which had the barn, horse stable, and outer buildings, made of brick with thatched roofs. There were two immaculate topiaries and a row of outdoor tables with white umbrellas for the restaurant. I was already impressed. 

Gilles gave us a tour of the house. The main floor had two rooms dedicated to the restaurant, and even though it was summer, it was a bit nippy that day, and there was a roaring fire going in the original fireplace. We were also shown the living quarters and I admired the finely carved woodwork all over. 

We were finally at the piece de resistance, the garden, and what a sight it was. The grand topiary bushes all lined up and at the entrance were a pair of rounded hedges with dome shaped tops.  Two others resembled enormous, wide-brimmed hats, surrounded by boxwood hedges. The main attraction is a cave constructed from the trees with a hole in the center, just big enough to walk through. Inside the cave, were two benches, and I could imagine holing up there on a blazing summer day enjoying the shade. 

On the lower level of the garden was the vegetable and herb garden, and a lovely, round pond decorated with yellow flowers on the perimeter. 

The landscape of the topiaries against the blue sky dotted with white clouds looking like cotton puffs was breathtaking. In a pleasant optical illusion, the clouds seemed to have risen from the ground, rather than hanging in the sky. 

Even though it was a bit chilly, we decided to have lunch outside in the courtyard and took a table under one of the white umbrellas. We finally met Delphine, who was taking care of the restaurant that day and she told us that she opened the restaurant five years ago, hired a chef and built a commercial kitchen in one of the buildings in the courtyard. She also shared that the lettuce and herbs served in the restaurant was directly from the garden (talk about farm to table!) and that the vegetables were sourced locally, within just a few miles, as well as the meat. 

For an appetizer we selected the house specialty, Feuillete de Rollot, puff pastry stuffed which was Louis XIV’s favorite cheese Rollot. The pastry was delicate and flaky, and the taste of the distinct cheese mixed with sautéed mushrooms was excellent. It was served with lettuce, fresh from the garden in a light dressing. Vincent has been doing all the cooking in the last four months, preparing mostly vegetarian, fish, and chicken dishes, so when I spotted duck on the menu, I ordered it immediately. Rosemary had a whole roasted sea bass and it looked fabulous on the plate. The rare cooked duck was tender and juicy, with a sweet sauce, which I could not detect the flavor of. Dessert was house made chocolate mousse served in a ginormous bowl with a big spoon. Gilles put on an apron and helped out at the restaurant, serving us a more than generous portion of the mousse. To contrast the mousse, we also had two scoops of locally produced sorbet. I so appreciated having lunch in this beautiful, serene setting and enjoying well prepared, French food with top notch ingredients. The restaurant also offers a tea and pastry menu in the afternoon. 

After lunch we strolled through the rest of Gerberoy, and I will write about that on Thursday. 

Du Jardin des Ifs

3, impasse du Vidamé, 60380 Gerberoy

Open from June 10 to September 30, from 11am-12pm, 2:30pm to 6pm, from Wednesday to Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday.

The restaurant has two lunch sittings, 12:30pm and 1:45pm 

https://www.lejardindesifs.com/

Delphine and Gilles 

I am happy to have the prolific author John Baxter as my guest on A Bite of Paris. John has written many books about Paris including The Most Beautiful Walk in World, We’ll Always Have Paris, and books about the neighborhoods of Paris. Montmartre, Saint Germain des Pres, and Montmartre. John has also written two books about food in France, The Perfect Meal and Eating Eternity. 

John and I had coffee outdoors at the pastry shop and café, Gerard Mulot, in Saint Germain des Pres. 

Please watch the video at this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpPCLR-6ACg

For more about John and to purchase his books go to https://www.johnbaxterparis.com/

Please share this video and don’t forget to subscribe to my You Tube channel.

 

 

 

 

 

J.K. Place Hotel Paris

Walking down the quiet, residential street rue de Lille, in the upscale, 7^th arrondissement, you could easily miss the entrance to the new J.K. Place Hotel Paris. 

The subtle entrance way is marked with a doormat signed with the letters J.K. and emerald curtains, which made me think of the The Wizard of Oz. 

A small chain of luxury hotels in located in Capri, Florence, and Rome, J.K. Place has recently opened an outpost in Paris, their first venture outside of Italy. 

The J.K. Place brand of hotels prides itself on understated luxury and privacy, conveying the experience of staying in an elegant home away from home rather than a splashy, grand hotel. 

