May 3, 2013 by Erin Dahl
Shopping
Merci Goes Global: Merci has garnered a wide following, and rightfully so. Well, there is exciting news for (some) non-Parisians…Merci just launched its online retail shop, with shipping now available to Merci-lovers in the States, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand! Shrieks of excitement and sighs of relief from fans of this impeccably curated fashion and interior design haven are totally appropriate here.
Food
Ongoing: Ma Chere et Tendre: Traditional French cuisine is known for, among so many other things, successfully incorporating a wide range of meats and their various cuts into everyday meals. This sometimes involves discovering more parts of the animals than many Americans might prefer. Those diners will appreciate a recent surge of vegetarian, gluten-free and other diet-specific options popping up around the city. Don’t get me wrong, I love this trend as much as the next person, but the opening of Ma Chere et Tendre, a new steakhouse tucked away in the 17th with a menu perfectly tailored for unapologetic meatlovers, really whet my palate. Ma Chere et Tendre, Beef Club, the recent Hotel de Ville BBQ…I think we’re seeing a resurgence of meals made for the loyal carnivore and I definitely don’t object.
May 10 & 11, New Friends Table: We covered New Friends Table nearly two years ago when it had just landed on the underground Paris food scene. Now the team is back with a new offering. They still host their beloved dinners – the goal of which is to bring like-minded foodies together around a great meal in a real Parisian apartment – but they’re now doing food tours around the Beaubourg neighborhood, home to the Centre Pompidou (and HiP’s Marais Triplex flat). The tour begins with a collective cafe and ends with a dejeuner consisting of products purchased throughout the morning… Perfection. Continue Reading »
Posted in Events | 6 Comments »
April 10, 2012 by Amy Thomas
Being vegetarian anywhere requires extra effort and planning when it comes to dining out. Being a vegetarian in a place that eats pigeon, adores offal, and extols a head to tail philosophy (that is, Paris) requires Napoleonic strategizing.
At least it used to. In recent years, the dining scene in the City of Light has been opening up to alternative styles and menus, making it easier than ever to go veg (although you can still expect the occasional eye-roll from a waiter who simply doesn’t understand les végétariens). But whether you chalk it up to Anglo and ethnic infiltration, acceptance of new ingredients and spices, or simple ennui with traditional French cooking, it’s a great time to embrace your inner green goddess and take this meat-eating city by storm. Here are four delicious strategies to help.
Merce and the Muse (Julien Hausherr)
Strategy 1: Eat a big lunch
When Rose Carrarini (who’s British) and her French husband Jean-Charles opened Rose Bakery in 2002, their focus on fresh market salads—think: grilled tofu and tomatoes, and artichokes mixed with millet and chickpeas—was shockingly different from the staple of steak frites that many Parisians ate for lunch. Ten years and two additional outposts later, it’s hard to imagine Paris without Rose’s organic market salads, fresh quiches and famous carrot and pound cakes.
Similarly, when Marc Grossman opened Bob’s Juice Bar in 2006, the smoothies and bagel sandwiches the native New Yorker served up were wildly novel. Since then Grossman has not only spawned another café, Bob’s Kitchen, which serves additional goodies like pancakes and muesli, but a whole wave of casual cantines have followed suit. Hypercool concept stores Merci and Colette both have veg-friendly subterranean eateries; take-out lunch spots like Lemoni and Cojean always offer beautiful soups, sandwiches and salads; and lovely little cafes and bakeries such as SuperNature, Merce and the Muse, Tartes Kluger and Bread and Roses all offer outstanding veg fare.
Strategy 2: Eat ethnic
Another way to sate yourself without a bite of bifteck is by taking advantage of Paris’ ethnic restaurants. In the first arrondissement, Rue Saint-Anne is an oasis of Japanese dining options including hearty udon soups (try Kunitoraya or Higuma) and “okonomiyaki,” Japanese pancakes made of flour, grated yam, water or dashi, eggs and shredded cabbage. Or you can get stuffed on Indian lentils and curries (Saravanna Bhavan, Krishna Bhavan) and Moroccan couscous and tagines (Chez Omar). Decent pizza (Pizza Chic, La Briciola), and Italian (Caffe dei Cioppi, Olio Pane Vino) abounds and, with last year’s arrival of Candelaria, Mexican is firmly on the ethnic eating map of Paris. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Restaurant Reviews | 11 Comments »
February 21, 2012 by Maggie Battista
In a few days, I’ll be sipping wine at un petit café in the Marais, just in time, we all hope, for the weather to finally swing toward Spring. There’s too much to squeeze into this 3-week trip.
