Charcuterie

There are charcuteries all over Paris. The ones your nephew would be most interested in are those that do a lot of "in-house" preparation of pates, and/or perhaps smoke or cure their own meats. You will be likely to find some of this type of charcuterie on the market streets such as Rue Cler (7th arr), Rue Montorgueil (2nd arr), and Rue Mouffetard (5th), as well as good produce, cheese, butcher, and bakery shops, plus lots of local color. Also check out the food halls of the large department stores such as Galleries Laffayette near Opera Garnier and the Bon Marche on the left bank. Some cafes and bistros have good charcuterie plates, which make a nice lunch with a crusty baquette and glass of wine. I think it is really neat that he has an interest like this as it will take you to a lot of interesting neighborhoods and you're likely to experience Paris in a way few tourists do. Bon voyage!

A very up-market place would be Fauchon's, on Place de la Madeleine.

Paris's wholesale market, Rungis, is huge (the largest in the world). It used to be closed to the public, but there are now tours; the fact that the website doesn't mention the price probably means it's not cheap, but for a food professional such as your son, it may be worth it. Here's the market's website; unless you speak French you'll have to e-mail for details, as the actual visit site is French only: http://www.rungismarket.com/en/jaune/visiter_rungis/index.asp

We have a similar interest. We looked at some tours and classes, but they all seemed to be focused on all markets, and then cooking with those items. We thought about getting a private tour from Paris Walks. In the end, we just decided to wing it.

Definitely go to rue Montorguiel. We also enjoyed the market at place d'Aligre. And stop at each and every boucherie or charcuterie that you see. Shops are clustered together, so if you see a fromagerie, most likely you'll find a butcher shop nearby.

Some advice:

• Be unfailingly polite, always saying "bonjour, monsieur". They know you won't be a longtime customer, and won't spend too much, but they're usually polite to you if you start out well. Looking apologetic for your general ineptitude will help. Show your appreciation for their shop.
• Try to avoid shopping during busy times, or at least try to stay out of the way of other shoppers.
• Learn to say "un piece, s'il vous plait" for a terrine, or "cent grams" for a sliced sausage or ham. A hundred (cent) grams will get you just under a quarter pound. That's not a lot, but you'll be getting other items and it's easy to over buy.
• Leave American sensibilities at home. I really don't care if shopkeepers handle my food with bare fingers. I am bothered more by the raw meat next to the ready to eat items. And I really didn't like it when a woman who was boning out a rabbit did not even wipe her hands off before slicing some salami. (My husband ate that by himself.)
• Ask before you take pictures, and do try to buy something there.
• The French have much milder tastes than we do. The chorizo was the spiciest thing we found, and it was like a pepperoni. But they do like rich, fatty meats. Make sure to buy bread to eat with it.

It's easy enough to try a lot of different charcuterie. Unless he's going to make them himself, just shopping will probably suffice. It's probably not realistic that a shop owner will take him back to show him trade secrets! But he can look and taste. I think on our next trip we will take a cheese class so we know more about what we're eating. There are a lot more cheeses than there are terrines.

It's too late this year, but you might want to wait until next spring for the Salon de l'Agriculture.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2014/03/salon-de-lagriculture/

I found a tour of Rungis that runs 150 euro with a minimum of 4 people. That would be too salty for me.

Thanks to all for the wonderful information! I truly appreciate everyone's contributions. The specific shop names and the streets to wander, along with other tips are now printed and packed. I know they will add immeasurably to our experience and personalize his trip. BTW...this will be our 4th trip to Paris. We have the "Bonjour, M" bit down pat. I wondered whether we had "Yankee" tattooed on our foreheads ( I looked ), then suspected but ruled out the embedded chip planted at birth that identified us as Americans the moment we walked through the door ( born so long ago that we remember actually getting off the sofa to change channels). However, we wear "general ineptitude" like a Scarlet letter. Mystery solved! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Denny, any chance you'll be in Lyon? I'll bet he'd love to see Les Halles Paul Bocuse, the giant indoor (retail) public market.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187265-d2169955-Reviews-Les_Halles_de_Lyon_Paul_Bocuse-Lyon_Rhone_Rhone_Alpes.html

Market streets and weekly outdoor markets in Paris should have a good selection from around the country, but making similar visits in your other regions, too, to will reveal more regional variation. In Colmar, the old covered market hall is open Tuesday-Saturday.

You can enjoy your picnic on nearly any park bench or stone wall that you find; sitting on grass in parks depends upon reading the signs and following local example.

A nice place for lunch that serves cold cuts similar to a British Pub is at Taverne Henri IV right off the Pont-Neuf Bridge on the other end of the island that Notre Dame sits on. Reservations highly recommended, always filled with locals businessmen and women during lunch. It is one of my must go to places when I'm in Paris. You can make reservations from www.tripadvisor.com, or from www.thefork.com, (http://www.thefork.com/restaurant/la-taverne-henri-iv/1528). If you do, make sure you bring your printed copy of the reservation.
Enjoy your trip.