Something I learned in Paris? French peeps do NOT like you to take pictures of their food/displays/inside their stores. They were all “NO PHOTO” and I was all “Je ne parle pas francais.” *click*click*
And American tourists wonder why the French hate us.
Unfortch, this means I didn’t get 2108325 gorgeous food photos as anticipated. Here are the ones I did manage to snap!
(The above photo is macarons + marshmallows from Pain de Sucre. Chocolate+toasted coconut marshmallow is MAJ.)
This was the first of many picnic dinners. Baguette + cheese + ham + red wine. Sitting on any random park bench in Paris having a picnic while watching the sun set is my idea of heaven. Like really, truly, actually…when I die I want to go to heaven in Paris and eat baguettes and drink wine and admire the Eiffel Tower (Mike you’re invited too). Sorry for the unexpected morbidity.
Lis.ten. While we’re on the topic of “When I die and go to heaven in Paris…”, we need to talk crepes. Because a freshly made Nutella-stuffed crepe would most certainly be my dessert of choice in heaven.
I love, love, loved how many outdoor food stands and markets we stumbled upon. They are EVERYWHERE and the food always looked absolutely gorgeous! We found amazing (and completely random) food while exploring the Marais, including: donuts + HUMONGOUS cotton candy (above), as well as a churro man and the best falafel in the world (NY Times said it!) at L’As Du Fallafel.
Worth every one of the fifty minutes we stood in line.
Another nummy neighborhood was Île Saint-Louis, where we had a “try every French pastry” taste-test behind Notre Dame and made the trek to the original Berthillon for the best ice cream potentially of my life. I got salted caramel ice cream and Mike got pear, both of which tasted EXACTLY like their namesakes but in ice cream form. Highly recommended.
It goes without saying that if you don’t try french onion soup while visiting Paris, you haven’t lived.
Sidewalk cafes are another obvious MUST. We spent hours sitting at cafes, sipping wine and watching the world go by, feeling so very French. But despite my best attempts to speak like a local, eat like a local, and look vaguely bored, I have a feeling I didn’t blend in as much as I had hoped. Can you spot the American here?
Something else I learned? French people hate veggies. It’s possible that the pickles & three bites of lettuce pictured above may have been my ONLY source of veg the entire trip.
And finally, finally…
my dream come true. Macaron heaven.
(Hey people? Macaron is different than macaroon. Macaroons are made of coconut, macarons are not. You can remember this because macaroon has two “o”s and so does coconut. You’re welcome.)
Mike and I tried about 4 gazillion macarons, many of which went unphotographed because I stuffed them in my mouth too fast.
Macarons are the cupcakes of Paris. They are everywhere, in every color and flavor imaginable. We got different flavors at each new place, but decided to try salted caramel every time so that we could proclaim “The Best Salted Caramel Macaron in Paris”.
The winner was (obviously) Laduree. Salty and sweet and chewy and caramely and if you ever go to Paris and don’t bring some back to me we’re no longer friends.
{Other fave macaron places include Pierre Herme, Pain de Sucre, and Fauchon.}
So there you have it! {Some of} my favorite Paris foods. Next up will be Paris: The Details!
I never had a super strong passion to go to Paris, until now. I know… am I even human? But honestly, no one has ever painted quite as nice of a picture of it as you have. (Obviously food is the way to my heart…) Looking forward to your other posts!
This is the nicest thing anyone could ever say to Paris’s #1 superfan
Thank you!!
Paris is one the best cities in the world, I’m French and I just love it
Congratulation for your great blog and pictures!
MELANIE.
I died a little while reading this post.
I need to go to Paris more than ever now. I want to eat all that food while watching the sunset behind the Eiffel Tower tooooooooooo. WAH.
And hold the phone for just a minute: IS THAT MIKE WEARING A BLUE AND RED POLKA DOTTED TIE?! In the ice cream picture? Because if it is I will be tickled. I hope it is.
I love the American in the pink pants and I want some cotton candy and Nutella CREPES.
Now.
THANKS FOR BRINGING ME BACK SOME MACARONS, dude. I’m hurt by that a little. BUT alas, I got your post card today, so you and me good to go. Thanks for that!
Oh my gosh this post was amazing.
And now, now I am off to watch some more Marcel…
XO!
I’m so glad you got the postcard!!! Obv I brought you back macarons but then I ate them all myself. Sorrynotsorry.
You are hilarious; loved reading this! Wasn’t that falafel the best? So good! I can’t believe I haven’t posted my review of it, yet (3 years later). I was going to say Pink Pants too! Looking forward to more Paris posts!
THE best. I want to see your review now!!
OMG This food looks amazing
I literally cannot begin to even describeee my jealousy of you. I would eat macarons + brie + a baguette for legit every meal if I could.
None. None of your upcoming posts about Paris will top this one.
I don’t know if that’s a round of brie or camembert in that pic, but it looks like someone took a big bite out of it and I love it.
Also, THANK YOU for differentiating between the two macaro(o)ns. Pet peeve of mine.
And finally, have you been to the Paris Creperie in Brookline? I haven’t, but now I’m thinking it has to happen.
I’ve been Clair. Quite a bit, actually. I love it, but I’m curious to hear your thoughts on it, Melanie. I feel like you’re the master of all things Parisian.
Oui, Oui??!
I’ve been as well but I’ve never actually gotten the Nutella crepe, which I feel is the piece de resistance. Let me know when you want to go, I’ll meet you there!
Holy COW, this is an amazing list. That falafel place is our to-try list, but you’ve given me so much to add. The marshmallows, the cotton candy, and macarons! So fantastic!
You MUST go to Fauchon. If I had 2 million dollars I’d buy every single thing in the store.
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I’m loving all these pictures of Paris. I’m commenting on this particular post because I also made a beeline for Bertillon and LaDuree the last time I was in Paris (we used to live in London so I was so lucky to visit a few times…now I’m back in Boston which is how I found your blog). Your pictures, across all these posts, really are wonderful and are making me so nostalgic.
Thank you, Sara! I’m incredibly jealous that you lived in London - what for? I’d love to hear about it… right now I’m living inside a daydream that one day I’ll just pack up and move to Europe and spend my weekends city-hopping and my weekdays eating. A girl can dream?
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