I believe in data. It is infuriating listening to people espouse their nonsense without any facts. People have been calling for teen cannabis consumption to rise including how people can become addicted, how harmful it is to our health, how your IQ can go down. I could create a huge list but the reality is there will always be issues that affect a small percentage of people but that is true of pharmacuticals and other products. Have we seen the pharmceutical ads on TV? It makes me wonder why I would ever take any drug.
Here is the one piece of data that we all knew. Teenagers rebel, so it is not surprising that in the states where cannabis has legalized, teen usage is down by 6%. What is the point when it is legal? Perhaps we could learn from this when it comes to wine consumption vs. the hard core attitude in our country around no drinking until 21. If you learn how to consume vs the taboo attitude then perhaps we wouldn’t see the crazy drinking that happens to many in their early 20s. Maybe that is why the US has such high rates of alcohol disorders.
It is not shocking that teen consumption is down because access and exception aren’t as exciting as keeping it from your parents. If anything, this data is refreshing and a step in the right direction for federal cannabis legalization.
Seeing the top athletes in the world compete is exciting and inspiring. Being in person, cheering on the players and the countries, and being part of the crowd is also exhilarating. I know many Parisians who opted out, but if you had a place to stay, it was a mistake to leave town.
Some activities, such as track and field, are easier to watch on TV. The field is so large, and there are so many happenings at once, and everyone is standing to see, which makes it hard to be part of anything except where you are sitting. Whereas basketball, which is probably why we love going to basketball games at home, I always feel part of the game, no matter where we sit.
We went for two weeks, and that is definitely not necessary. If we did it again, 4-5 days is plenty, although doing Paris is always good. The hardest part is the heat and that is never going away. Should these games be in June instead? Los Angeles is not going to be any cooler than Paris has been this year, if anything it might be warmer.
I have watched sports games my entire life. I enjoy sports, and was all in as a player when I was younger. The one thing that I have noticed at this Olympics, is there seems to be a healthier competition than there has been in the past. Regardless of winning or losing, competing teams and players support each other after the game is over in a way that I have not seen before. The conversation around mental health, how to process, how one feels, is part of the forefront. We did not see that a decade ago. Athletes did not share their angst. Hats off to Simone Biles who let that be ok, and athletes embraced that because they have all been there.
Perhaps it is also the anxiety we are seeing in the world, with dictatorship on the rise and wars that make zero sense, that at the Olympics, that can all go away. We can watch a North Korean diver high-five a Chinese diver or an athlete fall down and an athlete from a competing country help them up or literally pick them up and get them to the sidelines.
At track and field, we tried to talk to the Japanese family behind us, and neither of us understood each other, but we were all having fun. We may need to see more of this worldwide and more empathy as we embrace each other’s cultures without judgment. That feels good.
The last day was a triple whammy. We were all over town seeing three different competitions. The Metro made it easy. We began the day at women’s table tennis, aka ping pong, the doubles and singles. The double-final game was Japan vs. China.
Then, each player played the singles against each other. The 16-year-old Japanese woman did not win the gold, but gold is no doubt in her future.
The audience was wild. Easily, more than half the audience was from China, cheering on their country. It was so good.
Our next stop was to grab something to eat, Le Petit Vendome, which has been around forever. We ended with beers, french fries, cheese, charcuterie, and, of course, bread.
And then we were off to Break Dancing, the first time at the Olympics. Break dancing was in the middle of La Concorde, and so were two other venues, 3X3 basketball and skateboarding. La Concorde is a huge traffic circle and shutting it down to do this is wild.
Break Dancing was so much fun. The strength, the speed, the audience, the clothes, the music, the athletic abilities of these dancers. We would have stayed longer if it hadn’t been for the third event, and the perfect event to end with, the men’s basketball finals, the US vs. France.
When we walked into the arena, it was so hot. I ramped up my fans, and multiple people told me how hot they were.
The good news is the arena was nice and cold. The game was fun, and the US took home the gold. Steph Curry was on fire.
The game ended, the crowd exploded, and we went home. France did it right, and the Olympics were an absolute blast. I’m so glad we went!
Last night, we saw two basketball games: France vs. Germany and the US vs. Serbia. Both were exhilarating. I am convinced the audience pushed France to win. The noise, the songs, the chants—it was fantastic.
After one nail-biting game, we saw one for the records: the US vs. Serbia. The US was down fifteen points and truly never in the lead until the last few minutes of the game. LeBron was not going to lose. Our next game to watch will be the US vs. France. We hope that it will be as thrilling as the last two.
