my trip to Paris

[brescd01]

I just spent 9 days in Paris and I had not been there for a very long time. I know that my impressions were colored by heat and August closings, but I really changed my mind about a lot of things.

I had posted lists of restaurants I wanted to try and the most frequent concern was that my list disproportionately contained brasseries. Frankly, I don't think I understood what a brasserie is. I thought these were places that specialized in Alsatian food and seafood and were open all hours.

Instead, these are pretty clearly high-end "diners" that maintain full menus with fresh seafood and alcohol, are open all hours, and have both inner and outer dining spaces. They are as lovely to have a beer in as to eat in. I loved them and I am very sorry that there is not more than one or two restaurants in Phladelphia that resembles them, and one of those has really lousy food.

The only "bad" dining experience we had was at Maison D'Aubrac (obviously not a brasserie). But every other restaurant we ate in was one (Chez George, Bar a Huitres Wagram, Ballon des Ternes, Devez). In fact, an enormous number of restaurants aspired to be like brasseries and I think the distinction between "brasserie" and "non-brasserie" gets blurred. Devez had everything but seafood, for example, but was indistinguishable from a normal brasserie otherwise.

I had thought I did not "like" French food, but on the contrary, I think I love it. When I say "French" I am not specifically referring to classic French dishes that we did not have time (or the appetite) to try. I refer to the French "hand," which is lovely. Everything I ate in Paris was at least tasty. Half of what I eat in Philly is disgusting, in contrast.

Highlights: the salmon (made in house) at the Hotel Raphael, where we stayed; the service everywhere; seafood platters at Bar a Huitres; the beautiful outdoor dining at all the brasseries we tried; Caron perfume, the Dali Museum, how art SHOULD be appreciated; women’s underwear, which French women do everything with short of wearing it on the outside a la Bananas; bread; giant snails every time we had them; pastries (what a surprise:)); steak tartare

Lowlights: Belon oysters, what is so fabulous about these? I should have had the fin de clairs; Maison d'Aubrac, just mediocre; the Eiffel Tower; the Louvre (what an awful way to display the greatest paintings of all time); Mouffetard, what a sad fate for my once-favorite street.

[Busboy]

I had thought I did not "like" French food, but on the contrary, I think I love it. When I say "French" I am not specifically referring to classic French dishes that we did not have time (or the appetite) to try. I refer to the French "hand," which is lovely. Everything I ate in Paris was at least tasty. Half of what I eat in Philly is disgusting, in contrast.

After our last trip to France -- where, to be clear, we a couple of nasty little meals, in addition to the good ones -- my wife and I decided that one great thing about French food is that "the level of mediocrity is higher" in France than in the U.S. Not everything is great, but the odds that decent meal or even memorable meal for a reasonable price is certainly much greater.

[Jean Blanchard]

You did the market at Mouffetard? Didn't like it? Which market would you recommend? The Dali is on my list of things to see this time.

[Reignking]

I had thought I did not "like" French food, but on the contrary, I think I love it. When I say "French" I am not specifically referring to classic French dishes that we did not have time (or the appetite) to try. I refer to the French "hand," which is lovely. Everything I ate in Paris was at least tasty. Half of what I eat in Philly is disgusting, in contrast.

After our last trip to France -- where, to be clear, we a couple of nasty little meals, in addition to the good ones -- my wife and I decided that one great thing about French food is that "the level of mediocrity is higher" in France than in the U.S. Not everything is great, but the odds that decent meal or even memorable meal for a reasonable price is certainly much greater.

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You and brescd01 have hit the nail on the head for me. Perhaps that's why I was more willing to just wing it in France than plan every meal out -- and it usually worked.

[brescd01]

I would not have any confidence in what I wrote about Mouffetard. We spent one evening there. Maybe the market is more interesting earlier in the day. But I found it over-the-top touristy.

[follonica2]

You did the market at Mouffetard?  Didn't like it?  Which market would you recommend?  The Dali is on my list of things to see this time.

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Two alternatives to the Mouffetard market, in the same general part of town, are Place Maubert (Tu, Th, Sa) and Monge (Mo,We,Fr).