Old School Writing

Thanks for the thanks

...wish I could have been there..

Le Fooding d'Amour pix

Looks like the first pix of the Fooding d'Amour are coming in...

Think my day might start with a Spicy Chai to go at Mad Vicky's Tea Gallery, followed by a visit to Tartes Kluger.

At least the spambots visit me...

Famously anonymous

Secret lives of the Michelin inspectors and here , and on twitter.

Cannibal commercial

Names have not been named to protect the gastronomically guilty

Funny how this (ie, snacks at a hotel bar located near the Champs Elysees)


titilated my taste buds more than this (ie one of the most famous Michelin starred establishments in Paris):

McMacaroons

McDonald's macarons from Ladurée.

Anyone seen this yet? The McCafé offering hamburgeresque macarons from Holder (ie, owner of Ladurée).

Jardin familale (or Fun with Gourds)

BBQ and gardening in the 'hood under the last rays of summer sunshine in one of the disappearing 'jardins familiaux', or 'workmen's gardens', popular years ago, but now dwindling away. Located in often less than desirable (but close) Parisian suburbs, these establishments are large (my friend's measures 150 m2), private (access with key only), and convivial (old, drunk Portuguese garden neighbors) , cabana for storing essentials (ie, alcohol and BBQ grill wood and charcoal). And the icing on the cake is that it costs only 92 € for the yearly rent! Oh, and there is a two year waiting list...

Despite all that, I forsee a new trend in hip gardening and organic staycation weekends. Watch this space.

Lazy mood today- a little French fast food. (from Gault et Millaut's 2008 Best Butcher, Christophe Martin).

Proposed this idea a thousand times to trusted editors months ago, and no one bit. Oh well, I guess the greater denominator is and always has been not so cutting edge. And, wow!, two of the hot bars featured (wondered why I'd never heard of them..) are the author's own locals, on her street meme!

Marché de Barbès

North African pastries at nearby Barbès bakery


Arab and Berber women selling homemade filled crepes in front of the Barbès metro



I've always been a rabid devotee of the highest end food purveyors in Paris, but lately , I think la crise has been giving everyone pause for thought , including moi meme. . This morning's visit of the Marché de Barbès in Paris' "Goutte d'Or" neighborhood was in part motivated by the silly idea that the market might be less crowded because of Ramadan (or so a friend of mine told me) , and as the fridge was empty ....

The market was jam packed, and I drove my caddy with glee over a number of people's toes in an effort to scarf up those 99 cent kilos of coeur de boeuf tomatoes (Provence) and 50 cent ripe mangos. Next time I'll hit them at closing time and scarf up the real deals.