The next day was chill. We strolled around the Marais, checked out a few spots, and eventually ate lunch down the street from our place. They do have an incredible artichoke. This week, most spots have closed shop, and the city feels emptier as each day passes.
I met the crew at Folderol for ice cream and wine. If you follow the restaurant scene in Paris, Folderol has been written about countless times. How they closed during the pandemic, and returned with wine and then ice cream, and folded it into one. This is from the couple behind Rigamarole that opened to rave reviews.
We had been to Rigamarole, and were not wowed, but one off night can happen. Although I am not the only one who had that experience. Folderol blew up on TicToc and freaked the owners out because their idea was to be a local spot that serves ice cream and wine for parents (their concept) became out of control. Lines down the block, neighbors being pissed, etc. It is a hard line to balance as we all know. Social media can bring in the customers but it can also bring in utter chaos.
Fast forward, Folderol has banned all social media from the store. The ice cream is good with flavors changing daily from nectarine to chocolate fudge banana or sesame, served in cups of housemade cones (chocolate or vanilla). The wine selection is vast and my guess is they also sell to the locals to bring home for dinner.
Here is the thing, if you are going to open a charming concept of bringing together ice cream and wine, then be charming. Don’t rush you through the wine selection process, don’t have a puss on your face the second the door opens to take the ice cream orders. Perhaps they are not thrilled with all the English being spoken but the guy behind the counter is wearing a Zabars hat. I mean c’mon.
So perhaps it all goes back to my original post on Rigamarole: Don’t always believe the bunk.
We walked into Kubri and sighed in relief as the place had air conditioning. Kubri is a new contemporary twist on Lebanese food opened by two French Lebanese sisters who brought in a female chef from Beirut. We almost tried everything, as it is all about sharing. Some of the dishes were a bit heavy handed but mostly delicious.
Ice cream has been on all of our radars, and randomly, many of the good shops are not open until Thursday. We went to Les Gourmandises, Glaces Maison, not far from where we are staying. The owner is lovely and sources his products from “the best.” It’s the perfect summer dessert.
The next day we bagged returning to the Aquatic Center to see artistic swimming. We are here for the experience, and the experience of the Aquatic Center was not good. Instead Fred and I strolled through the 11th over to Rori, a slice shop that also makes its own beer. The menu is limited to a few pizzas they make but it was just what we needed. Very thin crust on the potato pizza with a dill dip on the side (not necessary) and a square pepperoni with hot honey, salame picate, mozzarella and a sesame crust. I would have preferred just a simple pepperoni square but oh that crust is so good!
This particular bakery always has a line, but not in August and not later in the day. There were only a few things left, but I did grab a few goodies. This is one of my favorite bakeries in the world.
We jumped on a few bikes to make our way home. The biking system here is excellent.
Our evening activity was hitting up a few wine bars. Again, what a treat it was to be able to walk in and grab a seat. Septime La Cave is the guiding star. You can also buy a bottle of wine and take it home. All the wine bars have tiny plates for a nosh.
After, we walked over to our other fave wine bar, Aux Deux Amis, which is always a hit,
Today, we will start hitting the evening games, from basketball to break dancing. We went to the Bourse Commerce in the morning.
I love the room of sculptures by Peter Fischli & David Weiss. This one is called the Nerd.
We hit up a few stores, including G. Detou, which is an incredible place to buy food products. Of course, I picked up a few things, although I could have filled a suitcase!
A stroll through the Palais Royale.
Chez Miki is our last stop before the basketball games tonight. We have been a few times before. The foie gras sushi is insane. I might dream about it tonight.
We stayed in the left bank for a decade, but we found that we only ate in the right bank, and the hour-plus walk home every night was weighing on us, so we shifted gears and now camp out on the right bank. A few things draw us back, such as Le Bon Marche and Huitrerie Regis. Two places that I couldn’t count how many times we have been. The only change is that Huitrerie now takes reservations where you used to be able to waltz in, although there was generally a line.
After lunch of Sancerre, oysters, and shrimps, we walked over to Pierre Herme, one of the best bakeries ever. Years ago we worked with a woman who turned us on to the double Napoleon that is filled with nougat and chocolate creme. It has the perfect crispiness to the dough, and the layers of creme just slide out when you cut in. Keep in mind they do not sell these treats in all Pierre Hermes, but they do sell them in the 6th at 72 Rue Bonaparte. We took our treat and walked over to Cafe du Clown, that serves an excellent cup of coffee.
