Tag Archive for 'Paris'

Souvenir and Gift buying in Paris

Published
by
Ted
on November 16, 2008
in Gifts and farmers market
. 2 Comments

Fall is in the air and tourists to Paris can’t help but think about what to bring back as gifts for the holidays. Paris has no shortage on shopping; but where could you find something a bit more unique than an Eiffel Tower key chain or Mona Lisa t-shirt?

Markets

You’ll find a great variety of locally produced and manufactured items at the daily markets. Here are some of the better options:

  • Bastille market on Sunday: You’ll find not only food but hand crafts from around France, North Africa, and other regions. Just go to metro: Bastille, you can’t miss it from about 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m. for the best choices
  • Visit one of the Marchés des Producteurs de Pays . These markets are filled with vendors from around the country. You can purchase wine and spirits directly from the producers, honey, wax, and wool items. Personally, I love the socks. They are great gifts for your friends with diabetes. You can also taste fresh made Aligot, a mixture of potatoes and regional stringy cheese, which is hard to find. Here are some upcoming events:
    • November 22-23, Boulevard de Reuilly, 12th arrondissement (metro Daumesnil).
    • December 5-7, St. Paul village court. This is a bit harder to find. Take the St. Paul metro and go behind the St. Paul church.
  • Honey and Confiture: Nothing brings back local taste than regional honey and preserves. David Lebovitz has a great article about Honey in Paris. For confiture, check out your local markets, the Marchés des Producteurs de Pays, and also stop by a nice fromagerie to see if they offer a confiture de la maison. I buy my coffee and confiture from Pascal Guiraud, in the 12th Arrondissement on Blvd de Reuilly.
  • Timmy at the Paris flea marketMacarons: It’s hard to go wrong with a great box of macarons from Pierre Hermé or Ladurée.
  • Flea Markets: Everyone has heard about the famous Paris Marché aux Puce. It’s enormous and sits in the north border of the city. Frankly, it’s overpriced and you could spend all day looking and not buy anything.

    However, there are several smaller flea markets that are more promising. I personally prefer the one at Porte de Vanves. It is every Saturday and Sunday from about 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Dress warmly for the winter shopping, some areas are always in the shade and it can get chilly. Look for inexpensive art (etchings and prints), glassware, jewelry, and household items.

    You’ll find your best bargains at a Vide Grenier (community garage sale). Keep an eye out for fliers around the city for the local sale. They are not always available.

This is just a short list of places to get gifts for friends and coworkers before heading home. Look for the locally produced and regional cuisines wherever you travel. They’ll be more memorable than the standard souvenirs.

Pascal Guiraud - Torréfacteur
21, boulevard de Reuilly (12°)
01 43 43 93 27
Metro: Daumesnil, Dugommier
Coffee, Tea, Confiture, and Fine Groceries

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It’s time for Soup in Paris

Published
by
Ted
on November 1, 2008
in Vegan Friendly, soup and vegetarian-friendly
. 5 Comments

I grew up in Southern California where a cold day meant you had to wear pants instead of shorts and a t shirt. Now I’m in Paris where cold means snow or ice on the ground and shorts can be a dim memory. The scarf is around your face and gloves are on the hands.
Notre Dame de Paris
So now that it is fall and the days are getting shorter and colder; my mind has been going to something warm and satisfying: soup. The Parisian restaurants are filled with creative soup recipes. It’s a far cry from the standard vegetarian chili, lentil, and chunky vegetable soup you are lucky to find in American restaurants.

It’s time to pack away the shorts, sandals, and t-shirts. Bring out those sweaters, scarves, jackets, and gloves. We’re going on a field trip for soup in Paris.

Soup de Jour at Parisian Sweet Bar

Perhaps this cafe was the cause of my current obsession with soup. I stopped off a few weeks ago for my cafe au lait and found two new hotpots in the counter filled with soup. They feature two vegetarian soups every day. They also feature a small fixed menu deal, you get a large bowl of soup and a dessert (try the rice pudding) for 6.50 euros.

Their soups are also quite adventurous. Today I had a carrot and pineapple soup with walnut garnish. I’ve also had their Potiron (pumpkin) soup that was fantastic. They also feature a market vegetable soup for the less adventurous.

