Heidi Ellison
Rungis Wholesale Food Market
Feeding Paris in a Time of Crisis
Where does the food Parisians eat come from? And will it keep coming during the lockdown imposed during the coronavirus crisis? Most of it comes from “the belly of Paris,” the gigantic Rungis wholesale market, the largest in the world. … Read More
Paris Update Events 15.04.2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all public events in France are canceled until the end of official restrictions. Favorite
Francophiles’ Guide to Quarantine
Francophiles’ Guide to Quarantine
For those of us in quarantine (all of France, Italy, Spain and many places in the rest of the world), there is no shortage of entertainment online. Here are some resources for francophones or francophiles looking to polish their French. … Read More
Django Restaurant
In Tune with the Times
It’s true that Parisians (myself included) were not taking the call for social distancing during the coronavirus crisis seriously. When my friend Frances and I arrived at Django last Friday night, the place was packed. Revelers were making so much … Read More
Otto Freundlich: La Révélation de l’Abstraction
The Cosmic Bridge of Art
Imagine that you are an artist arriving in Paris for the first time in 1908. Right away, you are offered a studio in the Bateau Lavoir in Montmartre, where you immediately meet and befriend Pablo Picasso, followed by many of … Read More
Le Coucou Café
Nutty in a Nice Way
There’s nothing nutty about the Coucou Café (except in the food) – the word doesn’t mean “crazy” in French and is used as a friendly way to say “hi.” Located in Paris’s ninth arrondissement, the place has had some great … Read More
L’État Sauvage
Calamity Jeanne Rides Again
A feminist French Western? Well, why not? Just about every other imaginable kind of Western has already been made, so not much else is left. L’État Sauvage (Savage State), directed by David Perrault, takes place in 1861 during the American … Read More
Les Parisiens dans l’Exode
Refugees Without Refuge
Of all the horrors that occurred during World War II, the mass exodus from Paris in 1940 as the Germans approached the city may not have been the most horrendous, which may explain why the story has been so seldom … Read More
Aspic Restaurant
Unspoiled by Success
Aspic, which would appear to be just a tiny (seats 20), unassuming neighborhood restaurant, is anything but. Opened four years ago, it built a reputation for itself online and attracted a clientele of 80 percent Americans and other foreign visitors, … Read More
National Therapy by Peter Johansson
Demolishing National and Personal Demons
There are only a few days left to see “National Therapy by Peter Johansson” at the Institut Suédois. Dark yet very funny, the show, like all of Johansson’s work, casts a bemused eye on traditional Swedish symbols and stars the … Read More