We made our way back to the right bank and chilled a bit before heading out to dinner at Vantre. Vantre is a gem. Not only is the food creative, and delicious, they are so lovely there and their wine program is excellent, let the owner pick one for you. Tonight there were two specials, one is duck neck stuffed with fois gras. How could we say no? When in Rome, right? They brought out an old metal pot, took off the lid, smoke came streaming out, and voila, there was the duck neck sitting on groupings of herbs.
They took the neck back to the kitchen, dressed it up with some cherry sauce, and brought it back. This was rich, layered, melt in your mouth, deliciousness that we split. Only in Paris.
For our next course, we all had the lamb. This beautiful presentation tastes as good as it looks.
We went home and watched some Olympics on TV before hitting the bed. The next day, we went to see diving. Before going, we went to Bagnard, which has a perfect tuna Nicoise salad.
We jumped on the Metro to go out to the new Aquatics Center. The station is a 20-minute walk from the Center. This entire area is new. There are tons of office buildings, similar to Le Defense Arena, but we don’t understand why the Metro is so far. It is 85 degrees, in a concrete jungle, and so hot. By the time we got to the arena I was dying. I brought my handy air fans for my neck and face but still. We finally made it to the Aquatics Center, and it isn’t air conditioned either. It was hot and humid in there. Air conditioning is not in many places in Paris, and as much as I appreciate the need to save the planet, this heat is not good for anyone.
We are supposed to go back out there tomorrow, but it’s unclear if we can deal with the heat. I do like that the new Aquatics Center will become a multi-sports facility after the Olympics. It will also teach swimming lessons, as one in two children entering 6th grade cannot swim in Paris, although the heat is killing me.
France has put on quite a show. In every neighborhood there are fenced off areas where people can play games, have a lunch, hang out with the community and watch some of the competitions on a big screen. We saw the same thing, although a bit different, in Vienna outside the opera house, where people can hang outside and watch the opera on a large screen for free. Huge fan of this.
I also love that throughout Paris, there are water stations to fill up your water bottle. Why can’t we do this in NYC?
Many spots in Paris are closed on Sundays and Mondays, but some embrace this. Brutos serves a whole chicken lunch only on Sundays, and you must book ahead. Chicken, salad, smoked tomato salad with apricots and french fries…the perfect Sunday lunch. The chickens are stuffed with lemons, onions and roasted, and are served already cut, and of course a lemon sauce poured over the top.
The weather finally broke, and we could walk around without being drenched in sweat. Emily and David definitely enjoyed the day.
I strolled over to the Dover Street Market, where there is always a new art installation inside the front area. In NYC and also LA, there are always good sightings, but today was amazing. Rei Kawakubo, the woman beind Commes Des Garcon and Dover Street was walking through the store with a small group discussing the store. Serious iconoclast!
Swimming was our next event. We took the Metro all the way to the end of the line to Le Defense Arena, which was built in 2017. This was an area that we had never been in before. There were lots of office buildings with bad restaurants. These guys were outside taking pics with people. Viva la France!
The arena is huge. We saw a few final races, and relay was one of them. Unfortunately, there were some really obnoxious people yelling all through the meet—insanely loud: USA, USA, USA. I took a video. I was shocked he didn’t have a heart attack, but I will spare any of you reading this the video.
After swimming, we went to the 20th Arrondissement to Lao Siam, no resys. The food is Laotian and delicious! I have been wanting to get there for quite a while. What is lovely about Paris is no matter what region the food is from, you can find top spots similar to NYC.
The day ended, and we returned to the apartment to watch Noah Lyles win the gold!
I have been watching gymnastics since I raced home everyday from camp to see Olga Korbut and Mark Spitz win the gold in Munich in 1972. It was also the first time I saw hate and terrorism, although it was the joy of the athletes I was obsessed with. After all, I was 11. I have never been to a gymnastics meet in person and being able to see Simone Biles compete and then win the gold was amazing. Her abilities are superior to everyone she competes against, she defies gravity.
We had gone to Marche d’Aligre in the morning to pick up dinner for later instead of going out. It was such a delight to eat at home and chill. The next day after hitting up some of our fave shopping spots, we went out to Le Doyenne, a beautiful restored farmhouse and farm that now provides products to many of the restaurants in Paris. Think of it as Blue Hill meets French Laundry. The difference is there are ten rooms that you can stay at and then have breakfast the next morning.
The co-owners, James Henry and Shaun Kelly, whose talents I have tasted countless times in Paris, have created an oasis. The attention to detail at every turn is incredible.
