When I take folks into épiceries in Paris, I invariably drag them to the honey aisle. I start explaining how the French love honey, and buy it based on what varietal it is…rather than just stopping in the supermarket and picking up a jar of that vaguely interesting looking syrup that you know is going to leave an annoying sticky ring from the bottom of…
There’s lots of good food in Paris, but sometimes you have to travel to the double-digit arrondissements to find the gems. And while the 14th arrondissement isn’t all that far (and I live in a double-digit arrondissement myself), it’s worth the trek for the excellent meal at Le Severo. There’s only ten or so tables and a lone cook in the open kitchen, who presides…
There’s a little bit of a war going on here in Paris on the rue des Rosiers, in the Marais. The Rue Des Rosiers is the Jewish street, sporting several good (and a few bad) bakeries, a few chic clothing stores, but a string of fafafel stands and restaurants. The most famous, L’As du Falafel, is always crowded, and teeming with locals, who come for…
(Note: Some of this information was updated in October 2013. Plans and policies are all subject to change and revision by the various providers. Some updates are at the end of the post.) If you’re traveling to, and within France, many folks like to stay in touch with home, or want to be able to make and receive phone calls and get messages. So why…
Here’s a listing of a few notable hotels in Paris that you might want to investigate if you’re planning to come for a visit. I’ve been traveling to Paris for many years before moving here, and some of the hotels listed I’ve stayed in, while others have been recommended by guests and friends. There’s a pretty good selection, including one located on the top of…
The temperature in my apartment hit quite a high during the heatwave (canicule), climbing to almost 110ºF (40ºC.) People don’t like to use fans in Paris, and air-conditioning is even more suspect. So windows stay closed, and we are slowly simmering, and broiling, if you’re anything like me and live in a rooftop apartment, where the temperatures climb higher and higher than the rest of…
I’ve been wondering lately why I live here. Winter is freezing cold. You can barely go stay outside for more than a few minutes without the icy blasts (which sound good now) sending you back indoors, to get under the covers, snuggly with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Then we have spring. Which this year lasted 4 days. Then summer comes, and Paris melts…
[UPDATE: Vert d’Absinthe has closed their boutique in the Marais. Absinthe can be ordered via their website here.] Paris is always full of little surprises, like any major city. It’s always fun to poke around and find something new and unusual. And there’s plenty of the unusual in a big city like Paris, as I often report. I think of Paris as a big village,…
I recently attended a dinner here in Paris, at a well-known hotel, where the first course was Caesar Salad. That was the Caesar Salad. Yes, it has lettuce. And anchovies (speared around skewers). And cheese. But, like, what is with those batter-fried Chinese shrimp? Who gave the ok to put batter-fried shrimp on a Caesar Salad? Mon Deui, what is so friggin’ hard about making…
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