Eating Escargot

Escargot is not really a Parisian speciality, to be sure you will find them there but they truly are a Burgandy specialty (with Petit Gris being popular in the Med. area) as the other poster mentioned. So in Paris, look for a restaurant specializing in Burgandy food. (Sadly, unless specified, many snails, even in France come from China)

I often advise to avoid restaurants that have English in thier menus. I would say this is mandatory with this dish, as you may end up with less than a traditional experience, and more with this tourist version of authentic experience.

They are served swimming in hot butter, so slurping them like raw oysters could be dangerous, think of eating them more like hot mussels, or hot oysters. You chew a little bit. Traditionally they are mostly a vehicle for garlic and butter. I have seen them in salads, but for your first go, try the butter route. Like calamari, or squid, if they are too chewy they are overcooked, don't be shy about sending them back.

Brenda I think you might be surprised. I tried them on our last trip and they were delicious. You do chew them, they are not slimy at all but little meaty bits floating in excellent butter. I also had them in a soup. They serve them lots of ways but we liked them in their little shells with lots of bread for dipping into the butter.
Hope you like them too.
Mary

The best Escargot I had was not in Paris, but in a countryside restaurant near Beaune France (Burgandy Region). It was served in a puff pastry. I had them in their shells in Paris, but the place we ate them overcooked them and they were chewy. I guess it can happen at any restaurant. The garlic butter sauce they come in when served in their shells in wonderful for dipping French bread into after the Escargot in gone. We have a nephew that my husband kids to "expand your cullinary horizons." We have gotten him to try Ostrich and bison on ski trips with us. He still does not like sushi. Good for you to try new things. Have fun in Paris.

Don't worry the taste and texture are like eating regular meat. Chew them like any other food. People's reluctance to try escargot is misplaced.

Don't be afraid! I tried them and was very surprised on how good they were.

Thanks all for the advice. I think I'll try them at Jacques Cagna's La Rotisserie d'En Face.

I have eaten snails since I was old enough to eat solid food. I love them, and it took me years before I would eat them in a restaurant because I thought my mom made them the best ,, and I was right!!!!!
I have since had them in restaurants where they do them well,,but I will tell you where to NEVER order them.
Brasserie Lipp.. they served them LUKEWARM!!! They should be served piping hot, and should not be chewy( cooked too long) in fact butter should still be bubbling .. and it must be BUTTER , no North American substitutions,,

I love them hot, garlicky , buttery and with parsely also .. and bread for dipping is a must!
You can chew them,, and should in fact. They do NOT have much taste at all( so don't worry, this is why they are generally served with garlic) think dark chicken meat with garlic.

If you eat clams then snails are much better , clams to me tend to be tough and sometimes sandy!

Make sure you get them broiled and bubbling. To our distress, there can be such a thing as a bad snail. See my advice about taking Immodium with you.

That aside, I love the snails. They are chewed and I would compare the texture to shrimp.

At a student exchange program when I was 16 I was offered (or actually forced) to try them. They taste just like an eraser (rubber) covered with garlic butter! Enjoy!

I thought they had a consistency similar to a mushroom. They were really much better than I had anticipated.