Parisian Sweet Bar is a wonderful cafe near Bercy park. They are filled with vegetarian delights and the friendliest service around.

Stuart Friendly - Spicy tomato soup

Toe mah toe soupAfter working another 12 hour day, I needed something to take the chill off my bones and wake me up. I stopped off at Stuart Friendly, a small restaurant near rue Montorguiel. They had a smaller vegetarian selection than I had expected. However, they did feature a spicy Mediterranean tomato soup. The large bowl was almost too large. Go for the small bowl unless you are really hungry.

Minestrone Soup at your local Italian restaurant

There’s a small Italian restaurant next to my work. It’s a decent place, nothing to go out of your way for. I was happy to see a sign tacked to the wall for a vegetarian minestrone. The soup had lots of noodles and vegetables.  I can’t say I’d recommend this particular recipe. But it would be a good idea to ask you local italian restaurant if their minestrone is vegetarian (or vegan). You may find it a much better choice than another linguine au pesto.

La Victoire in the Marais

Pumpkin and coconut milk soupLast night I stopped off at La Victoire, Suprême du Coeur for some soup. The daily special was a pumpkin/coconut milk soup. This was a great tasting soup. I’d highly recommend it. In fact, it’s a nice meal by itself.

Tien Hiang - Thai soup

Tien Hiang has a huge menu of vegetarian Asian cuisine. Their Thai soup is a standout amongst the various chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes. This tiny cafe in the 20th arr. is popular for a reason, great vegetarian/vegan food at low prices.

le Potager du Marais

How can I discuss soup in Paris without coming back to Le Potager du Marais? This popular restaurant in the Marais is soup central for vegetarians. It’s the place to go for a vegetarian French Onion Soup and much more. It doesn’t hurt to make reservations as the place is very tight and fills up quickly.

Soup and more at La Ferme

Soup and coffee
La Ferme is a pseudo-bohemian soup, salad, and pasta restaurant near Opera. It’s rustic interior matches their hardy vegetable soup. La Ferme is a simple place where you eat as if everything is takeout.

What is your favorite place for soup du jour?

Hopefully this post tempts you into the cold night for a bowl of warm soup. What is your favorite place to get soup in Paris?

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Paris Vegetarian updates

Published
by
Ted
on October 30, 2008
in resources and v3ggie
. 1 Comment

There are a few updates to Paris Vegetarian that I wanted to pull together in a single post.

  1. Shortly after writing about my favorite chef: Jacques, he left the restaurant I highlighted (Chez Alexandre). Don’t worry, their key clientelle will remain the same and you should still be able to order vegan and vegetarian dishes. Just not from Jacques.
  2. I returned to La Victoire, Suprême du Coeur last night. My main objection during my first visit was the dry, tasteless bread. I was pleased to find they’ve switched to Poilaine instead. Try their pumpkin/coconut milk soup.
  3. I’ve been working on V3GGIE, the vegetarian search engine. It was recently featured in Culinary School Guides list of 100 helpful search engines for foodies, chefs, farms, and more. Check out their blog. They have some extremely useful lists, such as Top blogs for Foodies.
  4. I’m working on a new search engine that will capture the local buzz from sites like Paris Vegetarian. Its focus is the community blog, restaurant guide, chefs. It will skip the global sites, such as Zagat or Fodors. I think the results will be interesting. Here’s a sneak peak at a prototype: Tartine.
  5. Fall has hit Paris. The days are getting chilly and my focus has shifted to soups. Look for a round up of Paris Potage soon.

Chez Alexandre - French cuisine by my favorite chef

Published
by
Ted
on September 27, 2008
in 9th Arrindissemont, French cuisine, Vegan Friendly, popular, restaurant and vegetarian-friendly
. 1 Comment

I still remember my first amazing meal in Paris. It was at a small restaurant in the Marais and I was with my friends Jim, Jean-Pierre, and Philippe. Jean-Pierre knew the chef, Jacques Brosse, and told us we were in for a treat.
jacques-pineapple
I asked Jacques for a plate des legumes as a vegetarian dinner. I was given a wonderful plate of side dishes, but there was one item that I still taste when I close my eyes and remember. It was an extremely simple dish of the juiciest cherry tomatoes. I can’t tell you what Jacques did to them. I imagine he hollowed out the little guys, chopped up the tomato “meat”, mixed it with salt and herbs and filled them again. These tiny little treats absolutely blew my mind. I had no idea so much flavor could be packed into such a tiny bite.