I went with my friend Diane Pernet of A Shaded View on Fashion blog,  we were given a tour of the hotel and the rooms. 

Walking through the public rooms on the first floor, I felt I was in a beautifully decorated home, with a series of stylishly designed rooms. Designer Michele Bonan has sourced the Paris flea market and used custom Italian furniture to attain the eclectic yet harmonious look. The handsome barroom has black lacquered tables with espresso velvet chairs and banquets, and the three-dimensional, white plaster walls with cutouts, are inspired by Picasso.

The hotel has only 29 rooms and one grand suite. One of the larger rooms has a fabulous four-poster bed with retractable curtains surrounding it for total privacy. I loved the color choices of the deep purple, velvet couch offset with white trim and the forest green carpet with white, geometric patterns. 

After our tour, we had lunch at their restaurant Casa Tua. Although the restaurant is designed close to a solarium, you still feel as though you are in a formal dining room, rather than a casual, outdoor space. Again, the mix of flea market antiques- Chinese silk screens and porcelain statues and soup tureens-against the dark teal blue, velvet chairs and black and white patterned, marble floor worked well together. 

Casa Tua is also another outpost, like the hotel, with restaurants in Miami and Aspen. My first course house-made ravioli with spinach and ricotta was as good as any I’ve had in the best restaurants in Italy. Surprisingly, I have rarely had a great piece of fresh tuna in Paris, but the tuna at Casa Tua was outstanding. Seared on the outside with a sesame seed crust, and deep red, almost raw on the inside, it was meaty and succulent. The garnish of carrot puree and fresh blueberries made the flavor of the dish soar. Dessert was a well-executed tiramisu, and a wreath of tart citrus bits with sweet cream. 

The hotel has an indoor swimming pool and a Sisley Spa on the lower level.

J.K. Place Paris 

82 Rue de Lille, 75007 

https://www.jkplace.paris/it/

If you are homebound during the virus crisis and looking for films to watch, please watch my partner Vincent's film After Louie with Alan Cumming

Here's link to view it on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/After-Louie-Alan-Cumming/dp/B079YF22TZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QUP7FWXTGL6K&dchild=1&keywords=after+louie&qid=1584273762&s=instant-video&sprefix=after+louie%2Caps%2C202&sr=1-1

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.

 

 

 

Lunch with Lynn/Under 20 Eats: J.J. Beaumarchais

I hadn’t seen Meredith Mullins in a long time, as she was frequently traveling, so she surfaced in mid-December and asked if I wanted to go a new restaurant discovery for an under 20€ lunch. 

In the last 10 years the Boulevard Beaumarchais, which runs from Bastille towards Republique, has come a long way from a sleepy boulevard lined with camera shops to main artery for shopping, restaurants, and food shops, including the Bobo concept store Merci, and the chic market and café, Maison Plisson. 

J.J. Beaumarchais looks like a typical Parisian bistro on the outside and inside, without much distinction. Luckily, the food speaks for itself. 

The straightforward lunch menu, two courses for 20€ and three for 22€, offers a selection of three starters, two main courses, and one dessert. 

I chose the coconut soup with pimento oil and the presentation in a ceramic bowl lined in a soothing aqua color, and the sting of the pimento rounded out the flavor of the sweet coconut.  

Meredith’s starter, a soupy concoction of a poached egg with truffle cheese and chestnuts, served in a bowl, was like eating a new type of comfort food. 

In selecting my main course, I wasn’t in the mood for fish, so I reluctantly ordered the bavette. I find the meat on bavette steaks is usually tough and stringy, and I am not usually satisfied. The bavette arrived camouflaged in a heap of twisted, stemmed greens, with a pool of foam on the bottom. Once I cleared the greens away, a healthy looking bavette appeared. Cutting into it was easier than usual, which was a good sign, and it was tender, juicy, and cooked just right. The roasted Jerusalem artichokes with a texture similar to roasted potatoes, were a hearty enough accompaniment to the steak and the foam served as a flavor enhancement.

Although I wasn’t in the mood for fish that day, upon having a taste of Meredith’s main dish, steamed ling fish (similar in texture to cod fish) with mushrooms and cabbage, I would definitely return to J.J. Beaumarchais for this dish. 

Crumbles are a staple on Paris restaurant menus and as much as I like them, they are becoming boring. The elevated version of at J.J. Beaumarchais with poached pears, a smattering of caramel, and crunchy, cookie-like bits, was familiar but certainly not a bore, as our spoons fought each other for the last bite. 