The countless types of apples that grow next to each other against a brick wall are beautiful.
Oh, and the pears.
The pumpkin.
We had drinks outside and strolled around the gardens before heading in for dinner.
The kitchen hums, and defines French countryside.
The starters set the tone. Deep-fried vegetable long ravioli, blood sausage stuffed bun, and thinly sliced pork lard.
The veggie plate is simple, with each small piece highlighted with a tasty garnish. It was a long meal but a treat.
The following day, we went to Roland Garros to watch the finals of the men’s doubles and women’s singles events. What a great way to spend the day. The best part is the weather broke, and I can breathe again. The heat kills me.
Dinner was at Le Duc, and I forgot my phone. What a concept so no photos. The restaurant has been around since the 1960s. Architecturally is feels as if you are inside the most magnificent wooden boat. The hospitality there is top notch and they absolutely cater to the local neighborhood who appears to mostly gone in August. Many spots are open but I do wonder if it has been worth if for them to remain open.
We walked home and looked forward to the next set of games tomorrow.
The French do not like air-conditioning. Understandably because fifteen years ago, it just did not get as hot as it does today. Also, many clear out in August so they are not sweating it out in their beloved concrete jungle. We all know it is hotter, and new systems are being built with the hope that it will not take more of a toll on our environment.
We met up with our oldest daughter and her boyfriend for a drink, they were also chilling in Biarritz for a few days. They chose a beautiful spot that overlooks the Les Cotes des Basques, an gorgeous beach. We should have stayed for dinner. People were rolling in from the beach, grabbing a drink and having whatever they were serving. It seemed that the spot was a family business, kids chipping in too. The views are stunning.
We each had different dinner resys, although near each other, and walked up the stairs to the main strip and into the town together. By the time we got to our spot, Sillon, I was dripping. I felt like a teapot on the edge of boiling. The people in the restaurant seemed concerned. I had to go and stand outside a few times to cool off, and they moved us to a seat by the window.
After dinner, we walked back to the hotel along the beach. I love how all the activities center around the beach. This is around 10 p.m.
We got up in the morning, grabbed some goodies from Les Halles to eat on the train. When we got into Paris, we opted for the Metro. Oh the heat. We were both dying and Fred rarely breaks a sweat.
That evening, after a freezing cold shower, we went to Dandelion. Many new spots are popping up in the 20th, and this place is a treat. We will be back.
Everything was delicious and unique, and the owners are a delight. I do not remember these exactly but raw tuna, a Thai inspired sauce with raspberries, raw shrimp in an Asian inspired sauce and roasted eggplants with almonds and crispy pieces of rice. Not a great explanation but we mopped up every single spot on those plates.
I am very good at change. I embrace it. The second we hit Biarritz and its restaurant, Cheri Bibi, I got into the chill of the town.
Dinner was exceptional. Everything about it screamed France. Everything we ate was farm-sourced. Everything is local, including the wine, and the lovely owners have decided how they deliver hospitality to their spot, which is simple and brilliant. Walking into the wine fridge with the owner and making a choice is a sweet move.
The menu is what we see in many places these days. A small bar nosh, vegetables, mains and dessert. Different daily based on the produce. Two things stood out. Their classic “oeufs mimosa” that I have savored multiple times in the city at Libertine but nowhere else. They were perfect. Fluffy, with an explosion of creamy mayo in my mouth. Even Fred, who is not a mayo fan, couldn’t help himself.
The other was the chicken salad. I wish they handed me the recipe on the way out. Primarily pieces of dark meat, kimchi, cucumbers, carrots, and peanuts in a light yet rich peanut sauce. Indescribably delicious.
We walked home from dinner, taking in the town. This architecture drew me in. It defines many places in France where they do such an excellent job of acknowledging and keeping the old yet incorporating the new.
The beach is beautiful. It’s a big surfer town. This is supposedly a famous spot. We returned to the hotel, took in some of the Olympics, and passed out.
The following day, we strolled around town, where we shvitzed. Les Halles is where everyone comes to get their wares for the day. I love how they close at 2 pm, essentially forcing everyone to get their shit together in the morning so the purveyors can also enjoy the rest of their day.
The artichokes…for those who know me I am a huge fan.
Might have to come back to grab one of these for breakfast tomorrow.
We walked around looking for the right spot for lunch and noticed the local milk and egg delivery van. Gotta love it.
Lunch was light, the heat is intense.
Next stop was a hang at the pool, overlooking the beach.
