Heidi Ellison
Domaine de Chamarande
Summer Escape at “People’s Palace”
A spirit of fun always reigns at the Domaine de Chamarande, where a once-aristocratic residence and its park have become something of a “people’s palace” with contemporary art exhibitions and a vibrant program of performances and activities, all open to … Read More
Tannat
Gourmet Strip In the 11th Arrondissement
The first block of Avenue Parmentier, near Rue du Faubourg du Temple in the 11th arrondissement, once a no-man’s land food-wise, is turning into something of a gourmet strip now that “old-timers” Chateaubriand and Le Dauphin have been joined by a new restaurant, Tannat.
Bicentenaire Oberkampf / Toile de Jouy
The Joys of Jouy, The Storytelling Fabric
Not everyone may know what it is called, but everyone has seen the pretty ecru fabric with delicate pastoral scenes printed on it, usually in red or blue. This is Toile de Jouy, so-called not because it originated in Jouy-en-Josas, … Read More
Arboretum de Chèvreloup
Barking Up the Right Trees
Right beside Marie-Antoinette’s make-believe farm on the grounds of the Château de Versailles is a kind of secret garden, open to the public but practically unknown to it. This is no ordinary garden, however, but a tree garden, a kind … Read More
Napoléon Ier ou la Légende des Arts
The Emperor’s Not-so-New Furniture “Apelle Peignant Campaspe en Présence d’Alexandre” (c. 1812), by Jacques Louis David. © Rmn-Grand Palais/Philipp Bernard Was Napoleon, on top of his many other attributes, a style-setter? Not really, according to the exhibition “Napoléon Ier ou … Read More
JBC
Hamming It Up on the Boulevards
I have a vivid memory of buying a ham sandwich at a street stand on a gloomy day during my first trip to Paris and eating it while sitting on a stone bench in the Cour Carrée of the Louvre. It was a revelation. How could anything so simple – a baguette, a few slices of ham and some butter – be so incredibly good?
Cru
Fear Not: All Is Not Raw
About a year ago, a friend strongly advised me to go to the restaurant Cru. Although I greatly value her advice (it was Grace Teshima, a friend to many in Paris), I guess I was put off by the idea of eating a whole meal of only raw food, although it certainly could be excellent if done well.
Au Bon Coin
Fed Up with Frills and Tired of Trends?
Those who, like my friend Helen (as mentioned in last week’s review of La Marée Jeanne), are allergic to foam and other niceties of so-called molecular cuisine, and those who just crave good old-fashioned French food now and then would do well to have a meal at Au Bon Coin, where the classics of French bistro cooking are still made up fresh, not out of the freezer or a vacuum-packed plastic bag.
Cap sur l’Amérique: La Dernière Utopie de Napoléon
The Emperor Packs Up His Legend for the New World
Napoleon Bonaparte is one of history’s endlessly fascinating characters. Never forgotten, especially in France, he is getting an extra dose of attention this year, the 200th anniversary of his second abdication as emperor of France and forced departure for exile … Read More
La Marée Jeanne
Something Fishy Going On in Paris
Is the tide turning away from meat-heavy menus in Parisian restaurants? The Verre Volé, a meat lover’s paradise, recently opened Le Verre Volé sur Mer, a fish-and-seafood-only bistro, and the sublime Septîme has a fabulous fishy offshoot called Clamato.