Meredith and I sat at a quiet table at the front, and we were able to catch up without being interrupted, with the efficient but not intrusive service. 

The tasting menu at night costs 40€ per person for four dishes, and 55€ for five dishes, so the 20€ lunch was definitely a bargain for cuisine of this caliber. 

J.J. Beaumarchais 

92 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75011

http://jjbeaumarchais.com/

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner 

Sunday for lunch 

May in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent May 12 to May 23

I am renting my Marais loft from  May 12 to May 23. May is one of the nicest months in Paris, with temperatures in the low 70s Fahrenheit during the day and low 60s at night. All the gardens and flowers are in bloom, the outdoor cafes bustling, and lots of cultural events. 

Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week,1900€ for 11 days-May 12-23. 

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 r.nahem@gmail.com if you are interested. 

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.

 

Cooking Dinner at Le Troisieme Café

So the big day arrived on Thursday for my return to the kitchen. 

I was at the Le Troisieme Cafe at 4:30PM to cook dinner for 30 people and start serving at 7:30pm. 

I was already a little ahead of the game because I baked the dessert at home, so all I had to cook was the appetizer and the main course. Even with that advantage, I found myself prepping until almost 7:30. Things went pretty smoothly, and I had two excellent volunteer assistants Evagn, and Natalie (who was the original owner of the wine bar/bookstore La Belle Hortense in the Marais). They were efficient and easy to get along with, which I appreciated so much. There was no way I could have done all the work myself in time. 

Most of the guests arrived between 7:30 and 8pm and enjoyed some wine and beer before dinner was served. Twelve people were a combination of friends or blog readers and 10 others made reservations from the café’s website. 

The interesting part about cooking at Le Troisieme, was I realized I had never cooked in a restaurant before and also never cooked in an open kitchen with people watching me. It was a bit of an adjustment at first, but then I liked the idea of not being isolated in the kitchen and to be able to talk to people while I was cooking. After serving the main course, I took a break for a while and talked to my friends in the dining room. 

This was the menu: 

Appetizer

Tomato leek soup with Middle Eastern Spices

Main course 

Spinach and Emmenthal cheese gratin 

Zucchini and Emmenthal cheese gratin

Chickpea rice with cumin and caramelized onions

Cucumber and yogurt salad with Zaatar 

Dessert 

Coconut American-style macaroons with fresh mandarin orange 

When I was growing up, every Thursday night was dairy night at my house and my mother would frequently serve the main course dish. I eventually incorporated it into my catering menu as a vegetarian option and it was a big hit. 

The coconut macaroons were my most popular dessert when I was a caterer, and at one point I was selling them to Dean & Deluca in Soho. 

The night ended at about 10pm and many of the guests thanked me for the experience. It was a fun and fulfilling night for me and it reawakened my cooking and baking skills. In fact, I’ve been mulling over the idea of introducing Parisians to my coconut macaroons by possibly selling them to food shops and cafes. I’ll let you know if I do. Meanwhile it’s back to blogging, touring and photography for now, but leaving room for the possibility of cooking again. 

Le Troisieme Cafe serves a three-course lunch for 10€ and a three-course dinner for 12€. 

Le Troisieme Cafe 

16 rue de Beauce, 75003

https://troisiemecafe.org/

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner

Cash or check accepted, no credit cards 

I am pleased as punch to have my friend Lisa Anselmo as my guest on A Bite of Paris. Lisa is the founder of Save the Paris Cafe/www.savethepariscafe.com, a website which celebrates the Paris café and the preservation of them, which in recent years has been threatened by rising rents and cultural changes. 

Click here to watch video or link below 

https://youtu.be/Jyt4wx3K8ZQ

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.

 

Mordu Restaurant Saint Germain

I’m always hard pressed to find good restaurants in Saint Germain des Pres. Yes, there are the famous cafes, Les Deux Maggots and Café de Flore which are great to go for a coffee, but not to eat at, and Le Comptoir and Semilla are easily the best restaurants in Saint Germain, but other than that, the neighborhood is sorely lacking. 

Nicolas Paradis is a wine specialist and entrepreneur in Paris. He owns the very successful wine tasting venue O’ Chateau and Caves de Louvre, a unique space which houses a wine museum, wine cellars, tasting room and a wine making facility. 

