The Great Parisian Plate Debate

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It is true that I continue to trumpet the virtues of the Promenade Plantée, the abandoned and quite elevated train tracks running across the entire 12eme arrondisiment.  But perhaps I wouldn’t have to if it wasn’t so awesome.  It is four and a half kilometers of park, and just so happens to be the only elevated park in the world.  This is according to my dear friend Wikipedia, which is wrong only some of the time.

Running along this stretch of park are little restaurants and shops, nestled beneath the arches of the track.  I’ve always said those Parisians are industrious folks, and they have validated my past compliments by making places like the L’Arrosoir open for business on lazy Saturday afternoons.  The restaurant’s proximity to the park - i.e., directly below it- combined with the plethora of tables spilling out of the café’s doors onto the sidewalk create an inviting atmosphere difficult for anyone to turn down.  There was also a white pit bull scampering around the front doors without a leash, and the potential for a vicious canine attack on our ankles while chugging a manly bottle of rosé was too enticing to pass up.

Besides one cryptic phrase uttered by the waiter, describing my hair as similar to a specific character in an unknown French comic book, this Great Plate Debate session was happily uneventful.  Relaxing, even.  Sure, there was your typical arguments about the “walkability” of American cities, prompted by a recent and needless article on CNN.com, but compared to a potential pit bull mauling it was quite tame.

I would gladly venture back to L’Arrosoir, without too much of an argument, even.  The restaurant’s interior took on the shape of the arches above, creating a much different look in comparison to your typical eatery, and there was a sensibly appealing style about it - kind of like “Yeah, we may be underneath some old tracks and one of the coolest parks in Paris, but we don’t have to brag about it.  You will just know.”