July 1, 2010 by Amy Thomas
Rachel Khoo, at work
As the savory macarons (half of them, cream cheese and wasabi; half green olive tapenade) were passed around the 12th arrondissement apartment, the talk inevitably turned to food. It was a Thursday night, and I was at Rachel Khoo’s Mash Up soirée, an 80s-inspired, five-course dinner party organized through MyPrivateDinner.com, a site that coordinates tastings, workshops and other food-centric events. Rachel, a British cookbook author, class instructor and damn good chef, along with all us foreigners (plus a few locals) in attendance were self-defined foodies, so the night was filled with many edible adventures.
By the second course (a two-toned tartiflette of root veggies, roquette and copious amounts of Reblochon, which came on the heels of, wait for it, edible pacman with pâté powerballs), I was deep in conversation with Kimberley McLoughlin, an Aussie who just launched RedVisitor.com. While her site focuses on international travel, she’s also a restaurant devotée and knows the best eateries in the top culinary cities around the world. Clearly, I realized as I sipped my Tom Cruise-inspired Cocktail, I’m not the only expat in Paris who’s just a wee bit obsessed with food and eating and dinner parties and new restaurants and food porn and sweets and cooking classes and market tours and….are we full yet??
Edible pacman
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Posted in Food | 2 Comments »
May 28, 2010 by Meg Zimbeck
My boyfriend recently informed me that he had made a dinner reservation: “Someplace new… someplace I think you haven’t heard of.”
“That’s not possible,” I replied, and I meant it. For the past six weeks, in preparing to launch a new website, I’ve been following the restaurant press quite closely. If I hadn’t heard of it, I thought smugly to myself, then it probably wasn’t worth knowing about. I then proceeded to mock his choice. “Rino (the French pronounce this Reeeno)… will there be gambling after dinner?” He looked puzzled, knowing nothing of the Nevada town, and then decided to drop the subject. His redemption would come soon enough. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Restaurant Reviews | 2 Comments »
May 17, 2010 by Claudia Strasser
When I heard that the lovely Lily of Context Travel was organizing a dinner at Hidden Kitchen hosted by David Lebovitz and Meg Zimbeck, I jumped at the occasion. I was lucky enough to attend Hidden Kitchen over a year ago and was itching for the chance to return and experience Braden’s cooking again … The problem? It’s always sold out! This particular dinner was to be a combination gourmet meal and chance to get to know David, Meg, and Context travel in an intimate setting (there are only 16 guests at a time at Hidden Kitchen).
The lucky guests were to hear all about David’s decadent new dessert cookbook and the inevitable trials and tribulations of his life amongst the frenchies. We also got to learn about Meg and her culinary adventures. Meg is a Paris food writer and is currently in the final stages of developing (along with quite an impressive team) a new Paris foodie website, “Paris by Mouth” to be unveiled on June 1…..more on that soon on the HiP Paris Blog! As my friend Claudia from Miami is in town doing decorating wonders for a client, I invited her to join in the fun. It was an evening of fabulous food and conversation galore – one to remember and hopefully repeat. Below Claudia reminisces about this unique Parisian experience. Enjoy! – Erica
Bonsoir everyone!
Friday night was truly one I will never forget and feel privileged to have been invited to such a soiree magnifique. It felt like we stepped back in time to a salon gathering of some of the great young minds and talents residing and making their marks in Paris.
From the moment we walked into the foyer and were handed champagne, the night was pure magic. As the 16 guests arrived, we mingled and chatted and the air was palpable with what our palettes were about to experience!
If you’re in Paris, I highly suggest you make a reservation at hidden kitchen. Our host and hostess, Braden and Laura are the most charming and talented American couple you could hope to meet on your trip, and the exquisite beauty of everything from the decor of their apartment to every morsel served was sublime! Continue Reading »
Posted in Events, Food, Parisian Living, Restaurant Reviews, Tours and Classes | 9 Comments »
April 16, 2010 by Maggie Battista
Taking photos of the Seine and Sacre Coeur are a must when visiting Paris, but my camera is filled with images of gorgeous meal after gorgeous meal, thousands of food photos bursting with freshness, color and deliciousness. As my time in Paris winds down – I leave later this week! – I promise to share every last morsel, starting with part one below that originally appeared on my food site, Eat Boutique. Bon appetit! -Maggie
Let’s be honest. Paris may be a foodie mecca, but all that amazing food isn’t a breeze to find. You have to research, ask the locals and scout out those hidden gems (far away from all the tourists). I did a lot of those aforementioned tasks and have produced my first “Paris Foods You Must Eat” list. Expect many more parts to come, but give me some time. I’ve got about two thousand photos to sort through, and many more neighborhoods to explore before I sleep, err, leave!