Nicolas emailed me recently to promote his latest venture, a restaurant in Saint Germain des Pres and invited me to have dinner. 

Hoping to finally have another address to go to in Saint Germain, I eagerly accepted his invitation. 

I went with Vincent to Mordu, which is located in the Marche Saint Germain, once a sleepy, almost hidden food market, now transformed into a hotspot for gourmet food shops. 

The dining room with high ceilings and low lighting was elegant but not stuffy.

Chef Baptiste Trudel has trained in formal restaurants such as Le Grand Vefour and the Cristal Room at Bacarrat, but also at more casual venues including La Machine à Coudes at Yard, and Iratze in Paris. Trudel’s versatility is shown off with an eclectic menu.

Although it was an odd choice for a cold winter’s night, I enjoyed the vitello tonnato, which I frequently eat in the simmer. This version was light with thinly sliced veal and the tempura fried fresh capers were a delightful surprise. Vincent’s dish listed on the menu as smashed potatoes, was unidentifiable, when presented. It looked like an order of oysters with black shells perhaps because of the dim lighting. Once Vincent figured what it was, he told me I have to try it. I did, and it was the best part of the meal. The texture of the potatoes, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside along with a wasabi mayo was sensational. When I ordered my main course, filet mignon of pork, which was served with potatoes, I asked the waiter if he replace them with the exact potatoes, and happily he said yes. The pork medallions were tender and juicy and served with braised romaine lettuce and horseradish cream, another wonderful taste and texture. Vincent, who can be a picky eater, was happy with John Dorey served with gnocchi (one of his favorite dishes). 

The limited wine list is all organic and Vincent had a red 2016 Sancerre from the Loire, which was light but had a bit of body. 

There was only a choice of two desserts, so we opted for the chocolate ganache with a crumble of hazelnuts and salted butter caramel. To say this dessert was rich is an understatement, and in fact history was made that night when Vincent and I could only eat half of the one dessert. We have the highest thresholds for desserts of all the people we know, so this came as a surprise. 

The wait staff was friendly and laid back. 

When I left, I demanded that they keep the potato dish on the menu permanently, as they change the menu frequently. 

Mordu offers a two- course lunch for 26€, three courses 30€. 

 

 2 rue Felibien, 75006

https://en.mordu.paris/menu

Open Monday to Saturday 

Tel. +33 (0) 142 39 89 27

The potato dish!

I am pleased as punch to have my friend Lisa Anselmo as my guest on A Bite of Paris. Lisa is the founder of Save the Paris Cafe/www.savethepariscafe.com, a website which celebrates the Paris café and the preservation of them, which in recent years has been threatened by rising rents and cultural changes. 

Click here to watch video or link below 

https://youtu.be/Jyt4wx3K8ZQ

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.

 

Brasserie Bocuse at Hotel du Louvre

I received an invitation from Alexandre Richardot, the director of sales and marketing at Hotel du Louvre, to dine at Brasserie Bocuse last month. 

Paul Bocuse, who died in 2018, was one of the most celebrated and innovative French chefs in the late 1900s. His first restaurant, L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges, opened in 1965 outside of Lyon, and put Bocuse on the culinary map, receiving three Michelin stars and has miraculously maintained them ever since. Bocuse was also one of the pioneers of nouvelle cuisine. He went on to open many restaurants around France and near Lyon, plus opened a cooking school to train chefs in his cooking style, but never opened a restaurant in Paris. In a bittersweet gesture, Bocuse’s son Jerome Bocuse, wanted to honor his father’s legacy, and finally open a restaurant in Paris. His desire was to introduce Parisians to the Lyonnaise cuisine in an informal brasserie setting, so he can tempt them to visit their restaurants in Lyon.

It was a perfect match to open the brasserie in the newly renovated Hotel du Louvre, one of the classic, Paris hotels. 

The festive dining room dressed up for Christmas, had typical French brasserie details such as red leather banquettes, brass railings, tile floors, and crisp white tablecloths and linens but in a more streamlined, contemporary style. 

I brought Vincent with me and we were seated by the genial staff at a corner table. The menu was filled with some of my favorite French standbys and it was hard to narrow it down. Should I have snails or onion soup or sausage for my starter? I finally chose a true Lyonnaise dish, the traditional salad of poached egg, frisee, lardons, and croutons. It was a near perfect version of the salad except it was overdressed and the vinegar from the vinaigrette was overpowering. Vincent savored the house-made foie gras with crisp, haricots verts perfectly cooked. 

