Another Saturday in Paris

When we are in NYC, we have a routine on Saturdays.  Bagels and eggs in the morning, the weekly treat.  I read the NYTimes cover to cover and do the Saturday and Sunday crossword puzzle.  It is extremely an extremely relaxing way to start the weekend.   In Paris, things are a bit different but this particularly Saturday we started with breakfast at home, baguette, jam, and butter was really all we needed.

After some relaxing and digesting, we were off to the 10th to have the pork sandwich at Abri.  On the weekends, there are no reservations and what they serve is the sandwich.  It is a Japanese style pork cutlet, fried to perfection for the sandwich of chopped slaw mixed with a light mayonnaise (think special sauce), melted cheddar cheese, an egg omelet, melted cheddar cheese and a tonkatsu sauce (pureed fruits and vegetables that tasted like an interesting honey to me) between two thick pieces of toasted white crustless bread.  It is quite the sandwich.  I can’t say that I loved it but it is quite brilliant.  A variety of different flavors and somehow it works.

We walked through the streets of Paris to see bars and restaurants filled watching and cheering on France in the World Cup.  I always find the community gathering together to cheer on the home team as one of the best things ever.

I read The Only Street in Paris: Life on Rue des Martyrs by New York Times writer Elaine Sciolino years ago and have come to this street a few times since.  What I love about the street is the variety of food stores from the top to the bottom on the street.  There is one for dairy, one for cheese, one for meat, one for jams, one for pastries, one for bread, one for fish, etc.  Living on this street could be fattening.  It is very much a neighborhood.

We continued walking passed Les Halles which has been transformed recently although still not a place where I’d necessarily wander.  We did pass my favorite kitchen store, E. Dellherin.

We went for an early dinner at Chez la Vieille.  I had been there before in the fall with Emily and the place was so packed that we had to wait for quite a while to get a seat at the bar.  This time we got there so early we had the place to ourselves.  The menu is still the same and still delicious.  Lentils with foie gras.

Celery root and crab.

Veal stew with vegetables.

We filled up, walked home and hit the pillow.

 

Comments (Archived):

  1. awaldstein

    Nice–I know Fred is a CitiBike user. Curious whether he uses Velib in Paris–I do when there.

    1. Gotham Gal

      He does but it feels as they are in the midst of change. Few on the street.

  2. meredithcollinz

    OMG. Salivating!

  3. ben giordano

    I’m reading “The Age of Comfort, When Paris Discovered Casual – And The Modern Home Began”, by Joan DeJean. A fascinating book that you might enjoy, Joanne.

  4. Julie Lerner

    Since I save your posts as my own personal Paris restaurant guide, I thought I would refer a couple back. Though, you probably have been to them already. Had delicious meals at Baieta & L’arcane (loved every course) Both reviewed in the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/201… & https://www.nytimes.com/201…. Moreover, I have had excellent servers in Paris. Very personable, warm, and knowledgable. Not across the board, but very often. A very different feel than NYC.

    1. Gotham Gal

      Thanks! A very different feel from NYC for sure.