Growing up along the East Coast, I thought I had had the best seafood in the world. Um, that was until I tasted the scallops and oysters in Paris. Both are far sweeter here, with a lot more character and taste. The above scallops were caramelized and served on a beautiful plate with spring asparagus, carrots, beets and mache at one of my favorite restaurants in Montmartre called Le Miroir (94, rue des Martyrs, 18ème. Tel: 01 46 06 50 73. Metro: Abbesses or Pigalle.) If they are serving scallops the day you dine there, order them. Continue Reading »
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April 15, 2010 by Tory Hoen
There are a few places in Paris that make you feel like an insider the minute you step through the door. It’s an incredibly gratifying feeling, given that other elements of life here can feel downright impenetrable to those of us who aren’t born and bred (make that incredibly well-bred) Parisians. So when I “discovered” Le Baron Rouge and instantly felt like a regular, I knew I had hit the jackpot.
It turns out that quite a few people have hit the same jackpot, but as popular as this unassuming spot is, it maintains its low-key, local vibe. French still dominates among the staff and clientele, and the guys behind the bar are no-nonsense but still friendly (especially the one with the beard… you can’t miss him). There’s not a lot of hand-holding here, but there’s no judgment either (to me, that’s the perfect balance), and servers are happy to help you navigate the long and interesting wine list scrolled on chalkboards near the bar.
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Posted in Food, Restaurant Reviews | 6 Comments »
April 6, 2010 by Tory Hoen
Erica Berman- Bonpoint Boutique Paris rue de Tournon
There’s no doubt about it: Parisian kids have a good thing going on. They’re well-dressed, well-fed and, by virtue of being French, are destined for terminal coolness.
I used to spend afternoons at a little park in the 5th where the same group of schoolchildren always had their post-lunch play hour. In retrospect, I probably looked incredibly creepy as I sat there observing them, but I was totally mesmerized by the scene: their demeanor (distinctly Parisian, but innocently so), their adorable school clothes, their clear, deliberate French. I’m convinced that Paris—with all of its sensory pleasures—would be a fascinating place to grow up.
But what about Paris for visiting kids? Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 3 Comments »
March 8, 2010 by Tory Hoen
It’s easy to eat well in Paris, but to truly eat like a local is a whole different endeavor. At the heart of the Parisian culinary experience are the city’s markets, and eating like a Parisian means knowing where to get the “best” of everything—the freshest produce, the most interesting wines, the best baguettes, the most unique specialty products. The preparation of a perfect at-home meal is a nuanced process that involves the assembly of carefully selected puzzle pieces—not to mention the actual cooking, plating, presentation and consumption rituals.
Luckily, there is a short-cut in the form of Paule Caillat’s Promenades Gourmandes: personalized culinary excursions that allow anyone—from novices to gourmands—to access the pleasures of French home-cooking done right. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Tours and Classes | 2 Comments »
December 20, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
Although Paris is a fantastic city to visit at any time of the year, it is particularly magical around Christmas. Whether it’s the twinkling street lights, the holiday markets or the smells of delicious rich foods escaping from apartment and restaurant windows, it’s hard to ignore a holiday spirit that revolves (refreshingly) more around food than around the piggy bank.
L’Internaute.fr; Le Site de L’Evenementiel.com
For many, Christmas celebrations in France are centered around a heaping family meal served as dinner on the Eve, or as lunch on Christmas day. Oysters and champagne, foie gras and roasted capon, smoked salmon and Bûche de Noel… many figure-conscious Parisians will diet before and after les fêtes simply in order to make room for all the delicious yuletide specialties. Not partaking in the seasonal gluttony could be interpreted as a lack of joie de vivre; in order to save yourself from this fate worse than death, we recommend putting all thoughts of régime off until the New Year! Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 2 Comments »
December 9, 2009 by Haven in Paris
David Lebovitz, one of our favorite food bloggers, has written a great account of the “Community Supported Agriculture” (CSA) scene in Paris…
Photo: David Lebovitz
Text by David Lebovitz
About a year ago, I was having supper in a friend’s apartment and everything we ate was simple, and tasted really good. He’d lived on a farm near Toulouse for many years, where he worked for one of France’s agricultural organizations. Now he lives in Paris and I was surprised when he told me that the onions we were eating on the tart he’d made were from a panier, or a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box. Continue Reading »
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November 10, 2009 by Tory Hoen
Photo: linternaute.com
What is it about France that makes me feel like it’s OK to drink an entire bottle of wine at midday? I guess it’s the fact that there are so many places that make it easy—almost impossible not—to do just that.
My hands-down favorite spot in Paris for a boozy Sunday lunch is Le Verre Volé, the quintessential Parisian wine bar and living proof that simplicity is the secret to happiness—and deliciousness. There’s nothing better than a leisurely lunch of shared small plates and an interesting bottle of wine, followed by a drunken amble along the Canal St. Martin (I have yet to fall in!), most likely followed by a nap. Afternoons like this make me wonder, “Does life get any better than this?” and I always come to the same conclusion: nope. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Restaurant Reviews | 9 Comments »
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