Luc Dubanchet: On the Paris Food Scene
Interview conducted and provided by the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau
In an interview with the Paris Convention and Visitors Center, Luc Dubanchet, president of Omnivore, shares his views on the Parisian gastronomic scene and reveals some of his favorite restaurants. He also tells us about the upcoming publication of the Omnivore Guide, as well as the World Tour Food Festival, taking place in Paris for the first time in March of this year. (more…)
My Paris Favorites: Terrance Gelenter
Introduction by Linda Donahue
I had, like most of the Paris expat community, known of Terrance Gelenter long before I actually met him, on a beautiful spring day at a (now defunct) café in St. Germain. It was a chance meeting. I was having lunch with my dear friend John, and Terrance was sitting a table by himself. Because he and John were friendly (bien sûr), we sat down at the table next to his, and spent the next hour or so chatting away. Terrance was holding court, for both us and the café staff who knew him well. (more…)
With Love, From Paris
Story by Linda Donahue, Editor in Chief
Sometimes I get so busy sharing my love of Paris with friends, family and readers, that I don’t take the time to appreciate all of the things that made me fall in love with the city, in the first place. (more…)
Rosa Jackson’s Paris Restaurant Début at La Table de Claire
By Rosa Jackson
I have often wondered what it might be like to cook in a restaurant, but until now had never been curious enough to actually try it. The closest I came was during my first year in Paris back in 1995, when I made a modest living whipping up crumbles, cinnamon buns and scrambled eggs in the bookshop/tea room Tea and Tattered Pages. Working alone in that closet-sized kitchen with its dinky oven hardly prepared me for the drug-fuelled, foul-mouthed environment described by Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential.
Breakfast in Paris with Frédéric Malle
Story and photos by Zeva Bellel, Paris By Appointment Only
Last month my editor at Monocle called to see if I’d be free to do a last-minute interview with fragrance maestro Frédéric Malle for a rubric in the mag called My Last Meal. The concept of the column is brilliant: each month a non-food professional is asked to describe their proverbial last meal (where they’d have it, with whom they share it and what, of course, would be on the menu).
The Obamas Take Paris By Storm
By Linda Donahue
Let’s face it: most of us will never get to sleep at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador like the Obama family did during their recent visit to Paris. But the rest of their trip is completely doable for us mere mortals and not too expensive. Want to recreate the Obama itinerary and hit the same Paris hotspots that they did? (more…)
Top Ten Paris Bargains
Edited by Richard Nahem, Eye Prefer Paris
I received this valuable list of Top Ten Paris Bargains from Sonia Langevin who works at the marketing department at www.hostelbookers.com, an excellent resource for booking hostels. It always great to know where the bargains are in Paris and this list has some nice surprises I didn’t know about. (more…)
To Tip or Not to Tip
Battles amongst American visitors to Paris have broken out over this question. After all, in the U.S., it’s customary to leave a 15 to 20% tip for your waiter or waitress after eating at a restaurant. That’s because these hard-working folks earn their living from their tips, since their salaries fall below the minimum wage (and mostly go to cover taxes). In Paris (as in most of Europe), waiters and waitress earn a fare wage. And a service charge is typically (and legally) added to your bill at restaurants, bars, cafés, etc. That said, it’s good manners to leave an additional 2 or 3% for your server, to show your appreciation.
What about taxis, you ask? You can tip up to 15% extra for them, but it’s not expected. And at the hotel, you should leave the housekeeping staff a Euro or two for each day of your stay.
