Convivial.org

Paris Street Market: the Ultimate Foodie Mini-Tour

 

The Marché du President Wilson (street market on Pres. Wilson Ave.) is a jovial group of passionate food artisans cooking and selling their goods, bundled together beneath a long row of adjoining tents.  It’s like finding the entire city’s best products, but in one conveniently confined location -- a tour-ette of epicurean delights.  Tack on a 3-hour/9-course lunch at l’Astrance, and this food walk evolves into the ultimate food lover’s mini-tour.

 

 

 

The 16e arrondissement is known for its posh real estate -- stately apartments, tree-lined streets, concentration of museums, and exceptional views of the Eiffel Tower from across the Seine -- so, it’s cool that a stretch down the center of one of its regal neighborhoods has the vivacious atmosphere of the marché.  Not to imply the street market is bourgeoisie in such an area, like peasants peddling in the king’s courtyard -- these are true artisans with hand-crafted cheeses, beautiful pâtés, and heirloom produce.  Plus, great food is high priority in France, and the creators highly regarded. 

.

 

 

 

 

The market begins just west of the l’Alma metro station on Avenue du President Wilson.  Inside the tent, booths line both walls, running the entire length, leaving a narrow walkway down the center.  There are displays of exotic seafood, frog legs and brightly colored fish.  Giant rotisseries spin dozens of chickens dripping juices onto potatoes strategically roasting underneath.  And then there's booth after booth of every cheese imaginable, plus a few more.  The charcuterie is stunning -- handmade sausages, salumi, and various pâtés and terrines.  Wild game, freshly shot and feathers still attached, is offered near an impressive array of prepped birds, including the rare black chickens.  In the autumn months, wild mushrooms are foraged and brought to the market -- giant cepes, porcini and Paris buttons.  There’s fresh pasta, fresh breads, fresh eggs; cured olives, dried fruits, whole nuts; pickled things, crafty things, snack things.  There’s even a master galette-maker working four griddles at once!  Dim sum, sandwiches, salads and wine -- all make a take-away lunch simple & tasty.  The three-foot paella pan is filled to the brim with saffron-colored rice studded with seafood and vegetables.  It’s marvelous!  What’s more, the booth keepers are very friendly -- proud of their products and delighted to share their knowledge & have their photo taken.  Not sure if I was mesmerized by the food or the joyful energy at le marché, but while inside, I don’t remember seeing or hearing anything from the outside world.  It’s really quite hypnotic.

.

 

 

Mon Vieil Ami on Paris' I'Ile Saint Louis: Poshly Minimalistic & Stalker-free

 

Strolling around the 4th arrondissement on a beautiful, crisp autumn day, I inadvertently picked up my very first stalker.  I know -- big day!  It began innocently enough -- the sun, finally broke through the relentless rain clouds, highlighting the golden leaves fluttering to the pavement, children were playing in that park just off Quai de l’Hotel de Ville, I discovered adorable little shops off-the-beaten-path, and freely tested my accent with the locals.  Maybe I just “Bonjour”ed one too many times, because right around this antique shop, I swear I ran into the same gentleman that was sitting on the street bench a few blocks back.  Refusing to believe the “you all look the same to me” stereotype, I dismissed it as deja vu.  Besides, I was much more interested in breathing in the culture and capturing everything on film.

How to Backpack Through Paris in a Little Black Skirt, Part Deux

 

The little black skirt theory still holds true.  A little black skirt is light, comfortable, versatile, doesn’t take up much suitcase room, and with the appropriate accessories, it can take you anywhere.  And if “anywhere” is Paris, the general dress code is “make it black & make it tight.”  Perfect.  I have just the thing.

Other than dressing to blend in, planning the hell out of a trip (to make the most of it & to not look like a baffled tourist) is de rigueur.  I was well-researched, studied the language & customs, formed an impossibly long list of must-do’s, and efficiently mapped out an itinerary.  But Paris isn’t Parma, so I traded the backpack for an “it” bag and ramped up my reservations -- good Paris tables are tight even in low-season.  Also different from many other destinations, there’s no shortage of information on Paris; the challenge rather, is to wade through it all & find just what you need.

Here are some helpful tips & resources to design the perfect trip:

.

Hedonism on Rue des Martyrs - It's What's for Dinner

There’s a charming little street in Paris’ 9th arrondissement that suddenly springs to life at dusk.  Rue des Martyrs is surprisingly neighborly and a little more jam-packed with hedonism than most, and at day’s end, it simply glows with wine shops, fish stands, and sidewalk rotisseries that seem nearly hidden in daylight.  

Beginning at the bottom, right around 6 pm, the subtle, enticing aromas of freshly baked baguettes waft down the hill, beckoning you upward.  Little by little, lights plink on and the sidewalk becomes increasingly speckled with curious visitors and lucky residents.  Continuing north, the anticipation builds, and the faint sights, sounds and smells become more apparent.  At this point, resistance is futile.  

