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Traveling on our Stomachs: Paris!

Paris was quite the change of pace after a week in Pesaro and Bra. We hit Avenue de l’Opéra on Saturday afternoon at high shopping time. Mamma mia! I was feeling a bit panicky as the crowds swarmed left and right! No one seemed to walk to one side or the other and enormous families took up the whole sidewalk. Kind of reminded me of Roma, and not in a good way!

We eventually found our pace, managing to weave creatively, clinging to one another and refusing to be separated. We found the nearby Monoprix (no thanks to the apartment rental agency which gave us the wrong address) for groceries and headed back “home” as Ric, who had been nursing a cold for a couple of days, was feeling the full fury and needed some chicken soup and downtime.

Prepared chicken soup was something we had trouble finding in Italy. Not so in Paris! Lovely chicken broth with vermicelli (not just “noodles”), some nice white wine, and early-to-bed.

Food is very important in Paris and food experiences are very important to us. We were, however, a bit tired of restaurants after a week without a kitchen. The chicken soup night was a relief and we also decided to make a nice ratatouille in honor of our visit to the capital. This became the prime component of a few relaxed dinners at “home.” There were some excellent culinary experiences, too.

I was in a mood for moules et frites. We tracked them down at two decidedly different venues: Au Trappiste, a Belgian beer emporium that also served great mussels, and Leon de Bruxelles, a mussels-specialty chain that also had some decent Belgian beer. I usually like my mussels sautéed in wine ala Meuniere, but after trying Leon’s Provençale style as well as au Roquefort, I need to expand my repertory at home. My cravings were well-satisfied. Leon is definitely on our list for the (inevitable) next trip to Paris.

We splurged on one dinner/tour, Bustronome. Unfortunately. Ric was still not feeling well and could barely taste the food. Since it was pre-paid he bravely went along. I found the food quality and creativity excellent although the wines were nothing special. The nighttime tour of Paris was terrific. We drove slowly through the streets on the double-decker bus passing almost every landmark you could name: Place du Concorde, the Louvre, Opéra Garnier, Musée d'Orsay, Invalides, La Tour Eiffel, and more. The bus has a panoramic glass roof and since all diners are on the second level, everyone had a great view. (The kitchen is on the bottom level.)

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11675 posts

Continued...

A couple of years ago we enjoyed a phenomenal meal at Les Papilles, where you eat what they are cooking. At least at dinner, that is the case: no choices, one set four-course menu. We went for lunch this trip and at lunch there are a few bistro meal choices. We aren’t fools. We ordered the chef’s recommended entrée et plat. This day it was a delicate cauliflower soup served with bits of bacon and cauliflower with a dollop of crème fraiche followed by a delectable porc en cassoulet. How they do it out of a kitchen the size of our master bathroom, I do not know. The owner, Bertrand Bluy, is no slouch in the selection of wines and brought us a lovely carafe that is far beyond what most would offer as house wine, well-matched to the day’s menu. Luckily Ric was feeling much better and able to taste and enjoy the food.

We love going to the market wherever we are traveling and we shopped at Monoprix on Avenue de l’Opéra several times. The first time we checked out it was with a young man who was very engaging with the customers that went before us. He was pleasant with us, but with a language barrier there was no real kibitzing. The second time we went to his station, as usual he was visiting with people then he turned to ring up our items. He indicated to me that some dark chocolate we had would not scan. (I can understand enough French in situ.) Bummer. He set the chocolate aside and rang up the rest of the order. I turned to tell Ric the chocolate would not scan and could see he was irritated. (We like a square of dark chocolate after dinner.) Then the cashier laughed and handed me the item in question. “Joking,” he said. I guess we were accepted as regulars at that point. The tiny Opéra Market was also a find, just around the corner from our flat, with an assortment of products that put 7-Eleven to shame in a space not much larger than some walk-in closets. And it was open Sunday afternoons when many Parisian groceries are closed.

On to London!

Posted by
6474 posts

Definitely bookmarking this one! Thanks, Laurel.

Posted by
6474 posts

Definitely bookmarking this one! Thanks, Laurel.

Posted by
293 posts

Sorry your husband was feeling so sick. Puts such a damper on everyone's time, but when you can enjoy chicken soup and an early night, you can recover quicker. And thanks for the Bustronome tip, I'm going to look that up! I haven't been to Paris since 1992; I wonder if the Notre Dame is still standing, lol .....

Posted by
2252 posts

I'm going in May so not only bookmarking but copying your post and saving to my Paris files. These are wonderful suggestions. Thanks, Laurel; I'm enjoying traveling with your stomach!

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44 posts

Ah, Les Papilles! We were in Paris two years ago for our daughter’s college graduation—a wonderful trip with her roommate and her family. Our experience at that restaurant was so fabulous that we returned for a second visit a few days later! The food, served family-style, was divine. And yes, you eat what is on offer for that evening, rather than choose from a menu. We all stared at one another after the first taste of the soup with our eyes wide: have we ever tasted soup this delicious? It was early summer, so reservations were a must. What good memories!