The Great Parisian Plate Debate

Like a foolish squirrel dreaming of a ridiculous haul of acorns from a pine tree, so did I naively dream of Paris’ 16eme arrondissement bursting forth with an embarrassingly excessive bounty of restaurants worthy of the Great Parisian Plate Debate. After all, the 16eme has a nice view of the Eiffel Tower, and it is home to the Trocadero neighborhood and Maison de Balzac. But I - like the poor misguided squirrel - was soon disappointed.

Read more →

As soon as we sat down, we were each served a tiny square of an amuse bouche that looked to me like some kind of terrine. Trying to cut it with a knife, I damn near sent the thing flying into my neighbor’s lap. Ignoring her scowl, I picked it up with my fingers, and it pretty much tasted like a dense Cheez-It. A fond memory for an ex-pat, but I think Kellog’s recipe is better.

Read more →

Have you ever wandered into a restaurant wondering about the hallucinogenic properties of the establishment’s dessert? Rumor had it that Marguerite offered an absinthe soufflé, a perfect pairing of egg whites and suspect liquor, and we had arrived in the 18eme arrondissement to confirm this culinary report.

Read more →

As I was perusing the 19eme for an interesting restaurant, I was quite excited to find this promising cave à manger. Located just a few blocks away from Parc des Buttes Chaumont, Mon Oncle le Vigneron is the wine shop du quartier, and I was pleased when I arrived, as it certainly has plenty of character.

Read more →

I had plenty of time to review the list of potential culinary mishaps on the metro ride out to the 20th arrondissement. Sadly there are no direct routes for me and I was left alone to my thoughts of accidentally ordering the spleen of an elderly lamb, marinated in a pineapple-blood sauce and served with a side of river grass. Eventually I popped out of the metro and onto the windy streets of eastern Paris, where I promptly followed my common Parisian rule of walking off in the wrong direction. Twenty minutes I found myself standing on the threshhold of the Great Parisian Plate Debate’s first restaurant - le Casque d’Or.

Read more →

Stuck late at work on a Friday night, we picked Le Rouge Gorge after a hasty online search for a wine bar with light food. When we arrived around 8:30, the place was empty. It did fill slowly as the night went on, but despite its billing, it’s vibe was definitely that of a restaurant, not a wine bar.

Read more →