I am probably one of the last holdouts who still likes French dishes in cream sauce, which during wartime, was a practical solution to compensate for inferior, tough meat. Blanquette de veau is one of my favorites, so when I saw Bresse chicken with cream sauce and morel mushroom sauce on the list of  Signature Dishes on the menu, I knew it was calling my name. In case you didn’t know, Bresse chicken is one of the finest chickens you can buy in France and has very strict government parameters on how they are raised and fed. They are free range birds which are raised for at least four months and eat a special diet. 

The tender, juicy meat had a bit more of a game taste, which gave it distinction from just another roasted chicken and the cream sauce, although thick, was not so rich as to distract from the taste of the meat. 

Even though I prodded Vincent to have pan-fried sole Meuniere (so I could taste it), he stayed in his culinary comfort zone and had a satisfying salmon with a refreshing, more spring like sauce of sorrel, which is hardly ever offered on menus anymore. 

Dessert was a lemon tart, with swirls of meringue on top and Vincent had an assortment of house-made ice cream and sorbet. 

The service was excellent, and we could clearly see our waiter’s goal was to please without fawning all over us. 

Going downstairs to use the rest room was a stroll through Bocuse memory lane, with tons of photos of the star chef and his international roster of celebrity guest diners plastered on the walls. 

Brasserie Bocuse 

Hôtel du Louvre

1 Place André Malraux, 75001

https://www.hyatt.com/fr-FR/hotel/france/hotel-du-louvre/paraz/dining?src=prop_gmb_seo_brasseriedulouvre

Open every day for lunch and dinner 

I am pleased as punch to have my friend Lisa Anselmo as my guest on A Bite of Paris. Lisa is the founder of Save the Paris Cafe/www.savethepariscafe.com, a website which celebrates the Paris café and the preservation of them, which in recent years has been threatened by rising rents and cultural changes. 

Click here to watch video or link below 

https://youtu.be/Jyt4wx3K8ZQ

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.

 

 

Brasserie Bellanger

First it was the bistro that made a comeback in the form of the neo-bistro, then the bouillon restaurant made a splashy return, and now the brasserie is ripe for a return. 

Brasserie Bellanger is a perfect example of a classic French institution being reborn in a fresh, relevant way. 

Located in a gritty part of the 10^th arrondissement near Gard du Nord, Brasserie Bellanger, we arrived at 7:30PM and the restaurant was already buzzing. The black and white tile floor and the well-lit bar gave a lighter ambiance than the usual dark wood and brass of most brasseries. 

The menu was straight forward with a selection of hams, sausages, and dried beef, then a short list of 6 entrees including leeks vinaigrette and oeuf mayo, followed by a list of classiques such as steak frites, croque Monsieur, and steak tartar. What was most interesting on the meat heavy menu was an offering a vegan plate. 

It was a chilly, damp night and a soup of butternut squash and corn kernels with crunchy croutons sprinkled on top had a thick, smooth texture warmed our insides well. 

Vincent had a steamed cod fish with broccoli and pine nuts, simply prepared but with much flavor and I had crispy poitrine de porc (pork belly) with mashed potatoes with chunks of potatoes (not the usual smooth puree) and a corn and red pepper relish. 

We were getting quite full from the more than ample portions, so Vincent and I shared a Paris Brest, another classic, well executed with a light choux and coffee cream filling and a sprinkling of roasted hazelnuts to give a little more oomph. 

The thing I liked about Brasserie Bellanger was its lack of pretentiousness which permeates so much of the Paris restaurant scene with hipsters and trendiness.  Instead Brasserie Bellanger is just a fun, lively place with solid, unsurprising (that’s a good thing!) food at honest prices (all dishes are under 20€ except for the home cooked dish of the day), and easy service, where people gather to have a good time without too much fuss. 

Brasserie Bellanger 

140 Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, 75010

Open for lunch and dinner, 7 days 

http://victoretcharly.com/

LINKS EYE LIKE 

A great story about the 100th Anniversary of Shakespeare and Company in The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/15/100-years-shakespeare-and-company-paris-modernist-tourist

A story about the writer Colette's house in Burgundy in the N.Y. Times 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/travel/colettes-burgundy-france.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Travel

You have to love a place that lets a pooch like this take center stage 

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.

 

 

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.

 

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.