Paper sacks crinkling while being filled with ripe pears & wild mushrooms; ice crunching as freshly caught fish are whisked away to be weighed & wrapped; people discussing, tasting, and choosing, which cheese, how much caviar, and with what wine; the rotisserie humming and slowly spinning golden-brown chickens dripping succulent juices upon heaps of roasting potatoes brilliantly placed underneath, while simultaneously releasing the single most pleasurable of all the dinner smells.  My god!  The only question on everyone’s mind is what’s for dinner.  Even if you had other thoughts on the way over to Martyrs, the deliciousness of this rue is utterly hypnotic.  All thoughts are consumed with consuming.  And with the variety and abundance on Martyrs, a feast can literally & easily be made within a few blocks.

This self-indulgent pleasure was mine for an entire week of evenings, strolling up the rue from the subway to my hotel.  Imagine the constant state of pleasure of her residents -- they are welcomed home like this every evening.

 

 

Photos of Paris: An Embarrassment of Riches

I recently returned from a week long, gastronomically enhanced, roller coaster love affair with Paris.  The City of Lights is unlike any other city in the world, containing such an excess of riches (not only in monetary value), there’s simply not enough room to display it all at one time.  

By day three, I was in a small art coma; day four, the food coma hit.  Toward the end of what I’d thought wasn’t nearly enough time to see much of anything, I had seen everything on my list and then some; and was so utterly saturated with incredibly amazing, beautiful things, I don’t think I could have absorbed one more incredibly amazing, beautiful thing.  It was incredibly amazing and yes, truly beautiful.

 

 

 

Hosteria Giusti & Mario's Pappy

Hopelessly lost in Modena, walking in circles and shivering in the rain, I was five minutes away from taking the train back to the comforts of my Bologna hotel room and completely giving up on the idea of lunch that day.  I wasn’t suffering from hunger by any means.  My vacation activities are pretty much single-mindedly food-centered -- I easily could (and probably should) nix one meal.  Oh, but I’d come so far!  I’d made this reservation for Hosteria Giusti four months ahead, by reading homemade, semi-phonetic Italian cue cards, no less.  Then again, I was almost late, and my cold, tired body began to trump my will for even one more amazing gastronomic experience.  Imagine my relief four minutes later to spot Salumeria Giusti.  

A man was rolling down the salumeria’s metal door for the afternoon siesta as I hurried across the street to inquire about an hosteria with the same name.  He shook his head; said I needed a reservation.  I assured him of mine.  He spoke to a woman inside the dark shop, who then asked my name.  Don’t know how she knew it off the top of her head, but she did.  The man motioned for me to quickly duck through the partially rolled-down door and clicked it shut behind us.

2009 Food & Travel Predictions

Annual food predictions are always interesting, don’t you think?  Here they are for 2009.

North Beach Food Tour down Columbus Avenue (San Francisco’s Italian Quarter)

What happens when Italian caffè houses, a bohemian bookstore, funky wine bars, and a really big-grass park come together? -- North Beach. Casually strolling down Columbus Avenue, I started to get a real sense of its cultural heritage, its poetic history, ... mmmmm, and its really delicious smells.

Beatniks made North Beach famous. Back in the 50s, San Francisco’s Italian Quarter became a breeding ground for young, bohemian writers, poets and artists reveling in nonconformity and hedonistic creativity. They sipped caffè, philosophized, read poetry, and blended an artistic, free-thinking cultural phenomena with years of Italian tradition & culture.

It’s this brilliant, fortuitous fusion that gives North Beach its unique identity -- it’s an eclectic concoction of upstanding tradition, a pinch or two of colorful indelicacy, and a good dose of swank and groove.

Here’s a tour of Little Italy, mostly gastronomic, of course, with a smattering of cool must-sees. The list begins at the north-end of Columbus and works its way down:

XOX Truffles
754 Columbus, bet. Greenwich & Filbert
When I first stepped into XOX, I wasn’t sure if the truffles were worth adding to my ever-increasing treat stockpile to take back to Seattle. I gave in & purchased a small box thinking (alright, this is awful) if they weren’t worth the calories, I’d give them to my husband as a surprise. I popped one in my mouth before reaching Filbert, turned immediately, ran back into the shop, & thanked the owner for making such amazing truffles. They are that good.

The Slanted Door in San Francisco’s Ferry Building

If you eat at only one Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco, make it The Slanted Door. Executive Chef, Charles Phan seamlessly meshes traditional Vietnam with modern San Francisco for the best of both worlds. Authentic Vietnamese cuisine using traditional methods and local, organic, sustainable ingredients (including produce from the Marketplace just outside their doors) is served in a very modern setting overlooking the Bay. Phan never cuts corners & everything is made from scratch.

San Francisco's Ferry Building - A Model Marketplace

Not many cities would restore a bleary, old building to surpass its former glory and then dedicate it to organic & sustainable food. It’s so west coast. So California. So very San Francisco. Only the Bay Area, where America’s food revolution began, would make such a grand gesture to Mother Earth and its humble caretakers.

Before the Golden Gate & Bay Bridges were constructed, the Ferry Building was the point of all comings & goings in San Francisco. By the 50s, the Ferry Building had little use and lost much of its luster, by 1998 the city came up with a plan and hired a redevelopment team. Four labor-intensive years and about $100 million later, the renovation was complete, and the result is stunning!

Imperial Tea Court