February 3, 2010 by Tory Hoen
littlebrownpen.com & flickr.com/photos/danske
Meg Zimbeck at Girls’ Guide to Paris knows a thing or two about Paris restaurants. Below, she gives us the rundown on the many options available at neo-bistro Chez Michel: an adventurous diner’s paradise. According to LeFooding.com, it’s one of Catherine Deneuve’s favorite eateries. We’re already impressed!
Text by Meg Zimbeck
In a city with so many incredible restaurants to try, repeat visits are a sure sign of love. Until this week, I could count on one hand the places to which I’ve returned more than three times: Spring, Frenchie, l’Avant Comptoir, Le Baratin and the crêperie Josselin. Chez Michel, the Breton bistro near Gare du Nord, has just joined the ranks and forced me to open a second hand.
My fourth visit on a frozen December evening was nearly perfect. Having arrived early, I waited for my friend with a glass of Cerdon—a sparkling pink wine that’s rarely seen in restaurants (6 euros). The extra time was devoted to studying both the printed menu and the lengthy chalk-drawn list of specials.
photobucket.com
Chez Michel is a single restaurant with many different ways to dine. The foundation of any experience is the prix fixe menu, with three courses for 32 euros. It includes plenty of good pork and seafood options, with eight starters, six mains and seven desserts. You could stick to the plan and be very happy with a good fish soup and a stellar brandade de morue, plus the famous 36-hour Paris-Brest dessert. I don’t know anybody who does this.
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November 6, 2009 by Haven in Paris
Paris-based freelance food and travel writer Meg Zimbeck (who contributes to the wonderful new blog Girls Guide to Paris) hits up l’Avant Comptoir, a great new wine bar in the 6th…
by Meg Zimbeck
Last night marked my fourth visit to l’Avant Comptoir in just over a week. This new wine bar is nowhere near my apartment, so why am I returning again and again? It’s the ham. To be precise, it’s the deep-fried ham croquettes. Made with jambon Ibaïona d’Eric Ospital (a Pays Basque ham from a legendary producer), these little nuggets are like eating, as the Frenchman next to me observed, “une caresse.” Priced at only 3 euros for a stack of three, they represent the cheapest love for sale in the French capital.
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October 20, 2009 by Haven in Paris
Paris-based freelance food and travel writer Meg Zimbeck (who contributes to the wonderful new Blog Girls Guide to Paris) highlights Daniel Rose’s much buzzed-about new Paris restaurant Table 28. We are beyond jealous of those who have already had a chance to give it a try…
Daniel Rose courtesy of chow.com
by Meg Zimbeck
Until recently, one of the most delightful (and difficult to reserve) tables in Paris had been Spring restaurant. Tucked away on a side street in the 9th arrondissement, this shoebox-sized resto (French slang for restaurant) was adored by everyone from French critics to visiting foodies. It was hard to find fault with Daniel Rose’s four-course market menu for under 40 euros, and it was difficult to dislike the young American, who pitched in to serve plates and ask each table if everything was delicious. Spring closed its original doors in August and plans to reopen next March around the corner from the Louvre. The new digs will include a vaulted cave (wine cellar) with a walk-in wine bar and highbrow snacks to soak up the Champagne. It will also be around the corner from Spring Boutique, set to open in November, with an array of hand-selected products such as wine, charcuterie, honey and maybe even hot dogs. Continue Reading »
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