Would You Like Some Frites with Your Delacroix?

Photo by eatmedaily.com

There’s no shortage of controversy in the French capital. Most Parisians will still hotly debate I. M. Pei’s glass pyramid at the Louvre, more than 20 years after its completion. By the way, if you’re ever asked by a Parisian what you think of the pyramid, please note that there’s no right answer. If you say you like it, then you’re accused of having no taste. If you say that you don’t like it…well, you’ve insulted the French.

Anyway…

The latest controversy also revolves around the Louvre or, more precisely, the Carrousel du Louvre, the sprawling subterranean shopping complex beneath the museum. The recent announcement that a McDonald’s will soon open it’s Golden Arches in the shopping center’s food court has riled art lovers and gourmands alike.

Of course, anyone who has been to the food court knows that the food served there is hardly the epitome of gourmet cuisine. It’s the French version of fast food. But the idea of the global behemoth settling in beneath the Louvre is causing more indigestion in art critics than the food does to the rest of us.

What’s really interesting here is that the French people love McDonald’s. There are plenty of these restaurants throughout not just Paris, but the whole of the country. And the food served at the French version of McDonald’s is far better than the glop served in the U.S.A. It’s French café food cooked up with real French ingredients, which may explain why French people don’t necessarily see it as an American fast food chain. And like they do in any restaurant, French diners tend to linger in their version of McDonald’s, complete with more elegant appointments.

I’ll be honest: I’ve never been a fan of the American McDonald’s. I never liked the food and the clownish (get it?) decor offended my stylish sensibilities. But I’m curious to see what this new addition to the Louvre’s food court will bring?

What about you? Do you think a Louvre McDonald’s will offend the ghosts of the Masters?

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter! And sign up for our weekly e-newsletter (see the sidebar) so you can get the latest news.