After the main course, Jacques presented us with the molten lava cake that has become so common in expensive restaurants. This was about 14 years ago and I’d never heard of the dish. It came with a raspberry sauce and was literally to die for. We returned the next night for more of the cake.

Creative and fantastic vegetarian food

Over the years, I’ve followed Jacques as he moved from one restaurant to another. He’s made some of the best vegetarian food that I’ve ever eaten. One night, he served a special version of French Onion soup for me. It was made with red wine instead of beef stock. I still bug him for that again.
the dinner spread ala chez Jacques et Dean
He’s also created a wide assortment of mediteranean and French cuisine. The hits keep on coming.

I just remembered a medley of about 10 wild mushrooms, the best hummus, guacamole that was far better than anything I’ve had in California…and I grew up with Avocado trees every where you look.

Chez Alexandre

So now you know how much I admire Jacques’ skills as a chef. He has a new restaurant and I stopped by today to say hello. Chez Alexandre serves traditional French cuisine in a large space a block away from Galeries Lafayette.
Chez Alexandre
There is a twist, the restaurant’s main clientele are Chinese and Russian tour groups. They have a large dining room upstairs for these groups and individual diners enjoy the space downstairs.

I asked him today about the vegetarian choices at Chez Alexandre. Interestingly, a significant portion of their visitors are Buddhists, for which Jacques creates vegan dishes every night. Tonight he had reservations for 10 vegans amongst the various groups. Their main dish will be stuffed vegetables with vegan risotto and chopped vegetables.

Reservations are suggested if you’d like to try a vegan dinner. You can always request a plate des legumes and you won’t be disappointed.

While I’m one of Jacques’ loyal followers, I have not eaten at Chez Alexandre yet. I stopped by today while they were closed before dinner. I plan on returning very soon and will update this with a full review of the meal.

Menus are available in many languages. Jacques is fluent in English, French, and Chinese. If it’s slow, don’t be afraid to see if you can visit with him and say hello. Tell him Ted sent you.

Chez Alexandre
16, rue La Fayette (9°)
01 47 70 01 91
Metro: Chausee d’Antin La Fayette, Auber, Opera
French cuisine

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Old Jawad, an elegant Indian/Pakistan restaurant

Published
by
Ted
on September 9, 2008
in 2nd Arrindissement, Ethnic, Indian, Meat Eating Friends, restaurant and vegetarian-friendly
. 0 Comments

I came across Old Jawad the other night while trying to find a recommended Indian restaurant (Rani Mahal - look for a review very soon). I was seriously tempted to skip the original restaurant and try Old Jawad instead. It’s a very elegant restaurant tucked into a corner near the Opera.
Old Jawad - Indian and Pakistani restaurant
The menu included the basic Indian dishes, with a mixture of meat and vegetarian options. The interior is beautiful and the menu promises a fusion of traditional and modern touches. The prices were also very reasonable. You should be able to have a good meal, minus wine, for under 20 euros a person.

I found a few reviews; the following one in French summarizes the attention to luxury and food.

Très bonne impression

Idéalement situé face au théatre des Bouffes Parisiens, le Old Jawad est un indo pakistanais de qualité. La décoration, chic juste ce qu’il faut et moderne, donne une ambiance chaleureuse et cosy. On jouit largement de l’espace avec des tables bien disposées où on ne profite pas de la conversation des convives voisins. Le service est très efficace et sympathique et en plus l’apéritif et le digestif sont offerts. Une bonne adresse avec un rapport qualité/prix excellent.

RestoAParis.com

Old Jawad
1, Rue Monsigny (2°)
Metro: Quatre Septembre, Pyramides
01 42 96 16 61
Indian/Pakistani Restaurant