Besides visiting Verjus and Au Passage bien sur, I hope to dine at Septime and Bistro Volnay. Perhaps I’ll splurge on a meal at L’hôtel Thoumieux. Though, the best part of being in my own Paris pied-a-terre is stocking up at the Marche des Enfants Rouge for home-cooked dishes that always seem to taste better in Paris.
Merci concept store (Liquidx)
While I hope to buy something special at Merci (a girl can dream), I’ll definitely pop into Les Mauvaises Graines, an urban garden concept store in Montmartre, and will likely fall in love with a handcrafted souvenir at Le Petite Atelier de Paris.
On one of my weekends abroad, I’m jetting to Copenhagen. Being a New England girl, I suppose I’m a sucker for the cold weather. I’m also eager to visit what’s hailed as the best restaurant in the world and after several odd-hour phone calls to Denmark, lucked out with a reservation at Noma. We’ll see if Copenhagen food stacks up to Paris culinaria.
More than anything though, I simply want to find my favorite spots near my Marais flat. I hope to take my daily espresso at Merce and the Muse, lunch at Glou and unwind with an evening wine at La Perle. I promise to only visit Jacques Genin’s fabulous boutique once or twice if, and only if, I take a few strolls around the Square du Temple. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living, Shopping | 11 Comments »
April 28, 2011 by Amy Thomas
Aux Deux Amis
The beauty of any great city is that you never “finish” it. There’s always a new corner to explore, a windy street to be discovered, a café you wonder how in the world you missed.
Before I left Paris, I made peace with the fact that there was no way I would tackle everything on my to-do list (nor, my list of must-eats). It was partly to keep me sane in the frenzied last days of packing up one life to return to another. But it was also a way of reassuring myself that I would return to Paris. I would get dressed up for a ballet at Opera Garnier. I would stumble into a subterranean jazz club. Angelina’s obscenely thick chocolat chaud would once again deliciously coat my teeth and send me off in an orbit of bliss.
A bike near Notre Dame and Merci store
Now I’m on the cusp of returning to Paris—but only for a week. As a tourist, I want to leave my schedule loose enough for spontaneous explorations (which are more magical in Paris than any other city) and let my friends guide me to everything that is new and hot since I left (Saturne? Grazie?). But certain destinations and activities are non-negotiable. With my first post-expat visit on the horizon, here is what I’m most excited about. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 10 Comments »
April 22, 2010 by Tory Hoen
We know, we know… enough about the volcano already. But for those stranded in Paris, it’s still the issue of the moment. From my current position in New York, I refuse to pity you, and I’m secretly hoping that when I return to Paris in May, the tectonic plates will shift in a way that will force me to stay there forever. Fingers crossed!
But for now, why not kill a few hours by picking up some unique Parisian items while you still have the chance? We’ve written at length about particular shops and goods in Paris. Here are a few favorites that are well worth checking out while you wait for the ash to settle.
Merci Store – Photo by Erica Berman
Merci. This spacious concept store has everything from home goods to vintage clothes and fresh flowers. You could literally spend a whole day inside, stopping for lunch at the restaurant in the basement or fueling up on coffee in the library’s cozy cafe. The best part? A large part of the proceeds are used to support a young women’s co-op in Madagascar. Continue Reading »
Posted in Shopping | 1 Comment »
August 14, 2009 by Haven in Paris
Glou Restaurant – Picture by Erica Berman
Our friends over at Parisien Salon, a website with great tips on things to do in Paris, recently posted a helpful list of tasty restaurants that feature canteen-style (communal) tables. Perfect for large groups, eavesdropping on your neighbor’s conversation or making new friends, communal tables offer diners a more relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy their meals.
“Whether they be arty, chic, historic or regressive, Parisian canteens have in recent years defined a new style of eatery. Now found in all districts, they’re putting an air of hospitality back into gastronomy and reshaping the rules of dining. (…) Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living, Restaurant Reviews | 1 Comment »
April 10, 2009 by Tory Hoen
photo courtesy of: www.lescarnetsdudesign.com
Photos Erica Berman (except above)
As the global economic climate has forced consumers to shop more selectively, it has also forced retailers to sell more creatively. Merci, Paris’ newest concept store, provides a breathtaking space where visitors can shop with a conscience. Created by Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, founders of renowned children’s clothing line Bonpoint, Merci donates all of its proceeds (after breaking even) to a co-op for young women in Madagascar. 
Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Shopping | 4 Comments »
Galou 2010
Ma Chere et Tendre
Ma Chere et Tendre
