Bon Appetite…

We had made a decision to spend a longer period of time in one location to really begin to live like a local. Well, Paris has so much to see, we have been touristing more than we anticipated. The 6 day museum pass is now exhausted (as our we)so, we are beginning la vien Rosa!

Winter is coming Jon Snow and the taste of spring we had at the start of our trip has been replaced with cold.

We bundle up (the French scarf is more than a fashion statement) and head out into the elements. Everyday in Paris there is an open air market somewhere!

We head to Le Marche de Bastille. Stalls with produce that is as beautiful as the still life’s in the Musée d’Orsay stretch down the square. Next are the fish mongers- octopus, squid, flounder, perch, oysters and scallops, the fresh fish smell in the open air is enticing, not off-putting. The charcuterie and Boucherie display wonderful sausages, cured, aged, smoked, fresh, and beef, pork, veal, ready to be cut to size by the expert butchers behind the case. Prepared salads and other foods, pasteurized and breads- a feast for the senses.

Flower stalls with bunches of fresh flowers and mixed arrangements are smattered along the way. Trinkets, clothing and housewares are also available.

As we stroll through the lanes, we see the stalls which are very busy and those that are less frequented. The men and women who are shopping for their meal are mixed with young exchange students wide eyed and eager. We are a combination of both.  

We are planning a nice lunch today in a small restaurant around the corner from our apartment. The pre fix menu midday is a fraction of the cost of the dinner menu and is a taste of what is offered. Still while we are in the market we purchase our food for a supper at home ( with perhaps a little more for the next day)

We walk back to our neighborhood as the sun has again broken through and the wind has calmed a little. The walk back has whetted our appetite and we head to Le Reminet. 

Le Reminet is a small restaurant with Banquet along each wall dotted with tables for two or more. There are a few small round tables and the bar. The waiters are very formal and lunch is an event lasting 2 hours. As we sip our glass of wine we notice we are the only Americans in the restaurant. Not a tourist restaurant, but a good French restaurant! ( we with a waiter who could fill-in the gaps in Anglaise)

Our meal is exquisite. The panna cotta with shrimp and salmon was as beautiful to look at as it was to taste. Each haute dot of sauce creating both a visual and epicurean delight. Cauliflower soup was delicate and full of flavor. The steak and potatoes presented in a lovely plate with a delicious sauce left us silent as we ate savoring each bite. ( be bold and opt for the pate noir if you don’t eat meat… but the steak was magnifique!) Dessert choice the pommes e noisettes (a shell of chocolate filled with a hazelnut mousse surrounding a slice of apple) with a cookie ( as if the confection itself was not enough) or the cheese plate, a variety of Brie creamy, pungent, buttery served with a splash of blueberry compote was a fitting end with an espresso. Take it in… and loosen your belt. This was dining to be remembered!

Ah we are living Parisian. Or at least faking it until we make it. The rain has been on and off and the cold blast of winter air is weakening our resolve to walk the Marais.

We agree to make our way back to the bakery with the meringues and the sweet bread. ( will walk for food) As before the line is to the door. We order some treats to have later and bread for the morning.

We have walked a bit and decide we will take the bus 69 once again and see some of the neighborhoods we have yet to explore this time. We travel out to the 11th arrondissement where the Père Lachaise cemetery is located. It is a captivating place. Entertainers, musicians, poets, are buried there.Edith Pilaf, Moliere, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Chopin just a few of the notables. It’s a beautiful sunset this evening but, we know it will be dark soon, so we hold off on this tour for today.  Once we are home at last we inspect our treasure from the market and whip up a late supper. Bon appetite!