Few days in Paris

Never let anyone tell you that there isn’t bad food in Paris…because there is.  This time around since we are here for an extended stay ( and a bit of traveling in the middle ) I went with the theory that we could go with the flow for dinner.  I am not going to opt for that again.  Finding a great place is key and it usually doesn’t happen with a drive-by.

dipsOne night we went to Freddy’s…how could we not?  A tapas wine bar connected to other restaurants that we have been to.  No reservations, just walk in, sit and order.  The food was quite good here.  Spanish tapas so we had a mix. This smoky eggplant dip and the white fish salad dip were both really good.

calamariThe following night we were in the 10th for a tech meet-up.  Very gritty, cool neighborhood with ample places to hang, eat and drink coffee.  I had already planned on coming back the next day to check out a few spots.  We dropped into 52 Fabourg Saint-Denis for dinner.  Quite good.  This was their interpretation of stuff calamari.

coffeeThe next day we headed back out to the tenth.  An excellent cup of Joe at 10 Belles.

canaldOne of the nice features of the 10th are the canals.

marchesanquentinI always love a good market, Marche San Quentin.  Meat, fish, charcuterie, cheese, etc all separate.  A great place for any neighborhood.

boulangerieLiberte is a relatively new patisserie.  You can smell the butter down the street.

figAround the corner is Du Pain Des Idees that has been around a long time.  This fig tart was over the top.  Just enough sugar but not too much and the crust was perfect.

conceptNext door is another concept store, Centro Commercial.  I am fascinated with the concept stores.  If you carry a variety aka clothing, candles, some home wares and perhaps a piece of art that means that you are a concept shop.  They could also be called life style shops.  I swear I wanted to open a store when I graduated from college where men and women could both shop, pick up wares for their homes, possibly their kid and have a cup of coffee, wine and some cookies.  Obviously that was a long time ago but now these concepts are everywhere.

kitchenWe had lunch at Hai Kai.  Cute place.  The kitchen is like being in someone’s home.  It is if they just decided to extend their place for some guests.  The menu changes daily.

lampsWe walked over to the Marais to see the Walton Ford exhibit at the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature.  I have been in that museum before.  I recognized it by the amazing iron work no the handrails and light fixtures.  Lots of Taxidermy there.

waltonfordI liked how they took the Walton Ford pieces and mixed them into the permanent collection.

We did a bit of relaxing later that afternoon before heading out to pick  up some wares from La Ruche for the week and dinner.  Dinner was a major bust.  First started at an Italian wine bar for mediocre mozzarella and proscuitto and then to another place for dinner.  We walked into and I knew we had been there 26 years ago…nothing had changed.  I can’t remember if we liked the food back then but it was dreadful last night.  Never to return.

Note to self;  plan meals in advance.

Comments (Archived):

  1. Sherry Abdou

    The pictures are amazing! And, love the idea of these concept shops where you can browse, eat and call it a full outing. When my kids were younger, it would have been great to have a one-stop shop for the family. Elevate the experience with wine and cheese and I’m sold.

    1. Gotham Gal

      Totally. Perhaps a few pieces of chocolate too

      1. Sherry Abdou

        Kindred Spirits;)

  2. Erin

    Sweet pics. Enjoy.

  3. William Mougayar

    Agreed on your opening observation. We had that once due to lack of planning.

  4. Brandon Burns

    Next time Foursquare!

    1. Gotham Gal

      Bingo

  5. DavidB

    Some good addresses, the guys behind Centre Commercial have also founded Veja a few years ago, a trendy and really nice ethical sneaker brand