Just a day in Paris

We had dinner with a friend and her family from LA last night. She asked me “what do you do every day”? Great question. We walk, we explore, we eat, we take a nap, we just enjoy the city.

Our day started at the Picasso museum. Currently there is an installation of Calder and Picasso. I have seen this museum through three renovations. It is one of the most amazing museums. The marble staircase with the a Calder hanging in the middle of the old sculptures that loop around the ceiling is just incredible.

This is one of my favorite Calder pieces from the show.

This painting Calder did in December 1955 in his studio in Roxbury CT showing various paintings in different stages of completion.

Love this sculpture of a girl skipping rope from Picasso. There is one piece in the show that is made of handle bars and a seat from a bicycle. Picasso had come home from a funeral of a friend and had imagined making this when he saw those two pieces. It gives you a bit of insight into how his brain thought…always in art.

We walked through the Marais stopping in one of our fave shops, Tom Greyhound, and did a bit of damage. But lunch was the height of the day at Mokonuts. Have been there a variety of times and always make it back when we are in Paris. The nicest people and the best food. This salad of small tomatoes, green beans and tiny tops of basil flowers, thyme and a bit of fennel seed and olive oil was just incredible. I kept trying to figure out exactly each spice in the sauce. It is all so fresh and simple.

Tuna with a pounded basil pesto over the top.

Skate wing over a ratatouille.

Chicken over a mixture of roasted carrots and mushrooms. Every plate we sopped up with their soft bread.

But the best is those cookies! Chocolate chunk, miso sesame, coffee and coco and tahini with ginger. WOW!

For dinner we met our friends late at Les Grand Verres which is a new spot in Palais Tokyo. It is really beautiful and probably a good lunch spot. What is nice about Palais Tokyo that Wed – Sat the museum is open from noon to midnight so a nice place to go before dinner.

To me, the best thing was having a martini. Most spots in Paris don’t serve liquor so this was a serious treat.

Comments (Archived):

  1. awaldstein

    Mokonuts is on my list now. So my kind of place.There is a natural cocktail thing coming out of the natural wine community from some talented somms that holds promise but it is slow.

    1. Gotham Gal

      Must make a resy for lunch. The owners are married with kids. It’s lunch during the week only!

      1. awaldstein

        will do there next month.